Be Kind, Rewind
The trailer doesn't do it justice. It's a really decent film, with good messages. I really enjoyed it.
They remake movies and call them 'sweded'. I just wanted to show you my 'sweded' movie. 
So after I applied for the self-contained position that I wanted in the Blue Springs District, I did some digging. I looked at pay scales and such and realized that I am going to have to take a pay cut any where I go. I also sat and thought, 'what do I really want?' I was kinda thinking maybe I didn't want to teach self-contained anything. I'd like to have a variety of students and do resource or class within a class kind of teaching. It would be a nice change and I could really make a difference. AND then I got an email from Blue Springs saying the position had already been filled. AND then I got a message from a co-worker saying that they are almost 100% positive they are doing away with my position at the school next year (doesn't mean I'm out of a job - don't get crazy!!). So, what this all means is that I might get to push for whatever kind of job I want next year. I know I want to keep my pay check. AND I know that I want to be able to move around a little, rather than be tied down in my classroom with the same kids. I want to be able to enforce behavior plans in the regular classroom and I want to help kids in a one on one-three setting. Finally - something that I can say to someone when they say, well what can I do for you or how can I help you or what do you want to do. AND on the 10th of March we have a planning meeting for next year where I can totally be like, AND this is what I want to do - how do we fit that in. :D Amazing how fate steps in and works it all out.
Sigh *of relief*
So is warmth. Bring it on, spring....
Good thoughts: 2 weeks and 4 days till I got to Mexico. This also means, my birthday is just a little over 3 weeks away. All very exciting things to look forward to.
I think we have another person joining us which will only add to the trip, and make it cheaper for groceries.
I hope everyone is staying well. I seem to be feeling much better these days.
I have a community band concert on Sunday at 3:00 at the Platte City High School Auditorium. It's not going to be a great concert (meaning, I don't have any solos), but if you like band music - it'll be good. We are pairing with another community band - from the way Mr. Sergel (my director) talks about it - they might be an 'older' band.
My student gave me another treat today at lunch. She gave me an apple all wrapped up in a paper towel which was then wrapped up in saran wrap (I have no idea where she got that...). It was an interesting looking gift. Anyhow. I haven't been eating anything the kids give me. It's bad enough that I eat lunch in my room with the stink and the germs.
I'm grateful for new glasses coming. It's probably time to change my contacts, but I am awaiting my new glasses, so when I get home for the night, I can just put them on and let my eyeballs breath.
I'm also grateful for a past principal which agreed to be a reference. It was the last reference I was looking for and so my application can be complete. I will be putting out applications and waiting for the phone calls. I've definitely decided on Elementary and am reviewing districts pay scales to see who's the highest bidder. Unfortunately - Center is right now, but I do have a lot of experience and am well respected in my trade - soooo....I might be able to get a deal.
Just some updates:
1. I got a key to the salon. So I can now pick up shifts with only one person working.
2. I have not heard from the dr. about all the tests he ordered, but I should sometime this week.
This is unreal! We have another snow day. I can't hardly believe it. Even though I was scheduled to not be at work anyway - it's really nice to know that I would have had a 5 day weekend (except for working all day at the salon on saturday). I got my house cleaned up yesterday. I did the really deep cleaning - not just putting everything up.
It was good to have the day to do that. At this time of year, I think it's really hard to be motivated to do anything. The last two Sunday's I've spent shamelessly in bed. Didn't get up to do anything but go to the bathroom, get some water or milk, and let the dog out. So cleaning house yesterday was not only an emotional relief, but necessary.
Today I am going to venture out. I have a few errands I need to run, and I thought about actually heading down to the symposium I'm supposed to be at so my district doesn't waste $115.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Is there ever a time in life where you actually feel like you get ahead or at least clear even? I can see the gains and all the wonderful things I've accomplished - but I do not feel like I'm ahead or even - I feel far behind.
The good moment for the day - my 5:33 AM call for a snow day!! I did already have the day off, but now, I will be stuck in my house and am using the day to clean! I have been so lazy and lethargic lately that I've done nothing. I've even resorted to the wearing of dirty clothes (fluff them in the dryer of course). So anyway - I'm at it. I thought I'd take a minute and check all my stuff - thank god I did. I've got to get my sh-- together! I absolutely love these wake-up calls (sike).
I did go to the dr. but got nothing. They got 8 vials of blood and an ekg. So we'll see from there. I'm not going to post anything about it until I know anything one way or the other.
Hope everyone stays warm today and is safe if you decide to get out!
The clarity worked - and today was possibly the best day I've had at work all year. It felt as if teaching was supposed to feel. I didn't feel terrible, sick, or stressed when I left. It was nice.
Thanks to everyone for the VD messages. (VD is Valentine's day) I sent a few of my own and still have some to give out. Mainly I saved it for my every day peoples. I'm not big onto the whole deal - I like the pretty colors and all the fun candy and cards - but really.....it's a Hallmark Holiday! Nothing important. I do have to thank Brian, my best guy friend, for being my Valentine once again. THANKS! You always save me from sitting at home by myself on this crappy day.
I did really appreciate an email Brian sent - went something like this:
"Happy Singles Awareness Day!" I thought that was genius.
Hope everyone had a wonderful VDay and that if you are coupled you got flowers and the like, and if you're not coupled that you had wonderful friends to share it with and that you didn't sit at home and feel sorry for you singleton self.
Have a great weekend!! TGIF!
It has become very clear to me that I need to send out more positive messages into the universe. Everything has really not been going my way. I've said it before, I will say it again - When it rains, it pours. And since I have been having a negative attitude, I think it has continued to pour. I've tried to change my thinking to more positive, but something else would happen or I'd lose my patience and bam - back to the negative. So I'm going to try something - I'm going to write about my day and tell what the positive of the negative was. And hopefully it will at least cancel out and the universe will stop pouring on me.
Ran late this morning - just dreading going to school. But I got there only 15 minutes late and then started working the minute I got in. I was able to take care of a kid that I had worried about earlier that morning and so all was good.
Had a rough day. But I did notice that the students really work well on worksheets (I have actually been noticing this). I'm not a worksheet kind of teacher, but I think if it would calm my class down - I would become that teacher for at least the rest of this year. I'll be giving it a try in the next few weeks. Realizing this and accepting this also made me think that my students must like to complete work, but like to have the work/tasks in front of them before they begin. So my checklist on the smartboard isn't enough. I don't think a checklist on their desk would be enough - but I'm going to try. I'll be killing more than a few trees the rest of this year.
I cried twice today - both times just because I break down. And I've noticed that when I do cry (It's quite often lately) my mantra is 'I can't do this'. I don't know if I can change that by the time I get to that point - but I know that it does make me feel better and I always talk myself into knowing that I can and have to do it. I probably need to take more breaks and that way I wouldn't get to that point.
I locked myself out of my house. Didn't freak out - went on to the gym and then to get my hair did. When I got home I didn't worry, I just kicked the door in - see a few weeks ago, somehow, my door frame cracked (weather). And so it was easy. I have Saturday off and will be able to just spend the day figuring out how to fix it.
Now I'm off to eat some dinner and see a concert/show. I hope that the universe sends me something nice. Or at least I've started to change my precipitation problem. It can surely stop raining on me anytime.
First the good news - with my income tax money I have paid off my Eddie Bauer Credit Card. It's always good to pay something off right. I'll be shredding that card - and not using it ever again. I'm just not fiscally responsible enough.
Also-I go to the specialist next Tuesday. I'm glad it was moved up. Stacy, I just read your comment about black mold - I'm going to look into all that and see how to test for it - just to rule it out. When my house was inspected the guy went everywhere and said there wasn't any problem with mold or carbon dioxide. I'll do my research and then look into it though. At this point, I'll pretty much do anything.
I'm also taking my unhappiness at work into my own hands and finding a new job. I've started applying. I'm hoping to be able to have a new job in place for next year before this year ends.
While all this goodness is fantastic - I'm still in a funk and there seems to be little to get me out of it. I've started back to my old eating habits. I stopped working out as much. I'm definitely not losing weight. And in fact have put on a few of the pounds I've lost (not too many though). I'm finding it really hard to find the want to go to the gym or the self control not to eat whatever I want. I know - that I have to do both in order to lose weight. But after I get done writing this, I'm going to the gym.
I've begun two lists - one on 100 things that I'd like to do and the other on all the things, even small minuscule ones, that I'd like in a man. If you are lucky I'll try and blog them both this week. Thanks to Stacy for the first idea, and Oprah's magazine for the second.
Okay - I'm out like trout to the gym. Have a great week!
I know I'm speaking to the choir - but make sure and get out there and vote on SuperTuesday. Let's make sure our votes get expressed - no matter what/who you vote for. I was rather impressed with all the Super Tuesday - get out and vote hoopla during the Superbowl yesterday! It really shows how ready our country is for a leader and a new direction.
And just for fun - a quote: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a
member of Congress.. But I repeat myself." --Mark Twain
After this last wonderful weekend with Saturday off, I've decided that I need to not work on Saturday's anymore. This presents a problem because it is now the only day that I work my second job. So - my solution to this is to ask to work during the week and not on Saturday's. If they respond in a negative manner - then my option is to quit and not work a second job. I'll just have to watch the going out and spending. Which can be done, although not easily. And I can always ask around for tutoring jobs and after school care and such. That kind of stuff is just not steady. But maybe if I picked something up every once in a while and watched my money by actually budgeting - then I could truly be successful at not working on Saturdays or having a second job at all.
In conclusion, I would really enjoy not working a 6 day work week. Thank you.
What I know:
The doc put me on steroids again methylprednisolone and so the swelling has gone way down. I'm able to do every day stuff without a lot of pain AND I'm not moaning as much. It is my third time being on these steroids so I went to the link above and realized that all the 'prescribed for' are the problems that I've been having. So I some more hope that my doctor knows what he is doing. Also, just for point of clarification - I have seen this particular doctor since I moved back from Cabool in 8th grade. So it's not just some joe schmo HMO.
As perplexing as it seems, what I have symptoms (been having) is some kind of connective tissue disease. However, in September he gave me that run of tests and I came up fine. I'll be going to see a rheumatoid arthritis specialist soon (they didn't answer their phones yesterday so I could make an appointment). I don't think my doctor has nailed it down to just that - but I guess the guy has some experience and will be able to put things together and make some sense of them. After looking at the wiki-pedia about RA, I don't think I have that. There are a slew of other connective tissue diseasesthough, and my guess is that I probably have one of them.
I also think before this is all said and done that I really should go see a allergist and have the big stick test. Just to rule all that out - and to see what I'm allergic too. The other thing that hasn't escaped me is that this all pretty much started when I moved into my house - if we want to connect it to something - it also started the day I started back to school - so we can connect it to that if you want also.
But all this boils down to my symptoms which have been: skin irritation, trouble breathing, inability to fight off cold/bronchitis (may be due to the steroids), swollen joints, and joint stiffness - all at some point in time over the last 6 months.
Now, I'm going to go and enjoy my first Saturday off in a very long time. I'll let you know what I know, when I know it. :)
