In a Split Second

It started with a wall of cars. Thick, black smoke drifted up. Then, we joined the wall of cars in the biggest parking lot in the world (except perhaps for LA during rush hour). What had started as a drive to Institute turned into random, connective hour.

Melanie and I started early to Institute and ran smack dab into a HUGE eighteen-wheeler-semi accident. Don't worry, we weren't actually in the accident, we were just trapped by it. It shut down the entire highway, both ways. People got out of their cars and walked up and down the highway chatting. Melanie spoke with a french au pair in the minivan next to our car. I watched everyone from inside the car, listening to the radio to find out what had happened. Lights flashed up the highway from us, and we could see the semi across the highway (as in it was across the median into the oncoming traffic lanes).

It was interesting that people who wouldn't talk to each other anywhere else, were helping each other. A few men helped a woman navigate her jeep off the highway, through a break in the fence, onto a side road. Others attempted to get as close as possible to the accident for a better view. (I of course was nestled in the car, still hoping that the whole thing wouldn't blow.) I almost felt guilty for not getting caught up in the carnival-like atmosphere. Almost.

After an hour, the DOT and police vehicles were in place, and we all turned around finally escaped.

Yeah, so that was my night. How was yours?

Conflicting Statements

Quick update: I got a phone call on Monday from a school that would be wonderful to work for (school 1). I then had an interview on Tuesday (school 1, interview 1). I got the equivalent of callbacks and had another interview today (school 1, interview 2).

As she was walking me out, the principal to the school had two main messages:

1. We should have made a decision by about Friday. If you don't hear by then, it doesn't mean that you're out of the running.
2. She had to interview in a lot of places, don't lose hope.

Somehow, those two seem to contradict each other a bit. Don't lose hope, but even she had to interview a lot. HMMM. Confused? I AM!

Also school 2 called yesterday and gave me yet again the equivalent of a phone interview and said they would probably be calling me back for an interview. (They have yet to call back.)

Screening Interview

I now have something else to add to my "gratitude post". I had an interview today. Granted, it was a screening interview, but this is a step in the right direction. The way the first interview goes at this district is that they ask you 10 million "what would you do if . . ." questions. The interview is recorded and done completely over the phone. It is basically nerve racking because they give you no indication during the interview about how you're doing. You could be completely bombing the whole thing and they would say thank you and go onto the next question.

The redeeming moment of the interview was when the interviewer said at the very end, "I think your interview reflected your positive teaching attitude." That's good, right?

Anyway, the evaluation of how good/bad it was depends on how who actually ends up calling me (if anyone).

Home at Last! Um. Yeah.

So I'm finally home, after hours and hours of driving past seas of grass (complete with waves and all). Unfortunately, I am rediscovering the truth of the adage "you can't go home again." Yeah, well. I have been here two days, and I already feel sixteen again (the point at which I could drive and go on errands for others.)

However, I am trying to look at the bright side of things.

1. I don't have to share a room (yet).
2. I have a phone/screening interview scheduled with an AMAZING school district on Saturday.
3. I begin my job tomorrow.
4. I get to see my family.
5. I have free long distance, so I can call far-away friends.
6. All of my stuff fit in storage.
7. I am alive.
8. I still have the ability to eat large amounts of chocolate, sugar, and fat.
9. Divine Miss A.
10. I have a library card, and I know how to use it.

Okay, I feel better. Really. Well, I'm off to go bury myself in a book.

Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere

I move Tuesday. This should explain the state of my life right now, which is basically one big box. Unorganized, stuffed, and quickly running out of time. Boxes have now invaded the kitchen, livingroom, bedroom, and heaven forfend, the bathroom. I am switching to plastic bags since they can at least be swung over one's shoulder in Santa-Claus-like fashion.

I run around from room to room stuffing things in boxes, bags, etc. and meeting spiders. Yes, it seems that I am now every spider's best friend. One tried to introduce itself the other night by crawling over my leg. I killed it immediately with spider spray. Dead. Very dead. (How can something be very dead? Don't ask.) My next encounter came while packing. That spider is also dead. I am becoming very efficient with the spider spray. I almost considered investing in a holster, but I'll hold off for a bit.

Well, more rooms to pack, more spiders to kill.

The Last Week of School

My experience last year as the P.E. teacher in charge of field day (or three of them) in no way prepared me for the enormous waste of time the last week of school is. I have been thinking a lot on this recently. And I realized that there is no way around it. The last week must be a waste of time. If we shortened school a week, there would be a new last week. (Don't think too hard about this, it probably leads to a logical warp hole. Beware, here there be dragons.) Anyway, so the last week is when we cram in field day, dance festival, movies, and cleaning. The teachers especially like the help with cleaning. I know I wish I could personally borrow some of my children to help me pack up my apartment.

So. Today was dance festival and field day. The fifth grade, for ONCE this year did not fall on their face in front of the school or parents. Our dance was wonderful, and Lisa got compliments on it from various parents during field day. Yes, field day. The universal day of sunburn. No matter what precautions I take, I invariably end up looking like a much redder version of myself. (and freckled. I freckle when I tan/burn. Yep. Another blessing.)

Both of these activities ended early, leaving me even more time to entertain the troops. Unfortunately, these little fellas are not entertained by piano playing, singing, or dancing (well, if it comes down to it, I guess I could try those, but I really doubt if it would work.) Okay, so I'm rambling, just blame it on a case of the too-much-to-dos. Speaking of having too much to do, I do. Bye.

Update

First of all, I apologize once again for not posting regularly.

If you're wondering what's happening in my life, you're in good company. I have absolutely no idea. I move a week from yesterday to St. Louis for the summer. Yep. The word of the day is STRESSED: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression (dictionary.com).

I am now willing to live in St. Louis or Kansas City, whichever decides to produce a job for me first. I am actively searching in STL now since KC seems to have yielded no results so far.

I told my kids today that I wouldn't be returning. I explained that I had lived away from my family for six years and wanted to be nearer to them. Responses ranged from the demand to make THEM move here for me to the boy who laid down and grabbed my leg (a born actor). Surprisingly, there were now shouts of joy or halleluia.

I think that most of all, after my friends here, I will really miss my students. I didn't realize from my P.E. teaching job last year that I could build such a bond with my students. Everytime I look at my rapidly emptying classroom. I want to cry. Unfortunately, there is not enough time. Tomorrow is dance festival and field day. Thursday, for once, we are watching a movie. The afternoon will be filled with cleaning and I have no idea what else.

Well, I have no more time to spare. I have a course to work on besides moving and getting everything else known to mankind accomplished.

For those of you still actually reading, I apologize for the lack of wit, humor, or basically any type of writing skills. I am on autopilot and humor is out the window for now. (Except for when I rock back and forth and laugh hysterically)

Not Knowing

So. I met with three principals yesterday, as well as the man in charge of HR at the district I'm interested in moving to. I enjoyed the first two interviews the most, although I felt I did okay on all of them. I sometimes wonder exactly what they're looking for. Each place has different "buzz words." At the same time, though, I try to implement researched-based practices in my classroom.

I've been staying at my sister's this week. I love my nieces and nephew! I wish I had been more of a help. I've been stressed to the max. I can't wait until this is over and I actually get decent sleep.

Well, here's to not knowing. (It'll probably be at least 10 days before I know one way or the other. Great, huh?)

Ack! Ergh.

So. I've decided. Maybe. to move to KCMO. Whoa. Big decision.

We'll see what happens. I have an interview with a school district on Wednesday. I'm excited, and I hope I get through the screening interview. Oh, well. ACK! I can't even string together a comprehensible sentence.

Me and the Terrible, Awful, No Good, Very Bad Day

Let's just say that today was not the best day ever. There is something frustrating about killing yourself over something, working hard, and having it blow up in your face. Yep. Just that great.

The day was so bad, I don't feel like reliving details. Goodbye.

The Good Little Girl:

How I Got to Be a County Delegate for My Precinct

So, being the good little girl that I am, when I was told to go and make sure that education got represented within my caucus meeting, I went. I have actually never participated in a caucus meeting, nor did I have any idea what to expect. Needless to say that I didn't really imagine getting elected as a county delegate for my precinct--Hmmm, how do I get myself into these things? We don't know. (Otherwise, we could prevent them.) Not that I'm upset; I'm kinda excited; I just don't know what possessed me to do such a thing.

A perk of the meeting was that a great guy from our ward was there. I got to give him a ride home. Also, I helped make sure that at least one of the state delegates is pro-education.

A disclaimer here: I wouldn't have actually gone to the caucus meeting if I didn't feel passionately about education.

Darn! Darn! Darn!

So. It turns out that keeping ones cellphone in the car is not the best decision on a Friday night. The ONE time in my life someone calls, I don't have it with me. DARN! (Take note that phone call was from friendly boy.) By the time I called back, plans had been made, and they didn't include oblivious me. Ergh.

Well, at least I can pray that they somehow get turned away at the doors of the dance they plan on going to and call me and say, "We need you!" (Am I allowed to pray for something like that?)

Anyway, wish me luck.

Nerd that I am

One of the big negatives about moving to American Fork would be losing the libraries I have here. Sigh. Books.

Decisions, decisions

Well, Squirrel boy asked about the possibilities of me leaving the bubble. I actually have to think about that now. At work Wednesday, one of the sixth-grade teachers asked if anyone was needing a place to live. I do, so I asked her about her offer. There's a basement apartment in American Fork available, so we set an appt for me to see it.

I saw the apt today. It's a 3 bedroom, 1 half-bath. Two bedrooms are about the size of a closet, while the third is huge. There may be no dishwasher. There is no bathtub. There are definitely some drawbacks, but I would be living with a great girl (I don't know the other roommate yet) and I would be out of this city. I have no clue what to do, but I would like to live in a place where twenty four doesn't feel ancient.

Argh.

So, even though I haven't exactly seen the new P&P yet, I still had enough faith to buy it--or I would have bought it if I could have gotten my hands on it. I went to Wal-mart this morning to buy the widescreen version and lo and behold, it was not in yet, only the full screen. So, I sweet talked the guy there into holding one for me (not an easy task believe me). Needless to say, I was a bit surprised when I returned later to find my copy sold to the masses. Yep, apparently, after my newly-made friend had gotten off work, the manager had made the staff put back all copies being held. I got there at 5 pm to find only a couple of copies of the full screen left.

I am still somewhat undaunted at this point. Three stores and six phone calls later, I quit. No P&P for me in the foreseeable future.

Sniff. Only in Utah county. Only in Utah county.

Productive Day

Well, I actually got a lot finished today. Went to the gym, went shopping at Wal-mart, helped make dessert, ate dinner with friends, watched the third Star Wars, and wrote a talk for tomorrow (well, actually today now).

Hurray for productive days!

It's interesting to me that I'm giving a talk tomorrow. Right now, I have three callings in the ward: ward organist (touched a real organ for the first time on Wednesday), ward missionary committee, and FHE group leader. Yep, lots of fun is had by all.

I'm just glad it's not my Sunday to play the organ. Otherwise, it would kinda feel like the Michelle show. I hate when that happens.

Anyway, goodnight.

Manic Monday

Sometimes I wish that my Mondays felt more manic and less like swimming through a swimming pool of jell-o. I am happy for FHE and all that jazz, but for some reason, returning to school is hard--especially since I'm trying to get too much done at once.

Today in class, we worked on the multitasking skill. We do this very seldom, and I will try not to do it the rest of the year, since it is ineffective.

I just got off of the phone with my bank. My auto deduct into my savings was set up incorrectly, and now it's fixed. I'm very glad.

I am about to start babbling, so I'll sign off.

The End IS NEAR

Yep. The end of the week is finally here. I've had Parent Teacher Conferences and managed to survive without being yelled at, chewed out, or otherwise harassed. HURRAH! (Although, this celebration is a little premature since I still have to contact 6 parents to reschedule.) Oh, well.

Home Again, Home Again (Jiggedy Jig)

Ack!

Still no posts to help rename me. This could be because I've lost most of my readers. Come back to the light all ye poor lost souls. You can do it!