The Workings of My Mind

New

2006-02-21T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have a new blog. I've taken all of the posts on here and imported them to the new blog. So, I will no longer be posting on the blog. Eventually, I'll take this blog down. So, come check out Saryndippity. I am very pleased with it. :)

What Do You Think?

2006-02-17T13:58:00.000-06:00

I got this from Andy and thought it was pretty interesting.

My Johari Window

My Nohari Window

I'm interested in seeing how others see me. So, if you wouldn't mind taking a look. . . Let me know if you deside to start one and I'll return the favor.

Potential

2006-02-08T19:08:00.000-06:00

At the begining of Jan. I interviewed for a job in Wausau. They kept telling me they would get back to me, and then never did. Finally, I called them and got an answer. They had offered the position to someone else, but wanted to know if I was interested in a substitute position. Sure, I need the job and pretty much any job will do right now.

Yesterday I went up for my orientation. At one point the women giving me the orientation asked me what I was doing for a job now. I told her I wasn't really doing anything. (Which isn't exactly ture. I do have a part-time job.) Anyway, she told me that the place across the street was looking for a full time teacher. She went on to say that she had an extra copy of my resume and asked if i would like one of the copies back. I said sure.

After my orientation I walked across the street. I chatted with the director for a bit. And then filled out an application and left me resume. I should be hearing from her sometime next week to set up a time to go and visit the center. I'm still waiting to hear from Madison. I plan on giving them a call sometime this week. And I should be hearing from Point by the end of this week.

I'll continue looking, but I hope that something will turn up soon. *crosses fingers*

Not Where I Thought I Would Be

2006-02-05T23:56:00.000-06:00

People have asked me. "If you could go back and change something in your life, would you?" My answer has always been, "No, I wouldn't." I know I haven't always made the best decisions in my life, but I've learned from all the experiances and they have made me the person I am today. I've always said I like the person I am; I'm happy with myself. I also believe that if I were to go back and change one of my actions, not only would it change my life, it would change the lives of those around me. And who knows if things would really get better.

But lately i've been wondering. . . I am not where I thought I would be at this point in my life. I remember when I was younger, sometime in grade school, I think, I made a plan for my life. I was going to graduate high school, spend 4 years in college, graduate, get a job, get married and have kids. I'm now 27 years old. When i made my plan i figured by this point in my life i would be married with a family and a job. Do I have that? No.

I didn't really follow my plan. After high school I took a year and a half off. I lived at home and worked. Then I started college. College did not take 4 years, instead it took 6 and a half years. Now, this I wouldn't change. I knew I needed to take some time off after high school, and I'm glad I spent so much time in college. I really enjoyed college. I took classes I didn't need to take. I learned a lot. I made life long friends.

And then I graduated. Since then my life has not been what I expected or thought it would be. I did find a job after graduating. But it was not the right job for me. It was in education, but it wasn't in my exact field. Shortly after starting the job i came to realize that I was not in my comfort zone for a variety of reasons. And so, I no longer have that job. Ultimately, I know this is for the best, and yet. . .

And yet I have become someone I am not sure of. I remember I used to be a very confident, secure, independent person. Now, simply put, I'm not sure of myself. I don't feel confident. I worry that people, even those i know are my friends, won't like me. I'm scared that I'm letting people down. I find myself clinging to the familiar just a little too much instead of enjoying life. I don't really like the person I am right now. I don't feel comfortable in my skin, in my life.

People ask me how I'm doing and most of the time i give the answer they want to hear. I don't tell them all of this. I put on my happy face and pretend that everything is just fine. And really, it's not. I have a part time job, the one I had before I graduate, but it's not enough to make ends meet. I'm looking for other jobs. I've even had interviews, but so far, nothing has really come out of it. I know I'm going to have to move, and I'm fine with this, but I don't know how I'm going to afford the move. I worry all the time.

I'm so scared that somewhere along the line I fucked things up. that I turned right when I should have turned left. That I had what I wanted, I had the life I dream of in my grasp, and instead of taking it, I threw it away. And I just don't know how, or if, I can fix things. . .

I Believe. . .

2006-01-18T01:19:00.000-06:00

Dawn sent me this and I thought I would share. Enjoy!

There are so many truths in this.
I believe- That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I believe- That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe- That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe- That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I believe- That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe- That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe- That you can keep going long after you can't.
I believe- That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe- That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe- That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.
I believe- That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I believe- That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe- That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe- That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe- That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe- That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe- That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe- That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe- That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe- That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe- That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe- That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
I believe- That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe- That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Warm Wishes

2005-12-25T19:13:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to All

and to

All a Good Night!

Thoughts from the Radio

2005-11-27T19:44:00.000-06:00

As I was driving home today I was listening to "To the Best of Our Knowledge." Today's program was about shopping. A few statements from the program stuck with me.

The first segment focused on shopping malls. Stores tend to be set up in a strong right hand fashion. Meaning that customers are drawn to their right, enticing people to pick up and then buy a total of 2/3rds more than they intended to. This makes some amount to sence to me. The majority of the population is right handed. They probably grab for things with their right hands. I however, am left handed and therefore see the world a bit differently at times. I wonder if this right hand orientation does not work as well with lefties. Or if we have just become so used to it that we don't notice. . .

The third segment was an interview with Reverand Billy from The Church of Stop Shopping. The "church" is just as much a religion as it is a political action group. Two of the statements that the good reverand made 1) Nike has the word "revolution" trademarked and 2) Fox News has the word "god" copyrighted. Don't you just love large corperations?

Story Corps

2005-11-23T14:40:00.000-06:00

On my drive to work in the mornings I have taken to listening to WPR. Every Friday they do a segment called Story Corps. It's something I look forward to every week.

The stories are told by everyday people. They are funny, sad, poingnat; they are ordinary. It's a glimps into the lives and memories of the people who may be very much like you and me. It is wonderful. :)

Party, Party, Party, Party

2005-11-23T14:23:00.000-06:00

So, on November 12th I had a "Graduation, New Job, House Warming, Birthday Party!" It was loads of fun.

I had asked Andy to make a batch of his Autumn Soup, but being his usual non-commital self, the only answer I got from him was, "We'll see." And so, when the day of the party rolled around (I asked him on Tuesday) I decided to make my own soup. I found a recipe for Winter Soup, and then I realized that I would have to quadruple it. Which lead me to the fact that I didn't have a pot big enough. So, out I went to find a big stock pot. I'm happy to say I found a set of 3 at Shopko for under $30. They aren't the best, but they will do for now.

Once I had the stock pot and I had picked up the ingredients, it was back to my place to get ready for the party. I really enjoyed making the soup, and it turned out very yummy. However, I realized while gettiing everything ready that I much perfer to have others around while getting ready for a party. This doesn't mean that I won't throw another party, it just gave me something to think about.

And then, shortly after 7pm, everyone arrived! I have an incredible small one bedroom apartment, I'm proud to say that 10 people fit quite comfortably into my space. I had worries when I opened my door and saw everyone walking down my hallway. . . It really was a lovely evening. There was yummy food, and good conversation! :) And I recived a few new games, a toaster, a Britta water pitcher, new books, and these really neat candle holders.

Everyone left around 4:30, I cleaned up a bit and then I slept. :)

Unsettled

2005-11-05T16:38:00.000-06:00

I'm no longer living with Andy. I'm living in my own place. I unpacked my last box the other day and now all I have left is organizing a few things. That and purchasing all of the stuff I haven't needed while living with room mates.

It's nice to be in a place of my own, however I'm realizing just how much of a social person I am. I'm living half way between work and Point. This means that I have a 30min drive to hang out with anyone. This is not something that I really like. I miss being able to call up friends and go hang out at a moments notice. . . But, I'll survive.

My job is another thing in my life that I will survive. I know that I am gaining lots of experiance to put on my resume, but I also know that I am not happy. This is not what I expected to be doing after graduating. Although I am teaching, I'm not really teaching in my feild. And I know that because I'm not really happy, I'm not giving my best. I'm trying, but I can tell it's not just there. I'm just not all there. I wish I could be, I want to be able to give my best to these kids. They need it so much. I know that I'm working in a very needy community. And I know that even without giving it my all, I am doing a lot of good. And yet, I won't stay here. This is not going to be the job I grow old in. I want something different; I want more.

I have always said that I would never go back and change anything in my life. I like the person I am today. If I went back and changed things, who knows what I would be like, what my life would be like. And yet, now for the 1st time in my life, I'm wishing I could go back and change things. I'm really struggling with this. I feel as if I'm letting myself down, that I've let others in my life down. And that's not even all of it, but I don't know how to put into words exactly how I'm feeling. I just know that it's a constant underlying feeling and I don't like it. I just have to keep reminding myself that this is not the end, this is the begining. There is a whole world out there for me to explore and discover. And I have plenty of time to do so. . .

Serenity

2005-10-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

I saw Serenity last night. It was a wonderful movie!
Everthing I expected it to be and more. If you haven't seen it, go see it. :)

And so it goes. . .

2005-09-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

My life is unsettled. . .

My lease ended at the end of August, and I didn't know where I was going. And so I moved my stuff into Andy's garage. He also moved at the end of August. He was up in Wausau and is now down in Point. I am so thankful that he is letting me store my stuff in his garage. I am even more thankful that he is letting me live with him for the time being.

I'm working in Adams. This is not the job I was expecting to get after graduating. I know that I can do a lot of good in this position, but I don't know if I want to keep it. I have resumes out at a few different school districts. I guess I'll just wait and see what happens with them. Even if I do end up staying the year in this job, I am planning on moving on. I want to be in a school district.

As I said, I'm living in Point and working in Adams. This means I am driving 2 hours Monday through Friday. I don't mind the driving. I do mind the gas prices. My gaol is to find a closer place to live by this weekend. How I'm going to do find the time to do this I haven't quite figured out. But it needs to get done. I know I'm not going to be able to find a place in Adams, it's too small. I'm hoping to find something in the Rapids area. That would cut my drive time in half. And I would still be realitively close to Point.

My sisters and I spent this past weekend in Waukesha visiting our grandma. It was a very relaxing and fun weekend. I drove straight to Milwaukee on Friday after work and went to dinner and ice cream with HMS and JoAnn. I was so glad that I was able to do this. It's been a long time since I've seen any of the Milwaukee folk and I missed them. I hope my next visit will be longer. After dinner and ice cream, I drove to my grandma's in Waukesha. All of this driving was very exciting for me. It was the first time I had driven to Milwaukee/Waukesha. I didn't get lost and I navigated rush hour traffic without any problems. :)

I got to Grandma's and we visited a bit before she went to bed. Jenna and Aimee got to Grandma's around 1am and we stayed up visiting until 3am. Grandma made us pancakes on Saturday when we got up. Then we sat around the table for hours just talking. It was wonderful. Gandma then made us a wonderful Indian dish for dinner (I'm blanking on the name). After dinner we went to see Crossing Delancy, a play being done by a local community thearter. Also fun. Sunday we got up early and went to church. Gandma showed my sisters and I off to everyone. It was cool to see how proud of us she is. After church we went to a Didgerydoo workshop that was being held at the church. Jenna, Aimee, and I were the stars of the class. I discovered that I know how to do circular breathing! :) After the wrokshop we spent some time at the Frank Mot's Kite Festaval being held at Veteran's Memorial Park. On the way back to Gradma's we stopped and got custerd. It was yummy. And then is was time to go home.

I have other thoughts, but my time is up for now. . . More to come later.

The Last Days of Summer

2005-09-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

I should have been looking for an apartment this weekend, but after driving over 100 miles on Friday, I didn't feel like driving all over on Sat. Instead I made some phone calls, but no one was home and no answering machines picked up either. So after phone calls on Saturday, I napped. The rest of the weekend was filled with hanging out with friends. :)

I played 2 new games this weekend. Friday night it was Iron Dragon with Andy and Pat. A very long game, and a very enjoyable game. And Monday night it was Hex Hex with Dale, Pat, Sarah, Andy and I. Also a very fun game.

Today was my first day at my new job. Luckily, the Center is in a very small town and I had no problem finding it. I met my staff and they all seem to be very nice people. I think that I am going to enjoy working with them, for however long that may be. . . After talking with the Early Childhood Director, I have realized that I could do more good than I thought for this program. They are emerging from a rough year. Because of my background in Special Education and my familiarity with the public school system, I will be able to build positive relationships with the local schools and the community.

This all makes me question if I should stay in this postion if offered another job. I still think I would rather be in an Early Childhood Special Education classroom, it is afterall my background. But I can already tell that this is going to be a hard desision for me to make, if and when I have to make it.

I'm still looking for a place to live. I decided this weekend to widen my search to include Rapids. It's about 30 mins from the Center and it's close enough to Point that I can easily go and visit friends, even durring the middle of the week. Another plus is that Rapids is a large enough population base that it sould be eaisier for me to find a month-to-month lease. At least that's what I'm hoping. I really don't want to sign a year lease. There is the possibility that I may be moving in a few months. . .

Found

2005-08-20T17:54:00.000-05:00

I found and bought a car today! :)

Now all I need is a job and a place to live. Hopefully these two things will happen by the end of the month. I have 2 job interviews on Tuesday the 23rd. Both are 1/2 time teaching positions. But with it being this close to the begining of the school year, I'll take what I can get. The first interview is in Verona and the 2nd is in Brookfeild.

I'll keep you all posted.

Interviews

2005-08-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

I now have 2 interviews on the 23rd. Both are in the southern part of the state. Both are 1/2 time positions. Of these 2, I'm not sure which one I would rather have. But, I'm sure I'll know after the interviews. Really, at this point in the summer (school starts in about 2 weeks) I'll be happy with just about any teaching position.

My goal right now is to find a different car by Monday afternoon, at the latest, so I don't have to take my crumpled car to my interviews.

It would also be cool if I have a job by Thursday of next week and an apartment by Friday. Then I can move on the weekend. And won't have to worry about trying to move in the middle of the week.

*crosses fingers*

Whoo Hoo!

2005-08-16T21:15:00.000-05:00

I have an interview next Tuesday for a 1/2 time teaching position! I'm pretty excited. :)

I would rather have a full time position when school starts, but at this point I'm really not going to be that picky. And I'm sure I can get on the sub list and/or find another part time job. If I get this job. I'll just have to wait and see how the interview goes and if they call me back after the interview.

Yay!

2005-08-13T00:34:00.000-05:00

I love men! ;)

Don't You Hate it When. . .

2005-08-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

Don't you hate it when a prospective employer asks if you are still interested in the position and then, even though you said yes you were interested and would like to be interviewed, you check the job site a week later only to find out the posittion has been filled, and they never bothered to contact you? I hate it when that happens.

Back from the Weekend

2005-08-09T00:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back from my weekend. And it was pretty fun.

As I said I went and LARPed for the first time in a long time on Saturday. I had a good time, everyone was pretty friendly and helpful. However, this game has been going on for quite some time, and I felt like I had walked into the middle of a movie and didn't have a clue as to what was going on. I ended up spending a lot of time just sitting watching and listening to what others where doing. I'm pretty sure I'll go back for at least one or tow more sessions before I deside if it's something I want to do or not.

After the LARP my friend Ian and I went to our friends Manda and Matt's place. We did a bit of hanging out Sat. night before going to ssleep. We enjoyed a lazy Sunday visiting, playing games (Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers), and grilling out. After Ian left for his place, Manda, Matt, and I went for a walk along the lake front. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Today Matt and I hung around the house while Manda was off at work. And because I am still without a car, Manda and Matt drove me back to Point today when Manda was done with work. And that pretty much wraps up my weekend. Not very exciting, but I had fun and that's really what matters.

It's been awhile

2005-08-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

I keep thinking that I should update. Lots of things have been going on and I've had lots of thoughts I could share. But, everytime I come here I really don't feel like it. . . Even now I'm not sure if I feel like it. But I think I'll update anyway just because.

I got an email the other day from one of the schools I applied to for a ECSE position. They were asking if I was still interested in the job. I said that I was and they should contact me when they are interviewing. So now I wait. Hopefully I'll have a plan of some sort before the end of this month. I'd really like to know where I'll be living and working come September.

I'm going to a LARP today. This is something I did about everyother Saturday a few years back. And then the people runningh that game changed hands and lots of the player left for other things and it just didn't have the same draw for me. And really, I was okay with that. Since then a few of my friends from that LARP have been playing in a much bigger game that only meets once a month. And I'm going today. I'm not sure how I feel about LARPing again. I know that I would have fun with the right group of people, people that I know and am friends with. The thing is I don't know many of these people, and I can be rather shy in large groups. So, I guess I'll just wait and see.

I still need a new car. And I'm still waiting for the money to get one. My sister said she could lend it to me (thank you again) but she has to wait until she has gotten paid. And so I wait.

Not a good day

2005-07-21T00:54:00.000-05:00

My car's broken. I don't feel like going into details. But I will say, the car is broken to the point that the cost of fixing it is more than the car is worth. And now I have to find a way to get a different car. With money I don't have. So I have to borrow it from somewhere. And I really don't want to owe more money than I already do, but I don't have a choice. I need a car so I can go to interviews so I can be employed in the fall. . .

One Step Closer

2005-07-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

My diploma came in the mail today! It felt very cool to hold it in my hands. :)

Now I'm just waiting to recieve my teaching licence. . . I applied quite some time ago so hopefully I'll get it sooner rather than later. *crosses fingers*

Also, hopefully I'll find a job for the fall by the end of the month. *knock on wood*

Kids are cool

2005-07-01T00:02:00.000-05:00

Today for story time I had my kids pick between "A is for America," which we have been reading this week, and "The Giving Tree." They picked The Giving Tree. The cool part of this is, even though they were rather squirrelly today, as soon as I started reading the book they sat completely still and where quiet until the end of the story. It was just so neat to see all of them listening so intently to the story. Their eyes were full of imagination and wonder. It was very cool! :)

And after school today I went and picked up my very first paycheck for teaching, also very cool. I felt very adult. :)

Quote

2005-06-26T22:41:00.000-05:00

"There are times when friendship feels like running down a hill together as fast as you can, jumping over things, spunning around, and you don't care where you're going, and you don't care where you've come from, because all that matters is speed, and the hands holding your hands."
-from "Whales on Stilts!" by M. T. Anderson

I just finished reading this book. It was wonderful. I was full of smiles and giggles while reading it. It is a great book to read for your own enjoyment, and I think it would make a wonderful read aloud book for 3rd and 4th graders. :)

Summer School

2005-06-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day teaching summer school. I had four kids show up that were not on my class list, and 6 kids that were on my list didn't show up. Of the 6 kids that weren't here today, I've been told that 3 will be gone for the first week of class, and 2 may or may not show up at all.

When the principal stopped in I was in the middle of story time. So she chatted with my aide. And left a message for me to call her. When I called she said she was impressed at how organized I was, and how well behaved the kids were. :) And I felt very unprepared today too. . . But I took the compliment.

And now, because it's after 10pm and I have to get up at 6am, I have to bbe lame and go to bed.

Is this a trend?

2005-06-12T23:45:00.000-05:00

So about 2 weeks ago I locked my keys in my car. Just before I had to leave for an interview. Luckily I had taken my purse with me when I got out of the car, so I had my cell phone with me. After some calling around, I found a locksmith. And I called my interview, explained what had happened and said I would be late. After waiting 25 minutes the locksmith showed up, unlocked my car in less than 2 minutes and charged me nearly $40. I was annoyed and greatful all at the same time.

Once I had my keys I ran up to my apartment, which I couldn't do before because I live in a secure building, and got ready for my interview. When I finally got there, about 30 minutes late, I found out that the secratary had locked her keys in her car the week before. And during my inwerview with the princapal I found out that she had done the same thing before her first interview after graduating college. Both stories made me feel better, and I got the job. :) (More on that later.)

After my interview I went and hung out with Andy. Joyce was there too, for a bit. I told them both what had happened and it was desided that I should get an extra key made. I was all for it. Joyce had other things to do and left for home. Andy and I went to Home Depot, where I got an extra key made. :) Then we went out to eat at a new resturant, City Grill. I really liked City Grill. The food was quite yummy and I had a chocolate martini, which was wonderful. After City Grill, we went to Jess, Rob and Harry's new house. Andy did some internet stuff for them and I got to read bedtime stories to Harry. When we left we got ice cream. And then it was back to my car and back home for me. So, a day that started with me locking my keys in my car turned out quite lovely. :)

And now today's story. . .
Today I went up to Wausau to find out where I would be teaching this summer, get my class list, and finish filling out some employment paperwork. Once I was finished with this I was meeting Andy and Endo for lunch.

Well, I got up there with no problem. My principal informed me that I have 21 students, one has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy, one is on a gluten free diet, and one is a behavioral problem. However, because my class size is so large I will have an aide, and the principal is looking into having an aide specifically for the student with behavioral problems. We went over to my classroom, which is one of the local daycares. It looks like a pretty cool room. I'm excited to make it more my own during my time there. (Summer school is a 6 week program.)

I then met the school nurse. I learned how to use an epi-pin, in case there is a peanut incident in my classroom. And we went shopping for "safe" snack. And then I was off to the administrative buliding to finish my paper work. Well, when I got there I was told a tornado warning had just been issued for the next hour and I was welcome to join everyone in the basement. So down I went. After an hour the warning was extended for another hour. However, people were free to leave. After talking to someone from HR and finding out I could finish my paper work on Wednesday, I walked outside and called Andy. We desided that it was safe enough for me to drive the few blocks over to DataWave.

Andy, Endo, and I then went to lunch at Culver's. We chatted about this and that and watched the sky continue to look stormy. Every now and then Andy's pager would go off because a server somewhere was freaking out. It was a nice way to track the storms location.

After lunch I got in my car to head home, but first I needed to stop and get gas. I left my purse, with my wallet (where my spare key is) and my keys in the car. I got out of my car. I shut the door. And then I realized that all my door were locked and my keys were IN the car. I was highly annoyed with myself. I went into the gas station told them what had happened and one of the attendents called a locksmith for me. The locksmith came, unlocked my car, I payed him, I paid for gas, I went home.

I'm really hoping that this isn't a start of a trend for me. I can't afford to spend $40 every 2 weeks to get my car unlocked. I need to find a place on the outside of my car to hide a key. . .

The Future?

2005-06-10T00:18:00.000-05:00

I got this from a discussion board I'm part of. Check it out.

Googlezon:
A thought provoking vision of the future (2014) as consumers / users design and shape the the 'news'. Put together as a documentary-like film. 8 minutes long.

Also, from the same boards. . .

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE by George R.R. Martin
Well, he finally finished A Feast for Crows, sort of. What he seems to have done is written 1500 + pages, and split it into two books. Go here to read what George had to say.

I'm looking forward to reading this. I read the first 3 in the series back to back. They were wonderful. :)

Stupid Boys

2005-06-09T12:14:00.000-05:00

So, I have a question. And I'm hoping someone out there can answer this. Why do guys need to be coddled and constantly reassured?

I could go into detail, but I'm not going to. . .

Big Happy Grin

2005-06-07T03:57:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful day! And I can't stop smiling. :)

A while back a comment was made on one of the discussion forums I'm a member of. Many of the people on this forum are having babies. Upon the announcement of the last new baby one of the single guys made this comment: "Does anyone want to have a baby with me? I'm feeling left out." To which I flirttingly replied: "I'm in for some baby action! My biological clock's been ticking." And from there we had some back and forth fairly pubic flirtting. It got a bit odd when my ex-boyfriend, who is also a menber of said forum piped in with some random comments about being jelouse.

And then a few days ago I get a private message from the guy I was flirtting with. :) I responded. . . We spent a good chunk of today exchanging messages, both flirty and non-flirty. He seems like a really cool guy. :) He lives in St. Louis and invited me down to see a seek peek showing of Serenity. Going down would mean I would have to find someone to work for me on 2 different days and spend money I really shouldn't spend. But I think I really like his guy. I've never met him in person. Only read his posts and had these converstations today. But we just seem to click. And if we click even better in person, well that would be cool. :)

I'm just not sure what to do. . . Do I go down now? Do I wait and get to know him better and go down later in the summer? I've never really been in this situation before. . . I do know that even before we started talking today, and before we started flirting on the forums, back when I had just read some of his posts, I knew I wanted to get to know him.

When I did finally pull myself away from the computer I went up to Wausau to hang out with Andy. We met Brad for dinner. The three of us went to one of the many new resturaunts that are popping up in downtown Wausau. I'm blanking on the name of the place, but the food was pretty good. After dinner Andy and I said good-bye to Brad and we went into DataWave so Andy could fix the internet. His pager went off just after we finished eating. He ended up having to go down to the server room in the basement and I got to "help" fix the internet. And by help I mean I stood on a stool while he fiddled with cords across the room and told him when a specific light was or wasn't blinking. Not much, but it made me feel pretty cool. ;)

After the internet was fixed we went for ice cream and then back to Andy's and just hung out. We didn't do anything exciting. But it was a nice ending to a wonderful day. :)

So Much to Tell

2005-06-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's been almost three months since I last updated. I've come here often enough and thought to myself that I should really make a post or two, or 10. But then I didn't. I'm really not sure why, mybe it's because I was so exhausted from student teaching. Being around 44 three to five year olds for 7 hours a day tends to take a lot out of you. Or maybe it's because I was so stressed out from preparing to graduate. :)

That's right I have graduated! After 6 and 1/2 years I have my bachelor's degree. Shortly, I will have my teaching licence in Early Childhood Special Education. I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm excited to start the next chapter of my life and at the same time it terrifies me just a bit. I used to know what was happening next in my life. The school year would end and I knew that in the fall I would start classes again. But this year I'm really not sure what fall will bring. I'm hoping that it brings a wonderful teaching job for me. And if it doesn't I hope that I can find something that is at least remotely related to teaching. I've already decided that if it comes down to it I am not above applying for teaching aide postitions. I know I am over qualified for them, but I would rather be in a classroom, even in an aide position, than working some high school job. I also know that if nothing else I can substitute teach in the fall. However, if that ends up being the case, I'll have to get another job. . .

In other news, I have a summer school teaching position! I start next week and it goes to the middle of July. I am very excited to start. I think that this will be a great way for me to really get my feet wet teaching and to really figure out what I need to work on as a teacher. I know that student teaching is supposed to prepare you for teaching. And I think that my student teaching experiance did a pretty good job of doing that. However, I also know that having a classroom of your very own is different than a student teaching assignment. I know that I can do this. :)

Hmmm. . . I'm sure there are other things that have happened since my last post. I know that I've posted more pictures to my gallery site and I have still more to post. One of the things that happened was Trivia 36. Which was filled with lots of fun, very little sleep, and the Thanksgiving Pack of Jones Soda. All I have to say about the soda is DO NOT mix the flavors. Even thinking about it now it makes my tummy all flip-floppy.

I think that's it for now. I'm hoping that now that I have a bit more time on my hands I will be able to keep up with my postings. However, that could not happen too. Soon I'll be teaching, and I'm still job searching. Hopefully there will be some interviews soon and at least one will result in a job offer. *crosses fingers*

Realizations

2005-03-13T21:10:00.000-06:00

I realized 2 important things this week:

1) I really enjoy being alone. I spent a good part of the weekend alone in my apartment. It was lovley. The apartment was so quiet and peaceful. My weeks are filled with noise, mostly the noise of a classroom full of 3 to 5 year-olds. I know that I would really enjoy living by myself.

2) As much as I love my roommate son, the next time I will live with a child will be when I have kids of my own. There isn't any one thing that has made me decide this, I just know it to be true.

I think that's really it. I should be doing home work. I haven't finished my weekly journal or log from last week for my student teaching. But I'm just not motivated to do it at the moment. It's about half way finished, maybe a bit more, so I'll just finish it quick tomorrow and send it off to me university supervisor then. I could also be working on my portfolio now that I have Front Page on my laptop. But again not that motiviated. I will however have to work on it this week. I have 2 job interviews coming up and they will most likely want to see some sort of portfolio, it would be nice for me to have something to show them. I'll just have to buckle down this week and get stuff done.

Freak Women's Weekend Feb.18- 20

2005-03-13T20:56:00.000-06:00

So, it occurred to me that I never posted about the Women's Weekend. I figure that since I now have the pictures up, I should really get to posting about it. So, let me see what I can remember. . .

It was tons of fun. Manda arrived on Friday night. I finished the last minute cleaning and we ordered ginders from Topper's when Joyce got home. The three of us ate and hung out for a while. Then Manda and I went and visited our friend Beth at South Point.

Saturday morning I was up early to go to work. After work it was time for some last minute grocery shopping. And then it was back home. Joyce, who also worked that morning, and I got back at about the same time. We started setting up the brunchy-lunchy food we had. Kat and Jess arrived just im time to enjoy the food.

JoAnn arrived around 1, Kat and Jess left around 4, just as Sarah was arriving. And Dawn and Ashley joined us too. Saturday was filled with make-overs, visiting, giggling, sushi at Tokyo Steakhouse, shopping, some drinking, snacking, giggling, fake fingernails, hair dye, staying up late, and a phone call from a boy! It was so much fun.

JoAnn and Manda were the only girls to send Saturday night. We didn't do much on Sunday. It was snowing pretty hard for a good part of the day. Both Manda and JoAnn took off early-ish to try and avoid most of the snow. I stayed in my pajamma's the entire day. It was lovely. :)

One More Change

2005-03-05T01:59:00.000-06:00

After I added Links and the heading for my Weather Pixie I decided I wanted to add a Random Gallery Photo. So I look around, starting with Andy's blog, to see if I could figure it out. I ended up grabbing the source code from Andy's blog. And then I tweeked it a bit to fit with the source code for my blog. This resulted in the title for the random images being there, but no images. I wasn't really sure why this was happening.

And then Andy got home from Texas and hopped online.

I chatted with Andy for a bit about what I was trying to do, eventually sending him the code. He pointed out that I had put ".com" where I should have put ".org" I fixed that and then there were images. Then it was just a matter of figuring the width and height settings that would work without looking silly and without cutting off the caption and album title. I have that pretty much figured out, although the settings might not work for a vertical picture with a long caption. . . I'll just have to wait and see.

My next goal is to see if I, most likely with some help, can make the caption font the same font as used in my posts. Andy said this will require editing the Gallery script source code directly. I'm pretty sure I could figure it out if I looked at it long enough, but tonight is not the night for that. . . And I would feel way more confident about doing it with someone who knows what they're doing looking over my sholder.

Thank you for all the help Andy. :)

I feel rather geeky. It's pretty cool! ;)

Spot the Changes

2005-03-04T12:34:00.000-06:00

I've made a few changes to my blog today, and I figued out how to do it all my by myself! :) I added a title for my Weather Pixie, and I added links. I'm pretty happy with myself. :)

A note about "On The Playground"
"On The Playground" is done by Alan Anderson. Alan is TWELVE YEARS OLD. I don't know what it takes to make it in the comic business, but I do know that I'm impressed with his work. After reading just a few of his strips I decided that I really liked "On The Playgound." I hope you do too.

Happiness. . .

2005-02-24T16:55:00.000-06:00

On my drive home I heard "Pinch Me" by the Barenaked Ladies. I realized that this song just makes me happy. I found myself grinning from ear to ear for no other reason, than the song being on.

And just because I can, here are the lyrics:

"Pinch Me"
It's the perfect time of year
Somewhere far away from here
I feel fine enough, I guess
Considering everything's a mess
There's a restaurant down the street
Where hungry people like to eat
I could walk but I'll just drive
It's colder than it looks outside

It's like a dream you try to remember
But it's gone
Then you try to scream
But it only comes out as a yawn
When you try to see the world
Beyond your front door
Take your time, is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile
When you realize that a guy my size might take a while
Just to try to figure out what all this is for

It's the perfect time of day
To throw all your cares away
Put the sprinkler on the lawn
And run through with my gym shorts on
Take a drink right from the hose
And change into some drier clothes
Climb the stairs up to my room
Sleep away the afternoon

Like a dream you try to remember
But it's gone Then you try to scream
But it only comes out as a yawn
When you try to see the world
Beyond your front door
Take your time is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile
When you realize that a guy my size might take a while
Just to try to figure out what all this is for

Pinch me, pinch me, cause I'm still asleep
Please God tell me that I'm still asleep

On an evening such as this
It's hard to tell if I exist
If I pack the car and leave this town
You'll notice that I'm not around
I could hide out under there
I just made you say "underwear"
I could leave but I'll just stay
All my stuff's here anyway

Like a dream you try to remember
But it's gone
Then you try to scream
But it only comes out as a yawn
When you try to see the world
Beyond your front door
Take your time is the way I rhyme gonna make you smile
When you realize that a guy my size might take a while
Just to try to figure out what all this is for

Pinch me
Try to figure out what all this is for
Pinch me
Try to see the world beyond your front door
Pinch me
Try to figure out what all this is for

Morning Drive

2005-02-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

I leave my house at 7am now and am on the road for 45 minutes. It's not a bad drive, I'm not too fond of driving into the sun when it's not cloudy out, but it happens.

This morning it was cold out. The high for the area was 10 degrees, the low -2. The drive was beutiful. The cold covered the trees in frost, so even the evergreens where white. The sun was blocked by clouds and there was intermitent areas of fog. This only made the world seem all the more magical. I wanted to stop and take pictures, but I didn't have my camera.

So often I just want to stop and capture what I'm seeing. But I don't. . . Life seems to move so fast. I either don't have the time, or I don't have my camera. I want to have the time. I want to be able to stop and take in the world and not have to worry about being late. I want to be able to simply meander through life. . . There are times when I can and do meander, but I think there are more times when I'm just racing from one spot to the next. I'm going to try and change this. For starters I'm going to start taking my camera with me more often. Just doing that will enable me to stop and take pictures of frost covered trees, for example. And I'm going to start taking walks. Walks that don't have to lead anywhere. Walks that are walks simply for the sake of walking. And this summer I'm buying a bike. I want to be able to take bike rides. :)

Fingernails

2005-02-20T00:06:00.000-06:00

So I'm a bit tipsy and Manda and I decidefd to put non fakle fingeranilws. I wsanted tie see how well I can tyoe with bthem on.` It's not working out too well. v. v. I thib nk I'm goijg to hav to take them off so i can fub ction again.` *giggle*

Postcards from Buster

2005-02-18T12:06:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin rocks! And here's why. . .

PBS Kids airs a show called "Postcards from Buster." The premise of the show is that Buster, a cartoon rabbit, he's also on "Arthur", travels to different places throughout the country. He learns all sorts of interesting stuff, and meets new people. The people and places Buster interacts with are real, not cartoon. The show is designed to help kids understand and appreciate the rich and varied cultures that make up the United States. I have never actually watched the show, but I have heard very good things about it.

Last week the US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings condemned the episode entitled "Sugartime!" because it features two lesbian couples and their children. The episode is about the children and their lives in rural Vermont - they take Buster to see how maple syrup is made, how cows are milked on a dairy farm, and to a traditional 'mud season' bonfire to celebrate the coming of spring. They are being raised in a loving and supportive home, in a rural American community rich with experience for children. However, because of Spelling's statement many PBS stations have decided not to run the episode. However there are about 25 stations that are going to run the "Sugartime!" episode. And Wisconsin Public Television one of them.

It really makes me happy to know that there are people out there who have open minds and are not afraid of anything that goes against the "norm." I think that it is very important for children, and adults for that matter, to be exposed to many different cultural experiences. It is through these experiences that children and adults become well rounded, intelligent, accepting individuals.

Pixies and Bed Time Songs

2005-02-15T23:11:00.000-06:00

If you look over to the side of the page you will see a new addittion, my Weather Pixie. I am so proud of myself, I figuered out how to add it to the blogger code all by myself. :) Yay me! Now I just need to figure out what I need to do to add a title over it and a divider like the other side bar sections have. . . I don't have the time now, I should be getting to bed. I know I should be able to do it just by looking at the blogger code that's there. I am, afterall, a smart girl. :)

As I mentioned in my last post I sang bed time songs to Hannah last weekend. Well two of them keep running through my head. I don't mind one bit. One of the songs is "Turn Around" (Except my mom sang "pigtails and ponytails" instead of "dirndls and petticoats.") and the other is "Hush Little Baby" (Exept my dad sang "daddy" instead of "papa."). I love that my parents sang to me as a child. I have so many warm, happy memories of being sung to when I was tucked in as a child. I felt really honored that I could share some of my childhood songs with Hannah the other night. :)

Baby Shower

2005-02-14T23:04:00.000-06:00

This weekend was Gretchen and Randy's baby shower in Milwaukee. It was a very fun weekend.

Andy picked me and Joyce up on Friday night and we headed down. They put me to sleep on the way down. First we were telling old stories about different friends and then they were trying to remember where everyone in the Freak group was living. Needless to say it wasn't the most thrilling conversation for someone who wasn't a part of the group at the time. It also didn't help that I had been up since 6am. The nap was nice, I woke up just as we entered Milwaukee. Andy and I dropped Joyce off at Mark and Shanah's and then went over to JoAnn's. We stayed up watching TV and chatting with JoAnn and Rob for a bit before all heading for bed.

Saturday was the Shower day. We started the day off with a breakfast of yummy donuts at JoAnn's. After sitting around and chatting for a few hours it was time to head to Mark and Shanah's to collect them and go to lunch at Japanica. I sat next to Hannah. It was really neat watching her eat with chopsticks for the first time. I loved that Hannah, as a three-year-old, wanted to try my sushi. And that she liked it. I think she ended up eating about half of the roll I ordered. After lunch, JoAnn headed home, and the rest of us (Mark, Shanah, Hannah, Joyce, Andy and I) headed to Mark and Shanah's house. I got a chance to work on some homework before the Shower.

Then it was time for the Baby Shower. We headed over to Paddy's Pub. It's a very cool place with a great atmosphere. A bunch of Freaks from Wausau and Point came down for the Shower and there where a bunch of the InstantCool gang there too. It was a great time. I took a bunch of pictures, but haven't had the time to get them up yet. I'm hoping to get them up by the end of the week.

Joyce, Andy and I went back to Mark and Shanah's after the Shower. I played dress up with Hannah. We were princesses and queens. I also read her a few bed time stories and cuddled with her before she fell asleep. Hannah asked if I would sing her some bed time songs, so I sang as many of the bed time songs my mom and dad sang to me as I could remember. I felt very loved and happy. Later, Andy and I left Joyce at Mark and Shanah's and head back to JoAnn's.

Sunday, we went to Bif and Helena's for breakfast and post Shower visiting. Bif made a wonderful home cooked breakfast and he gave us some of his Tropiberry jelly. I'm looking forward to trying it. Then Shanah, Joyce, and I went to Phantom of the Opera, while Andy and Mark watched Hannah. It was a wonderful movie. Not as exciting as when I saw it on Broadway in New York, but I wasn't expecting it to be.

While Andy finished fixing some computer issues for Shanah, I played some more dress up with Hannah. This time she was the mom and I was the daughter and we went on a camping trip. We roasted marshmellows around the campfire and slept under the stars.

The drive home was pretty low key. It was raining when we left Milwaukee and the closer we got to Point the ickier it got. But we made it back. Andy took a break from driving and hung out for a bit before finishing his drive to Wausau.

I got up this morning and had to take my own drive in the ickiness that can be Wisconsin winters. The drive to Wautoma, where I student teach, normally takes 45 minutes. Today it took and hour and 15 minutes. Fun.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

First Week and Home

2005-01-31T21:54:00.000-06:00

Well, I made it through my first week of Student Teaching. The hardest part was getting up at 6 in the morning. The actual classroom stuff wasn't that bad. I spent most of the week on the outskirts of the class just getting a feel for things and trying to learna dn remember all of the kid's, teacher's and vollunteer's names. I think I have all of the kid's names, but I'm still glad they wear name tags. I do not have all of the different adult's names. Most, but not all. I'm sure they will come in the next week or so. The kid's only have class Monday through Thrusday. On Fridays the teachers make home visits, and prepare the classrrom for the next week. Last Friday I was supposed to go on a home visit, but it was cancelled. I did get to go to lunch with on of the local elementray school principal's. It was very interesting. I also brought my camera in and took some pictures od the classroom. As the semester goes on I intend to get pictures of me interacting with and teaching the kids.

On Saturday I went to Menomonie to hang out with Jenna before she leaves for Austira on Feb. 3rd. She'll be gone until the middle of July. We didn't really do anything exciting, just hung around our mom and dad's house. But I'm really glad I got to see her before she leaves. I know she is going to have a wonderful time. Jenna is becoming quite the world traveler. She has already spent a semester in Germany, half of the summer in South Africa, and now it's off to Austria. All of her traveling makes me want to go some place outside of the U.S. I'm sure I'll go some place one of these days. . .

First Day

2005-01-25T00:10:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow it my first day of Student Teaching. I've been for a visit, but I'm still nervous. I'm not sure how I'm going to fit in. I'm not sure if the setting I'm student teaching in is a setting that I eventually want to teach in. I have to not let that effect how I feel about the site. This is where I'll be learning how to apply everything I have learned over my years in college. This is where I'll be learning what the real teaching world it like. I just have to remember all of this and everything will be just fine. I'm smart and love working with kids, I know I will be wonderful. *deep breath*

A Fun Night

2005-01-23T19:53:00.000-06:00

So, while in Saint Louis last weekend Endo suggested we get together for a moive sometime this week. We decided Thursday night would be a good night.

I drove up to Wausau and met Endo at DataWave. We then went to Best Buy. He had to fill out some paperwork for his job there and I had some shopping to do. We wandered around the store for about an hour shopping and killing time before the movie started. It was actually a lot of fun.

After shopping we went and saw Lemoney Snicket. I've recently finished reading the first 4 books in the series, so the events where fresh in my mind. The movie covered the first 3 books, and changed some of the events around. Even so, I really enjoyed the movie.

It was a great night. I'm glad that over 2 years of not having much to do with eachother, we could hang out and have such a good time together. It really does make me happy that our relationship is taking a turn for the better.

Trip to Saint Louis

2005-01-18T23:44:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Joyce, Endo, Andy and I went to Saint Louis to hangout with the InstantCool gang. This was the annual trip to City Museum. Out of the four of us, Endo was the only one that had been before.

Andy and I went down together, and Joyce and Endo went down togehter. The trip down was quite the adventure for Andy and I. We took the senic route, through Chicago. There is no reason why we should have been with in an hour of Chicago, yet there we were. In fact we were minutes away from Matt's house, Andy's brother. Andy made a phone call to Matt and with his his help we managed to make it through Friday rush hour traffic and back in the direction we needed to be going in about an hour. All in all our little detour took us about 2 and a half hours. We still have no idea how we managed to end up in Chicago. I think it was a combination of us talking and Illinois road signs.

I consider myself to be a very shy person, so this was kind of a nerve wracking experiance for me. Besides Andy, Endo and Joyce I only knew a few of the InstantCool group. So I wasn't really sure how it was going to go for me. I'm happy to say that I had a wonderful time. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. :)

This trip also gave me the oportunity to try out my new digital camera. I was so glad to have a digital camera instead of a 35mm camera. It was nice not having to carry around extra film and mess with changing the film. I took lots of pictures. Andy helped me to set up a gallery and this weekend I posted all of the pictures from the trip.

Endo had to head back up to Wausau on Sunday, but Joyce, Andy and I were able to stay until Monday. Our friend Jeff was nice enough to let us stay at his house. Being at a house was a much welcome change to the hotel. Not that I didn't enjoy the hotel, I did. It was fun and full of energy and new friends. But, by Sunday night I was ready for the peace and quiet that came with Jeff's house and a smaller number of friends.

Staying at Jeff's made me realize just how much I miss living in a house. I had lived in one the two years before my current location, but both of my room mates at the time graduated and moved on in thier lives. Matt's in grad school in Idaho, and Manda has a job in a different city. So now I'm living in an apartment with Joyce and her son Alex. I really enjoy living with them, just not in the apartment building. To a certian degree I feel like I'm back in the dorms. There is just something nice about living in a house. When I think about it part of me wishes I was in a different place in my life, then I could think about buying a house of my own. Right now, I just need to concentrate on graduating. :)

Back to the trip. . . On Monday Joyce, Andy and I did some site seeing in Saint Louis. As far as sight seeing goes it was a bit odd. We spent some time in a couple graveyards looking for a friends realitives. We had luck in one and not in the other. I think we would have had luck in both if there hadn't been snow covering almost all of the gravestones. It was very quiet and peaceful in the graveyards. It made you think.

Next it was off to The Arch. I had been there many years ago, but Andy and Joyce had never been. We decided to watch the documentary of the building of The Arch and then take the trip tp the top. The documentary was a bit disappointing. Not so much a documentary, but an exagerated comercial for the Steel industry. Oh, well. The trip to the top was pretty cool. We had to get into this little furturistic looking pod that slowly brought us up. Once there, we were able to look out from the windows at the city and the Mississippi River below us. I don't have a fear of heights, but being that heigh up gave me a real appreciation for them. I think we were all gald to be back on solid ground.

Before we left Saint Louis we stopped at Union Station for lunch. The food was great, and the waitress was quite possibly the best waitressI've ever had. Lunch is when we found out just how incredibly cold it was back in Wisconsin. Although it wasn't all that warm for Saint Louis, it was warm compared to Wisconsin. But we had to get back. And so we left.

Rant

2005-01-05T23:26:00.000-06:00

I told him from the begining that I wanted to continue being his friend. He is the one that told me that he needed time away. He is the one that said last spring he was ready to be my friend again, and then a few weeks later at a friend's wedding had a different friend tell me he just couldn't deal with it. And when I suggested to get together this summer to give him back some stuff of his, he said I should just give it to a mutual friend to give to him. I realize he's still dealing with things. But if he really does want to reconcile, then he should try sending clearer signals. I figured he still wasn't all that comfortable with me. The last two times we have been at group functions he has managed to say things that make me feel that maybe he's not ready.

I just want things to be easy. But I guess they aren't supposed to be. And I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this. I guess it's up to me to approach him. But I don't know what to say to him. I know things are better now than they where last year, or even this summer. But I'm scared that I'll end up saying the wrong thing and all the progress that has been made will just crumble away. I don't want that. I want us to be friends again. I've always wanted that. I just don't know what to say that will fix this. . .

Catch Up

2005-01-03T23:35:00.000-06:00

Two days before Chrismas I fianlly got my officail Student Teaching placement letter. :) I was very happy to know where I would be and when I would be starting. I'll be teaching in Wautoma, which is about a 30 minute drive. I start on the 26th of January and am there until June 10th. I graduate on May 22nd! I'm quite excited and a bit scared to start the next past of my life, but I know I'll be ready for it. :)

CHRISTMAS
I love Christmas, it's so much fun! I saw friends and family, played fun games, watched movies, and ate very yummy food. :)

I got to my parents house late on the 23rd and just hung out at home. The next afternoon, my mom, my friend Sam, her mom (Mary), and myself went to Eau Claire to do some last minute Christmas shopping. I didn't need anything, so I was just along for the ride. Considering it was the day before Christmas, it really wasn't that crowded in any of the stores we went to. This made for a much more plesant shopping experiance. Once we got home we had homemade chicken soup for supper. Then I wrapped my Christmas presants. And before I knew it, it was time to get ready for church.

Every year we go to our churches 11 o'clock Chrsitmas service. This it the candle light service. There is a short sermon and lots of carols sung and at the close of the service small candles are passed out to everyone in the congegration. We all light our candles and all the lights in the church, except for the angle tree lights and those over the alter are turned off. Then we sing Silent Night. It is truely beautiful. :)

By the time we got back from church it was midnight. My parents went to bed and my sisters and I stayed up until 3 playing Chrismas Elves. We decorated the tree, the livingroom and the kitchen. It looked wonderful when we were done. Then we went to be so Santa could come. That's right, even though I'm 26, Jenna is 22, and Aimee is 17, we still have Santa in our house. And we love it.

We woke up on Chrismas morning and did not rush downstaris to the Chrstmas tree. Instead we waited for hours until Dad said he had finished wrapping his gifts, then we finally got to go down. It was well worth the wait. Everything looked beautiful! We all opened presents and then started making our Chrsimas supper. We had clam chowder, Irish soda bread, greek salad, and this year we had brownies and fudge for dessert. After dinner we played Apples to Apples. I love this game! :)

I was in Menomonie the next two days. I didn't really do anything on Sunday. My family went to supper at the Laird's. After supper everyone there played Apples to Apples. It was enjoyed by all.

On Monday I followed Jenna to a friends house in a nearby city. She was having car issues and her friend said he couls fix it if she could get the car to him. Since it was about a 30 minute drive our dad had me follow her in case Jenna's car stopped working. It didn't and I was able to get back to Menomonie in time to meet my friends Sam and Shannon for coffee.

Then it was time for me to pack-up and head back home. It was good to be back and get everything unpacked and to sleep in my own bed again. :)

Baby it's cold outside. . .

2004-12-19T16:28:00.000-06:00

Well, winter has finally come to Wisconsin. Not with snow but with freezing temps. I think it's in the single didgits today and last night I think it dropped below zero. Wheeeee

I've been busy the last few weeks finishing up this semester of school. Last week I presented all of my final projects and on Friday I had my one "final." It really wasn't a final. My class met at the local alternitive high school and took a tour and then our prof. took us out to eat. :) It's nice to know that I'm done with classes for a bit, and when I do go back in January it will be my last semester. I'm hopping that by the end of this week I'll know where I'm student teaching next semseter. The waiting is really beinging to bug me.

The last two weekends were filled with Christmas parties. Last weekend was JoAnn's annual White Elephant and Potluck. I made the biggest bread bowl in the world and put all kinds of yummy bread inside of it. It was rather silly. ;) But everyone thought it was cool and most of the bread was eaten. And at the end of the evening we took turns wearing the bowl as a hat. There are pictures, but I don't have them. As soon as they are posted I'll link to them. I brought a Star Wars Trivia game wrapped in a Powerpuff Girls t-shirt for my White Elephant presant. It was a hit. I think three or four people made a grab for it. I ended up with a pen and key chain, and cool little speakers that I can use for my laptop. Yay me!

This weekend was Lairds Annual Christmas Caroling party. As usual it was wonderful. This is the first year in a long time that it's been cold out when we've gone. I think we only stayed out singing for about a half an hour. In years past we've been out for as long as an hour and a half. After the caroling it was back to Lairds wonderfully warm house for food, drink, and visiting. I got a chance to talk to my friend Amy aobut student teaching. She shared some of her stories from when she was student teaching and gave me some advice on what to do in certian situations. I also got to chat with my friend Lance. That was really cool. We haven't done that for a really long time. I learned all sorts of neat things aoubt his job.

And this week, well the next two days, I'm doing my Christmas shopping for my family. And after Christmas I'll do my shopping for my friends. ;)

Ahhhhh

2004-12-06T01:47:00.000-06:00

I want this semester to be done. I want a break from school. I can't wait for next semester when I student teach and graduate.

I am ready to start my life out of school. Which in a way seems odd to me. There was a time not too long ago when I thought I could stay in school forever. I now realize that as much as I enjoy learning, I could not be a college student for the rest of my life. I know that because I am going to be a teacher I will have to continue my education, but that will be different. I know that I will end up with at least a masters degree, I know that I will seek out learning opportunities on my own. But that will be different than being a college student for life.

I want to be out there in the world being an adult. I'm ready to be an adult. I know that legally I've been one for quite sometime, but being in school kind of removes you a bit from the adult world. Being in school lets you be a kid for just a little bit longer. I know I won't ever completely grow up, my love of children and teaching won't let me do that, but I also know that I'm ready for the next chapter in my life.

Thanksgiving

2004-12-02T22:35:00.000-06:00

I went home for Thanksgiving and it was very yummy. My mom worked thay day so Aimee, Jenna, Brent and Dad were in charge of making all the food. Brent and Dad mede the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. The turkey was made on the grill. It had corn bread stuffing cooking inside of it and a rosemary-pepper rub and it was wrapped in bacon and basted with a maple syrup sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And the mashed potatoes were amazing. They had enough butter in them to clog an arttery, but it didn't matter.

Jenna, Aimee and I were in charge of making everthing else. This included: 2 pumkin pies, a mince meat pie, Waldorf salad, corn, brussel sprouts, sherried sweet potatoes, cresant rolls, butter, and cranberry sauce. Amazingly enough almost everything was finished by the time Mom got home. When Mom got home she made the peacan pie. And about 3 hours later, the turkey took a long time, we finally got to eat! :)

Everything was very yummy. And the night was wonderful.

Mom's Birthday

2004-11-23T18:59:00.000-06:00

Sunday was my Mom's birthday so I went home again.

On my way home I stopped at Best Buy and picked up my mom's birthday present. She had told me a few weeks earlier that she wanted a boom box, so that's what I got. I got home Sat. afternoon. Both my Mom and Dad were busy, so my sister Aimee and I went to Eau Claire and met up with our other sister Jenna. We went to Kohls and I bought a new winter coat. Then the three of us went and saw Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. The movie was great. The two middle aged women sitting behind us that didn't have the common courtesy to be quiet during the movie was not so great. After the movie Aimee and I went back to Menomonie and Jenna went back to her place.

That night I went and hung out with my friend Ryan for a few hours. It was nice to be able to see him. We haven't been able to get together in a really long time.

Jenna got to Menomonie on Sunday around noon. The entire family sat around a talked for a while. That was pretty nice. And we all sang Happy Birthday to Mom. That was pretty funny. :) I think you would have to be there to fully understand how funny it really was. Jenna, Aimee, and I went upstairs to wrap Mom's birthday present.

That night we all went to Lairds for Sunday Night Super. We had ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean cassarole, corn, and homemade bread. It was like a mini Thanksgiving. Everything was so yummy. And the company was wonderful too.

I headed back to Point around 8pm. I was able to listen to the Packer game all the way back. And got home in time to watch the end of their winning game. Andy had come down earlier in the day and set up our new wireless router. (I'm typing this on my laptop while sitting in the livingroom. :) ) Joyce and I are slowly getting the apartment arranged how we want it. We have lots of decoration ideas. Anyway, Andy stayed and hung out until about midnight, after he took off I went to bed.

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Menomonie again for Thanksgiving.

Fun, Fun, Fun

2004-11-15T20:03:00.000-06:00

Since my birthday was on the 9th, I decided to celebrate with some of my friends this past weekend.

On Friday Manda, Dale, Joyce, Andy and myself went and saw The Incredibles. And it was, well, incredible. :) After the movie we went back to my place and Manda, Joyce and I made fondue. While Andy and Dale sat in the living room chatting. It was a very 1950's moment. The fondue was very yummy. After we were done we all visited for a while before playing a few hands of Apples to Apples. It was a very fun evening, that lasted until 5 in the morning, when we all crashed.

Saturday I got to sleep in. It was wonderful, even though I did wake up at 8 and then again at 10. I didn't actually get out of bed until around noon:30. And since I've been getting up between 7 and 7:30 the last few weeks being able to sleep that long, even with the interruptions, was great. Manda, Andy and I lounged around the apartment for most of the day. We went out and ate and did some shopping late in the afternoon. When we got back Manda left to go back home, and Andy and I headed up to his place. We stopped at Kolhs to see if I could find a winter coat. They had the style I want, but not in the color I want. I'll just have to go back and look again later. Andy and I spent the rest of the evening just hanging out.

I got to sleep in again on Sunday. :) But when I woke up I realized that I had gotten a cold. I'm hoping that it won't turn into anything bad. I'm too busy with school to be sick. Anyway, Andy and I headed to Clintonville to see the high school production of Cinderella. Our friend Shanah's younger sister Jasmine was in it. The play was wonderful. And Shanah, Mark and Hannah came up from Milwaukee, so we got to visit with them for a bit. After the play we headed to Andy's mom's house for homemade lasanga and the Packer game. The lasanga was quite yummy. And the Packers won. Yay!

Andy and I got back to Point around 10. He came up and hung out with Joyce and I for a bit before finishing his drive to Wausau. And I fell asleep around midnight.

Al and all it was a wonderfully relaxing weekend. :)

Weekend in Brief

2004-11-11T00:20:00.000-06:00

I went home to Menomonie last weekend.

when I got home on Saturday I gave my Dad his bithday present. I got him a ccouple books and a book on tape. They all had to do with traveling. A few years ago my Dad started making yearly trips to Colorado for about 2 weeks in the summer. The first year he went alone and every year since he has taken one of his daughters. Even though I'm the oldest, my 2 sisters took the trip before me. This last summer was my turn. We had a wonderful time. So when I was looking for gifts I decided to get him something to do with traveling.

I also hung out with my frined Lone form Denmark. She is in Wisconsin finishing her masters thesis. The last time we saw each other was about 6 years ago. So there was lots of catching up it do. We had a wonderful time together and are go to try and get together again before she goes back to Denmark.

Sunday, I got up early and wne to church with my Mom. After church my sister Aimee and I hung out at home and watched Pieces of April. We both thought is was a great movie. I recommend it if you haven't seen it. I also talked to my sister Jenna for a bit. We had talked the night before so there wasn't much new to say.

Then, it was off to Laird for Sunday night supper. Before super we all went outside to look at the northern lights. They were amazing! I don't think I have ever seen them as brilliant and colorful as they were that night.

Supper was wonderful, as always. After supper, there was my Mom's homemade pumkin pie. It was very yummy. And then my familiy gave me my birthday gift. I had asked for money for the digital camera I'm saving up for. And that is just what I got, wrapped in all sorts of fun ways. Then it was time for me to go.

I decied to stop at Andy's before I went home. The drive there was very distracting because the northren lights had gotten even brighter. At one point I pulled over to the side of the rode and got out of my car to watch. :)

Andy and I had a grat visit. I stayed too long and was really tierd the next day, but oh well. Again the drive from Andy's to my house was distracting. The whole sky was light up. It was just magnifisent. I have always love the northern lights and am so glad I got to see them that night. Whe my sister's and I were little our parents would always wake us up to got out and watch them. Shivering out in the yard in the middle of the night watching the sky light up as if by magic. . . :)

Milwaukee Weekend

2004-11-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

I spent last weekend, Halloween weekend, in Milwaukee.

I was lucky enough to get Friday off from work, and since I don't have classes on Friday's either, Andy and I were able to leave for Milwaukee on Thursday night. . . in the rain. But, at least it was just rain. It could have been freezing rain, or sleet or snow. The drive down was pretty uneventful. We chatted about this and that, and the farther south we got the better the weather got.

We got to Mark and Shanah's and it took about 20 minutes before the four of us were all sitting in the same room hunched in front of our respective computers. . . An anti-social and rather geeky gathering.

Friday moring was spent playing with Hannah. :) She is such a wonderful little girl. I am so glad that I am able to see her as often as I do. Shanah is preparing to go back to school at UWM, so we (Shanah, Hannah, Andy and I) went to the campus for their open house. We met up with JoAnn for lunch. After luch we walked around the Student Union looking at all the different stuff UWM has to offer. Shanah found what she was looking for, and Andy was able to pick up some general information for a friend.

And then we went to the library. :) It was wonderful. We went up to the curriculum library and I read a couple books to Hannah. One of the books was Six Creepy Sheep. It's a cute tounge twisting story about six sheep and thier Halloween adventures. Hannah loved it.

Friday night Andy and I went to see a film at the Milwaukee film fest. Originally we were going to see The Renaissance. However due to some local controvercy surrounding the film we were shown Yes Men instead. I found it to be a very good film. I recommend seeing it if you get a chance. After the movie we wnet back to Mark and Shanah's. JoAnn and Rob were at Mark and Shanah's when we got back. The six of us stayed up talking and hanging out for a while before JoAnn and Rob left. It was a wonderful night.

Most of Saturday was spent taking it easy and just hanging aound the house. Hannah, Andy and I weren't feeling that well, so it was nice to not have to do anything. That night Andy and I went out trick-or-treating with the Batlzell's. Sam and Travis were so cute. Sam was a princess and Travis was Tigger. After trck-or-treating we went back to the Batlzell's. Once the kids were in bed we had adult time and played a few hands of Chez Geek. Another wonderful day.

Sunday was a beautiful autumn day, for being outside. After Shanah and Hannah left for church, Andy and I went to JoAnn's for a pancake breakfast. It was very yummy. :) Then it was off to campus to take graduation pictures for JoAnn. And then it was time for more trick-or-treating with the Batlzell's. Like the night before it was very fun. The kids got lots and lots and lots of candy. But the neatest thing was watching Sam, who is quite shy, become very comfortable with trick-or-treating. When we started out she had to have someone walk her up to the door. After a while she was ok with someone waiting at the bottom of the porch steps, then at the end of the sidewalk, and finally she was running up to the houses all by herself. :)

After trick-or-treating, we watched the end of a great Packer game, and then it was back to Mark and Shanah's. We hung out and talked with Mark and Shanah, played with Hannah, and had soem supper. Then we dropped JoAnn off at her place and headed north to home and bed.

All and all a lovely weekend. :)

It's over

2004-11-04T14:22:00.000-06:00

Quotes from Kerry Edwards Concession Speech

"I will never forget you and I will never stop fighting for you."

-John Kerry

"You can be disappointed, but you can not walk away."

-John Edwards

I have a sinking feeling that things are going to get much scarier for us. . .

Let Your Voice Be Heard

2004-11-02T01:40:00.000-06:00

Time to make a difference.

VOTE!

Dr. Seuss

2004-10-27T01:16:00.000-05:00

"The best slogan I can leave for the U.S. is, 'We can and we've got to do better than this.'"
- Theodor Seuss Geisel

I can't help but think, he wouldn't think we are doing better. . .

Cancelled

2004-10-23T07:13:00.000-05:00

First, I'm a bad speller. I always have been. so, today when I wasn't sure if I was spelling "cancelled" correctly I looked it up. I found out that it can be spelled with one or two l's. And now you know too.

I was flipping through the channels this morning and on one of the morning talk shows they were talking about Halloween. They said that Seattle Schools were cancelling Halloween festivities in the schools. Why? According to the talk show and the article I found, it is for 3 reasons, 1) Witch cotumes are offencive to the Wiccan community, 2) The time spent for Halloween parties and parades is a waste of valuable classroom time, and 3) Some families can't afford costumes.

The hosts of the show thought that it was just absurd that schools would cancel Halloween. (I think they should really be saying the schools are cancelling Halloween festivisties at school. The community is still celebrating Halloween.) Then one of the co-hosts, the ditzy blonde, said that students that can't afford costumes should just take a sheet and cut holes in it and go as a ghost. To which the equally ditzy brunette replyed, "Stop taking about that, ghosts scare me. I'm getting scared right now." I can't help wondering if any of the three hosts thought for a minute that maybe the families that can't afford costumes also can't afford to cut holes in thier sheets. Or that maybe it's not so much that they can't afford a costume, because you can make a costume for almost nothinh if you're creative, it more that these families are so overwhelmed with life, there are simply more imortant needs that have to be met.

As a future teacher, I graduate in May, I'm not sure how I feel about a school cancelling Halloween. Personally, I love Halloween, I always have. It's fun to dress-up and pretend to be someone or something else; it's fun to go out and get candy; it's fun to go to haunted houses and get scared; and it's fun to get a break from school work. I think that Halloween allows kids to use their imaginations in a way that they might not always get a chance to do. So many kids today lead hightly structured lives, they don't have time to be kids. Halloween allows them to just be a kid and enjoy childhood. And I frimly believe that every child and every teacher needs a break from school work every now and again. This is an opportunity to take one. I also understand the need to teach. With the No Child Left Behind Act there is an ever increasing need (or maybe pressure) on teachers to make sure their students can pass the standardized tests, and for administrators to make sure their teachers can teach to the state standards. (And that's all I'm goign to say on that right now.) But the thing is, a creative teacher can turn any occasion into a learing experiance. The creative teacher will see a Halloween party as a chance to teach valuable life skills.

Which brings me to the Wiccan community. Yes, the witches many children decide to dress up as for Halloween are not accurate portrayals of real witches. I won't claim to know anything about Wicca or the Wiccan community. But I do know that the witches from Fairy Tales that children dress up as are much different from the real thing. Knowning this, when I'm a teacher I would find away to teach my students about the differences. In doing so I would also be teaching acceptance and understanding and tolerance and openmindedness and the list could go on and on. These are all important qualities for children to possess in todays world.

There's so much more I have to say, but I'm getting so sleepy, seeing as it's 5 in the moring now. There's the history of Halloween, there's the fact that public schools still have Christmas celebrations or that public schools get off for all Christian holidays but not for holidays of other major religions (even though there is a division of church and state), and so much more.

And now it's time for me to be sleeping. . .

Weekend

2004-10-19T02:22:00.000-05:00

I had a lovely weekend. On Saturday night I went to a friend Andy's house. He was in the midst of making soup, so we left the soup to simmer and went shopping. I needed a USB hub so I wouldn't have to crawl under my desk every time I used my pen drive, so it was off to Best Buy. With Andy's help I was able to find just what I was looking for. Next we stopped at Kohl's so I could look at winter coats.

I had a winter coat, but I didn't really like it. the color, a light blue, was pretty enough. And it kept me nice and warm. But it was too poofy on me, and it attracked dirt like you wouldn't believe. So, this summer, in the process of moving I sent it off to Goodwill. And now it's starting to get cold. And, like I said, I need a new winter coat. I was very surprised to find one. I'm hoping that I'll get it for my birthday (the begining of Nov.).

After Kohl's we wne t back to Andy's and had the wonderful soup he had made. just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. :)

On Sunday, Andy and I watched the Packers Detriot game. And I'm happy to say the Pack won! Yay! It's always nice when the home team wins. We also listened to some This American Life programs. It's such a great show. I wish I was able to catch it on a regular basis. In fact I wish I lived in a city that had an Ideas Newwork station and not just the Classical Music station. Don't get me wrong, I love classical music. It's just that I miss listening to the Ideas Newwork. I grew up listening to it.

And that was my weekend. It was quite lovely and relaxing. Which was good for me. I spent last week obsessing over my Student Teaching packet, which I turned in today. *deep sigh* I'm glad it's in, now I don't have to worry about it. I can move one to worring about homework, and the fact that I'll be student teaching next semester. . . .

You would think that after 7 years as an undergrad I would be ready to move on with my life. And in many ways I am. But at the same time, I'm realizing that I have really been putting off this whole growing up thing. Being in college for so long has allowed me to aviod the "real world." And now it's here all of a sudden. And I just have to take a deep breath and jump in. . . Even though I feel like I'm falling apart at times. I'm just lucky that I have such a wonderful family and such wonderful friends to support me.

'Night

First One

2004-10-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

I've decided to give this a try. I have a few friends that have blogs and it's intreaged me enough to give it a try myself. Hopefully my life won't bore anyone too much. And if it does, just don't read this.

I think that's going to be it for now. I have things to do.