Stuff and Things

My favorite title for a blog post has to be "Stuff and Things" because it covers so much. Here's what it's covering tonight:

This weekend I had a day of joy. That's the only thing I can think of saying to describe it. On Saturday I took four of my students to an ESL conference. I can't say I was terribly excited about the day, but I knew it would be good for my students. As we pulled into the parking lot at the college where it was being held, I wondered for a moment if I might see someone I knew there. I doubted it, and went in.

We arrived a little late, even having left at 7 AM, so when we walked into the first workshop it was a quick dash to find open chairs. I sat down and tried to concentrate on the activity being described, but since I was sitting squarely in the middle of the room, I wanted to take a better look around the room. I like to see everyone else during a class--I almost always side on the edge of a room. So I looked around, and saw 2 of my classmates from graduate school in California! It was such an amazing surprise. I'm not entirely sure what the rest of the workshop was about, being too busy wondering about them and their lives, etc. It turned out that there was another one of our colleagues at the conference too, so it ended up being a really great time of catching up and reliving a few memories.

I described it, maybe not so successfully, to a friend as being a "feast day." What I meant is that moving back to CA when I did felt like a feast...I was surrounded by an incredible community. And moving to SD has often felt like famine, at least when I'm not spending time with my family. Relationships take a long time to build, and it's been hard to find people I feel like I have things in common with. So seeing my classmates was one of those feast days, a day when I felt like part of a community again.

Another topic covered by "stuff and things" is that my plan to go back to school in January is moving along. Currently my application is being reviewed, and they will have a decision about my admission in a few weeks. Really? I sort of thought the whole application thing was a formality, at least the undergraduate part. Ah, well, hopefully they choose wisely.

A funny moment, also covered by "stuff and things," happened to me today at the library. I had a few minutes to kill before participating in a focus group about the cars classified section of the local paper (earned $25-whoohoo!), so I stopped by our friendly public library. I browsed the new books, hoping for something to jump out at me. Nothing did, so I read a few dustjackets and picked one that looks okay. I brought it to the counter, and after scanning my card the librarian wanted to confirm that I had cancelled my hold on a recipe book for ricecookers. Feeling compelled to share too much information in a retail-type setting (a side effect of living in the midwest), I told her that I had decided to purchase the book instead of borrowing it. She said "Yeah, there are just some books you have to have." And then, the great part of the story, is that she lowered her head a little and leaned in, a sparkle in her eye, like she was telling me a very intriguing secret, and said "I have a lot of books about cat behavior." She made my night.

The Church

I just got home from church, and it was so good. I'm having a hard time pinpointing exactly what I want to say about that, but it's something along the lines of feeling a deep appreciation for finding a place where the Bible and God are central, but it's a community of people who are committed to being honest with one another, discussing ideas openly, and disagreeing with one another. I'm sure it happens other places too, so I'll just say I'm blessed to have found it.

Yay for SLP!

So right now my college class is evaluating me...hope it's going well. Anyway, I can't be in the room, so I'm spending a few minutes here in my office. (My keys are safely in my pocket for the remainder of the night)

Today I shadowed an SLP (Speech and Language Pathologist), and it was awesome. She works with people with disabilities, and does mostly adaptive technology and "speech stories," which are pictures that tell a story or a schedule. Very cool. It definitely confirmed that it's something I want to pursue. I'm not sure I'd want to work in the setting she does, but we got to talk about a lot of different aspects of the job, and it sounds really cool. Hooray for SLP!

Fall/Winter Tidbit

My hair is getting longer, maybe even long-ish, and there's one big benefit for the winter--it keeps your ears warm! Just thought you all should know that.

My Shadow

I'm so excited about tomorrow. No, it's not that I heart Columbus Day, or Native American Day as it's known here in SD. Although neither of those is bad....well, maybe Columbus Day is bad if you're a Native American, I don't know...

But I'm excited because tomorrow I'm going to shadow a Speech and Language Pathologist, which is what I'm going to be going back to school for. The person I'm going to shadow works with adults with developmental disabilities, so I'm really interested to see how that goes. I'm afraid that doing this though will make the last 2 and a half months of work go even more slowly. Oh well, what are you going to do? I found out I'll be going on a work trip about a week and a half before I leave my job, so that ought to be fun.

Since I'm sure many, many of you are eager to know more about speech and language pathology, I'll give you an update after tomorrow. Oh, and after I teach my class tomorrow night and then go to sleep, exhausted from teaching intensely about the sheltered instruction observation protocol.

More later!

Some bullet points

Nothing coherent tonight, but here are some bullet points:

• I am officially disillusioned with Obama. I'd like to still think he's a little better than the rest, but he's pretty darn close to being just like all the other politicians. Maybe Nader should get a better chance next time around.

• I drove around most of rural SE SD today, and one school I stopped at was having Spirit Week. There was a poster in the hall of all the spirit days, and one caught my eye--"Cowboys and Indians Day." For real. And the description under the day was hilarious--"Remember the game Cowboys and Indians? We dress like them."

• I spent at least an hour and a half tonight picking up sticks from my front yard. More like twigs, mostly. Do you know how boring and irritating it is to pick up thousands of twigs from inbetween rocks and grass and plants? Grrr. It also tore up my hands. I should've known I'm more of a townhouse/condo girl. I need to find a neighbor kid to be a stick picker-upper. I've probably scared all the kids off though. A few weeks back someone rang my doorbell, and I knew it was one of the neighbor kids because they had been playing outside. So I outsmarted them. I knew they would come back to look if I went outside or to do it again, so I stood by my front door. As the little girl from next door came whipping around the corner, I was standing right there. I opened the door and asked her if she needed anything, and she said no. I asked if she had rung the doorbell, and of course she said no. I think the teacher voice/look worked because she hasn't been back since.

• I am not buying any Halloween candy this year. Last year my hopes and dreams for handing out Halloween candy were dashed when only 1 little kid came by. Never again. This year it's dark and blinds for anyone who tries it.
  

The Dark

This darkness is going to kill me. Not the metaphorical darkness either, but this dang getting dark in the middle of the day business. Seriously, I looked out on the lawn and thought about mowing, but it was already dusk at 6:45 tonight. Driving home from the grocery store at 7:30, it was pitch black. And for some reason, it just doesn't feel right to be all up and about doing things when it's pitch black outside. It makes my body think it's time to curl up on the couch under a blanket. Bah!

On the topic of darkness, I've been reading Kathleen Norris' latest book, Acedia and Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life. I like it for a couple of reasons. The first is that I can relate to the restless, always wanting change part of acedia. I get that. I also like it because it lets the reader in on things that were just sort of thrown out there in her other books. She mentioned her husband's breakdowns in other books, but you really get to know it here. Perhaps I'm a little too nosy, but with this one it feels like you know what was really going on when she wrote the others.

Since a trinity of topics usually makes something better, I'll come up with a third. Did you know that on Blogger you can have followers? And I have one! How cool is that?

Note to self: Do not ever leave keys on your desk at your adjuncting job and close the self-locking door. If you do so, you will have to use a student's cell phone to call campus security since with all the construction you can't find a public phone. Campus security will tell you they don't have a key for faculty offices, but they will try anyway. They will come and try their one magic key, but it will not work. They will tell you that maintenance has a key, but they won't be on campus until 11pm, which has you arriving home at about 12:30 AM. You will need to call the dean who gave you her home phone number, but who is now in Tennessee. You will then try the head of the department whose pod so graciously houses your office, but he will not be home either.

Then, miraculously, one of your students will know an emergency maintenance number and will dial it for you. You will talk to an understandably grumpy man who is 10 miles out of town but will ever so slightly grudgingly come back to let you in to your office. Your class will cheer when you return with your purse and other belongings, and you will be much, much more careful next time.

Check

So, a decision has been made. I'm going back to school in January! Yay! I'm super excited about it. I just applied online last night, and since I'm applying as an undergrad. to do some prerequisites before entering an M.A. program, they asked for my high school transcripts. Seriously? I'm hoping we can forego that. I kind of had forgotten that high schools had transcripts...

Anyway, so that's the really exciting news. In other news, I went to the zoo last weekend with my family, which was awesome. There were tons of exciting animals, and two giraffes getting it on. Those pictures are not blog appopriate, or at least I'd feel weird posting them.

So here's an animal that made me laugh: A bashful sun bear.

When I make decisions I feel the need to talk about them, incessantly. And right now I'm thinking about decisions...what to do in the next few months, years, etc. I think I've chosen (go back to school, again), but before I make it official I think I need to talk about it more.

Maybe it's dramatic, but making a decision like going back to school seems so much more weighty now than it did when I went back one year after college. Granted, a lot has changed since then, but now it feels like a much more final decision. It's probably because my 30th birthday is around the corner, and I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life.

That's not exactly true either, though. Teaching a college class has made things more clear...teaching is definitely my calling, it's just a matter of where and who. And as much as being almost 30 makes me feel like I should pick a path and stick to it, I also recognize there's a whole lot of time left to do different things. Someone once asked me if my family thinks I'm "flighty," and I wasn't sure how to take it. I'm still not, but I recognize why he asked.

Anyway, I suppose in total there's not much to say tonight, but like I said, I needed to talk about it.

It's back

I've been without a microwave for 3 weeks, and yesterday it came back! I should or could probably write some long reflection on how taking more time to prepare food made me more aware of where my food comes from, etc., etc., but I'm really just thankful that heating up lunch won't take up my whole lunch break anymore.

not sleeping yet...

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to sleep right now, even though it's past my bedtime. So I'm staying up trying to get tired (in lieu of taking drugs), but it doesn't seem to be working. It may be another melatonin night...

So while I'm not sleeping, I've decided to write a bit. Not about anything particularly interesting, just things. I spent most of today trying to set up a wireless router for my brother, and again realized why I love the Mac. After 2 or 3 hours of trying to figure it out, I could not. I ended up writing the helpdesk for his ISP (they're not open on Sundays), and got an e-mail back that I had to reboot the modem. Duh. Except for one thing...I'm not sure where it is. His ethernet cable plugs directly into the wall. Am I supposed to unscrew the plate covering it? Is it hiding on the other side of the wall? I'm not sure...it will take more investigating.

I had then planned to go to my office (yes, adjuncts get offices!) and work on tomorrow's lesson plan, but my nephew was too darn cute to leave. I'll save you the "he's so cute" stories, and just say that when I kissed him goodby he said "do it again," and screamed at me out the window as I left. Ah, the affections of a 2 year old.

Even with the playing around with him, I had planned to go to an English faculty reading. But, that would have meant missing a walk with my brother and sister-in-law and said cute nephew. I couldn't do it, and the walk was something I really needed anyway. A good choice I think.

Driving back, I was pleased to be able to once again listed to podcasts on my iPod, after having the cigarette lighter fixed. Who knew that if a penny got stuck in there it would short out? Okay, maybe you did, but I didn't. And I didn't put the penny in there on purpose. I just found it that way, really. I was pleasantly surprised that the repair cost me only $1. Seriously, I don't usually get out of there for under $200. And I also learned they're not called cigarette lighters anymore, but something like "power port," or whatever. Regardless, I'm happy it's fixed. I always figured that having a phone charger in my car would save me if ever trapped out in the snow, and in order for that to work, the "power port" must be functional. I'll have to watch out for those rogue pennies though...

Anyway, I'm sorta tired now, and seeing as how I do have to get up regardless of when I fall asleep, I'm going to go find a sleeping pill and wait for the cats to get in cahoots with one another to decide what tonight's uncomfortable sleeping predicament will look like.

Class!

If my cat would stop licking my computer, I'd like to write and tell you about class. (Kitties must like the MacBook Pro too!)

Class is awesome. Basically, teaching college kids rocks. At least upper level ones who are interested in your class and what you are teaching. I've never taught a required class (or any other college class before), but I'd imagine it's different.

These kids (can I call them that?) are awesome to teach. Seriously, I think that this is what I was trying to do the whole time I was teaching middle school. In thinking about that, I've realized that I was almost always disappointed with the outcome of what I'd planned with my middle schoolers. I've been planning the same types of activities with college kids, and it works. Maybe I was expecting too much from 7th and 8th graders.

Oh, and these guys are actually interested in the topic for something other than a grade. I had 2 girls (there is only one guy in the class) come up to talk with me about topics during our breaks last week. That NEVER would have happened in middle school. Here I get to share stories and outside resources with the students, and they're interested.

These guys are also polite. Last week a girl was eating chips in class and I asked her to stop. She came up and apologized after class. This week a girl had her cell phone ring in class, and the guy (the only one) was late, and both of them came up to apologize after class. Amazing...that definitely doesn't happen in middle school. In middle school you're lucky they're not farting on purpose during class.

Enough oohing and aahing over my college kids. Let's just say I love 'em.

Me and My Boy

And all the rabbits went home...

It's been tough to write lately. Some of it's busyness, but some of it is also feeling aggravated a lot, and not really wanting to write incredibly boring or lame posts. I'm over that though, recognizing that no one is forced to read. :)

The aggravation is mostly work-related, as I am feeling like I don't really agree with what's going on there, and how the program I work for is working (or not working). So that kind of leaves me flat at the end of the day, and with a vast amount of discontent. I'm not really sure what to do with that, except maybe use it as incentive to get my butt to the gym. We shall see.

So since work is not at the top of my enjoyment list right now, I have really been enjoying my free time. I include teaching my class in there, and I'm really, really liking it. I think it's something I'd like to keep doing. I'm not sure about full time b/c that would probably involve moving again and a PhD, neither of which I'm ready to do right now. But it's definitely something I am feeling like is a great outlet. The first class was scary, and sweaty (so dang hot in the building), but the last one (my second) was really good. I know the students a bit now, and they're a lot of fun. I did have to ask a girl to stop eating chips during class, and felt a bit bitchy when she said she didn't have time for dinner, but oh well...chip eating during class is annoying.

I've also been hanging out with the family, and this weekend we went to the county fair with one of my nephews and his fam. We ate all the typical fair foods, watched a big cat show (my mom and sister-in-law thought it was going to be oversized domestic cats...it was tigers), and walked through many an animal barn. All night I wanted to go to the poultry/rabbit barn because my nephew loves bunnies. Alas, when we got there, all the cages were empty and there was sawdust piled on the floor. All the bunnies had gone home.

Here are some pictures of what they did have at thefair:


Llamas, and I kid you not, some of them were in costume.

Pigs in the swine barn. Baby pigs were promised, but not delivered.

What I can only call "farm implements," because I don't know the names of really any of the machinery. I do know that family wanted pictures taken in the machinery, but my nephew was not so into the plan.

The fair also had duckies you could pluck out of a pond for $2, and earn this incredibly loud horn. Thankfully the horn had to go "nigh night" before we got in the car.
The fair in all its glory

So I was reading Engrish.com tonight, and came across this, which reminded me of a good story from this summer. My parents took a vacation at the same time as my brother and sister-in-law, which meant they could hang out with my nephew a whole bunch. So one day they're at the park, and my nephew must have found a few other kids to play with. My parents were talking to them, and this is how my dad explained what happened next. He said "Well, I asked him if he wanted some candy. I told him he could come over to my car and I would give him some candy." At which point I shrieked "You did not!! That's totally what a kidnapper does." And my dad said "Well, I wasn't going to kidnap him. But he said he couldn't come over to my car, so I left the candy by his bike."

It might be way funnier if you know my dad, but I thought it was pretty darn funny.

random

Did you ever notice that anytime there's a computer used on a commercial or a tv show, it's a Mac? For reals, check it out.

So, more things...

I started teaching my class last night, and I was really quite pleased with how it went. I was kind of freaking out before it started, especially with a pile of copying to do and a copy machine that is also a printer, which meant my piles of copies were obscuring real professors' printouts. Not a good first impression.

Anyway, the kids (can I call them that?) seem cool. I've got eight girls and one guy, and so far all of them seem to want to be there, at least nominally. That's already an improvement from middle school. I did find myself saying things to them that only really apply if they're 12. Like I handed out post-it notes for an activity, and as I was giving them to the groups, I was saying "Please do not do anything with the post-it notes until I tell you to." I'm pretty sure now that wasn't necessary.

Preparing for my class was pretty much the bulk of my Labor Day weekend. I did get a chance to hang out with Ang and Ryan and child, so that was awesome too. Tonight I watched the last episode of The Wire. Awesome.

Random thought for today--although the threat of winter is an awful thought, cooler September weather is nice for mowing lawn.

So, things...

Things are starting, and it's freaking me out. I'll be teaching a college class for the first time this semester, and it's a little terrifying. I was wondering why I was having the beginning of the year teaching nightmares, and recently realized this is why. My brain was just mixed up and put middle-schoolers in the dreams instead of college students.

I'm also totally excited. So if any of my students are googling me and find this, know that I am totally excited and will be over the fear soon enough.

It was also an exciting day on the lake...a bunch of the family was out on the boat, and it was really hot. It might gross you out, but it was the hot kind of day where you sweat through your swimming suit in the most inopportune places. So we stopped to swim, which when well for a while. I dove in, and even got to swim with my nephew for a few minutes before he freaked out. My sister-in-law was about to jump in when she dropped the ladder on her foot and sliced her toe open.

I'm not sure if it's a well-known fact, but I'm not good with other people's blood, and wow, was there blood. It turns out the ladder sliced her toe right down the top, basically severing it into two parts. And the whole time this was going on, I was in the water, right below the back of the boat and the toe-blood. The poor girl was also in so much pain (and probably in shock) that she was coming in and out of consciousness. Let's just say it was an ordeal to get back to the house and up the stairs from the dock. My job, after getting back on the boat through the blood pool, was to keep my nephew from not freaking out because his mom was bleeding.

Anyway, she's okay, and doesn't need a prosethetic toe, as one of my brothers was joking. I have to say it did turn my stomach in knots though.

And now, more of Season 5 of The Wire. It's so good.

Summer doesn't really lend itself to writing, so here's the update. More hanging out at the lakes, and this week a few days for work at a county fair in rural SD. That was interesting...real farmers in Wranglers and boots, old creepy men, and a hot tub salesman who hand-wrote his signs.