One Day More

15 hours to freedom! And then, no classes 'til next year. I love the way that sounds. Two weeks off is going to be fucking awesome. If only I would actually use that time wisely. So many things to do...

Projects to do:
*Wrap Chris's Christmas present
*Put up the Christmas tree
*Finish putting plastic on the windows
*Finish knitting Chris's mom's scarf
*Knit a scarf for sister-in-law Beth
*Arrange a photographer for the wedding
*Shop for a tiara
*Clean the apartment
*Back up files on external hard drive
*Rest and rekindle the romance
*Download and develop digital photos
*Finish hanging framed pictures/paintings
*Finish and mail Jenni's Birthday/Christmas/New Year's CD
*Organize photos into albums
*Oh yeah, and catch up on grading and lesson planning. Vacation doesn't last forever :P

Living in

Today, the first picture was hung. It only took four months, but it is done. Well, halfway done. The dartboard, two Japanese mountainscapes and the streets of Paris now adorn these walls. I suppose it's my version of decking the halls. Or maybe I just couldn't bring myself to haul out the Christmas tree when our apartment was a mess and the dining/sitting/writing room closet won't close due to a stack of framed paintings and pictures barring the way.

Perhaps this week we'll finish the hanging and bedeck our duplex with boughs of plastic. Hey, the wreath is up in the front hall. That must count for something, even though no one can see it unless they are walking up the front stairs. We'd put it on the front door of the duplex, but we're not sure if our downstairs neighbors celebrate the holidays. As it is, if it were Chris's choice, these halls would remain undecked indefinitely. But I love my godless man anyway.

I'm a strange mixture, it's true. Born Catholic and presently some sort of "deist." I could say I'm Taoist, but I'm not sure I agree with all of those tenets, nor those of any religion. But can I say I don't believe in God? Not really. It just wouldn't be true, not if I really admitted my heart's feelings. Do I believe in some old man figure directing the cosmos? No. Do I feel there is something good and holy to strive for, a connection between all living beings that we should hold dear--something akin to loving all of creation? Yes.

So why not celebrate a holiday that brings families together and contains a lifetime of cherished memories for me? Do I need to be Christian to put up a tree and decorate it with my life's souvenirs? Do I need to be Christian to practice a tradition of my heritage? I don't think so. So Merry shopping, folks. This year, I shop little and love lots.

Reading Frenzy

Because of school, I've become a reading fiend, grabbing this and that from my shelves until I felt I could teach those same books to the students. This week is the start of much "easier" times when it comes to teaching three of my classes. We're reading novels, so it's just a matter of keeping them motivated and puncuating the lessons here and there with other topics.

This is the kind of stuff I really like to teach, the things that keep kids interested and put the education ball in their court. Of course, it takes some scaffolding to get them to this point, getting them to read smaller works and giving them time to work in groups as practice for continual group work for the next 1.5 months. So far, so good, though I'm afraid I'm not doing 1984 justice. I want the kids to work independently, but I also want them to pick up on the subtleties...but that means I need to nudge them that way. It's tricky, and I'm not an expert with balancing those skills yet. I suppose it's just a matter of guess, test, and revise for next year.

If there is a next year. God and every other higher power knows that I need to be at this school another year so I can boost my resume. Aside from that, I think I actually WANT to be at this school another year. Sure, it has its faults such as some ethnic tension and lack of extracurricular activities, but it's a school where I can grow. The admin seems very supportive of that and they give me many opportunities to take on responsibility and almost leadership. It's such a vast contrast to my last school, where I was the least senior member of my team and therefore was most often just nodding my head to whatever tune my older colleagues were humming.

I like my students too. They challenge me every day. Just when I think I've got it all together, they bring in new ideas for lessons or teaching strategies by the way they respond. For example, one student voiced a concern that we weren't writing enough in class. I thought, wait, that's not true. But when I looked back at the first quarter, I realized we only had one major assignment. My other classes have had more, but this one has been wrapped up in literature, and I really haven't given them a chance to put a voice to their responses and give them room to write their own ideas. That's something major I have to work on with them, and I had best do it soon.

Other than teaching, my life hasn't been too thrilling lately. Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday, but nothing like real life. I almost miss my family after spending so much time with them. Then I remember what they're like during the week days, and I recall why I'm here and they're there. Naturally, I love them and can't wait to see them again. My parents can be so sweet. And I never see enough of my brothers, sisters-in-law, or my little nephews and niece. Honestly, she's so adorable it makes me wretch a lot less at the idea of having children someday. Stupid beautiful big eyes and drooly smile :P

It was great seeing friends too, although again, it brought to mind that which is lacking (see previous post). And I have a renewed sense of the awesomeness of Scattegories. We brought it back with us. Anyone up for a game?

Changing

Lately I just suck. No journal writing. No blogging. No myspace updates. Few phone calls to out-of-town friends. Even fewer phone calls to family. No exercise.

What have I been doing lately? Work, work, work. And not even productively. I've been reading novels that I'll be teaching, sure, but is my grading up to date? nope. Are my lessons well-planned? Hardly. I feel like I have no spare time, and yet the time I have isn't used to its fullest.

Geez, even my writing sucks today. I see friends have blogged and remodeled and lost inches. And what do I have to show for myself? Not enough. Sure, I'm busy and stressed, but I can still get stuff done if I have the motivation. But it's harder to have the motivation when I just don't care.

When I've had the free time, I've just been sitting back and enjoying it. Let's go shopping! Let's watch my favorite TV shows! Let's eat out! Let's hang out with friends! Let's read a novel! Let's have a wonderful discussion! Let's take a nap! Let's play a game!

All those things are wonderfully fun, but they keep me from using my time for some other healthy activities. But you know, aside from needing to lose a few pounds, what really bothers me the most is losing some connections with friends. Blogging doesn't solve anything, but it's the only journaling I feel like doing right now. And right now I feel the need to vent my frustrations with the changing tide of frienships.

I love all the friends I've made throughout my life and hold each one dear to my heart. That's why it's so difficult for me when I feel like I'm losing touch with any of them. Even with years of adjustment, it's still a sore spot that Jenny W. chose a new life without her old friends, including her once "best friend" who seemed to have such a strong connection. And I always feel a little embarassed when I come across a friend I know I could email or call now and then but with changing cities and lifestyles, have just sort of let go. But when it's friends that just seem hard to reach that were once considered close?

Those are the ones that you wonder, what more could I do? Am I not trying hard enough? Am I being too needy? Am I being unreasonable? Do I seem unapproachable? Have I changed so much? Is life so busy and difficult for them that all friendships must be put on hold, or just mine?

It's those times I appreciate those friends who have gone out of their way, time and time again, to spend time with me and others, and have shown me just how special their friendship really is. I love my friends, and am so happy to have those few that have come through for me year after year, despite the changes in our lives. I suppose it's unreasonable to think that every friendship can survive those trials. I'm sure it is.

But that doesn't make me miss them less.

A short time ago in a Target near, quite near you...

STAR WARS

It is a bright time for the rebellion.
Rebel forces have secured copies of
the original Star Wars Trilogy on DVD.

During the acquisition, sixty dollars were
spent, much to the dismay of Katie's
signifcant other. With these original theatrical
releases, Katie will now have the power to watch
an entire childhood of pop culture memories
splayed across the TV in widescreen fashion.

Obsessed with seeing Ewoks sing in joy
again, Katie will spend thousands of seconds
watching movies and dreaming of adventures
in space...

We apologize for that last blog entry. The writers of that last blog have been sacked.

I was going to blog.
But now I'm not going to.
Take that, bitch.

High!

The onslaught of high school teaching has begun. And yes, I mean onslaught. Damn, I had it easy at the last school. Today I supervised breakfast, amused an extended homeroom class, introduced two different English courses, supervised lunch (and had a few carrots and a granola bar), introduced two more English courses, had a short respite of a prep hour (with a class taking place in my room), supervised an assembly, and then supervised students as it took an HOUR for their buses to show up.

Needless to say, from now until June 15, I am going to be very busy. I guess the upside is that I will be a lot more interesting. And judging from my negligable attempts at blogging during my summer "vacation," I doubt that working long hours will affect my blogging in the least bit. Hell, I'll likely blog more for escapist reasons. Speaking of...I think I have to organize my dresser drawers...

Family Portrait Reflected in a Mirror

For a few days this week I went to my parents' house to help my mom go through boxes upon boxes of items from my grandma's house. (A couple weeks ago she moved into a retirement home so my parents needed to empty her house to sell it). My parents' garage and basement were full of everything from dressers, pots and pans, jewelry, antique dishware, to boxes of bran cereal and smelly old sheets. Realize that my grandmother had been living in the same house for her entire life and the house belonged to her parents...that creates a shite-load of accumulation.

The sorting of what to keep, what to give away, and what to sell took us almost 3 days, and that’s after my parents already went through some of it. It was a real backache. If I hadn’t helped, it would have taken twice as long—my dad, the pack rat, is not so good at throwing things away. I also needed to go through and figure out what items I would like to keep, as I am the only granddaughter.

Naturally, being the only granddaughter also has its benefits. Sure, my brothers and sisters-in-law will take some of the stuff, but for things like jewelry and other keepsakes, I get first dibs. I’m so glad that grandma is still alive and doing okay, though. I’d much rather be going through old cards and keepsakes knowing I can share memories with my grandma and talk with her about them, than just thinking how each item is something she won’t see again.

Still, it’s hard watching her deteriorate. She’s always been a strong-willed woman, living on her own, stubborn, a worrier, with favorite pastimes of cleaning and shopping. Not exactly a thrill-seeker, but she had been very independent. Now it is difficult to hold a conversation with her. She forgets words and gets confused sometimes. And her hearing aids haven’t been working that well, so I have to talk fairly loudly and simply to make sure she understands what I’m saying. At least we can still have pleasant conversations, just not very deep ones. I just wish I had been a little older when she was a little younger so that I could know her better. In college, it was hard thinking about family when school and friends took priority. And before that, I really didn’t have the idea that my grandma was that interesting nor the thought that she would be gone someday.

Her life hasn’t been easy and her personality hasn’t always been easy to get along with. She’s not into playing games or reading and didn’t really bring up topics to talk about. Most of the time, we’d be in the living room chatting or watching CNN. All she’d really watch is the news, which would repeat all day. A young person gets bored with all that. I wonder, maybe next time I visit her, I’ll bring a photo album and talk with her about some of it. I’ve seen Chris show his great-grandma pictures, and it gives her something to see and gives both of them something to talk about. Hopefully my grandma’s vision is good enough for it.

On the bright side, she seems to be adjusting to her new home. Apparently one day she was actually dancing to some music that was playing there. I have NEVER seen her dance and the idea daunts me. She’s never been the “grandma” type making baked goods and reading stories. I think sometimes she had difficulty relating to us kids growing up in the ever-modernizing world. After we stopped wanting to color in coloring books, we were just difficult to manage.

She seems to be making some friends at the home, but I think she’s not used to having so many people around. She falls back on the way some of her old friends were, not really genuinely caring, but making pleasantries. The only really good friend she’s had in a long time was Aunt Pat. But Aunt Pat’s been gone for a few years now. I’m glad that grandma’s been able to keep going despite her loss and depression, but she really hasn’t been the same since then. I hope she can find the effort and will to make new friends. I know it’s also hard adjusting to the life in the home, with people going to bed a lot earlier than she’s used to. She’s always been a night owl since she takes naps in the afternoon. ::sigh:: She’s a woman after my own heart.

I really love my grandma, but I don't know her as well as I think I should. I learned a lot about her by going through her belongings, but that's not the same as learning it first hand. I'll just have to visit her more often and appreciate the time I have with her--that's what they say anyway. I suppose that's all I can do, make the effort. I think what bothers me the most is that we're all getting older. My dad just turned 60. The thought of my parents aging and eventually needing help like my grandparents scares me. They've always been pillars in my life and I want them to be there as I grow older too. It can be so hard making decisions between dedication to family and to my own life. And those decisions will only become more difficult. When is it selfish and when is it growth and independence? Maybe as I grow older I WILL grow wiser and figure that out.

Waste of Time

Only two weeks left now until I begin another year of teaching. In one week, I get to experience In-Service meetings at the new school. If they're anywhere near as exciting as last year's meetings, I had best be prepared and bring some crossword puzzles with me.

It's going to be hard getting to know a whole new staff. I can only hope that my "team" is encouraging and cooperative like we were at ALA last year. Surprisingly, a few other teachers decided to leave that school this summer as well. This year probably would have sucked there, especially with a rawer deal for health insurance.

I'm a little worried, since I didn't use much time this month to prepare for the school year. I was mostly wrapped up in organizing the new apartment, relaxing and actually having some fun during the little bit of summer I have left. But next week I really need to crack down, get up early every day, and start plotting out the school year for each of the four classes. I just want the year to go well. I don't want to be thinking in December that I'd have been better off going back to grad school or working some stupid office job. Optimisim. That's the ticket.

I know I CAN handle the work load; the question is, do I really WANT to teach four different classes and be responsible for the writing, reading, and comprehension skills of the entire high school? That's a lot of responsibility, especially now that the grades I give them will count for their GPA and actually affect their futures.

Alright, this is too heavy for me to think about right now. I think I'll go back to my usual plan of eating lunch, straightening the apartment, and feigning interest in reading the textbooks I'll be using this year. Oh, and flipping through the channels on the off chance that daytime television doesn't completely suck ass.

On the inside looking out

Having just finished moving Sunday and having not yet called the cable provider, I am at a local coffee shop getting my Internet fix. It's pretty nice and if I didn't need the Internet quite often for work, I would just go to a shop whenever I wanted to use it. I'm trying to remember if there was something else I am supposed to do on here before I leave. At least this place is only about a 3 min drive from our place, just 9 blocks away.

Our place is starting to take shape, ever so slowly, and ever so expensively. We've spent at least 200-300 dollars on new rugs, shower supplies, cleaning utensils, alarms, and various other things in the past few days. I'm hoping to get reimbursed for a few things from our landlord. He's okay, pretty laid back, but he doesn't sound that helpful about maintenance. The main things that need fixing are a window that tends to drift open, a light about the kitchen sink that doesn't work, and we are in need of a couple more keys. One or two of the copies he made aren't very helpful. Oh well. Overall, I'm happy with the place and I know I'll be even happier when we get more boxes unloaded and arrange some furniture.

I'm almost done with the kitchen. It sucks because the people who moved out were bastards who didn't lift a finger to clean the place before they left. The oven is a mess, the fridge could use work, the bathroom is icky, and I had to wash out every drawer and cupboard in the kitchen. I figured I'd do the kitchen first since having a usable kitchen is rather essential to eating. I've put down new liner in almost all of the cupboards and drawers in there. I still need to do a few more, but I think I may need to buy a new roll. The primary dishes are washed and put away. I hope to finish it all by the end of the day.

Then it's time to clear some boxes and figure out the living room and office areas. It's difficult to decide what should go where. It would friggen help if we had a bed together. We couldn't get the damn box spring out of our apartment. It got IN there, so it seems logical it can get OUT of there. I think maybe since our landlord redid the front stairs there's a little less room...just enough inches to make it nigh impossible to remove the box spring mattress. So, we've been sleeping on our regular mattress on the floor. It makes it dang inconvenient to move around in the bedroom and prevents us from arranging the room how we'd like it. I suppose we could put our dressers and such in order, but the motivation is lacking knowing it'll still look tacky with a mattress on the floor like so many college students.

I really like how many outlets we have. Seriously, there are 4 usable ones in the kitchen, not counting the one in use already for the fridge and oven. AND not counting the one that is disturbingly situated under the sink by the pipes. Every room has at least 4 I think. That's in vast contrast to our last place which even had a few ungrounded outlets. Having an actual furnace and vents in every room will also be nice. We have a lot of windows...11 I think, instead of our old 6, even one in the bathroom. We'll definitely have to put up plastic this year, since we're paying for heat. But I already have 3M plastic in the basement in winter storage.

Ah, our basement. I love it. It's so nice having a decent basement that doesn't seem creepy at all, with free laundry machines all to ourselves. We can actually store things down there without fear of big nasties crawling into our boxes. The only down point is that it's not easy to store a bike down there and haul it upstairs, as Chris is finding out. He's going to have to work something out with our hallway or something. Maybe he can store it in the front area. Eh, details.

Another down point? We don't know our neighbors too well yet. They seem nice enough, though they go to bed early and maybe are a bit too trendy for our taste. Oh well, not every neighbor can be your best friend :) I miss you Tricia! And Barbara! And lovely little 3rd floor apartment. But I can definitely get used to this neighborhood. It's cool and I can't wait to explore it more. Well, battery's running low. Time to fly! Or maybe just go to a Twins game.

3, 2, 1 Contract!

As I said, it's not over until I sign a contract. well, today I did. I won't be making much more than last year--just about $600 more, which I suppose isn't too bad. And I will be doing more work, in some ways. Instead of preparing for 2 classes, I'll be preparing for 4 of them. But I'll also only be teaching 4 sections instead of 5. My day starts out easy, with prep time in the morning. My room seems decent--someone was teaching in there for summer school, so I didn't get more than a glimpse.

I'll be teaching Language/Grammar, Writing, and Literature 1&2 as 4 different classes, with some mixture for grades of students, but it will tend to go in that order, 9-12. Teaching a whole high school of kids sounds a bit intimidating, but with textbooks, novels, and set online curriculum, I should have some good help in the matter. They expressed strongly that I will need to stick to the course curriculum, though they said I could add anything I want that will help the learn the course. I just can't do things like substitute a different novel or skip a concept that seems over their heads.

So, basically August is going to be a time of major preparation. Besides settling into our new place, I'll have to get a lot of materials planned ahead and ready to go. I'll especially want the first few weeks planned, since that's a time of major adjustment to the school itself. Well, speaking of busy times, I had best get to packing more of our shit. We made a lot of progress yesterday, but there's still a butload to go. Our goal is to have a moving truck for Thursday so we can get that done before my parents come to visit Friday-Saturday. Thankfully, they'll be staying at a hotel so we don't have to worry about lodging them. And lucky us, our parents will be meeting each other Friday evening for dinner. If we can keep our stress levels down, we all should be cool, just going to a sports bar/grill. If.

So, Yeah, As I Was Saying

For all my bitching and complaining...I got a job offer today. It's for the school I mentioned in my last post. I'd be teaching at a small charter school for grades 9-12. It sounds a little intimidating since I think I might be the only high school teacher there, so it would mean four different preps, unless they mix their classes. I haven't talked to them yet about details. After talking to the the HR director, I scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to talk about the job and to see the school. They had left a message on my phone this morning while I was struggling to pound through a stack of assignments my summer school kids gave me on the LAST DAY of summer school.

Today was really boring, actually. Most of my students left at 10am since they were nice enough to let the passing students with good attendance out early. Naturally, that meant I had 3 kids left who were all passing and had little work to do but had been absent and needed to make up the time. What to do with 3 kids that doesn't involve anything I'm going to grade? Not a whole hell of a lot. I had to get grading done, so I couldn't do much that was interactive. I gave them a puzzle worksheet and turned on a movie. They chatted and kept themselves busy, so I suppose it worked.

In other news, my grandmother on my dad's side is moving from Two Rivers into a nursing home in GB. It might be hard for her to make the transition, but she's been really miserable at home alone, so I think this might be really great for her. Otherwise, she sits at home and watches CNN or maybe once in a while visits the senior center nearby. But it's different when you're just visiting vs. when you're actually a resident, a member of a supportive community. It was tough on my dad to make the decision, but it helped to see how happy she was conversing with residents when they went to check out different nursing homes. Turns out she likes the one that is a block away from my parents' church, so that will be really convenient. She'll have to give up some independence, but she'll gain more time with her family, more friends, and health services that she needs.

::sigh:: Life is so busy, and then it stands still on certain moments. At least I got a job offer before I filled out the pages of essays for a couple jobs I'm really not even interested in. I'll still keep an eye out and send a couple apps, just in case. A job's not a job until my name's on the signature line.

Um, Thanks?

So I have a little less suspense now. Less than an hour ago, I found out that we got the apartment we REALLY wanted in Minneapolis. And, our current landlord informed me that he rented out our apartment today to the two fellows that we showed it to last night.

That means a whole lot less stress on us since we no longer have to look for places or worry that we won't get new tenants in here in time for Aug. 1st and then have to pay our Aug. rent.

I still have to wait about jobs, well, actively wait since I'll be sending out applications and resumes wherever I can...which there aren't many.

So thank you, landlords, renters, and powers that be. One less thing to worry about. Now to plan dinner...

Suspense Can Bite Me

I've had enough suspense for one day. In fact, how about many days. If I were to watch an Alfred Hitchcock film right now, I think I'd have to puke. No more suspense!

Today I had an interview for a teaching job in St. Paul. Today we are supposed to find out whether or not we have a new apartment. This week I am supposed to wait for another school to call me. Sometime soon Chris will find out if he is offered a job working for the state.

I'm just sick of it! I just want a job and want an apartment and I don't want to have to think about it anymore. And yet probably I'll end up in suspense about both for another month, just to spite my impatient self. ::sigh::

Okay, so my interview went well today. I think my only shortcomings are my two years experience and the fact that I'm very white and interviewed for an all black school. But I STILL came on strong with my other "fish out of water" past job experiences. Dang, I forgot to mention working with all Mexican women. Not that many Spanish skills would come much in handy there. GAH! At this point, I'd be happy working at an ALC in Anoka.

You know, there's a lot of things they train teachers to be, but you never see a class for "Human Baggage to Be Tossed" in the curriculum.

Summer-izing Chicago

We had a star-studded plan.

We got high and tan.















We walked to the pier.















And had much to fear.






























We saw dragons fly.















And fire in the sky.















Then the music ended the spell.















And we kissed the city farewell.

Mark Your Calendars

We set a date! Yep, after much deliberation, we finally came up with venues for our wedding. As scheduled, we will be married on July 21, 2007 at the gazebo in Green Isle Park and party like it's 1999 at The Woods. It feels SO good having that arranged; one less thing to worry about in a summer full of worries.

On another fun and exciting note, we just got back from a whirlwind adventure involving 3 states, a family renunion, sunburn, lakes, and a lot of tall buildings. Just two hours ago, we got back from a mini-vacation in Chicago. The pics are fantastic, though we could have had more at the museums. Oh well. There's room for next time. Here's just one pic for a preview of others that may or may not show up later, depending on whether I have the time between job searching, apartment searching, teaching summer school, and maintaining my sanity.

Minimal Progress

Holy shit, has it been an f-ing busy month. My bogged down brain can barely comprehend that Friday marks the end of June. WTF? It sucks because I've barely had any time to work on applications. Okay, so I could be doing one now. But geez, it's hard to get motivated for it when I'm spending a good portion of my day teaching 25 high school kids for 4.5 hours every day. Planning for 4 days worth of material blows. And all this time spent on school work means I've been neglecting working on the apartment and also have not been taking much time searching for a new apartment. We're planning to move in either August or September, depending on when I manage to land a job. Who knows what part of the city I'll be positioned?

On the bright side of busy times, Liz and Vince got married last weekend and I had a good time as bridesmaid. Although, I have to say it was a litte eerie having my parents there, knowing they must be thinking that watching me walk down the isle in a white dress instead of a sage one is coming soon. That's another thing to work on--getting the venues arranged. It sort of sucks trying to plan a wedding in a city that's 4.5 hours away.

Anyway, I know my blogging has been damn scetchy lately. I'll try to work on getting more than 2 posts per month, but it's still going to rough for another month. Just 3 more days of this first session of summer school, then a short break for a trip to GB and Chicago. And then 2.5 more weeks of summer school. If I could go back, I'd have turned down the job. Yeah, the money's going to help, but damn, the stress is NOT worth it. My past years of summer school we're nearly as time consuming or stressful. But I suppose I have had it easy with good kids in the past. These kids aren't so bad, but some are just soooo lazy. I suppose that's why they're there. It'd just be nice if it was a smaller class (it used to be 30 kids but several dropped it or were kicked out because they missed too much class time).

At the end of July, I think I'm going to sleep for a week.

First of the Season

It's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about lazing on the beach or running in the park. I'm talking interviews.

Today I had an interview for an even smaller charter school (and a newish one) in a far suburb of the Metro. One thing that's been confirmed...I interview damn well, if I do say so myself. Okay, so maybe my competition wasn't exactly difficult. But hey, I think I stood out among the crowd (since it was a group interview).

Group interviews are weird and f-ing long, let me tell you. The interview was over two hours long, which is understandable when they ask one question and then wait while 5 people take turns answering it. It's not nearly as intimidating as one might think, to have to visibly compete with other candidates in an Apprentice-like manner; but it certainly is as boring. Yes, there were interesting and inovative answers and humorous comments. However, I was so ready to cut the BS and get to the main points of things. So much of it was glossy overviews and circumventing the point.

Anyway, it's a school I wouldn't mind working for, but I doubt it would be top on my list...if I had a list. Oh well, I'm sure more interviews will be to come, especially if I actually send out more applications instead of scraping to find time to finish out my current teaching job. Hm, that brings me back to my comment about interviewing well. Why do I think I did a good job? I think I'll use a bulletted list to more aptly express myself.

• I came in fashionably late due to traffic and trying to get myself out of my classroom right after school without throwing my students physically out of my room. No worries--I had called the day before and said I'd probably be 10 min behind.
• I didn't wear a blue shirt. 3/5 interviewees had the same colored shirt on. 2/5 were wearing the same color suit coat and khakis. 4/5 interviewees just did not look nearly so bright and energetic as I did in my floral ankle-length skirt and yellow shirt under a white blazer.
• I actually said I enjoy teaching middle school students. The job could be either middle or low high school level.
  
• I was honest and said I was a geek who loves fantasy novels (and teaching The Giver and The Odyssey).
  
• I made the interviewers and interviewees laugh on several occassions.
• I actually appeared interested in what other interviewees said.
• I might have accidentally flashed a little leg due to my wrap skirt and positioning of legs.
• I've taught in a charter school so am familiar with them.
• I asked questions that typically cut through the BS.
• The interviewers are also 'Sconys.
• And I think I actually did well keeping my answers short and to the point...weird, eh?

Wouldn't you hire me?

Writing with half an ass

That just sounded better than "half-assed blog entry." I don't have a lot of time I wish to devote to blogging. Wait. Stop. Let me rephrase that. I WISH I had more time to devote to blogging, but things like finding a new job and trying to finish my current job are sort of taking up that time. But here's an update anyway.

*Applying for fall teaching jobs--it sucks, but at least I'm a pro by now.
*DJing the school dance on Friday. I'd rather not, but it's actually more work for me to NOT go, since all the music is already on my computer, for the most part.
*Going to a Saints game tomorrow. It's about damn time. I live within blocks of the place and I've just never gone. They're sudden last night fireworks scared the shit out of me too.
*My brother Scott is moving to Baltimore next weekend. He got a super sweet job offer there for the same corporation--making almost twice as much. He and Jennifer are expecting a baby girl (most likely) this August. I'm going to miss having them around, even if it was just in GB.
*The Christmas tree is still up in the living room, complete with ornaments. I'm thinking I'll take it down between applications this summer.
*I saw Sigur Ros for the second time last weekend...and I almost fell asleep. I love them, but I'll have to remember to get a full night's rest before their next show.
*This weekend I'll see Mogwai for the first time. A little less mellow. But still. MUST sleep first.
*Besides reading plenty of poetry and young adult novels, I've been getting into a new author. Laura Joh Rowland. I'm not usually into mystery, but just stick the setting in feudal Japan (think Inuyasha) and add a hint of sex, and I'm so there.
*Still think DDR is the rockingest game ever...and I can't wait to move so that I can buy it. Oh, and so that I can have enough hot water for a bath and not have to pay for laundry and not ROAST in the summer.
*Oh yeah, and I finally got tested for allergies. Turns out I'm quite allergic to Ragweed, hence the bad seasonal allergies, especially in early fall. And, sadly, also slightly allergic to dogs and cats--moreso cats. This sucks cuz when Chris and I move, we wanted to get a cat. It's still possible...just could be a big hastle. I'm still getting a dog when I get a house...such a far away day.

That's about all I can think of without having to think too hard. I'll get back to blogging more consistently soon. Just let me finish out this school year. Something to look forward to? Field trips :)

The Break Up

So I was going to blog about Ireland and many happy occassions. But now that will have to wait until some future posting.

Here are the facts: Today I was told by my bosses that they will be posting my position and accepting interviews for it. They told me they would looking for someone else to fill the position, but I can still apply for it.

Now, let me put that into terms that would be emotionally comparative:

Let's role play. My employer will play the part of one person: "the boyfriend." Instead of the employee, I will be the "girlfriend." Now, I've been seeing this "boyfriend" for almost a year. Almost every day we would interact on a friendly basis, and talk about the future. Then, he takes me aside one day after work, and says we need to talk...

I'm a little nervous due to the formality of it, but still keep myself hopeful that it means something good for our future together. And then he opens up with, "This is hard," which of course is not a positive sign. He asks me, "How do you think this year has been?"
"I think it's gone very well. I've had a great year. Not everything has gone as I had hoped, but I think things will keep improving."
"Well, you know, you're a good girlfriend, but I'm just not sure you're what I need right now. I'm going to see other people."
"Oh, I see."
"You're creative and hard-working, but I need someone who has more experience," the boyfriend says with a sympathetic smile.
"I understand. It's just too bad because I thought you were my dream man. I love being with you and I saw myself growing old with you," the girlfriend starts sniffling and reaches for a tissue.
"It was a really hard decision. I went back and forth with the idea. But I'm just looking for someone who's more of a hard ass."
"I suppose you have to do what's best for you," the girlfriend wonders if he has any idea of what he really needs, knowing a hard ass probably is not going to fare well with him and his friends.
"You can still stick around and see if I pick up anyone else better. If I don't, well, maybe I'll settle for you after all."
"Right," Thanks a lot, asshole. It's as though she has heard that before somewhere.
"I'd be happy to recommend you to some other guys when you meet them."
"Sure," the girlfriend replies. She decides to give up some of her dignity by asking,"Can we still see each other this summer?" After all, she needs the money.
"Yes, we can still do that."
"Okay, well, I should go now." She barely manages to get out of the room before she rushes into the bathroom, sobbing into the sink. As she walks into her room, she realizes that she will still need to see him every day for the next few months, even though they are over now. Every day she will have to see the same guy who has just told her he doesn't want her anymore.
And, she'll have to suck up to him so that she can still have him pay her rent, car insurance, and other daily expenses. She hates being dependent on him for money, especially since this isn't the first time a guy has let her down and left her high and dry. As she gazes at her reflections, she thinks to herself. Maybe I don't want to be with men anymore. They're so fickle and will drop you with no real provocation, even when you're fully devoted to them. "Hm," she thinks, "maybe I need to look somewhere else."

The end. Enjoy the drama? Cuz I sure didn't. Stupid schools. Can anyone say, "Time for possible career change?"

All Is Fair...damn, did I already use this title? I suck.

So I decided it might be fun to go to the Wedding Fair in Minneapolis on Sunday. For a change of pace, I asked Elyssa if she'd like to tag along, and though she had been to a wedding fair less than a month ago, she agreed. Crazy, but so cool.

The main attraction? Cake. And anything that involved hot melted chocolate. I think I took in more calories just staring at the chocolate fondu fountain than I did eating the Irish cream, raspberry, cheese, vanilla, orange, or chocolate cake pieces that I also devoured that day.

Perhaps I spent a few calories grabbing for floating cash whizzing through the rushing air around me in that glass booth for money off a possible tux rental. Elyssa assured me I had to try it. I sucked at it, but still got $100 off plus other cool deals...and a free ugly teddy bear.

Or maybe I got some toning in my arm by carrying the twenty pound bag of f-ing flyers, magazines, booklets, CD's, DVD's, pens, and candy for four hours.

But no worries, a spicy meal of Sawatdee's Thai food negated any of that. What a pig out this weekend! Oh well. My twelve hour work days this week due to Parent-Teacher conferences ought to even that out.

Bleah...I'll write something remotely interesting one of these days. Maybe even post a few pictures from the other events going around. For sure I'll say SOMETHING before my Ireland trip on the 31st. And I'll have PLENTY to say afterwards (especially if I deign to kiss the Blarney Stone--if I have an antiseptic wipe for afterwards).

A Short Month, A Long List

February has 28 days this year; that's it. However, within those less-than-thirty days, a whole boat load of shite has transpired. The quickest way to go through these events would probably be a list. So here is the uninspiring title and the list that follows:

Ten Things That Happened to Have Occurred During the Short Month of February 2006

10. DJed for the middle school dance. Fun, but fuck it was a pain in the ass picking out anything that was both school-appropriate AND modern hip hop.

9. Sat in the living room and stared at the Christmas tree in the room thinking, "Hm, I should buy a plastic bin and take the Christmas tree down. Maybe this weekend, if I have time."

8. Went to a benefit show for Chris's aunt who has cancer. It was uplifting seeing all his family there in a great show of support, but a little weird drinking beer, eating a burger, listening to a cover band, and playing with pull tabs while doing so.

7. Saw Timothy Zahn again and had him sign all seven of his Star Wars novels. Best part? Seeing the 20 people in various Star Wars costumes, including the Fetts, many stormtroopers, Amidala, an X-Wing pilot, Admiral Daala, and the garbage-can-looking droid "Gonk! Gonk!"

6. Spent hours upon hours either at school or doing school work due to numerous factors inluding:
a. inputing data into my online curriculum map so that it can be evaluated by St. Paul Public Schools
b. catching up on half-foot stacks of papers to be graded and written into my revamped grade book
c. reading 10 different young adult novels in an attempt to figure out how the hell I want to use literature circles in my classroom
d. preparing lessons and materials for the ART class I have chosen to teach for the spare hour in the afternoon despite the fact that I haven't taken art class since I was in eighth grade and have very little artistic talent

5. Have tried fitting in the required six more times to attend the Y within the last 10 days. Just two more times, today and tomorrow, and I've got my 8 times in so I can save $20. ::sigh:: I designate March as "Make Myself Actually Go to the Y at Least 2-3 Times a Week So I Don't Have to Rush at the End of the Month Like the Lazy Procrastinator I Am" Month.

4. Celebrated Anti-Valentine's Day at Tricia's with many friends and many foods, despite the shiny ring on my finger.

3. Saw Heiruspecs and Wagner and the Zombie Men in concert. Hip hop and zombies all in one weekend--it couldn't get much cooler.

2. Finally blogged for the first time this month, today. I guess this means I only will have one entry for the entirety of February. Oh well. At least I now have 28 "friends" on MySpace.com. Hey, 28 friends for 28 days. 28 Days is the name of a zombie movie. Hm...coincidence?

1. Booked plane tickets and car rental for trip to Ireland with Mom during Spring Break in April. "Éire go brách!"

Definition of Bliss

Crossing Over to the Dark Space

So I joined MySpace.com. I'm a joiner; I admit it. I just couldn't take the pressure anymore, and caved. Oh well, can I tell you a secret? I like it. I wouldn't say I love it or adore it in any way, shape, or form, but it is amusing.

I do enjoy looking at people's profiles and wondering what in the world were they thinking. They say there's no nudity allowed, but I wonder how closely they really look. Because I'm telling you, there are some people with profile pictures that may as well be on Girls Gone Wild or some crudely named porn like Two Chicks, One Dick, and NO, I have not been looking at porn at any place called Love Doctor or Sex World in the past week, so stop looking at me like that because I have no idea to what you are referring.

Ahem. So check out my other space if you have the inclination. If you don't, well, don't worry. I probably don't care. :)

Katie's Top Ten Events of 2005

These events were very difficult to put into ascending order of kickass-ness, but I tried anyway. I'm sure I left some pivotal, life-changing moment out, such as learning to knit a couple weeks ago or turning left at a random intersection at a moment which could have inadvertently saved my life (you just never know). Just read and enjoy it, for posterior's sake...I mean, posterboy's sake...I mean...it's just good to remember some things.


10. Becoming more independent by buying my very first car, insuring it, and paying all sorts of lovely new bills.

9. My long road trip to "The Southeast Corner" to see old friends and family. Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago all in one trip...I cannot express just how much it rocked, except to say, "Do you have any sixes?" which no one but Liz would understand.

8. The hoppin' parties. Halloween party that spanned two floors of the house and had a stellar crew almost completely decked out in creative costumes. As a tradition started last year, a tres bien Bastille Day party full of the usual “delicacies” of crepes with Nutella, baked Brie with croissants, and potato chips. And, the twins' Early 90’s party complete with scrunchies, flannel, neon, and a live performance of “Possum Kingdom” and “Regulators” by the Flaherty's.

7. Getting “the” job I've always wanted at a school I adore. Score.

6. Running the 5K in Fish Creek, WI with Tricia while our families waited with ready cameras at the finish line. That reminds me, I still need to get those pictures.

5. Awesome 2-year anniversary spent "on vacation" exploring the museums, higly acclaimed restaurants, and beautiful parks of the Twin Cities.

4. Seeing several bands all in the same week of October, including Architecture in Helsinki at their first concert in the United States having traveled all the way from Australia to St. Paul and The Hopefuls (formerly The Olympic Hopefuls) rocking in the rain at Grand Old Days on historical Grand Ave.

3. Having my family finally visit my new place and sharing in the joys of my new home town. My parents loved Como Park Conservatory and Zoo and were able to hang out with Tricia's parents. Scott and Jennifer discovered that our apartment is NOT a hole and took us to see death and logic defying feats at Cirque du Solei.

2. Memorial Day weekend filled with a lot of hiking beside cascading waterfalls and a whole lot of romance all along the North Shore. Our stay at Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte, MN was wonderful and shall be repeated for my 25th birthday :) Yay!

1. Moving in with Chris, the love of my life. It's been 8 months and we still haven't killed each other. What can I say? I love the sweet bastard. Mushy, but true. Happy New Year, folks.