Wednesday, October 24, 2007

The sky is burning

So, not sure how much news it's making in the rest of the country, but the San Diego fires are a big deal right here right now, mostly because most people in Southern Arizona consider San Diego their home away from home. But anyways...

On the way to work this morning I flipped to JonJay and Rich (KRQQ, Reid!) and they had on the phone one of the big dj's out of San Diego and they were asking him what was actually going on there and what everybody here could do to help - a noble gesture, to be sure, but these guys are so stupid, I'm sure it was a marketing ploy by their manager. Regardless, the SD dj was describing the horrors of these fires going on around San Diego, saying it was like something out of a movie, how 650,000 people have been asked to leave their homes, how people have been living at Qualcom Stadium for a few days, blah blah blah... Then this guy had the balls to say that "there has never been anything like this, the devastation is just unbelievable." and that, "more people have been evacuated from San Diego than were evacuated because of Hurricane Katrina." I wanted to punch a hole through my dashboard. Serves me right for listening to 93.7.

Yes, the loss of 1600 homes is a serious thing, and I feel for the families that are losing their property. But, people, for real. It is insulting to the victims of Katrina to imply that their tragedy is overshadowed by Southern California suburbanites losing their too-large and too-expensive houses. One person has died in this fire. Very few businesses have suffered. San Diego will be FINE in two years. Many towns hit by Katrina will NEVER recover. @#$&*^#!....

AND, as for something like this never happening before, just because you are an historical idiot doesn't make you allowed to claim that before. Chicago, London, San Francisco...all cities more economically pivotal in their time which were utterly devastated by fire and, in San Francisco's case, earthquakes.

Maybe this is boring to everyone else, but it pissed me off right good. Now I suppose I should work, since I'm at work.

Friday, October 12, 2007

I got King Kong in the trunk

A new post! Hooray!

My neglect of this blog is mostly due to my lack of Internet for the past month, at least Internet that works with blogspot. Both of my roommates' computers freak out when I try to access this site. So that's my excuse. :)

I'm in Kansas City right now, visiting friends I made while student teaching, and it's making lonely for everybody else I love who doesn't live in Tucson or KC. If I could afford the time and loss of pay, in a heartbeat I would jump in my Volvo wagon and tour the country, visiting California, Washington, Montana, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and then Florida, but probably only so I could go to Disney World. And the Everglades.

It's hard for me to think about, but in all likelihood the career choices I've made and am desiring to make will make it very difficult for me to see some of my friends ever again. If I go overseas or bury myself in an urban ghetto I will be doing what I believe God wants me to do, but potentially doing it alone. That's scary to me. I'm reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claibourne in which he talks about what it means to be a radical, and therefore real, Christian, and it makes me tremble with excitement (and a lot of conviction), but that can be a lonely life. I know God provides, but somehow I'm having a hard time convincing myself that what He provides is best for me.

I suppose it's a matter of priorities. If I want to see you all again, I will make a point of doing so, and I needn't worry. Maybe I'm just feeling this way because I slept in until 11 and I'm feeling philosophic while there's no one else around to share it with except Sebastian, my chocolate lab friend. Aww, here he comes now...

Lovin' time!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

To do (for the rest of you):

See the movie Once. Don't ask questions. Just do it.
Make me brownies.
Watch Once with me while eating brownies.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Chickity check yourself before you wreck yourself

My parents and youngest sister Deborah are gone this week, getting Deborah settled in to be a freshman at Calvin College. It's been harder for me than I thought, partially, I think, because I'm imagining Deborah doing all the fun, go-to-college things while I'm realizing that I will never do those things again. Dordt starts classes tomorrow and I won't be there. It's not a devastating reality to me. But it is a strange one.

Watched part of a movie last night titled Lightspeed. It's a comic book movie, the character created by Stan Lee, whose successes include Spiderman. His successes do not include Lightspeed. It's not so much a bad movie as it is a dreadfully boring movie. Goodness knows I've loved me some bad movies, but boring movies are the worst. Especially when I'm slightly buzzed and irritatingly impatient.

It's also been four and a half months since I've graduated, and though I've found good employment, I have made no further attempts to figure out what's happening after this year with me. I think I still want to go overseas and teach, or something of that nature. At least I think I think I do. But my motivation to get that ball rolling is nonexistent. Possibly I'm impeded by limited Internet access, but I don't really think that's it. Perhaps the fact that I'm making money right now is coaxing me into a complacency with what I do, even though I'm sure I don't want to do this for more than a year. I think I'm also a little afraid to simply pick up and leave for a year, since I've invested a lot of time, work, and love into people and projects here in this country. But when I hear about things going on elsewhere my heart burns to be a part of an experience like that. Dunno. Despite it's being Scriptural, the idea that "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" seems rather cliche. For me, I think it's more that my spirit wants to be willing, but my flesh is lazy.

I wish there was a farmer's market close to my house. I would buy fresh produce weekly, pile it all into the basket on the front of my bike, and ride back home smiling merrily. If I had a bike.

This post has been brought to you by my stream-0f-conscious thought process. My apologies.

Friday, August 10, 2007

We could be so good together...

This post is titled in honor of Reid's mother, who loves The Doors. I've been listening to Alice Cooper's radio show on weekday evenings, which he broadcasts out of Phoenix, and I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan. Still don't like his music, but I like his style.

So, big news in my life #1: Melvin died this past Sunday, an event which I anticipated as I was watching him the night he took a turn for the worse. Those of us who worked for him and, I believe, his family as well were ready for him to go, since his last month of existence had become pretty miserable for him and, to be honest, fairly miserable for us, too. He was a solid, albeit somewhat stereotypical Christian, and I'm sure he's having a much better time these days. This also means that I get to sleep at night, which is great!

Big news #2: Started my tutoring job this week. It's a good job and I like the kids I'm working with, but it's also stressful beyond all reason as they've dumped about 10 students on me to work with for 6 hours a day, each of them needing a fair amount of personal attention. Once I get used to the system, I'm sure things will get easier, but for now I'm really savoring the time I have in which I am not working.

Big news #3: Went out for teppan yaki the other night, which is the Japanese dining experience in which they have a flat skillet-type surface on which they cook your food right in front of you, with lots of juggling of knives and spatulas and several fire explosions. It was pretty awesome. You should try it sometime.

Tomorrow I'm going to pick peaches. I'm pumped for that because I love peaches. And picking.

I miss people that I don't see every day. Namely almost all of you that read this.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

It's a five o'clock world when the whistle blows

I got some jobs! Hooray! If I have a successful phone call this afternoon, I will top out at three. As of now, I have two - caring for my old man Melvin, again, and working with a medical billing company. Working for Melvin is about the same as it was before he fell, except lots more not-sleeping, and working for the medical billing company, so far, means talking into a phone headset and typing my fingers off trying to keep up to date on insurance claims. Still not sure I know what's going on there, but they're friendly enough.

If I can talk to someone this afternoon, I'm looking at getting a job as a tutor/teacher for an agency/school in town, working 24 hours a week. I'm really hoping it works out, as I really connected with the woman who runs the agency and I would like to utilize my teaching skills while I am currently waiting to see where they bring me, ultimately.

Speaking of teaching, I got my primary teaching license yesterday. It is crisp and white, with a shiny gold seal on it. Very official.

Back to jobs, if I can get this third one, I'm looking at working solid 65 hour weeks. Sounds fairly innocuous from this side of things, but I have a feeling I will be getting exhausted. However, that is 65 hours a week with nights and weekends mostly free. Which is awesome.

Lastly (?) I'm moving in with some friends from high school in a month-ish, out of my parents' house. I'm excited about it a lot, mostly because we have decided that everything we eat in the month of September will be grilled. Any fave recipes would be greatly appreciated.

This post reads like I'm on crack. Or maybe the July monsoon heat/humidity is driving me slowly crazy. Or maybe I haven't had a cookie in a while.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Goin' to the chapel

I love my parents. Today they celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary, and just yesterday they were snuggling after they both got home from work and my mom turned to me and said, "Bethany, I love your dad so much." Priceless.

It's easy for me to take my family for granted. Comparatively, we are a bizarrely functional island in the midst of a vast dysfunctional sea. Many, many of my friends have parents who are separated, divorced, or not happy together, so to have been brought up in such a contented, trusting household is an amazing blessing. My parents have been a shining example to me and my sisters, as well as to our church family, their coworkers, and even the friends I bring home. And it's not because they coexist in a "Leave it to Beaver" type lifestyle. Both work 9-10 hour workdays, which meant we were in daycare a lot growing up. They come home tired, sometimes cranky. But they are so willing to give to each other, which makes them so compatible. Maybe I will never be in a relationship like that, but it's nice to know that, should the opportunity come, I've got a great example in my parents.

Here's to you, Mom and Dad. Happy 27th Anniversary, and many more, Lord willing!

In other news, I went to go see Transformers. It wasn't AMAZING, but it was pretty rockin'. And it's raining outside right now. Not men, but hallelujah anyways.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Better grab an umbrella, I make it rain...

Today's post is brought to you by Fat Joe and Lil' Wayne. And the letter M.

No West Nile. Bummer, eh?

My mom and I were talking last night about the immigration bill that was just shot down. She is more inclined to be skeptical about it than I am, since I am more inclined to be 'liberal' than she is, but even so, we agreed that whoever rose up en masse to defeat this bill, it wasn't people from Tucson. In fact, according to our Sunday newspaper (I've taken to loving the newspaper, by the way), an online group called Grassfire.org is claiming that they are responsible for shooting the bill down, flooding the offices of members of Congress with images of "the scarlet letter of amnesty". Guess where they're based. Oh, that's right. Small-town Iowa.

I really hate that people on both sides of the political spectrum treat this as a black and white issue - conservatives hate the illegals and liberals love them. What those of us in Southern Arizona are able to understand, and I believe John McCain saw this too, is that what is being argued back and forth are people's lives. Small town Iowanians don't read in the paper every week about dozens of people dying in the desert because they were willing to give everything up for a chance to have a better life. I am not calling for open borders, but I am asking that the American people forget their petty political squabbles and have a heart.

What do we do with illegal immigrants? I'm not sure, but I believe Christians, especially those of us so near the border, need to figure out how to love them.

In other news, the monsoon is supposed to start this weekend. Who's excited? This girl.

And I bought Chaco sandals last weekend. This pretty much forever destroys my hopes of becoming a badass with a heart of gold, but now maybe I can be a hippie without the marijuana.

Monday, June 25, 2007

East side walk it out...

While I can't say I'm surprised, I am a bit dismayed. The one job I did have, providing overnight care for Melvin, a very elderly man, has been prematurely terminated. Melvin fell and broke his hip, landing him in the hospital for some time.

When I began to tell other people this, the general response I got was along the lines of, "well, that sucks. Where are you going to get money now?" After getting this response several times, I got so upset that I stopped telling people. Seriously, the issue at hand is Melvin, not my paycheck. This poor old man has seriously injured himself, and is in the hospital now. At 88 years old, I sort of expect that this may be the beginning of the end for him. I called to check on him this past weekend and the girl I talked to says he is not healing well because he is terrified that his family has left him in a nursing home. If he isn't able to start calming down, I'm afraid he really will just give up and die.

I have learned so much about care for the elderly from working with Melvin and his family. This man is almost 90 years old, but he still enjoyed tooling around his house, loving his cat, feeding the birds, and watching The 700 Club. In his prime, he was one of the head professors of the University of Arizona Ag Department. Several of those of us who work with him know that he's still pretty with it. However, his daughter and some of the other caretakers seem to have given him up to dementia, so they treat him like a child, which he obviously resents. I don't doubt that he's anxious about what his family is going to do with him at this point, since they've been less than totally supportive the past few years.

I like to think that I'm pretty active in promoting social justice for people who are unfairly treated. I'm especially good at protesting injustice thousands of miles away. Working with Melvin, however, has enabled me to see that there are likely hundreds of elderly people in Tucson who are neglected, misunderstood, and mistreated, because, hey, they're going to die soon anyway. While North American society may not have the horrible civil wars, class conflicts, and famines that many in the rest of the world do, we certainly do not have time or space to deal with the elderly, or the homeless, or the disabled, or anyone else who is similarly unable to contribute. It's amazing that in other parts of the world, a family may not have food to eat or a roof over their heads, but they have the time and energy to care for Grandpa, or a crippled cousin.

Humbling, really.

In other news, my mother is speculating that I might have West Nile Virus. That's kind of exciting! If it turns out to be something else I will probably be a little disappointed.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

They only wanna do you dirt'

It's Get-A-Job Tuesday! Hoooray! Because Get-A-Job Monday didn't work out so well. I anticipate there will probably also be a Get-A-Job Wednesday. Word.

I know it's ridiculous to do so, but my frustration with attempts to find meaningful and productive employment have made me wonder (just a little) what was the point of getting a degree. I don't need one for the jobs I'm looking at, and in fact I missed out on a lot of work experience while I was in school. Boo. I'm not sorry I went to school, I guess. I'm just really upset at my lack of job-finding skills.

In more embarassing news, I think I may be the only educated person in the country who has no interest in the upcoming elections. I have little knowledge of those who are running, I'm not even sure what the issues are. I know names but not faces, except for John McCain, who I'd vote for automatically at this point because he's my senator and Reid says he's not half-bad. I like to think that I'm uninterested because, in the grand scheme of things, the differences between U.S. presidential candidates are so insignificant compared to other elections running around the world, that it doesn't really matter, the same things will happen regardless. But, really, it's probably more because I'm a bit lazy. And my internet sucks so I'm disinclined to spend a lot of time internet researching. I need some inspiration.

Methinks I might find it listening to Justin Timberlake.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Will you still need me, will you still feed me?

So, no job yet. I appreciate the input by all of you guys, especially how it all conflicts and makes things even more confusing for me. Awesome. It's a good thing I wasn't counting on all y'all to tell me what to do.

The one job I do have is killing me. I worked 28 out of the last 36 hours taking care of my old guy. I've slept about 6 hours in the last two days. Last night he was yelling at someone (demons? Muslims? Democrats?) in his sleep, and I got to listen to it for two hours because I have his baby monitor right next to my head. It's also a little rough because he is completely deaf, so I am unable to communicate to him that I already know how to do things, so he explains everything to me two or three times like I'm stupid. I got blamed for doing the laundry wrong, even though I wasn't even in the house when it happened. So I got a ten minute tutorial on clearing the lint guard in the dryer.

I shouldn't complain. It's a good job. But sometimes, when I'm sleep-deprived, it sucks.

On a more cultured note, I am looking for summer reading. Currently, I'm reading The Present Future, which details several issues which are causing the Christian Church culture to become increasingly detached and irrelevant. It's good, lots of food for thought. Any other things I should read? Otherwise, I may be stuck with getting all of my summer culture from Mythbusters, Iron Chef America, and Futurama.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Just trying to keep the customer satisfied...

So, it's been a while. I suppose if I do intend to keep in touch with those of you on here, I ought to post a bit more frequently. I suppose.

SO. I need a job. Something that pays more than minimum wage, preferably. Here are the options I am looking at right now:

- GEICO insurance claims adjuster - Basically, I would look at accidents called in and decide fault, as well as how much to pay out for these accidents. Since I have a college degree, I don't have to do the entry-level stuff, even though I would prefer to...
Ups - $17.50 an hour, within biking distance from my house
Downs - lots of decision making, corporate work environment, and my interview wasn't stellar

- US Postal Service Mail Processor - I really have no idea what this job would entail, but I thought I would give it a go. Who doesn't like mail?
Ups - $17-20 an hour, within biking distance from my house, government benefits
Downs - government job, probably pretty menial, also can take 6 months to get hired

- Bookseller at Barnes & Noble or Borders - I'd work the salesfloor, shelve books, help people out, and get to be around books all day.
Ups - being around books all day
Downs - pay only slightly above minimum wage, farther away from my house

- Overnight care provider for ancient guy - I'm actually already working this job, so it doesn't really need to be included, but I did anyway.
Ups - $10 an hour, including time when I'm sleeping, overnight so I can work another day job
Downs - not a whole lot of sleeping gets done, he's deaf and really fundamentalist, lives about 15 miles away

- Barista at locally owned and operated coffee shop - Since I feel that working for Starbucks would be catering to the Man, I can sleep at night when considering this application. And it helps to prepare me if Mrs. M and I open Just Coffee.
Ups - within skipping distance from my house, makes me a barista
Downs - pay only slightly above minimum wage

Any input or suggestions for other opportunities for employment would be MOST welcome. I have loans to start paying in a couple months...

Monday, April 09, 2007

Love Today

This is me getting tired of student teaching. I'm ashamed to say that I'm getting tired of my kids, of putting together lesson plans, and even kind of tired of my cooperating teachers. This is me ready to graduate, I'm thinking.

March Madness was not as awesome as it started out to be. Nothing more boring than my two least favorite #1 seeds fighting it out for the final, and my all-time least favorite team winning for the second year in a row. *mumbled cursing*

I'm starting a unit in American history on the Progressive era, which is not in the least innately interesting. I'm hoping I can convince the kids to stay with me by showing them Newsies. Nothing says history like Christian Bale dancing around, throwing newspapers everywhere, and kissing girls that aren't that cute. I'm sure he looks back on that movie with fondness these days...

Sarah got me hooked on Mika. mmmm love that Eurotechnopop.

Friday, March 23, 2007

I'm hot 'cause I'm fly....

When I arrived back in KC last week, it was definitely still warmer than IA, but not by much. This week has been different. It started out soggy, but has dried out the last couple days, and today spring just absolutely exploded in Kansas City. I swear, the grass turned green overnight, trees are budding/blooming, it's still 50 degrees at 7 PM. I'm loving it most definitely. Arizona is a great place to grow up, but there really is nothing like watching the seasons change, which doesn't happen in Tucson.

Spring also means college basketball is in full swing. March Madness has officially started, and it is officially awesome. I'm running a little less than 75% accurate on my bracket, but some of my teams I have going all the way are in trouble right now. Oh well.
It's sort of sad, but I mostly have to watch these games by myself. My roommate could care less, and there's another guy in the complex who would watch them with me, except he also wants a date, so I'm avoiding him.

Speaking of dates, I have never been so sought after in my life, and it's unnerving... This guy who's a sort-of neighbor and friend of my roommate asked me out to a movie, which I turned down, and then on Sunday the same guy from church (see...four posts ago?) asked me out again. The claim is that, if you don't find someone in college, it's harder to find someone after, but I've definitely had more guys interested in me off campus than I ever did on it. WEIRD.

Once, I watched a movie called "The Wild Wild World of Batwoman." It was TER-rible, but delightful at the same time. I'm going to spend this weekend dancing nonstop in a frivolous, 1960s fashion.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

All things go, all things go

I finally caved and got the new blogger, although I think I was forced to. It just happened. I have a sneaking suspicion that the new blogger is run by the man. It's hard to stick it to the man when he runs your blog. Unless you use...........code? Or Jimi Hendrix lyrics? Or are those the same thing?

I'm back in IA for the week, and it's freakin' cold here. That's all I'm going to complain about. Otherwise it's been great seeing people and doing stuff and talking about how I still don't want to face the future. I like people here.

So in my conversations here the past few days, I think I'm beginning to recognize the reason for my hesitation to start moving forward (by doing important things like filling out applications and sitting interviews). My problem is that I love teaching students, and I love the relationships I am able to develop with them, but I do not particularly like schools. It's part of my general aversion to institutions, I guess, but I hate the politics and bureaucracy and kowtowing to administrators who do not make good decisions on things and dealing with other teachers who are annoying or intimidating or just plain weird. So my options are to either find the perfect school which will let me do things my way, for the most part, or to do something else for a while, until I lose my wild-eyed idealism and settle for something that pays slightly more than minimum wage. Gah! I'm really struggling with the extent to which I can live by the promise that "tomorrow will take care of itself" while still being responsible to use the mind God gave me to make decisions and step into the unknown with purpose, rather than stumbling into it backwards.

P.S. If you don't know what a kowtow is, look it up. It will help flesh out your world history knowledge and give you something in common with one billion Chinese.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

We roll tonight...

After a nice three-day weekend (thank you George Washington!) I went to bed and woke up this morning feeling almost sick with anxiety about being observed and evaluated by my Dordt supervisor in classes today. It didn't help that I had wasted the entire weekend with completely un-planning-related activities, so I felt highly unprepared. Waking up at five helped me be more prepared, but I was still nervous. My roommate prayed with me, which did help some, but my true inspiration came as I got into my car and turned over the ignition. Blasting through my much-abused speakers came the sage words of Angus Young, "FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK, *FIRE* WEEEEE SALUUUUUUTE YOUUUUUUU!" I actually laughed out loud for joy, it was like they were singing to me. The wonderful thing about common grace is that sometimes it manifests itself as a beautiful sunrise, or an uncommonly long green light. And sometimes it manifests itself as AC/DC. Am I being heretical? I don't think so, but call me out if needs be. My evaluation went really well, by the way. I was so thankful. :)

I'm excited to meet these dwarf hampsters that I understand are now living in my apartment. But not as excited as I am about my roommate here getting a dog! Woo! I love dogs a lot. As long as they weigh more than 35 pounds and don't have smooshed up faces. And aren't annoying. Which apparently this dog is not, since he's a chocolate lab.

On the way home from school I decided that "Thunderstruck" is on my top five songs I need to hear performed live someday list. I'm going to have to decide what the other four songs on that list are, now. Ideas?

I'll be back on campus in two weeks!!!!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Take another look at the world right now

Today is the 95th birthday of a particularly excellent state. A state with world-famous sunsets (which Texas does not have). A state with a world-famous great big hole in the ground. A state with a nationally famous college basketball coach. A state with heart, and a state with soul. Viva Arizona!

That being said, today really blew some major chunks. For starters, we were basically the only school in the Kansas City metro to have school, everyone else was closed for icy road conditions and frigid temperatures. The icy road conditions affected my ability to stop at a particular stop sign as I ran into the back of the car in front of me, and the frigid temperatures affected my bare legs as I got out of the car in my skirt and struggled to stop shaking enough so I could write down my name and number for the woman I hit. Happy Valentine's Day.

Then I got to school, late and in a rather bad mood. I was greeted upon entering the building by a disgusting array of chincy Valentine's Day paraphernelia available for sale by the principal's daughter. I swear it was sort of like the money changers in the temple, I wanted to weave together a rope and start swinging, although much less out of righteous anger than bitterness at the way my day had started. My freshmen were in an equally bad mood, but they manifested it by intentionally being the biggest bitches possible. I don't know why they thought messing up my class would get their point across to the principal, but they went to it. I was still so flustered from my accident and being late that I didn't really have it together enough to start handing out punishments, so I resorted to asking the class to quiet down ever minute and a half. I'm such a pansy. Happy Valentine's Day.

During lunch, the senior boys I usually eat with got in a food fight that nearly manifested itself all over me, and yet one of the guys, who somehow got my cell phone number and was texting me all day, still could not understand why I didn't want to be his valentine. My real reason: he's just not that cute. Happy Valentine's Day.

I was at school until almost 4:30 trying to get grading done, and now I'm home trying to figure out what I'm doing with my classes tomorrow. Jonny (NO H, SO THERE) is working the bar at the restaurant where he works from noon until 10 PM, so no fun times for me tonight. Oh well. It's probably best, since there's a lot for me to do. Happy Valentine's Day.

I'm contemplating getting into the cooking sherry in the cupboard. But not really. I miss you guys with whom I'd be having fun tonight... I even miss you guys with whom I wouldn't be having fun tonight. Such a bitter post! I hope I can replace it with something better soon.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

It gets so hard to walk away

Ok, yes, the rumors are true. As of about the middle of last week, I have a boyfriend down here. For those of you who didn't hear the rumors, the same is true, but it's just a complete surprise. His name is Jonny, he's tall, smart, funny, athletic, and a goof. He also just found out that he has about a 50% chance of requiring brain surgery in the next few weeks. Awesome. So if you would pray for him, that would be excellent.

Ahh, 6:30 AM, an hour before I need to be at school. Student teaching has reawakened the morning person in me. I like waking up at 5:45, getting ready while drinking my peppermint green tea, listening to Bright Eyes, then dashing out to my car where I shiver as it very slowly defrosts. MOST satisfactory. Then I annoy my kids in homeroom by being chipper and cheery while they stagger in looking like extras from 28 Days.

My history unit has gone well, I give a test today which will tell me if it actually went well or if the contented understanding I read in students eyes was really a glazed stupor. Yesterday, however, I did have the strange experience of feeling that I was being remarkably boring, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. Bad times. I felt badly for my kids.

I'm really sorry I can't go to L'Abri. I had such a great time with it last year, but I'm starting up three new units in my science classes in the next week which will be much more complex than my one history unit... I know, you don't want my excuses. You guys will enjoy yourselves without me. But I'll miss being there. Boo. I'll also continue to miss drinking with all y'all, and valentine's day crazies with a few of you, and being continually inundated with interesting new applications of my last name...

Time to blowdry my hair! Wheeeeeeee! Grace and peace.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Goodnight my someone...

Last week, I had the pleasure of walking into my apartment building and being greeted by the heavy aroma of pot. Even after living most of my life two hours from the Mexico border, I'd never had that happen before. Weird.

I'm teaching this week, for the first time. An American History unit on the decade before the American Civil War, and today started out pretty well. Sophomores are kind of bitches, though, so I'm hoping it continues to go well.

Yesterday I think I got asked on a date by a guy at church. I've talked to him once before and he's terrible at conversation. He's also shorter than I am and scruffy. So he's automatically not a major find. But being as generally bad as I am at turning people down, I think I left the door open to go with him to see the Dead Sea Scrolls while they're in Kansas City. Crap. How do I keep doing this?

Also, confession times with Bethany K:
Last night I watched THE event of Professional Wrestling: the Royal Rumble. It involves thirty professional wrestlers entering the ring one at a time every minute and doing ridiculous things in order to throw each other out of the ring until one man is left standing. It was the funniest fourty five minutes of my life. And I think I'm in love with John Cena.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Kiss me and smile for me

This was an interesting week. I shall divulge:

Monday: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, observed. Meaning school was not in session. I celebrated my heritage by taking two naps, walking to and from the grocery store, and thinking about doing productive things.

Tuesday: I have to admit that this was my first ever snow day! Since Dordt never cancels classes and Tucson never needs to, I'd never gotten a day off school that wasn't scheduled before. Because the roads were so icy still, apparently, school was closed for the day, but I didn't find that out until after I arrived there at 7:30, dressed to kill. But then I went back home and did many of the same things I did on Monday (see above).

Wednesday: Funny mostly because while I was working on trying to get the Internet to work at school, one of the senior students in the room asked me if I would go to the Valentine's Banquet with him. Naturally I said yes, on the condition that I come completely drunk and inappropriately dressed. Oh, and I watched American Idol for the first time ever that night and wanted to tear out my own uvula for doing so.

Thursday: Almost exclusively boring, except I accidentally watched The OC and as punishment my dreams were full of freaky, disjointed half-stories about wild animals and carnies and such that I could publish as absurdist theater and make $10. I woke up feeling like I'd been stomped on by spiritpeople.

Friday: Found out lots of inside information on many of the students I'm working with, some really sad stories, and I'm nervous/excited to work with these students and, hopefully, have a positive impact. I also got into an in-depth debate with a couple of kids about the NFL playoffs and just how terrible the Bears actually are, except for Urlacher and the rest of the defense. Then I went out shopping alone tonight and spent an hour wandering around World Market. I think I want to live there. And I think I want a wok, real bad.

I finished Lauren Winner's Real Sex, and it was really excellent. Highly recommend it, and you don't only have to be a girl to read relationship/sex books. One of my favorite ideas, talking about chastity and the concept of fasting:
"The unmarried Christian who practices chastity refrains from sex in order to remember that God desires your person, your body, more than any man or woman ever will. With all aspects of ascetic living, one does not avoid or refrain from something for the sake of rejecting it, but for the sake of something else...for the sake of union with Christ's Body."

grace and peace

Friday, January 12, 2007

Outside it's America

Just finished my first week of student teaching down in Kansas City! Since I'm no longer in close range of any of those of you who read this, I've decided to post more frequently, say, once a week? Deal.
This week was largely uneventful, as I just sat around and observed from a comfy chair behind my desk. I already get my own desk, although one of the drawers smell like a cat puked in it, so that's not awesome. One of the teachers I'm observing is a crusty, ex-Marine Vietnam vet who hates socialism and furry little animals, but I like him anyway. The other teacher, in Biology, is more normal and thereby more boring, but we'll get along fine, I'm sure. I'm sure that by the end of this year, however, I will have completely had it with pantyhose/tights, because I've had to wear them every day. Lame dress code... Although by the number of sophomore guys checking me out in the hallway, I think I must look good. :)
I love Kansas City. L-O-V-E it. All y'all should come down and visit me sometime after I get the whole driving system figured out. But don't come this weekend, because there's a quarter inch of ice covering everything. Arizona driver + icy roads = bad things. So I'm limiting myself to walking trips only until it's safer. Or until I run out of beer. Whichever comes first.
ALSO, I want you all to swear the following oath, hand over heart and everything:

I, (your full name), will not let Bethany develop a Southernish accent. I swear to do everything in my power to prevent her from saying "Missourah" and "ain't" and other such Southernisms. However, if she starts talking like St. Louis rappers (I like it when you do that right thurr...), I will buy her ice cream. So help me God.

Thanks guys. I love you all and miss most of you!