Getting Adjusted

My class real college class was Friday. My last day of work at Martiz is tomorrow. Saturday I leave Kirksville forever, at least as a resident. WoW! times surely are a changing. This town has really grown on me. It is a good place to live, and full of good people, I'm exceptionally sad that I'm leaving it. There are a lot of great memories because of this town and this college. But at the same time, I know I made the right decision to move to Troy, and I know that I've chosen the right career for me. Troy will be challenging to get used to, but I will be able to handle what life dishes out. I'm very glad I'm taking off of work a few days early to reflect. I'm planning on going to Thousand Hills State Park and relaxing. I bought a book "How to survive your first year of teaching" that I haven't had time to read but will. I will also be going around and saying good byes, to a few of the people here. I've had a good time, but it is also time to move on.

Classes

So, I'm taking "Psychology of the Exceptional Child". It is the Special Education class for general ed. People. We were watching a video on blindness as a disability today....all through out the movie, I wished I was watching Daredevil instead!

I've gone about a month without having a true day off because of classes and work.Nothing is more painful than getting up at 7:30 in the morning on a Saturday, when you worked till 8:00 there the previous night. Ugh.

I just really need a break!

HARRY POTTTER

IT IS GOOD! (Now time for bed!)

HARRY POTTTER

We are in the final days of the count down! WHEEEE! I am currently trying to convince some of my co-workers to come with me to a "Potter Party" at the Bookstore where I used to work. Unfortunately, I should be writing and researching two 5 page papers this weekend. And I work all day Sunday. I am going to have to practice judicious self control... I don't know if I can handle it!!!
For the last two books I've stayed up and collapsed in an exhausted heap around2-4 in the afternoon, secretly relishing the fact that I knew what happened before my siblings did. The threat of a spoiler was enough to make my sister do what I said for an entire three days! (Not really, but one can wish).

So after Friday, if you are around me when someone says "Harry Potter", don't be surprises if I suddenly stick my fingers in my ears and start sing loudly.

P.S. J K Rowling worked for Amnesty International when she was out of college. Can this woman get any more amazing?!

Attack of the Mormons

I just had a very nice conversation with two Elders. "Elders" is a misnomer, these two kids were just out of high school, and when I first met them they were in the process of walking through campus and being rejected, rather rudely at some points. Now don't worry, I'm not ever going to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Nope, it is not for me. But the members of the church are still human, and members do try and follow Christ, even if I don't agree with some of their mechanisms. I felt sorry for the dudes, and respected their earnestness and resilience. So, being given my copy of the Book of Mormon, we scheduled another "discussion" for 8'o'clock in the morning... (I'm way too nice for my own good, my sleep schedule is very important). It was a nice discussion about faith, and I must admit, it was nice to pray with people again. But I think the fact that I was moving in two weeks kept them from pushing too hard for a faith conversion.

I've visted the vistors center at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake, and they've visited my apartment before. Very interesting people.

I was visiting Salt Lake with a Small contingent of the Debate team. Schanck, Trevor and Dove. All of us were relative skepics, and Dove (ever the philosophy and religion minor) was even more so... "So let me get this straight.. some People from Isreal felt the end of the world was going to happen, so they sailed from Isreal to the Americas carrying their text on some golden plates, aroung 540 B.C. but fell from the faith and become the Native Americans."

For Dove, that was too fantastic a story. BUT the Bible has even more fantastic stories that would sound even more ridiculous to people who were unfamilar with them.

pruritis

I have a mosquito bite. It is a rather unremarkable mosquito bite, except for the fact that it is right in the middle of my upper arm--perfect for scratching.

It is also my first official mosquito bite of the summer.

That is pathetic. When I was younger I remember being in agony because of them. But it was a relatively small price to pay for hours of outside summer fun.

My classes are inside, my work is inside, I study inside, I travel inside my car. This has been the most indoors I have ever been... Call me pasty.

But the trade off will be next summer... where I will lay by the lake, soaking up the sun, while all my friends will still have office jobs. SUCKERS!

Embarrassing

I can home is a very good mood. I had had free pizza and candy at work, and one of my classes got out early with no homework due tomorrow. Then I checked my email. I received an email that my parents had failed to complete some very important paper work, and now there are negative consequences involved, affecting mostly me.

I love my parent desperately. I really do. But some how they always find a way once a year, to really let me down. They are only human.

It is good to feel validated

Whoa... so I'm back. I crammed about a week's worth of "things to do" in one day. Wahoo for being super productive. I survived the drive. The Honda doesn't have cruise control, so my right leg will never be the same. I also learned something about Shell gas stations-unless yoju pick the type of gasoline, the machine will pick for you the most expensive kind. For $3.42 it better not only clean my engine, but whiten my teeth too!
The majority of the Day was spent filling out paper work for the Business office, and I got to listen to my first insurance spiel.
There are four newer to the profession science teachers, one of them is a previous Truman graduate who just finished getting her Masters, so I can get a ton of advise and suggestions in completing my culminating masters project-a portfolio. The newbies are all really friendly, and I think we will get along great and have a excellent work environment. We also will have data projectors in all the rooms, so Power Points will be a cinch!
The Textbook is amazing. I'm really pleased. We are in a program that teaches physics first... which is very difficult considering Freshmen's developmental abilities and math abilities. The text does a great job in blanacing complexity. The materials are great so I won't have to do much altering. All the lab equipment comes with it, so I won't have to spend my budget on that. So I can really spend time on working on supplemental stuff aka (Making everything fun and relevant)
I originally came to Truman wanting to be a Physics Teacher, and my first job is actually that! I think it's pretty amazing.
By the time the training was done, most of the apartment complexes were officially closed, but by banging on doors I was able to get tours of three apartments. Let's just say that the housing in Kirksville is better and cheaper than in Troy. Two of the places I went to, I would feel unsafe living there-one just reaked of smoke. The place I want to get into though has a waiting list.. so we will see.
So a very adventurous day for me... I'm just very excited about starting to teach, especially now that I've got a taste of it, and hopefully that energy will be enough to carry me through the rest of this month...and if nothing else....

THERE IS ALWAYS HARRY POTTER!!!!

On the Road again...

Tomorrow, I'm driving by myself to Troy. I'm required to go for some "Teachers new to the District" Paper work. at the meeting, I will meet most of the people who are in a very similar position to me. New to the area, and probably this will be their first professional job. I will maybe find a roommate, and hopefully some potential friends. I will also go apartment shopping, and if time allows, meet my new principal. I'll scope out the town, and check out the main tourist destination--Cuvire State Park.

It is a big day. This will be my first long distance trip by myself. I just really hope that there is no car trouble. I don't have a cell phone and I have no idea how to even change a tire! Plus, since my wallet was stolen, I will be driving without a licsence. (Because I'm out of state they have to a lot of paperwork to make sure I'm not a terrorist).

I will also go apartment hunting by myself. It is a small town, so no one ever answer the Apartment complexes office phone...so I will just be banging on the office door to see if I can get a tour.

With work and school going on, I really can't afford monetarily or time wise another trip, so I hope that I can get everything done that I need to get done. It is very exciting and very nerve racking at the same time! But man, i also feel like a grown up, and it feels good!