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!

Success!!!

I defended my capstone project today for my master’s degree….and I passed!!! Whoo-hoo!!! 10 semesters of graduate school later. Yes, 10. I changed programs three times and universities once, remember. Bu it’s done!!! I almost don’t know what to do with myself. I’m sure there will be lots of rejoicing and good times with my friends and family over the next few weeks. My father is coming to town and will finally meet the boyfriend, and I’m planning a “Hell Froze Over Frozen Drinks Party” with my friends once the halls close.
But it’s funny how hard it is to wrap my head around the relief and the joy for all of the blessings in my life right now. The degree is finished, my sister and future nephew are happy and healthy, and I have eight weeks of blessed peace to look forward to in less than a month. And it all feels so unreal. I have no problem getting worked up about bad news, but the good stuff is strangely harder to absorb. I’m doing my best to breathe it all in while it lasts. And, happily, it looks like spring is finally back in northeast Ohio! We’re supposed to hit 70 degrees this weekend. It will be excellent weather for celebrating.

No complaining or ranting for me tonight. I’m going to bask in the satisfaction of a job finished at last.

Some Thursday peppiness

Well, today is a better day. It probably shouldn’t be–after all, I have a dentist appointment at 4, it’s cloudy and freezing outside, and I’m in the midst of that one week a month that all females curse–but I find myself doing ok for a change. I aced a midterm (in a subject I don’t even grasp), which is an awesome feeling–I can’t believe I’m not flunking out of grad school in the midst of all the crappy stuff happening in my life. Even better, the apple pies that islegavia and I slaved over all day Sunday are a hit. We’re quite the pie-baking power team, I tell you. I actually haven’t tried any yet–was waiting for i to get back from a family emergency so we could sample them together–but tonight’s the night. Mmmm….pie.

Let’s see, what else isn’t broken in my life right now? Things are improving with my sister–my bro-in-law is in treatment and hopefully sticks it out. At least sis is getting a chance to be on her own and get her head together a little bit. She’s staying with peacegrrl mama, which makes me happy–I hate the thought of my ma being on her own so much of the time. There’s a new doggie in the pg clan, too, a mutt named Tequila who supposedly has a mullet hairdo. I have yet to see this, but when I do, I’ll be sure to post a picture. Speaking of dogs, this woman from a pet therapy they’re starting on campus brought a beautiful golden retriever named Jake to our professional development meeting this morning, and I’m telling you, when that dog entered the room, you could literally feel the stress floating away. Dogs for everyone, I say. We’re allowed to have cats, but they’re snooty and they make me sneeze (no offense to georgia Q, vixen) so I haven’t taken advantage of the priveledge.

Anyway, overall life doesn’t suck too badly today. Boy stuff seems to be clicking along. The weekend is coming, payday is Monday, and the semester is over halfway finished. It’s nice to have a reason to smile.
-pg

More good stuff

Okay, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Seriously. Things are going way too well. Maybe it’s lack of sleep that’s making me so damn peppy…I haven’t gotten more than an average of 4-5 hours a night in a while. In any case, the week goes on and every day seems to kick a little more ass than the one before it. First off, I TOTALLY got a raise yesterday!!! Whoo-hoo!!!! Here’s to a living wage! Next, my learning community actually has a budget (well, it’s really, really small, but it’s something…) thanks to our benevolent associate director. Then this morning I went to a post-op followup with my Dr. (who happens to be the coolest ob-gyn EVER, she actually listens to me instead of breezing me in and out of the office in five minutes…) and found out that everything looks good and there’s nothing wrong with me that can’t be fixed pretty easily. Of course I was so pleased that I had to run to the yarn store and reward myself by spending way too much on this hand-dyed stuff and a new wool-silk blend that I can’t wait to get into. I’m such a nerd. And then I had a good meeting, and a quiet afternoon, and tonight is the last night of the week that I have a class or a meeting or office hours after five. Plus two weeks from tommorow I’m going back down to Texas for a few days–I bought the ticket yesterday and actually got a good deal. This is wierd. My life feels like it’s coming together. I’m trying not to hold on to the feeling too tightly or it’ll whiz right by.

And as for the man stuff…well, something feels like it’s happening, I don’t know what it is, if anything, and I don’t feel like tearing it apart with my over-analyzing and obsessing. Does this mean I’m actually turning into a grownup?

Well, I don’t know why things are making sense all of a sudden–maybe it’s perspective brought on by large natural disasters and family losses. Maybe I really am turning a corner into adulthood. Or maybe, as was mentioned above, I’m suffering from some kind of euphoric side effect to insomnia. Whatever. It works for me.

A good day

It’s happy times in Peacegrrl land today. I know…this is highly unusual. And on a MONDAY, nonetheless. But I just can’t be pissy right now. Here’s why…first, my family escaped Rita without even a power outage. The worst result of the storm for peacegrrl mama was that she said she’d been eating chicken for six days (apparently that’s what they stocked up on…), was sick of chicken, never wanted to see chicken again, but the only restaurant or store open within ten miles was Luther’s, at which there was a 45-minute line, which she stood in, and then proceeded to buy $65 worth of barbeque. That’s my family for you–forget all the other worries of the world. We draw the line when it comes to food!

Second, I had a good weekend. A really good one. That’s all I’ll say. If you’re dying for details, e-mail me

Finally, I came into my office this afternoon and did not have a single nasty message on my voicemail from a student (or worse, a parent) wanting a room change. This is a rare, happy occasion. I have learned to curse the red “you have mail” light on my office phone.

It’s also fall, which is my favorite season. Any morning now, I’ll wake up and go outside, and the air outside will have changed to cool, and then the leaves will turn, and them somebody will burn them in their yard and the air will have that great autumn smell. I guess fall is all about endings–the end of warm weather, summer, the growing season–but I always feel optimistic during September and October. Fall in Ohio is a different world for me. Texas has its own version of fall, maybe not as spectacular as in other places, but we get the cooler days, the smells, and in some spots even the changing leaves. But up here the trees just totally glow before their leaves fall away. The salt bins start appearing all over campus. I can break out the scarf stash. And I relish ever minute of sunlight before the gloomy winter rolls in.

I know, I’m being a little over-poetic. I can’t help it…I’m happy. Or I feel like I’m on the way to happy. The best thing about a new beginning is that there’s no guarantee of how it will turn out…and although you can assume the worst, which is what I’m occasionally prone to do, you can also assume the best. And then enjoy the ride. That’s what my mom and Ed did from the beginning. I feel very compelled to follow their example.
-pg