Matriculation dinner, Windsor castle, etc.

The thing about not having class on Fridays is that I tend to sit around and not do anything. I have reading to do, and an essay to write, but no! Let's update my blog, shall we?

On Monday, we had a formal matriculation dinner at the College. Rumor has it, this was the best meal we'll get all year... and it was FREE. The food was indeed delicious: a three-course meal including smoked salmon with cream cheese, pork with roasted vegetables, and a lime marscapone tart. It also involved candles, more silverware than I've ever seen, mandatory gown-wearing, and lots and lots of wine. (heh) Oh yeah, and I got to sit at the head table, next to the Master of the college. (Don't know what the equivalent of his position would be in the US... something like the Dean, on a slightly smaller scale?) I'm not entirely sure how I managed this. Apparently he wanted to sit next to a linguist, or something. At any rate, it was a bit intimidating sitting in the middle of the high table, next to the Master, but I managed to make enough small talk. (and then he turned to other people at the table and I could just sit back and listen) The guy has this amazingly dry sense of humor. Added bonus: I got to hear all sorts of sordid stories about the College.

The rest of the week has been pretty much awful, with this (8-page) essay I have due on Monday. I spent the entire day Wednesday in the library reading for it, and didn't understand a thing. Just now, I sort of have an idea, but I haven't started writing yet. We'll see if I actually do know what I'm talking about when I start working on it.

Randomly, here's a picture of my house. Or, more accurately, the house in which I rent an 11' by 7' cubicle. I live on Windsor Road (how English!), so I suppose you could call this Windsor Castle:

Pictures of my cell room available upon request.

Damn it.

I forgot to 'lock' my cell phone before I put it in my bag, so it got smashed around and sent 25 text messages on its own. Most of which were to numbers I didn't know, possibly to China or Myanmar or someplace which costs 25p/text. So (a) I feel really stupid and (b) I'm out four pounds (or so).

Thus continues the day from hell.

Seriously.

Do people not know how to use a phone? Or email? Not to get all self-pitying on you, but I am alone in a foreign country. With no friends. Did I mention I'm by myself? Honestly, sometimes I think that if I disappeared right now, no one would notice.

The months-long blogging gap would be par for the course.

Where is everyone?

Announcements

I'm now on gmail, so if anyone has Google chat, we can chat! Send me an email and I'll let you know my chat name. (Still using my other email address(es), so use either or both of those.)

Also, send me an email if you want my snail mail address here... and I'll send you a postcard! I'll probably get around to sending you a postcard anyway (that is, if I have your address), but that sentence sounded like it needed some reciprocity to it.

Thus endeth the blatant plea for attention announcements.

Observations

I figured I should probably write about the more mundane stuff in my life, to prove it's not all glamorousness, gowns and punting. Plus, I have no class today and am procrastinating all the errands I have to do: get new bed linens, get a new cable for my computer, exchange travelers' checks, buy lights for my bike, buy some food... heh. Anyway.

• This program is incredibly difficult. That sounds rather ridiculous for two reasons: (a) am I trolling for sympathy here?, and (b) it's Cambridge, it's supposed to be hard. But when you've got eight 2-hour-long lectures a week (plus two tutorials, which are also two hours long and a chance to practice/review stuff from two classes) and are supposed to be doing exercises and 50 to 100 pages of outside reading for each class (minimum), it's hard to keep it all straight. I've already forgotten to do some exercises for phonetics and had to fake it. Oops. It'll be extra interesting next week when we have to write an 8-page paper on top of all this.
• People here are über-competitive. Which surprises me a bit, because what happened to solidarity and the 'we're all going through this together' sort of attitude? Maybe that's how the Europeans do it: they don't show that they're confused/nervous/frustrated about a class, they don't ask questions (unless said questions are phrased in such a way to show off their vast knowledge) and they don't let on that anything is less than crystal-clear to them. Also, no one works together; everyone does the problem sets on their own, everyone has their own copy of the reading, and everyone bolts out of class at the end of the day without bothering to say goodbye. Seriously, I'm not going to take your place in the Ph.D. program away from you; you can at least say hello to me.
• I feel exceedingly stupid on a regular basis. Corollary to points 1 and 2 above.
• Biking on the left side of the road isn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's actually quite fun to bike around again. Except the other day, when it was raining. That was not so much fun.
• I tried yoga for the first time yesterday. I've always wanted to try it, but it took some convincing from a friend. It was okay; some parts were easier than others (hello, no upper body strength) but today my arms are killing me. Good thing I have a week to recover. Maybe by Monday I'll be able to lift my hands above my head without my shoulders hurting.
• Laundry is a giant pain. The house has no washer or dryer, and so you must schlep all your laundry to the College (whereby a 10-minute walk turns into a 20-minute walk because your stuff is so damn heavy and awkward) and THEN schlep your clothes (some of which are wet) all the way back. At which point your stuff is all wrinkled. My plan for next time is to steal a shopping cart from Aldi and become a cart lady.
• The British version of 'The Office' is awesome! However, it doesn't quite equal the greatness that is the American version. But maybe that's just me. Either way, it's still damn funny. Also, I've converted two people to 'The Office'. I am insidious.

All right, it's time to take a shower and get this show on the road. Yay for errands.

Three posts in four days: it's a blogging extravaganza!

We had our graduate student photo today at the College. (Doesn't it sound a little pretentious when I say things like that, particularly when it's spelled with a capital letter? That is really what people say, though. You can almost hear the capital letters.) It was rather cool to see everyone all dressed up, in their black robes (or 'gowns'). I get to wear a Master's gown, since I'm over 24, even though I don't have a Master's yet... ha! One advantage to being old! The sleeves are quite fun; you can probably hide all sorts of things in them. We also took a picture of people who live in my house, all dressed up...well, at least five of them; one seems to be missing in action. I might post that photo at some point.

Anyway, here's really what I wanted to share: After the photo, we had a barbecue on the lawn. I was very excited about the hamburgers; after days of pasta and frozen dinner, I was looking forward to real food. (Let's just ignore BSE for a moment.) We waited in line for about 15 minutes, finally got some food, I took a bite... and it was mushy. Apparently in Britain, 'hamburgers' are comprised of onion bits, flour or some sort of filler, and (oh yeah) beef. It was the worst hamburger I've ever had; I couldn't finish it. So now I'm considering cooking burgers for dinner tonight, just to get that taste out of my mouth. Blergh.

Moral: Do not eat hamburgers in England.

Help me!

I am totally going through 'Office' withdrawal. I have been reloading this page nearly all day, trying to load episode 2, but it won't work! Fortunately, I could watch the season premiere online last week, but I've now been to three different sites and can't get the newest episode to work on any of them! Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

If anyone can help me out here, you will get chocolate from England. And it is delicious. I'm eating some right now. Mmmm, Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Embarrassing stories from Britain #1 and 2

So I made it here, etc., etc. We're going to skip over the madness that was the Rochester Airport, the semi-depression that marked my first few days here, and the mold in the bathroom that hasn't been cleaned since the Carter administration. (Or, since Margaret Thatcher left office. When was that, anyway?) Instead, let's skip right to the Embarrassing Stories About Which I'll Laugh Later, Or At Least Have A Hearty Chuckle!



Embarrassing Story #1:


Organized by the graduate welcome committee, a bunch of us went out to dinner on Monday. We went to an Indian place (henceforth called a 'curry') down the road, which was fantastic, in case you were wondering. There was a fairly large group of us, about 13, most of whom were international students. As is typical for a meal, the portions were fairly large, and I couldn't eat all of my Chicken Korma at once, so I managed to catch the waiter's attention and asked for a box. He looked confused, so I said I'd like to take the rest home. He still seemed a bit taken aback, but he took the rest and brought it back in a box. The girl next to me (a Canadian) then asked for a box for her meal, and he looked even more reluctant, but did so. While he was repackaging her food, one of the Brits was like, 'I've never seen someone do that before.' The Canadian girl and I were like, what? Apparently in Britain, you just don't take home leftovers; you're supposed to eat all your food. And then two other people at the other end of the table (American and Hungarian) asked for boxes for their food, and the waiter was like, 'We don't do that here.' So this Canadian girl and I obviously offended these people by not finishing our meals! We both felt really bad and took a lot of teasing for the rest of the night. Needless to say I can't show up in that restaurant again, at least for a while. Thank goodness there are many, many other curries in town...



Embarrassing Story #2:


Also organized by the graduate welcome committee, a group of students went punting today. It was a gorgeous day, sunny and not too cold. We went up and down the Cam, looking at the scenery and watching the tourists and tour guides maneuver their punts. I had a great time...until I tried punting myself. I felt like I was going to lose my balance and fall in the water, and I got us turned around twice and almost lost the pole! I was the worst one in our punt; it was pretty embarrassing. Clearly, being punted is much more fun than actually punting. Well, at least I've tried it and know I can't really do it. Also, at least I have photographic evidence:

The Bridge of Sighs, St. John's College

Punts of tourists (and grad students) trying to get a handle on how to punt

The river Cam

(that is indeed me in the foreground...I told you I was there!)

One of the buildings of (the entirely too wealthy) St. John's College

I should go do some reading for class now. How are you?

Minneapolis, I hardly knew ye

Dear Twin Cities,

The time has come for us to say goodbye, too soon. Two years isn't enough to really get to know you; it's barely enough to get used to your winters. And yet the time has come for me to move on to other things. Things that are possibly bigger and better, but considerably less friendly.

I'll miss some things about you, Twin Cities. Your bike paths and parks, your lakes and fantastic summer weather are really some of your main draws. Not to mention the ice cream places (within walking distance!) I have come to know and love. From now on, my life will be incomplete without Guinness ice cream. I'll also miss Summit Ave., walking to the movie theater, Lakes Calhoun and Harriet, the MOA, the Irish Fair, Grand Old Days and good old Bus #63. We've shared some good times, you and I.

But we both know that relationships aren't perfect, Twin Cities. I'm willing to grant you your somewhat irrational love for the State Fair. And, if you twist my arm, I'll even ignore the strange names you have for things, like the kids' game 'Duck Duck Gray Duck' or calling all casseroles 'hotdish'. However, I am just not okay with the passive-aggressive tendency, or the fact that 'Minnesota Nice' is just a cover for any sort of backstabbing that may be going on. Also, the fact that your drivers tailgate like they want to see themselves in my bumper, or all the merging and exiting that happens on your highways from the left? Twin Cities, these have caused me hours of stress. I'm not pointing this out to hurt you; I'm just trying to be honest. I haven't lived in MN long enough that I can sugarcoat everything. Sorry.

I have to say, though, that you broadened my life. My first job, apartment and car were with you. Thanks to your (relatively) close proximity to the SPAM Museum, I tried that 'food' for the first time. I met many, many fantastic people, thanks to you. There really are much worse places than you, Twin Cities, and I'm glad to have gotten to know you. Don't ever change.

Well, except for the awful drivers and the ridiculously convoluted highways. That's annoying as hell.

Love,
Bridget

Kindergarten, first grade and now third grade

So I'm the third grade teacher for the week. They had gotten someone else to do this, but I just found out on Friday that there'd been a change of plans and was I still available. Uh... sure? I'll be one of four (!) adults in the room, but basically I'm in charge of setting the routines and rules and generally laying the smack down. Because that's what I do best.

It's funny how I feel about this; I'm not exactly thrilled, but I'm not dreading it either. Actually, I'm kind of ambivalent about the whole thing. Of course, I did spend about an hour and a half tonight, writing plans to the minute detail (because, again, that's what I do), but I just want it to go well. I've got no personal investment in this class, since I'm leaving in a week; I'm just in it for the paycheck. Is that shallow? Perhaps. But it's saving me a lot of stress. I wonder if teaching is like this for people who do it their entire lives. And I wonder if that's a good or a bad thing.

Anyway, I should go to bed, and brace myself for tomorrow. Just figured I would post these thoughts for posterity.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

Things I Saw At The State Fair:

• Newborn lambs, calves, chicks, and piglets.


• MN's largest boar: 1200 pounds! It could probably have eaten me if it had wanted to.


• Food on a stick: corn dogs, roasted corn, 'hotdish', pork chops, pizza, caramel apples. Yes, each of these was on a stick.


• Rides, carnival games and crappy prizes.


• Demonstration on how to milk a cow.


• All sorts of random vendors.


• MN's best jarred vegetables, pies, etc.


• A giant slide!


• Cowboy hats.


• More leather accessories than you have ever seen.


• A barbecue grill shaped like a pig.


• Miniature horses that only come up to your thigh.


• A sculptor carving one of the fair's princesses in a block of butter.

I honestly don't see the appeal. I mean, it was mildly amusing, but 3 hours was enough and I definitely couldn't come every day. Cross one more thing off the list of things to see!

Car update

Apparently the Blue Book value of my car has depreciated $800 in one day! It was $11,740 when I checked last night, and now it's suddenly worth $10,940. What the hell, man. No wonder it's not selling. Now I have to call the newspaper and edit my ad...what a pain.

Also, my driving experience today was further proof that I need to move somewhere where there is excellent public transportation. (NYC, DC, or ... Europe) Horrific.

State Fair update coming (most likely) tomorrow, as I am too tired and/or stressed out to be coherent right now.

I'll just play violin on the street for money

Out of curiosity (no bitterness, none at all), I was checking out the people who've been awarded that prestigious scholarship I was going for, the one that would have paid for all my costs. There are 48 of them, and I'd say that at least 40 are going into fields that have something to do with science, mostly biochem or molecular biology. Does this seem unfair to anyone? I mean, a big part of this scholarship's application is showing how you intend to help others with the education you'll have received at Cambridge; are they saying that teaching children a second language isn't worthwhile? Granted, it's not curing cancer or anything, but how many people are going to do that? A few, eventually. How many people could be more effective teachers, by reading (my future) research? Hundreds of thousands, immediately. (perhaps that's overestimating just a little...) So I'm a little annoyed at that.

Also, check out where they're from: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, UPenn. Dude, if you could afford to go to these undergrad schools, then you obviously don't need a scholarship anywhere else. Also (#2), some of these people are from places like Chappaqua, NY. Are you freaking kidding me?! You clearly don't need any extra money.

Or it could just be that I don't run marathons in my spare time, or I'm not smart enough, or I'm not like this guy: '[I] have completed graduate math and physics classes since freshman year at Duke. In addition, I have studied Victorian literature at Oxford, globalization in Geneva, applied math in Budapest, particle physics at CERN and microfinance in rural China.' Good lord:

• (a) I can't compete with that,
• (b) Pompous, what?

Sorry if that's mean. But throw me a frickin' bone here.

In contrast to the previous post...

...because I am bipolar.

I was just reading some of my blog entries from back in the day (because I am awesome like that), and a few things came to mind:

1. Hey, my writing was somewhat entertaining!
2. I have had this blog for TWO YEARS.
3. Wow, I was really miserable for that entire first school year. More than I currently remember.

Makes me calm myself down and realize that this next adventure is actually pretty cool, if somewhat less practical. Also, that I should write more descriptively about more interesting events; too bad I'm not terribly full of those. Watch for an update about the Minnesota State Fair, which is huge here. I kid you not.

Also, I have got to stop posting at 1.00am.

Rampant indecision, ahoy!

First of all, someone just came roaring down the street blasting Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'! Excellent! Party on, Wayne!

Getting back to the task at hand: Have you ever had one of those weeks when you question every decision you make? I haven't had one of those in a while, but this week is apparently one of them. Combined with fairly large decisions being made, this is not the best phenomenon. To wit:

• I sent in my visa application on Monday. There were a number of questions that weren't entirely clear (do they mean the hours I'll be spending in class or the 'full-time student' number of 40 hours per week?), but I filled it out and sent it in anyway. Hopefully they'll give me a visa; it would reeeeeeeeeeally suck if they didn't. Has anyone ever been turned down for a visa who hasn't been a terrorist?
• I also bought flight tickets. I leave out of Rochester (on September 27, in case you wanted to know) and connect in Toronto, where I'll be spending 9 hours. Toronto better have a kick-ass airport, because I will be going nuts. Also, I've decided to come back for Christmas, since I spent the holidays abroad once, and it's not as great as you might think. However, I then talked to Müs, who has colored me crazy for coming back, when I could be spending New Year's in London or some equally fun city. And don't they do some big New Year's thing up in Scotland? So I'm second-guessing this decision, too, although the tickets are non-refundable and therefore it's too late...
• I got a packet of information from my college, explaining what to do upon arrival as well as day-to-day stuff. And this somehow made the whole Cambridge thing sink in. Of course, I immediately thought, 'What am I doing?!' I think I really am crazy. Going into debt, to get a degree that I'm not entirely sure will prove useful, after which I have no clue what to do... who else does this?

I just keep reminding myself that this has been a dream of mine for almost 3 years, and it would truly be a poor choice to give up on your dream. Plus, I'm determined to have an awesome time.

Last, no one is buying my car or my furniture. Damn it.

Face-lift

I'm trying out a new style of blog, here (obviously). I figured after two years with the same style, it's time for a change. Nothing like moving to a new country to reinvent yourself and your blog!

So does it look good? Does it reflect my personality? Does it make me look fat? Please comment!

Interesting development

The school's fairly-recently-hired third grade teacher is coming from Germany, and there are apparently problems with his visa and/or he hasn't gotten his act together to get said visa in time. Workshops start on Monday, and he doesn't have a visa or a plane ticket yet. School stars in just over two weeks.

I was asked today if I'd be willing to sub until he got here.

Just when I think one chapter of my life is over and done, something else comes up.

Just like old times

The Great Storm Of 2007 ^tm has now passed, and there's been no major damage, at least in my immediate vicinity. However, we still have no power, and it's been about a day and a half. This means: no TV, radio, internet, garage door, fridge, freezer, stove, microwave, or coffee. So not only is all of my frozen/refrigerated food going bad, but I can't even get caffeine in the morning! This is bad news. Also, peeing in a windowless bathroom is no treat. Anyway, here I am again, on the Internet at a cafe, having schlepped my laptop a couple of blocks. It's just like old times, when I didn't have Internet or a car at my old place. Ah, nostalgia.

Until recently, I had been working on a curriculum project for school. I had sort of volunteered for it, but I'm getting paid as well. (Let's hope that works out.) I brought it in yesterday, along with all sorts of teacher crap that I've collected over the years at college and while working at the school. It was so nice to get rid of all that stuff! Now I own nothing that ties me to the school, apart from all those files on my computer... it's quite freeing. I did run into a couple of my former students, as well as some other students, and it was great talking with them. They are just so cute! They also seemed relatively happy to see me; at least, they didn't run away screaming, which was also nice. I think the most interesting part was that although I became kind of sad to think that I'd never see or work with these kids again, I was past caring about all the changes/new policies/new ideas that are being implemented at the school this year. And it is wonderful not being in that pre-school-year-stressed-out phase. I suppose it's just further proof that I'm making the right decision.

Also further proof that I'm making the right decision: I got my tentative class schedule in the mail the other day, and it looks fantastic! And by 'fantastic', I mean 'packed and probably harder than anything I've done before, but so interesting in that geeky language-nerd way'. Only I would be excited about something like this.

Oh no... I just realized that I never posted about Müs's MN Adventure. Bullet form will have to do:

• Wednesday: Arrival, walked around a lake in my neighborhood ('You should get out here more often'), watched the news about the bridge collapse, tacos, ice cream
• Thursday: Drove almost 2 hours (one-way!) to visit the SPAM MUSEUM! One of the best museums I've ever seen, and I don't even like Spam. Fantastic. Also: Had some exotic beer at a local pub, bought cheap CDs from a local used CD place
• Friday's theme was '9-year-old birthday party': Science Museum (including Pompeii exhibit), Putt-Putt (aka 'mini-golf'), ate chips and salsa, watched movies and 'The Office' at home
• Saturday: Blueberry pancakes, Capitol building, Cathedral, drove out to Stillwater (local cute little town) to look around and visit a friend of mine
• Sunday: Brunch (mmm), Irish dance (me), being 'that creepy guy' in the park (him), met up with his childhood friend who moved to St. Louis in 8th grade or so, but is now in grad school at the U, watched the late show of 'The Bourne Ultimatum' (which is great, by the way)
• Monday: frantically transferred music from CDs to my computer to his iPod, Müs's departure...chaos then ensued in Chicago and he didn't get home until super late, but I'm sure he'll go off on a tirade on his blog, so keep checking for that.

So there's that. Clearly I am the best hostess ever. You've only got a couple more weeks if you want to come out and visit, so buy your tickets now!

*Edit: After a day and a half and a garbage can full of thawed food from the freezer, the power is back on! Yay!

Boring weather post

So there's a huge thunderstorm system headed our way, with at least three tornado cells. We're not under tornado warning yet (I wouldn't be blogging; I'm not that stupid), but it seems to be getting closer. I have no previous experience with tornadoes. This is no fun.

This is the part where I wish I wasn't alone out here.

I'll probably post again later, feeling silly when this whole thing is over.

*Edit: Thankfully, no tornadoes hit my neighborhood. However, lightning struck a power line 3 houses down from me and so we have no power. Joyous.

Still here

Just a quick post to reassure all concerned that Müs and I were not on the bridge that collapsed. However, I live off of that highway (much farther south) and take it fairly frequently. Scary stuff. Thank goodness we decided to go for a walk and make tacos that night rather than drive anywhere.

Müs is now in transit, somewhere over Wisconsin by now. We had an awesome (blossom!) time; in true familial fashion, we made a list and crossed off nearly everything on it. An update is coming eventually, as soon as I finish catching up on my emails and wrapping up that project for school.

How are you?

Photos Part Deux: The Reckoning

Title shamelessly stolen from Müs.

Here, for your viewing enjoyment: Austria and the Alps!

First off, to Vienna: Here, you can see the palace Schönbrunn, which I find very difficult to pronounce and where the Hapsburgs lived from... er, whenever they built it until Austria lost WWI. This is actually a view of the palace from the garden. And I think I took more pictures of that stork than of the palace and garden combined.

On Sunday, since nothing was open, Cathy and I went to the top of one of the towers of Stephansdom. Legend has it that the cathedral was supposed to have two towers (spires?); one was finished. Unfortunately, various tragedies kept happening at the top of the other tower: people falling to their deaths, perhaps a fire, I don't remember exactly. So after a couple of tries, they just stopped building where they were, put a little roof on it, and were done. This is the tower we went up. No wonder the fencing up there was so high.

Oh yeah, the roof of the cathedral was rebuilt post-WWII, hence the date.

The hills are alive in Salzburg...

The Festung: It puts the 'burg' in 'Salzburg'!

I think someone should put that on a t-shirt.

Then we went back to Germany, via Berchtesgaden and the Alps:

Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's hideaway/vacation home. It was his 50th birthday present from the NSDAP. When I turn 50, I want someone to pick a mountain in the Alps, build a road almost to the top, dynamite a hole in the middle to create an elevator up to the peak, transport tons of raw materials up there, and build me a house. Funny thing was, Hitler didn't even like the house so much, or spend a whole lot of time there. But how could you ever get tired of the view?

Amazing.

The End.

On an unrelated note, Müs is coming to visit tomorrow!! Woo!

Photos!

At long last: Photos From My European Adventure! (PFMEA?) Some of them are kind of boring, and you probably have seen these things before, but oh well. You don't have to look. So there.

Moving on...

Ah, the East... how I've missed you, your Ampelmänner and your Ostalgie...

The Brandenburg Gate, with no scaffolding! Will wonders never cease?

Gendarmenmarkt. Say it with me now: "Die Tasche! Die Tasche!"

One of the lions on the Ishtar Gate, at the Pergamon Museum.

Inner workings of the Reichstag. The color of those chairs was specially made for the Reichstag... I mean, you can't have green or red chairs favoring any political party now, can you?

Entrance to KZ Sachsenhausen. Chilling.

And now we're in Prague...

The Charles Bridge, home to street vendors and pickpockets. And one of the main tourist drags in Prague.
On the Charles Bridge. See the tourists? And the castle in the background?

That's enough of Prague. (I'm not a fan.) Now for Budapest:

The first night we arrived, everyone was a little hyper after the 10 hours spent on the bus. We all met in the lobby to do some sight-seeing at 9.30 at night, because... well, why not? This is the view from the Pest side of the river (where the Parliament is) across to the Buda side.

Heroes' Square. This is the part where Hungarian reading skills would have been nice, since I didn't know who any of these people were. Except for the...
Barbarians! Aren't they frightening? Whereas most countries have these Classical-style marble statues of their heroes (Lincoln, Goethe, whoever), Hungary has barbarian hordes. Parliament building, as seen from here:

Fisherman's Bastion. Not entirely sure what its use was (check the Wikipedia link), but nice-looking just the same. The view made up for the endless stairs we had to climb to get here.

I think that's about it for now; my poor laptop and I are tired of uploading pictures. Enjoy! Photos of Austria and the Alps yet to come...

Much ado about nothing

So I've been harassed by the only two semi-regular readers of this blog that I should update. Good thing I succumb easily to peer pressure! I suppose I should catch you all (?) up on recent events, but to be honest, there haven't been a whole lot of those. Suffice it to say that I love being on vacation. Sleeping till 9, watching movies and reading all day, cooking decent food because I can... being a teacher has its perks.

Let's get to the point.
Recent Event #1: Chaperoning a high school trip to Europe
This was actually ganz okay, to use the proper German. Not quite as fun as traveling with friends and having an open schedule, but it was paid for and I got to know some interesting kids. The first two weeks were pretty awful, weather-wise; it was cold (in the 60s) and rained EVERY SINGLE DAY. Which is typical German weather, but not at the beginning of July. The last week of the trip was sunny and really warm, so it made up for the miserableness of the preceding weeks. There were also some crises: a girl decided to wander off, by herself, on the last night of the trip (!) and there was an incident of two couples kicking other people out of their hostel room so that they could have some 'alone time'. (Side note: Doesn't it seem counterintuitive to have 'alone time' when there is another couple in the room? Ew.) However, it was quite successful, and I'm going through the 300+ pictures I took so that I can post the good ones and write a decent update about the trip later. At some point.

Recent Event #2: More drama at school
That's right, I'm not even under contract anymore and I still can't get away from it. Apparently some comments that I made to a co-worker (who, until recently, I considered a friend) got back around to my boss, through two other people. These statements were used to attack her and her effectiveness at the school. Sketchy? Let's count the ways:
(1) These statements were used fourth-hand, without bothering to reconfirm with me.
(2) Board chairperson called me after the fact, to get my opinions.
(3) Apparently, griping to your co-workers can be used against you and the subject of the complaints.
I called her (my boss) today, and we're having coffee tomorrow to clear things up. She didn't sound incredibly upset, so I'm hopeful, but we'll see how it goes.

Recent Event #3: Harry Potter 7
Woo! I bought it Saturday morning (not quite enough of a dork to go to a midnight party, but enough to get up early on Saturday) and read it straight through until that evening. Fabulous! Lots o' action and drama, and plot twists. I'm going to have to read it again, slowly, because I rushed through the first time, but I must be the only person on the planet who thought the epilogue was cute. Granted, not as good as the rest of the book, but warm and fuzzy just the same.

That's the overview. Pictures of Germany/Prague/Budapest/Austria to come!

Some day, when I win the lottery...

I would like to buy this entire website. Too bad my birthday just passed.

Excerpt of nearly 3-hour long conversation

Me (after finishing story about co-chaperone): Is this weird, or is this just me? Because I sometimes blow things out of proportion.
Jamie: Dude, this always happens to you!
M: I know! It's like I give off this 'helpless, please-protect-me' vibe.
J: You do; it's this 'fragile English rose' thing.
M (laughing): Are you serious?
J: I know because I'm the opposite, like 'I'll kick your ass!' The funny thing is that I'm more of the sensitive type, but you're liable to be like, 'WTF? Get away from me, you weirdo!'

News, in haiku form

This morning, I woke
Up, and I was twenty-six.
Funny how that works.

School is over now,
Except for some paperwork.
Freaking report cards.

I'm playing for a
Friend's friend's wedding next weekend.
This time, we'll practice.

The family for
Whom I'm housesitting are back.
They're leaving Sunday.

All my stuff is crammed
Into my room, so that the
Kids don't play with it.

I knew that one day, those hours of writing inane haikus in elementary school would come in handy.

They might not have to downsize our branch. And I could work here for years... and years... and... years.

What NBC "The Office" character are you? Your Result: Jim Halpert You are the kind of person that everyone likes. You are funny, laid back, and not bad looking. You love practical jokes and having a fun time with your friends. However, because you are so laid back you often let the things that are most important to you get away. I miss Dwight. Congratulations Universe, you win.
Toby Flenderson
Pam Beesly
Ryan Howard
Kelly Kapoor
Dwight Kurt Schrute
Angela Martin
Michael Scott
http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_nbc_the_office_character_are_you">What NBC "The Office" character are you? http://www.gotoquiz.com/">See All Our Quizzes

Chicago!

Chicago was awesome. Or, if you will, 'dawesome'. (shoutout to Müs!) All the energy, culture and variety of a big city, plus the niceness of the Midwest. Three days was definitely not enough, and I do not want to go back to school tomorrow. Some highlights of the trip, in picture form...because I have a new camera...

Chicago from the 94th floor of the Hancock Tower. The Sears Tower is on the right.

Pizza! The Germans didn't like it, which shocked and horrified me. And provided me with extra lunch.

Michigan Avenue, or the Magnificent Mile. I didn't do any shopping though; I was waiting at the bus stop to get to the Museum of Science and Industry...

... to see the greatest exhibit ever! If I weren't a teacher, I'd totally be a forensic scientist.

I also spent some time outside the Adler Planetarium enjoying the sun and the view.

Amazing. Now I just need an excuse to go back. I hear they're opening an immersion school in Chicago...

I hate to be such a sqealy fangirl, but...

...tonight's episode of 'The Office'? Made me so very, very happy. *sigh*

Off to NY for the (extended) weekend, to see Müs graduate! My little brother's all grown up. Except he's going back to school in the fall, so not quite. Wait a minute, so am I...

Feeling accomplished, for once

One of the only advantages to moving is that it gives you the incentive to clean out your closet. Which I absolutely hate doing, but it's either that or pack up and move extra pounds of stuff which I will probably not wear again anyway. So that was today's project, along with packing up my winter things and replacing them with tank tops and shorts. One less box I'll have to pack when I move, yay! Also, yay for donating stuff. Now it's just a matter of taking the bags down to Goodwill, along with the other bag of stuff that has been riding around with me in the trunk since October...

Also building my self-esteem: clothes that I bought for my first trip to Germany (5 years ago!) still fit! Awesome. Does this mean I need new summer clothes? Possibly.

Also, what is this?? Hi, WB, are you ripping off ideas from foreign films now? I have two main gripes with this: (a) The original movie is fantastic! and (b) Judging from the trailer, the directors have just ripped off the ideas from other directors. I mean, the shots are taken exactly from the original film, down to the one of the girl sitting on the counter, eating spaghetti, and the one of the chef bringing out a raw, bloody steak on a knife and impaling it to the table. It makes me want to go watch the German original again, just so I can recall how great it is.

Also, one of my students is moving to India on Tuesday. And she's one of the really great ones: hard-working, does everything without complaints, gets along with everyone, is just generally a happy person. Having taught her for almost two years, I'll miss her.

Also, no more 'also's. Get out there and enjoy the lovely spring weather.

Possibly an overreaction, but sometimes you just need to vent

I am so annoyed. SO ANNOYED.

The kids wrote their own books on their favorite animals this week, for which they had to make a list of questions and do some research. One of the questions was how big the animal could be. The know-it-all kid in the class decided to write his book on fish. I don't know how big a fish can get, so I look it up online. After searching around for a while (surprisingly, searching for the key phrase 'world's largest fish' doesn't get you anywhere), I find some site that says a certain kind of fish can get up to 2 meters long. Okay, here you go. He insisted that it was up to 17 meters, and I was like, you can't just make up numbers; besides, why did you ask me to look this up if you already knew what it was? You're writing this book in pencil; you can change it later if you have to.

Here's the kicker: I just got an email from him (via his dad's address) that's like, did you know that this certain type of fish can grow up to 18 meters and why did the school computer say that it was only to two meters when my laptop says 18? And he included the link to the article.

Seriously. Now a seven-year-old is treating me like I'm stupid. How the hell am I supposed to know how big fish are? I'm trying harder to get the class to get their work done, stop winding each other up, and think about what they're actually supposed to be doing. And clearly his parents take his side; why else would they let him write this email? And probably proofread it for him?

I AM NOT F****** STUPID. This is why I'm going to Cambridge next year. I am sick of this sh!t.

Arrr, eh?

I was listening to the radio on my drive in to work yesterday, as I do every day because the 40 minutes are otherwise mind-numbing, and this song came on. At first, I thought, what IS this? But then it made me laugh, and that's tough to do during the morning commute. I mean, come on, it's about CANADA! and PIRATES! In fact, it's about a CANADIAN PIRATE! How can you go wrong?

Also, 'The Office' is new tonight! And it's 45 minutes long! I feel like it's Friday, or my birthday.

Threat Level: Midnight!

This is the trailer someone made for 'Threat Level: Midnight', which you would be well familiar with if you watched 'The Office'. Even if you don't watch 'The Office', go watch this; it is the funniest video I've ever seen on YouTube.

Feel the need for more 'arbitrary' quote marks? 'Channeling' Moslow's 'syllabi' from 'high school math classes', perhaps? Here 'you' go.

Also, I told both directors that I'm not coming back next year. Went surprisingly well. One was really supportive, the other was a bit cooler but said that if I want a job there within the next five years, I'm hired. Which is nice, I guess. I'll have to weigh this against the endless crap that I have dealt with during the past year and a half, but having a backup plan is not a bad idea.

Lessons learned this weekend

1. When playing at a friend's colleague's wedding, always drive yourself. Do not carpool, no matter how much fun said wedding will supposedly be.
2. Practice may not make perfect, but you should definitely run through the music at least once before the wedding. Receiving the music earlier than two hours before is key.
3. When playing at an outdoor wedding, wear pants. No skirts, especially none that can be caught by the wind.
4. Cold medicine + Alcohol = NOT GOOD.
5. Try not to overanalyze things. At the very least, don't think about 200 steps in advance.
6. I am a mean-spirited, bad person. *frowny face goes here*

WTF?

My housemate asked me earlier this evening if I was going to play violin today. (strangely, this is not an uncommon question from him) I said yeah, I have to practice for the wedding I'm playing in tomorrow, but I'd rather not have it recorded, ha ha. He was like, okay, I won't tape record it. I thought that this was a weird turn of phrase, but whatever.

So I wait until he's downstairs watching TV, and I play around for about half an hour. I pack up, leave the room, and he's standing there with the camera and says, 'Can you do that last part again?' WTF, dude?? I was pretty ticked off at this point and was like, 'I asked you not to record me.' He goes, 'I said I wouldn't tape record you.' I was like, seriously, this is not funny. I'm not going to get into a semantic argument with you right now; the point is, I asked you not to tape me practicing, and you did it anyway. When he saw that I was so pissed off, he said, 'Okay, okay, I'll erase it.'

WTF, dude. If this tape even ends up on the internet, I will be so pissed. Creeeeepy.

Brought to you by tea and antihistamines

So 'allergies' have turned into sinusitis. I stayed home sick today and have done nothing but sleep, read, and watch TV. And it sounds like my TA wasn't there either...and I hadn't written up any sub plans... oops. But I did ask if there was anything I could do, and my boss didn't say anything... and she could have called and asked me to email in some plans, right? Oh well. Hopefully my class didn't get into some huge fight or burn down the school or anything.

Not a whole lot to report besides this...except that my housemate is getting on my nerves. I don't know if this is because I've been not feeling well, but all I really want is for him to leave me alone. He's got this tendency to ask questions that don't really have to do with anything, like 'What kind of violin do you have?' or 'Did you graduate high school when you were 14 or something?', or tell me random information that I don't really care about, like how he used to think the woman for whom we are housesitting was really hot. Between this and his posting a video (or, more accurately, audio) of my violin-playing online, I'm starting to get weirded out. Müs, come on out here and break his kneecaps.

*squeak*

It's Saturday! And this means I can give you lovely folks an update about what has happened this week. Not a whole lot has been going on, per usual, but some strange/annoying/illogical stuff at work. Surprise, surprise!

Before I get into that, some notes:
1. My sinuses are squeaking. Thanks, allergies. (TMI? Ha, welcome to my blog!)
2. If you haven't heard of this band, they are worth checking out! Not as good as GBS, but fun music. (Müs - I will burn you the CD, no worries.)
3. My housemate keeps trying to get me to play violin again. So he can record it, I guess. Uh, creepy or just weird?

Okay, let's get back to the stories about work. It was my director's brilliant idea to have a big 'First Grade Exchange Program' between the two classes. First, the teachers would teach each other's class for a day. Then, we would swap three kids a day for a week or so, or until all the kids had a chance to visit the other class. The point of this was for the kids to get to know each other better, since they'll all be in one huge second grade class next year, but the underlying reason was for me to bring some sort of order to the other first grade class. Because I am mean and strict and don't tolerate any disrespect or kids screwing around.

So we started this program on Wednesday, and my coteacher spent the day observing my class so that, hypothetically, he could copy the routines and techniques that I have down and apply them to his class. I took this as a compliment, so I was okay with it. Until he brought a book to class and proceeded to read it while I was teaching class. Every time the boss would show up, he'd quickly shove the book under the desk and take a few notes in his notebook, but other than that, he had a free day. And after he had finised the book, he played solitaire on his palm pilot (as observed by my TA). I was pretty ticked off, so I called him on it at the end of the day. He was like, 'Oh, don't tell [the boss]; I'll help you move again when you have to move or help you find a dishwasher!' It's not like I'd tell her anyway (hi, not a tattle-tale), but I found this very obnoxious and unfair. Especially since we swapped classes on the next day, and he was supposed to be following my routines in my class, but just brought over his routines. Whereas I'd had no exposure to his classroom structure and was just supposed to jump in and teach his kids cold. According to my TA and some of the kids, it did not go too well. (Actually, my TA was a bit horrified and the kids all gave me hugs when they saw me at lunch and were like, 'We miss you!' Yeah, that's right, I'm awesome.) So, in summary:

• Coworker gets a free day and gets to teach a (usually) well-behaved and orderly class.
• I get no day off and have to teach a crazy class for which I have had no preparation.

Is this my reward for being a decent teacher? And it's not like I think I'm amazing or anything (definitely, definitely not amazing), but if there's one thing I do have, it's structure and follow-through. And then he asked me if we should get together this weekend to plan, which we usually do at the beginning of each unit. I said, 'Maybe, but to be honest, I don't really feel like it.' I'll try it on my own this weekend, I think, because I was just too annoyed at the whole situation. And if he even shows up on Monday and asks me for my plans for the week... well. Nothing dramatic will happen, but I can pretend it will.

Guilt trip

Today, I lodged a formal complaint with my boss about the aide for the ADHD kid. And by 'formal complaint', I mean 'handwritten note on a piece of notebook paper'. And by 'aide', I mean 'the 60ish-year-old man from the Ukraine who sits in my classroom and gets paid $12 an hour to do nothing'. Anyway, he was undermining my authority yet again in front of my class and just generally being a huge pain. Again, I question why we pay this guy and why we don't just ditch him, but apparently it's not that easy. Being incompetent is clearly not reason enough to lose your job. (case in point = me! ha ha!)

ANYWAY. I was griping to my boss about this and wrapped up with something like, 'Just wanted to make sure this was documented somewhere, if anything else happens or a pattern shows up.' She congratulated me on being stubborn and said, 'You know, you wouldn't have trusted yourself enough to stand up to him last year. You've really grown into this job. I'm proud of you and so glad we have you.'

Heh. Uh... I won't be back next year. Every time something like this happens, it makes it harder for me to bring it up. (needless to say, I haven't done it yet) However, I have found a solution to the not-getting-paid-over-the-summer dilemma: I've volunteered to teach two week-long summer courses at school. In August. That way, they'll have to pay me through then, unless they don't want me to do the courses at all....right? Is that too backhanded? I just don't want to get screwed over, and I feel getting paid less (10 out of 12 months) for just as much work as the returning teachers is unfair. Hopefully they'll be relatively sympathetic...

'Hold on, I'm going to stop and take a picture...'

To change up the format a little bit from the usual bullet points, I present to you: A (Rather Small) Photo Slideshow of DC! Note that I am not in these photos because my uncle nearly dropped my camera. Twice. (At which he said, 'At least there's no film in it!' Ha ha... give it back now.)

The White House. Actually, it looked smaller than I thought it was.

WWII Memorial (obviously) and Lincoln Memorial in the background.

Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial. Luckily, we went on Wednesday, since there was a huge thunderstorm that night and most of the blossoms were gone the next day, I heard.

The Capitol. You can play 'Spot the Security Guards' with this picture!

Requisite photo of cherry blossoms. Does not, however, capture how ridiculously cold it is here; where's that lovely early-April spring weather?

Freudian slip?

I was just searching online for things to see during my stay in DC, and I was checking out a description of the US Capitol:
'CAPITOL HILL. The White House notwithstanding, this domed icon of democracy is the capital city's most significant and, perhaps, most impressive building.'
And the first time I read it, I saw the word 'doomed' instead of 'domed'. What does this mean for the future of my country??

[witty title here]

Guess who's on spring break! It doesn't feel a whole lot like spring break yet, since it's just a normal weekend and it's gray and rainy outside... However! In two short days, I'll be in DC, enjoying real spring weather and going out to dinner! It's actually rather funny how much I'm looking to going out to eat; I was thinking about this today and I've been out to eat twice in the past three months. At some point, making your own food (particularly if it consists of pasta and Lean Cuisine) gets very old. Also, I'm too cheap to have pizza or Chinese delivered, so that's that. Anyway, I'll be hanging out in DC with my uncle, to whom money is almost no object, and who loves good food. There will be some good times.

While I'm in DC, apart from fighting my way through groups of eighth-graders on their school trips, I'm also hooking up with Jamie, who seriously lives an exact copy of my life except has more fun, and Carolyn, whom I haven't seen since our shopping trip on Ku'damm in Berlin. I cannot WAIT. It will be fantastic. These are just about the two most fun people I know, and their sense of humor complements mine so well. It'll be great to be reminded that I do have friends out there, not just acquaintances.

In other news, I did my taxes today. Nothing like not getting as much back from the guvmint as you thought you might. And honestly, my taxes are not incredibly difficult but they take me forever. I was working on them for four hours today: See Instructions page 53, Complete Schedule A unless you have nine toes, in which case complete Worksheet K, etc., etc... Shoot me in the face. MN's tax forms are the most ridiculously complicated I have seen in my life. At least they're done, and I will be getting back a grand total of $600 to put into the Cambridge Fund (i.e., my savings account).

Speaking of Cambridge, I'm still searching for funding. Part of me just wants to apply for a loan and be done with it. Part of me still thinks I'm crazy for wanting to go another $35000 into debt. None of me really wants to be working at the school again next year.

Other than that, my life is boring, really. This is why I don't update very often.

Update for the sake of having an update

More bullets!

• We have had 3 cases of head lice at school. Thinking about this makes my scalp itch.
• The kids were ANNOYING AS HELL today. Nothing major happened; they were just being disrespectful, obnoxious little brats. Oh well, I have my bratty days, they have theirs.
• I am taking tomorrow off! I have never, ever taken a day off for a reason unrelated to a special occasion or to being sick. This is a pretty big step for me. It feels nice.
• The real reason I'm taking tomorrow off is that report cards have to be done on Saturday and I haven't started them. Oops! Nothing like mandatory on-line professional development courses and endless staff meetings to eat away at your soul free time. To be honest, though, I think I've reached that point where I don't care. I cannot be bothered with this stuff; it's just too much. I've been walking around like a zombie the past three weeks and it's got to stop.
• I'm going to DC over spring break! And it's paid for! I'm going to conveniently ignore the ton of work that has been assigned to me during that time and have a vacation.
• Kudos to Hetta on moving! I fully expect before and after photos when you redecorate. :)

Just one more week... I can do it...

PEOPLE SUCK.

Also: I am in desperate need of a day off.

That is all.

The Worst Week So Far This Year

I'm too exhausted to go into all of it right now, but some high points:

• Spending 3 hours at a school board meeting, watching them make an absolutely wrong decision. Subsections of this include:

(a.) Staying at school until 9.45.

(b.) Being 'invited' to share my views with the board and then being criticized for them.

These things make me want to yell at them, 'I'M NOT COMING BACK NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I'M GOING TO CAMBRIDGE! SUCK ON THAT!' Except that would be neither polite nor professional.

• Getting lost.
• Staying at my director's house overnight because I couldn't make it home.
• Getting stuck in the road outside my house. For the third time.
• Missing THREE dance rehearsals.
• Not being able to do my laundry for the third straight week.
• Finding out that, yes indeed, I am being screwed over by my car dealership.
• Trying ineffectually to contact said dealership.

I just want to give up.

Taking up space in my brain right now:

In bullet form, because I love those bullet points:

• The snow's novelty has worn off. I love sledding and various snow-related activities as much as any former Buffalonian, but doing fun things in the snow is far different than driving in it. And by 'driving', I mean 'getting stuck twice'. My new goal in life is to live in a city with fantastic public transportation and/or win the lottery so I can hire a chauffeur, so I don't have to drive. Ever.
• Apparently my car's tires are bald. This is example #3 of the dealership screwing me over. I am pissed about this.
• I have an appointment to take my car in for a tune-up and new tires on Wednesday. Thank goodness that's also pay day.
• I totally forgot to get a gift for this baby shower that we're having for a co-worker on Thursday. I won't have time between now and then, either. What to do??
• Tomorrow night is the school board meeting at which a number of Big Important Issues will be decided. I'd planned on going, because I have some things to say about these Issues. Hopefully I won't be stuck there until 10.30 at night, which is often the time these things are finished.
• I have to attend a training session on how to use the copy machine on Wednesday. WTF?
• St. Patty's Day madness is starting up. I missed the first big rehearsal yesterday due to the aforementioned car being stuck and still am frustrated about this. However, there are rehearsals at least twice (if not three times) a week from now until then, so I guess I'll catch up.
• Still haven't done my laundry. This broken washing machine situation is the biggest pain in the ass.
• Triple Sec and Sprite is quite tasty.
• 5 hours' sleep is not good to me.

It's 8.30, and I'm going to bed in a few minutes. Good night.

The funniest thing I have heard all day

Local news weatherman, amidst wimpy little snowflakes: 'It's really coming down out here. I'm guessing it's about an inch an hour.'

WTF?! An INCH per hour constitutes really coming down?! Give me a break. I literally burst out laughing at the TV. And if that makes me a huge dork, well, so be it.

On a less funny note, these people suck at plowing the streets. It's not 'really coming down' or anything, but the streets are as slippery as... something really slippery. A wet seal, perhaps.

I am such a wimp.

It would figure that the Big Snowstorm Of The Winter So Far (cue shrieking) would occur on the one free day I'll have in the space of two weeks. I desperately need to go grocery shopping and do my laundry today, because I won't get a chance to until next weekend, but the snow is blowing sideways and I don't want to go outside. I'm not a great driver in the best of conditions, but freezing rain and snow and wind is a bit much. Maybe I'll just be that obnoxious person who drives at like 10 miles an hour down a busy road.

All right, I'm going to suck it up and go now. Wish me luck!

ETA: I made it back in one piece from the grocery store, in case anyone was wondering. However, I got stuck halfway up the driveway when I got back. The driveway is short but steep, and so I had to leave the car parked with the tail end sticking out into the road while I shoveled out the wheels so I could try to pull it in... twice. After that (and fishtailing all over the short driveway), I decided that I could live without doing laundry for another few days. Heh. I have never missed a washing machine more in my life.

Enough procrastinating, I'm going to bed now

Remember when you took that Myers-Briggs personality test in high school or college? I still remember when the career counselor told me that I was the most introverted person she had ever seen... Anyway, the descriptions on this site are actually true! Check this part out:

INTJs are usually difficult to get to know well, and difficult to get close to. Those who are close to the INTJ will highly value them for their ideas and knowledge. Although INTJs are generally very serious-minded people, they also have been known to enjoy letting loose and having fun, if others pull them into it. They also can be really good at telling jokes, and exhibiting a sarcastic wit with a poker face.

Sarcastic, me? What? Oh, I love that dry sense of humor...

Also, 'they' say I would be well-matched to a career as a scientist, professor or teacher. Maybe they know something after all. (We'll just ignore the suggestion of 'military leader'...)

Something's not right...

I've been enjoying my Day O' Freedom very much, and by that I mean doing as little as possible. Though I did get around to doing the dishes, cleaning the bathroom (gross), participating in an online 'professional development' course and getting the week's lesson plans done. But somehow I've gotten this strange feeling of unease in the past 20 minutes or so. I don't know if it's because of an email from DB (he feels it's unlikely that I'll get a great deal of financial aid) or just dreading going back to work tomorrow, but my good mood has vanished. Weird.

I heart Presidents

Thank you, dead Presidents, for giving us a four-day weekend. It was/is sorely needed, especially since it's the only break we have until Easter. Oh yeah, and thanks for leading the country through its times of crisis, etc., etc.

I've filled in three of the four days so far by driving around and doing errands: planning with my co-teacher, making a half-assed attempt to reorganize my classroom, teaching Irish dance, going to dance rehearsal, putting gas in the car, going to Target, and going to the Mall. All I really needed was a black shawl-/scarf-type-thing to wear with a borrowed dress to the 'Maskenball' (that's right, the formal affair that serves as a fundraiser for the school to which the teachers were invited and/or forced to attend). However, I ended up coming home with a dress. And you all well know that I am perhaps the cheapest person on the face of the planet and rarely buy new stuff, let alone frivolous stuff that I will possibly never wear again. But this dress (apart from being on sale -- ha, some things never change) is totally worth it; I actually look good in it. And I never think that about myself, so clearly, I couldn't pass this one up. The only downside here is that I feel rather dumb and irrational having already had a decent dress, but then going and spending money on a new one. Rationalizations, anyone?

Anyway. Other things I bought at the Mall were jewelry to wear with the dress (at Claire's! I was totally surrounded by 12-year-olds and felt way too old) and shoes for no real reason other than they are very cute. And they have cherries on them. And thus ends my last shopping spree for the foreseeable future.

About the Maskenball: It was actually not that bad. A bit weird, perhaps, to be chatting with the parents of your students while sipping champagne and wearing formal attire, but rather nice. I made no huge social faux pas, so that was good. Unfortunately, it was basically single me in a sea of married people; that was a bit annoying, but I didn't really care too much. At least there was no one I really had to impress.

In other news... got some mail from Cambridge today. The more I think about it, the more I really want to go for it. Despite all reasonable thought that says, I have a job with decent security (because there is a limited pool of qualified applicants), I'm earning money and paying off loans, I've spent a lot of time and effort trying to feel at home here, I don't necessarily have good plans for the future following an MA degree... then I think, it's the University of Cambridge! Seriously, how cool is that! I checked out the website for the umpteenth time today and found a list of MPhil candidates in my department... there are ten of them. TEN. Being accepted to a program that only takes ten people a year is pretty amazing. And turning that down because I don't have a spare 18,000 pounds seems pretty stupid.

Then again, it's 18,000 pounds. Let's hope I win the lottery or strike oil or something.

Things I Have Learned From A One-Date Experience

1. There are indeed people out there who like me for who I am. Those dating gurus aren't kidding.

2. Aforementioned people are crazy and obsessive. Purely hypothetical example: Sending me two emails and calling me 6 times the day after a first date.

3. If he doesn't like coffee, it's over.

4. Correct spelling in an email counts more than you think it does. At least with me. (For god's sake, don't screw up 'your' and 'you're'!)

5. Don't tell the guy you are nervous... or anything but completely cool. German honesty wins you no points here.

6. Don't be irrationally afraid if you don't know what the plan is. *cough*control freak*cough*

7. Alcohol makes things much easier.
7a. This is why the guy should drive.

8. You are not obligated to like the person back. In fact, you are not obligated to anything.

9. Ask specific questions. 'Tell me about yourself' is not helpful.

10. Ask follow-up questions. Otherwise, your date will think you are not interested in any aspect of her life.

Guess I got something out of it after all. Email or call me if you want stories... oh, how there are stories...

Dating = Iraq

Words of wisdom on dating/breaking up from Müs:

"Don't be like President Bush. Don't be afraid to cut and run."

Thanks, man.

Why...

... am I such a basketcase?!

... can't I not flip out during a first date?!

... can't I just go out on a date like a normal person?!

I'm 25, for god's sake. I clearly need mental help.

Mmmm... saltines

Do you remember when you were in elementary school and you got the stomach flu? And all you did was lie around on the couch and watch bad daytime TV, and you ate saltines and ginger ale if you were feeling up to it? And just getting up and walking to a different room in the house would completely wear you out? Yeah, it's still like that, even if you're an adult. Though when you're older, your mom's not there to bring you coloring books.

Side note: Does anyone get the stomach flu beyond elementary school? Is it just a bug that only 6- to 11-year-olds are capable of carrying? Because this hasn't happened to me in a very long time.

In non-self-pitying news: I met this guy on Saturday, and we hit it off...possible updates to come...

BRRRRRRRRRRR!

Local forecast courtesy of weather.com:

Today: Bitterly cold. Mostly cloudy skies. Dangerous wind chills as low as -30F. High -2F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Tonight: Bitterly cold. Mostly cloudy. Low -14F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow: Bitterly cold. Sunshine and clouds mixed. Dangerous wind chills approaching -30F. High -1F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
Tomorrow night: Bitterly cold. Partly cloudy. Low around -15F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the low single digits and lows -8 to -12F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.

I feel like I'm living in the tundra here. Someone won't be going outside during the next few days!

Reasons why today is a great day

1. It's Müs's 22nd birthday!

2. Müs got into grad school! And they are paying him lots o' money! *Edit: Not just one, but two schools on the same day!

3. Harry Potter Book 7 is coming out in July!

4. I got a very nice compliment on my report card commentaries from my boss. She even gave me the impression that they were the best-written ones of the staff.

5. 'The Office' is on tonight! And it's new!

*happy sigh*

Small world

Check out this article:

21-year-old man accused of beating grandmother to death

The details are nothing too special, but note the address: 462 Kaymar Drive.

I grew up on 463 Kaymar Drive.

Also crazy: I remember this kid coming over to our house when I was little. My brother and I and our friends never really liked playing with him, because he was bossy and rather obnoxious and wanted to ride bikes off the front porch.

I guess we had good intuition.

Format inspired by Dwight

Fact: I have got to stop eating dinner at 7. It wrecks my blood sugar, I can't get anything done in the evening, not to mention that by 7, I am ravenous.

Fact: Today was the WORST DAY ever. I reamed out my class, and I love my class! They seriously need to pull it together. And I seriously need a few more hours of sleep.

Wait, upon further consideration, it was not the worst day ever: No one was injured or threw up in the classroom. Either of those would make for a pretty bad day.

Fact: I was invited to a formal event ('ball' might be an appropriate word) which is a fundraiser for the school. Sounds kind of cool...except when you consider that it's on a Saturday, in fact on the Saturday of our only long weekend from now until spring break. Plus the fact that there will be mostly parents from school there, which means there'd be little or no alcohol for me, since I'd have to watch what I say. Plus: Who wants to think/converse about school stuff on a Saturday?? Because we know that that's going to be the only topic of conversation. However... turning this thing down looks bad; a fundraiser to which teachers were given free tickets but they don't show is tacky. Please help me find a way to get out of this. Can I visit someone on the weekend?

Okay, the 'Fact' thing is getting old. Besides, it loses the effect when your fact is eight sentences long. One more anecdote about today: I was chatting with the kindergarten teacher after school, and we were talking about life outside (!) of school. She asked me how I fill my time outside of work, and I honestly couldn't think of an answer. I play my violin about once every other week, do the Irish dance thing but haven't done any shows yet, watch 'The Office' like a fiend, but that's about it. Really, the most accurate answer to this question would be 'sleep'. I didn't realize until this afternoon how big a loser I actually am. Scratch that, we'll go with the explanation that I am worked to death and don't have energy to pursue anything outside of school. And that is sad.

Oh yeah, let's add 'underpaid' to that last sentence.

Self-explanatory

HOLY CRAP! I got into Cambridge!!!!

No amount of exclamation points do that sentence justice...but let's add some more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Donations to the Send Bridget to England Fund are now being accepted.

In which I am an obsessive fan

I recently bought the DVDs of seasons one and two of 'The Office'. This could be considered a very poor choice, in the sense that it's become my new obsession and keeps me from getting anything done. In the past two days, I have probably watched 7 episodes, some with commentaries, as well as the deleted scenes and outtakes. The great thing is that the show doesn't get less funny the more you watch it; it even gets funnier. The characters are so well-done, the writing is fantastic, and John Krasinski is now the man I want to meet before I die. I just need to get him to fly up here; I think we'd hit it off.

In more realistic news, the first-graders and their teachers had a big sleepover at the school on Friday...nothing like spending 26 consecutive hours at work! (My housemate said, 'Think of the overtime!' and then I broke into hysterical laughter.) To be honest, though, it wasn't that bad, apart from being exhausting and my having to corral 6-year-olds because their parents wouldn't/couldn't. There were lots of games, lots of food, movies, and zero crying. It actually would have been an okay Friday night, if the people I was hanging out with weren't 20 years younger than me.

So tomorrow is a teacher work day, which means no kids but hours dedicated to checking off standards and writing report cards. Yippee. Until then, I will procrastinate by watching further episodes of 'The Office'.

Gratuitous self-flattery

Our current unit in the first grade is something like 'All About Me', so an assignment for the kids was to bring in pictures, especially baby pictures, so that we can do fun projects and make collages. Of course, it's extra fun if the teacher does it too, so I had my mom send me some photos...

Very small me. I think that is one hand holding me up.

Me at 18 months. Apparently I am fond of snow globes.

(Aside to Müs: Shout out to the avocado shag carpet and the plaid couch!)

My hair is still that messy.

Dude, I was a cute kid! :) Whatever happened?

Video killed the radio star

This one's for Müs: Endless Caruso One-Liners! Or, How to Don Your Sunglasses While Sounding Pretentious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948

Also, how to fold a t-shirt:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5739257457512694439

I have not a clue how that works, but it looks pretty cool. I am inspired to try folding some of my shirts like this.