Hacking and Slashing Our Way to Closure

Tonight, Tricia and I finally finished Champions of Norrath, or at least the beginners' level. We imported our characters to the "Courageous" level and will likely start the whole thing over again starting at levels 19 and 18 sometime next week. For now, we've decided we need a little break from it. What's nice is that we really drew out the game, playing for just an hour here and there, except tonight we felt like finishing it so it was more like 3 hours of playing.

In the real world, I'm finishing up my long term sub position at the middle school and searching for another long term position. The principal and Kelly Services have informed me about an opening at the high school Jan-Febish as another long term sub for an English teacher on maternity leave. Not a bad deal considering the kids have off half the days from now until then anyway, so it's probably the best time to be unemployed/short term substitute teaching now and then. I mean, there's the National Conference, Thanksgiving, and Christmas break, all with days off. So it's not like I'd be working much then anyway.

It pretty well sucks that I'm not under contract so I don't get paid as much or get the insurance benefits, but at least I'm getting $130/day right now, which could be worse. I'll just have to worry about buying my own insurance come January when I'm off my parents' insurance finally. ::sigh:: I suppose while I'm off of work I should get in an eye exam and a dental visit before it ends up costing me.

On a lighter note, today marks the end of Parent-Teacher conferences, which I have to say are pretty much a breeze. Yeah, it sucked having to sit all day at work, but it was cool to be paid to catch up on grading, sit at my desk listening to my favorite music, chat with some friends in the rooms next door, and occassionally talk to some parents about how good/shitty their kids are. In addition, next week's going to rock cuz there's only 2 days of teaching, and then 1 day of district inservice meetings, and 2 days of optional attendance at the state teachers' convention where you can get plenty of free samples (food, candy, pencils, pens, pointless knicknacks, and business cards) and also pick up some cheap shit for teaching. Sometimes the seminars aren't too bad either. Last convention I attended I was able to listen to Bob Kann speak, and he was hilarious and had some great ideas about using humor and storytelling in the classroom.

I guess that's about it for now. My parents are living it up in Aruba, celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary from August. My mom convinced my dad to go parasailing with her this time, they went on a cruise, and they're going snorkeling tomorrow. And so naturally I'm jealous of their beach-going in 85 degree weather while I'm bundled up here in the low 40's with freezing rain. But oh well. Tomorrow I'm off to see Death Cab for Cutie FINALLY in concert after falling in love with their music while traversing Europe last winter. And then it's a friend's surprise birthday party which should be a nice break from the monotonous life I've lived this week of conferences, working 12+ hour days.

A parent said today, "Teaching must be a calling. I can't see why else anyone would do it." And I just nodded my head. Sometimes I have no clue why I'm in this profession. And then I see a kid improve and succeed, hear a brilliant comment during a discussion, or have a student smile and say "Have a good weekend, Ms. Collins." And then I realize I can only hate teaching for so long before I remember why I love it.