I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I'm back!!!
No I didn't forget about my blog. I just had writer's block. For about..... 5 months?? Haha :) No on all seriousness, I took off for Raleigh for Nikki's wedding and remember thinking I'll post about the wedding when I get back. And, I, uh, never did. I kept reading other people's blogs. Then it got to the point that I was like, well its been 2 1/2 months, why update now. I also thought that no one was reading, haha, so I was too lazy. Well over Christmas break I was told I have readers and to update!! So here goes:

First off, my job. So as you know I'm back at my old high school, Glenn, teaching US History and Civics and Economics, and I'm loving it. I really miss Southeast Raleigh (actually really really miss it and the students!) but I'm liking Glenn-- its a lot different. I have 2 totally new classes: US History and Civics and Economics. I've never taught either one so its been quite a challenge! I student-taught Civics and Economics in college so thankfully I had a lot of stuff to use. Plus I just love that part of Social Studies in general. It was my favorite Social Studies class (ELP!) and I watch the news religiously so I'm always up to date on the info in it. By the way its all about government and such in case you were wondering. I get to have great convos with the kids as I teach different concepts which is awesome. One of the classes is a seminar, so we've had a couple of seminars and debates. We get to just "talk" more in there about everything going on in the world. There's plenty of notes too, don't get my wrong! Now to US History. That's a different story. I know US History from being a history major, but I'll be the first to tell you I did not know it as in depth as I should have! I've had to teach myself everything in order to teach them. Thats been tough! Not to mention all the WSFCS merged their schedules from 1/2 schools having 7 periods to 1/2 schools having 4 periods. Now we have both block and yearlong. We have 7 periods but at least one of your classes takes 2 periods back to back and its over 1/2 way through the year. For me that class is US History. So one US is 1/2 year long and the other is all year long. Put that on top of not really knowing the content or ever teaching it before and you have quite the headache!! Thank goodness Nikki gave me ALL, and I do me ALL, of her US History stuff from teaching it the past 3 years. Without it I would have been absolutely lost! I have really good kids (lucked up with all honors first semester, wooohoo) so I haven't had many behavior problems and they can help teach themselves whenever I get lost or behind with these new classes!

Also, I got to know the students at Southeast over the past 3 years from teaching 6 classes of freshman each year. Coming into Glenn I only knew a few kids from my church or ones that are the younger sibs of my friends. That's another challenge of being "the newbie." I'm also getting to know my colleagues. Now I have quite the advantage when it comes to this, since I went to Glenn. Nearly all of my old teachers are still there, although many probably still can't believe that ME of all people is back there teaching along side them, muahaha.

For instance I saw Mrs. Carpenter (who is retired) the last day of school before Christmas break at the faculty Christmas breakfast. She almost choked on her pancake when I walked up and told her I was teaching at Glenn! Now you have to understand Mrs. Carpenter and my's relationship. I had her twice-- for French II and then Senior English. When I heard I had her I was scared out of my mind. I heard she meant business. And I guess you could say back in high school, I didn't mean business. Understatement? Perhaps. Well I ended up not only liking her class but liking her. I feel like she liked me too. That is until that one day........

We were playing a review game and I was up. We were alternating acting out and drawing our vocab word. Well guess what word I got. "Always" (or whatever it is in French, which I don't remember). So, I'm up in front of the class sweating. Think, think. You're up against another team and you gotta draw this so your team will guess it. What can you draw? Light bulb! Always, you know, feminine stuff. So I get to drawing. The class busts up laughing, but guess what-- they got my word :) Then Mrs. C walks in from the hall and looks around to see what all the laughter is about. Needless to say she didn't find the humor in it. She immediately stopped the game and reamed me in front of everyone about my "locker room" talk. From that point on I don't think I was necessarily her favorite student. Can't say that I blame her. I'd flip on a kid if they did that in my class now. My, my how times change. Well the next year I had her class for Senior English and all was forgotten. I credit that class with the reason I was able to go to college knowing how to write a paper. Not your standard 5 paragraph intro 3 body conclusion paragraph. What to write, how to write, how to make a solid thesis, you know-- a paper, paper. Which isn't something I can say for many of my college classmates! So yeah, when she saw I was teaching too she couldn't believe it. I think my mom still feels the same way....

Song(s) of the post: Syndicate and Absolute by The Fray. #1 and #2 on their new CD, aptly titled, The Fray. Real creative. But such good songs. Go check out them out!

Be back soon with more!! Promise!!

I love your love the most...

Engagement Photos are in!!

I know, I know the wedding is not until NEXT June, but we went ahead and got our engagement pics done now. Judge if you will, but I've been engaged since Feb, and was ready to do something official and wedding related dang it! We thought about waiting until next Spring, but by then it'll be time for bridal portraits, so we (aka I) figured it would be good to go on and do them now this summer when everything is pretty. Don't worry I haven't been dress shopping yet. I'm not getting ahead of myself :)

Here are a few of my favorites:

Song of the Post: "I Love Your Love The Most" by Eric Church. Eric Church is one of Neal's favorite singers, and I must admit once I heard him I was hooked! He's awesome, and not your typical country singer. Neal started me with "Sinners Like Me" from his first CD. It's probably still my number one favorite Eric Church song. For some good tunes I suggest you download that and then these 3 from his second CD: "Carolina," "Those That I've Loved Along The Way," and "Love Your Love The Most." Love Your Love The Most is so sweet and goes along with the pics.

"I love sleeping in on Saturdays, and I love college football games. I love not acting my age, and good BBQ. But honey I love your love the most..."

Update to the previous post...

So I'm in Raleigh right now catching up with friends and my mom calls me laughing her head off.

When we last left I gave you the run down of my plans for Sat with the doc and the wedding. Well nothing ever goes exactly as planned. The plan: when I return to the doc that afternoon to have my TB test read I should be able to walk right in, have them look and see I'm fine, then sign off and leave. Something told me it wouldn't be that easy. Perhaps it was the ambulance I see with its lights flashing parked at a side entrance to the PrimeCare as I pulled in. Or maybe it was the man laying on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance as if he was dead. I knew when I walked in it was easier said then done. So I go in (donned in soccer shorts, button down polo, and fancy wedding hair and makeup) talk to the same lady from a few hours early, tell her about the guy outside, and was told to have a seat the doc would be with me shortly. I sit in one of the 2 only chairs available-- the one NOT beside a woman wearing a mask. Are you kidding me? If I get the freggin swine flu I'm gonna be pissed! I wait a bit, they call me back, sign me off, and I'm on my way.

Why did my mom call me? Well she goes to get a pedicure today and starts talking to the lady about her weekend. The lady told me mom she didn't have a good one. Her husband got hurt and they had to take him up the PrimeCare to have it checked out. She then proceeded to tell my mom just what a zoo it was: ambulances, a man laying on bricks, a lady with a mask, and a girl with TB. ERK! Then the their conversation went a little something like this: "what time were you up there?" "oh about 2 or so" "was the girl with TB dressed oddly?" "as a matter of fact she was, she sat across from me and was very done up but dressed sloppy" "that girl doesn't have TB, she's my daughter!!" "no the girl I'm talking about got called back by a doc for TB" "that's her, she got called back to have a TB test read so she can teach here, she just moved home and had to get all her shots and stuff, but she's fine, she doesn't have TB" "oh, whew, I just knew when I got home from the doc saturday I was gonna have the swine flu and TB from being up there all afternoon."

Luckily my mom calmed her fears (and hopefully saved her from telling everyone at the walmart, piggly wiggly, CVS, and belks) that there is a girl running around Kernersville with TB. That stuff is no joke!

Song of the post: I'll have to get back to you on that. I'll update you on my wedding weekend and beach/Raleigh times soon too! Promise :)

New Jobs and Tetanus Shots

Well it's official folks-- I have a job!! :) And the one I was really gunning for too! Like I told you earlier I moved home on a wing and a prayer that I would find a job. I wasn't sure that I would. At least not this early, but I got one at none other than my alma mater: Glenn High School! That's right I'll once again be a Glenn Bobcat. Crazy huh? Cachia retired and another teacher moved to PE so they had 2 Social Studies openings, meaning they got to fill with 1 position. Thankfully they chose me :) But filling Cachia's shoes will be no easy task. The man was a legend. He taught my mother for crying out loud, along with everyone else in Kernersville under the age of 53! You know what else that means? It means me and Mrs. Heffner are colleagues now. Boy you should have seen her face when I told her that :) Needless to say I gave her a few gray hairs in Chemistry. However I was very pleased to see my senior photo and prom group picture still taped to the side of her chemistry flame hood built in wall thingy-- you know the thing she stores all her textbooks in. Don't worry-- Shannon, Kate, Daegan, Jennifer, and Anna-- you're all still represented as well :)

I was offered the position about 3 weeks ago and signed a contract saying I would not talk/meet with other high schools and that I was committed to Glenn. I still wasn't 100% so I didn't put it on full blast. However I got a call Tuesday morning from Human Resources for Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools who asked if I was coming to the orientation meeting Wednesday at 8:30am! I had no clue. They mailed all my info to Raleigh, and for some reason it hadn't been forwarded to me in Kernersville (although my bills and stupid catalogues I get despite having never even heard of the company still come to me). I said heck yeah and went Wednesday morning. After a few hours of filling out tax forms, longevity/sick leave transfers, health insurance info, payroll info, and peeing in a cup to prove I am drugg free, I was made official. I even have the WSFCS contract to prove it! And, on a side note the only other person I met going to Glenn is the wife of a guy I taught with at Southeast. He's in grad school at Elon now, so they moved from Raleigh and we ended up at the same school. So now I won't be going through this alone. Woohoo!

Now onto the Tetanus shot. So in the packet of info that was never delivered to me was a physical form I had to fill out, get signed by a doctor, and turn in. Since I got it Wednesday (the day it was due) I was told to get it filled out and returned to them ASAP. You know the usual: blood pressure, vision and hearing checks, lots of deep breaths while they move around your back, and the ever exciting TB test. They can't officially sign me off on my health sheet until I come back in 48 hrs to have my TB test read. So I go first thing today (for once I'm not procrastinating!) and get my shot. Then I realize, holy crap 48 hrs. is Saturday. I'm in Whitney's freaking wedding Saturday. Like bridesmaid in a wedding. And Sunday I'm leaving out first thing to go to the beach for Nikki's Bachelorette and then Raleigh for the rest of next week. And I can't wait until the end of next week when I get back to mosey into the PrimeCare and have them read my week old TB test. I was informed "it just doesn't work that way." Ok fine, I'll run up to Kernersville during the middle of the day Sat (after hair/make-up but before pics) and have them read my left arm, determine I'm perfectly healthy, sign my paper (they assured me I won't have to wait in the waiting room they can check me off immediately), mail it off, and then return ready to once again resume the role as the gracious bridesmaid. Sound simple huh? Well not so fast. After we get the TB mess straightened out the doc asks "so when was your last tetanus shot?" I don't freaking know lady-- that's not one of the random facts I keep floating around in my head. Luckily I had my Wake County teaching info in the car. I went and got it and saw my physical and medical info from 3 years ago. Of course my tetanus shot was on it and what did it say? I got my first tetanus shot before I began kindergarten in 1989, followed up in 1999, and low and behold when do you think it expires-- in 16 days. Son-of-a-! So the doc informs me that she can't sign me off without one-- although I argued that technically if she signed it today (or Sat) I'm still current. Again obviously it doesn't work that way. So I asked the doctor if I would be incapacitated or unable to hold up flowers Sat due to my sore arm (dude I hear those shots hurt!). She told me I'd be sore but should make it through my bridesmaid duties just fine. Well what about, hypothetically speaking, if I drank a little Sat night after the wedding. I'd hate to cause a physical reaction in my arm/body with the alcohol and shot stuff. No such thing. Then I said well I'm going to the beach Sun, I don't want to burn/irritate the injection site and I'll be out in the sun. Maybe we should just wait. Again my fears were calmed. Dang! Ok, fine, just give me the stupid thing. And I roll up my sleeve. She leaves to find the shot and I wait in fear dreading. Note: shots don't normally bother me. In fact I give blood all the time. And the finger prick, eh? No biggie. But the talk, hype, and urban legends about how bad tetanus shots are have me really freaked out. I don't remember how bad I hurt last time I had one. Some would argue that's a good thing because obviously it didn't hurt that bad or I'd remember it; I prefer the other psychological approach: it was murderous and hurt so bad I blocked the entire event from memory. Either way I'm starting to sweat as I sit all alone in that sterile white room on the loud and awkward paper strip staring at signs reminding me about the importance of washing my hands. Then the door opens. The doctor emerges. And guess what she tells me. They are all out of tetanus shots! They gave their last one this morning and they are fresh out. Are you freggin kidding me? How do you run out of shots? Isn't that like a necessity? At this point I'm bummed. I had psyched myself up for it. Plus I'm thinking, ok when can I get one ASAP? I asked if they had like an hidden stash kept for emergencies, you know like a kid comes in bleeding with a rusty nail in his foot, but no such luck. The doc then informed me that even if they did I'm still perfectly healthy and wouldn't be able to tap into that resource. Doctors are so stingy sometimes. Ok so I'll just come back tomorrow and get one. Right? Wrong. Their shipments don't arrive until evening. I'll be at a rehearsal then rehearsal dinner. Crap! Then she tells me that I can get it Saturday when I come for my TB reading. Ok fine. Well I can't go get my TB reading until after lunch (to make a full 48 hrs). I won't have time to drive to PrimeCare, sit in the waiting room, get called back, wait for the doc, get my shot, then drive back and resume my duties. Ok, well when do you open on Sat? 8am. Got it. So here's the plan: get up early (being somewhere at 8am borders on the crack of dawn for me), get to PrimeCare when they open, get my arm stabbed, go to the church, get hair done, get make up done, eat lunch, go back to PrimeCare, have my TB test read, go back to church, change into dress, smile for photos, be in a wedding, get down at the reception, collapse into bed, and wake up at 8am (again crack of dawn), drive across the state, and finally get to relax on the beach for a few days with my girls. Whew. Sound like a mouthful? Just try living it. Lets hope I survive the weekend.

Again, though, I'll go through all this with a huge smile on my face because I GOT A JOB!! :) And the one I really wanted at that! :)

DNAologist...

Now let me preface this post by stating that I'm not a DNAologist. However you don't have to be a doctor to notice this:

So watching the news about the fate of Michael Jackson's 3 children I noticed something startling. Although all reports claim that his 3 kids are biologically his, I can't help but wonder: why are these kids white? I'm a history teacher. Biology and Math are not my strong suits, yet I know enough to function in society. I remember Punit (sp?) squares and dominant vs. recessive traits and know how fractions in math work that that 2 halves make a whole. Now I know that by the mid 90s the man was whiter than Casper the ghost, but biologically his DNA was black. And he had kids with women who biologically were white. So how are these kids not mixed?

Lets begin with the oldest 2: Micheal Joseph Jackson Jr (known as Prince Michael) and Paris Katherine Michael Jackson. Real creative. I'm gagging as I type. Anyways, Michael and Debbie Rowe (his dermatologist, obviously she wasn't a good one, look at the man) married and had 2 kids. They married right after he was divorced by Lisa Marie Presley, so they were obviously "for real" and not a sham. Anyways here is the happy couple:

Again, I know he looks white here but we all know the man isn't. I mean I don't know if he bleached his skin or just what, but for those of you too young to remember, this is what he should have still looked like:

Now the kids:

Handsome little devils huh? Cute as can be! But they're white. Right? They don't look anything like Michael, the before or after look. So I can't help but wonder, are these really his kids. I mean did they REALLY, REALLY, TRULY come from him? Hmmm, I'm skeptical.

Now the third child. You know the one he hung over a balcony with a sheet on its head a while back. Yeah that one. Again Michael stepped outside the box when naming this one. Drum roll please: Prince Michael Jackson II (sorry bud, you get this, your old man and older bro already took the normal versions of the name). And guess what he is called: blanket. Not just by the media. I read that is the kid's name and what he goes by. Only thing I can think of is because Michael had a blanket over his head when he hung him off a balcony? Coincidence?

Now this kid has is bad. I honestly feel for him. Not only was he thrown about outside a hotel window, and goes by "blanket" at preschool, but he has no mother. When reading about how Michael Jackson's mom will keep custody of the three kids I saw where they released info from the court documents. In these documents under "child's mother" it was filled in as "none." NONE! WTF? What this kid is an alien? He just magically appeared on Michael's doorstep one day with a note from a stork? Are you kidding? He's gonna be messed up one day when he stumbles across those court documents and realizes that he has no mother. That'll send a kid on a drug-induced tailspin quicker than anything I know. Here's a look at the poor soul:

Again, the child is white? Yes? And stylish too-- just look at those mini loafers. And devilish grin. I smell a future heartbreaker ladies!

So in conclusion, I am in no way a licensed medical practitioner, so you don't have to take my word for it, but I do feel that I bring to light some very important questions regarding these kids. Just something for you to think about.

Song of the Post: For this I picked my ABSOLUTE VERY FAVORITE Michael Jackson song of all times. Not Thriller (so cliche), Billie Jean, or Beat It. No. I'm talking about his 1991 mega hit: "Black or White." Fitting I know. But I swear, that's just a coincidence that it aligns so perfectly with the post. This was the first MJ single I owned-- cassette tape of course-- and played religiously in my walkman. It takes me back to the carefree days of Shadybrook Elementary and Roll-er-Rink Saturday mornings. We would skate around for hours listening to this (along with Paula, NKOTB, and other early 90s icons) in our puff paint tshirts, neon colored biker shorts, and sick side ponies full of curls. Man life was good back then. I feel that this song helped instill values of racial tolerance in my generation. Like the man sings: "But if you're thinking 'bout my baby/it don't matter if you're black or white." Well said.

BTW: on related note, Michael Jackson died last week. Just wanted to make you aware. They aren't covering it much in the news.

Typical Saturday?

Get ready for a long one....

Let me tell you about my day this past Saturday. I'm wake up to find my mom in the midst of her Saturday morning cleaning routine. Oh how I despised the Saturday morning cleaning routine growing up. When I was younger I hated it because it meant she would come in my room and vacuum, dust, change my sheets, and anything else she could to disrupt my morning. I mean how I am suppose to lay in the bed and watch Saturday morning cartoons with her yanking the fitted sheet out from under me? Or she would vacuum and somehow completely destroy the arrangement I had set up for my Barbies. Yes I played with Barbie's. I'm an only child remember, who else was I going to play with? I didn't do the whole babydoll thing, too sissy, but Barbie, now she was cool. I had a whole corner of my room dedicated to her- a house, 2 car garage, school, grocery store, pool, and ever popular rock concert stage. Barbie lived the life with me. But enough of that, back to Saturday morning. In my teenage years my hate for this routine turned from being merely inconvenienced to forced participation. Now it wasn't a labor camp, but the woman made me work! And we started before 10am usually. Although I thought it was a form of child abuse, her and the State of North Carolina didn't agree and I did several years of hard labor under her watch. That was until I moved away to college. Then magically the Saturday morning routine wasn't around whenever I was at home for the weekend. I think it's because I turned into a guest or something like that. I'd come home Friday evening and the place would be spotless. Like I was real company coming over for the weekend. Well folks reality hit me this Saturday and I'll be danged the routine is back! Its worse too because now with cleaning we throw in a healthy dose of organizing my crap from Raleigh, and cleaning out old stuff here to make room for my crap from Raleigh. I pulled my fair share and after lunch decided that I needed to make a break for it before I was gonna go insane. So being the helpful daughter that I am I decided to run errands. We needed large storage containers, gardening stuff, and groceries. Lightbulb! I'll just go to Walmart and knock it out in one place. Although the Walmart was built in high school (and was the ever popular hangout parking lot back in the day I might add) I never used it for groceries although I always heard how cheap the groceries are. Well I decided to go-- in the name of fiscal responsibility of course. Mistake! I think I'd rather slowly drown then go to the ONLY Walmart around (mind you if you don't go to this one you have to drive to a "real" city like Winston, Greensboro, or High Point for one) in the middle of a Saturday. It was a freggin zoo. And let me tell you I fit in nicely navigating the packed isles and dodging small children with a cart filled with 3 large rubbermaid containers, potting soil, and random groceries stuffed in where they would fit. Of course I'd run into about 50 people I hadn't seen since high school and I hadn't showered yet-- who showers for Walmart? White trash I was. I might as well of been toting around my son Junior with a kool-aid mustache and only one flip flop. I vowed never to make that mistake again...

Later that evening...
So Neal and I go with his 2 good friends and their girlfriends to the RibFest in Winston. According to what I was told this was a pretty big and fun gathering in downtown Winston. I thought cool lets go! Well not this year. First of all they moved it to the Dixie Classic Fair Fairgrounds. I mean its no State Fair fairgrounds but its pretty large. Its directly beside the LJVM Auditorium (where they hold concerts and stuff). I'm talking they share the same parking lot. And directly across a small side street from the Wake Forest baseball stadium. I'm thinking it'll be packed but no big deal. Wrong. Saturday was the day that every high school in WSFCS graduated at the LJVM. In and out all day long! And there was a game at the baseball stadium. You wanna talk about a madhouse. That place was one! We walked around, sampled some tasty ribs, and then decided to continue on to our next adventure of the night-- but not after spending an ungodly amount of money; 6 bucks each to get in, 11 to split ribs, 4 for fries, and then drinks were 5 bucks each and ice cream for another 5 bucks. Was it worth it? Doubt it, but you live and learn. The best part was the ice cream on the way out. It was like an ice cream sandwich but stuffed between 2 waffles! It was AMAZING! Again, classy I was as it dripped all over me across the parking lot.

Later that night...
So from there we decided to go to Bowman Gray Race Track for the Race. Yes you heard right race. Not Nascar, but not go-karts either. I mean these are real races. After being told it was Ladies Night (score! I got in for a dollar instead of 10!) and the final race was Demolition Derby I was all for it. I couldn't think of a better way to end my Saturday. So we get there and boy were they right-- all kinds come out for this event. I mean you can probably picture the scene. Girls in bright colored flip flops, tank tops, and "shorts" that can barely be called shorts and not underwear. Men in white or black t-shirts with brightly colored font and pictures of their favorite drivers with sleeves cut off as home made tank tops and jean shorts with boots. Malboro's and Bud Lights for as far as the eye could see. So one would think I might feel a little out of place? But nah, I loved it! I'd never been before-- its not really somewhere Robin and Dave went for a family fun Saturday night. I wasn't sure that I would like it (in fact Neal asked if I was in hell yet soon after we got there) but quite the contrary. It was some serious fun! We got seats about 5 rows back from the track right in the curve. Now its a small track and they race normal sized cars so it can get a bit jumbled. They had frequent wrecks which were fun to watch but then you had to wait out the caution and it drained from the excitement. After one wreck a guy kept driving even though the hood of his car crinkled up in the wreck and had to be totally blocking his view out of the front windshield. It was like something straight out of Talladega Nights. I guess sticking his head out the side window to steer got old because he left the track shortly after. Then I was gonna take a picture (for the blog of course!) of this guy who didn't have a hood at all on his car from a wreck-- the whole engine was exposed. I couldn't get a good picture so I decided to video it and lucky me, look what I got on tape right in front of us:



Keeps getting better right? Nope. About 10 mins after the video it started to rain and before we could get out of the race track it was pouring-- as we ran across the street and through a field where everyone had to park to our car in the pouring rain. I know it keeps getting better! No demolition derby :( But I've since found out that since they didn't do 3 races my ticket is now a rain check and I can come back to see the races and demolition derby free of charge. I'm thinking of waiting until my girls from Raleigh come down for a weekend. That'd be fun right?

Song of the Post: "Louisana Saturday Night" by Don Williams. As the title suggests it speaks about a typical Saturday night in Louisana. You know things like sitting on your front porch with a shotgun and an one eyed- dog while you brother walks up with a possum (or opossum for you technical spellers) in a sack. I feel that it adequately sums up my Saturday.

Life Changes

So for those of you not completely up-to-date on my life here is the condensed version. Last week I moved back to Kernersville from Raleigh. Back to good ol' Pine Meadow Drive, upstairs, first room on the left. Yes that's right, I'm living with mom and dad. And yes I'm 25. And currently unemployed. Judge away.

It was a hard decision to leave Raleigh. I mean I called the place home for the last 7 years. That's insane when you think about it-- like a 1/3 of my life! Raleigh saw me through some really crazy times and it wasn't the easiest to say goodbye to. I came to love it as much as home-- heck I learned how to navigate it way better than I know Winston and Greensboro!

There were several factors that led me this way. The largest of course was the fact that Neal and I are getting married next June and I didn't want to spend my engagement living in two separate area codes. Our relationship has been largely long distance based and it was getting old. I mean I just want to see the guy and go to Moe's on a Tuesday night and vent about my terrible day. Talking on the phone wasn't the same and the more I had to do it the more I hated it. I just want to be at home on a Thursday evening and him come home and give me a kiss on the forehead and ask about my crazy teaching stories and get to relive them in person. Again the phone did very little justice to this. Also there was the fact that the last of my 3 roomies is getting married in August. She sold the townhouse I'd been in for 4 years and I really didn't want to live on my own in an apt-- practically all my MC friends are married or living out of Raleigh. I have no desire to be the teacher that lives by herself and has a lot of cats. You know the type. Not really my style. Also I missed home. I missed my parents and seeing them during the week. When I moved to Raleigh (at the wise age of 18) I knew what was best for me. I didn't need my parent's advice because believe it or not I knew everything. (Gah I wish I was as smart now as I was then.) I've since come to appreciate my parents and family more and realized that I wanted to be around them. I hated zooming in on the weekends and balancing parent time, Neal time, and friend time. It was impossible. I would usually only see them at church on Sundays and then for Sunday supper before rushing out to return to Raleigh. I want to be able to see my mom during the week and hang out with my dad on weeknights and just catch up on life.

So I did just that and moved home the beginning of June. Since Neal and I are getting married next June we decided to both move in back at home to save money until we buy a house and get married. Again all my friends here are married up so no one to be a roomie with, and we didn't want to live alone if we didn't have to. It's got its pluses (home cooking, clothes folded on my bed when I come home, quality time with Robin and Dave, free internet and cable) and minuses (where'd ya go? what'd ya do? who'd ya see? what'd you know? every time I walk in the house), but overall its pretty good. I feel a little bit like a high schooler-- did I mention I had to return to my twin size bed in my room? Yes you read right. Twin. Oh it's luxurious.

Now the job hunt. Yes I'm unemployed. And unlike 10% of the population, its by choice. I know I'm crazy. You don't have to tell me; perfect strangers do that enough. I gave up teaching at Southeast and moved home with the hope that I'll be able to find something around here. Despite the economic CRISIS and school budget cuts, I think I'll be able to find a high school somewhere in Kernersville, Winston, Greensboro, High Point, or Davidson Co. that needs a Social Studies teacher-- and perhaps a coach. I used to think I'd find something over the summer but I'm pretty convinced that it'll be August before I know anything. For all you non-teachers there's this thing called the "first 10 days" -- not sure if that's its official title or not. This is when they take attendance like crazy and by the end of the 10 days they have their official enrollment. The state mandates that there is a certain number of teachers for kids. No more. No less. If schools have more kids they hire teachers after that period. If they have less they let some go. They can't put 50 kids in a classroom, so I'm hoping that during that time schools will realize "holy crap we shouldn't have let all those teachers go, we need them!" Then I'll swoop in gracefully and answer their prayers. Tada! Genius huh? Well lets just hope it goes like that. Being a substitute until then is not my idea of a good time.

Whew that was a lot. See why I only write every few days? If all my posts are this long feel free to only read parts of it each day until a new one comes along.

Song of the post: "Closing Time" by Semisonic. Now this is a middle school throw back song, but fitting of the post. My favorite lyric is "every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end." Cliche but fitting. I used to say that I was gonna put that on the bottom of the back of my wedding program one day. But that was back when I had braces and bangs. What did I know...