| Dear Readers,
I have just landed my first ever teaching job! I will be a senior English teacher at Proviso West High School. I was just hired, and class starts on Monday. I'm utterly unprepared and completely happy. Thank you friends for all the support and following me through this journey! | comments: 6 comments or Leave a comment   |
| Yesterday Rita and I had a lovely afternoon at Lake Monroe. We were there for over five hours and we were surprised at the duration of our visit. The outing preceded a final get together at the Red House and a little lunch with an acquaintance. Yesterday was extremely hot, but breezy. We same for hours and jumped into waves. I found a pair of goggles, after stating earlier that I probably would. We watched people jump off the upper deck of party boats. I finished the Mysteries of Pittsburgh on the beach. We drank berry infused black iced tea. We didn't get sunburned. We watched two vultures circle the premises, very close to use I might add. At the end of the day, as the sun was only slightly dimmer, we sat on sand that met the waves. For a brief moment it felt like we were at the ocean. It was wonderful, I write this because although I leave Bloomington on Saturday, yesterday felt like my last real day in Bloomington. The next two days will be spent packing and cleaning. Saying I will miss this place is just an understatement.
I have two interviews on Monday, neither are at schools. The first is with Anthropolgie, a second interview, for a full time position. The second is with Sylvan Learning Centers, where basically I'd be a tutor- but at least it is working with students.
I hate to call this a last resort, but I applied for the recruitment process with the Chicago Public School System. My reason for applying so late is not because I'm not up for the challenge, but because in order to teach in Chicago, you have to live in the district you're teaching in. I had hopes of living at home and saving money, buying a new car, and was actually considering saving for a down payment on a house. Ideally, right, right. But I also thought, if I didn't teach in CPS now, I don't think I ever would. I should take advantage of my youth. But I haven't heard anything yet, and I'm not sure how the process works. I just applied a few days ago.
I have good feelings and high hopes.
Also, since we have no TV at the Red House, I've been using the internet for many multimedia purposes. Here are two of my favorite videos right now. Please watch them, you will not be disappointed.
Ok Go- "Here it Goes Again"
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?lnk=v&name=browse&vid=98716&source=OD_VIDEO:undefined:Here+It+Goes+Again#98716
The second is the Hoff's newest video. You will not believe that this came out in 2006. "Jump in my Car"
http://music.yahoo.com/video/default.asp?vid=34340809
 | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| It's been decided. I'm over Jake Gyllenhaal. Moving on to Gael Garcia Bernal. I often confuse his name with Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Yeah, he's pretty hot.
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| i am trying really hard to be positive, but it's getting hard.
the d.c. trip isn't really well planned and that is stressing me out. so is the idea of missing important phone calls or potential interviews while i'm gone.
i will just remember things that make me happy.
poloroids.
perching bird house at the brookfield zoo.
sushi.
swimming.
buster brown.
alright, i feel (a little) better. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| | the teaching interview went well on monday. i had a second interview with a group of teachers today. i feel that it also went well. i am just waiting for the phone call for a yes or a no. keep your fingers crossed and me in your thoughts. thanks, friends. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| | i now have the entire beatles library on my computer, thanks to one, rita mary crowley. this makes me so happy and content. for as long as i've been a beatles fan, i've never had the opportunity to centralize the collection. and yes, the collection includes past masters, live from the bbc, the blue and red records, and the anthologies. the beatles really trigger middle school memories, when i first started listening to the band. but now i realize, that the more i listen to them, inevitably, new memories and associations will be created. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| today i made a teaching portfolio full of lessons and activities i did during student teaching. it made me really happy and brought back many positive memories. then tonight at our party i talked to a kid who was from martinsville and heard a whole new perspective. he told me to keep being positive and never forget those touching moments, especially when i'm still teaching at 55 years old. he was very emotional about it, and talked about a teacher who made such an impact in his life, which coincidentally, if you kept up with my student teaching blog, was the G.D. teacher. so what if she refuses to say the "f-word" she clearly made such a difference in this kid's life- told him that he could go to college, and handed him a stack of possible scholarships. quite touching really. it's put me in a good mind set for my interview.
out of town visitors tomorrow. rita and i love being hostesses with the mostesses. we purchased lots of liquor and planned events for the next few days. i can't wait to show of bloomington. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| It's been a while. I think I'll be lazy and just do a list recap of my amazing 3 weeks in Chicago. Where to start?
-Charlie picking me up on the tandem bicycle
-amazing food including orzo pasta salad, cheesey potatoes, veggie pizza, dilly dip, and artichoke dip at my graduation party
-Bringing together three generations through four square at my graduation party- my mom has quite the serve, watch out
-Catch phrase: college graduates vs. 8th grade graduates
-Watching multitudes of cooking shows with my brothers on the food network
-applying and having an interview at anthropologie
-pool and patron tequila shots at this random bar tonik that a friend works at
-snack shop mashed potatoes
-suburban sprawl bike race and hearing todd call george a blonde bitch
-discovering sultan's market and eating delicious cheap falafel in the city
-critical mass and an 8 hour long bike ride (alright i did break down in tears at one point, but it was still a great experience)
-the devil wears prada- i have a crush on stanely tucci
-a huge meal at maggianos courtesy of a gift card
-fourth of july
-summer snowmen winning first place for the 7th year in a row
-ultimate monkey in the middle in the pool
-hauling ass on the tandem with rita
-fireworks at north riverside, they impress me every year
-swimming in lake michigan as the sun set with rita and george
-long morning walks with buster brown
AND- I HAVE AN INTERVIEW AT A SCHOOL ON MONDAY MORNING! | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| I am keeping a blog of my student teaching experiences.
I'm trying to get a pretty regular readership in hopes of my blog being "discovered" and someone wanting to pay me to continue writing about my first year as a teacher. This is very idealistic, but I am trying to have high aspirations. Keep it on your favorites and read along.
www.readingtolearn.blogspot.com | | comments: Leave a comment |
| sofia coppola's marie antoinette
you know, i'm not really a fan of biopic movies, especially time period biopics, but sofia has yet to disappoint. and i sincerely hope she redeems kirsten dunst for me. she's been looking a lil haggard lately, and i mean come on, how can i like anyone who has been with jake? maybe i just like the trailer because of the new order song in it...
FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE
1. JCPenney
2. Banana Republic Sales Associate
3. Brookfield Recreation Department Camp Counselor
4. Turkuaz Cafe Waitress and Cook
5. J. Alexander's waitress
FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER
1. My baby movies
2.Ferris Bueller's Day Off
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's
4. The Parent Trap (old verious)
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1.Brookfield, IL
2. La Grange Park, IL (on the weekends)
3. Bloomington, IN
4.
FOUR TV SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH
1. Lost
2. the OC
3. Sunday Night Sex Show
4. Related
FOUR PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Florida (Tampa, Orlando Twice, the Keys)
2. Tennesee
3.Michigan
4.Wisconsin
FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. Webmail
2. Pink is the New Blog
3. Livejournal
4. 14 places to eat
FOUR OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:
1.King and I
2. Leona's
3.Mother Bear's
4. Bombay Grill
FOUR SCHOOLS YOU ATTENDED:
1. Indiana University, Bloomington
2. Riverside Brookfield HS
3. S.E. Gross Middle School
4.Brook Park
FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Crab Rangoon
2. Chicken Makani
3. homemade spaghetti sauce
4. gozelema | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| | just days before the second anniversary of elliott smith's death, 22 unreleased songs have leaked onto the internet in an "album" titled from a basement on a hill II- i have the songs and will share them. so let me know. i am going to listen to them for the first time right now. i have goosebumps. and tears in my eyes. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| well. it's been a rough week or so. no official diagnosis. therefore, i am diagnosing myself: i think i have just suffered from a nervous breakdown. old securities from my past have been haunting me in the now- forcing me to be this person that i utterly detest. which usually leaves me wondering how people can stand me. or love me. living alone had really caught up with me. classes had caught up with me. life had caught up with me. and have not been sane since i wrote that story for CW...it has just triggered so many memories, thoughts, what ifs, and emotions that i don't know how to deal with. my body had physically had too much and shut down. one would think going home to be taken care of would make things somewhat better...but then one would think. no i feel only more confused with myself and where i am in my life today.
annie, being the metaphysical stepmother that she is told me that she thinks that this migrain/health scare that i had was a message from my body about my subconscious. she tried to explain to me that i have maybe either been having bad thoughts or doing bad things (not bad like sneaking a cigarette, but bad, not yourself kinda thing) or that i've been doing something to my body that it cannot handle. well i suppose both those things make sense. i was completely depressed when this happened and i have been running my body ragged, working two jobs, stressing over class, not eating well, chosing homework over sleep, etc. when i saw her this weekend she told me that my aura was very different, something she had never seen in me before. she said i was holding back so much...that i was scared to be myself, not only now because i am afraid of upsetting my body, but that i am afraid of upsetting the people around me.
annie calls this the "trigger" migrain. i am supposed to find out what caused this intial headache so that i can possibly prevent another one, without the use of scary drugs with too many side effects. but to do this i need to be aware of many things- and dear friends, please help me in remembering what i can and can't do, for i know that i will pretend to forget.
1. avoid caffine
2. avoid alcohol
3. keep normal sleep patterns, not sleeping over 7-8 hours
4. do homework continulously as opposed to all at once
5. keep apartment clean and make mundane things stress free (listen to a good mix whilst cleaning, etc.)
6. meditate TWICE a day
7. no junk food (so far cheezits, chips and salsa, a ice cream are the worst things in my kitchen)
8. call a friend or family member when i am feeling lonely
9. REMEBER THAT I AM LOVED!
10. and nourish myself, whether that means taking a nap, painting my nails, or buying something fun
now i need to create a story about manatees, key lime pie, mangrove trees, and orange sherbert houses that have water ways instead of alleyways. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| i am filled with so much uncertainy about everything in my life.
i don't know what to do anymore. | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
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