Better day today.
Not nearly as crabby.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
Monday
A clean slate, a week full of promise...
Ah, who am I fooling? I look at Mondays and just see one thing... Five Days Until the Weekend.
And all the new teachers are kinda wearing on me. I mean, they're nice and all, but it's tiring to deal with a constant stream of questions and things they're amazed/aghast/shocked/dismayed at. Is it really such a big deal that our water drains out under our houses? I mean, yeah, it's not great, and it's kind of a surprise when you first realize it, but I don't remember it warranting a five-minute discussion/bitch session when *I* was a new teacher. Maybe I'm too laid-back and generally accepting of life "as-is," but I don't remember stuff bothering me nearly this much.
*bitch mode off*
Ah, who am I fooling? I look at Mondays and just see one thing... Five Days Until the Weekend.
And all the new teachers are kinda wearing on me. I mean, they're nice and all, but it's tiring to deal with a constant stream of questions and things they're amazed/aghast/shocked/dismayed at. Is it really such a big deal that our water drains out under our houses? I mean, yeah, it's not great, and it's kind of a surprise when you first realize it, but I don't remember it warranting a five-minute discussion/bitch session when *I* was a new teacher. Maybe I'm too laid-back and generally accepting of life "as-is," but I don't remember stuff bothering me nearly this much.
*bitch mode off*
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Honestly
How can I be sick ALREADY? School just started on Monday. This school is like a petri dish, I swear. An environment specifically designed to make it easy for germies to grow. More so than other elementary schools, I swear.
One of the native aides here at school (a friend) SWEARS there's a local plant that will make me feel better if boiled to make tea. I think, however, that it's this. You know, like... a hallucinogen. It does say, though, that it's a useful tonic in small doses. And it's a plant that grows naturally around here. It can't be illegal, can it? Can a plant's existence, in and of itself, be illegal? What if it just grows in my yard? Do they arrest me or the plant?
Disclaimer: Drugs are bad, 'mkay?
One of the native aides here at school (a friend) SWEARS there's a local plant that will make me feel better if boiled to make tea. I think, however, that it's this. You know, like... a hallucinogen. It does say, though, that it's a useful tonic in small doses. And it's a plant that grows naturally around here. It can't be illegal, can it? Can a plant's existence, in and of itself, be illegal? What if it just grows in my yard? Do they arrest me or the plant?
Disclaimer: Drugs are bad, 'mkay?
Monday, August 22, 2005
First Day of School
Excuse me while I vomit.
I'm MUCH more nervous this year than I was last. Last year, I was so shell-shocked, I don't think I was capable of being nervous. I was just numb from culture shock, I had had only one set-up day in my classroom, and to be honest, I was too dumb to be nervous. This year, however, I know what's in store. I know what I need to get done. I know 90% of my students (all but the new kindergarteners and any transfer students) are students I had last year... so no hiding behind "getting to know you" activities or "I don't know all your names yet." I know we have a lot of first-year teachers who will need help. And most importantly, I know I can do a better job than I did last year. Can't we always?
They're right, whoever "they" are. Ignorance is bliss. Last year was stressful, but I was too dumb to notice. ;)
And I may or may not have had a little too much coffee.
I'm MUCH more nervous this year than I was last. Last year, I was so shell-shocked, I don't think I was capable of being nervous. I was just numb from culture shock, I had had only one set-up day in my classroom, and to be honest, I was too dumb to be nervous. This year, however, I know what's in store. I know what I need to get done. I know 90% of my students (all but the new kindergarteners and any transfer students) are students I had last year... so no hiding behind "getting to know you" activities or "I don't know all your names yet." I know we have a lot of first-year teachers who will need help. And most importantly, I know I can do a better job than I did last year. Can't we always?
They're right, whoever "they" are. Ignorance is bliss. Last year was stressful, but I was too dumb to notice. ;)
And I may or may not have had a little too much coffee.
Friday, August 19, 2005
You know...
It's amazing how long one silver salmon can feed one person. Especially if you make it into soup.
AND... some of the new teachers are going caribou hunting, and they said that if they got one, it'll be for all to share. Sure, it's gamey, but it's meat for a little extra labor and some money for gas and shells. I'm not near the point where I could go out and shoot my own dinner... I'd probably endanger my life or the lives of others. But heck, if the guys get a kick out of it, I'm more than willing to accept some meat.
Not to say I COULDN'T afford meat; I totally could. But when you can legally get your own fish and game, why the heck not?
I'd wager a bet it's healthier meat than you'd find at a grocery store, too. Just a hunch.
AND... some of the new teachers are going caribou hunting, and they said that if they got one, it'll be for all to share. Sure, it's gamey, but it's meat for a little extra labor and some money for gas and shells. I'm not near the point where I could go out and shoot my own dinner... I'd probably endanger my life or the lives of others. But heck, if the guys get a kick out of it, I'm more than willing to accept some meat.
Not to say I COULDN'T afford meat; I totally could. But when you can legally get your own fish and game, why the heck not?
I'd wager a bet it's healthier meat than you'd find at a grocery store, too. Just a hunch.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Fried Brains, Anyone?
My mind is so scattered right now. I have a decent-sized list of stuff to accomplish by the time school starts at 8:30 Monday morning, and I'm doing a good job making progress, but I can't seem to focus on one individual task at a time.
I just have too many things to do, and all of the tasks are fairly attractive (fresh school year, fresh start, fresh ideas, fresh ambition). I'll start out doing one thing, then in the middle of that task some item will remind me of something else, so I start that without even thinking about it. As a result, nothing on my list is "finished," nothing is "not started," and EVERYTHING is "in progress."
And as for why I have been a bad, bad blogger... well, I just haven't had the time or mental focusing capability.
Off to a staff meeting!
I just have too many things to do, and all of the tasks are fairly attractive (fresh school year, fresh start, fresh ideas, fresh ambition). I'll start out doing one thing, then in the middle of that task some item will remind me of something else, so I start that without even thinking about it. As a result, nothing on my list is "finished," nothing is "not started," and EVERYTHING is "in progress."
And as for why I have been a bad, bad blogger... well, I just haven't had the time or mental focusing capability.
Off to a staff meeting!
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Still Here, Don't Fret...
I just haven't been posting because I have to walk up to school to get internet access. I'm going to call on Monday (PAYDAY!) about setting up internet.
New Roomie (the Woman Formerly Known as Roomie moved to a different village) and I decided to try life without TV, but we were in unanimous agreement that home internet access was necessary.
Living without TV will be interesting. I haven't really missed it over the past week. OK, I've missed Jon Stewart, but other than that...
New Roomie (the Woman Formerly Known as Roomie moved to a different village) and I decided to try life without TV, but we were in unanimous agreement that home internet access was necessary.
Living without TV will be interesting. I haven't really missed it over the past week. OK, I've missed Jon Stewart, but other than that...
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Oy
I have some serious focusing issues. Cleaning is hard work, and I've found new ways to distract myself. Sure, I don't have internet or TV yet, but I can sure pop a DVD into my computer! How about a nice book? Oh, one I've read three times already? SURE!
I'm leaving my computer here at school. As for the books, there's not much I can do.
Editing note: I just noticed that I misspelled "read." I assure you that this was a typographical error, and that I DO know the difference between "read" and "red."
I'm leaving my computer here at school. As for the books, there's not much I can do.
Editing note: I just noticed that I misspelled "read." I assure you that this was a typographical error, and that I DO know the difference between "read" and "red."
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Back in the Village!
No internet at home yet, so I have to walk into school to get online... and since I'm (a) lazy and (b) cleaning and re-arranging my home, that probably won't be too often.
But it's good to be back. I'm doing a serious clean-out of my house since I have a new roommate coming. It's actually kinda fun. It's easier to focus on cleaning when I don't have TV or internet to distract me.
But it's good to be back. I'm doing a serious clean-out of my house since I have a new roommate coming. It's actually kinda fun. It's easier to focus on cleaning when I don't have TV or internet to distract me.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Back to Work I Go...
I'll be heading back to the village in a few hours, weather permitting. Rumor has it the internet at the school is down, and I don't have internet at my house yet, so I might be incomunicado for a bit. Don't worry, I haven't been taken hostage or kidnapped or anything.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Pooooooop
Why do I always end up talking about poop?
Anyway, my friend has a 14 month-old kid named Danny. They're Irish. While sitting around the living room watching him get his diaper changed, I penned (well, OK, I didn't write it down, so technically there was no pen involved) this little ditty to the tune of "Danny Boy," and it has been requested that I publish it...
Oh Danny boy, your butt, your butt is pooping
From nine to five
And five to nine again.
The food is gone,
And yet you are still pooping.
It's you, it's you, must poop
And I must clean.
I apologize for making you read that.
Anyway, my friend has a 14 month-old kid named Danny. They're Irish. While sitting around the living room watching him get his diaper changed, I penned (well, OK, I didn't write it down, so technically there was no pen involved) this little ditty to the tune of "Danny Boy," and it has been requested that I publish it...
Oh Danny boy, your butt, your butt is pooping
From nine to five
And five to nine again.
The food is gone,
And yet you are still pooping.
It's you, it's you, must poop
And I must clean.
I apologize for making you read that.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
I'm Damn Good Company
I know people who refuse to go eat dinner by themselves.
Preposterous, sez me. Why are people so afraid to be by themselves?
I went out for a nice Mexican sit-down dinner this evening, all by myself. I didn't die. No one pointed and laughed and called me a friendless loser. I wasn't even bored. I used to bring a book if I wanted to go out to eat by myself, or limit myself to non-sit-down restaurants, but why? I'm not bad company.
I think tomorrow I'll go to a movie.
Preposterous, sez me. Why are people so afraid to be by themselves?
I went out for a nice Mexican sit-down dinner this evening, all by myself. I didn't die. No one pointed and laughed and called me a friendless loser. I wasn't even bored. I used to bring a book if I wanted to go out to eat by myself, or limit myself to non-sit-down restaurants, but why? I'm not bad company.
I think tomorrow I'll go to a movie.
When the Hell Am I?
It's noon, and I just woke up. Damn these Alaskans and their tendency to put very heavy curtains in hotel rooms.
In my defense, I flew into Anchorage on the red-eye last night. After an hour delay on the ground in Seattle and a three hour flight in a non-window/non-aisle seat, I got in at 2:30 AM and proceeded to wait a half hour for our luggage to burp itself out into the little turnthingy. I then waited 15 minutes for the airport shuttle, rode in said shuttle for 10 minutes, and arrived at the hotel ready to tip over at 3:30AM. A quick shower to remove that icky traveling feeling and I was in bed.
4am to noon is eight hours. I'm not lazy, just off-schedule. Tonight I'm going to attempt to go to bed at a decent hour, Alaska-wise, to see if I can force by body back into the time zone. Right now it's a little confused.
I KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER! A bath in the nice bathtub that fills up to the neck. Nice hotels are fun every once in a while.
In my defense, I flew into Anchorage on the red-eye last night. After an hour delay on the ground in Seattle and a three hour flight in a non-window/non-aisle seat, I got in at 2:30 AM and proceeded to wait a half hour for our luggage to burp itself out into the little turnthingy. I then waited 15 minutes for the airport shuttle, rode in said shuttle for 10 minutes, and arrived at the hotel ready to tip over at 3:30AM. A quick shower to remove that icky traveling feeling and I was in bed.
4am to noon is eight hours. I'm not lazy, just off-schedule. Tonight I'm going to attempt to go to bed at a decent hour, Alaska-wise, to see if I can force by body back into the time zone. Right now it's a little confused.
I KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE IT BETTER! A bath in the nice bathtub that fills up to the neck. Nice hotels are fun every once in a while.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
So it's finally cool enough to make regular (non-iced) coffee. And what do I do? BREAK THE F-ING CARAFE!
Guess I'll go to the coffee shop. :-(
Guess I'll go to the coffee shop. :-(
FYI
1. Little sister who sat through hurricane finally got through to my parents and is indeed fine, just fine. So that's good news.
2. I fly back to AK on Saturday. Who the hell stole my summer? And more importantly, how much beer can I drink before I go back?
3. Going back to the village will be good for my wallet and waistline. I ate out too much and consumed just a wee bit too much beer this summer. I had finally started getting back in shape and putting money in savings, and then WHAM Minnesota happened. At least I didn't spend any of my savings or gain any weight, but certainly didn't make any progress.
4. I started biting my nails again. I had a good solid two weeks nibble-free.
5. It FINALLY cooled down. Two weeks above 90 with high humidity and no air conditioning was not my idea of fun. There's a reason Alaska appealed to me, and it wasn't the bears. I'm wearing jeans for what is probably the first time this summer and am pretty happy about it, thankyouverymuch.
6. What else should I do before leaving civilization?
2. I fly back to AK on Saturday. Who the hell stole my summer? And more importantly, how much beer can I drink before I go back?
3. Going back to the village will be good for my wallet and waistline. I ate out too much and consumed just a wee bit too much beer this summer. I had finally started getting back in shape and putting money in savings, and then WHAM Minnesota happened. At least I didn't spend any of my savings or gain any weight, but certainly didn't make any progress.
4. I started biting my nails again. I had a good solid two weeks nibble-free.
5. It FINALLY cooled down. Two weeks above 90 with high humidity and no air conditioning was not my idea of fun. There's a reason Alaska appealed to me, and it wasn't the bears. I'm wearing jeans for what is probably the first time this summer and am pretty happy about it, thankyouverymuch.
6. What else should I do before leaving civilization?
Monday, July 25, 2005
Bitten by the Bug
Somehow I got bitten by the home-buying bug. I came to the somewhat surprising conclusion that I could, by this time next year, have enough for an adequate down-payment (god willing and the creek don' rise, inshallah, etc, etc, etc) on a starter (emphasis on starter... more on that later) home somewhere in Alaska. I guess I am 26 years old, it's about damn time, huh?
However, it would kinda force me into a position where I'd have to make decisions about my life. Since I can't own a home in the village (me being all non-native and stuff), if I WERE to buy a home, it would be a summer home only for at least a few years. Kinda seems bass ackwards to buy a summer home before buying a regular home, but there you have it.
Seriously, though, the stuff I'm looking at is pretty... quirky. I don't need or want a large house. I really think that a lot of my generation has some pretty lofty expectations when it comes to first-home-buying. I don't... and it makes the whole experience a little less stressful. I can actually picture myself paying off the numbers I'm looking at in some kind of forseeable future.
But really, it's all theoretical at this point. Who knows what'll happen in the next year? My job is pretty secure... they can't cut positions and make one teacher do half time at two schools as is so frequently the case in education because the nearest school is like 30 miles away. But still... don't wanna count the ptarmigan before they're hatched.
However, it would kinda force me into a position where I'd have to make decisions about my life. Since I can't own a home in the village (me being all non-native and stuff), if I WERE to buy a home, it would be a summer home only for at least a few years. Kinda seems bass ackwards to buy a summer home before buying a regular home, but there you have it.
Seriously, though, the stuff I'm looking at is pretty... quirky. I don't need or want a large house. I really think that a lot of my generation has some pretty lofty expectations when it comes to first-home-buying. I don't... and it makes the whole experience a little less stressful. I can actually picture myself paying off the numbers I'm looking at in some kind of forseeable future.
But really, it's all theoretical at this point. Who knows what'll happen in the next year? My job is pretty secure... they can't cut positions and make one teacher do half time at two schools as is so frequently the case in education because the nearest school is like 30 miles away. But still... don't wanna count the ptarmigan before they're hatched.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Ick
I'm not sure what happened last night, but one of my housemates and I were just sitting around, watching bad Saturday evening TV, when all the sudden, the humidity just spiked to gross heights. We decided that rather than the sit-at-home-drink-some-wine idea we had previously endorsed as "plan for the evening," we needed to be somewhere air conditioned... so off to the bar we went.
Creative problem solving at its best.
Quick example of how repulsively sticky it was... I walked into an airconditioned store. I shopped in sweet climate-controlled comfort. When I exited the store, bag in hand, my glasses fogged up. The difference in temperature and humidity was THAT great.
Yahoo! weather says high of 94 today. Blah. However, tomorrow's highs, and the days after that, are supposed to be at least ten degrees lower, so that's good at least.
A week from yesterday I fly back to AK!
Creative problem solving at its best.
Quick example of how repulsively sticky it was... I walked into an airconditioned store. I shopped in sweet climate-controlled comfort. When I exited the store, bag in hand, my glasses fogged up. The difference in temperature and humidity was THAT great.
Yahoo! weather says high of 94 today. Blah. However, tomorrow's highs, and the days after that, are supposed to be at least ten degrees lower, so that's good at least.
A week from yesterday I fly back to AK!
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Solitude
So, Pa Mac can't come back to AK with me as planned for a little visit when I go back for the school year. I'm seriously bummed out, as is he. It was going to be fun. Waaaaaaaaaaaaah.
But.
I decided, what the hell, I'll just take a little vacation by myself. Not a luxury vacation, but a room in a decent hotel in Anchorage, perhaps a train or bus ride up to Denali National Park, a last chance to drink some beer before a semester of alcoholic chastity, and just some general alone time.
I'm social, I've loved living with good friends and an incredibly cute baby for the summer, but then again, I can overdose on social interaction and need some time to myself. I'm a Gemini; I'm allowed to be a little split-personalitied.
And then... back to work.
But.
I decided, what the hell, I'll just take a little vacation by myself. Not a luxury vacation, but a room in a decent hotel in Anchorage, perhaps a train or bus ride up to Denali National Park, a last chance to drink some beer before a semester of alcoholic chastity, and just some general alone time.
I'm social, I've loved living with good friends and an incredibly cute baby for the summer, but then again, I can overdose on social interaction and need some time to myself. I'm a Gemini; I'm allowed to be a little split-personalitied.
And then... back to work.
Friday, July 22, 2005
OK, That's It...
Who the hell took my summer?
Where did it go?
I can't believe it's only eight days until I head back... then I have another two weeks until school starts... then it's back to the daily grind of educating our nation's youth...
Where did it go?
I can't believe it's only eight days until I head back... then I have another two weeks until school starts... then it's back to the daily grind of educating our nation's youth...
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