Going to work

As in, I will be! I found out early this week that I’ve landed a teaching job. In my second-choice school, in my first-choice district. Woot! I can’t wait! Ok, I’m terrified too, but really, I can’t wait. I start the new teacher induction program the week after next…11 more days of freedom and I’m back in Working Woman mode! Right now I’m alternating between feelings of major excitement and my pessimistic dread that they’re going to call back and say “oops, we called the wrong girl, good luck in your search!” What a dork I am.

It’s blowing my mind…the fact that I dropped everything in my entire life, moved a thousand miles away with no job waiting for me, and it looks like I’m managing to pull this off. Not that it was effortless. Between the ass-busting interviewing, follow-up calls, training, supplemental workshops, reading, and, of course, worrying, it doesn’t so much feel like I’ve actually had the summer off.

Obviously, I need to chill–and what better way to do it than with a sweet knitting project? I haven’t taken any pictures yet, but you can check it out here. It will be my first sweater for me, and I’m telling you, it’s fate. Made out of cotton and short sleeved, SO perfect for hellish Houston weather. The yarn, scored at a kick-ass sale, cost under $30 altogether. And it’s called “Hey, Teach!” How perfect is that? It’s simple enough that I’m plowing away at it and might even have it finished in time for the first day of school. I promise to post some pictures as soon as I take ‘em.

That’s about it for now…honestly, my life just isn’t very interesting right now. Things are picking up a bit in my social life, thank God. As soon as there’s something interesting to share, I’ll let you know. Wish me luck. And check out my swanky new political stuff over on the sidebar–no liberal propaganda just yet, but check out the links if you haven’t registered to vote yet OR if you want to learn more about Obama. Back soon!

Still around

Damn! I’ve been gone so long that now WordPress looks all crazy different. There’s no big special reason I’m not posting. Mainly I’m just my normal neurotic self, and worried as always that the happenings of my life are too hum-drum for most people to want to read. Plus, let’s face it, I’m kind of a lazy-ass.

So what have I been doing with my time these days? Well, of course, most of it is gobbled up by work. And because of the nature of the work that I do (and the fact that it’s me), a good chunk of it is also spent worrying about work. But there are new, much more exciting things to worry about these days. I’m moving! It’s official! I’ve hinted for months about a possible career change, and it’s actually happening. I decided sometime in September that I wanted to pursue teaching. It’s really been germinating in my mind forever, and although my career path took me to it in a roundabout way, something clicked over this fall and it was time to actually make the jump. I enrolled in an alternative certification program, took my content exam in December (it’s English Language Arts 8-12, big shocker!) and passed, and have been sending out resumes and transcripts like mad for the past month. Teacher contracts obviously don’t end until after the school year, and resignations/transfers/etc. take a while, so I’m in the same position as the dozens of student teachers I work with: waiting, waiting, waiting.

But while I wait, I’m hitting the road. It might be a surprise to some, and more of “it’s about time” to others, but I’m pursuing this process not in Ohio, but back home in Texas. It’s a decision that I’ve struggled with, believe me. On the one hand, I’ve got a second family up here. I love the seasons. I’m an Indians fan now, I can drive in snow, I think Cleveland is charming. I know how to layer and think that 55 degrees is pretty darned warm. I’m not a Buckeye fan or anything (yikes, perish the thought!), but in a lot of ways, I’ve become an Ohioan. On the flip side, though, there’s the miserable winters, the distance from home, the relative scarcity of decent Mexican food. The job I’m growing to hate. The $350 plane tickets, and the homesickness that never went away. And, of course, my nephew. Cursed hellish summers and backwards redneck politics aside, it’s time to get back down to the Lone Star State. Houston is a hip town, there are over 30 school districts in the county, and they pay pretty well.

I’m terrified and stressed (shit, I practically had a breakdown when I had to move across campus, for heaven’s sakes!) but at the same time, I know, just know, that this is the right thing. A new (non-campus!) apartment, mom nearby in case of meltdowns, getting to see Tony’s first steps. And a career that feels right. We’ll see how I do after a few months in the field–I imagine there will be struggles and frustrations–but at the very least, I know that I’ll get to go home at the end of the day. I won’t have to do things like clean up vomit or do suicide watch or watch a student be led from his room in handcuffs. Or a gurney. I don’t regret the seven years I’ve spent doing what I do, not for a minute. But I know that if I do it much longer, I’m either going to lose my mind or wish I had.

For every part of this crazy move that I’m worried about (will I ACTUALLY get a teaching job? Am I going to have to work in food service to make ends meet this summer? The bugs! Ick!) there’s something else to get me excited. Free nights, no duty! Decent paychecks. Access to excellent food. And a much more appealing pool of 30-something men to draw from (no disrespect to Ohio, but most of the really good ones tend to get out of here…). It is in my nature to focus on the negative, but believe me, I’m working hard to combat that.

Tonight I booked a moving truck. Ney-ners has volunteered to do the cross-country trek with me. I have to send in my lease application by the end of the week. This is actually happening. Holy crap.

To the folks who still check in on this blog: thanks for reading. I’m going to try and document the impending anxiety, so don’t give up on me!

Countdown: 40 days!!! Here we go.

Big happenings

Whew…what a week.

This handsome gentleman, weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds, 11.4 ounces, is my nephew Antonio. He arrived at 7:49 Monday morning with a full head of hair and a big appetite. Needless to say, we’re all smitten.

I think he likes me. If so, the feeling is definitely mutual. He was in the NICU for a few days for his blood sugar problems, where he looked like a giant compared to his preemie neighbors. But today everybody was cleared for departure, so our days of shuttling back and forth to the women’s hospital are finally over.

Ah, babies. At 28, I know I’ve still got plenty of time. And after observing my sister’s problems, most of which are hereditary and will probably bless me, as well, I’m not so sure I’m in the biggest hurry. One thing is for certain: I need to find a partner as amazing as my sister’s husband. He thinks fast in a crisis, knows when to crack a good joke, and can ride through even the worst of mood swings without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, he loves my sis more than just about anything, and lets her know it in every way imaginable. What a man. I want one of those.

The only other real news is that this morning I realized, with a sinking feeling, that in a few weeks, I’m going back to work. So far my tentative summer job search has yielded no results. And the stomachache I got earlier tells me that I’m not exactly jazzed about returning to my job or moving to my new location. By making the choice to take the summer off and spend it at home, I’ve limited my financial options to the point that taking this gig for one more year is really my only choice. I just need to start feeling good about it. Anybody know how to do that?

Here, let’s look at some knitting pictures to feel better:

Ahh, it’s my first squatty sidekick, pre-felting…

and after a bath in the washing machine (next to a copy of Big Girl Knits for scale). I used a skein and a half of Plymouth Galway Paint in colorway 802, added about ten rows to the middle and a few inches to the handle, and it took all of an afternoon to kick out. I’ve already made two more for my mom and sister, who are mystified by the art of felting. Best of all, it’s my new favorite purse–it holds just enough and can be banged around without damage. And it was as easy to knit as a dishcloth. Seriously.

I feel much better now–time for bed.