Good Times, Good Times

Donna was here this weekend, which was totally good times. Although I've been feeling more at home in SF lately, it was good to see someone from the "old neighborhood." Donna and I also have a lot of interests/hobbies in common, so that's fun too. I'm almost positive we were the only ones who were doing our Advanced Grammar homework together on the weekends in college, for fun. Interspersed, of course, with a few rounds of Trivial Pursuit.

Especially for Donna's visit I tried my hand at tater tot hotdish, and I think it went pretty well. After the hotdish we played some Trivial Pursuit, and for once I beat her. It was sweet. Not that I'm competitive, of course...

Anyway, Donna and her parents introduced me to a new event Saturday--the estate auction. I'd sort of heard of them, and knew they happened, but somehow in my mind it seemed like you should be over 50 to attend and wearing a seedcap.

I was wrong. It was awesome! It felt like something Kathleen Norris would write about as a way to showcase what a community values. And if you're sick of me framing things in terms of Kathleen Norris, too bad. I like her.

One of the interesting things about the auction to me was that it was also a display of the N'west Iowa classic menu--taverns, creamed chicken buns, hot dogs, chips, pop, bars and cookies. Next to the cash box and the ladies collecting the dollars and change was a sign about the food. It was coalition of churches who apparently are catering. How inventive!

The auction itself was very cool. I spent most of the time just thinking about the process of it. Like where do you go once you auction off all your stuff? To a nursing home? A retirement home? I also wondered if I would go to the auction if it were my own stuff being sold to the highest bidder. As the items were brought to the front, boxes of stuffed kittens or a rocking horse whose horse looked more like a long-nosed dog, I really wanted to know where they came from.

A better question at some points was where were the items going? Some people bought things that were so strange to me, like the box of stuffed cats. Someone also bought a box of bobble-head dogs...what would you do with them? Some of the items seemed to me to have a predestined home--the Midwest mandatory clutter collection that resides on tops of cupboards, entwined with fake ivy or other viney plastic plants.

Auctioneering itself is also a marvel to me. I wasn't as interested in the auctioneer himself as the....other man....well, I don't know what the second guy is called. He was dressed like the auctioneer, but his job was to watch the crowd, point at the bidders like a kid pointing a toy gun at an opponent, and yell things that sounded like "Hep!" and "Yes!" His eyes were opened extremely wide, making me wonder if that's his natural look, or an "auction face."

Maybe auctions are old hat for people who grew up around here, but as my first one, I loved it. I'll leave ya'll with one image, that almost had me and Donna laughing out loud. As they auctioned things off, they had helpers whose job it was to hold up the items being bid on. One of the guys was Hispanic, and obviously the only Hispanic man in the building, wearing an AC/DC t-shirt. The auctioneer, whose job it is not only to auction things off, but also to make jokes, asked the man to hold up a kid's wooden pull toy, in the shape of a puppy. It was maybe a foot and a half long, and about 6 inches high. As the man held it up, the auctioneer showed off his wit, and quipped "Hey, did you ride that in here, amigo?"

I'm not sure it's funny in print, but it was hilarious.

Just for Fun

Princess Pantaloons shoots laser beams out of her eyes while sitting in the blanket basket.

Childrens Do Learn

8 1/2 more days at Schmells Bargo!!! I had a skip in my step this morning as I walked in, despite the pouring rain and dark clouds. The woman who sits nearest me was searching the job listings again, and just generally looking unhappy. But I'm moving on! Oh, and the 1/2 day is to go to the doctor with my mom, who has a fractured vertebrae. Ouch!

So after the days of Schmells Bargo, I start my new job. There'll be a day or two here getting the office organized, then a week of training in Rapid City. I haven't been to the Black Hills since I was probably 10, so it should be a fun drive (barring snow).

As excited as I am about the job, I'm getting nervous too. It seems like there'll be a ton to learn, and lots of goals to meet. I'm sure I'll be able to do it, but I think it'll be a lot of learning and figuring out how to do things like marketing and outreach. I've never thought of myself as someone who would like marketing and sales, even in a nonprofit setting, but during the interview I was asked if I was competitive...uh, yeah. I've been thinking about it, and being a bit competitive is probably what'll help me reach the number goals even though some parts of the job might be challenging.

I think the best part of this job is that it's still in education. I was reading part of the policy manual tonight (nerdy, I know), and there's a whole section about ELL (English Language Learner) students, and I got really excited. It's great to be able to use my interests and background in a job that's not actually teaching.

And even though I'm nervous about it, I'm sure I'll learn a ton. As Bush says, childrens do learn, and I plan to.

Just some stuff

1. I'm really excited about my new job! I drove past the office (aka cubicle) tonight, just for fun. I just realized last night that in doing this job I'm kind of living my idea of what should happen to drop outs.

Let me explain. I've always thought that it would be AWESOME if kids could drop out when they get attitudes and decide they don't like or need school, say 7th or 8th grade-ish. But, the good part of the plan would be that when they get into the real world and realize education is essential, they could come back and finish their degree.

Well, the program I'll be working for is kind of like that. Kids from 16-24 can do their GED, take ESL classes if necessary, and then do job training and get help being placed in a career. I feel like it's something I can really be passionate about.

2. I have declared my loyalty:Though my vote in the primary will be almost completely symbolic since we don't vote until JUNE!!!!, and I'm generally cynical about politicians, Obama has inspired me. I'll have to get a picture of my "Got Hope?" t-shirt sometime too.

I also realize that the bumper stick taped in the back window is kind of ghetto, I just couldn't permanently affix it to the bumper. What if Hillary wins and I'm driving around 2 years later with an Obama bumper sticker?

3. My cats Cow and Princess Pantaloons have started grooming one another, a good sign I think. Actually, right now it seems to be just Cow grooming Princess. I'm not sure there's reciprocation. They still chase each other and occasionally hiss, but the grooming seems like a step forward.

4. This week I listened to interviews with Sarah Silverman and Steven Colbert on Fresh Air. The Sarah Silverman interview wasn't outstanding, but kinda interesting, and the Steven Colbert interview made me laugh out loud in an office setting while wearing headphones. An interview with Shalom Auslander was really good, too, though I felt a little weird searching for his book title on the library catalog.

5. It's getting friggin' cold, and I'm a whimp. It's California winter right now here in South Dakota, and I'm so not prepared. I need to go shopping for warmer clothes. And I don't know what you do with the propane tank from your grill....does it stay outside? Do you cover it? (with a blanket?)

6. The lady I bought my house from is crazy. There was already evidence...she nailed the curtains to the wall with 3 inch nails, she remodeled the house but forgot to put a fan in the bathroom, etc. etc. Yesterday it was confirmed again.

Before I moved, my parents were watching the house for me. Twice my dad found packages here for the lady, from Neiman Marcus. The first time he brought it to her. The second time he brought it to her, and wrote her a letter to change her address with Neiman Marcus.

When I moved in, I assumed the issue was handled. Nope. So I got a package for her from Neiman Marcus. I called FedEx, and they came and got it. I then called Neiman Marcus, and they said they would fix it. I joked with the lady that if it happened again, I was keeping whatever was inside.

This week I got another one, the 4th package from Neiman Marcus. I was so frustrated that this wasn't being fixed, and she was being such a flake. And after 4 of exactly the same box, with her apparently not caring if she got them, I decided to open this one. I was definitely considering keeping the contents. So I opened it up, and found 2 facial moisturizers, one night and one day. I was curious what she was actually buying, so I looked them up online. They were worth.....$300 a piece!!!! She had been buying $600 worth of skin care lotion, and not paying attention to whether she received it or not!

So had I kept all four packages, I would be $2,400 rich in skin moisturizer. Alas, my guilt kicked in, and I called Neiman Marcus again. For the 2nd time. And finally they say it's worked out. We'll see. If it's not, my mom is getting some damn fine moisturizer for Christmas.

Celebrating!

Today is a day of celebration. I heard about the interview I had on Friday, and I got the job!!!! Starting in November, I'll be working as an Admissions Counselor at a nonprofit gov't job training program for at risk young people. Yea!

I feel bad for South Dakota's image

Since I left teaching, I decided it's probably time to rollover my retirement account. So I got on the phone tonight, and actually got to talk to a real person, and one who actually knew what he was talking about.

I was a little nervous because I'm not so good at the financial stuff, but the whole process was pretty professional. He even asked me multiple choice questions to verify my identity (which of the following counties have you lived in?).

Then, after I asked for some forms I need, I realized I hadn't changed my address from CA. So I asked him if I could do that. Sure, he says. I tell him my new address, and he says "Uh, can I ask you....one question?" I was hoping it was another verifying my identity questions, but I had a hunch it was something else.

You got it. He asked me "Why in the world would you move from California to South Dakota?"

Poor, poor South Dakota, always such a bad image...

Listening/Wisdom

Speaking of Faith is a podcast I listen to most weeks. The weeks I don't, it's usually not because of the guest, but because of the host, Krista Tippett. She doesn't have the normal weird-o public radio voice like Sarah Vowell or David Sedaris, but she uses what seems like too many pauses for emphasis, and I get the impression from her voice that she's smiling way too widely while she speaks, like there might just be saliva hanging from the corners of her mouth.

Not that I dislike her, really. She's flaky sometimes, but often asks interesting questions. This week's interview with Sister Joan Chittister was great. Sister Joan is a Benedictine nun, and a woman of amazing wisdom. I won't attempt to summarize the interview, but from listening it struck me that she's someone who doesn't buy into a lot of false dichotomies set up in religion.

And she's interesting as a nun. Kathleen Norris got me interested in learning more about monastics, and then one summer at camp I worked with a woman who had taken vows, and then left the order. She still kept her vows although she had left, which fascinated me. Sister Joan is just as interesting. One thing in particular I liked was hearing her talk about monastic life as liberating for women.

Anyway, just one podcast I really enjoyed this week. If you want, you can listen to it here.

The Slobification of America, and Schmells Bargo

An admitted tv junkie, lately I've been watching Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I love Tim Gunn because he's honest, but kind. In the latest episode he was dealing with a mom who wore nothing but capri pants and t-shirts, and he made a comment that it was the "slobification of America."

Well, this week I have witnessed the slobification of Schmells Bargo, where I'm temping. It's a "casual" work environment, which means jeans and t-shirts. Well, and sweatshirts and knit pants and I've even seen shorts. So when they started to sell "dress down" stickers for a United Way campaign, I couldn't imagine what that would bring.

The answer? Sweatpants. And more sweatshirts. I was shocked to see one person actually come to work in sweats and slippers. My take? Well, I think Dave says it best...something like a sweatshirt says you've just given up on life.

But I really like to vote...

I am someone who really loves election day and voting. I was terribly excited the first time I was able to participate in the Iowa caucuses because although I love voting and election day, you don't always get to feel like you really make a difference. But the Iowa Caucus actually influences the process.

So I was supremely disappointed when I looked up the date for the South Dakota Primary. It's June 3, 2008. Did you know that the only states who haven't had primaries by June 3 are South Dakota and Montana? I will be one of the LAST people in the country to get to vote in the primary. That sucks!

The Midwestern News

I always laugh when I have to watch the 10:00 news at my parents' house. There's inevitably a feel-good story, usually welcoming someone home from doing something like feeding children in Africa or fighting in Iraq, a story about an old person in a small town (probably just for being old in a small town), and maybe a story about a local athlete choosing a college. Oh, and if you're lucky there might be a car crash three hours away, and they'll flash a graphic of the county map on the screen and talk to the sheriff via telephone.

I laugh because, well, it's not really news. My parents like to say they show more positive stories; I think they're just looking for stuff to fill the time.

News in Sioux Falls is a little better, but the paper tonight made me laugh out loud. There's a section called "Life: Food and Drink," because food and drink is really what it's all about here. In the section today, the story was about healthful fast food breakfast choices. One of the good choices (with 400 calories and 20 grams of fat!?!?!?) is the McGriddle, and here's what Rick Lesson, owner of 10 McDonald's restaurants in Sioux Falls said:

"I liken them to eating hot cakes and sausages with your hands."

Eeeewwwww. Is that supposed to be appetizing? I think this is something Jon Stewart should hear about. Who needs a pancake/sausage on a stick when you can eat hot cakes and sausages with your hands?

Books

Having this temp. job has been great for reading. I have two 15 minute breaks a day, and 30 minutes for lunch during which I either listen to podcasts or read. I'm almost done with a great Plains book, The Bones of Plenty by Lois Hudson. I read about it first in Kathleen Norris's book Dakota. She argues that it's as good as or better than The Grapes of Wrath. I'm not planning to write a compare/contrast paper on them, but if you like books like Giants in the Earth or My Antonia, I think you'll like the Bones of Plenty.

I think I mentioned it already, but I listened to A Long Way Gone, a memoir of a child soldier. It's an excellent read, especially if you like memoirs. I don't always like memoirs by non-authors because they can drag and be boring, but this one is definitely not.

I also just started a young adult novel called House of the Scorpion. The library didn't have some books I really wanted (the new David Rakoff book, the last in the Lois Lowry trilogy, Anchee Min's latest, or Edwidge Danticat's new biography of her uncle), and this looked interesting. I'm only a little ways in, but it looks like it will be well-worth the time. Already it's started out with a boy named Matt, who we know is a clone. The others treat him poorly and he is hidden in a field until they find out he's a clone of El Patron. We don't know who El Patron is yet, but like I said, it looks promising.

I heard about a free Audible trial subscription while listening to the MacCast, so I downloaded Empress Orchid. It's very intriguing...the whole world of the Forbidden City from the perspective of a concubine.

Living alone affords one lots of time to think. That's probably why when I see people I often start a conversation with "So, I've been thinking about something..." And I've had tons of time to think lately, due to my car stereo's demise, and working at a job where I can listen to podcasts all day. Since my days of funny kid stories are gone, at least for now, a list of what I'm thinking about will have to do. (as always, no one is forcing you to read this. :)

• I listened to an audiobook called "A Long Way Home," not to be confused with the Dixie Chicks album "Taking the Long Way Home." The book is the memoir of Ishmael Beah, a former child soldier, one of the "lost boys." As I listened to the story of his recovery from the trauma of being a soldier, and all of the outrage about child soldiers, I couldn't help but wonder how much of a difference age could really make. If we don't want our children to experience war as a soldier, is it really vastly different to ask an adult?
  

• I am sick of hearing about the Iraq war. For about a week, when Petraeus (sp?) was making his speech, all the podcasts were about the war. The part that is so irritating to me is that if everyone really believes that staying in this war is a mistake, why can't something happen?
  

• On a related note, I've been feeling pretty hopeless about elections. I think Barack and Hillary are probably the best options, but still...will they actually do anything?

• One podcast last week, and I can't remember which, had a guest who had written a lot about executive privilege, and how far the Bush administration has gone to guarantee that the office of the president can do anything it wants, and justify it with executive privilege. It's amazing the public hears virtually nothing about this. Except the guy who wrote the book who was on the podcast...can't think of his name.

• I've been thinking a lot about work, not a surprise since I am currently temping. I've been thinking about lots of different aspects of work. Some are still confusing to me, some not so much. I have determined I do not want to be a worker bee. I want to be in charge of something. What I have not determined is exactly what I want to be in charge of. I'm still processing advice from friends and mentors about career ideas. It's amazing what a little encouragement can do.

• It's been very interesting to watch how the department I'm temping in works. It's become quite enjoyable, mostly because the work is mindless and I can listen to my iPod all day. But almost daily I think that if I had to work there for good I'd kill myself. A woman who works near me made a comment about us temps being young and deserving good jobs, which made me think she's not particularly fond of her job either. That being said, and perhaps because the jobs are dull, there are all kinds of incentives and supposed motivators. Friday lunch was catered in. Today sweatshirts with the company logo were handed out. And on an on-going basis you can write thank-you notes to people. If one is written about you, you get a helium-filled mylar balloon taped to your desk. That one always makes me laugh, but it must be motivating because they keep doing it.

• Much less serious than anything else, I've been noticing things about this area that I blocked out when I left. There are weird bugs--there are tons of these ugly beetles with wings that die all over my house. The daylight/dark ratio changes incredibly quickly. Looking at the way people are dressed here will always depress you. Spiral perms live on in the Midwest. You can exchange "don't" for "doesn't," as in "It don't work." There is unrelenting wind that for some reason has always seemed very unfair to me, almost unjust. People decorate crap for the seasons like their desks, porches, and holiday sweaters. Pick-up trucks are not required to use turn signals. The abundance of green during the summer is overwhelming. Recycling is still new here. Honking is considered impolite and should not be done. Service people show up when they say they will and do their work well. And a host of other things I can't think of right now.
  

Except for my friends in Haiti, I bet most of you don't have this happening in your city.

a very quick vent

I hate whoever designed the beeping feature on my microwave. In fact, in all the microwaves I've had in the past 5 years. Not only does it beep to remind me my food is finished and in the microwave, it continues to beep after I take it out and close the door. What, in fact, does it want me to do? Push "Cancel." If you don't do it, it will beep forever and ever. Why? Why does it want to remind me that I have taken my food out and closed the door without pushing cancel? Who cares? In a perfect world Apple would design microwaves and this would all be over.

Het Weekend

Last weekend was the best of times and the worst of times. First, the best of times. Saturday morning we all went to the Buddy Walk, a walk for Down's Syndrome Awareness. It was slightly odd to be walking down main street Sioux Center with about 600 other people, but it was great to support those who have children with Down's, particularly my nephew. It was friggin' cold (around 40ish?) but fun.

Sat. afternoon I got to babysit the other nephew. It was fun! My mom and I gave him a bath after he ran around outside and got dirty. He's a great imitator, and makes this cheesy smile if you do it:
My brother hates it, but I think it's cute.

So that was the good part. Sat. night I stayed at my mom's house because I had planned to go to Covenant for church on Sunday. However, I must have caught some kind of stomach bug, and spent all night vomiting. Ick. Not a pretty sight. It was kind of nice to be sick at my mom's house though. She took good care of me, bringing me juice and making me cereal. (At my mom's house, it counts as "making breakfast" if you assemble cereal and milk and bring it to the person).

And I've been sick ever since...I think I caught a sinus infection at the same time, so I've been curled up on the couch since Sunday. Here are two upsides though: 1) I've finished up to the second part of season six on the Sopranos, and 2) I'll have LOTS of new podcasts to listen to when I go back to work, hopefully tomorrow.

Just for fun, another adorable picture of B-bop (his nickname), hairstyle by yours truly:

Interview

Today's interview went well, I think. It's always hard for me to tell. One thing it definitely was was intimidating. Having only interviewed for teaching jobs before, I was already more nervous than usual. The whole process was more than I expected.

First, I had the actual interview with 7 people. They had a 2-sided piece of paper with questions for me. Although it was nice to have a printed sheet of what they were asking, I wasn't expecting it.

Then, I was given a tour of the place by a receptionist. Before the tour had begun, one of the interviewers informed me I would write a press release after the tour, just to see how I would do. It would be about me being appointed to the position. So we did the tour, and the receptionist dropped me off in the computer lab.

I sad down and cursed the fact I didn't really know the format of a press release...if I had time to prepare I could've at least analyzed a few. So, I did what anyone would do...I googled it. I'm not sure if that was not something I was supposed to do, but they left me totally alone with a computer...I was guessing part of that was to see how I would manage a computer task without any help. So I quickly glanced over a few online, and spit out a press release about my hire. It was weird.

Finally, I met with an HR specialist to discuss benefits and salary. Apparently this would be a union position, something I've never had before. Interesting.

Overall, a very different interview from what I'm used to. Kind of fun, kind of scary. I'm not sure what will come of it.

I have a job interview on Thursday!!! It's for a site manager position at a community college. It's part-time for 35 hours, whatever that means. It's not the top job on my list, but it's an interview. Yea!!!

There's this thing...called winter...

So, you know how sometimes you know in your head that something is inevitable, but it really doesn't seem real? That's how I've been with winter. Actually, the whole move, but I'll try to stay on topic.

This weekend has been cold! It's only about 60 degrees today, which would've been a December or January temp. back in San Jose. The crazy thing is that it's only September. It seems unfair to have such an ominous warning arrive so early, despite the fact that we could still have a heat wave. Not that I didn't know it was coming...

Maybe some fall would help. Some leaves are changing, including in my yard. Each of my 2 Japanese Maple trees has 1 cluster of bright red leaves. The rest have been a muted reddish brown all summer. I always thought the whole tree was supposed to be bright red, but what do I know about plants?

Here's the leaf:
And the promised picture of my cake decorating attempt. (Just FYI--I did earn my cake decorating badge in Calvinettes)And just for fun, some more kitty goodness:

(Cow hanging out in the nearly empty because I haven't had winter forever sweater organizer)

Princess appreciates my feather pillow as much as I do.

The Updates

I'm still working at what I think is called Ops 3. Actually, I think the building itself may be "Operations," and each section has a different name. When I was little and we would go on trips, I used to look around and determine whether or not I could figure out where I was from just looking at signs and what was around. When we flew to my grandparents' house near Philadelphia my dad would take the "dangerous" route home, and I would be staring out the window at Broad Street and try to find signs that would be clues about my location. Somehow I thought this would be a very useful skill in case of kidnapping, and also in those dreams where you are in a location you've never seen before.

All that to say that I've used my skills to figure out how "Ops" works. The section next to mine is "Special Ops," according to a sign on a cube near the entrance. There is also "Ops 2" somewhere in another section of the building, announced by a bulletin board in the hallway with their "news."

The work is still boring. Almost daily I look around and think I would kill myself if I had to do that job day in and day out. Most of the women wear Harley t-shirts and/or sweatshirts and scrunchies. Yes, scrunchies. It reminds me of that Sex and the City episode where Carrie and Burger fight over a scrunchy.

Working at Ops 3 does afford LOTS of time to listen to my iPod. Today I finished a book on CD called "A Long Way Gone," a memoir of a former child soldier from Sierra Leone. It was good. Then it was on to Podcasts...an old Splendid Table, The Story, Dave Ramsey, Talk of the Nation, and one listen to Over the Rhine's new album "The Trumpet Child." Since I bought it I've listened to it at least once a day and I love it.

My mom was here over the Labor Day weekend, which was fun. We mostly just hung out and did stuff around the house. She's great that way, because she loves the jobs I hate and vice versa. So she helped me change door hardware and deal with all the sticks on the driveway. We also went to Hobby Lobby and made a silk flower arrangement for the front of my house. Seriously. I thought I would just buy an arrangement because it didn't sound like something I'd be good at, but the ready made ones were ugly. So I purchased some flowers, a glue gun, and my mom and I set to work. Pictures to come.

The cats are good. They're actually starting to sort of get along. I decided to leave my bedroom door open at night, and they will sleep a few feet apart on my bed. There's still some hissing from Princess, but not too much. Cow has a wire chewing tendency I just discovered. I came home last night and she had chewed all the way through the cord from the battery charger for my cordless drill. It wasn't plugged in, but it kind of freaks me out. I had visions of coming home to a fried cat. Ick. So I'm researching options for deterrence.

I also got creative and baked a cake for my brother's birthday last week. The plan was to make it look pro, but yeah, that didn't quite work out. Despite the cake decorating book I picked up, the cake was the sort of thing that you'd love because your 5 year old made it. Oh well, it tasted good.

That's about it right now! Oh, btw, if you have any great podcasts you listen to, let me know. I'd like to pick up a few more.

OPS 3

Today was my first day of my temporary job. I went into the job agency to sign up for substitute teaching. The woman mentioned that there was a data entry job available, but I said "nah, I think I"ll sub." We went through the paperwork, I signed paperwork for the umpteenth background check, and I contemplated yet another pre-employment drug test. Then, I watched the required what to expect in the classroom" video.

I saw scenes of kids questioning the teacher's authority, a teacher not knowing what to do when a procedural question came up, and the requisite "don't touch the kids" message. As I watched, I kept thinking about how much I didn't like dealing with those things in my classroom, and how much harder they would be in another person's classroom. I thought about all the lax, good times teachers I have worked with, and wondered what I would do if I had to sub. for those people.

And then I went and asked about the data entry job again. I took it, and I get to wear jeans.

Before I go on, let me just say it is the 2nd most boring job I've had in my entire life. My other job this summer was more boring because they didn't have anything for me to do, but this tedious. However, there are things that make it infinitely better, like it's temporary, I can read a book during lunch, and I can listen to my iPod while I work.

So here's what I do. I work for a bank, let's call it Schmells Bargo. And I work in a room that has signs saying "Ops 3" though no one has actually told me which department I work in. Ops 3 sounds vaguely KGB though, so that's kind of fun.

The bank gets a discounted rate for mailing if their addresses all meet a certain standard from the post office. So, it's my job to go through pages of addresses, and check them against the USPS website, then maybe change them in the database. I say "maybe" because out of the 326 I checked today, only 10 were able to be changed.

The place itself is above and beyond my previous job this summer. There are windows, the walls are not prison grey, and the lighting is good. Oh, and there is a tv in the lunchroom, and food made by people other than myself.

The people are kind of interesting. The guy who sits next to me is sort of a combination of a teacher who used to teach in the room next to mine, and the comic book store guy from the Simpsons. He's slightly rotund, has weird stubbly facial hair, and listens to a Discman. That's right, a Discman. And, he's not the only one. Apparently MP3 players have not made it to Ops 3 yet. Anyway, the best part is that he listens to Billboard Hits CDs on his Discman.

So that's Ops 3, at least day 1. I may have forgot to mention the free coffee and my ergonomic foot rest.

More Kitty Goodness

This post is all about my cats. If you don't like cats, or the fact that I am now a cat lady, so sorry. Actually, there is nothing else going on here right now. I'm still job searching, it's still going badly, and so it's all cats all the time.

Cow is home from her surgery, and doing fine. She may have picked up an eye thing at the vet's though. Here's a picture of Jason using her as a floor mop:


Princess Pantaloons had the run of the house while Cow was at the vet, and she loved it. She even miraculously didn't hide in the basement when Cow came home. Right now they're even sleeping on adjacent couches, only 6 or 7 feet apart.

They're both pretty darn cute.

Weird Dreams

Lately I've been having some odd dreams that I wake up remembering vividly. Here are a few of the oddities:

1. Teacher nightmare: Even though I'm not going to be teaching this year, I'm having the normal teacher back-to-school nightmares. Last week there was a class full of under-achievers, and on the first day I was so frustrated my face turned red and I was physically unable to speak.

2. I had a bizarre dream a few nights ago. I was somewhere, maybe church, and was guilted into hosting at my house this guy who had just been let out of prison. What I actually remember though is that in the dream we were sitting in my living room, and I saw Cops was on tv. I didn't want to watch it though, because I didn't want to make the convict feel bad.

3. My cat is getting her claws out on Wed., and I've been having some guilt about it. So last night I had this dream that I went to the vet, and they made me watch the surgery. They didn't put the cat completely out, but they gave her the gas like you get at the dentist. Then, as each claw/digit came off, the doctor threw them on the floor, and kicked them under the operating table.

Weird.

The clear challenge winner!

I know Cheeto's owners won't see this for a while, as they're traveling and about to visit me, but I think Cow may have won the challenge to be the softest cat in the world. I'm petting her right now, and it's true.

Princess Pantaloons vs. Cow

Remember how Princess Pantaloons wouldn't leave the basement when I first got her? She's doing it again. At least this time she isn't behind the dirty fridge. Instead, she's behind a pile of boxes. It's much cleaner there. She doesn't seem to understand that Cow is supposed to be a companion for her. She somehow has confused her with an enemy invading her territory.

Cow, on the other hand, seems completely at home in the house. She's explored everywhere, and is comfortable running around all the furniture. Her favorite place to lay seems to be the piano.

Cat Lady

Meet the newest member of my household:





I think I'll call her "Cow." I got her because I think Princess Pantaloons needs some company when I'm gone. I'm hoping it'll reduce her need to sit on or next to me ALL the time.

Cow is long-haired and silky. Right now she has somewhat of a mane around her neck...I'm guessing they shaved her at the Humane Society. I do love a cat when it's shaved like a lion.

Keeping Busy

If there is one question I'm tired of, it's "So, what are you doing in Sioux Falls?" I know everyone means well, but it sucks to have to say "Um, I'm not sure yet..."

So yes, I'm still filling out applications and searching for jobs. I think substitute teaching will start soon too, so that'll keep me busy. In the meantime, I've found plenty of things to do and organize around the house. Here's visually what I've been up to:

Finding a chandelier to replace...

the fan I can't stand.

Picking out "Paradise" and "Dancing Green" to replace the mint and fuschia fiasco.
Organizing my bookshelf by color (inspired by John)

Polishing up a Goodwill $3 lamp (again, inspired by John)

Hanging out at my new patio set.

Finding a sweet green shade on clearance to go with my Goodwill lamp.

Hanging a new cellular shade in my bedroom. The crazy broad who lived here before had a hideous green and pink striped number up there. If you look closely you can see that I couldn't get down the board the old curtain was attached to....she probably super glued it or something.

I picked out and put up house numbers (inspired by the UPS and pizza guys).

I painted the...house decoration? that was left on my house.

More painting of house decorations, and choosing and having my brother install the blinds in the front door and window

Things that didn't make the photos were changing the door hardware to match, furniture shopping (lots, but no buying) and wrangling a beeping smoke alarm battery off of the 14 foot ceiling at 12am with the assistance of a 6' ladder, a skylight opening pole, and a coat hanger.

So that's what I've been doing.

Backtracking

Okay, so the family reunion isn't so bad. In fact, I was up last night with all the grandchildren until about 2am, playing Mafia. Good times.

?!?!?!?!?!?

This weekend, for the first time ever, I am going to my family reunion, on the crazy side. I've always been conveniently busy when it's happened before, but seeing as how I moved home to be closer to family, it was difficult to miss this year's festivities.

So, yeah, it'll be i-n-t-e-r-e-s-t-i-n-g. Know that Douglas Coupland novel, "All Families Are Psychotic?" Yep. Actually, I've said it before, but we're much more Flannery O'Connor-esque. The stories I could tell...Maybe there will be a few after 3 days at a hotel together.

But, I have a plan. Here it is:
It's the magic cooler! Guaranteed to take any event and make it into a party. Thank you, magic cooler, for making family gatherings more...delicious.

Sioux Center Burning

So yesterday I was minding my own business, looking at an armoire in a furniture store in Sioux Center. The lady who was helping me was walking toward the front of the store to look up a price when she said "Oh my gosh, something is burning!"

I didn't quite believe her, but then I heard some explosions. Indeed, something was burning.

It turns out a tanker with ethanol started on fire, causing a series of explosions. As you can see from the picture, it was also dangerously close to other containers full of fuels.

It turns out the story even made national headlines, at least in a Fox News Story.

Color Scheme

The pink monster must die.
I am so done living with the pink and green circus tent theme in my bedroom. Oh, and the horrid light the pink curtains cast when the sun shines in:
(I have no idea why it's on its side, but you get the idea.)

Now I need to decide on paint, and I need help. I definitely want green, but not the green and pink combo. So, I made some fake rooms on the Sherwin Williams website. They're not my room, but they at least have a vaulted ceiling to give a good idea of what that will look like.

Option A: This was my first choice, but I'm sort of unsure now. Option B: The nice lady at the paint store recommended something like this, based on my glasses frames. I kind of like it.And this is the bed I'll likely put in the room:So, what do you think?

The End of Harry Potter and More Thoughts on Church

First, more thoughts on church. The thing I like best about a good Reformed church service is the words. I went back to Covenant this morning, on my way to Talan's first birthday party. I'm not sure how to describe what I mean by "the words," but it's not that mushy, romantic idea about poetic language. It's more about weight and gravity.

Anyway. I'm going to write about the ending of Harry Potter now, so if you're going to read it and don't want the ending spoiled, quit reading this and go finish the book.

I absolutely loved the ending. I'm the type of person who usually really wants to know the end of a movie or a book before I start, but I had a feeling there would be some surprise to it, so I didn't want to know. I did sort of dread having to wait 700 some pages to know, but it was a quick read.

Okay, the verdict...I LOVED the ending. In my head I kept thinking there were two possible endings...good triumphing over evil with Harry killing Voldemort, or good winning, but at the loss of Harry Potter's life. What a splendid world of magic when you can have both at once! I loved how she decided that it would be cheap for Harry just to win, or to kill Voldemort without having to give of himself. I think it was a great way for good to triumph.

Church

One of my least favorite parts of moving is finding a new church. I know some people don't like the term, but lately I've been church shopping. There's really no good term for it...church visiting, or church trying or church fitting in maybe.

There seem to be two types of churches here. The first is the married people's traditional church with children, and the other is the younger folks' "seeker friendly" church. I'm not sure I fit anywhere at the first type, and the second, well, I'm not sure I can hack it in the long term.

It makes me want to just move back to California. I miss my tiny church with all the friendly people.

House Guests

I've had house guests!

The first in my mom's new Pomeranian puppy, Nemo. She stayed at my house last night, much to the dismay of Princess Pantaloons, while my parents stayed at a hotel. My mom named her that because, as she says, "she's so small, and people might not think she can do much, just like Nemo in the movies."
The second is my nephew, playing in the box my blinds came. He came with his dad, who was installing said blinds. He wasn't terribly photogenic tonight.

The reason he's not wearing clothes, and probably why he's not smiling much either, is that he had just thrown up all over me and himself. He came in with my brother, and looked a little...tired. He looked around a minute, then started crying for apparently no reason. What do you do when a 1 year old starts crying? You pick them up. So, I picked him up. As soon as I did that, he vomited gratuitiously all over my shirt, his clothes, and the floor. It was so disgusting...I couldn't even help my brother clean him up until I changed because I wanted to vomit from the smell. Eeewww.

I was happy to see him though. Later we went outside and played in the street.

Those darn scammers!!

Okay, so someone has locked me out of my e-mail account. Long story short it started with Ebay and ended with me locked out of my regular e-mail. So, if you've e-mailed me since yesterday, I can't get it. I'm not sure when I will be able to.

So, if you want to e-mail me, send it to the same address, but at Gmail instead of Yahoo.

If only the To Catch a Predator guys could work on the Nigerian scammers...

These Are Not My People

I'm not really sure how to put into words what I'm thinking. Basically, the post title sums it up, at least how I'm feeling right now.

When I decided to move, I knew there would be this time at the beginning that would suck. I've moved enough to know that the first year somewhere is basically shit. You don't know people, you have to learn where to buy wine and find a new person to cut your hair, and you are basically in your own head a lot.

This time is a little different because my family is here, but mostly the same. Having my family here has kept me from being insane with loneliness and regret about moving, but these are not my people. Even being with my family reminds me that as much as I love them, we don't always have a lot in common.

Small things remind me that this is a very different place. I can't think of one person I know here who would have heard of the Sopranos, much less seen it so we could talk about it. Instead of calling fertility treatments by their names, people call it "doctoring." I don't know anyone else right now who listens to public radio.

Don't get me wrong, I know those people exist, and probably even here, but right now I don't know where they are. Hopefully soon.

Searching...

I am still job searching, although I've realized that being re-unemployed does have its benefits. I've been getting lots of household projects done, and spent the necessary but annoying amount of time watering the new plants in the yard. It's been insanely hot here (around 98 today, with a ridiculous amount of humidity), and the plants have needed watering almost daily. Yard-keeping is not something that comes naturally to me.

The job searching has been going okay, though not very fruitful yet. I've heard back from some social service agencies, but most just want part-time people. I went to an information session at Citibank today, and realized there is no way I could do phone sales for them. The videos we saw of their retention specialists (people who try to get you to keep your card when you call to cancel), just made it look like a despicable job. It was worth checking out though. I did have to do some math test, but thankfully at the end I got a letter saying I am qualified to work there. I probably failed the math test, but I'm sure I passed the "following directions" and "Filling out forms correctly" tests.

I also handed in a few applications at other places that look interesting...nobody actually had positions though. I arrived too late at a temp. agency to fill out an app., so that's tomorrow morning's activity, along with attaching house numbers and a new mailbox.

There is one position that sounds promising, but it's a ways out yet. It came up in a very roundabout way, when I was already "working" at the online teaching job. Someone in my mom's church had a daughter who was going to be running a government agency here, and looking for people to hire. Long story short I met her on Sunday, and she said she thought I was smart and she just knows we'll work together. That sounds great, but I'd like to have it in writing before I count on it. Until then? Answer phones and maybe substitute teaching.

Another Apartment Sign

"Bee-lieve it, we're a honey of a place to live!"

What is with these signs?

There is a sign in front of an apartment building that says "We're Ozsome. No Lion."

Cataloons

Dave took the liberty of combining my cat's name into Cataloons, and I quite like it.

Anyway, here are some pictures of her doing her favorite thing--make me into her personal pillow. Someday when I figure out how to do video, I'll post some of that. It's incredible--she will actually use both paws to grip your arm, and then move it under her head. She'll snuggle her head up in the palm of your hand, and wrap her arms around so you can't get away. Cats are amazing.
P.S. She is now staying upstairs all the time. Except when the exterminator was here--she hid briefly behind the old fridge in the basement until he sprayed her (accidentally) with the pesticide. Oops!

The sign on the Baptist church near my house says:

"Do you need to re-boot? Remember, Jesus saves."

Jumping back into the pool of candidates

I resigned from my job this morning. To make a medium-length story very short, I had been there for 2 and a half weeks, and had not yet been given any work. It was not worth the 2 hour commute and all that gas.

So, I'm back in the jobseeker pool. I'm not excited about it, but it's better than where I was. I may look for some temp. work, but hopefully something better will come along soon. I've put out a few applications already, but I've learned that the applications to interview ratio, at least so far, isn't all that good.

Princess Pantaloons is sympathetic.

So, do ya'll not like "Princess Pantaloons?"

No one's said anything...

Princess Pantaloons

So I may have come up with a cat name--Princess Pantaloons. For short, maybe Princess Pants. I found it on some cat name list, and the explanation was because the cat was too big for her britches. It seems appropriate. Somehow, perhaps by karma, I got a cat who is pushy, demanding, and generally will tell you exactly what she wants and when.

You don't just pet my cat, she actually uses her nose and arms to manipulate your arm/hand where she wants it. Sheesh.

Like right now, when she's licking the corner of my computer, and pushing my fingers off of the keyboard.

In other news, the job has been a roller coaster. After 7 days on the job, I finally have work to do. It's been a very frustrating week, and this morning I was ready and intending to hand in my resignation. After telling my boss that, suddenly work appeared for me to do. So we'll see...

In general, moving to Sioux Falls has been...interesting. It's been a bit lonely, but it's been great to see the babies. So here are some general things I've noticed:

• People here are fatter and worse-dressed than in CA. In particular, there are TONS more mom jeans. It has inspired me to wear shorts for the first time in many years. It just seems right.
  
• People my age here generally have 2-3 children.
  
• The lunch discussion at work has so far centered around weddings, showers, anniversaries, and how one should, ought to, must, go about planning and hosting these events.
• I have a neighbor who was made slightly crazy by being in Vietnam, and he walks up and down the street talking to himself. Sometimes he stands on his porch and talks to himself. Slightly creepy, but also sad.
• Kids here actually have lemonade stands. They wave at you as you drive by, whether or not you stop.
• The bank people are super-friendly.
• You are expected to say "hi!" to people at work when you pass each other in the hall, regardless of how many times you have previously greeted them. The same applies for the parking lot, lunchroom, and even the bathroom. I'm still learning this.
• Almonds cost $10/pound. Yikes!
• If you buy 8 bottles of wine at the grocery story, you must be having a party. The clerks will comment on each and every bottle past #2. If you buy tonic water, the bag boy will look at you and tell you he doesn't even know what it is.
• Every time I have told someone I moved from CA, they have said "Really? Why?"
• People drive like snails
• A true sign of summer here is that when I went for a ride on the bike trail a few nights ago, I received bugs in the eye and the mouth.
  

A very (un) busy worker bee

(just FYI...still thinking about a cat name...perhaps Flannery or Kathleen Norris)

I am officially a worker bee. I started my new job on Monday, as a curriculum writer for an educational publisher. Only, there isn't any curriculum writing, yet. Actually, each morning in the three days I've been there I've asked my boss what I can do. He's given me this very pained look, hesitated and sucked air in through his teeth, and said he'll work on it and look for work for me to do.

Okay, so I'm trying to be patient, but why would you hire someone if you're not ready for them to do work? It's frustrating. And it makes the day long.

So I'm a member of a "pod," which means that we all have our computer stations together in one big cubicle. Monday, and most of today, I just stared at my computer, browsing the curriculum the publisher makes, "familiarizing" myself with it. Granted, I was pretty familiar with it after 8 hours of staring at it Monday. Finally near the end of the day an online teacher needed help with grading. Easy, but at least something to do. I never though that having nothing to do at work would be so boring.

I certainly hope it picks up.

Also, people here are WAY too nosy. Not like I didn't know this...it is just way more annoying than I remember. My first day of work, no fewer than three people asked me "Are you still single?" Still? Like I'm ancient? Come on, people.

Yesterday, someone asked me my last name, and then asked "Are you one of the famous ones?" How are you supposed to answer that?

Today my old high school teacher, who works near me, told everyone at lunch about how big my parents' lake house is. Just weird.

Anyway, I think the corporate world in the Midwest is way different than the Bay Area. After seeing Donna's workplace, and this one, it's night and day. There are definitely no video games here.

You decide

I am typing this post 1 letter at a time, as the cat is sleeping on my right arm. It's really quite cute--she pushes my arm with her head until it's under her head like a pillow, then puts her other arm over it, to make sure it doesn't go anywhere.

Since she seems to ba appearing regularly lately, I think it is time to name her. Check out the pictures and tell me which you think suits her best, or suggest your own.

1. Quiddie

2. Ekaterina Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya ("Kitty")

3. Sassafras

4. Owl

5. Zora Neale (as in Zora Neale Hurston)

6. Countess Katenka

The Glorious Appearing

Today was the day of two momentous occasions. First, it was my first day of work. I'm working for an educational publisher doing Language Arts curriculum design. Probably more curriculum revision, they said today. I'm working near my old high school English teacher, which is a little strange. Also, they did not have any actual work for me today. Sounds great, right? It was actually really boring. I can review their current curriculum, but 8 hours was a lot...

The other, more interesting event was the cat appeared. She came out from behind the fridge when I stuck my hand back there, and she has just come up from the basement (on her own) for the first time. She's currently making very slow laps around the house, sniffing generously.

Here are some better pics. from today:

Obstinate, or Scared?

The cat is still huddling behind the old refrigerator in the basement. The routine the last two days now has been that I go and reach my arm as far behind the fridge as I can, pet her, and try to coax her to come out. So far, she's come out twice. Today I got to pet her, and brush her. But, as soon as I let go of her, she ran back behind the fridge.

My mom keeps saying she'll come out when she's not scared anymore, but...

Is it possible she'll stay back there forever?

My Cat...Name Needed

So I found the cat...sort of. She's behind an old fridge in the basement bomb shelter. I saw her back side, and I could sort of reach in and pet her. At one point she turned around so I could see her head, but she wouldn't come out. I left some treats for her.

On another topic...Once she comes out, what should her name be? She came with the name Callie, but I don't think I'll keep it.

Any suggestions?

I lost my cat

Today my mom helped me pick out a cat at the Humane Society. I got a beautiful, green-eyed calico girl named Kallie. Or maybe Callie...I don't remember.

Anyway, we took her home and set her up with all her stuff in the basement. We played with her, watched her explore everything, then left her to get acquainted while we went for dinner. My dad came to pick us up, and we wanted to show the cat to him. I went downstairs, and she was gone...couldn't be found anywhere. We looked in crawl spaces, above the bomb shelter, behind boxes, in cupboards. We went to dinner, thinking we'd find her when we came back. We went through the same routine--got the flashlights out and checked the crawl space and all the other places she might hide.

She's not there. Or, at least, she's not coming out. I would guess the Humane Society frowns on owners who lose their cats on the first night. I just hope I find her tomorrow...

What the f***???

So I have this wall of cupboards in my kitchen which reach almost to the ceiling. I was up on a stepstool today, putting a few things in the top cupboard, and I found this little black zippered pouch.

I thought maybe it was a tool kit, but it was shaped like half a heart.

I got down off the stepstool, unzipped the black pouch, and my stomach fell to the floor. Here's the face I made:

Now what, you ask, might make me make this face?

Here is the answer, the object I found left in a cupboard in my kitchen:

That's right, it's a friggin' handgun. So many questions...Whose was it? I'm assuming the lady who owned the house before me. Did she have it to protect herself? Would she quickly jump up on a stepstool, get the gun down, and load it when there was an intruder?

And, most importantly--How do you leave your gun in a kitchen cupboard???

This is definitely the strangest thing I've ever found while moving.

new house scariness

Okay...living in a house alone at night is way scarier than living in an apartment alone. Especially when said house has no window coverings, and lots of windows. Must get blinds soon.

The Homestead

It's weird to say it, but I'm home. It doesn't feel like home yet, but all my stuff is in my new house. And, my neighbors have an unprotected network, so free internet tonight until mine is set up tomorrow. Whee!

So now, for some pictures.

The Front.

Kitchen, with boxes

Living/Dining Room, with boxes.

Alternate View Living/Dining room, with boxes.
Backyard, no boxes.

all is new

Today is the day I move into my new house. I made it home, safe and sound, after 26 1/2 hours in the car. 1 novel finished, Middlesex. Quite good, though not my favorite ever. I'll be interested to hear what Oprah has to say about it.

So far, no loving on the babies yet. Crazy relatives have started to call and ask about my new home. I have a new phone number. If you didn't ge the e-mail, e-mail me. I shall post pictures of everything later, post chaos. The sad thing? Another day of no internet...makes me feel closed in, like I'm in one of the sod huts people used to live in on the prairie. Or maybe that's the move in general...not sure yet.

Updates to come.

Motorin'

So I'm in the middle of Wyoming, with my first reliable internet since Thursday. I drove about 13 1/2 hours today, and listened to the first half of Middlesex. Very good. I am exhausted though. Sleep has eluded me the last few nights, and I knew it was trouble when I started yawning at 11am today.

It was also really sad to leave CA. There's not really that much to say about it, except that it doesn't really seem real. I was telling my friends that somehow it seems like they'll all just be there when I arrive tomorrow.

Speaking of friends, they helped pack the truck this weekend. It was quite a feat, and as you can see from the picture, the result is probably the best packed Uhaul on the roads. Oh, and the reflectors make it seem like it was also some sort of dance party. Which it was.

I heart minor league baseball!!!!

Ever since I started working at a summer camp and going to the Fargo Redhawks' games, I've loved minor league baseball. I'm not really that into other sports, but I looooooove a good summertime baseball game. Jen and Brian got free tickets from Target, so tonight we went to a San Jose Giants game.

The "beer batter" was struck out, so we go those Heinekens two-for-one.

Bigger Than a Breadbox...

...and more fun than a wheel of cheese.

This is the massive wheel of bubblewrap my dad sent to help me pack.

Packing and saying goodbye have been occupying most of my time. It's exhausting.

Checkouts

Some random bits tonight.

I checked out of school today. It felt a lot more final to hand in my keys than it did when the kids left yesterday. I hugged everyone goodbye, and only felt my lip quivering once, while saying goodbye to someone who probably never cries.

I also went to the grocery store and got in front of the most obnoxious man in the checkout line. He looked over my groceries, and actually touched them. He was first making small talk, then touched my shoulder and asked me to save his place in line. I was hoping the checker would be fast, but no. He came back, and actually commented about my groceries. He had something to say about everything I was buying, and what it might say about me. I just smiled, and said nothing.

A few days ago I called to have a utility shut off, and the guy was checking something, and asked if it was Holly with an "i" or an "e." Uh? Y.

The best middle school boy conversation I overheard yesterday went like this. There were three middle school boys standing around, and one said "So, are you going to play ponies this summer?" Another said "Yeah, if my mom lets me." Hilarious. I acted shocked and said "Oh my gosh, are you guys really playing with ponies this summer?" And of course, they were referring to ponies baseball.

And just now I called for pizza and the guy told me my pizza would be ready in 19 minutes. I had to ask twice, just so I could hear him say again that it would be ready in 19 minutes. 19? Almost as strange as Holly with an "i" or an "e."

Cool!

I read today that StoryCorps is in Sioux Falls! They record stories of ordinary people, or in their own words, "StoryCorps is a national project to instruct and inspire people to record one another's stories in sound.

Maybe I'll work on a story for them...or interview someone...intriguing!

Celebrating!

I am officially done teaching. Today was our last day of school, topped off with the annual skating party. I thought I might feel more joyous after school, but it wasn't the jumping up and down kind of happy, just a lot more calm. That was probably in part because the middle schoolers were all crying and carrying on about leaving one another.

I also hope this means more sleep. I looked back on my blog from last year at this time, and I was also not sleeping then. Although it always takes me a long time to get to sleep, a half hour at least, this week my mind has been thinking things out long after I want to go to sleep. Someone asked me last week where I think about stuff, and I've decided it's while I'm lying in bed, trying to sleep. It seems to be involuntary--I can't sleep until everything's worked out.

So tonight is a celebration of being done with school. It will be celebrated by going out for gyros with friends, and a bottle of my favorite pinot grigio. As I have declared, let it be so.
Perhaps the pinot grigio will inspire packing!

Days left as a teacher: 1. (that includes a skating party)

Tonight was graduation. It was a good class, and actually kind of sad to see them graduate. I got two thank you notes from kids today that were really sweet, and amusing.

One contained the line "Ms. D, thank you for all your patients with me this year."

The other said "It's unfortunate you won't be returning to our school, because I won't see you again on earth."

Aww....that does make me a little sad to quit teaching. Just a little.

adios, citibank!

Days left as a teacher: 3, including 1 workday. Amen.

And, I have a job! I think...

It all started in Feb. when I sent a resume to a company for a position I really wanted. It was via a friend of a friend, and I never heard anything, despite follow up. So, I thought hope was lost there.

Then they posted a less desirable position on the internet, and I was feeling desperate. I submitted my resume, and got an interview. During the interview I mentioned the other job, and lo and behold, I'm getting it.

At least I think so. There has been an informal, e-mail offer. I'm waiting to get something in writing, but it looks like I'll either be a curriculum designer/online teacher, or a full-time curriculum designer. Now, to choose a cat.

Dillon Beach is to good times as...

The beach weekend was the perfect activity to end my time in California. Somehow I was the only person who didn't take any pictures, but you can check out Donna's, and Jeff and Jen's. Jen and Jeff even got a photo of me and Camille. If you check it out, you can see that skeptical look on Camille's face as I'm walking her across the room. She knows the score.

The weather was cloudy and cool, and the whole thing reminded me a lot of hanging out at my parents' place in Okoboji. There was Trivial Pursuit, sleeping in, video games, and a fully-stocked bar. I also had my first Blue Curacao since Amsterdam...it's still disgusting stuff.

The weekend reminded me of how happy I have been here, with such good friends. So, if any of ya'll are reading this, you are to living in California as Jen is to gardening!