Mini-post

I have FINALLY been able to get into my classroom. I am having too much fun figuring out how to decorate it. Pictures to come soon!

Leaving town tomorrow for Mike and Amanda's wedding in Austin. Can't wait for the mini-break!

When I was 17 ...

Heard a new song recently, and I swear it was written about me at 17 (18, 19, 20, and probably even 21 and 22, if I'm being honest). Time has proven to be a truly amazing emotional phenomenon ...

Beautiful Disaster

She loves her momma's lemonade,
Hates the sounds that goodbyes make
She prays one day she'll find someone to need her

She swears that there's no difference
Between the lies and compliments
It's all the same if everybody leaves her

And every magazine tells her she's not good enough,
The pictures that she sees makes her cry

She would change everything, everything, just ask her
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster
She just needs someone to take her home

She's giving boys what they want,
Tries to act so nonchalant,
Afraid they'll see that she's lost her direction

She never stays the same for long,
Assuming that she'll get it wrong
Perfect only in her imperfection

She's not a drama queen
She doesn't wanna feel this way
Only 17 and tired

She would change everything for happy ever after
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster
She just needs someone to take her home

She's just the way she is,
But no one's told her that's okay

She would change everything for happy ever after
Caught in the in between of beautiful disaster
She just needs someone to take her home


- Jon McLauglin

(I added the actual song to the bottom of my playlist.)

Woooooosh ...

My schedule has gone from 50 to 4,000,000,000 in the span of a few days. It's a really good thing that I have the amazing support of my family and Alex. Without that, I'd be in some serious trouble!

Call me "Coach"

Volleyball tryouts and two-a-days started today. I'm exhausted and exhilarated all at the same time. I'm really impressed by the girls and am really excited about getting further into coaching. This year isn't going to be all about winning (though, of course, I would like to). This year is going to be about improving on skills and technique. We have some AMAZING athletes in our group! With a little more direction, I have a feeling they'll be dominating ... if not this year, definitely by the time the freshman are juniors.

I'm also pleasantly surprised that I can still PLAY volleyball. I knew that I remembered what to do, but I had no clue I could still PLAY! I can still serve and pass and set and even dive (fun!) almost exactly the same as I could when I was younger. My attacking (hitting) has lost a step or two, but it's nothing that I can't recover with a little more practice. I just need to rediscover the timing and the power. I'll get there ... the girls and I will together.

Recovery

Eminem's new album, Recovery, is phenomenal. I can't stop listening to I Love The Way You Lie with Rhianna. (I added it to the bottom of my playlist.)

I'm definitely not someone who listens to rap on a regular basis (or, ever), but I've always liked Eminem.

Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano ... great line!

Enough with the acronyms!

All done with ESL! Took the test this morning, but I won't find out until next Tuesday or Wednesday if I passed. Cross your fingers for me!

The beginning of next week is all about finishing up my CDL. I have a permit test, then 6 written tests to take on Monday, followed by in-bus training Tuesday and Wednesday. The only (well, the main) thing I am worried about is parallel parking. I can barely (and by "barely" I mean "not really at all") parallel park my Jetta. I can't envision myself successfully paralleling that huge school bus. I do believe in miracles, though.

Totally off topic, I had forgotten how much time it takes to set up an iPod properly. Right now, I'm working on getting all of my music into my iTunes again (after the big crash of late '09). I really need to invest in an external hard drive. A new laptop (or desktop, even) is not anywhere in my near future, so I am going to have to make the best out of what I have right now. I don't want to bog down my laptop again with music ... she's an old girl, can't carry too much weight.

I plan to enjoy this weekend as much as possible. Tomorrow is Alex's birthday, so he's going to play a little golf during the day, then we have dinner at my mom and Norb's. Sunday will be the BBQ with his friends at our house. Should be lots of fun!

Waiting sucks.

I'm sitting here at the kitchen table waiting for the yard man to show up ... just like I've been waiting for him to show up since last Wednesday. Only today, the yard man is different than the one who kept me waiting a week.

Our front yard is a jungle, and the backyard isn't far behind. I swear, it's absolutely terrible. I don't know much about lawnmowing, but I imagine the new guy would have best luck taking a machete to the stuff.

Our fridge is also out again. The appliance people came last week and said they fixed it, but they didn't. It's very strange because it works for about 2 hours every day, then doesn't the other 22.

Between heaters and air conditioners (okay, same unit, but you get it) and refrigerators and lawns, I'm worn out. I suppose this is the double-edged sword of renting. You don't have to pay when things break, but you do have to deal with a lot of piss-poor maintenance.

I'm still training like a madwoman. I've finished CScope, am halfway through GT, have ESL tomorrow through Friday, and will hopefully finish up my CDL next Monday and Tuesday. Then my first official day is next Wednesday!

Where does the time go?! It seems like yesterday that I received the call I was hired. I've crammed so much into these past two months, I think that could be the reason time feels like it just flew out the window.

Mini-vacation with Alex and his mom to Dallas and Austin, Summer I (still maintaining that 4.0, by the way!), Summer Planning Academy, Volleyball Camp, trip to Carlsbad for July 4th, visit from Alex's dad, and now training, training, training.

It's always funny to me when people say teachers have it "so easy." Sure, the schedule is nice with the breaks and everything, but teaching is not easy ... and once school is out, we are definitely not done. Summers are jam-packed! For new teachers like myself, anyway.

I'll tell you one thing I'm really excited about ... setting up my classroom. I really can't wait. I know that sounds like the dorkiest, most nerd-brained thing for me to say, but it's true. I'll have to take pictures.

Anyone who knows anything about me realizes that I won't be one of those teachers who does nothing fun with the room. I think the classroom sets the tone for the class. It needs to be safe place, and I intend on making it very comfortable and inviting.

I'm a very lucky girl in that I have amazing resources for free posters (Norbert) and anything else creative I might need (mom). I've already decided on what to put on the walls (not typical teacher stuff, for the most part), I just need to know the sizes. For that, I'll have to see the room first.

Usually, I think most teachers already know their room assignments by now, but we aren't able to get into the school at all this summer (well, until August 1st, I believe). They're doing a lot of updates like lighting and bathrooms and such. I'm definitely not complaining.

And, seriously ... where the heck is this lawn guy?! I hate it when people are late for business appointments. (And, yes, I do believe it's an appointment ... it's his way of earning money.) Maybe I'm just paranoid that he's going to stand us up, too. Ugh, we just need to bite the bullet and buy our own gear.

Oops!! And there he is! JOY!!!