Friday, August 31, 2007

I am the Evil Substitute!

Well, I did it. My first time in a classroom...as a substitute. Not the job I want or need, but a job nonetheless. And experience is always good.

And I did not realize what a valuable tool reading glasses can be. You should try this if you have glasses of any type...slide them towards the end of your nose so you can just see over the rim...now don't you feel hawkish and evil? [evil snicker] Well if you don't, you might not be doing it right...or maybe you need 25 senior students in front of you falling silent. [evil grin] And who knew that every trick in the book is still the same as when I was in High School...I figured it out the kids change, but the ideas all stay the same. Who knew? I guess I figured these kids are more worldly and adult like...but they still use the same ol' "I was just discussing the assignment" when they get caught chatting.

Anyway, I figure the worst is over now. If I can handle Seniors on a Friday before a long weekend....sixth graders should be a snap!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Why the H#!! can't we talk to people anymore!!!

Why is EVERYTHING online/recorded phone system/other automated devices? Why can't we talk to another person?

I know there is a slight irony in me ranting about this on a blog. However, there is no pressing need that someone discuss this with me, there is no immediate need that a person be on the other end. However, when there is a job involved or immediate need to find out something about say your bank account, there REALLY should be a person on the other end of the phone!

Okay that is my rant...I am stepping off the soapbox now.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

And now the high wears off...

Well I passed the test, and I am VERY excited about that. But now the high has worn down a little and I am facing the fact that I STILL do not have a job. The school year starts tomorrow for the kids...meaning if I get hired now I will be behind the Eight Ball. That does NOT mean that I don't want to be hired...in fact I think the challenge might be some fun after the daily blah of not having much to do.

But anyway the reason I am here...I NEED A JOB! Please will all of you, my loyal readers, please help me put this need to the universe in whatever form you choose. And please leave a comment for whatever you would like put to the universe and I will help you out...you know fair trade and all that! :) Thanks.

Later days,
Emerald

Friday, August 24, 2007

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I PASSED THE TEST!!!!!!!!!! 278 out of 300! WOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Looks like...

Scarlett is going to be next in the egg laying! She was nesting today and her comb and jowls are getting very red ( I think I had mentioned before, but if not, the comb and jowls getting red is a sign of maturity and getting ready to lay!).

BTW, the eggs that Hen lays everyday are amazing! They are super tasty! I am now a firm believer in the greatness of home raised eggs.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Slowly going insane...

All this free time is KILLING ME! I am tired of not having anything to do...and I actually WANT a job. The only good thing about all this free time is that I have had time to start learning Latin, teach myself Calculus (the one subject that killed my GPA) and work on my teaching stuff that is online. Today, in fact, I had a proper "school" day for myself.

It started with a nice healthy brain-builder of a breakfast. Then a calculus lesson, then a Latin lesson (I can now say "The mule walks in the woods. The mule does not like the woods." and other relatively useless phrases about mules and the woods). Then I moved on to a philosophy reading, then a piano lesson. Yes, as you can see I am bored.

The best thing I can say about all of this is that all of these things are things I want to learn and will prove useful when I go back to get my PhD. We (DH and I that is) have decided to give it a year on the moving. For one really basic reason, we can't afford it right now. But a minor secondary reason is that I have to finish my teaching program or pay for it anyway. So it is best to just go on through it.

So for now, I am staying put and desperately seeking a teaching position (as well as STILL waiting for the results of my first cert test).

Monday, August 13, 2007

Eggs!!!!

Well, the one of the girls has started laying eggs! The one we thought was the oldest proved us right last week. She has lain one everyday with one exception which apparently is common for a hen to "take a day off" every once in a while.

And they all seem to have fallen into the pattern of egg equals out. So they are all three very vocal about Hen's morning work being done. It is very funny. The three of them stand at the gate of their yard, yelling at me as I walk outside. I can very clearly understand what they are saying, "Hey, Hen's done, there's an egg already. Will you PLEASE GET US THE HELL OUTTA HERE............NOW!!!" They obviously really like running free in the yard, and I let them have the yard for most of the day, since I have started taking Will and B on walks in the afternoons and so they don't need to be able to run around in the back as much.

It has been pretty hot these past few days so DH and I wanted to make sure the hens didn't get too uncomfortable, so we bought them a fan that can move the air in the coop for them, basically enough to keep them from becoming roasted chicken. They did not care for it when we first turned it on (seeing as sounded something akin to a small jet engine taking off), but once they discovered its cooling potential they have allowed it to remain in their presence. They are fully maintaining their "Southern Belle" status.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Hitting "enlarge" again...

A few weeks ago, while studying for my teacher's certification exam (which I took this past Saturday and won't have any clue of how I did for THREE weeks!) I found myself hitting the enlarge the font shortcut on my keyboard...like three or four times! So I decided it was time to stop playing around and get my butt to the optometrist. I have had ( and tried to get away without wearing) glasses since I was about 14. And it had been about three years since I last went to the doc and about two years since I had worn the glasses I had gotten then. (Not good I know)

So off I went...I thought "Oh it won't be too bad. Probably just need something to help when I am reading, that is all!" YEAH RIGHT! Turns out I am blind...not as blind as a bat...but blinder than I thought I was. The thing is that my left eye doesn't see very well so my right eye takes over (thus why I think I can see okay)...then the right eye tires out and...viola! I am hitting the "enlarge" button again.

So the doc provides me with a prescription that is actually less than the one I need...cause, in his words, "[I] would hate [him] if [he] gave [me] what [I] really needed." Basically, I would never return to his bright shiny office of things that tell me my eyes suck!

So I traipse off the the Eyemaster's next door and purchase my shiny new specs. And then proceed to gradually incorporate them into daily constant wear. Surprisingly, I can see sharp edges again!

But over the past few nights I have found myself hitting the "enlarge" button. (He told me this might happen.) It looks like I will be going by way of my mother...and have a separate pair of... {cringe} Reading Glasses. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Oh well, I guess this is what I get after years of reading into the wee hours of the morning. And if I wish to continue my beloved past time, it appears that I am going to have to get over the fact that I am turning very solidly into my mother...at least the doc isn't suggesting bifocals...yet.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Just when...

Just when I am getting happy with where I am and what I am doing, DH goes and throws a curve ball.

For the past few months, we have been discussing what we will be doing for the next few years. You know general couple discussions. Well, we had come to the conclusion that I should go through getting my teacher's certification and teach in grade school for a few years before I go back to get my PhD. I want to get my PhD in Philosophy and ultimately teach at a college. This was to accomplish the goal of getting rid of the debt I had built in school the first time around and get rid of the little of "regular" debt we have as well before I throw myself into yet another four years of school. So that is what I have wrapped my head around...I have gotten excited about having a classroom full of pre-teens hopefully ready to learn.

Then, DH's curve ball...He has been traveling for work for the past three weeks (to the corporate office) and has been getting the usual joking, picking and ragging about not living there. So he calls me the other night and starts in on the university that is near the office. Does it have the program I want? Would I want to go there? Would I be willing to go with him next week and meet with people there? And he actually says, when I mention the debt and the fact that we had decided I should work for a while to help get rid of it, "I don't care, I just want you to either work or be in school, either way." WHAT!!! The money man, that one that has been bitchin' about debt and money, is saying that I can go to school instead of making more money????

All of that is great, don't get me wrong. I REALLY want to go back school, that is why I want to be a teacher, well really a college professor, because that is the only way that I get to be a student forever. And I want nothing more than to get on with the school...but I had stopped looking at schools, stopped looking at class listings, stopped looking at the things I want to learn...and I started learning what is needed for classroom teaching and put my desires away for a while.

Basically, I did this to keep myself sane. If I had continued looking at class listings, it would have made me crazy. Proof of what I could be doing, or things that I should be learning, just general excitement to me :) that would push me over the edge, while I was biding my time to get to go back to the good ol' college campus. But now, DH calls me and begs me to go to the college site and see if what they have is what I want...Sigh...I am back to yearning to be in a classroom...a college classroom...and to be learning.

And all of this is happening three days before I have to take a test for my certification...:( I am sure that DH will get back here and realize that it isn't feasible to move right now in this market and with the debt that we have, and I will be back to practical. Which is fine, and it is still on the path to where I want to go, it will just take a little longer to get there. But now I have to come back down from the contact high that I get from a college course catalog.