here is an excerpt from a letter that i sent to K the day after the election. i posted this email to her from my phone while enjoying happy hour at a bar, waiting for a date. it was perhaps the happiest hour i have had in a very long while:
I am slightly tipsy and writing this on my iPhone so apologies if it does not come out right.
I can't even really describe how I feel right now. I think it is just starting to sink in.
I did not really do much by way of celebrating last night I think mostly because I am way gun shy after the last time around, if that makes any sense. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop...
School today was crazy. All of the students were exhausted from staying up, but also high from happiness. In my first class of the day I had a girl stand on the lab table and jump up and down dancing, screaming Obama! Obama! at the top of her lungs. While it was disruptive of the lesson plan, I decided to let them process. This is a huge deal for us all, especially a bunch of black kids from bklyn. Far be it for me to deny them their joy. I told them I would count to three and they could holler as loud as possible for 30 seconds.
Later in the class the dean came by and said he heard there was a commotion in the room. I pretended I knew nothing :)
I wish you would have been here to document the whole thing. You would have done a better job for sure.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
letters of apology
i got letters of apology from three out of four of my 11th grade boys that were involved in Thursday's altercation. they were very sweet and very thoughtful-- most of them said things to the affect of "i know that i need to grow up and take some responsibility for my actions" and "now is the time for me to get serious and take care of business". all of the boys said that they respect me as a teacher and that they appreciate my understanding and the fact that i care.
it makes me feel good that they recognize that even if they were "defending our class", that their actions contributed to the chaos.
maybe in some strange way all of this mess will bring us closer together as a class.
it makes me feel good that they recognize that even if they were "defending our class", that their actions contributed to the chaos.
maybe in some strange way all of this mess will bring us closer together as a class.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
the mason dixon line
within the first five minutes of 3rd period, i knew it was going to be hard. two of my 10th graders came into my science room, plugged up the back sinks, and then turned the water on full blast and ran out of the room. when i noticed the floating garbage in the sink and the pounding water i realized what had happened.
then within the first 10 minutes the same two 10th graders came back into class (they should have been at lunch) and burst into the room, yelling and swearing at a handful of my 11th grade boys. i managed to kick them out and lock the door from the outside so they wouldn't bust in again.
ten minutes later, i was just starting to lecture when the door opened. someone from my class opened it from the inside (it was locked) and not two, but seven of my 10th graders rush into the room and begin fighting with my 11th grade boys. all in all it was 12-15 boys rioting in my room. desks pushed, chairs flipped, on the counters, on the floor, punching, shoving, shouting.
it took four teachers and two deans to get them to calm down. the offending 10th graders immediately tried to run off, as if no one would notice, while i lost it in the hall.
my adrenaline was on high speed and it was hard for me to not try to get more in the fight to bust it up. like a protective mother i wanted to keep people form hurting my kids, except they were all my students. i might have been hit in the melee, i'm not sure. my whole body is sore and i am exhausted.
in fact, i'm going to take another nap. i'm dead.
then within the first 10 minutes the same two 10th graders came back into class (they should have been at lunch) and burst into the room, yelling and swearing at a handful of my 11th grade boys. i managed to kick them out and lock the door from the outside so they wouldn't bust in again.
ten minutes later, i was just starting to lecture when the door opened. someone from my class opened it from the inside (it was locked) and not two, but seven of my 10th graders rush into the room and begin fighting with my 11th grade boys. all in all it was 12-15 boys rioting in my room. desks pushed, chairs flipped, on the counters, on the floor, punching, shoving, shouting.
it took four teachers and two deans to get them to calm down. the offending 10th graders immediately tried to run off, as if no one would notice, while i lost it in the hall.
my adrenaline was on high speed and it was hard for me to not try to get more in the fight to bust it up. like a protective mother i wanted to keep people form hurting my kids, except they were all my students. i might have been hit in the melee, i'm not sure. my whole body is sore and i am exhausted.
in fact, i'm going to take another nap. i'm dead.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
that old familiar feeling...
the itching feeling inside my ears, the hot flashes, the tickly throat--
i am getting sick.
after a particularly hard thursday and friday, its no wonder that now my body chooses to get ill-- my defenses are completely worn down at this point. since the beginning of school i have done a great job of holding everything together, but the end of this week was totally exhausting.
thursday marked what was probably my worst day at school-- a fire drill during my 2nd period class set my lesson plans off-kilter, then my 10th graders (read: evil children) locked me in my classroom. actually, it is someone else's classroom, but they stole the door handle off the inside of the door as they came in to class. this left the handful of tardy students locked out from the outside, and left me and the rest of the class locked inside. after trying to get them to give up the handle, i told them that it was the stupidest thing they could do to lock themselves in the room with me, because not only was no one going out the window (we're on the 7th floor), but they were now stuck in a room with a very pissed off teacher.
after about five minutes, the handle came skittering across the floor and i let the rest of my class in. we got nothing done that period.
then, the period directly following, i returned to my own classroom to teach what is my largest 11th grade class. there were a few students from the previous class lingering in the room and about 10 of my students settling in when my door jams. i have been after maintenence to fix it for two weeks now, as its been getting progressively harder to open, lock, etc, but this time it just stuck. no one could open it from either side and chaos ensued. the kids in class didn't want me to let the loud kids in the hall in ("Miss, this will be the quietest this class has ever been!") and the kids in the hall were shouting as if they'd been intentionally locked out ("We have to bust the door in! Tamika, let's use your head!"). I tried calling the office from my cell (no answer) and it took 20 minutes for maintenence to show up to start dismantling the door handle completely. in the melee, half of the kids locked out just decided to leave. once we finally got the door open, again, we got nothing done.
fabulous.
i think i might be the only teacher in history to get locked in their own classroom twice in one day.
friday was rough too, more so for personal reasons than school reasons, though i had the evil 10th graders again. they made me crazy-- in the middle of class they decided to stage an impromtu dance party, knocking over desks and chairs and making a dance circle. i just watched.
these kids are hard to deal with-- they're the bad group of the 10th grade and they have no respect for anyone. i have to constantly watch them or they'll steal things (and i always teach them in other people's classrooms), they write on anything they can get their hands on, and they're constantly yelling at each other.
they're also very homophobic, which is great. if i had a dollar for every time they called someone or something else gay, i could retire.
yikes.
i am in the process of figuring out how i am going to deal with them next week.
its saturday, i'm exhausted, and getting sick. thank god for rosh hashanah this week.
i am getting sick.
after a particularly hard thursday and friday, its no wonder that now my body chooses to get ill-- my defenses are completely worn down at this point. since the beginning of school i have done a great job of holding everything together, but the end of this week was totally exhausting.
thursday marked what was probably my worst day at school-- a fire drill during my 2nd period class set my lesson plans off-kilter, then my 10th graders (read: evil children) locked me in my classroom. actually, it is someone else's classroom, but they stole the door handle off the inside of the door as they came in to class. this left the handful of tardy students locked out from the outside, and left me and the rest of the class locked inside. after trying to get them to give up the handle, i told them that it was the stupidest thing they could do to lock themselves in the room with me, because not only was no one going out the window (we're on the 7th floor), but they were now stuck in a room with a very pissed off teacher.
after about five minutes, the handle came skittering across the floor and i let the rest of my class in. we got nothing done that period.
then, the period directly following, i returned to my own classroom to teach what is my largest 11th grade class. there were a few students from the previous class lingering in the room and about 10 of my students settling in when my door jams. i have been after maintenence to fix it for two weeks now, as its been getting progressively harder to open, lock, etc, but this time it just stuck. no one could open it from either side and chaos ensued. the kids in class didn't want me to let the loud kids in the hall in ("Miss, this will be the quietest this class has ever been!") and the kids in the hall were shouting as if they'd been intentionally locked out ("We have to bust the door in! Tamika, let's use your head!"). I tried calling the office from my cell (no answer) and it took 20 minutes for maintenence to show up to start dismantling the door handle completely. in the melee, half of the kids locked out just decided to leave. once we finally got the door open, again, we got nothing done.
fabulous.
i think i might be the only teacher in history to get locked in their own classroom twice in one day.
friday was rough too, more so for personal reasons than school reasons, though i had the evil 10th graders again. they made me crazy-- in the middle of class they decided to stage an impromtu dance party, knocking over desks and chairs and making a dance circle. i just watched.
these kids are hard to deal with-- they're the bad group of the 10th grade and they have no respect for anyone. i have to constantly watch them or they'll steal things (and i always teach them in other people's classrooms), they write on anything they can get their hands on, and they're constantly yelling at each other.
they're also very homophobic, which is great. if i had a dollar for every time they called someone or something else gay, i could retire.
yikes.
i am in the process of figuring out how i am going to deal with them next week.
its saturday, i'm exhausted, and getting sick. thank god for rosh hashanah this week.
You can stand under my umbrella.
Like the umbrellas that litter the tracks of the d train line,
I am tired from a long day's work, fighting forces of nature bigger than me,
and I lay here, a little broken.
Not broken beyond repair, but I have outlived my five dollar life span,
have done my best to shield against the driving rain and gusty winds
and at the time when I need just a little fixing,
I am tossed away with yesterdays free newspaper and an old gum wrapper.
So loved in times of panic, so lost in times of sun,
this is the life of a five dollar umbrella.
I am tired from a long day's work, fighting forces of nature bigger than me,
and I lay here, a little broken.
Not broken beyond repair, but I have outlived my five dollar life span,
have done my best to shield against the driving rain and gusty winds
and at the time when I need just a little fixing,
I am tossed away with yesterdays free newspaper and an old gum wrapper.
So loved in times of panic, so lost in times of sun,
this is the life of a five dollar umbrella.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
things that i have learned
1. urban kids are way obsessed with piercings and tattoos. they will ask you about them over and over, usually while you're talking about something else.
2. they will do anything to get what they want. i got more compliments on my hair and my tie on the day of my first test than i have the entire time here
3. they do not understand why you drink so much water
4. just because someone takes notes and does the work does not mean they understand
5. sometimes the kid who does nothing in class will ace your test
6. sometimes it is better to ignore their misbehavior than to address it. the less time you spend yelling, the better
7. they care so much about what other people think of them, that if you make it uncool to talk, they'll finally shut the hell up.
8. candy works wonders
9. they are gayer than you think
10. they will act like they hate you in class, but they love you in the hallway.
11. they desperately want your approval, even when they tell you they don't care
12. sometimes, it is just better to let them sleep
2. they will do anything to get what they want. i got more compliments on my hair and my tie on the day of my first test than i have the entire time here
3. they do not understand why you drink so much water
4. just because someone takes notes and does the work does not mean they understand
5. sometimes the kid who does nothing in class will ace your test
6. sometimes it is better to ignore their misbehavior than to address it. the less time you spend yelling, the better
7. they care so much about what other people think of them, that if you make it uncool to talk, they'll finally shut the hell up.
8. candy works wonders
9. they are gayer than you think
10. they will act like they hate you in class, but they love you in the hallway.
11. they desperately want your approval, even when they tell you they don't care
12. sometimes, it is just better to let them sleep
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A week and a few days
Looking back on my first full week, plus a few days, has been a great tool thus far. My first week went better than I had expected, in retrospect. I was prepared for the worst and for the most part have been pretty lucky with the students I have and the great faculty I work with. My surprise of the year came when I found out that in addition to my 16 periods of earth science, that I would also be teaching 3 periods a week of “literacy support” to 10th graders. Essentially, my school is trying to prepare the 10th graders for the litany of Regents tests they’ll have this year as best they can, and for some reason they think having an 11th grade science teacher working with them three hours a week is going to help. Fortunately for them I was a liberal arts major in college, not a science geek, and have a pretty healthy amount of opinions and tactics at hand to help get kids more involved with reading and writing. They have been by far my most challenging group—I think there was something wrong with the water the year they were born because the 10th grade class at everyone’s school seems to be the worst. Still, no one is threatening to pee on my desk, which means I’m better off than some.
Looking forward to next week and the week after, as I am getting exponentially more comfortable with this as time goes on.
Looking forward to next week and the week after, as I am getting exponentially more comfortable with this as time goes on.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
My last Sunday...
... this is the last Sunday I will have where I am not required to do anything for school, probably until xmas break, if not until next summer.
and what am i doing with my time?
slept 'till noon, made a late pancake breakfast, waiting for food to settle before hitting the gym. i straightened up my room a bit, hung up some school clothes, and in general have just been lazing about. tomorrow is labor day, so i have one more day to prepare for class on tuesday, but at this point, i am feeling a bit like i know so little about what this week will look like that there isn't much i can do at this point but try to relax and take a few deep breaths.
i plan on prepping materials for next week this week, so i am ahead of the game.
i do have to create a curriculum for my new elective that i was assigned to teach, a three-day-a-week school skills class for 10th graders. we're not giving homework in this class, so i believe that i'm going to focus on literacy and real-world topics in science. i am going to start them off with an excerpt from "the world without us" and go from there. i'd like for us to read "fast food nation" as a class and discuss the reading group topics suggested by the publisher. these kids have a very intimate relationship with fast food and i would like for our class to examine that a little deeper.
would also like to read "stiff" by mary roach, because kids like that gross stuff and its easy to read, and science-y. we'll see how that goes.
on another note:
sarah palin? really?
insulting.
its as if mccain thinks that any woman will do. this woman is the harriet miers of the 2008 election-- totally unqualified and wet behind the ears. mccain just took the reasoning out of any "obama isn't experienced enough" argument because your VP pick is supposed to be someone you believe to be ready to lead as president should you keel over and die, which is more likely to happen to mccain in the next four years than anyone else.
what an f-ing joke.
and what am i doing with my time?
slept 'till noon, made a late pancake breakfast, waiting for food to settle before hitting the gym. i straightened up my room a bit, hung up some school clothes, and in general have just been lazing about. tomorrow is labor day, so i have one more day to prepare for class on tuesday, but at this point, i am feeling a bit like i know so little about what this week will look like that there isn't much i can do at this point but try to relax and take a few deep breaths.
i plan on prepping materials for next week this week, so i am ahead of the game.
i do have to create a curriculum for my new elective that i was assigned to teach, a three-day-a-week school skills class for 10th graders. we're not giving homework in this class, so i believe that i'm going to focus on literacy and real-world topics in science. i am going to start them off with an excerpt from "the world without us" and go from there. i'd like for us to read "fast food nation" as a class and discuss the reading group topics suggested by the publisher. these kids have a very intimate relationship with fast food and i would like for our class to examine that a little deeper.
would also like to read "stiff" by mary roach, because kids like that gross stuff and its easy to read, and science-y. we'll see how that goes.
on another note:
sarah palin? really?
insulting.
its as if mccain thinks that any woman will do. this woman is the harriet miers of the 2008 election-- totally unqualified and wet behind the ears. mccain just took the reasoning out of any "obama isn't experienced enough" argument because your VP pick is supposed to be someone you believe to be ready to lead as president should you keel over and die, which is more likely to happen to mccain in the next four years than anyone else.
what an f-ing joke.
Friday, August 8, 2008
wait, this might be random
i tested it again, just to see what happened, and got this
this might all be a fluke.
in other news, while at a bar on the lower east side tonight, i ran into heather matarazzo, the actress who became famous for her role in the dollhouse, and who was a reoccurring character in season 4 of the l word. in case you don't remember, she played stacy merkin, the journalist who jenny lovingly referred to as "the vagina wig". if you're unfamiliar with the reference, just google the word "merkin" and you'll see why.
she is much skinnier in person than i thought she would be.
this might all be a fluke.
in other news, while at a bar on the lower east side tonight, i ran into heather matarazzo, the actress who became famous for her role in the dollhouse, and who was a reoccurring character in season 4 of the l word. in case you don't remember, she played stacy merkin, the journalist who jenny lovingly referred to as "the vagina wig". if you're unfamiliar with the reference, just google the word "merkin" and you'll see why.
she is much skinnier in person than i thought she would be.
this blog's reading level
came across this website, via the slog (www.thestranger.com/blog), where it will test the reading level of your blog. as it turns out
i am a little disappointed. i am a high school teacher after all, and should be working to increase the literacy of our youth. how am i supposed to do that when the reading level of my own blog is at junior high? i suppose i should start using more five-dollar words.
i am a little disappointed. i am a high school teacher after all, and should be working to increase the literacy of our youth. how am i supposed to do that when the reading level of my own blog is at junior high? i suppose i should start using more five-dollar words.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
creativity strikes
jaclyn is out of town until saturday, so i have some more free time on my hands than usual. plus, i am not taking any more classes until the beginning of september, so right now my agenda is full of teaching, still, and working out. in the interim, i picked up these plain white slip-ons at payless for $9.99, and then gave them my own brooklyn flavored design. for some reason i can't figure out how to get the photo reversed, so for now you get the mirrored image, but you get the point. they're pretty sweet. i have a few ideas for another pair, in a very small size 7, for jac when she gets back. i don't have enough space to do a map like the one on the left, but perhaps something reminiscent of that design will do...
hope you are well.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
for the love of cheap masala sauce and frozen naan..
... i would trek across the world and back, or so it seems. okay, so maybe not across the world, but definitely a long f-ing way to go to get food from heaven, otherwise known as trader joe's.
normally i set aside time in my schedule to make the trip to tj's. not just because its not close, but because the lines can be insane and the shopping trip can take an hour just from the time you're in line to pay to when you get on the train.
unlike seattle, where there are at least three different tj's that i've been to, there is only ONE in new york. that's right, the biggest city in the united states has ONE trader joe's. this particular tj's is located at union square, which on a good day is about a 3o-40 minute train trip, with only one transfer, from my house. if i'm going on a major stocking-up excursion, the distance is worth the price and the good food i have here at home.
so yes, in the one tj's in all of new york, they have all of the wonderful foods i came to love in seattle, but also have their own wine store (a separate entrance and everything, for many many kinds of two buck chuck, among others) and people inside flagging you down into lines for the check out. today was a slow day-- i only waited 15 minutes, but i have seen the lines snaking around the entire inside of the store. and i thought that the queen anne tj's on a sunday was insane.
today was "get two of everything" day for me, since i don't make it into manhattan all that often. turns out that two peanut butters, two soy milks, two bags of frozen veggies, two pizza crusts, etc, gets very heavy very quickly. not only that, but my basket kind of had a noah's ark theme going on, two by two.
the man who rang me up managed to fit everything into just three bags, but my goodness, they were the three heaviest grocery bags i have ever carried. i looked like a total fool trying to walk through union square back to the train, trying to get on/off the train, and trying to walk home. but now i have cupboards full, and hopefully won't have to go back to tj's until september, when they open the one that is coming to brooklyn...
normally i set aside time in my schedule to make the trip to tj's. not just because its not close, but because the lines can be insane and the shopping trip can take an hour just from the time you're in line to pay to when you get on the train.
unlike seattle, where there are at least three different tj's that i've been to, there is only ONE in new york. that's right, the biggest city in the united states has ONE trader joe's. this particular tj's is located at union square, which on a good day is about a 3o-40 minute train trip, with only one transfer, from my house. if i'm going on a major stocking-up excursion, the distance is worth the price and the good food i have here at home.
so yes, in the one tj's in all of new york, they have all of the wonderful foods i came to love in seattle, but also have their own wine store (a separate entrance and everything, for many many kinds of two buck chuck, among others) and people inside flagging you down into lines for the check out. today was a slow day-- i only waited 15 minutes, but i have seen the lines snaking around the entire inside of the store. and i thought that the queen anne tj's on a sunday was insane.
today was "get two of everything" day for me, since i don't make it into manhattan all that often. turns out that two peanut butters, two soy milks, two bags of frozen veggies, two pizza crusts, etc, gets very heavy very quickly. not only that, but my basket kind of had a noah's ark theme going on, two by two.
the man who rang me up managed to fit everything into just three bags, but my goodness, they were the three heaviest grocery bags i have ever carried. i looked like a total fool trying to walk through union square back to the train, trying to get on/off the train, and trying to walk home. but now i have cupboards full, and hopefully won't have to go back to tj's until september, when they open the one that is coming to brooklyn...
Friday, August 1, 2008
a year later
almost exactly one year ago (one year and just a few days),
we lost one of the best, brightest, sweetest, most sensitive stars in our universe,
samuel mccrow.
i remember so vividly where i was one year ago, and i remember so vividly where i was when sam left us.
i know that sam would have wanted us to live as freely and as vividly as he did-- he would have told us all to seize the day. i also remember the way that he hugged his sisters when he said goodbye and the twinkle he got in his eyes when he said that he loved them.
i miss you-- the world, the universe misses you, sam.
has it been one year already?
love, always.
10/3-8/4
we lost one of the best, brightest, sweetest, most sensitive stars in our universe,
samuel mccrow.
i remember so vividly where i was one year ago, and i remember so vividly where i was when sam left us.
i know that sam would have wanted us to live as freely and as vividly as he did-- he would have told us all to seize the day. i also remember the way that he hugged his sisters when he said goodbye and the twinkle he got in his eyes when he said that he loved them.
i miss you-- the world, the universe misses you, sam.
has it been one year already?
love, always.
10/3-8/4
Sunday, July 27, 2008
the rain in spain
...stays mainly on the plain...
in new york, in the summertime, however, it goes all over the place. today has been a day full of thunderstorms and weather drama, culminating in a great sideways wind, which while it thankfully has dropped the temperature outside a good 15 degrees, has also blown some of the rain in my open window.
oh well, like i said, at least its cool.
school has been going well. i gave my first test last thursday and it went over about as expected-- the kids that show up and participate in class did well, the kids who don't, didn't. tomorrow begins our last unit of summer school, astronomy, which the kids voted on as what they wanted to cover in class. i am hoping that since they got to choose, they'll have a little more ownership over the material. plus, there are lots of cool photos in the slide show. who doesn't think that galaxies are beautiful?
i am trying to come up with more creative/fun assessments to do in class besides the typical quiz format and for this unit i have conceived of a MySpace profile for each planet, which the students will create and then share, and a classification game where i have them sort profiles of "space junk" into categories based on the new definition of a planet by the IAU. this is the offending development which kicked pluto out of our solar system, but its a fun exercise.
outside of teaching, school has been going well, though my classmates and i are all obviously in the place where we are ready to be done for a bit. we have stopped listening to each other when we speak in class and there is so much eye-rolling that happens when we're talking, its amazing that we ever get anything done. one of my classmates, mike, said after a particularly frustrating day, "i have kind of had it with this class for a while. i mean no offense, but i see you guys more than i see my wife."
i am lucky to not have that problem. not the wife problem, because for many reasons that is not possible, but the not-seeing-your-significant-other problem. having jac in class with me is a great help, not only because we reinforce our resources and our learning by being in the same boat, but its built-in face time. the bad part is that i sometimes feel like we spend all day together, but don't really get to see each other, if that makes any sense. still, we've been doing a good job of spending time together when we can, but still managing to get work done.
rugby has been going well, though since i have been teaching and having to prepare class materials, etc, its been harder to want to practice until 9:30 at night after having been in school all day, and to still think about preparing for the next day in class. as we speak i am taking a break from making my lessons, which will hopefully catch me up until wednesday. we'll see how that goes.
here, for your consideration, is a very funny picture that i included in a recent slide show. enjoy.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
update, overdue
last monday was supposed to be my first day of professional development at my high school, where i will be in the fall. professional development (PD, for those keeping track) is supposed to be the time when teachers sit around and plan for the next year, addressing areas that need improvement, etc.
i show up at 9:05am, thinking i am a few minutes late, and notice that there were kids roaming the halls. funny, i thought, summer school doesn't start until tomorrow. no matter, i'm sure i am in the right place.
next thing i know a secretary is whisking me into a classroom, hands me a manilla folder, and says "here are your attendance sheets. have fun."
wtf?
as it turned out, the school district only sent my school one science teacher, even though they requested two, and so, ta-da! i have two summer school classes.
by the time i got to my classroom and got my bearings, it was 9:13 and school starts at 9:15. fabulous, two minutes to prep.
i search frantically for anything i might use and find the white board and the chart paper are my only allies today. i have nothing planned, since i thought i was supposed to be observing, not teaching, and don't even have any interesting labs or anything leftover from class with me either.
fun times!
as the kids roll in, i'm desperately trying to think of a strategy for today's class, remembering all the things that we've been taught so far in our SAF sessions: don't turn your back on class! have your materials ready! don't write out all the notes at once! make friends with the janitor!
thankfully my classes are small, usually about five kids show up on any given day, and i only have two periods. they are also in "credit recovery" and not Regents prep, which means i get to make up the curriculum and don't have to bore them with Regents prep questions all the time. i surveyed their earth science interests and have decided on a curriculum which focuses on the dynamic earth (properties, equakes, volcanoes, tsunamis), weather and climate, and astronomy. in four weeks. yee-haw.
the days got better as i had more time to prep, but i was still writing my lessons the night before all last week. got a bit of a head start today by taking care of monday and tuesday's lessons, but still... i keep telling myself that this is all just great practice for the fall. on top of all the other stuff i have to work on for university classes.
hope that wherever you are, you're not writing summer school curriculum.
i show up at 9:05am, thinking i am a few minutes late, and notice that there were kids roaming the halls. funny, i thought, summer school doesn't start until tomorrow. no matter, i'm sure i am in the right place.
next thing i know a secretary is whisking me into a classroom, hands me a manilla folder, and says "here are your attendance sheets. have fun."
wtf?
as it turned out, the school district only sent my school one science teacher, even though they requested two, and so, ta-da! i have two summer school classes.
by the time i got to my classroom and got my bearings, it was 9:13 and school starts at 9:15. fabulous, two minutes to prep.
i search frantically for anything i might use and find the white board and the chart paper are my only allies today. i have nothing planned, since i thought i was supposed to be observing, not teaching, and don't even have any interesting labs or anything leftover from class with me either.
fun times!
as the kids roll in, i'm desperately trying to think of a strategy for today's class, remembering all the things that we've been taught so far in our SAF sessions: don't turn your back on class! have your materials ready! don't write out all the notes at once! make friends with the janitor!
thankfully my classes are small, usually about five kids show up on any given day, and i only have two periods. they are also in "credit recovery" and not Regents prep, which means i get to make up the curriculum and don't have to bore them with Regents prep questions all the time. i surveyed their earth science interests and have decided on a curriculum which focuses on the dynamic earth (properties, equakes, volcanoes, tsunamis), weather and climate, and astronomy. in four weeks. yee-haw.
the days got better as i had more time to prep, but i was still writing my lessons the night before all last week. got a bit of a head start today by taking care of monday and tuesday's lessons, but still... i keep telling myself that this is all just great practice for the fall. on top of all the other stuff i have to work on for university classes.
hope that wherever you are, you're not writing summer school curriculum.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
What is done, is done.
I took the Earth Science Content Specialty Test (CST) yesterday.
The CST is the test that you must pass in order to teach in your subject area and yesterday's exam was the only one that will give me a passing score before the school year starts, which means if I didn't pass, I don't get to teach until I can pass the test again, in December.
While I don't think that I aced it, by any means, I think that the immersion program work and the loads of studying I have done on my own payed off. Similar to what Justin says about "P equals M.D." in terms of medical school classes, in my case, I only need that 220/300 score to make it. Anything above 220 is just gravy.
The testing ordeal itself was a bit of a nightmare-- I was home by midnight the night before, ready for my six hours sleep before waking up to trek to Coney Island for the exam. Then, just as I was getting ready for bed, I realized I had forgotten to print out my exam ticket needed to get in to the test. No problem, I thought, I'll just use my roommate's printer, easy.
I have never seen a printer go so bananas before. From the instant I turned it on, before I'd even told it to print anything, it began sucking in every piece of paper in her paper tray, diligently printing one line of wingdings on each page before spitting it out. Oh my God, is this really happening?
I tried turning it off, unplugging it, etc, and every time I hit that power on switch, the same madness.
I live in Sunset Park, where there are no FedEx Kinkos around (hell, I don't think I have seen a Kinkos since I left Seattle), so I began to panic. I texted a ton of my classmates to see if they could print it for me, and all of them were either taking the test in Manhattan or were already asleep, which is exactly where I wanted to be.
In the end, I took the train to Jac's house, where she let me use the printer, and then crashed out for my official 3.5 hours sleep I got by the time it was all said and done. I know that NYC has public transit that gets you almost anywhere, yadda yadda, but at night, it takes FOREVER. Its normally about a 35 minute trip for me to get to her house (take the D two stops, walk to the G, take that three stops) but Friday night, it was about 1.25 hours. Ugh.
Yesterday after the test I came home and passed out for about two hours before getting up and playing a 7s tournament on the lower west side of Manhattan. My team didn't win, but I had fun anyway. One of the best games we played was against the New York Women's 7s side. The NY Women are the Premier Div 1 team here in NYC. That means that they're really, really good. They routinely make it to the top three in nationals. There was no Premier bracket in this 7s tournament, so they brought their A side to the "Social" bracket, which was where my team was playing. We played the NY Women's B side at Rockaway last month and beat them, but these A side women were totally different. Not only that, but I was playing with the Lions B team, which was even more of a skill-level deficit. I am happy to say that despite all of this being stacked against us, we only were beaten 5 tries to 1. For a team that had such a skill level advantage, being able to hold them that far, and to score against them, was great. I made some really great tackles against their VERY tall back line as well. Fun fun fun.
Back to reading about adolescent literacy for my professional development sessions. Yay.
The CST is the test that you must pass in order to teach in your subject area and yesterday's exam was the only one that will give me a passing score before the school year starts, which means if I didn't pass, I don't get to teach until I can pass the test again, in December.
While I don't think that I aced it, by any means, I think that the immersion program work and the loads of studying I have done on my own payed off. Similar to what Justin says about "P equals M.D." in terms of medical school classes, in my case, I only need that 220/300 score to make it. Anything above 220 is just gravy.
The testing ordeal itself was a bit of a nightmare-- I was home by midnight the night before, ready for my six hours sleep before waking up to trek to Coney Island for the exam. Then, just as I was getting ready for bed, I realized I had forgotten to print out my exam ticket needed to get in to the test. No problem, I thought, I'll just use my roommate's printer, easy.
I have never seen a printer go so bananas before. From the instant I turned it on, before I'd even told it to print anything, it began sucking in every piece of paper in her paper tray, diligently printing one line of wingdings on each page before spitting it out. Oh my God, is this really happening?
I tried turning it off, unplugging it, etc, and every time I hit that power on switch, the same madness.
I live in Sunset Park, where there are no FedEx Kinkos around (hell, I don't think I have seen a Kinkos since I left Seattle), so I began to panic. I texted a ton of my classmates to see if they could print it for me, and all of them were either taking the test in Manhattan or were already asleep, which is exactly where I wanted to be.
In the end, I took the train to Jac's house, where she let me use the printer, and then crashed out for my official 3.5 hours sleep I got by the time it was all said and done. I know that NYC has public transit that gets you almost anywhere, yadda yadda, but at night, it takes FOREVER. Its normally about a 35 minute trip for me to get to her house (take the D two stops, walk to the G, take that three stops) but Friday night, it was about 1.25 hours. Ugh.
Yesterday after the test I came home and passed out for about two hours before getting up and playing a 7s tournament on the lower west side of Manhattan. My team didn't win, but I had fun anyway. One of the best games we played was against the New York Women's 7s side. The NY Women are the Premier Div 1 team here in NYC. That means that they're really, really good. They routinely make it to the top three in nationals. There was no Premier bracket in this 7s tournament, so they brought their A side to the "Social" bracket, which was where my team was playing. We played the NY Women's B side at Rockaway last month and beat them, but these A side women were totally different. Not only that, but I was playing with the Lions B team, which was even more of a skill-level deficit. I am happy to say that despite all of this being stacked against us, we only were beaten 5 tries to 1. For a team that had such a skill level advantage, being able to hold them that far, and to score against them, was great. I made some really great tackles against their VERY tall back line as well. Fun fun fun.
Back to reading about adolescent literacy for my professional development sessions. Yay.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Aquarius: the Water Bearer
Jac is an Aquarius, the first one that I've ever really had in my life, at least to my knowledge. I seem to have a lot of friends that are water signs, though, with an inordinate number of Pisceans in my circle of friends, but the Aquarius was a new one for me.
According to astrology.com (not that I ever really read that stuff, ahem), the Aquarius/Libra couple are a good match. Always good to hear. The real funny part, though, is how true the water-bearing quality is where Jac is concerned.
On Saturday, at about 11pm, we were leaving her house to meet Ruth, Aneal, and Meredith at a bar in Park Slope called Union Hall. It is a slightly hipster bar that feels like a library inside, with indoor bocce ball courts. I have kind of joined Aneal's Monday night bocce team, which is awesome. But I digress..
We were leaving Jac's house in Bed-Stuy (home of the Notorious BIG), about to get on the train, when a pack of 10 year olds come running down the sidewalk toward us. I think there were only like five of them, but it seemed like more. One runs in front of the others yelling "miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss!" It took me a minute to realize he was trying to get our attention. When he got closer he said "Yo miss, can you give me a dollar?" At first I was just surprised that a kid would come up to me and just ask me for money, when he didn't really need it. Usually people at least pretend to need bus fare or something, but he just straight up asked for a dollar. I told him I didn't have any cash, which was true, and Jac and I turned back around and began walking down the subway steps. Next thing I know I am pelted in the back of the head by an open water bottle, which splashes me all over my backside.
Nice.
Not five days later, Jac and I are walking again to the train, this time in broad daylight, near a park in Clinton Hill. Out of nowhere (literally, we didn't see where they came from) some punk kids sneaked up from behind and nailed her square in the back with a water balloon! Luckily for her they threw it too hard and it didn't pop, but just bounced off. Still, what punks!
I am going to start wearing my rain coat whenever we hang out. Or at least bring a dry change of clothes.
According to astrology.com (not that I ever really read that stuff, ahem), the Aquarius/Libra couple are a good match. Always good to hear. The real funny part, though, is how true the water-bearing quality is where Jac is concerned.
On Saturday, at about 11pm, we were leaving her house to meet Ruth, Aneal, and Meredith at a bar in Park Slope called Union Hall. It is a slightly hipster bar that feels like a library inside, with indoor bocce ball courts. I have kind of joined Aneal's Monday night bocce team, which is awesome. But I digress..
We were leaving Jac's house in Bed-Stuy (home of the Notorious BIG), about to get on the train, when a pack of 10 year olds come running down the sidewalk toward us. I think there were only like five of them, but it seemed like more. One runs in front of the others yelling "miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss!" It took me a minute to realize he was trying to get our attention. When he got closer he said "Yo miss, can you give me a dollar?" At first I was just surprised that a kid would come up to me and just ask me for money, when he didn't really need it. Usually people at least pretend to need bus fare or something, but he just straight up asked for a dollar. I told him I didn't have any cash, which was true, and Jac and I turned back around and began walking down the subway steps. Next thing I know I am pelted in the back of the head by an open water bottle, which splashes me all over my backside.
Nice.
Not five days later, Jac and I are walking again to the train, this time in broad daylight, near a park in Clinton Hill. Out of nowhere (literally, we didn't see where they came from) some punk kids sneaked up from behind and nailed her square in the back with a water balloon! Luckily for her they threw it too hard and it didn't pop, but just bounced off. Still, what punks!
I am going to start wearing my rain coat whenever we hang out. Or at least bring a dry change of clothes.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
graduate school in full swing
tomorrow marks the end of our second week of full-time scheduling, class from 9am to 3:30pm and teaching framework sessions from 4pm-6:30pm. by the end of the day, my classmates and i look as if our brains have been removed from our heads, stuck in a blender and then funneled back into our heads through our ears.
part of the reason why school is so exhausting is that we're overing an insane amount of material in our geology class-- we did volcanoes, tectonics, dinosaurs, geological history of NYC, and geological history of the world in just the last two days. tomorrow we are going to work in central park for three hours in the morning, looking at rock formations and talking more about the bedrock and geological history of new york. i have yet to go to central park and look forward to seeing a little green. also working at the farmer's market tomorrow, taking full advantage of my free afternoon.
this weekend marks NYC pride, which should be fun. i don't really know what is going on, but i'm sure that i know people who do and can tag along. i plan on going with jac, for whom this will be a first pride ever. i will miss being in the rugby clan in seattle, but look forward to watching the parade instead of participating, for once.
have a happy weekend.
part of the reason why school is so exhausting is that we're overing an insane amount of material in our geology class-- we did volcanoes, tectonics, dinosaurs, geological history of NYC, and geological history of the world in just the last two days. tomorrow we are going to work in central park for three hours in the morning, looking at rock formations and talking more about the bedrock and geological history of new york. i have yet to go to central park and look forward to seeing a little green. also working at the farmer's market tomorrow, taking full advantage of my free afternoon.
this weekend marks NYC pride, which should be fun. i don't really know what is going on, but i'm sure that i know people who do and can tag along. i plan on going with jac, for whom this will be a first pride ever. i will miss being in the rugby clan in seattle, but look forward to watching the parade instead of participating, for once.
have a happy weekend.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
the birds and the bees
I spent last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday hanging out with the bees at the farmer's market. Andrew, the beekeeper and honey dude, was in Lithuania (talking to Lithuanian bees) all week and asked me if I'd open the City Hall market on Friday. While it sounds like not a hard thing to do, this is what it entailed:
*took the train from Grand Central to Norwalk, Connecticut late Thursday night to stay at his house there
*woke up at 4am to load the van and then drive into NYC to open the market
*worked from 6am-6pm Friday, closed everything down, and then drove back to CT
*ate pizza Friday night at a restaurant near his house, one of four pizza places on the same block-- was the closest thing to Mr. Jim's pizza I've had in a long time (big shout out to Fort Worth!), which was nice
*came back to NYC Saturday morning on the train
though it was a lot of backing-and-forthing, as Justin would say, it was a good time. I felt all responsible. And I got to drive in NYC, which I have to say was super frustrating. people here are nuts if they drive regularly.
being in CT was very relaxing. though i have yet to have one of those moments where i've just felt totally overwhelmed by the city, i immediately noticed the sense of peace and quiet that i felt once i was out of town. i plan on asking andrew if i can be a couch surfer this fall when i need to get away-- its a 40 minute train ride to peace and quiet.
he told me before i went that there was food in the fridge and i was welcome to help myself to whatever was there. it became evident once i was there, however, that to a bachelor, food in the fridge = lots of condiments. i made a meal out of some leftover black beans and some honey yogurt. awesome.
the second part of this update has to do with my romantic interests, so uninterested parties can stop reading here, if they choose. don't say i didn't warn you, there might be gross gushing and cooing involved.
last wednesday i went out to a place in brooklyn called hank's saloon, where they have live band karaoke every week. you heard it right, live band. as in you get to lead a rock band for your 3.5 minutes of fame, onstage in front of everyone. total dream.i sang a few songs, including "just what i needed" by the cars, and "celebrity skin" by hole, at which point the guitar player asked if i'd ever actually been in a band before. i told him yes, but really only as a drummer, at which point the drummer offered me his sticks and took a beer break. heaven! i rocked out to nirvana and green day (hello, 1994) and had one heck of a time. a classmate of mine, jac, came out with her two roommates (also fellows) and we all had a blast. things ended with a rather unexpected bathroom meeting in which i learned that she is a) not straight and b) has a crush on me.
:)
we've been out a couple of times since then and it is fantastic. not only do we have lots of similar pursuits (we're both earth science), we also have a really fun time together. i took her to hang out last night at monday night bocce ball at union hall, where she got to meet shelley, my future roommate in town for a few days, aneal, and a few others. it was great. she's great. everything is just great.
last week was my one-monthiversary of coming here to NYC and i have to say that i am in a much, much better place than i'd expected. every day i have some moment where i am proud of myself for making a space to live in this city of millions.
wherever you are, i hope that you feel like you have a place, too.
*took the train from Grand Central to Norwalk, Connecticut late Thursday night to stay at his house there
*woke up at 4am to load the van and then drive into NYC to open the market
*worked from 6am-6pm Friday, closed everything down, and then drove back to CT
*ate pizza Friday night at a restaurant near his house, one of four pizza places on the same block-- was the closest thing to Mr. Jim's pizza I've had in a long time (big shout out to Fort Worth!), which was nice
*came back to NYC Saturday morning on the train
though it was a lot of backing-and-forthing, as Justin would say, it was a good time. I felt all responsible. And I got to drive in NYC, which I have to say was super frustrating. people here are nuts if they drive regularly.
being in CT was very relaxing. though i have yet to have one of those moments where i've just felt totally overwhelmed by the city, i immediately noticed the sense of peace and quiet that i felt once i was out of town. i plan on asking andrew if i can be a couch surfer this fall when i need to get away-- its a 40 minute train ride to peace and quiet.
he told me before i went that there was food in the fridge and i was welcome to help myself to whatever was there. it became evident once i was there, however, that to a bachelor, food in the fridge = lots of condiments. i made a meal out of some leftover black beans and some honey yogurt. awesome.
the second part of this update has to do with my romantic interests, so uninterested parties can stop reading here, if they choose. don't say i didn't warn you, there might be gross gushing and cooing involved.
last wednesday i went out to a place in brooklyn called hank's saloon, where they have live band karaoke every week. you heard it right, live band. as in you get to lead a rock band for your 3.5 minutes of fame, onstage in front of everyone. total dream.i sang a few songs, including "just what i needed" by the cars, and "celebrity skin" by hole, at which point the guitar player asked if i'd ever actually been in a band before. i told him yes, but really only as a drummer, at which point the drummer offered me his sticks and took a beer break. heaven! i rocked out to nirvana and green day (hello, 1994) and had one heck of a time. a classmate of mine, jac, came out with her two roommates (also fellows) and we all had a blast. things ended with a rather unexpected bathroom meeting in which i learned that she is a) not straight and b) has a crush on me.
:)
we've been out a couple of times since then and it is fantastic. not only do we have lots of similar pursuits (we're both earth science), we also have a really fun time together. i took her to hang out last night at monday night bocce ball at union hall, where she got to meet shelley, my future roommate in town for a few days, aneal, and a few others. it was great. she's great. everything is just great.
last week was my one-monthiversary of coming here to NYC and i have to say that i am in a much, much better place than i'd expected. every day i have some moment where i am proud of myself for making a space to live in this city of millions.
wherever you are, i hope that you feel like you have a place, too.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
the chemistry of love?
today was our first day of real class, not immersion stuff. we're in intro to geology, which means we started today with introduction to chemistry. chemistry is what i get. chemistry was always my favorite science, and frankly i am surprised that i was not assigned to chemistry as a fellow. the first part of the day i felt like a rock star, remembering all the specifics about s-p-d-f energy levels, stuff like that.
during our review, it started to become evident to me that there are things in chemistry that very much resemble relationships-- specifically lesbian relationships, but definitely holds true for other folks as well.
when we discussed chemical bonds and their relative strengths, i began making the connections. the long-term relationship lesbians, the serial monogamists, the u-haulers who hunker down as if the world is a combat zone and their love is a foxhole-- those are the covalent bonds. they are formed when properties, or dogs, are shared and can be very hard to break. their relative size once bonded also shrinks due to the inward pull of the combined charges, which any of us who have ever been to Relationship Island can vouch for.
then there are the ionic bonds-- these ladies are the ones who get together because they want something from each other, whether it is a rebound relationship, regular access to a ride, or just because they think the other person is cute. these bonds form much more loosely than their covalent counterparts and take only the slightest amount of effort to break. when exposed to a little heat or water (read: summer, alcohol), these molecules bust, joining readily with any neighboring and complimentary charged atom. the funny thing about these ionic bonds is that they are so easily formed that if the bonds are broken, but the system (read: bar) is saturated (read: dead, or everyone is hooked up), the bonds can re-form until the system is heated again. spring and summer in seattle is the best proof that i think i have ever seen which tells me that this law is true.
then there are the metallic bonds-- multiple atoms of the same element chain together in a way that allows them to conduct heat and electricity through each other without actually having to form new molecules. i believe the other term for this phenomena is lesbian friends.
lastly we have the Van Der Waal's bonds-- these are the kind that i have been experiencing most recently, the weak attraction resulting from a completely random and quickly fluctuating arrangement of electrons around a nucleus. situational girlfriend might be another term for it, but i believe there is a formula to express this bond, this attraction, where the strength of the attraction (A) is inversely proportional to the distance (D) from the other person, comme ca:
A= 1/D
everyone with me?
it also occurred to me that lesbians are kind of like elements in their classification column in the periodic table of life. the halogens, the ultra-reactive, dominating, steal-electrons-from-other-elements substances? tops, obvi. the alkali metals, the ones so close to being complete that they freely, and easily give up their lone outer electron? bottoms, you guessed it. i think that i classify myself more in the metalloid category-- metalloids are also often semi-conductors either freely taking from or giving up to another element depending on what that other element is and how it behaves.
it all makes sense.
there will be a quiz on monday, class dismissed.
during our review, it started to become evident to me that there are things in chemistry that very much resemble relationships-- specifically lesbian relationships, but definitely holds true for other folks as well.
when we discussed chemical bonds and their relative strengths, i began making the connections. the long-term relationship lesbians, the serial monogamists, the u-haulers who hunker down as if the world is a combat zone and their love is a foxhole-- those are the covalent bonds. they are formed when properties, or dogs, are shared and can be very hard to break. their relative size once bonded also shrinks due to the inward pull of the combined charges, which any of us who have ever been to Relationship Island can vouch for.
then there are the ionic bonds-- these ladies are the ones who get together because they want something from each other, whether it is a rebound relationship, regular access to a ride, or just because they think the other person is cute. these bonds form much more loosely than their covalent counterparts and take only the slightest amount of effort to break. when exposed to a little heat or water (read: summer, alcohol), these molecules bust, joining readily with any neighboring and complimentary charged atom. the funny thing about these ionic bonds is that they are so easily formed that if the bonds are broken, but the system (read: bar) is saturated (read: dead, or everyone is hooked up), the bonds can re-form until the system is heated again. spring and summer in seattle is the best proof that i think i have ever seen which tells me that this law is true.
then there are the metallic bonds-- multiple atoms of the same element chain together in a way that allows them to conduct heat and electricity through each other without actually having to form new molecules. i believe the other term for this phenomena is lesbian friends.
lastly we have the Van Der Waal's bonds-- these are the kind that i have been experiencing most recently, the weak attraction resulting from a completely random and quickly fluctuating arrangement of electrons around a nucleus. situational girlfriend might be another term for it, but i believe there is a formula to express this bond, this attraction, where the strength of the attraction (A) is inversely proportional to the distance (D) from the other person, comme ca:
A= 1/D
everyone with me?
it also occurred to me that lesbians are kind of like elements in their classification column in the periodic table of life. the halogens, the ultra-reactive, dominating, steal-electrons-from-other-elements substances? tops, obvi. the alkali metals, the ones so close to being complete that they freely, and easily give up their lone outer electron? bottoms, you guessed it. i think that i classify myself more in the metalloid category-- metalloids are also often semi-conductors either freely taking from or giving up to another element depending on what that other element is and how it behaves.
it all makes sense.
there will be a quiz on monday, class dismissed.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Always a Breaker, now a Lion
Before I even moved here to NYC I did some research on the rugby scene here and checked out my options. There is a Div 1 team here, the NY Women's side, but they are way good and way intense about practices, training sessions, etc. While I have no doubt that I would have a good time, I don't anticipate being able to commit a whole lot of time to rugby, especially in fall when 15s start. The team I was most excited to check out was the Village Lions. They practice on the Lower East Side (heretofore known as the LES), which is not super close to me, but not too hard to get to. They just started their 7s season for the summer, so I decided to come out to training this week.
I'm not sure how I feel about 7s as a version of rugby (thank god the games are only 15-20 minutes, otherwise I might die), but the ladies are really great and we co-practice with the men as well. Coming from a team like Seattle where we have little interaction with the men, its nice to see a team that has a good relationship with them. One of them even got me drunk on Thursday after practice (thanks Steve!)
7s involves a totally different set of skills than 15s does, and as the coach said Thursday, we all have to re-learn our bad habits for 7s. Want to run sideways, rather than forward, to take up time? Go ahead! Basketball pass the ball over your head to someone across the field? Why not? When we're playing touch with the men, it looks more like a crazy game of hot potato than rugby. I hope that this week we'll do some tackling so that I can feel slightly normal again.
So far I've gone to the bar post-practice Tuesday and Thursday (closed the bar on Thursday and ended up wandering Manhattan, didn't get home until 4:30am!) and we went to go watch the US men's select XV play against England select XV last night. Today there is some sort of bbq going on and then I'm going to a Lesbian Frat Boy party hosted by Aneal. Its been since Molly's birthday that I've played flip cup and I'm starting to go through withdrawals. Just wish Alison, Jo, Sarah, or Lauren were here to be my Beirut partners. Oh well, guess I'll just have to stick to what I'm good at- shot-guns!
Hope you're having a great day. Its 92 degrees here and I'm melting.
I'm not sure how I feel about 7s as a version of rugby (thank god the games are only 15-20 minutes, otherwise I might die), but the ladies are really great and we co-practice with the men as well. Coming from a team like Seattle where we have little interaction with the men, its nice to see a team that has a good relationship with them. One of them even got me drunk on Thursday after practice (thanks Steve!)
7s involves a totally different set of skills than 15s does, and as the coach said Thursday, we all have to re-learn our bad habits for 7s. Want to run sideways, rather than forward, to take up time? Go ahead! Basketball pass the ball over your head to someone across the field? Why not? When we're playing touch with the men, it looks more like a crazy game of hot potato than rugby. I hope that this week we'll do some tackling so that I can feel slightly normal again.
So far I've gone to the bar post-practice Tuesday and Thursday (closed the bar on Thursday and ended up wandering Manhattan, didn't get home until 4:30am!) and we went to go watch the US men's select XV play against England select XV last night. Today there is some sort of bbq going on and then I'm going to a Lesbian Frat Boy party hosted by Aneal. Its been since Molly's birthday that I've played flip cup and I'm starting to go through withdrawals. Just wish Alison, Jo, Sarah, or Lauren were here to be my Beirut partners. Oh well, guess I'll just have to stick to what I'm good at- shot-guns!
Hope you're having a great day. Its 92 degrees here and I'm melting.
joys of college, part 2
so i was a little mistaken in understanding what the advisor told me on wednesday. i don't have to take 45 science credits, i need 45 total for the degree- 36 as required by the state and 9 credits worth of earth science prerequisites.
not so bad after all, and most of my class mates have to take 42-45 credits as well. we're already planning our end-of-summer party at jo's soon-to-be beach apartment on long beach, long island. i don't envy her commute, but beaches are dreamy, even around here.
one of the other great things about college in new york? random obscure jewish holidays off! i don't have school monday or tuesday this week. woot woot!
not so bad after all, and most of my class mates have to take 42-45 credits as well. we're already planning our end-of-summer party at jo's soon-to-be beach apartment on long beach, long island. i don't envy her commute, but beaches are dreamy, even around here.
one of the other great things about college in new york? random obscure jewish holidays off! i don't have school monday or tuesday this week. woot woot!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
oh the joys of college
so classes in the immersion program are going well. the days are long, 10am-4:30pm, but the content is nice. aced my first quiz today, no doubt.
met with my advisor today and found out that in order to meet the state's earth science masters degree requirements, i have to take 45 (!) science credits. that's 15 classes, folks, on top of my education classes. oye.
the reason this happened is because, though i have science undergrad classes, they were not in any concentrated subject area. thus, i have a handful of credits that apply toward the general requirements, but none toward my content.
good news is that some of the classes sound relatively cool, but i'm looking at two falls, two springs, and three summers. *sigh*
met with my advisor today and found out that in order to meet the state's earth science masters degree requirements, i have to take 45 (!) science credits. that's 15 classes, folks, on top of my education classes. oye.
the reason this happened is because, though i have science undergrad classes, they were not in any concentrated subject area. thus, i have a handful of credits that apply toward the general requirements, but none toward my content.
good news is that some of the classes sound relatively cool, but i'm looking at two falls, two springs, and three summers. *sigh*
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Life in general, updates...
Yesterday I took the LAST, the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test, which is required for all teachers in NY. The overachiever in me made me borrow a test prep book from Meredith, but after completing two practice tests and missing only three questions out of 80, I realized I was overreacting a little.
Is it weird that I kind of enjoy taking tests? I'm sure it is.
Anyway, the testing site was this high school in Far Rockaway (yes, like Rockaway from the the song "Lean Back") and was in the projects. It was my first exposure to high-rise project housing and total urban decay and despair. Scary. Once I got to the school, I immediately found like the one other homo there and we exchanged glances but didn't talk.
The test was easy and I was the first one done in my testing room, then I immediately hopped back on the train and made the three connections back to my house.
I ended up going to the Cattyshack and was approached by none other than the girl from the test-- Sarah. She's friends with rugby girls, she's a teacher, she's way cool and she has a girlfriend. She would make a great buddy though and I look forward to hanging out with her more.
Today I had my first full shift at the farmer's market and was slightly hungover for the train ride into Manhattan, but it was great. The people at the farmer's market were really cool nice. Andrew is a little bit to deal with sometimes, as he's quite neurotic, but he charms the bees and the customers. We worked well together and he left for a significant part of the day and I was running the show. It was pretty seamless and we sold a lot of honey.
I had the pleasure of meeting and selling honey to two different people today:
Piper Perabo
and Sam Rockwell! 
Piper was very nice and cute and has a new short haircut.
Sam was very nice and we talked about Matchstick Men a bunch, then he bought some honey and some bee pollen, for his seasonal allergies.
Then I took the money I made today and bought myself a vegan sandwich, as I haven't had money for any significant meal for a week. It was lovely. Good day.
Tomorrow is my first day of school/training. I know nothing except I need to be there at 9am with a notebook and a pen. Updates will follow once I know what the hell is going on.
Is it weird that I kind of enjoy taking tests? I'm sure it is.
Anyway, the testing site was this high school in Far Rockaway (yes, like Rockaway from the the song "Lean Back") and was in the projects. It was my first exposure to high-rise project housing and total urban decay and despair. Scary. Once I got to the school, I immediately found like the one other homo there and we exchanged glances but didn't talk.
The test was easy and I was the first one done in my testing room, then I immediately hopped back on the train and made the three connections back to my house.
I ended up going to the Cattyshack and was approached by none other than the girl from the test-- Sarah. She's friends with rugby girls, she's a teacher, she's way cool and she has a girlfriend. She would make a great buddy though and I look forward to hanging out with her more.
Today I had my first full shift at the farmer's market and was slightly hungover for the train ride into Manhattan, but it was great. The people at the farmer's market were really cool nice. Andrew is a little bit to deal with sometimes, as he's quite neurotic, but he charms the bees and the customers. We worked well together and he left for a significant part of the day and I was running the show. It was pretty seamless and we sold a lot of honey.
I had the pleasure of meeting and selling honey to two different people today:
Piper Perabo
and Sam Rockwell! Piper was very nice and cute and has a new short haircut.
Sam was very nice and we talked about Matchstick Men a bunch, then he bought some honey and some bee pollen, for his seasonal allergies.
Then I took the money I made today and bought myself a vegan sandwich, as I haven't had money for any significant meal for a week. It was lovely. Good day.
Tomorrow is my first day of school/training. I know nothing except I need to be there at 9am with a notebook and a pen. Updates will follow once I know what the hell is going on.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Got the job!
So after a very long interview (by my count, from 8:30am to Roughly 1:30pm, no lunch) I got the job at UAMA!
I started getting good vibes right when I got there. The building is pretty new and they have lots of nice technology around. I first was tasked with writing an answer to a prompt, sort of a personal statement on how I feel like I fit into UAMA. No problem and I thought that I incorporated all of the questions well.
Then it was off to a 10th grade science class to observe and help out during their Regents prep time. This is where it got interesting. I walked into class during the last five minutes of the previous class and just stood at the front of the room with Stacey, one of the 10th grade teachers. As class was letting out and kids were leaving the room, two girls come up to me. One of them says "So I know this may be inappropriate, but I just want to tell you that you look hot." Then they walked away.
:^O
That's pretty much all I did was stand there with my mouth hanging open.
Thankfully no one hit on my in my observation class, that would have been awkward. The observation time was fine and reminded me of when I went to Aneal's school-- kids will throw up a wall and be distracted until you approach them individually. Then, all of a sudden, they turn back into kids and start working. Things to remember for this summer, as I'm hopefully going to be there for my summer school stint.
Then it was off to a panel interview with the other 10th grade science teacher, Alma, the school secretary/brains of the operation, and Shari, a 10th grade english teacher on the hiring committee and my point person through the process. I showed them the lesson that I had prepared, highlighted why I chose a topic that integrated other disciplines, and we went over my written statement. Then they just took turns firing questions off and at times I felt like I was playing verbal air-hockey vs. three people at once.
In the end, I felt like I left them fairly impressed. Then they all went to talk to Paul, the principal, and I was left alone for what felt like forever. He then invited me into his office, we chatted, he gave me the UAMA spiel, we discussed its strengths and weaknesses, my strengths and weaknesses in what felt like just a good conversation. At the end, he said "so do you have any questions for me?"
I asked him what the timeline was for hearing about interviews, etc, so I would know whether or not to keep searching around and he said--
"Well for you, that's an easy answer. We'd like to offer you a job."
Sweet. So there you have it. He sent me home with a CD rom full of all kinds of guidelines and handbooks, etc, to look over and now I just have to let the fellows know so that I can put in to work there over summer.
I am SO excited.
I started getting good vibes right when I got there. The building is pretty new and they have lots of nice technology around. I first was tasked with writing an answer to a prompt, sort of a personal statement on how I feel like I fit into UAMA. No problem and I thought that I incorporated all of the questions well.
Then it was off to a 10th grade science class to observe and help out during their Regents prep time. This is where it got interesting. I walked into class during the last five minutes of the previous class and just stood at the front of the room with Stacey, one of the 10th grade teachers. As class was letting out and kids were leaving the room, two girls come up to me. One of them says "So I know this may be inappropriate, but I just want to tell you that you look hot." Then they walked away.
:^O
That's pretty much all I did was stand there with my mouth hanging open.
Thankfully no one hit on my in my observation class, that would have been awkward. The observation time was fine and reminded me of when I went to Aneal's school-- kids will throw up a wall and be distracted until you approach them individually. Then, all of a sudden, they turn back into kids and start working. Things to remember for this summer, as I'm hopefully going to be there for my summer school stint.
Then it was off to a panel interview with the other 10th grade science teacher, Alma, the school secretary/brains of the operation, and Shari, a 10th grade english teacher on the hiring committee and my point person through the process. I showed them the lesson that I had prepared, highlighted why I chose a topic that integrated other disciplines, and we went over my written statement. Then they just took turns firing questions off and at times I felt like I was playing verbal air-hockey vs. three people at once.
In the end, I felt like I left them fairly impressed. Then they all went to talk to Paul, the principal, and I was left alone for what felt like forever. He then invited me into his office, we chatted, he gave me the UAMA spiel, we discussed its strengths and weaknesses, my strengths and weaknesses in what felt like just a good conversation. At the end, he said "so do you have any questions for me?"
I asked him what the timeline was for hearing about interviews, etc, so I would know whether or not to keep searching around and he said--
"Well for you, that's an easy answer. We'd like to offer you a job."
Sweet. So there you have it. He sent me home with a CD rom full of all kinds of guidelines and handbooks, etc, to look over and now I just have to let the fellows know so that I can put in to work there over summer.
I am SO excited.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Interviews in the works
so tomorrow is my interview at UAMA, which is the music/art high school in the trendy warehouse area of brooklyn. i am going to be there at 8:30 am to do who knows what, and then helping with a 10th grade science class as well. that's about all i know about the process, but i am excited nonetheless. i am also happy to know that there is a subway that runs during morning and afternoon rush hours that will take me to and from that area pretty conveniently, which bodes well. i have been growing into my neighborhood here and like how close it is to transit, not to mention how cheap it is.
i also have an interview on thursday at a middle school, the UAAAL, for an 8th grade science job. less thrilled about that one, objectively, but meredith knows that principal and thinks highly of her.
i know i should get to bed early but its hard to want to- still on west coast time.
wish me luck, cyberspace.
i also have an interview on thursday at a middle school, the UAAAL, for an 8th grade science job. less thrilled about that one, objectively, but meredith knows that principal and thinks highly of her.
i know i should get to bed early but its hard to want to- still on west coast time.
wish me luck, cyberspace.
Bar BQ- a new favorite!
So my cheap experiment at Bar BQ was a big hit!
I convinced Gretchen, my roommate, and Jon, a friend from Texas to join me once I'd already scoped it out. Jon took a car all the way over here from Bed-Stuy just because he owed himself a $2 beer or five and some bbq. And the bar serves Lone Star, the national beer of Texas, and something I haven't seen in a very long time.
They bartender was very NY gay, which was funny in a BBQ joint, the shots were plentiful and the food smelled great. We had a great time filling Gretchen in on our funny TAMS stories and Jon showed off how fabulous his iPhone is.
Also met Jeff and Claire, a cute young couple who lived around the corner. Claire, as it would turn out, is from Seattle, Queen Anne to be exact. We mused about the Seattle/NY transition and they took me across the street to a coffee shop that was having a keg party to introduce me to some neighborhood folk.
All in all, the best night I've had here since I moved. It was a great time and I think I'll be back next Monday-- except maybe for less whisky. Oye.
I convinced Gretchen, my roommate, and Jon, a friend from Texas to join me once I'd already scoped it out. Jon took a car all the way over here from Bed-Stuy just because he owed himself a $2 beer or five and some bbq. And the bar serves Lone Star, the national beer of Texas, and something I haven't seen in a very long time.
They bartender was very NY gay, which was funny in a BBQ joint, the shots were plentiful and the food smelled great. We had a great time filling Gretchen in on our funny TAMS stories and Jon showed off how fabulous his iPhone is.
Also met Jeff and Claire, a cute young couple who lived around the corner. Claire, as it would turn out, is from Seattle, Queen Anne to be exact. We mused about the Seattle/NY transition and they took me across the street to a coffee shop that was having a keg party to introduce me to some neighborhood folk.
All in all, the best night I've had here since I moved. It was a great time and I think I'll be back next Monday-- except maybe for less whisky. Oye.
Monday, May 26, 2008
It's Just like RENT, except I'm the only one singing and I'm not sick...
...or addicted to drugs, other than caffeine. Still, its a lot like RENT.
I am broke and currently underemployed. I spend my days walking, because that doesn't cost me anything except calories, and people watching. At night, I spend a significant portion of my daily budget on beer, trying to make friends.
There was an entire story in the NYTimes about people like me this weekend and it tipped me off to a great site called www.myopenbar.com where it lists events all over the city where you don't have to pay to drink. Dreamy!
Tonight I am riding my bike up to Park Slope to Bar BQ, which reports to have the best 'cue in Brooklyn. Not that it matters to me because I'm vegetarian, but just so you know.
It is also boasting free "Rebel Yell Bourbon" drinks from 7-9pm and $2 draft beers, along with live blues music. I don't have anyone to go with but I hope that some other broke hipsters from Brooklyn will be joining me. If not, I'll buy one beer, take my free shot, and come back home and blog about it. A good $2 experiment.
Other things I have learned about living cheaply: If you go into a coffee shop and they have day-olds, politely ask what kind they are, as if you're just curious. 50-50 chance they'll give it to you free.
Today I scored a raisin scone from Flying Saucer (where I also got a job offer, but more on that later). I brought it home and tried an experiment in lunch-time. I crumbled the dry scone into a bowl, added a sliced banana and some cheap soymilk from the nearby asian market and voila! Cheapo bread budding. Kind of. But it was pretty good. Glad I asked about the raisin scone though and not the corn muffin, because that would have been awful.
More, post Bar BQ
I am broke and currently underemployed. I spend my days walking, because that doesn't cost me anything except calories, and people watching. At night, I spend a significant portion of my daily budget on beer, trying to make friends.
There was an entire story in the NYTimes about people like me this weekend and it tipped me off to a great site called www.myopenbar.com where it lists events all over the city where you don't have to pay to drink. Dreamy!
Tonight I am riding my bike up to Park Slope to Bar BQ, which reports to have the best 'cue in Brooklyn. Not that it matters to me because I'm vegetarian, but just so you know.
It is also boasting free "Rebel Yell Bourbon" drinks from 7-9pm and $2 draft beers, along with live blues music. I don't have anyone to go with but I hope that some other broke hipsters from Brooklyn will be joining me. If not, I'll buy one beer, take my free shot, and come back home and blog about it. A good $2 experiment.
Other things I have learned about living cheaply: If you go into a coffee shop and they have day-olds, politely ask what kind they are, as if you're just curious. 50-50 chance they'll give it to you free.
Today I scored a raisin scone from Flying Saucer (where I also got a job offer, but more on that later). I brought it home and tried an experiment in lunch-time. I crumbled the dry scone into a bowl, added a sliced banana and some cheap soymilk from the nearby asian market and voila! Cheapo bread budding. Kind of. But it was pretty good. Glad I asked about the raisin scone though and not the corn muffin, because that would have been awful.
More, post Bar BQ
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Out and About
Everyone I know that lives here left town for the weekend, so I've had to entertain myself for a while.
I went to Aneal's school for a visit on Friday and hope to go back for an interview soon. Her coworkers are all really nice and seem to like me, which is always good. I get along with the students as well and most of them seemed happy to have me there.
I have interviews on Wednesday and Thursday of this week as well, one at the Urban Assembly of Music and Art (possible dream school) and one at the Urban Assembly of Arts and Letters.
On Friday night I biked to Park Slope to the Cattyshack, one of two lesbian bars in that neighborhood. The closest scene that I can relate it to is like the lesbian version of R Place in Seattle. Multiple stories, dancing, bars, pool table. According to the staff it was a slow night due to the holiday weekend (apparently everyone leaves town on a three day), but there were a decent number of people there. I met a Swedish model that looks like Scarlett Johansen, but with short hair (read: hot) and some nice girls from Jersey that bought me beer. Oh, and the upstairs bouncer grew up in Dallas and knows where White Settlement is. Small world.
Saturday I wandered more around Brooklyn and walked a ton. I stopped into my new favorite coffee shop, the Flying Saucer, and visited with the staff there, most of whom I'd met on Thursday. Today I walked by again and they joked about me just needing to get a job there. Gave my number to a guy named Robert who seems cool. Maybe we'll hang sometime.
Saturday night I went to an event called GirlNation at a bar near Times Square called Nation. Again with the story about thin crowds. This crowd, while younger and more well-groomed than most at Cattyshack was definitely harder to get into. I only really talked to the girl walking around selling jello shots. I left around 12:30 and wandered Times Square, marveling at how all the neon and billboard light makes it seem like daytime, at night.
Today I went into the East Village to a farmers market and talked to Andrew, the Bee Dude, about working for him in my free time this summer, selling honey. I sat in at the booth for a while and handled it well. We're going to check in re: my schedule and his and see if there is any time I can squeeze out to sell some sweet stuff. $10/hr under the table ain't bad.
On my way home I stopped by Ginger's, the other lesbian bar in Park Slope, to see what the scene is like. This bar is pretty similar to the Rose-- good happy hour and sports playing, mostly older crowd, which I think is par unless there is some special event happening. The staff were nice though and I could see it being a chill place to go.
Possibly I think some of the problem is that there are so many things to do and so many places to go that it's hard to pin down any one crowd.
Tomorrow I might try back at the open mic night at Cattyshack. Or stop by the Park Slope Food Co-op, which is where Aneal meets girls.
Anyhow. Off to my first early to bed night. Have to run tomorrow morning.
I went to Aneal's school for a visit on Friday and hope to go back for an interview soon. Her coworkers are all really nice and seem to like me, which is always good. I get along with the students as well and most of them seemed happy to have me there.
I have interviews on Wednesday and Thursday of this week as well, one at the Urban Assembly of Music and Art (possible dream school) and one at the Urban Assembly of Arts and Letters.
On Friday night I biked to Park Slope to the Cattyshack, one of two lesbian bars in that neighborhood. The closest scene that I can relate it to is like the lesbian version of R Place in Seattle. Multiple stories, dancing, bars, pool table. According to the staff it was a slow night due to the holiday weekend (apparently everyone leaves town on a three day), but there were a decent number of people there. I met a Swedish model that looks like Scarlett Johansen, but with short hair (read: hot) and some nice girls from Jersey that bought me beer. Oh, and the upstairs bouncer grew up in Dallas and knows where White Settlement is. Small world.
Saturday I wandered more around Brooklyn and walked a ton. I stopped into my new favorite coffee shop, the Flying Saucer, and visited with the staff there, most of whom I'd met on Thursday. Today I walked by again and they joked about me just needing to get a job there. Gave my number to a guy named Robert who seems cool. Maybe we'll hang sometime.
Saturday night I went to an event called GirlNation at a bar near Times Square called Nation. Again with the story about thin crowds. This crowd, while younger and more well-groomed than most at Cattyshack was definitely harder to get into. I only really talked to the girl walking around selling jello shots. I left around 12:30 and wandered Times Square, marveling at how all the neon and billboard light makes it seem like daytime, at night.
Today I went into the East Village to a farmers market and talked to Andrew, the Bee Dude, about working for him in my free time this summer, selling honey. I sat in at the booth for a while and handled it well. We're going to check in re: my schedule and his and see if there is any time I can squeeze out to sell some sweet stuff. $10/hr under the table ain't bad.
On my way home I stopped by Ginger's, the other lesbian bar in Park Slope, to see what the scene is like. This bar is pretty similar to the Rose-- good happy hour and sports playing, mostly older crowd, which I think is par unless there is some special event happening. The staff were nice though and I could see it being a chill place to go.
Possibly I think some of the problem is that there are so many things to do and so many places to go that it's hard to pin down any one crowd.
Tomorrow I might try back at the open mic night at Cattyshack. Or stop by the Park Slope Food Co-op, which is where Aneal meets girls.
Anyhow. Off to my first early to bed night. Have to run tomorrow morning.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
my first night-- and last night
its been a while since i last wrote, and apologies. had lots and lots to do, lots of people to see, and lots, apparently, to drink.
but first a word from our sponsors:
thanks lauren!
okay so last night was my going away happy hour-turned full blowout. started at the war room (i highly recommend high 5 there on tuesdays. drinks are good, bartender is hot) and ended up at havana, i'm not sure why.
first, a word form another sponsor:
tecate. gets me in trouble.
so there was drinking, there was dancing, there was me awkwardly trying to make out with a roomdawg. at some point i ripped a hole in the sleeve of my new mermaid shirt and there is a pretty wicked scratch on my arm under where it must have happened. i have no idea.
i cried a few times, laughed a lot, and got some pretty great hugs. roni uploaded some of the most amazing photos to facebook.
now i'm in brooklyn. it took me most of the plane ride to sleep off the booze, but i was feeling fresh when i got here. my new roommate gretchen and her boyfriend jose came to pick me up so i wouldn't have to schlep all my luggage around.
the neighborhood here is cool- very multicultural. i found an asian and a mexican market across the street from each other, about four blocks from my house. i ate an eggplant calzone from vincent's down the street. i went into the market and bought eggs, beans, bread, yogurt and oatmeal. tomorrow i will look for fresh veggies and crunchy stuff like soy milk and tofu.
i have to go into manhattan tomorrow to be fingerprinted. i also have to take my wheel to the bike shop to get the rotor fixed because it got all messed up in transit. hopefully that works out- there's a bike shop right down the street!
right now i'm catching up on internet and thinking about something to eat again before bed. all i managed up until the calzone was a bagel i bought at the airport this morning.
big shout out to ruth for being on time, and thus waking me up after alarm failed. whew.
more on my adventures tomorrow, when i actually have them.
g'night brooklyn!
but first a word from our sponsors:
thanks lauren!
okay so last night was my going away happy hour-turned full blowout. started at the war room (i highly recommend high 5 there on tuesdays. drinks are good, bartender is hot) and ended up at havana, i'm not sure why.
first, a word form another sponsor:
tecate. gets me in trouble.
so there was drinking, there was dancing, there was me awkwardly trying to make out with a roomdawg. at some point i ripped a hole in the sleeve of my new mermaid shirt and there is a pretty wicked scratch on my arm under where it must have happened. i have no idea.
i cried a few times, laughed a lot, and got some pretty great hugs. roni uploaded some of the most amazing photos to facebook.
now i'm in brooklyn. it took me most of the plane ride to sleep off the booze, but i was feeling fresh when i got here. my new roommate gretchen and her boyfriend jose came to pick me up so i wouldn't have to schlep all my luggage around.
the neighborhood here is cool- very multicultural. i found an asian and a mexican market across the street from each other, about four blocks from my house. i ate an eggplant calzone from vincent's down the street. i went into the market and bought eggs, beans, bread, yogurt and oatmeal. tomorrow i will look for fresh veggies and crunchy stuff like soy milk and tofu.
i have to go into manhattan tomorrow to be fingerprinted. i also have to take my wheel to the bike shop to get the rotor fixed because it got all messed up in transit. hopefully that works out- there's a bike shop right down the street!
right now i'm catching up on internet and thinking about something to eat again before bed. all i managed up until the calzone was a bagel i bought at the airport this morning.
big shout out to ruth for being on time, and thus waking me up after alarm failed. whew.
more on my adventures tomorrow, when i actually have them.
g'night brooklyn!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Horoscopic Truths
"What makes a river so restful to people is that it doesn't have any doubt," wrote columnist Hal Boyle. "It is sure to get where it is going, and it doesn't want to go anywhere else." Your assignment for the rest of 2008, Libra, is to do whatever's necessary to make yourself fit this description. The next eight months will provide unprecedented opportunities to turn yourself into a river flowing toward your destiny with surprisingly sublime freedom.
For some reason, the guy who writes Free Will Astrology always has me spot on. I'd say this one hits the mark again.
www.freewillastrology.com
The Little Red Hen, and other things I should have done
Now that I'm gearing up to leave Seattle I keep experiencing all these things that I should have done more of while here.
Last night a group of us went to the Little Red Hen, a country bar close to where I live (maybe the only country bar in Seattle? I don't know.) The people in the bar were straight out of Texas and it was amazing. We danced with some Coast Guard boys, I did the western swing with a grandma, drank cheap beer, played pool. It was fantastic. It left me wondering why I chose to go now, so soon before leaving, and not sooner when I could have made it a tradition. I can't think of many better ways to spend a Sunday than I did last night!
There are other things that I realize I should have done more of-- but I'm working on it. I have a list that I carry in my back pocket so if for any reason I have unexpected free time, I have an idea of what I can do:
Memorize the view from Gasworks
Get a t-shirt from the Little Red Hen
Go to Pike Place Market and get a pumpkin cookie
Have a salmon sandwich
I took today off work because I have to get boxes and pack. Maybe I'll do something fun too.
Last night a group of us went to the Little Red Hen, a country bar close to where I live (maybe the only country bar in Seattle? I don't know.) The people in the bar were straight out of Texas and it was amazing. We danced with some Coast Guard boys, I did the western swing with a grandma, drank cheap beer, played pool. It was fantastic. It left me wondering why I chose to go now, so soon before leaving, and not sooner when I could have made it a tradition. I can't think of many better ways to spend a Sunday than I did last night!
There are other things that I realize I should have done more of-- but I'm working on it. I have a list that I carry in my back pocket so if for any reason I have unexpected free time, I have an idea of what I can do:
Memorize the view from Gasworks
Get a t-shirt from the Little Red Hen
Go to Pike Place Market and get a pumpkin cookie
Have a salmon sandwich
I took today off work because I have to get boxes and pack. Maybe I'll do something fun too.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Wrapping things up-- ongoing process
It just hit me yesterday that I'm leaving in two weeks. For so long it felt like forever away, but now-- it feels so real. I put my bike on consignment at the shop today, I'm bringing home boxes later. I'm planning my going away party, making dates to see people one last time before I leave.
this is the part that feels a little scary.
in some ways i feel like i'm leaving so many things that i'm just getting to know-- i have met some very cool people in the last few months and am sad to be leaving them so soon. like i told someone earlier, its a shame that we met when we did, and not a year or two ago when i could have really used it. the good thing, though, is that internet and phones will keep us close until a plane can make it back and forth.
i got an invite for an interview at my dream school this week. its an art and music high school looking for a science teacher. the school itself is in a warehouse-y area of brooklyn and has complete recording studios, art studios, dance studios... all my favorite things! all of the arts teachers are professionals and the core subject teachers are regular NY public schools faculty, so the environment seems like it would be a great mix of folk. being able to entertain both my academic and artistic sides would be a dream.
i am conceptualizing a science lesson involving waves and wave technology to incorporate music and sound into science. cross your fingers that i pull it off!
this is the part that feels a little scary.
in some ways i feel like i'm leaving so many things that i'm just getting to know-- i have met some very cool people in the last few months and am sad to be leaving them so soon. like i told someone earlier, its a shame that we met when we did, and not a year or two ago when i could have really used it. the good thing, though, is that internet and phones will keep us close until a plane can make it back and forth.
i got an invite for an interview at my dream school this week. its an art and music high school looking for a science teacher. the school itself is in a warehouse-y area of brooklyn and has complete recording studios, art studios, dance studios... all my favorite things! all of the arts teachers are professionals and the core subject teachers are regular NY public schools faculty, so the environment seems like it would be a great mix of folk. being able to entertain both my academic and artistic sides would be a dream.
i am conceptualizing a science lesson involving waves and wave technology to incorporate music and sound into science. cross your fingers that i pull it off!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Am I really going to be in graduate school?
A big part of the Fellows program, but one that I often forget about, is the graduate program. I've been trying to go back to school for a few years now-- thinking about public health, an MPA, urban planning, law school, but none of them ever really seemed to happen. Either I'd realize that I was trying to go to school just because I needed something to do, or the programs seemed to not be 100% what I wanted to do. Getting a master's degree in education is not something that I would have come to on my own if it were not in the NYCTF, but here I am-- I'm going back to school.
Suddenly I'm having the same dreams I used to have before my first day, from Kindergarten through college-- will I find my school? Will I remember my books? I love school, its true, and I'm a good student, but a big part of me wonders if I've forgotten how to do all of this?
Got my university assignment yesterday. Going to Brooklyn College, not too far from where I'm going to be living. Awesome.
Suddenly I'm having the same dreams I used to have before my first day, from Kindergarten through college-- will I find my school? Will I remember my books? I love school, its true, and I'm a good student, but a big part of me wonders if I've forgotten how to do all of this?
Got my university assignment yesterday. Going to Brooklyn College, not too far from where I'm going to be living. Awesome.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sunset Park!
So after a flurry of contacting people, explaining the teaching fellows program, seeing pictures, mapquesting, etc, I have found a place in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Park,_Brooklyn
Its near, you guessed it, Sunset Park, one of the highest points in Brooklyn, where you have supposedly the best view of the bridges and the Statue of Liberty. It is also very close to one of the schools I have an interview at and only a few subway stops away from my friends in Park Slope.
The rental is only through August, with the option of staying longer, but I figure it will be just enough time for me to meet some fellows and figure out where exactly I want to live more long-term. I will totally be living in a closet, but it comes with a bed and the other girl who lives there has been there three years and loves it. The apartment is only 3 years old, so it should be fairly nice. I'm supposed to see photos today.
Whew. That is one GIANT weight off my shoulders. Now I just have to pack?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_Park,_Brooklyn
Its near, you guessed it, Sunset Park, one of the highest points in Brooklyn, where you have supposedly the best view of the bridges and the Statue of Liberty. It is also very close to one of the schools I have an interview at and only a few subway stops away from my friends in Park Slope.
The rental is only through August, with the option of staying longer, but I figure it will be just enough time for me to meet some fellows and figure out where exactly I want to live more long-term. I will totally be living in a closet, but it comes with a bed and the other girl who lives there has been there three years and loves it. The apartment is only 3 years old, so it should be fairly nice. I'm supposed to see photos today.
Whew. That is one GIANT weight off my shoulders. Now I just have to pack?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Jobs!
I spent several hours combing through job postings online last Thursday and it seems to have paid off! One school would like to phone interview me this week and another is inviting me to a new hire open house shortly after I arrive in NYC. Exciting!
One school is a small 9-12 high school aimed at taking kids who want to go to college, regardless of past academic performance, and preparing them to do so. They have AVID classes, like I taught in Austin, and from the school profile online, seem to be an environment that I would enjoy.
The other school is a community high school for students who have previously exited the school system, but have decided to finish, or who have fallen behind due to absences. While I can tell that this is a tougher environment than the other school, it is also more intimate and supported by a community organization that aids teachers and staff in keeping the students on track. Both schools sound intriguing, but I kind of like the idea of working with kids that have chosen to give school another try. We'll see how the phone interview goes.
Also making slight progress on the housing front-- a few options in South Brooklyn, one of them three blocks away from the community high school. That would just be so convenient.
Keep your fingers crossed. 23 days!
One school is a small 9-12 high school aimed at taking kids who want to go to college, regardless of past academic performance, and preparing them to do so. They have AVID classes, like I taught in Austin, and from the school profile online, seem to be an environment that I would enjoy.
The other school is a community high school for students who have previously exited the school system, but have decided to finish, or who have fallen behind due to absences. While I can tell that this is a tougher environment than the other school, it is also more intimate and supported by a community organization that aids teachers and staff in keeping the students on track. Both schools sound intriguing, but I kind of like the idea of working with kids that have chosen to give school another try. We'll see how the phone interview goes.
Also making slight progress on the housing front-- a few options in South Brooklyn, one of them three blocks away from the community high school. That would just be so convenient.
Keep your fingers crossed. 23 days!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
decisions, decisions
so i decided to take a bike to NYC, just not the bike i have now.
while i love it dearly, it is just a little too nice. instead, i'm going to sell it to someone who will use it well here in seattle and get a not-super-nice bike to take to the city. i've been going back and forth about what kind of bike to take. the options as i see them now are:
*raleigh 29er: single speed mtn bike. its got big road size wheels but with beefy tires. good for snow and abusive city streets, single speed so lower maintenance, disc brakes. drawbacks are: heavy-ish, flat handlbar.. $420
*muirwoods29er: similar to the raleigh except with gears. drawbacks are that its still heavy-ish, and do gears make it more of a theft item? $380
*khs flite 220: steel frame road bike, ability to run cyclocross tires, regular brakes. pluses are the road bike geometry means i can take on longer rides. minuses are that it might be a bigger theft item, and do brake pads freeze more than disc brakes? $320
will i even ride much in the snow anyway? i think as it stands i will go for the flite220. its the cheapest and i can actually ride outside just city commuting if i want to. will go heavy on stickers and/or spray paint to keep the thieves away. or an armed guard.
also running into a sort of housing conundrum. its nearly impossible, from many angles, to secure housing in NYC until you're there.. but once you get there, where do you stay until you do? at this point, my crashing options seem dicey at best, but no one will consider you for even a sublet if you're not already there. and where do i send my stuff? i've been browsing craigslist like mad, trying to find something, but to no avail thus far. keep your fingers crossed, everyone, that i find something soon. and if you know anyone in NYC with a couch or space for a suitcase, let me know!
while i love it dearly, it is just a little too nice. instead, i'm going to sell it to someone who will use it well here in seattle and get a not-super-nice bike to take to the city. i've been going back and forth about what kind of bike to take. the options as i see them now are:
*raleigh 29er: single speed mtn bike. its got big road size wheels but with beefy tires. good for snow and abusive city streets, single speed so lower maintenance, disc brakes. drawbacks are: heavy-ish, flat handlbar.. $420
*muirwoods29er: similar to the raleigh except with gears. drawbacks are that its still heavy-ish, and do gears make it more of a theft item? $380
*khs flite 220: steel frame road bike, ability to run cyclocross tires, regular brakes. pluses are the road bike geometry means i can take on longer rides. minuses are that it might be a bigger theft item, and do brake pads freeze more than disc brakes? $320
will i even ride much in the snow anyway? i think as it stands i will go for the flite220. its the cheapest and i can actually ride outside just city commuting if i want to. will go heavy on stickers and/or spray paint to keep the thieves away. or an armed guard.
also running into a sort of housing conundrum. its nearly impossible, from many angles, to secure housing in NYC until you're there.. but once you get there, where do you stay until you do? at this point, my crashing options seem dicey at best, but no one will consider you for even a sublet if you're not already there. and where do i send my stuff? i've been browsing craigslist like mad, trying to find something, but to no avail thus far. keep your fingers crossed, everyone, that i find something soon. and if you know anyone in NYC with a couch or space for a suitcase, let me know!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Borough Assignment: Brooklyn!
Yay! My borough assignment through NYCTF is Brooklyn, which was my first choice. I still don't know what University I will be taking classes at, but for now I know that I need to start looking for a job in Brooklyn. I applied for a few positions this morning and updated my resume-- the ball is rolling, 27 days and counting.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Bike Shop Love
It's true, I do often have less-than-amazing things to say about my job. Sometimes people are hard to deal with and the managers can be a pain, but that's true just about anywhere. One of the best things about my job is the group of boys I work with. Yes, I guess they are all technically men, not boys, but something about the shop attracts the boyish, never-grow-up type.
Occasionally I get pissy when I clean up after them and more than once I have made the analogy that I am tired of being Wendy to their Lost Boys. For the most part, though, they are amazing. They give me hugs just because I am near. They pick me up sometimes to remind me that I am small. They tell me that I am smart and they bring me healthy snacks. Some of us share vegan recipes and some of us share CDs but mostly we all just share laughter.
Today, Tre Tre, my giant, vegan, tattooed-head-to-toe, heart of gold buddy met me on the steps outside just as we were closing our doors for the night. He picked me up, spun me around, and gave me a giant hug, saying to me sweetly "B, guess what? We made it." At that moment my eagerness to leave faltered a little and I realized that I will miss this place. I really need to bring my camera to work so that I can take pictures with all of my Lost Boys. Sometimes even Wendy has to grow up.
Occasionally I get pissy when I clean up after them and more than once I have made the analogy that I am tired of being Wendy to their Lost Boys. For the most part, though, they are amazing. They give me hugs just because I am near. They pick me up sometimes to remind me that I am small. They tell me that I am smart and they bring me healthy snacks. Some of us share vegan recipes and some of us share CDs but mostly we all just share laughter.
Today, Tre Tre, my giant, vegan, tattooed-head-to-toe, heart of gold buddy met me on the steps outside just as we were closing our doors for the night. He picked me up, spun me around, and gave me a giant hug, saying to me sweetly "B, guess what? We made it." At that moment my eagerness to leave faltered a little and I realized that I will miss this place. I really need to bring my camera to work so that I can take pictures with all of my Lost Boys. Sometimes even Wendy has to grow up.
Monday, April 21, 2008
"leave the gun, take the cannoli"
a line from a movie that lies dear to my heart.. no, not the godfather, though that is the original film. yes, indeed, i'm quoting "you've got mail", perhaps one of my favorite movies from when i was in middle school. i owe it partly to a crush on meg ryan in that film, partly to the romanticized view of new york, which brings me to my current dilemma--
what do i take with me?
some things i need to leave behind, like my futon mattress (now permanent brett/molly guest bed) and my snowboard. other things i could possibly sell or possibly take, like my acoustic guitar and my road bike.
the guitar is a cheapo but somehow i think that sans piano i will definitely need some way to express myself musically once there. i toyed with the idea of selling it rather than shipping (how do you ship a guitar in a hard case? will it cost more than its worth?) and just getting another one there. i'm sure there is a pawn shop somewhere i can find a cheap acoustic. thoughts anyone?
the other big dilemma is my road bike. its too nice to ride as a commuter in NYC unless i never leave it out side, which means i will probably have it for weekend riding only. will i have time? should i just take the money? should i take it with me and sell it there if i can't use it/need the cash? taking it on the plane won't be too hard, i don't think, but its still kind of a hassle and counts as a checked bag.
meredith says that i should use my heart, not my head to decide what to bring, what will make me happy. while i think she's right, i also need to think realistically about liquidating my assets.
tomorrow i have to take care of a bunch of logistical odds and ends for the program, and get a study guide so i can prepare for my nyctf tests. everything is happening so fast!
what do i take with me?
some things i need to leave behind, like my futon mattress (now permanent brett/molly guest bed) and my snowboard. other things i could possibly sell or possibly take, like my acoustic guitar and my road bike.
the guitar is a cheapo but somehow i think that sans piano i will definitely need some way to express myself musically once there. i toyed with the idea of selling it rather than shipping (how do you ship a guitar in a hard case? will it cost more than its worth?) and just getting another one there. i'm sure there is a pawn shop somewhere i can find a cheap acoustic. thoughts anyone?
the other big dilemma is my road bike. its too nice to ride as a commuter in NYC unless i never leave it out side, which means i will probably have it for weekend riding only. will i have time? should i just take the money? should i take it with me and sell it there if i can't use it/need the cash? taking it on the plane won't be too hard, i don't think, but its still kind of a hassle and counts as a checked bag.
meredith says that i should use my heart, not my head to decide what to bring, what will make me happy. while i think she's right, i also need to think realistically about liquidating my assets.
tomorrow i have to take care of a bunch of logistical odds and ends for the program, and get a study guide so i can prepare for my nyctf tests. everything is happening so fast!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
I was accepted.. so now what?
I was accepted to the NYCTF on Friday, 4/18, after having waited four weeks after my interview. While four weeks seems small when compared to something like, oh the age of the earth or the Ming Dynasty, it was probably the most tense four weeks I have endured. Not only did I feel like everything was in limbo, but I had a whole list of things that I just couldn't do until I found out for sure.
Making things more complicated was my unexpected meeting of someone special, giving me something more to look forward to in the city. In my last week of waiting I feverishly applied to a few other jobs as an attempt to get to NYC no matter what. Getting my acceptance letter was a much needed relief.
Now I have a whole new set of waiting that I have to do-- 31 days and counting. In that time I have to:
1. Get rid of a bunch of stuff that I really don't need
2. Sell some things that I don't want to ship or won't use in NYC
3. Print out and mail a ton of things to the program
4. Ship stuff
5. Register to take tests
6. Hang out with a ton of people here
7. Pack
8. a million other things that I have yet to think of
All of this is totally possible, but a bit daunting. At this point, I really wish I could just snap my fingers and make it happen.
I put in my notice at work today, but none of the managers work Sundays so they'll all have a big surprise when they come in tomorrow. I need to get everything tuned up on my bike before I leave and lose the 40% discount that I so love. If anyone needs bike stuff, let me know now.
I am way excited, but sometimes I just stop and think : this is insane. :)
Making things more complicated was my unexpected meeting of someone special, giving me something more to look forward to in the city. In my last week of waiting I feverishly applied to a few other jobs as an attempt to get to NYC no matter what. Getting my acceptance letter was a much needed relief.
Now I have a whole new set of waiting that I have to do-- 31 days and counting. In that time I have to:
1. Get rid of a bunch of stuff that I really don't need
2. Sell some things that I don't want to ship or won't use in NYC
3. Print out and mail a ton of things to the program
4. Ship stuff
5. Register to take tests
6. Hang out with a ton of people here
7. Pack
8. a million other things that I have yet to think of
All of this is totally possible, but a bit daunting. At this point, I really wish I could just snap my fingers and make it happen.
I put in my notice at work today, but none of the managers work Sundays so they'll all have a big surprise when they come in tomorrow. I need to get everything tuned up on my bike before I leave and lose the 40% discount that I so love. If anyone needs bike stuff, let me know now.
I am way excited, but sometimes I just stop and think : this is insane. :)
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