End of Year Meme
Post the first sentence from the first entry on LJ each month in 2007.
***I don't really follow the first sentence rule. Sometimes I do several sentences. Also, I'm a bit loose on the "first entry" rule. I wanna do something more meaningful than anime night notifications or memes.***
January: Alright, so this week I'd like to have an anime night. Kinda "going back to school celebration" type a thing - as well as an opportunity to hang out with friends I rarely get to see.
February: Dave and I broke up last night - again. (heh. "When JFK and I broke up for real again...")
March: So, I'm cancelling anime night this week. It appears my house is dirtier than I thought, so I'm going to spend tonight with my mom in a continuation of my cleaning efforts.
April: In other news, I have just completed my first telephone interview ever. It was for an internship position in Missouri for monitoring plants that have been submitted to perscribed fire.
May: So, as you all know, I was looking back over my archives, and I got to the post where I was so excited to be the TA for Animal Behavior, and electrichobbit dubiously congratulated me. I assured him I would not have to deal with stupid, whining students. I would only be grading and passing things out.
HA!
June: Bushisms! And not only one today - but a whole montage! That's right - a barrage of inane statements. (I always find if I add one of Jon Stewart's Bush's "hehehe"s afterward, it makes me feel a little better)
July: Hey everyone. So, this weekend the parentals and I are headed up to Salt Plains NWR, the site of my future internship, to see what's what - where I'll be living, the surrounding towns, etc. etc.
August: So, Emily and I were driving around earlier in the week, I believe it was Thursday, and Emily mentioned something about all the marijuana at the refuge.
September: Sometimes I just feel if something doesn't happen to me soon, I will simply disappear.
October: I'm done with the internship, and haven't yet applied for the permanent job up at Salt Plains. The reason I haven't applied is because the application is posted yet. Sigh. Gotta love the civil service - always takes twice as long to get anything done.
November: Greetings from Sayre! Where, you say? Exactly.
December: Teaching, I have learned, takes more patience than I can normally muster.
In other news, I just spent a wonderful almost week with particleman, first in Tulsa meeting his family and then in Norman in his new house. Oh, for those who haven't heard, particleman and I are together and have been (more or less) since Halloween. It's been awesome...to the Maxx. :) His family is very large and colorful, and I managed to find a couple of relatives I could bond with. Always a good sign. Now it's his turn to meet my very large and colorful family.
Christmas was great - I didn't get one gift I didn't like, which is not something I normally get to say. I got 3 great new books - about a pirate and a witch, vampires, and lastly 3 warlocks...and the women who love them. Haha. Trash? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely. Will I be reading the rest of these 3 different series? yes.
New Years was also fun. Drunken, dizzy, raucous fun. Great way to bring in 2008.
Future plans: I'm not going to salt plains. After I was given several months to think on it, I've realized it's really not the place for me - an enthusiastic, still somewhat idealistic, wanna-be conservation biologist. It's too small, and I'm afraid I would end up fading into the woodwork there.
So instead, I'm back on the grad school path. I've found some great programs - UMD and SUNY Albany primarily. I'm finishing up the UMD application this week and into next week, and then SUNY after that (the app is due Feb 15, but I'm hoping to get it in way before that.
I'm still in Marlow. I'm working as a substitute teacher, and I'm looking to pick up another job somewhere, probably (and hopefully) in retail, as it's what I know best. I figure this is a good time to make money that can go directly into savings. All of my grad school picks are way out of state. That's gonna be expensive, no matter what kind of help I get from the different programs.
Being a substitute teacher is....interesting. I remember when I used to get frustrated with being an undergrad TA and having to deal with whiny pre-med college students twice a week. Heh. I have taught everything. Kindergarten to seniors in high school - it's somewhat surprising how those two groups act the same. Example, I taught a senior math class (yes, marlow-ites, I subbed for Mrs. Williams) and I had to confiscate spit ball materials. Then I had to tell them to not throw their pencils into the ceiling. I finally got their attention by telling them about my honors research project and my "gay fish" (it's fascinating how the word "gay" can grab their attention.)
Worst though, was when I was the elementary music teacher. (Yes, Marlow-ians, it's still Mr. Tate. He still uses the same torn up books, the same out of tune piano, the same records and the same record player. He's also added starbursts to his skittles as his bribe attempts to get the little monsters to behave. Great, extremely short-term solution.)
One class was so rotten, the teacher who came to pick them up made each one apologize to me as they filed out. I had to yell so much in another class that the principal down the hall heard and had to come to my rescue. And I had to guilt yet another class of fifth graders before they would calm down. It worked though. It was the whole "why do you think I'm here? why do you think any of the adults are here?" speech. Not sure it was something I should have done, but as all of these terrible classes were back to back, I was one step away from crumpling on the floor and sobbing as I pulled out my hair and rocked back and forth.
Sometimes it's fun though. I was a 6th grade english teacher for an afternoon, and it was great. I was a second grade teacher for 2 days, and that was really fun. Energy sapping, but fun. I like when I actually get to teach instead of handing out busy work. I find that the students work better that way too. They get bored with busy work, then look for something else to do.
I have lots of fun stories about how first graders have no concept of personal space, about how the word "no" is not in most kindergarten students' vocabulary, and about how many ways my name can be misunderstood and made fun of ("Ms. Barn" "Ms. Flash" "Ms. Replacement" "Mrs....Home?"). But those are best relayed in person. And I've talked enough. I only meant to do a little update. But I have this sexy new laptop (it's dark red and silver) with a fab. new keyboard, so I felt the need to use it a little bit.
Happy New Year!