So... last post was September 1. Wow. Was that time even real? Lol. It is November 20, 2011. Tomorrow begins a 2-day week followed by Thanksgiving Break. Which is funny because of course I am coming home for Thanksgiving, but I was just home last weekend, November 10-14.
What a roller coaster the past few months have been! I didn't end up starting with my new Kindergarten class until Monday, September 19. On that day I began with 14 Kindergarten students who were cute as can be. They were very smart, and I couldn't wait for all of the adventures we would embark on. Looking back, in a way it seems I've had them for a year, and in another way it seems like yesterday all of this began.
Making trips home (I've been home twice now since the beginning of October) brings up mixed emotions. My first trip home, the 2nd week of October, I spent all of my time with my family, and we went to Melissa's wedding. It was a bit of a bittersweet trip. It had been 9 weeks since I'd seen my family (longer than I'd gone my entire life,) and the last day was a little sad. I even choked up a little.
My next trip home, which was last weekend, was to attend my mom's awards banquet for her prestigious Community Hospitals Nursing Excellence Award for Therapeutic Relationships. This trip was a very interesting, fun, loving, fulfilling "vacation", one that I needed desperately. I also got to see many friends during this time, even friends I didn't even expect to!
I've made some really powerful friendships in the short time I've been here. in a little over 4 months, I've developed a very strong friendship with Kathleen. I seriously don't know what in the hell I would do without this girl. She is 22, a music teacher, and just moved out here from New Jersey. We often talk about how clueless we feel being in this position- alone, young, taking on Santa Fe. We have had so many crazy adventures- that are NEVER planned, always interesting, and keep us laughing. I can't imagine being out here without Kathleen. We are eachother's stronghold. Sometimes we're both just over everything, and we sit at my house and just keep saying "Ugh!" and whining about life. Other times we're both on top of the world, jumping around and playing in the showers and bathtubs at Lowe's... and then there are times when one of us is down and the other isn't, and that's when we pick eachother up.
I also have become really close to a coworker, Sandy. She teaches 6th grade. Last weekend I went over to her beautiful house and we took her dogs on a walk. She has helped me out incredibly, including bringing me sunflowers to work after a particularly horrible day, with a note attached saying "Thought you could use some sunshine this morning."
Last weekend at home was great... it was kind of bittersweet as I realized how much some things had changed, but all in all it was a wonderful vacation. It was a little hard to leave, but definitely not like the trip in October. This weekend I vowed to have an eventful time so that I wouldn't keep thinking about home and the "limbo" that happens when I'm going back and forth. friday night another incredible friend who I worked with at my first school, Leslie, had a "girls' nite." Meeting her friends and hanging out was so refreshing. I really had fun, and our conversations were so entertaining. These girls are married or engaged, so of course within an hour I was being told "We have someone for you" lol. they made me feel like I could stay here... which was something I needed, with the back and forthness of the past few weeks. We played a game called Fishbowl, that I want to play again and again and again. :) Saturday I got up to go support the Girls on the Run at their 5K. My plan was to run it, but my endurance isn't much more than 1.5 miles or so, so I decided to get there at 7:30 and help out. I got to help some other staff members at my school paint faces of different girls who were running in the race. One of the teachers at my school actually requested to have her face painted too. First, she asked for a dragonfly. Lol. I felt glad to be helping out at this event. I met a lot of the parents of the 3rd and 4th grade girls who run, and my principal and some other teachers were there too. Another "at-home" feeling for me. I came home and went back to bed for awhile, then woke up to call Kathleen, as we were supposed to get together. She exclaimed "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? MICHAEL AND I ARE AT WAL-MART AND I JUST BOUGHT A BIKE! COME WITH US!" Apparently Miss Kathleen never learned to ride a bike... So I met up with her and Michael at starbucks, where Michael learned that Kathleen and I are the same person, lol. Then we went to Lowe's and had so much fun. I was pretty sure we were going to be kicked out, sitting in bathtubs and closing ourselves in showers. I remember doing similar things in high school at Walgreen's. lol. Then we went back to Michael's house and taught Kathleen to ride a bike. She learned in ten minutes, and was so excited. Michael was telling me "she's just one of those people who makes you enjoy the little things in life." How true! Kathleen is one of those people that makes me, and many others, realize that something like riding a bike can be such a cool adventure. Her love for life is contagious, and when i'm open enough, I catch it. :)
I'm looking forward to thanksgiving this week, and going home again. I enjoy seeing Megan and Brayden, and hope to see Nicole, as well as several others. I will miss Mom's side of the family's thanksgiving, but will get to see all the crazy Langdon boys for our "Hillbilly Thanksgiving." (long story... Max caught a deer... that's what we're eating.)
Slowly but surely, I'm detaching from my Indiana life and making a life out here. In the past week or two I've been referred to by my boss as "confident" and "tenacious" and by a friend as a "go-getter." And Sandy... well, she just reminds me of everything good about myself and stands in when I need someone to lean on.
It's a great day to be alive... :)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Saying Goodbye... Again
Goodbyes are something I hate... yet I've said so many lately. and so many hello's and now I'm having to say goodbye to so many of my new hello's.
Terry has been really sweet with all of this... a couple of weeks ago I called him and he answered "Hey Beautiful". I'm glad we are still close, after all the time and distance. After I told him what was going on at work yesterday, he told me to break my lease and move back home. lol. But then I wouldn't be a badass!@
My principal planned to call the parents of all of my students today, so he told me I could tell them. I was eager to tell them, because I felt like I was hiding it. I had no idea what I was in for!
I sat them down and we did calendar and shared reading. I had 2 kids at speech, and I wanted to wait for them before I told them, but I couldn't. I began by asking "So do you guys know how sometimes things happen and we just don't like them but can't do a thing about them?" and they were like yeah, and I got several examples, about deaths in families... Hmmm... I said "How about... has anyone ever had to move and it upset you?" and that sparked some conversation. They kids listened attentively as I choked up while telling them I was leaving. Their faces were incredible. They literally looked like I probably did when I was told what happened. One little girl immediately had red eyes, and within 2 minutes, quiet tears down her face. Another girl said "This is the worst birthday ever!" (It was her birthday.) I was totally unprepared for the tears, actually, bawling, that happened. Not all of them. One kid said "YESSSSS!" lol. And my usual chatters were going on and on, and my little impulsive puppy who spins around in his chair goes, "Don't you guys get it???? She's LEAVING! she won't be our teacher anymore!" And then burst into tears.
When the two got back from speech, I told them. The little girl seemed unphased. The little boy looked like he might cry. I asked, "Is there anything you'd like to say?" He looked at me with his sweet little red eyes and said, "Yeah.... Bye!"
It was a very uncomfortable, unexpected time for me. I did not expect the drama and tears from them. Some of my girls came up and hugged me and wouldn't let go. Some of it was drama but some was genuine hurt.. a couple kids wouldn't stop bawling. The little girl whose birthday it was was devastated, clearly. It broke my heart. I had decided I was going to let them write or draw a picture about their feelings, etc., and I said, "Ok, what do you guys want to do now?" And a little girl said, "I want you to stay here and be our teacher...," so that threw me for a loop... and so began "free-choice time," the only way I could get all but 2 kids to stop crying. Many drew giant faces with tears on them. Others drew pictures of themselves for me and wrote "I love you." Another smiled and drew a picture of his family. I tried to get the kids thinking differently... that we still had 2 days together... and that they were going to get to have a new, fun teacher... Kids are so resilient. Within about an hour, they were chatting about a new classroom and who would go where and what that would be like. I tried so hard to get them thinking positively, then it stung a little when they seemed excited. Lol. Not really but yeah ok really.
But all in all, today proved to me how much of a difference teachers can make in kids' lives... in less than 3 weeks. The impact this school and students have made on me has been infinite. I will take it with me wherever I go (and I'm NOT going back to Indiana.)
Terry has been really sweet with all of this... a couple of weeks ago I called him and he answered "Hey Beautiful". I'm glad we are still close, after all the time and distance. After I told him what was going on at work yesterday, he told me to break my lease and move back home. lol. But then I wouldn't be a badass!@
My principal planned to call the parents of all of my students today, so he told me I could tell them. I was eager to tell them, because I felt like I was hiding it. I had no idea what I was in for!
I sat them down and we did calendar and shared reading. I had 2 kids at speech, and I wanted to wait for them before I told them, but I couldn't. I began by asking "So do you guys know how sometimes things happen and we just don't like them but can't do a thing about them?" and they were like yeah, and I got several examples, about deaths in families... Hmmm... I said "How about... has anyone ever had to move and it upset you?" and that sparked some conversation. They kids listened attentively as I choked up while telling them I was leaving. Their faces were incredible. They literally looked like I probably did when I was told what happened. One little girl immediately had red eyes, and within 2 minutes, quiet tears down her face. Another girl said "This is the worst birthday ever!" (It was her birthday.) I was totally unprepared for the tears, actually, bawling, that happened. Not all of them. One kid said "YESSSSS!" lol. And my usual chatters were going on and on, and my little impulsive puppy who spins around in his chair goes, "Don't you guys get it???? She's LEAVING! she won't be our teacher anymore!" And then burst into tears.
When the two got back from speech, I told them. The little girl seemed unphased. The little boy looked like he might cry. I asked, "Is there anything you'd like to say?" He looked at me with his sweet little red eyes and said, "Yeah.... Bye!"
It was a very uncomfortable, unexpected time for me. I did not expect the drama and tears from them. Some of my girls came up and hugged me and wouldn't let go. Some of it was drama but some was genuine hurt.. a couple kids wouldn't stop bawling. The little girl whose birthday it was was devastated, clearly. It broke my heart. I had decided I was going to let them write or draw a picture about their feelings, etc., and I said, "Ok, what do you guys want to do now?" And a little girl said, "I want you to stay here and be our teacher...," so that threw me for a loop... and so began "free-choice time," the only way I could get all but 2 kids to stop crying. Many drew giant faces with tears on them. Others drew pictures of themselves for me and wrote "I love you." Another smiled and drew a picture of his family. I tried to get the kids thinking differently... that we still had 2 days together... and that they were going to get to have a new, fun teacher... Kids are so resilient. Within about an hour, they were chatting about a new classroom and who would go where and what that would be like. I tried so hard to get them thinking positively, then it stung a little when they seemed excited. Lol. Not really but yeah ok really.
But all in all, today proved to me how much of a difference teachers can make in kids' lives... in less than 3 weeks. The impact this school and students have made on me has been infinite. I will take it with me wherever I go (and I'm NOT going back to Indiana.)
This crazy week
So this time last week, I was concerned because I was sick, and I thought I had a sinus infection. Enough Ibuprofen allowed me to make it through the school day with my kiddos, and even go to the mall that evening to buy a Colts jersey for "Jersey Day" at school the next day. I worried that my to-do list was getting longer and longer and I felt sick and a little unmotivated.
Oh how I wish I could go back and have any clue what this week would bring.
It all started when I didn't leave the house ALL weekend. I watched 3 episodes of Weeds and cooked, but I did nothing. Sunday night I finally went out and walked around my "neighborhood" which includes Frontage Road, not a real safe place to walk. That was the most I accomplished.
Monday I was glad to get back to work, around my "family." I had a weird day with my kids, a day in which I felt a little disconnected. Halfway through the day I found out I was admitted into the Bilingual Ed Program at SFCC, and that the school district would pay for it. I was trying to get all of that together, and a little stressed. after work I was still feeling crummy, just a little down and out. I went over to Lins and Jeff's to do laundry. When I got home and took a shower, I was alarmed to find a creepy jumping spider in my shower. I looked around, desperately seeking a weapon to kill it with, and chose a washcloth, which I later threw away. That night I cried and cried... to sleep. Oh, if only I would have known...
Tuesday I found out that the professor for my class that evening wanted me to turn in the first assignment that evening. I also found out that our Technology teacher was sick, so we didn't have Specials. I plugged out a 2.5 page paper on my lunch break, however, and sent it to Victoria to print out, since I don't have a printer at work. At the end of the work day, I drug myself to the college to meet with the professor during his office hours. Upon our discussion of my beginning the class, he suddenly said "You speak Spanish, right?" My response? "Um, a few words..." He smiled. "Well, everyone in this class is bilingual, so many times the class discussions will jump from English to Spanish..." "Great, when does it start?" I thought. But in all reality, I knew I wouldn't drop the class just because of that. I suck at quitting. Especially when a challenge greater than one that a sane person would reject is placed in front of me. So I stayed for the class, and decided to push through the program. The professor reminded me I needed to pay for the course the next day by 430 (the district will reimburse me.) which was no problem at all (or so I thought.)
Tuesday night I came home to a horrific spider in my couch. I killed it, examined it, deemed it dangerous, and shook out my bedding, clothing, and everything else. Finally I was relaxed enough to sleep, when I looked up and two feet away from my bed, on the wall, was another one. This one was "carrying" a big ball of lint. I took a bunch of pictures of it, seeking desperately to be proven it was NOT a dangerous spider, then killed it with my shoe. Shook out my bedding again and fell asleep for 5 hours, only to dream of spiders.
Wednesday morning I woke up with another one in my bathroom, on the wall near the ceiling. I killed it with a flip-flop too. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm in a movie, or on Candid Camera, because I have turned into a crazy person who is convinced I am surrounded by brown recluse spiders inside my home. I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown over these stupid spiders. A friend advised me to ask my landlord to have my place sprayed. She came in and covered my class for a bit while I called my landlord, who was pretty sure the spiders I had weren't dangerous. But I told him I kept some of the dead ones for him to identify. lol. At lunch Victoria, Amy, Daisy, and I perused photos of brown recluse, black widow, and wolf spiders, until I was convinced I was going to die of a spider bite.
Right around the time we changed the subject (I had had a great Reading lesson with the kids and was feeling better about THAT), my principal came into the room we were in. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey Andie, when you drop your kids off at Specials, come by my office and chat for a second." Great. Now I wasn't thinking about spiders. Granted, he is a wonderful, wonderful administrator, absolutely one of a kind. I love this man so much. I figured even if I was in trouble, it wasn't going to be huge.
HA!
I walked in, he enthusiastically greeted me, then shut the door. "Andie, I just wanted to visit with you (That's what the people from Texas say- "visit" I love it) about a call I received from HR this morning... (Oh shit, I didn't send my transcripts, I thought)... he continued.... "It turns out our numbers aren't up to what they need to be, which means we have to lose a teacher. I've done every possible number crunching and rearranging possible, but (he says with tears in his eyes) we have to lose a teacher." At this point I knew what was happening, but I didn't really. I forgot about the spiders for sure. I started to tear up and he handed me a box of Kleenex, admitting he had had to pull himself together just to tell me. I proceeded to softly cry my crazy head off into handfuls of Kleenex, wondering "What now? What the HELL now? This school is the best place I've ever been. I am completely enamored with everything and everyone here. How can i continue ANYTHING?" so I'm crying, he's sort of crying, and he tells me, "But the good news is... you still have a position... at another school... in Kindergarten..." He went on to tell me how great the school and principal are, but at that point I was in a fog of sleep-deprivation and complete and utter shock and heartbreak. I MOVED here for this place and this very job. I am IN LOVE with this job. Again... what the HELL am I going to do? He sat and talked with me, let me cry, consoled me, convinced me he would do everything to get me back. i know that's true, and I know from my experience that the principals really cannot do anything when higher administration does the number crunching and makes these kinds of decisions. The rest of the afternoon was a blur. We had to walk down and tell Amy, Victoria, and Daisy, which was equally heartbreaking. At this point I was crying so hard I couldn't see or talk, so Amy and Victoria offered to split up my class, and I left and went to lindsey's and visited with Zach and Kyle and took a nap, promising to return to my school for the staff meeting, where he would announce this new news to the whole staff. That sucked. I thought I was done crying for the day. I sat in the staff meeting, taking notes, still denying the fact that I wouldn't be there to carry out these new meetings and policies... My mind wandered back to the spiders. I finally arrived home, found yet another creature, and saved him as well. My landlord came by, I told him about the spiders and what had happened at work, showed them to him, he looked at them and said "Yep, those are New Mexico spiders..." I said "but what about the thick brown legs?" He replied, "Those are just spiders."... "But what about the weird colored abdomen?" "Spiders, andie! You live in New Mexico now! there are bugs.... Now quit playing with dead spiders, throw them away. You have bigger things to worry about." (I have not found another since.)
So my landlord put my mind at ease about the spiders. Thank goodness I was able to get a good night's sleep. I woke up this morning feeling like surely yesterday had been a nightmare... It wasn't. and today... I got to tell the kids...
To be continued...
Oh how I wish I could go back and have any clue what this week would bring.
It all started when I didn't leave the house ALL weekend. I watched 3 episodes of Weeds and cooked, but I did nothing. Sunday night I finally went out and walked around my "neighborhood" which includes Frontage Road, not a real safe place to walk. That was the most I accomplished.
Monday I was glad to get back to work, around my "family." I had a weird day with my kids, a day in which I felt a little disconnected. Halfway through the day I found out I was admitted into the Bilingual Ed Program at SFCC, and that the school district would pay for it. I was trying to get all of that together, and a little stressed. after work I was still feeling crummy, just a little down and out. I went over to Lins and Jeff's to do laundry. When I got home and took a shower, I was alarmed to find a creepy jumping spider in my shower. I looked around, desperately seeking a weapon to kill it with, and chose a washcloth, which I later threw away. That night I cried and cried... to sleep. Oh, if only I would have known...
Tuesday I found out that the professor for my class that evening wanted me to turn in the first assignment that evening. I also found out that our Technology teacher was sick, so we didn't have Specials. I plugged out a 2.5 page paper on my lunch break, however, and sent it to Victoria to print out, since I don't have a printer at work. At the end of the work day, I drug myself to the college to meet with the professor during his office hours. Upon our discussion of my beginning the class, he suddenly said "You speak Spanish, right?" My response? "Um, a few words..." He smiled. "Well, everyone in this class is bilingual, so many times the class discussions will jump from English to Spanish..." "Great, when does it start?" I thought. But in all reality, I knew I wouldn't drop the class just because of that. I suck at quitting. Especially when a challenge greater than one that a sane person would reject is placed in front of me. So I stayed for the class, and decided to push through the program. The professor reminded me I needed to pay for the course the next day by 430 (the district will reimburse me.) which was no problem at all (or so I thought.)
Tuesday night I came home to a horrific spider in my couch. I killed it, examined it, deemed it dangerous, and shook out my bedding, clothing, and everything else. Finally I was relaxed enough to sleep, when I looked up and two feet away from my bed, on the wall, was another one. This one was "carrying" a big ball of lint. I took a bunch of pictures of it, seeking desperately to be proven it was NOT a dangerous spider, then killed it with my shoe. Shook out my bedding again and fell asleep for 5 hours, only to dream of spiders.
Wednesday morning I woke up with another one in my bathroom, on the wall near the ceiling. I killed it with a flip-flop too. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'm in a movie, or on Candid Camera, because I have turned into a crazy person who is convinced I am surrounded by brown recluse spiders inside my home. I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown over these stupid spiders. A friend advised me to ask my landlord to have my place sprayed. She came in and covered my class for a bit while I called my landlord, who was pretty sure the spiders I had weren't dangerous. But I told him I kept some of the dead ones for him to identify. lol. At lunch Victoria, Amy, Daisy, and I perused photos of brown recluse, black widow, and wolf spiders, until I was convinced I was going to die of a spider bite.
Right around the time we changed the subject (I had had a great Reading lesson with the kids and was feeling better about THAT), my principal came into the room we were in. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Hey Andie, when you drop your kids off at Specials, come by my office and chat for a second." Great. Now I wasn't thinking about spiders. Granted, he is a wonderful, wonderful administrator, absolutely one of a kind. I love this man so much. I figured even if I was in trouble, it wasn't going to be huge.
HA!
I walked in, he enthusiastically greeted me, then shut the door. "Andie, I just wanted to visit with you (That's what the people from Texas say- "visit" I love it) about a call I received from HR this morning... (Oh shit, I didn't send my transcripts, I thought)... he continued.... "It turns out our numbers aren't up to what they need to be, which means we have to lose a teacher. I've done every possible number crunching and rearranging possible, but (he says with tears in his eyes) we have to lose a teacher." At this point I knew what was happening, but I didn't really. I forgot about the spiders for sure. I started to tear up and he handed me a box of Kleenex, admitting he had had to pull himself together just to tell me. I proceeded to softly cry my crazy head off into handfuls of Kleenex, wondering "What now? What the HELL now? This school is the best place I've ever been. I am completely enamored with everything and everyone here. How can i continue ANYTHING?" so I'm crying, he's sort of crying, and he tells me, "But the good news is... you still have a position... at another school... in Kindergarten..." He went on to tell me how great the school and principal are, but at that point I was in a fog of sleep-deprivation and complete and utter shock and heartbreak. I MOVED here for this place and this very job. I am IN LOVE with this job. Again... what the HELL am I going to do? He sat and talked with me, let me cry, consoled me, convinced me he would do everything to get me back. i know that's true, and I know from my experience that the principals really cannot do anything when higher administration does the number crunching and makes these kinds of decisions. The rest of the afternoon was a blur. We had to walk down and tell Amy, Victoria, and Daisy, which was equally heartbreaking. At this point I was crying so hard I couldn't see or talk, so Amy and Victoria offered to split up my class, and I left and went to lindsey's and visited with Zach and Kyle and took a nap, promising to return to my school for the staff meeting, where he would announce this new news to the whole staff. That sucked. I thought I was done crying for the day. I sat in the staff meeting, taking notes, still denying the fact that I wouldn't be there to carry out these new meetings and policies... My mind wandered back to the spiders. I finally arrived home, found yet another creature, and saved him as well. My landlord came by, I told him about the spiders and what had happened at work, showed them to him, he looked at them and said "Yep, those are New Mexico spiders..." I said "but what about the thick brown legs?" He replied, "Those are just spiders."... "But what about the weird colored abdomen?" "Spiders, andie! You live in New Mexico now! there are bugs.... Now quit playing with dead spiders, throw them away. You have bigger things to worry about." (I have not found another since.)
So my landlord put my mind at ease about the spiders. Thank goodness I was able to get a good night's sleep. I woke up this morning feeling like surely yesterday had been a nightmare... It wasn't. and today... I got to tell the kids...
To be continued...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Updates
So it has been QUITE awhile since I've blogged... almost a month actually. I left off after I had accepted the position to teach first grade, right before I flew out here for a training. I secured my casita, and ended up having it and a rental car for the 5 days I was there for the training.
I have flown about 40 times in my life, most of them alone, and had the worst experience EVER flying from Indy to Albuquerque the night before my training. I was in the midst of the packing and the moving shenanigans, and so I was already fried from that... I had decided to rent a car from Budget, then found out the morning of my flight in ITTY BITTY TEENY print that I would have to have a major credit card in order to rent from them. I would have been screwed if I wouldn't have seen that. So I had to call around, yell at Budget, and finally found another rental car company to accomodate me. (for $100 more). They were open until "11:59" p.m., but my flight into Albuquerque was supposed to get in at 10:38 that night, so I knew I'd be fine.
You can imagine my distress upon flying into Denver (flight which was delayed 30 min due to a broken lavatory) to find that my Albuquerque flight was delayed and would not land until 11:42. So what did I do? I start balling. In the middle of the ginormous, maze-like Denver airport, I am a 28 year old woman on a "business trip" haha walking around sobbing. And what did I do next of course? What any logical, practical, professional 28 year old moving across the country would do- call Daddy. his advice? stop crying, and call the rental place. So i did, and they were so very helpful, telling me "well, we close at 11:59, so if you get here before then, you'll be fine," to which I repeated, "yes well i need the car for a work training, and my flight has been delayed so I'm wondering what to do" to which she responded, "well we close at 11:59" to which I (with my little attitude) responded "Okay well then perhaps you can advise me on whether to cancel my reservation with you since you are unwilling to give me any other suggestions, as a flight delay is certainly out of my control." and she responded (such a helpful woman) with "well, we open at 6 a.m. tomorrow." I ended our conversation, got ahold of myself, and went up to the terminal, explaining to the airline person my situation. she fumbled around on the keyboard making various "ummm" and "noooo" and "welll..." sounds while rubbing her chin, then finally said "ok, i can get you there on time, but you have to run." I was crouched down in a sprint position, asking her "where to?" when she told me it actually wasn't leaving for an hour, but it was a charter flight on another airline that she could get me on, which would get me into albuquerque around 11:10. I wanted to leap over the counter and hug her but figured a gracious "thankyousomuch" would be sufficient as I still had to quickly walk about 3/4 mile to the next gate (that airport is BIG).
Lindsey was onstandby to come get me in albuquerque at midnight, then get me back to pick up the stupid rental car and yell at the people at 6 a.m. Thankfully, I got in at 11:10, went and got my rental car (which was a blue nissan sentra, a nissan version of the car I already drive, that cost me nearly 100 dollars more than my monthly car payment I had already paid to drive for 5 days) then drove back to the airport for short-term parking, just in time for my other flight to land (which had my checked bag) and claim my bag, then begin the 50 minute commute at midnight from albuquerque to my little casita in La Cienega.
What kept me most alert during this unfamiliar midnight drive through the desert was counting the mile markers (there was a new one, one more, for every mile I had traveled.) when I arrived to my casita, all was pitch black and as I was unloading at 1 a.m., I heard a shuffling in the "brush", but quickly was able to identify that it was probably an animal shifting in its sleep, rather than a criminal waiting for the next unassuming girl to pull into the 1/4 mile long gravel driveway on a road that is nearly isolated. I got into the casita, and laid down, since I had to be up at 6:20 for my training. Of course, I laid there from 1-2, hearing the various sounds of the desert, including a plant scraping against the screen of my bedroom window... trying to keep my wild imagination at bay. Finally, after listening to this plant play music on my screen, I (very un-Andie-like) got up and shut the stupid window. ha! I must be becoming a grown-up! I slept 4 hours and woke before my alarm, not wanting to be late for my first day of training, especially considering I was 10 minutes late to the interview that got me the job.
a little about the rest of that week- I finally got to meet my principal, who is caring, kind, laid-back, and amazing, and my coworkers, who have immediately taken me in and made me feel completely at-home in every way. The training was beneficial, despite one teacher who was particularly... difficult... but my partner and I had fun conducting all of the science experiments that went along with the new series, and laughing and whispering :) Friday night Lindsey and I attempted a "slumber party" which quickly became an epic fail when 3 of the 4 dogs were awake all night barking, and at 4 a.m. Lindsey drove us back to her apartment in santa fe. I got to sleep in zach's bed though, and in the middle of the night he leaned over and put his arms around my shoulders and cuddled. so I was ok with it :)
The flight back to Indy had no unexpected events, just some incredibly annoying passengers who invaded my personal space constantly. (I think I was just REALLY sick of flying). At the baggage claim, people were standing around crowding the assembly belt, yet not even looking for their luggage. I was so fried at that time that I think it was an act of God that my luggage came out so soon, so that i did not shout at those people who had all the time in the world at 11 pm on a Saturday night waiting at a packed baggage claim.
More to come...
I have flown about 40 times in my life, most of them alone, and had the worst experience EVER flying from Indy to Albuquerque the night before my training. I was in the midst of the packing and the moving shenanigans, and so I was already fried from that... I had decided to rent a car from Budget, then found out the morning of my flight in ITTY BITTY TEENY print that I would have to have a major credit card in order to rent from them. I would have been screwed if I wouldn't have seen that. So I had to call around, yell at Budget, and finally found another rental car company to accomodate me. (for $100 more). They were open until "11:59" p.m., but my flight into Albuquerque was supposed to get in at 10:38 that night, so I knew I'd be fine.
You can imagine my distress upon flying into Denver (flight which was delayed 30 min due to a broken lavatory) to find that my Albuquerque flight was delayed and would not land until 11:42. So what did I do? I start balling. In the middle of the ginormous, maze-like Denver airport, I am a 28 year old woman on a "business trip" haha walking around sobbing. And what did I do next of course? What any logical, practical, professional 28 year old moving across the country would do- call Daddy. his advice? stop crying, and call the rental place. So i did, and they were so very helpful, telling me "well, we close at 11:59, so if you get here before then, you'll be fine," to which I repeated, "yes well i need the car for a work training, and my flight has been delayed so I'm wondering what to do" to which she responded, "well we close at 11:59" to which I (with my little attitude) responded "Okay well then perhaps you can advise me on whether to cancel my reservation with you since you are unwilling to give me any other suggestions, as a flight delay is certainly out of my control." and she responded (such a helpful woman) with "well, we open at 6 a.m. tomorrow." I ended our conversation, got ahold of myself, and went up to the terminal, explaining to the airline person my situation. she fumbled around on the keyboard making various "ummm" and "noooo" and "welll..." sounds while rubbing her chin, then finally said "ok, i can get you there on time, but you have to run." I was crouched down in a sprint position, asking her "where to?" when she told me it actually wasn't leaving for an hour, but it was a charter flight on another airline that she could get me on, which would get me into albuquerque around 11:10. I wanted to leap over the counter and hug her but figured a gracious "thankyousomuch" would be sufficient as I still had to quickly walk about 3/4 mile to the next gate (that airport is BIG).
Lindsey was onstandby to come get me in albuquerque at midnight, then get me back to pick up the stupid rental car and yell at the people at 6 a.m. Thankfully, I got in at 11:10, went and got my rental car (which was a blue nissan sentra, a nissan version of the car I already drive, that cost me nearly 100 dollars more than my monthly car payment I had already paid to drive for 5 days) then drove back to the airport for short-term parking, just in time for my other flight to land (which had my checked bag) and claim my bag, then begin the 50 minute commute at midnight from albuquerque to my little casita in La Cienega.
What kept me most alert during this unfamiliar midnight drive through the desert was counting the mile markers (there was a new one, one more, for every mile I had traveled.) when I arrived to my casita, all was pitch black and as I was unloading at 1 a.m., I heard a shuffling in the "brush", but quickly was able to identify that it was probably an animal shifting in its sleep, rather than a criminal waiting for the next unassuming girl to pull into the 1/4 mile long gravel driveway on a road that is nearly isolated. I got into the casita, and laid down, since I had to be up at 6:20 for my training. Of course, I laid there from 1-2, hearing the various sounds of the desert, including a plant scraping against the screen of my bedroom window... trying to keep my wild imagination at bay. Finally, after listening to this plant play music on my screen, I (very un-Andie-like) got up and shut the stupid window. ha! I must be becoming a grown-up! I slept 4 hours and woke before my alarm, not wanting to be late for my first day of training, especially considering I was 10 minutes late to the interview that got me the job.
a little about the rest of that week- I finally got to meet my principal, who is caring, kind, laid-back, and amazing, and my coworkers, who have immediately taken me in and made me feel completely at-home in every way. The training was beneficial, despite one teacher who was particularly... difficult... but my partner and I had fun conducting all of the science experiments that went along with the new series, and laughing and whispering :) Friday night Lindsey and I attempted a "slumber party" which quickly became an epic fail when 3 of the 4 dogs were awake all night barking, and at 4 a.m. Lindsey drove us back to her apartment in santa fe. I got to sleep in zach's bed though, and in the middle of the night he leaned over and put his arms around my shoulders and cuddled. so I was ok with it :)
The flight back to Indy had no unexpected events, just some incredibly annoying passengers who invaded my personal space constantly. (I think I was just REALLY sick of flying). At the baggage claim, people were standing around crowding the assembly belt, yet not even looking for their luggage. I was so fried at that time that I think it was an act of God that my luggage came out so soon, so that i did not shout at those people who had all the time in the world at 11 pm on a Saturday night waiting at a packed baggage claim.
More to come...
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
July 2011-New Mexico and back to IN
I checked out the efficiency apartment on a Saturday, July 2. I was set to leave the following Tuesday. I also had 2 interviews set for that Tuesday morning. On Sunday, Jeff went on a motorcycle ride with his friend, and Lins and I took the boys to Pecos, where we got rained on (the one day it rained for several hours the whole month I was there.)
Monday was July 4th. we went and had breakfast at a little cafe, then Jeff dropped Lindsey, Zach and I off at the Plaza for the Fourth of July festivities, which were really neat. they had a car show, lots of vendors out with jewelry and things (Zach wanted pink sparkly butterfly wings lol) and we met up with some friends. We went to the park by the historic church and let the kids run around for awhile, then sat on the grass in the plaza and listened to music, got cherry lemonade and ice cream for Zach, then went back to the apartment. Meanwhile, I answered an ad about a casita in La Cienega that I had found on craigslist. La Cienega is about 17 minutes south of where Lindsey and Jeff live, about 10-15 minutes from the Plaza. It's kind of out in the country, but still considered Santa Fe, not much different from where I live now. there is a gas station closeby, but it is about 8 minutes from Cerrillos Road, and the grocery stores, etc. (about like where I live now.) I immediately fell in LOVE with the place, and the owner of the main house. She is a physician's assistant, and her husband makes dentures in a little office off the side of the main house. The "casita" is a little area of the house they had sealed off and made into a separate apartment rental. (casita is Spanish for "little house.") My area of the place has a large porch area, with plenty of landscaping room, a concrete porch, and a wooden dining table with a bench. Adobe-looking walls enclose it, with square openings that act as windows. It has French doors and Saltillo floors. The kitchen is the first thing you see when you walk in. It's amazing. It is bright blue tiles bordered by different southwest-style accent tiles, complete with a stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, very cute pantry, tin-decorated cabinets, a coffee maker, toaster, and tea kettle. The kitchen also includes dishes, silverware, pots and pans, etc. The bathroom does not have a bathtub, but it has a SAUNA attached to it, which they put a showerhead in. so it's a shower/sauna. the Living room area has two couches covered with white slipcovers, several endtables, and a little breakfast nook (benches attached to the wall in the corner) with a small table in the middle. There is a small opening to enter the bedroom, where there is a double bed, 2 dressers, a large mirror, and a sliding door closet. Everything is included. Lindsey and I stayed and talked with the woman for an hour and a half while Jeff jogged Kyle and Zach biked to Ragle Park. I told the woman I was very interested, but was just waiting for a job offer. We went and met up with the boys at the park, stopped at the Burrito Spot for dinner (as opposed to the typical h-dogs on the fourth of July). Lins and Jeff bathed the boys and got them in bed. When it was time for the fireworks to start, which we could just watch from the parking lot of their complex, Lins went up to check on Zach (who has never seen fireworks.) This was around 9 p.m. He was just sitting up in his bed looking at books lol. :) Lindsey invited him to go watch the fireworks. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. It was quite adorable to see him jumping, spinning, and running around in his pjs. He hadn't experienced fireworks before! He didn't want to sit still, he wanted to jump up and try and catch them, etc. It was adorable. We ALL will remember it for a long time. When we got back, Lins had a tough time getting a tired,excited boy to bed. He kept telling her about Target, and Hobby Lobby, or "Hoky-Loky" as he calls it, and about his favorite dinosaur. He made my Fourth of July. :)
Tuesday, my last day in Santa Fe, was probably the worst day of my life. lol just kidding, but it was close. We were all relying on Kyle to be our alarm clock, since Jeff leaves for work at 6. Well Kyle slept in. I had an interview at 9 and another at 1045, and Zach had preschool at 830. The plan was for me to drop Z off at preschool, then go to my interview, which on any other day would have been completely feasible. WELL... I woke up late, Zach of course was trying to sleep in since he had been up late for the fireworks, so we were all rushing. Lindsey and I had said that as long as we left by 830 (Zach can be a little late to preschool), we would be find. so around 810, Lindsey got Zach up, sunscreened, dressed, and packed him breakfast in a lunchbox lol. We walked out the door at 839. As soon as I pulled out of the apartment complex, a big truck appeared out of nowhere and I had to slam on the brakes, shocking Zach and sending his milk sippy cup flying under the seat in front of him. Poor guy, just trying to stuff his breakfast down on the way to preschool, and he loses his milk. He exclaimed, "Annie! What button did you push that made the car do that and my milk go flying onto the floor?" lol. I promised to get it for him, but we were in such a hurry. Finally at a stoplight I put the car in park and "climbed" into the third row, with my legs up in the air near the steering wheel (at this point Zach was cracking up), trying to retrieve his milk. I couldnt. 8:48. 6 minutes from preschool. Preschool is 9 minutes from my interview. At this point I've accepted the fact I'm going to be 5 minutes late. We finally pull in to preschool, I retrieve Zach's milk and he sucks it down, stuffing the last of his bagel into his mouth to the point that pieces of it are falling out of his mouth. Instead of using the wipes Lindsey put into my purse, I use my hand to wipe the excess cream cheese off his mouth and run the poor little guy into preschool. I sign him in. 8:54. I give him a kiss,make sure his teachers see him and me, and get outside only to find that another preschool parent has parked behind me in the 2-row driveway (no one was in the other row.) At this point, I'm contemplating not going. I'm frazzled beyond belief, shaking, nervous, and still 9 minutes away from my interview, sitting still in a driveway. 8:59- she comes out, apologizing, and get in her car. Traffic is crazy, and I finally arrive at my interview at 9:10. It was clear to everyone that I was very late for something you generally do not arrive late to. I was so nervous I was visibly shaking, and my words kept getting caught in my throat so I looked like a total basketcase. Well, I blew this interview right? Once we got going with the questions, I was kind of sad, because I really liked the team, and the school, and ended up staying there for 45 minutes. But I knew I didn't get the job. I was 10 minutes late! So I went back to the apartment to tell Lindsey about the interview I butchered, and about poor Zach's adventure to preschool. Then I had to leave for my next interview, which was possibly worse than the first, but I wasn't that interested in the job. So I came back to the apartment, threw all my stuff together, and Lins, Kyle and I left to pick up Zach and head to Albuquerque to grab lunch in time for me to jump on my plane. 10 minutes after we left the preschool and were stopped in traffic due to about 4 wrecks in Santa Fe (???), the principal from the 9:00 interview called. I knew he called to tell me they had chosen another applicant. However, I also knew he was on vacation. To my surprise, he scheduled a phone interview for the next day, when I would be in Indy. I was shocked. I told him about being late to the interview and such and he seemed okay with it (I think it was best that I just was honest about it). So the drive to Albuquerque was not great because there was terrible traffic there too. We were able to stop and eat and then had to quickly leave at the end of our meal because a. Kyle began screaming (not crying, it's a new "funny" thing he does hehe) and b. my flight was scheduled to leave in an hour, and I had bags to check. So we said our quick goodbyes, and I made the gate, flustered still, and insanely tired (oh yeah, i slept 5 hours the night before). All went well for the flight home, besides the lavatory being broken on the plane from albuquerque to phoenix, which makes no sense anyway, and our flight leaving 30 minutes late, but they made arrangements to be sure we would make our connections. (I have no idea why I am suddenly underlining everything.)
I met some really cool people from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the flight from Phoenix to Indy, and we had a blast. They were coming from a Christian camp in Flagstaff, AZ. They were crazy, fun, loud, and hysterical. Daddy picked me up at the airport in my car, which I didn't recognize, and I got to drive home, which was weird since I have a car and i was used to driving the Highlander.
I decided to stay at mom and dad's. The next morning I got a call for yet another (this makes 4) position in Santa Fe. I talked on the phone with the principal for 45 minutes, at the end of which she wanted to schedule a phone interview for the next day. LOL. I had my phone interview scheduled from the interview yesterday. So I went to Starbucks and CVS and came back in time to have my phone interview, during which I was told that the team that interviewed me the day before (the interview I was 10 minutes late to) recommended me for the position. So my phone interview was just a conversation before the principal told me he was recommending me for the position to HR. WOW! So a few hours later, HR called with an official job offer, with a salary $3000 more than what I was making here. I accepted. Time to get the ball rolling! I called the owners of the casita, and after some negotiating, we agreed upon lease terms on Saturday. Sunday he emailed me the lease. On Monday, I mailed the signed lease, the check for first and last month's rent and a damage deposit, along with my signed acceptance of a job offer.
Today is Tuesday. Next Monday night, the 18th, I leave for a training for my new position and will be back saturday night the 23rd. During that time I am renting a car and will get to stay in my casita. Then I will be leaving for good the 29th, but might be returning for a few days that next weekend for a family reunion. I have 12 days in Indy to get things packed up. So far I've cleaned out the guest bedroom, 1/2 of the bathroom (most of which is Tiff's), thrown away a ton of stuff, and tied up some loose ends. Today I plan on tackling the garage, which I anticipate to mostly be trash. I can't say I'm too overwhelmed. Moving my classroom was overwhelming, and with my parents' help, I got it done in like 4 days, only working 4-6 hours a day. This is minor compared to that.
I am very excited, and only a little bit nervous/sad. The issue of finding a job and a place to live is taken care of. The next hardest issue will be the actual move, which I'm not that worried about, and leaving Mom and Daddy. That part I am worried about, but they are soooooo supportive of me doing this, and i know they'll be out to visit all the time, and I know they're so proud I'm doing this. I'm proud too, come to think of it! Wow! I'm moving to New Mexico! Alone! :)
Monday was July 4th. we went and had breakfast at a little cafe, then Jeff dropped Lindsey, Zach and I off at the Plaza for the Fourth of July festivities, which were really neat. they had a car show, lots of vendors out with jewelry and things (Zach wanted pink sparkly butterfly wings lol) and we met up with some friends. We went to the park by the historic church and let the kids run around for awhile, then sat on the grass in the plaza and listened to music, got cherry lemonade and ice cream for Zach, then went back to the apartment. Meanwhile, I answered an ad about a casita in La Cienega that I had found on craigslist. La Cienega is about 17 minutes south of where Lindsey and Jeff live, about 10-15 minutes from the Plaza. It's kind of out in the country, but still considered Santa Fe, not much different from where I live now. there is a gas station closeby, but it is about 8 minutes from Cerrillos Road, and the grocery stores, etc. (about like where I live now.) I immediately fell in LOVE with the place, and the owner of the main house. She is a physician's assistant, and her husband makes dentures in a little office off the side of the main house. The "casita" is a little area of the house they had sealed off and made into a separate apartment rental. (casita is Spanish for "little house.") My area of the place has a large porch area, with plenty of landscaping room, a concrete porch, and a wooden dining table with a bench. Adobe-looking walls enclose it, with square openings that act as windows. It has French doors and Saltillo floors. The kitchen is the first thing you see when you walk in. It's amazing. It is bright blue tiles bordered by different southwest-style accent tiles, complete with a stove, oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, very cute pantry, tin-decorated cabinets, a coffee maker, toaster, and tea kettle. The kitchen also includes dishes, silverware, pots and pans, etc. The bathroom does not have a bathtub, but it has a SAUNA attached to it, which they put a showerhead in. so it's a shower/sauna. the Living room area has two couches covered with white slipcovers, several endtables, and a little breakfast nook (benches attached to the wall in the corner) with a small table in the middle. There is a small opening to enter the bedroom, where there is a double bed, 2 dressers, a large mirror, and a sliding door closet. Everything is included. Lindsey and I stayed and talked with the woman for an hour and a half while Jeff jogged Kyle and Zach biked to Ragle Park. I told the woman I was very interested, but was just waiting for a job offer. We went and met up with the boys at the park, stopped at the Burrito Spot for dinner (as opposed to the typical h-dogs on the fourth of July). Lins and Jeff bathed the boys and got them in bed. When it was time for the fireworks to start, which we could just watch from the parking lot of their complex, Lins went up to check on Zach (who has never seen fireworks.) This was around 9 p.m. He was just sitting up in his bed looking at books lol. :) Lindsey invited him to go watch the fireworks. Needless to say, he was ecstatic. It was quite adorable to see him jumping, spinning, and running around in his pjs. He hadn't experienced fireworks before! He didn't want to sit still, he wanted to jump up and try and catch them, etc. It was adorable. We ALL will remember it for a long time. When we got back, Lins had a tough time getting a tired,excited boy to bed. He kept telling her about Target, and Hobby Lobby, or "Hoky-Loky" as he calls it, and about his favorite dinosaur. He made my Fourth of July. :)
Tuesday, my last day in Santa Fe, was probably the worst day of my life. lol just kidding, but it was close. We were all relying on Kyle to be our alarm clock, since Jeff leaves for work at 6. Well Kyle slept in. I had an interview at 9 and another at 1045, and Zach had preschool at 830. The plan was for me to drop Z off at preschool, then go to my interview, which on any other day would have been completely feasible. WELL... I woke up late, Zach of course was trying to sleep in since he had been up late for the fireworks, so we were all rushing. Lindsey and I had said that as long as we left by 830 (Zach can be a little late to preschool), we would be find. so around 810, Lindsey got Zach up, sunscreened, dressed, and packed him breakfast in a lunchbox lol. We walked out the door at 839. As soon as I pulled out of the apartment complex, a big truck appeared out of nowhere and I had to slam on the brakes, shocking Zach and sending his milk sippy cup flying under the seat in front of him. Poor guy, just trying to stuff his breakfast down on the way to preschool, and he loses his milk. He exclaimed, "Annie! What button did you push that made the car do that and my milk go flying onto the floor?" lol. I promised to get it for him, but we were in such a hurry. Finally at a stoplight I put the car in park and "climbed" into the third row, with my legs up in the air near the steering wheel (at this point Zach was cracking up), trying to retrieve his milk. I couldnt. 8:48. 6 minutes from preschool. Preschool is 9 minutes from my interview. At this point I've accepted the fact I'm going to be 5 minutes late. We finally pull in to preschool, I retrieve Zach's milk and he sucks it down, stuffing the last of his bagel into his mouth to the point that pieces of it are falling out of his mouth. Instead of using the wipes Lindsey put into my purse, I use my hand to wipe the excess cream cheese off his mouth and run the poor little guy into preschool. I sign him in. 8:54. I give him a kiss,make sure his teachers see him and me, and get outside only to find that another preschool parent has parked behind me in the 2-row driveway (no one was in the other row.) At this point, I'm contemplating not going. I'm frazzled beyond belief, shaking, nervous, and still 9 minutes away from my interview, sitting still in a driveway. 8:59- she comes out, apologizing, and get in her car. Traffic is crazy, and I finally arrive at my interview at 9:10. It was clear to everyone that I was very late for something you generally do not arrive late to. I was so nervous I was visibly shaking, and my words kept getting caught in my throat so I looked like a total basketcase. Well, I blew this interview right? Once we got going with the questions, I was kind of sad, because I really liked the team, and the school, and ended up staying there for 45 minutes. But I knew I didn't get the job. I was 10 minutes late! So I went back to the apartment to tell Lindsey about the interview I butchered, and about poor Zach's adventure to preschool. Then I had to leave for my next interview, which was possibly worse than the first, but I wasn't that interested in the job. So I came back to the apartment, threw all my stuff together, and Lins, Kyle and I left to pick up Zach and head to Albuquerque to grab lunch in time for me to jump on my plane. 10 minutes after we left the preschool and were stopped in traffic due to about 4 wrecks in Santa Fe (???), the principal from the 9:00 interview called. I knew he called to tell me they had chosen another applicant. However, I also knew he was on vacation. To my surprise, he scheduled a phone interview for the next day, when I would be in Indy. I was shocked. I told him about being late to the interview and such and he seemed okay with it (I think it was best that I just was honest about it). So the drive to Albuquerque was not great because there was terrible traffic there too. We were able to stop and eat and then had to quickly leave at the end of our meal because a. Kyle began screaming (not crying, it's a new "funny" thing he does hehe) and b. my flight was scheduled to leave in an hour, and I had bags to check. So we said our quick goodbyes, and I made the gate, flustered still, and insanely tired (oh yeah, i slept 5 hours the night before). All went well for the flight home, besides the lavatory being broken on the plane from albuquerque to phoenix, which makes no sense anyway, and our flight leaving 30 minutes late, but they made arrangements to be sure we would make our connections. (I have no idea why I am suddenly underlining everything.)
I met some really cool people from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the flight from Phoenix to Indy, and we had a blast. They were coming from a Christian camp in Flagstaff, AZ. They were crazy, fun, loud, and hysterical. Daddy picked me up at the airport in my car, which I didn't recognize, and I got to drive home, which was weird since I have a car and i was used to driving the Highlander.
I decided to stay at mom and dad's. The next morning I got a call for yet another (this makes 4) position in Santa Fe. I talked on the phone with the principal for 45 minutes, at the end of which she wanted to schedule a phone interview for the next day. LOL. I had my phone interview scheduled from the interview yesterday. So I went to Starbucks and CVS and came back in time to have my phone interview, during which I was told that the team that interviewed me the day before (the interview I was 10 minutes late to) recommended me for the position. So my phone interview was just a conversation before the principal told me he was recommending me for the position to HR. WOW! So a few hours later, HR called with an official job offer, with a salary $3000 more than what I was making here. I accepted. Time to get the ball rolling! I called the owners of the casita, and after some negotiating, we agreed upon lease terms on Saturday. Sunday he emailed me the lease. On Monday, I mailed the signed lease, the check for first and last month's rent and a damage deposit, along with my signed acceptance of a job offer.
Today is Tuesday. Next Monday night, the 18th, I leave for a training for my new position and will be back saturday night the 23rd. During that time I am renting a car and will get to stay in my casita. Then I will be leaving for good the 29th, but might be returning for a few days that next weekend for a family reunion. I have 12 days in Indy to get things packed up. So far I've cleaned out the guest bedroom, 1/2 of the bathroom (most of which is Tiff's), thrown away a ton of stuff, and tied up some loose ends. Today I plan on tackling the garage, which I anticipate to mostly be trash. I can't say I'm too overwhelmed. Moving my classroom was overwhelming, and with my parents' help, I got it done in like 4 days, only working 4-6 hours a day. This is minor compared to that.
I am very excited, and only a little bit nervous/sad. The issue of finding a job and a place to live is taken care of. The next hardest issue will be the actual move, which I'm not that worried about, and leaving Mom and Daddy. That part I am worried about, but they are soooooo supportive of me doing this, and i know they'll be out to visit all the time, and I know they're so proud I'm doing this. I'm proud too, come to think of it! Wow! I'm moving to New Mexico! Alone! :)
Santa Fe June 2011- Part 2
After Mom left, I got back into "nanny mode" as Lindsey had to work the next 3 days. Jeff was working from home that week- Los Alamos and the lab were evacuated due to the fire. 20-some houses were burnt, much of Bandelier and the Santa Fe National Forest, and a LOT of Indiana reservation land. They were able to keep the fire from reaching much of the lab though, thankfully. Wednesday was my birthday. I had cards on the table from Mom and Lindsey, and Zach woke up and sang to me, and planted approximately 18 kisses all over my face. It was a nice day. We went and ate lunch at Ragle Park (the park with the "big tower slide." When Lindsey got off work, I went and picked her up and we went to Trader Joe's and then to Baskin Robbins for some birthday ice cream. Best birthdya I can remember in awhile, combined with mom's visit. :)
Thursday I started calling Santa Fe Public Schools Human Resources Department to find out why I hadn't gotten any interviews yet. They directed me to call back on Friday to find out more. When I did, the man I spoke with asked me to come in that day. I didn't understand why, but I did. :) Basically it was a pre-interview. They wanted to make sure that, since I was an out-of-state applicant, I was for sure moving there, and would be worth the principals' time to interview. I guess I passed, because on Monday I got a call for an interview for a Kindergarten position, for Tuesday. The interview went well, I thought the job would be perfect! Throughout the week I got 2 more calls scheduling interviews for the following Tuesday, the day I was leaving to go back to Indy. Sunday (the 26th), Lindsey and I went to Madrid, a "biker town", where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed. We had a lot of fun. Lins bought me a TON of birthday gifts, and I picked up some things for family members, and then we ate lunch at Mine Shaft's Tavern, which is said to be haunted. I took pictures but there were no orbs. :( The shops there were very eclectic and hippie-style. I bought 2 necklaces (one to wear to Chad and Michelle's wedding with the dress I bought at the Plaza), 2 bracelets (one was made out of recycled bicycle chains, the other out of pop tabs), a recycled New Mexico license plate made into a notebook, a pair of earrings to go with the necklace for the wedding, and a t-shirt that says " Art Lovin', Dog Lovin', Hippie Lovin', Coal Minin' Town... Madrid, New Mexico. (The Madrid in Spain is pronounced "Mah- DRID"... This city is pronounced "MAD-rid"... just fyi :)
The week after Madrid, I had an interview on Tuesday, then a short week nannying. Lindsey and I went out to a restaurant that saturday night on the Plaza, and drove buy a place I was thinking of renting. I also checked out an efficiency apartment (I call it the hotel room) near Ragle Park. It would have been great for a month, but was just too small. It was one room, including the kitchen, and only a 3/4 bath. (No bathtub). I love my baths!
Thursday I started calling Santa Fe Public Schools Human Resources Department to find out why I hadn't gotten any interviews yet. They directed me to call back on Friday to find out more. When I did, the man I spoke with asked me to come in that day. I didn't understand why, but I did. :) Basically it was a pre-interview. They wanted to make sure that, since I was an out-of-state applicant, I was for sure moving there, and would be worth the principals' time to interview. I guess I passed, because on Monday I got a call for an interview for a Kindergarten position, for Tuesday. The interview went well, I thought the job would be perfect! Throughout the week I got 2 more calls scheduling interviews for the following Tuesday, the day I was leaving to go back to Indy. Sunday (the 26th), Lindsey and I went to Madrid, a "biker town", where the movie Wild Hogs was filmed. We had a lot of fun. Lins bought me a TON of birthday gifts, and I picked up some things for family members, and then we ate lunch at Mine Shaft's Tavern, which is said to be haunted. I took pictures but there were no orbs. :( The shops there were very eclectic and hippie-style. I bought 2 necklaces (one to wear to Chad and Michelle's wedding with the dress I bought at the Plaza), 2 bracelets (one was made out of recycled bicycle chains, the other out of pop tabs), a recycled New Mexico license plate made into a notebook, a pair of earrings to go with the necklace for the wedding, and a t-shirt that says " Art Lovin', Dog Lovin', Hippie Lovin', Coal Minin' Town... Madrid, New Mexico. (The Madrid in Spain is pronounced "Mah- DRID"... This city is pronounced "MAD-rid"... just fyi :)
The week after Madrid, I had an interview on Tuesday, then a short week nannying. Lindsey and I went out to a restaurant that saturday night on the Plaza, and drove buy a place I was thinking of renting. I also checked out an efficiency apartment (I call it the hotel room) near Ragle Park. It would have been great for a month, but was just too small. It was one room, including the kitchen, and only a 3/4 bath. (No bathtub). I love my baths!
Santa fe bound!- June Part 1
I guess I need to be updated people on specifics of what's going on in my whirlwind right now. :) (Don't worry, it's all good stuff.)
In June, right after packing up my classroom, I went to Santa Fe for most of June and the first few days in July. Jeff got a job, and they needed a sitter, so Lindsey flew me out and I was a "live-in nanny." It's a pretty sweet deal- all of my meals were paid, everything I did with the boys paid, no lodging payment, a car to drive (a Toyota Highlander at that) and Lindsey only worked 3 days a week! I flew in on a Wednesday night, and the following Wednesday, Jeff, Lins, and the boys left for a vacay in Durango, Colorado. Wednesday I just hung around, (until I was very disturbed at how quiet the house was), then I went to drop off my resume at an elementary school out there I was interested in. It didn't get me far-the school was under renovation, so the office was all packed up, and the only people there were 2 painters who spoke little English. I left my resume anyway, then went and drove around aimlessly, getting lost but not caring. (I turned on my GPS when I started to head towards uninhabited land and pure desert.) :) Then I went to Paseo de Peralta and checked out a Pilates studio and went to this adorable little shop and got Daddy a Father's Day gift. Everyone is so sweet and helpful out there... the woman at the shop helped me box up his gift. So then I took it to the Santa Fe Post Office, which was interesting. They still have the little machine where you pull a little number out and the cashiers call out the numbers. It took 30 minutes! But luckily I had done everything correctly, and his Father's Day gift was there by the time they had promised me. On Thursday, I got to drive down to albuquerque (a very different drive than to Los Alamos)- Albuquerque is a little over an hour south, and at a lower elevation. So it is hotter there than in Santa Fe, and it has way more of the "big city" feel. There''s lots of traffic and lots of attractions along the way. I went Thursday morning to pick up my mom, who came out to visit as an early birthday present to me. :) I picked her up and on her way back into town she had to pee so bad (we don't like peeing on airplanes) so we had to stop at a random office place in Santa Fe. Poor thing. Then I took her around where I had intentionally gotten lost the day before. We came back to Lindsey and Jeff's and took a short nap, then went and hiked the very short 2 mile St. John's Trail starting at St. John's College. We took the scenic route back, along a road called "Wilderness Gate Road" (how charming huh?) and walked through a neighborhood of several million dollar adobe houses. a lot of the homes were blocked by gates and large adobe walls for privacy, since they have a trail going through the front of their property. Still, mom and I couldn't resist posing at the front door of one unassuming house that had it exposed. (It was probably the front door to the privacy gate, behind which was probably another gate, before the front door... but we didn't care.) :) We stopped at the grocery store on the way home, then cleaned up and went to Maria's (my favorite Mexican restaurant in Santa Fe) and ate chile rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, soapapillas (yummm) and a couple more things that came with the gigantic sampler's platter. I feel like a "local" when they ask me if I want green or red chiles and I respond "Christmas"--- Lindsey taught me that is how you request both. Then we came home and rented Just Go With It- with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, and laughed our butts off. We went to bed early (big surprise)- the time change really catches you off-guard- when it is 9 pm in Indy, it's only 7 pm there, so we were ready for bed 930 Santa Fe time. Friday we decided to hit Bandelier (thank goodness we did!) It is my FAVORITE place in New Mexico. It is a national monument with I think 70 miles of trails through excavated Indiana cliff dwellings. We decided to walk to the Alcove House, which requires you to climb over 150 feet up on simple wooden ladders. Mom is afraid of heights, but was absolutely fearless! It was a great experience. We hung out at the top, where there is a kiva (dwelling place) that you can travel down into) then made our descent down. The way down was much more difficult, as a. the wind was FIERCE that day, and b. it's a lot harder to go back down! I love this park so much, because this is where I saw the black bear 25 feet away from me the last time I was in New Mexico. My allergies definitely hit me hard though after that... While we were in Los Alamos, we stopped by the Bradbury Museum, which is a Science Museum dedicated to the Los Alamos site and all about the Trinity explosion back in the 1940s and nuclear research, etc. We went to the pool that afternoon, then ate our leftovers (and still had leftovers from that) and watched our movie again, and laughed our butts off again.
Saturday my allergies must have hit me hard, because I slept until 845 ( mom was ok with that though, she sat on the balcony and read, and went to the grocery store again, since Jeff and Lindsey and the boys were due back that evening.) Mom was so ecstatic because there was a garage sale going on in Lindsey and Jeff's apartment complex. We stopped by there and mom bought me a pair of jeans and 2 super cute sundresses for 5 dollars. We decided to then go to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market, which was kind of a bust, because I failed to note that it closed at 12, and we got there at 1245. Luckily, the Arts Market was going on all day, as was the Buckaroo Ball, a fundraising festival. Kids were walking around wearing western attire and carrying around cowboy boots for donations (a definite "shoe-in" for collecting money.) We donated, sat in the grass and listened to the Texas honky-tonk country music on the big stage, and drank cherry lemonade. Then we went back through all of the overpriced jewelry and such and bought the only things that were resonably priced (you know us...)- a woman in Santa Fe actually melts or soaks lavendar-scented soap into loofahs, and voila! she has soap loofahs! Mom and I both bought one (they were $4!) and I bought some blue corn tortilla "flavored" face scrub. It looks like mud but smells amazing and is great for scrubbing your face. and no, it doesn't taste like blue corn tortillas. :)
Then I had to show her jackalope, my favorite crafts/garden/souvenir vendor on Cerrillos Road. she bought a wooden mobile that was so cute. She was going to buy it, then wasn't becauseof the plane ride, then I made her, then we got up to the checkout counter and the woman informed us they were made in Thailand. So much for a Santa Fe souvenir! She loves it though! :)
When we got home, we checked on the white chicken chili mom had simmering in the crockpot all day, then went to the park and swung on the swings until the Bomke's arrived home. That day was the start of the Las Conchas fire near Los Alamos (it started from a down powerline) so we went to the park with the boys and to check out the plumes in the distance. Little did we know what that fire would eventually become... 130,000 acres of the state's largest fire in history. Then we came home and ate out chili, got the boys to bed, and were sitting down to watch Eat Pray Love, when a curious 4 year old who did not want to be in bed came creeping down the stairs wearing an Easter Bunny mask. It was a bit creepy, but also hysterical. We pictured him coming up with the idea "I know I won't get in trouble if I come down the stairs wearing this, they will laugh and think I'm cute." It worked, but he still wanted to stay up. :)
Monday, Mom went for a walk through the area where Lins and Jeff live (there are trails everywhere!) and then we got ready to go explore the plaza. We went into some shops, Mom bought me a pretty little dreamcatcher necklace, then we stopped at Upper Crust Pizza off Water Street in town and had the lunch special. Then it was time to head back to Lins and Jeff's so Lins could put Kyle down for a nap, and I could take mom to albuquerque to catch her flight.
It was sad to see her go, because I had already realized that it was very likely I was going to move to Santa Fe. We had the most wonderful time in 5 days, and I was sad it was over. I know she agreed.
In June, right after packing up my classroom, I went to Santa Fe for most of June and the first few days in July. Jeff got a job, and they needed a sitter, so Lindsey flew me out and I was a "live-in nanny." It's a pretty sweet deal- all of my meals were paid, everything I did with the boys paid, no lodging payment, a car to drive (a Toyota Highlander at that) and Lindsey only worked 3 days a week! I flew in on a Wednesday night, and the following Wednesday, Jeff, Lins, and the boys left for a vacay in Durango, Colorado. Wednesday I just hung around, (until I was very disturbed at how quiet the house was), then I went to drop off my resume at an elementary school out there I was interested in. It didn't get me far-the school was under renovation, so the office was all packed up, and the only people there were 2 painters who spoke little English. I left my resume anyway, then went and drove around aimlessly, getting lost but not caring. (I turned on my GPS when I started to head towards uninhabited land and pure desert.) :) Then I went to Paseo de Peralta and checked out a Pilates studio and went to this adorable little shop and got Daddy a Father's Day gift. Everyone is so sweet and helpful out there... the woman at the shop helped me box up his gift. So then I took it to the Santa Fe Post Office, which was interesting. They still have the little machine where you pull a little number out and the cashiers call out the numbers. It took 30 minutes! But luckily I had done everything correctly, and his Father's Day gift was there by the time they had promised me. On Thursday, I got to drive down to albuquerque (a very different drive than to Los Alamos)- Albuquerque is a little over an hour south, and at a lower elevation. So it is hotter there than in Santa Fe, and it has way more of the "big city" feel. There''s lots of traffic and lots of attractions along the way. I went Thursday morning to pick up my mom, who came out to visit as an early birthday present to me. :) I picked her up and on her way back into town she had to pee so bad (we don't like peeing on airplanes) so we had to stop at a random office place in Santa Fe. Poor thing. Then I took her around where I had intentionally gotten lost the day before. We came back to Lindsey and Jeff's and took a short nap, then went and hiked the very short 2 mile St. John's Trail starting at St. John's College. We took the scenic route back, along a road called "Wilderness Gate Road" (how charming huh?) and walked through a neighborhood of several million dollar adobe houses. a lot of the homes were blocked by gates and large adobe walls for privacy, since they have a trail going through the front of their property. Still, mom and I couldn't resist posing at the front door of one unassuming house that had it exposed. (It was probably the front door to the privacy gate, behind which was probably another gate, before the front door... but we didn't care.) :) We stopped at the grocery store on the way home, then cleaned up and went to Maria's (my favorite Mexican restaurant in Santa Fe) and ate chile rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, soapapillas (yummm) and a couple more things that came with the gigantic sampler's platter. I feel like a "local" when they ask me if I want green or red chiles and I respond "Christmas"--- Lindsey taught me that is how you request both. Then we came home and rented Just Go With It- with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, and laughed our butts off. We went to bed early (big surprise)- the time change really catches you off-guard- when it is 9 pm in Indy, it's only 7 pm there, so we were ready for bed 930 Santa Fe time. Friday we decided to hit Bandelier (thank goodness we did!) It is my FAVORITE place in New Mexico. It is a national monument with I think 70 miles of trails through excavated Indiana cliff dwellings. We decided to walk to the Alcove House, which requires you to climb over 150 feet up on simple wooden ladders. Mom is afraid of heights, but was absolutely fearless! It was a great experience. We hung out at the top, where there is a kiva (dwelling place) that you can travel down into) then made our descent down. The way down was much more difficult, as a. the wind was FIERCE that day, and b. it's a lot harder to go back down! I love this park so much, because this is where I saw the black bear 25 feet away from me the last time I was in New Mexico. My allergies definitely hit me hard though after that... While we were in Los Alamos, we stopped by the Bradbury Museum, which is a Science Museum dedicated to the Los Alamos site and all about the Trinity explosion back in the 1940s and nuclear research, etc. We went to the pool that afternoon, then ate our leftovers (and still had leftovers from that) and watched our movie again, and laughed our butts off again.
Saturday my allergies must have hit me hard, because I slept until 845 ( mom was ok with that though, she sat on the balcony and read, and went to the grocery store again, since Jeff and Lindsey and the boys were due back that evening.) Mom was so ecstatic because there was a garage sale going on in Lindsey and Jeff's apartment complex. We stopped by there and mom bought me a pair of jeans and 2 super cute sundresses for 5 dollars. We decided to then go to the Santa Fe Farmer's Market, which was kind of a bust, because I failed to note that it closed at 12, and we got there at 1245. Luckily, the Arts Market was going on all day, as was the Buckaroo Ball, a fundraising festival. Kids were walking around wearing western attire and carrying around cowboy boots for donations (a definite "shoe-in" for collecting money.) We donated, sat in the grass and listened to the Texas honky-tonk country music on the big stage, and drank cherry lemonade. Then we went back through all of the overpriced jewelry and such and bought the only things that were resonably priced (you know us...)- a woman in Santa Fe actually melts or soaks lavendar-scented soap into loofahs, and voila! she has soap loofahs! Mom and I both bought one (they were $4!) and I bought some blue corn tortilla "flavored" face scrub. It looks like mud but smells amazing and is great for scrubbing your face. and no, it doesn't taste like blue corn tortillas. :)
Then I had to show her jackalope, my favorite crafts/garden/souvenir vendor on Cerrillos Road. she bought a wooden mobile that was so cute. She was going to buy it, then wasn't becauseof the plane ride, then I made her, then we got up to the checkout counter and the woman informed us they were made in Thailand. So much for a Santa Fe souvenir! She loves it though! :)
When we got home, we checked on the white chicken chili mom had simmering in the crockpot all day, then went to the park and swung on the swings until the Bomke's arrived home. That day was the start of the Las Conchas fire near Los Alamos (it started from a down powerline) so we went to the park with the boys and to check out the plumes in the distance. Little did we know what that fire would eventually become... 130,000 acres of the state's largest fire in history. Then we came home and ate out chili, got the boys to bed, and were sitting down to watch Eat Pray Love, when a curious 4 year old who did not want to be in bed came creeping down the stairs wearing an Easter Bunny mask. It was a bit creepy, but also hysterical. We pictured him coming up with the idea "I know I won't get in trouble if I come down the stairs wearing this, they will laugh and think I'm cute." It worked, but he still wanted to stay up. :)
Monday, Mom went for a walk through the area where Lins and Jeff live (there are trails everywhere!) and then we got ready to go explore the plaza. We went into some shops, Mom bought me a pretty little dreamcatcher necklace, then we stopped at Upper Crust Pizza off Water Street in town and had the lunch special. Then it was time to head back to Lins and Jeff's so Lins could put Kyle down for a nap, and I could take mom to albuquerque to catch her flight.
It was sad to see her go, because I had already realized that it was very likely I was going to move to Santa Fe. We had the most wonderful time in 5 days, and I was sad it was over. I know she agreed.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
New month... New journey... New chapter
And so begins this new chapter in my vita... Unemployed, with a degree and teaching license...
Off on Wednesday to Santa Fe to watch the 2 boys who mean so much to me. For one month... And to put out some feelers out there regarding jobs.
Last nite mi amigos had a fiesta for me (I would say caliente fiesta, but you can't have a bonfire in a storm.) a lot of my friends seem to think I'll be moving out there. I can't say I would be unhappy with that... Watching the 2 greatest things in my life grow up, looking to see snow-capped mountains through the spring even though it's in the 70s? Spending free days hiking up to 8000 feet above sea level, exploring Indian ruins, attempting bikram yoga mountaintop, exploring the Los Alamos story, and, in down time, savoring SOapapillas and juice Popsicles made by Zachadoo... And of course playing guppy on nick jr.com.
My life here is safe, comfortable, stable, and just itching for a change. I'm 28. How much younger am I gonna get? I've sworn off dating (just for the time being)... How much SINGLER am I going to get? How much more unemployed and childless am I gonna get? And yet... How much more bold, brave, and adventurous can I be by taking such a giant leap?
The one thing that keeps 1 of my feet here in Indy (because the other one has been in Santa Fe since I left April 1), is my folks. And I can't leave them. Theyre my world. In a perfect world, they'd come out too and we could all be together.
Any who, tomorrow I officially go clean up my room (It's all packed and emptied), turn in my badge and keys, maybe do a lil victory dance, then go get some contacts I can actually see out of, then meet with miss Courtney for lunch... I suppose I'll start packing and such then.
Now I'm off to bed. Next entry will be better
Off on Wednesday to Santa Fe to watch the 2 boys who mean so much to me. For one month... And to put out some feelers out there regarding jobs.
Last nite mi amigos had a fiesta for me (I would say caliente fiesta, but you can't have a bonfire in a storm.) a lot of my friends seem to think I'll be moving out there. I can't say I would be unhappy with that... Watching the 2 greatest things in my life grow up, looking to see snow-capped mountains through the spring even though it's in the 70s? Spending free days hiking up to 8000 feet above sea level, exploring Indian ruins, attempting bikram yoga mountaintop, exploring the Los Alamos story, and, in down time, savoring SOapapillas and juice Popsicles made by Zachadoo... And of course playing guppy on nick jr.com.
My life here is safe, comfortable, stable, and just itching for a change. I'm 28. How much younger am I gonna get? I've sworn off dating (just for the time being)... How much SINGLER am I going to get? How much more unemployed and childless am I gonna get? And yet... How much more bold, brave, and adventurous can I be by taking such a giant leap?
The one thing that keeps 1 of my feet here in Indy (because the other one has been in Santa Fe since I left April 1), is my folks. And I can't leave them. Theyre my world. In a perfect world, they'd come out too and we could all be together.
Any who, tomorrow I officially go clean up my room (It's all packed and emptied), turn in my badge and keys, maybe do a lil victory dance, then go get some contacts I can actually see out of, then meet with miss Courtney for lunch... I suppose I'll start packing and such then.
Now I'm off to bed. Next entry will be better
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