The (Redhead) Jungle
This monthly update is brought to you by David Sunflower Seeds: Oral Fixation Snack of Choice. David is also responsible this month's numbered reference:
1. Job
2. Immigration
3. Politics/Books
4. Graduate School
5. Car
6. Music
1. I'm still a teacher for this semester, but I've got only one class; and that means not a lot of money. Enrollment is way down this semester at UNA and I was lucky to get the class that I've got. In case you don't know already, adjunct teaching is not a very steady occupation, especially when starting out. I get paid by the class, and that's great if I have the limit of 3 classes, as I did in the fall. But now the three has dwindled to one. The kids in my class seem alright, and about ten of them are high school students trying to get their English credits out of the way. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet, but we'll see.
Because of the lack of money, I was forced to crawl back on my hands and knees and beg for my old law firm job back, and luckily, they took me back. You would think with a Master's degree I would be able to get a nice job, but Florence doesn't cater to us. I'm not that torn up about it, though. They pay me well for what I do, which is very little when compared to what I would be forced to do in other part time jobs.
2. Itsumi can now officially and legally work in the U.S. She can also get her driver's license now, AND we have an interview for her permanent residence in about a month and a half. Finally.
3. I want Obama to win so bad it hurts. I was going to go to Birmingham to see him tomorrow, but I backed out because of travel funds. I'm not going to get paid until March, and I haven't seen a paycheck since December 1st, so money's kinda tight right now. Anyway, I'm glad he blew the Clintons (yes, both of them) out of the water in South Carolina. At first, I wasn't so sure I was going to vote for him, because even though I've always liked him, some of his policies and plans that are listed on his website seem a little too good to be true. But after seeing how he galvanizes and energizes people of all ages, races--everyone--I can't help but feel like he's the guy who can at least turn the country around in another direction. I got to thinking tonight that I've never been alive under a president who isn't a Bush or a Clinton...well, okay, Reagan was there, but I was too young then for him to count. And maybe that's why the rest of my generation has seemed so apathetic over the past few years: how can we change the country when no matter how hard we try, some rich douchebag ends up running the country? But Obama, regardless of whatever iffy policies he has (and most of them aren't, by the way), can actually motivate people to get things done. I feel like I understand now how young people felt when Bobby Kennedy was running. Anyway, the dude's got my vote, for whatever it's worth.
And along the lines of this discussion, I've been reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair for the first time lately. I'm fighting the urge to spout Socialist propaganda right now. The book is very powerful, and oddly, it seems even more relevant today with all the illegal immigration issues in the present.
4. Everything's in for my PhD. applications. Now I'm just waiting to hear where/if I got in.
5. I'm seriously considering trading my Honda Element in for a compact car. Right now my top three choices are a Mazda 3 hatchback, Jetta, or a Civic.
6. I'm obsessed with the Kinks. I don't know why I haven't listened to them until now, but I've really missed out until now. Oh yeah, and Itsumi and I saw Yo La Tengo in Birmingham last week!!! It was kind of an unplugged type show at Workplay. They also took questions between songs and interacted with the audience. I brought my letter that they wrote to me a few years ago and asked them about it, just to have something to ask, and I was sooooooooo nervous. But it really was nice to see one of my idol bands in such a relaxed setting. Good stuff.
1. Job
2. Immigration
3. Politics/Books
4. Graduate School
5. Car
6. Music
1. I'm still a teacher for this semester, but I've got only one class; and that means not a lot of money. Enrollment is way down this semester at UNA and I was lucky to get the class that I've got. In case you don't know already, adjunct teaching is not a very steady occupation, especially when starting out. I get paid by the class, and that's great if I have the limit of 3 classes, as I did in the fall. But now the three has dwindled to one. The kids in my class seem alright, and about ten of them are high school students trying to get their English credits out of the way. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing yet, but we'll see.
Because of the lack of money, I was forced to crawl back on my hands and knees and beg for my old law firm job back, and luckily, they took me back. You would think with a Master's degree I would be able to get a nice job, but Florence doesn't cater to us. I'm not that torn up about it, though. They pay me well for what I do, which is very little when compared to what I would be forced to do in other part time jobs.
2. Itsumi can now officially and legally work in the U.S. She can also get her driver's license now, AND we have an interview for her permanent residence in about a month and a half. Finally.
3. I want Obama to win so bad it hurts. I was going to go to Birmingham to see him tomorrow, but I backed out because of travel funds. I'm not going to get paid until March, and I haven't seen a paycheck since December 1st, so money's kinda tight right now. Anyway, I'm glad he blew the Clintons (yes, both of them) out of the water in South Carolina. At first, I wasn't so sure I was going to vote for him, because even though I've always liked him, some of his policies and plans that are listed on his website seem a little too good to be true. But after seeing how he galvanizes and energizes people of all ages, races--everyone--I can't help but feel like he's the guy who can at least turn the country around in another direction. I got to thinking tonight that I've never been alive under a president who isn't a Bush or a Clinton...well, okay, Reagan was there, but I was too young then for him to count. And maybe that's why the rest of my generation has seemed so apathetic over the past few years: how can we change the country when no matter how hard we try, some rich douchebag ends up running the country? But Obama, regardless of whatever iffy policies he has (and most of them aren't, by the way), can actually motivate people to get things done. I feel like I understand now how young people felt when Bobby Kennedy was running. Anyway, the dude's got my vote, for whatever it's worth.
And along the lines of this discussion, I've been reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair for the first time lately. I'm fighting the urge to spout Socialist propaganda right now. The book is very powerful, and oddly, it seems even more relevant today with all the illegal immigration issues in the present.
4. Everything's in for my PhD. applications. Now I'm just waiting to hear where/if I got in.
5. I'm seriously considering trading my Honda Element in for a compact car. Right now my top three choices are a Mazda 3 hatchback, Jetta, or a Civic.
6. I'm obsessed with the Kinks. I don't know why I haven't listened to them until now, but I've really missed out until now. Oh yeah, and Itsumi and I saw Yo La Tengo in Birmingham last week!!! It was kind of an unplugged type show at Workplay. They also took questions between songs and interacted with the audience. I brought my letter that they wrote to me a few years ago and asked them about it, just to have something to ask, and I was sooooooooo nervous. But it really was nice to see one of my idol bands in such a relaxed setting. Good stuff.