Life
Every once in a while, I get inspiration to update, and I suppose that I must take it. Who knows how long this could actually turn out to be.
The new job is good. I want to say great, but I'm not sure I feel that way...yet. The faculty and staff are absolutely amazing. So fun to work with. Some of the students are really difficult, but it's a good challenge for me. I've worked in a high school before, but it's a different experience having your own class lists and your own space and your own way of running things. If at the end of the year, I'm not scared away, I'll know that going for my teaching license will be the right decision. I already think it is, though, and that's why next semester, I'm going to try to start taking classes toward a history/liberal arts-type degree. I guess in order to be a history teacher, you have to have a foundation in political science, economics, and geography, so that's why it'll probably end up being liberal arts. Whatever works. Hopefully I have enough of the pre-reqs covered by UVM classes...I need to make an appointment to talk to an advisor.
My job also gives me time to read a lot, which of course I love. Since school started three weeks ago, I've read:
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
In the Skin of a Lion, by Michael Ondaatje
The English Patient, by Michael Ondaatje
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
and now I'm well into Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden. A few middle school-type Star Wars books are also mixed in here, but I don't bring those to school...just a tad embarrassing. Next on my list are The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, The Hours, by Michael Cunningham, Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini, and 1776, by David McCullough. Really excited about it.
Other than that...not a lot going on lately. Starting working a few hours a week at First in Fitness, and I've decided that if I still loathe it in about another month, I'm going to quit. Not worth it spending my Saturday afternoons miserable, even if it comes with a free membership. Minimum wage, too, which is bullshit.
Oh, I might be getting to take over the South Royalton School drama club...I'm supposed to go in and see the principal at some point this week, but due to the delayed start on the construction of our new gym, something tells me that he won't have had time to really think about it yet. It's really exciting though. I hope it all works out. If it doesn't, I know that my help is needed and desperately begged for at Spaulding. Mrs. Gillander needs help wrangling the students, and the students need a barrier between them and her, since I spent a good deal of my time last spring trying to make the ones she made feel like shit feel better. Fun, right?
I want to move out. I'm torn about this, though. On the one hand, it would be so great to have my own place and space, but on the other hand...I really can't afford it. I'm not saying it's miserable here at home, because it's not, but...I need my own space. The paychecks may not prove big enough to do something like that though, and the whole idea of staying in Vermont was to stay at home and save some money. That hasn't worked out so well so far, what with student loans, insurance, gas, and car payments. I'm not complaining, but it's almost time to be making some big decisions, I think. The other thing is that I feel like if I get an apartment here, then I'm sentencing myself to a life in Vermont, and I'm not sure that I want that yet. I really feel like I need to get out and do more, and that will come more easily once I have another degree in hand and look for a job that is actually in demand. Nice that I decided after I graduated that I don't really want to do anything in theatre professionally, right? Wonderful.
Ian and I have plans to go to San Francisco for Thanksgiving. SInce Jon moved out there, he's been begging us to come visit, and since that's really the only chunk of time I have off that Jon does too, it was a good move. Tickets were so expensive though, but I think they were worth the money. If I like it out there, then it's a thought about somewhere to go when all of this is over. And that would make Jon really happy too, I know. It's just too bad that I'm going to the gay capitol of the US with Jon and Ian, so I won't get to go out and have a good time really. Strictly sober fun for Mr. Taffel. Oh well, I'll still have a good time.
Alright, that's it for now...I see my book calling to me. Hope everything is well for everyone else.
The new job is good. I want to say great, but I'm not sure I feel that way...yet. The faculty and staff are absolutely amazing. So fun to work with. Some of the students are really difficult, but it's a good challenge for me. I've worked in a high school before, but it's a different experience having your own class lists and your own space and your own way of running things. If at the end of the year, I'm not scared away, I'll know that going for my teaching license will be the right decision. I already think it is, though, and that's why next semester, I'm going to try to start taking classes toward a history/liberal arts-type degree. I guess in order to be a history teacher, you have to have a foundation in political science, economics, and geography, so that's why it'll probably end up being liberal arts. Whatever works. Hopefully I have enough of the pre-reqs covered by UVM classes...I need to make an appointment to talk to an advisor.
My job also gives me time to read a lot, which of course I love. Since school started three weeks ago, I've read:
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
In the Skin of a Lion, by Michael Ondaatje
The English Patient, by Michael Ondaatje
Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
and now I'm well into Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden. A few middle school-type Star Wars books are also mixed in here, but I don't bring those to school...just a tad embarrassing. Next on my list are The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, The Hours, by Michael Cunningham, Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini, and 1776, by David McCullough. Really excited about it.
Other than that...not a lot going on lately. Starting working a few hours a week at First in Fitness, and I've decided that if I still loathe it in about another month, I'm going to quit. Not worth it spending my Saturday afternoons miserable, even if it comes with a free membership. Minimum wage, too, which is bullshit.
Oh, I might be getting to take over the South Royalton School drama club...I'm supposed to go in and see the principal at some point this week, but due to the delayed start on the construction of our new gym, something tells me that he won't have had time to really think about it yet. It's really exciting though. I hope it all works out. If it doesn't, I know that my help is needed and desperately begged for at Spaulding. Mrs. Gillander needs help wrangling the students, and the students need a barrier between them and her, since I spent a good deal of my time last spring trying to make the ones she made feel like shit feel better. Fun, right?
I want to move out. I'm torn about this, though. On the one hand, it would be so great to have my own place and space, but on the other hand...I really can't afford it. I'm not saying it's miserable here at home, because it's not, but...I need my own space. The paychecks may not prove big enough to do something like that though, and the whole idea of staying in Vermont was to stay at home and save some money. That hasn't worked out so well so far, what with student loans, insurance, gas, and car payments. I'm not complaining, but it's almost time to be making some big decisions, I think. The other thing is that I feel like if I get an apartment here, then I'm sentencing myself to a life in Vermont, and I'm not sure that I want that yet. I really feel like I need to get out and do more, and that will come more easily once I have another degree in hand and look for a job that is actually in demand. Nice that I decided after I graduated that I don't really want to do anything in theatre professionally, right? Wonderful.
Ian and I have plans to go to San Francisco for Thanksgiving. SInce Jon moved out there, he's been begging us to come visit, and since that's really the only chunk of time I have off that Jon does too, it was a good move. Tickets were so expensive though, but I think they were worth the money. If I like it out there, then it's a thought about somewhere to go when all of this is over. And that would make Jon really happy too, I know. It's just too bad that I'm going to the gay capitol of the US with Jon and Ian, so I won't get to go out and have a good time really. Strictly sober fun for Mr. Taffel. Oh well, I'll still have a good time.
Alright, that's it for now...I see my book calling to me. Hope everything is well for everyone else.