thanks?

“If I was about 6’5″ and single……” says the father of one of the kids in the after-school program I teach at…yuck. seriously, why can’t a normal guy hit on me for once?! 😉

in other news, personal trainers are the greatest things ever. loving it!

insanity in science class

Seriously, I think that when kids reach 5th grade they go a little bit insane. Actually, my group did better today than they have the last couple of weeks. They actually listened to my instructions for the most part. We made kaleidescopes (maybe I should have learned how to spell that since I was teaching them to make them), which didn’t really turn out that well but they still had fun. I think. This is really good experience for me…although I’m starting to wonder how I could ever have a whole classroom full of 30 or so kids, when I can barely keep a class of 11 kids under control. That’s what I’m in school for, right?

After my little class, we head to the cafeteria for “homework club” and all the SUN school kids are there (probably about 75 kids, 1st-5th grades). And they are all still completely fascinated with my height. They ask me if I can fit through the doors. HA! Seriously, kids? I guess I must look a lot bigger from their low vantage point. But STILL! hahahah good thing it doesn’t bother me, otherwise I’d probably be a lot more violent than I am…

let’s try this again?

Well, we’ll see how long I keep this up this time. Probably not much longer than I did last time, but who knows. My life is kind of weird right now. I am super busy. Way busier than I was when I was working full time. But not nearly as miserable. That job killed me. I don’t even know why, but it was slowly stealing my soul. So I’m definitely glad to be away from there and out of Corvallis and doing what I’m doing. Of course its not perfect, it will never be perfect. But I’m pretty happy overall! I just have to get in the hang of things with my new job and the new volunteer thing I’m doing. Then I’ll get my schedule down and get better at managing my time and things will be golden.

This last week was insane. I didn’t have a second to think, much less do anything. But the craziness is over (kind of), and I don’t have to work OR go to school tomorrow, and Kayla is going to come visit. I got some homework done today, so this week is already looking better! I’m sitting here right now watching Garden State. I didn’t even have time to watch any TV this week, that’s how busy I was. So I had to catch up this weekend, a little at a time 🙂 Anyway, back to watching the movie. Even though it’s a bit of a depressing movie for some reason…I still love it!

back to basics

Sooo I’m thinking about going back to school. Those of you who know my opinion of school probably think I have been abducted by aliens. Believe me, I didn’t ever think I would be considering this again in my entire life. But here’s what I’m thinking:

* I am so incredibly tired of my job and frustrated with the politics of it…I don’t want to just switch to another company and keep doing the same thing. Or do anything else with banking.
* I honestly have no idea what else to do! If I could just get a job being a travel agent, that would solve all my dilemmas. Unfortunately, just because I want that job doesn’t mean I can get it.
* I’m obviously not just going to find some rich dream man to marry who will take me away from the career world….so I guess I have to plan for a life of my own.
* I think I would like being a teacher of young-uns. I’ve always enjoyed being with kids and think that would be a career I would be really proud of. I would feel a huge sense of accomplishment by getting an actual degree and getting a job as a teacher!

Now, the journey there might kill me. But I think it will be good for me. I just need to figure out how long I would have to be in school, and how much money the government will give me for going 🙂 That’s the benefit of going to school when you’re old like I am, they government will pay for it! Unfortunately, I’ve had a good job for the last few years and I’m afraid that my income from that will lower the amount they will give me…we’ll see!

Who wants to fill out my college application/FAFSA forms??? Hahaha I’m trying to get someone to do my homework and I haven’t even started yet 🙂

Adieu, 2008

I had a good 2008. There were a lot of things I may have complained about (well, mainly work), but there were enough good things to break up the bad that I can call it a good year: I got a promotion at work, got a new sister, went on a great trip, made new friends, caught up with some old friends, and just generally had some fun times.

So here’s my plan for 2009. I don’t really like calling these “resolutions” because those never work out for anyone…but I guess that’s kind of what they are!

*I am going to quit spending so much money! This may be tough, cuz I do love shopping and buying things. But there is a certain amount that I want to have saved by next fall, and I’m not going to make it if I keep spending like a crazed woman!

*I am going to go to church more regularly and spend more time reading my Bible. I used to be so good at that, but have really dropped the ball. I think God deserves some of my time in 2009, no?

*I am going to take more pictures. I love having pictures of everything, but never take them! I even carry around my camera with me, but just don’t use it! I want to have a nice catalog of everything I’ve done in 2009. Maybe I need to buy a new camera…(see, I’m already trying to spend money!)

*I am trying to learn to just be content with where I am. I have a great life: good job, awesome family and friends, really everything I could want or need. So I need to just learn to be happy where I am and with what I’m doing, and quit trying to look to the future as my hope to get “out of here,” wherever that may be. Yeah, someday I’ll have another job, I’ll be somewhere else, I’ll have a special someone…but right now, I’m here, at this job, with these people, and its great. I just need to embrace it.

*I want to spend a few months traveling in Europe. No one believes me when I say I am going to do this, or thinks I should do it, but I really want to! (does this contradict my previous resolution? hmmm this isn’t a good start, is it?!) There will be no other time in my life when I can just pack up and take off for a few months to do whatever I want! So I may as well do it while I can.

*I really need to be more active. I’m pretty lazy when it comes right down to it (I know, I know, this may SHOCK some of you…! hehehe). Now this doesn’t just mean exercise, although that is certainly included. I just need to get out and do STUFF! Besides shopping 🙂 I’ve already signed up for a pilates class which starts next week, so that will be good. But I also need to quit being so antisocial. I need to hang out with people, go places, do things! I will have a lot more fun if I do. I’m sure I will have more energy too if I’m actually doing things besides hanging out at home.

*I would really like to become fluent in one of the languages I sort-of-speak. Italian or Spanish. I would rather learn Italian because I love it, but Spanish would be more practical…but either one will be a lot of work!

Alright, that seems like a lot! 2009 will take some work, but I will be a better person for it. If you catch me blowing my money or complaining about things or skipping church, call me out on it 🙂

Everyone have a happy New Year!

stupid little boys

So I was opening some savings accounts for some cute little boys who came in with their dad. One was born in 1999, the other in 2003. That makes them, like, what, 3 weeks old? I was having fun conversing with these young minds until the youngest boy (who I’m pretty sure was making fun of his older brother for liking Hannah Montana earlier in the conversation) decided to be a jerk.

“Do you have a boy?” (meaning a child of my own)

“nope!” (me, being cheerful)

“How about a girl?”

“nope, no girl either…” (still being cheerful-ish)

“why not?”

“I don’t have any kids, I’m not married yet…” (thanks for bringing that up, little buddy)

“why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“My dad’s married to my mom.”

“Congratulations.” (hahaha I didn’t really say that)

Seriously? Even the little 4-year-olds are doing this to me now? If he hadn’t been so cute I might have just put all his money in his older brothers account…see how you like that, huh? Don’t mess with your banker!!!

They really were cute though. The older one had saved up $24 and the younger one had $11. Its amazing how much that seems to be when you are little!

Talking with/seeing little kids just makes me so excited to be an auntie! Although if my little niece or nephew gets on me about being single, I might have to disown them…

p.s. Merry Christmas! 🙂

sleep and eat…

So apparently my brain is trying to sabotage me and it has decided that I shouldn’t sleep anymore. Not fun. Not fun at all. Every night for the last week, I wake up at around 2:30-3:30 and can’t fall back asleep again until about 10 minutes before I have to get up. My stupid mind just won’t shut up! I am getting a lot of thinking and planning done…unfortunately, the thinking and planning that goes on at 3am when you are sleep deprived isn’t the greatest. Mostly its incoherent and random. Although recently the thinking that has been going on during the day isn’t much different, thanks to this current situation.

Last night I stayed at my grandma’s because it was icy and she lives closer to my work, and also because I think she kind of wanted me to…we had some recent bad news about our uncle (her son) who has been battling cancer and she needed someone to cook for so she could cheer up 🙂 So I valiantly volunteered.

I drove into the garage, where a space had been cleared for me so that I wouldn’t have to scrape ice off of my car in the morning. Then walked into the nice warm house to delicious smells. She had been baking and cooking all day, calling my mom multiple times to find out if I would prefer carrots or beans, etc. She threw a giant steak on the stove, and when it was ready, served it with a baked potato, home-canned carrots and and corn, and still-warm blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. After watching an exciting episode of “Are you smarter than a 5th grader?” (the contestant-an episcopalian reverend-won $500,000, just in case you were wondering…) I went to bed.

Like usual, I woke up at 2:40…I swear at some point during the night I heard children running around screaming playing in the snow. Seeing as how it must have been no later than 4am, its possible my saboteur brain was playing tricks on me. If not, there are some crazy kids in that neighborhood.

Anyway, after another night of restless sleep, I forced myself out of bed, with a killer sleep-deprivation headache. After I got ready, I sat down with Grandma for breakfast: bacon, eggs and a cinnamon roll. As I usually eat very little or no breakfast, this was quite an overload. But I ate (almost) all of it so grandma would be happy…I’m such a good granddaughter 😉 Then, I left for work, with a nice brown bag lunch including leftover steak, carrots and corn, plus some won ton soup, a cream cheese blueberry bagel, three pieces of pie and a plate of cookies and grandmas infamous caramel. Don’t worry, I didn’t eat ALL of that for lunch 🙂 Unfortunately I left the extra pieces of pie at work, so I might have to stop by tomorrow to pick them up so I can eat them 🙂

Well, I’m sure you all are very excited to learn about everything I ate since last night…you can blame the lack of sleep for the rambling. I’m going to pop an Advil PM now and hopefully get a full nights sleep…buona notte!

p.s. for some reason, this thing says I posted this at 5:52 on December 20th. Either my lack of sleep has actually made me black out and lose about 12 hours (I don’t actually know how many hours…its 9:51 on the 19th…you can do the math, I’m sure your brain is functioning better than mine at this point), or they think I live in Timbuktoo…or in whatever time zone that would make this. I can’t figure out how to change it, so I guess I’ll just pretend that I’m writing from the future until I can get smart enough to figure it out 🙂

stuck and bored

Soooo I didn’t get the job I applied for. The job itself I wasn’t that disappointed about…but then I realized that this means I’m going to be stuck in Corvallis still. And that made me a little sad. But apparently it wasn’t meant to be. So now I have to figure out what IS meant to be…ideas, anyone??

First I thought that I really should go traveling. Which I haven’t given up on. But that is a pretty impractical thing to do right now, especially with how the economy is. Who knows if I’d be able to get a good job again after I got back. Stupid economy.

Then I thought, well, maybe I should just stay at this job and keep living at home and see if I can get a raise and just save some more money. Which in all honesty is probably what I will end up doing. But it certainly doesn’t sound like fun. At all.

Then I thought maybe I should keep looking for a travel agent job. But apparently those jobs don’t exist.

Then I started looking for other random jobs. But couldn’t find any that I wanted to do.

If I lived in a dream world, I would quit my job in February, go traveling for 4 months, come back and get a job as a travel agent and live happily ever after. Unfortunately this is not a dream world. It is the real world. And in the real world, things suck.

Hahahah ok things don’t really suck that bad. I’m just getting real bored and am ready for a change! I haven’t spent more than two years in the same place/at the same job since I’ve been out of high school. I like to mix it up and move around! But I’ve been at this same place for 2 years. I guess if a change is not in store, then I’m sure I will get something out of staying here. “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Maybe that’s the lesson thats out there for me. Not a very fun lesson…

In the meantime, if anyone has any ideas for fun, or for cool jobs for me, give me a holla 🙂

Or, better yet, if you want to finance my trip to Europe and then support me when I return, please let me know.

On the bright side, I get to sleep in tomorrow. And I have a whole weekend until I have to go back to work!!

wanderlust

So I recently re-discovered a website that I had signed up for a while ago. Its kind of like a myspace for people who like to travel. I had stumbled upon it once upon a time, but then never went back. Well on my birthday this year, I got a bunch of “happy birthday’s” from random people on there which made me check it out again. Bad idea. These people who are on this site have traveled everywhere. I mean seriously, they have been aaalll over. I keep looking at everyone I can find and just keep getting more and more jealous!

From time to time I dream about just quitting my job and traveling. Well this website is just making me reallly want to do that. Maybe it would be different if I had a job that I loved or something, but the more I think about it, the more awesome it seems. I have a nice chunk of money saved up…I was going to use it to buy a house, but hey, you’re only young once!

Here’s where I would go: I would start in Iceland and spend a few days there.

these people are having fun in Iceland!

Then I’d head over to the UK…see Ireland, Scotland, re-visit England. Look at all the castles and the green countryside. Search for Nessy (you know, she hangs out in Loch Ness).

somewhere in Ireland, I'll find it!

Then I’d move on to Spain and Portugal. Maybe go during the running of the bulls. I’d see more of France…I’d go to Andorra, which just sounds like a place that you’d find in a fairy tale, so I think it would be amazing!

who wouldn't want to go here? it looks magical!

I’d see Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. See the Berlin wall, eat some yummy chocolate and find some cool Dutch people. Go to Finland and Sweden. Austria, Croatia and Poland. Spend some time in Russia. See Italy again.

Then I would move on to Asia! I’d see Hong Kong and Tokyo…go to India and Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia…stop by Australia for a while…head on over to Israel and see the Holy lands!

Great Wall of China!!

I think I could pack really light and stay in cheap places. Maybe I would just meet all the people on this fancy website and stay at their homes….maybe I would get murdered, but I would die having fun!

Sigh, someone needs to talk me out of this, stat!

Feliz Navidad?

Is it wrong that I started listening to Christmas music today? I was clicking through the presets on my car stereo (which I very rarely do) and found one that I had saved on there last year around this time…solely because it played Christmas music. And lo and behold, the lovely sounds of the holidays came pouring though my car speakers! I felt a little embarassed at first…like if someone could hear the music from outside of my car they would glare at me and start flipping me off. But then I got so in the mood that I just didn’t care and I cranked it up and started singing along to “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” which may just be one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Granted, there are really only about 20 good Christmas songs (maybe less. probably less). They will just keep repeating the same songs, sung by different people for the next 33 days and I may get bored or even annoyed at some of them, but I’m going to keep listening. And none of you Grinches can make me feel bad for it!!!