I am determined to go outside today. It's the first sunshine that I've seen in at least a week and I'm not going to let something stupid like not really being able to walk stop me...

Yesterday I went to see Rylee, my massage therapist, as I do every Friday. Told her that my knees and ankles had been bothering me some but was mostly concerned about the usual problems in my arms/shoulders. While working on my legs she told me that I have shin splints, and judging from the amount of scar tissue, that I've had them for a long time.

Today I am mildly swollen and am currently icing like a crazy person. Take that, inflammation!

Goals for the day:
* Make legs happy so that I can attend yoga class at 11:30.
* Feel better after yoga so that I can ride my bike around the lake.
* Laundry.
* More icing.

Also, Spring Break is the best thing ever. :)

Happy 25th Birthday, Caitlin!

Tomorrow I will be old like you! ;)

Hope that you had a great day!

I am in Olympia.

I have a sinus infection and feel loopy from cold medicine.

Tomorrow is my first day teaching. I am not prepared, and I feel strangely ok about that.

No internet at home, updates later.

There are crazy people and then there are people who are crazy in an annoying way. I am very sick of the latter.

In the meantime, I move next Saturday and nothing is done.

I need a friendly little gnome to do all the work for me while I sleep. When I wake, this gnome can bring me grapefruit juice and all will be well.

For some reason I have been reluctant to publicize this. I think I am being wimpy.

This is my last month in Bellingham. Before even finishing my student teaching internship I was hired to take a long term substitute position for the rest of the school year. Everybody tells me that this is not typical and that I should be excited because I'm such a great teacher, etc. but I'm not to the "jumping off the walls" stage of excitement yet.

Details:
I will be taking over for a strings teacher, Swannee Pearson, in the North Thurston School District while she is on maternity leave for the remainder of the school year. She teaches at one high school and two elementary schools. The high school (Timberline) will be putting on the musical Les Miserables in May, so I get to do two musicals in one academic year. Not sure yet if I am in charge of the pit or not, but I should find that out next week.

So I am moving to the Olympia area to teach in Lacey. I don't know anybody in that part of the state so this will be both a slightly scary move and a liberating opportunity to start over in a new city. And I will finally be earning a wage that is more than $7.93 an hour.

Next week I go down to take care of some business with the district, meet some staff and students, and hopefully find a place to live.

The transition will take place without relaxation time and I will be in the classroom full time by Monday, February 5th (which is supposed to be my last day teaching in Bellingham). I suppose I have much experience in overlapping things, but I am still feeling a little bit of pressure.

I consider myself an idiot right now. Why would I assume that the academic calendar of the Southern Hemisphere would line up with the academic calendar of the Northern Hemisphere? *Of course* summer vacation begins in December (not June!) south of the Equator!

My whole perception of reality has just been altered. As a student, my life was based upon the academic year, not the calendar year. Now, as an educator, nothing much has changed... until I decided that I wanted to teach abroad, hellbent on choosing a country with seasons opposite of the North American reality...

This will be an exciting challenge for me, I'm sure.

In the meantime, my short-term future is still up in the air... I am antsy to receive the final decision from North Thurston.

I feel like I've had my fair share of shitty, shitty luck the last few months. I think that I've encountered just about every major crisis humanly possible, but I am coping well. The massive snow storm this week helped my mood considerably. :)

And, I have a new computer. Mine *totally* died so I bought a new one instead of replacing all the dead parts in my old one. I am now the proud owner of a 13" MacBook lap top. And I don't want any shit for converting from PC to Mac. My computer is cute and so far all is well (except there is no word processing program on this thing, but I will have that taken care of shortly). I still don't pay for internet at home, but sometimes I am able to connect via my neighbors' signal (as I am at this moment).

Also, I love Desperate Housewives. Lily and I have way too much fun watching that show.

Must find dinner now...

There is a fucking mouse in my apartment. I am not a fan of rodents. This mouse will die soon... death by peanutbutter!

Whew, it's been forever since I updated or really read this thing! Quick update:

+The Spanish kids are here... we played on Thursday and Friday and tomorrow is my first day as a "teacher." Weird.
-I hate making lesson plans
+But I don't have to make too many, so that's good.
+Sailing today with Jenn and Alex.
+Lake Padden yesterday.
+Sushi tonight (I hope!)
-Messy house, need to do laundry
+Chaco tan
-Ignoring my to do lists

I'm all done with finals!!! And I haven't slept in days! I will be going to bed quite early tonight, I think. :)

If I cared, I would be attending graduation on Saturday. But I'm too cool for that so I will be going to work and a random family party instead.

Plans for the next week:
*possibly go to Orcas with Lily and Alex tomorrow and stay overnight in Lily's cabin.
*work this weekend
*grad party
*Campbell River with Alex Sunday-Friday!!! Wheee!!

Then I get to make lesson plans on pop culture and music. For those who don't know, I will be teaching English to high school students coming over from Spain for July plus a few days at the end of June. Sooooo fun!

Time to sleep now.... :)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This will all be over tomorrow.

In the meantime, I am going crazy.

Fidel Castro is a fascinating individual.

The weekend was good. I did no homework and even managed to get outside a bit! :)

Friday:
Frantic paper writing in the morning followed by a delightful lunch with Lily and Clara. Then I went home and fell asleep for four hours (I had only slept two hours on Thursday night and two hours on Wednesday night). Dinner with Alex in the evening (though what we ate escapes me right now) preluded by a walk to Boulevard Park.

Saturday:
Work in the morning, Farmer's Market in the early afternoon, ESL interview in the late afternoon (got it!), and babysitting in the evening. I ♥ those two kids. :)

Sunday:
Work in the morning, REI trip in the early afternoon, canoeing on Lake Whatcom in the late afternoon, sushi for dinner. I ♥ Myoshi's. :) The evening was spent watching the Sopranos and doing laundry.

And life is good so far today. Good lesson with Schwede this morning, productive Spanish class, many phone calls made, and surprising Lily with coffee at work. Orchestra is canceled so I'm going out to do my homework in the sunshine. Lots to get done this week, and I'm feeling healthier after resting and having fun this weekend.

Perpertual distraction. This is what happens in the spring. Help me!

I am going to torch the registrar's office and all the mean, fat bitches who work there.

That is all.

Spring quarter is well underway and here I sit in the lab, per my usual homework avoidant routine. This is my last real quarter in the sense that it is the last quarter that I have to take "classes;" I have my TESOL practicum ahead of me this summer and student teaching in the fall. I have a fantastic lead on an opportunity for my TESOL practicum working with high school students who come to Bellingham from Spain for an intensive English experience. The woman who runs the operation seems somewhat anal (she's already called the program director and one of my teachers to check up on my qualifications!), but if she takes me I will be thankful for the experience. No word on my internship placement yet.

Lots of classes this quarter: History 417M (CUBA!!!), Voice ped, Orchestra, Independent String Seminar with Schwede(!), Violin (finally going to start playing again this quarter), Spanish 450 (Contemp. Spanish Fiction), Sec 432 (my last Woodring class), Spanish 425 (practicum at Sehome HS)... 22 credits in all, though Spanish 450 and my Cuba class could kill me alone. I love the professors for those two classes though and feel like I will learn a lot this quarter. This will help me justify the perpetual sleep deprivation for the coming months.

Bought new chacos yesterday with my 20% coupon and dividend from REI. I still think it's a bit cold to wear them, but I will be bouncy about having them when summer comes around.

Life is generally pretty good other than crazy school. Lauren just moved away to New Zealand and that makes me sad, but we get to be pen pals again now (and I can potentially go visit her!). Spent some quality time with Ava and Jacob this weekend; time with those kids makes me feel so good and happy. :)

Class now (and for the next seven hours or so without a break) so I must run...

General thoughts:
*ear infections suck
*I have tea tree oil on my nose and it is a strange feeling
*I love Sandra Cisneros' prose
*sad that Lauren is moving to New Zealand (but happy for her at the same time)
*where did my spring break go? I can't seem to find it anywhere... :P
*my purse looks small, but it is secretly huge
*happy from my bubble bath
*too much work tomorrow, but the money will be nice

Sleeeeepy now... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Still sick, though slowly getting better.

Going to a foreign language teacher thingy with Iris today at Fairhaven MS. Waiting for her to come and pick me up. Should be fun (I hope).

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

Wish I were still sleeping...

What does one take for a sinus infection? Need medicine... :(

ugh, finals week.

done on thursday.