So, tomorrow - I shall become The Shadow

The interviews at both Edison middle and Nimitz went well yesterday. When I got home from the Nimitz interview - the principal called me and asked if I'd be willing to come to the school and shadow the other reading teachers for a couple of days. Of course I said yes, so I will be shadowing tomorrow and Thursday. Although - Thursday might suck a little, cause I sure will have to be in class until 10pm Wednesday night. But I think I'll live. And hopefully, I'll be living while holding a job.

Tired the next couple of days.... But ALMOST done with the fall semester. HOORAY!

And, I'm learning to knit!

We had a nice Thanksgiving. Wednesday - I went to Marmee's and baked pies from 4pm until almost 1am non-stop. I had some new recipes this year for the crusts and the pies. They were MUCH more high-maintenance than any I've made before - but they were also way more YUM-O! Except for the pecan pie which promptly exploded upon being placed in the oven. That sucked. Thursday, I was up and at Mom's by 10am to watch the parade and start cooking. We had our traditional fare this year for dinner - Roasted Turkey, Grandmother Hatcher's stuffing (which is SO yummy), Green Bean Casserole (which is much yummier now that I'm older), Corn, Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes (or, Yams - we weren't really sure which we bought - is there a difference?), Hawaiian Bread Rolls, and of course Cranberries. Then for desert - it was Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream OR brandied whipped cream.

After dinner we played some games and then Phill dropped by to see me for a couple of hours. It was So great to get to chat with him and he taught me how to knit. Well - he taught me the basics - although I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure out how to cast on now that I'm away from his help.

Friday, we put up our tree. It's so pretty! It's a 7.5' pre-lit, and I love it! We haven't put ornaments on it yet - because I forgot to buy ornament hooks. But we'll probably do that tomorrow.

So - that brings us to today. I am watching the 100th Bedlam match-up between Oklahoma State and my beloved Sooners. And I just saw Phill on TV!! Hee hee. I remember when we used to go to every home game together. I'm sad I can't be there now. :(

I'd like to just take some time to reflect on those things for which I am thankful. First and foremost - I am thankful for my Mother and my family. Marmee has really given me the type of foundation that will provide me with even footing for the rest of my life. And she is one of my very best friends in this whole world. My family - although they can at times drive me crazy, has shaped my sense of humor, my sense of love, and my sense of home. Though we may not always see eye to eye, and fights occur more often than we wish they would - I know they love me, and I love them more than my meager words can express. My friends - I've done an excellent job alienating most of my friends this year. I've been out of touch - and unresponsive. My actions towards them have been abhorrent. And yet - my friends are always there for me with arms outstretched, ready to forgive my numerous offenses. I am so thankful that my friends are so understanding, and loving that they would tolerate my obnoxiousness. There are a plethora of other things for which I am thankful - but I'll close now with this... I am thankful for Alex. He has been my cheerleader, my friend, my advisor,my heart, and my home for 3 years now. Without him, I would not have earned my bachelor's degree, and I would not be on the verge of becoming a teacher. I would still have terrible credit, and I would feel like love is a myth that looms large above our society - but does not actually exist. Thank you, Alex - my life is what it is now because of YOU!

I hope you have much for which to be thankful this year.

Interviews a-go-go

So I've been interviewed and interviewed. I'm thinking a teaching job is mine for the taking in January - if I want to take it. I have a 2nd interview with Nimitz middle school on Monday, and a 1st interview with Edison middle school the same day. Meanwhile, on Monday as well - I am supposed to call Central high school and let them know whether I'm interested in working for them.

I really expected finding a teaching job to be much more difficult than it seems to be. Maybe it's just easy to get the interviews. Maybe getting the jobs is a bit harder. Although I have to confess that I was sure I'd have to teach French somewhere because no English jobs would be available. And not one of my interviews have been for French. All English. Thank goodness. :)

Alex & I have been cleaning our apartment the past couple of days. I am ashamed of how dirty we let it become. Hopefully we'll have it looking all nice for this weekend when we put up our Christmas tree! We got a 7 foot tall pre-lit tree with all white lights. I'm excited! I LOVE Christmas and decorating.

The semester is wrapping up. I'm glad. It was hard. I still have my HUGE paper to write for my Lit Theory class & we have a big scary comprehensive final in that class, too - so it's not over yet. But it's getting there. I have finished my 5 chapter research paper that I had to write along with the 100 question take home final for my Educational Research class. Then, for my college teaching class, I need to write 2 brief papers & create a powerpoint for a presentation, then I'm done for that one. So - really, I just have to focus on the Lit Theory for a couple more weeks - then I can relax my brain until next term. (Which, with teaching, might turn out to be REALLY SCARY!!!)

Thanksgiving day after tomorrow - I'm going to Marmee's and spending the day there. We are going to eat around 5pm, which is later than usual for us - but we are accomodating Alex's schedule, since he has to go to dinner with his family around noon. (To which I was invited - but part of the fun of Thanksgiving for me is spending the entire day in the kitchen cooking, and Alex was so sweet to be understanding)

Hope your all your turkey dreams come true!

...and for cryin' out loud - drop me a line occasionally!!!

I got a great book this weekend! Teaching Outside the Box - How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains by LouAnne Johnson. You have heard of her before - she wrote the book upon which they based the movie Dangerous Minds. If you're a teacher - or wanting to become one, I whole-heartedly recommend this book!

I'm reading it, because I just might be teaching high school in a month or two. I've been interviewing like mad, sending out resumes, etc... Friday, I interviewed with Tulsa Central High School. If hired there - I'd be teaching on level 12th grade English. For those of you who aren't familiar with Tulsa schools - I'll tell you that Central is in North Tulsa in a poorer neighborhood. It would not be an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. It would certainly be a challenge. Tomorrow - (Monday) I have another interview. Nimitz middle school - 7th & 8th grade English. We shall see what they have to offer. It is comforting that I'm getting so many interviews - I was really concerned that it would be rediculously difficult to even get one interview.

Also on Friday, I took the Miller Analogies Test. Let me just tell you what a bonehead I am... I had to drive to Tahlequah to take the test - it's about an hour away from Tulsa. My materials all stated that I was to report to the test site no fewer than 15 minutes prior to the 3pm test time. I rolled up in there at 3:15. Luckily, they let me take the exam. Thankfully - they hadn't yet begun. I think I did fairly well on the exam. We shall see.

Friday night, we (Alex, Mom, Shannon, and I) went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I really liked it. Although, I regret not having read the books. I tried to read them after I had seen the 3rd movie - but they follow the movies so closely that I got bored.

Saturday, Alex and I shopped for Christmas ornaments and went out to dinner. Today, Mom and I went shopping. There is this store in Tulsa called Direct Sales which sells business casual clothing from Dillards and other upscale department stores for rediculously low prices. Imagine $17.75 per clothing item. I got some great new stuff. over $300 worth of close for only $100. Can't argue with a deal like that. We did our grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, and then I came back home to read more of my book.

Nothing terribly exciting.

Alex bought us Coldplay tickets for their Oklahoma City concert in February. I'm looking forward to that. Especially since Fiona Apple is their opening act. :)

I suppose there has been enough babble for today.

It's been awfully quiet out there, readers.... So I fixed the comments section of this blog site so you do not have to use a user name & password. Post to your heart's content!!

Guess what!?!?!?!?!

No, no. Not that - but ALMOST as exciting... Marmee got the C.E.O. position!!! HOORAY!!!!! Our very own Marmee is the new CEO of Community Health Connections. (Or at least I think that's the name of the place) Now - before you all get excited and start emailing me (or her) that your best-friends uncle's wife's brother's friend's cousin's girlfriend knows a guy who has this friend who needs a job - she's not at that point yet. Of being able to hire people. I only say that because that seems to be everyone's reaction to her news. :) Not that I can blame anyone. :)

So - being the sweetheart that I am - I threw a surprise cocktail party for her on Friday night. Just 10 people very low key, but she was surprised and it was a good time. Good enough that we went through 3 bottles of champaign!! WOOO HOOO!

She is going today (actually in about 20 mins) in front of the board to negotiate salary & benefits, etc... i'm doubting that there will be any deal-breakers or show-stoppers there.

Congrats go out again to Marmee! I couldn't be prouder!!!

In other news - it was a very nice and very relaxing weekend! Other than Friday being a little crazy... I attended a teacher fair at NSU, and got 2 interviews out of the deal. One at Shawnee Public Schools (which is near Norman, OK 2 hours away - I won't be taking that one) and one at Tulsa Public Schools. Now, I would really rather not teach at Tulsa Public Schools because I don't want to have to wear a bullet-proof vest to work... But I'll take the job, if they offer me one. Cause that's just how I roll.

Following the cocktail party Friday night, Saturday was one of the most relaxing day I've had in weeks!! I got up, took a shower, changed into a clean pair of jammies, and proceeded to not leave the house the WHOLE day! It was yummy. Yesterday was nice eventhough we had to help Alex's Mom move the last few boxes from her storage unit to her new house. It wasn't much stuff - nothing was heavy, and it only took an hour or so out of the day. Then we went to Marmee's and had a nice roast for dinner, then home.

It was almost a perfect weekend. I don't really know what would have made it more perfect.

This is the last week of classes before Thanksgiving. I'm excited to have a whole week off coming up. Time to work on Christmas cards. Yay!

If you're travelling for your turkey this year - I hope you have safe travel. I am sure that I will post at least a couple of times between now and then - but just incase!

You're my best friend, and I love you!

Phill called me today. You guys remember what Ber & Phill used to mean?? We were a force to be reckoned with. No one had a closer friendship than Phill and I had. We were inseperable. We were the idyllic best friends. You will all be happy to know that although we live 9 hours away from one another, we are still a force to be reckoned with. Kudos to Phill for never losing faith in our friendship. I have to admit that I had lost some. When he joined the married club, I was pretty sure he was going where I could not follow. And I was sad that when he moved away, he would become absorbed in his life, and wouldn't need me anymore. Scarier still was the fact that I wasn't all depress-y Jane over the idea. I used to fall to pieces if Phill didn't call me one day. I knew we were both starting to grow up, and I thought that automatically meant growing apart. But it doesn't.

We're different now. But as he said today, "as soon as I hear your voice, everything's okay again." I feel the same way.

So - props go out to freshman & sophomore years of college. Gellie, 'Stina, Laura, Schuster, Amy, Lauren, Allison, Nate, Steve, Drew, Papa & the boys, those jerk-off SAE's, The Mont, The C-Store, Block & Barrell, Couch caff, Dale Hall, the duck pond, Sarah McLachlin, and all the incense in Norman. And to Phill. Those were the best times. Of my life. And although Phill and I both wish we could go back - even for a couple of hours, we know we never can.

Growing up sucks. And at the same time is wonderful.

It's 1145pm, and Texas still sucks!

Alex and I visited Dallas this past weekend. He had a comic-book convention to attend, and I thought I'd seize the opportunity to not only get out of town for a couple of days, but to see my friend Angel who I hadn't seen in WAY too long.

The trip was fun overall. When we arrived Thursday night, we checked into the hotel, then met Sterling (Alex's brother) and some friends for a late dinner. Friday, I stayed in the hotel room and did homework while the guys were at the convention, then we all piled into two cars, and went to Dave & Buster's. If you have a Dave & Buster's near your home, I highly suggest you go. It's an adult arcade basically. You can play skee-ball whilst enjoying your favorite alcoholic beverage. Plus - they have AWESOME food. We had an excellent time. With the tickets we won playing a highly addictive trivia game, we purchased some coffee mugs, beer mugs, and playing cards. Don't get me wrong - they had the stuffed animals, bouncy balls, and other things one would expect to find at a "redeem your tickets here" counter, but Alex and I were both excited that we can actually use the things we bought with our tickets. :)

Saturday I got to see Angel. She looked so wonderful, and it was great to be able to sit and talk with her. We reminisced about college, and all of our goofy stories. There was a bittersweet-ness to seeing her, though. It made me really miss those days when there were no consequences. (or at least it seemed that way) But I won't get all nostalgic on you again... I wouldn't want you to worry.

What sucked the WHOLE time we were there, though - aside from the fact that we were in Texas, a state I have ALWAYS disliked, was the damn traffic. I just don't know how people can become numb to it enough to not want to shoot themselves daily in lieu of driving in that bullshit one more day. Maybe it's just me. But the traffic in Dallas is crappy and unnecessary. And could they please just let each street have only ONE name?!?!?!? WTF?!?!? Why do they have to have streets that start out being Main, then change to 137th, then change to Wilson, then to Collins, then back to Main, but only in one direction, because going the other way, it's called King Rd?!?!?! Thumbs down to you, Dallas. Your secret society of navigators is way too much for this girl to put up with.

I just noticed that we haven't changed our wall clock for daylight savings time. I was shocked that I'd been sitting here more than an hour when I realized it's not nearly 1am, but nearly 12am. Did I mention I LOVE that I don't have to get up and go to work tomorrow? :)

For you music buffs out there - I've found an artist I L-O-V-E love!!!! Madeline Peyroux. She sounds like Billie Holiday. Very smooth & jazz-y. If you're looking for something relaxing if not a little romantic - I recommend her highly. ;)

I suppose I'll get back to my homework now. Since I'll have some more time on my hands now - you might just see a little more frequency in my posting. But I shouldn't make promises I can't keep. ;)