"We decided to go in a different direction..."

Well, the phone call came in. No job, folks. They decided to hire a math/physics guy instead. Somehow I had the feeling that double major option would come back to haunt me someday. :P I was very much hoping for that position, so I'm taking some time to adjust and figure out what to do next. At this point, there are no postings open (save the ones at Kalamazoo that have been up for a few months now). Thus, my holding pattern at this point is more than likely to see little to no action. If there are no jobs, there are no applications. No applications means no interviews... and you get the point. It's frustrating.

I'll tell you one thing, God is doing a marvelous job teaching me patience and trust. I just wish I could be a better student at times.

And so the search continues...

On another note:
If nothing else, tonight I realized how little I understood friends who were in this circumstance before me- how internally insensitive I was at times- simply because there was really no true way I could appreciate their struggle. Saying "It's OK, something will come along" is much easier when you still have a few years of college ahead of you. Believing it at this stage takes just a little more faith. So to those who have gone before me, I think I'm just beginning to understand the hardship you survived of not having a job post-graduation. I'm sorry I couldn't understand until now, but thank you tremendously for your unending patience with me. :)

World Records and A Family Affair

If you're looking for something to watch these next few days, check out the Olympic Trials. It's only kind of a big deal. If you choose to devote your time to swimming, watch out for the Vanderkaay name. It may be preceded by either the first name Christian, Peter, Alex, or Dane. It's hard to tell, all four brothers are competing in Omaha. All four brothers from dear old Rochester. It was great when Peter won gold four years ago (he's going to Beijing), but to have all four siblings go through the same club coach, attend U of M, and compete at the same Trials... well, now that's just a family affair.

Oh, and Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff set new world records in their respective 400 IMs. Peter no longer holds the American record in the 400 free, but that's of small consequence at the moment.

In track and field news... Tyson Gay competed in the 100m dash. 10.14 in prelims and 9.77 in quarterfinals (and sets a new American record beating Maurice Green's previous record by .02 seconds). Semis- 9.85. But that's not all.

Finals. 9.68.

Although there was a 4.1m/sec wind aid and the time does not count as an official world record, it is definitely the fastest time any human being has ever run for 100m. Now that is incredible.

I just love the Olympic season... :D

Things that make me smile (part 2)

In past summers, my close girlfriends from Taylor, namely Deb and Rach, and myself exchanged periodic e-mails and phone calls to stay in touch. Recently we reinstated this standard form of communication with the addition of two others, Vanna and Sarah. In these short correspondences it is quite evident to me how different the five of us truly are. And yet, by the grace of God, we were brought together for a few years to live together, learn from one another, and love each other. Now that we've spread across the country (literally- we're in Maine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, and Texas) it's strange thinking that the only likely occasion to bring us all to the same geographic location is weddings (ladies, spread them out, please). Yet despite that fact, the typical conversations, jargon, and mannerisms are still quite evident in our written word. That in and of itself is enough to make one smile. The past few correspondences have held little more than life updates and how the four of us graduates are still unemployed.

But my dear Jonesy still makes me smile with her words- almost to the point of tears. For she said one of those things that really makes me stop and realize that I have true friendships in these girls- true appreciation and love for them. Not only am I missing them dreadfully at times but they too, in a rare moment, also miss me. (Now that's something to marvel at. :P)

And here are her words...

"Rachel, I miss your comforting sarcasm. I know that doesn’t make sense in words, but I always loved our similarities. Debi, I miss your social competence. Whenever I got stuck in my little shell of awkwardness, I could just think WWDD? And I’d be just fine. ;) (This has sort of failed me since you’ve left…) Becky, I miss your hugs and smiles. Goodness, woman, there are some thing you just never know you’re missing until they’re gone. Vana, no one makes me think and simultaneously laugh as much as you do…somehow this week I’ve deeply missed sitting in the back of your Volvo, eating left-over track cookies..."

[mmmm... track cookies... :) ... or just track...]

And it goes on from there. I think if there are any miracles in my life, my friendship with these girls is definitely one of them. :) Love ya, ladies!

Things that make me smile...

Tim, while I'm sewing a button back on his shorts- "Becky, you've got skills." (This is why brothers are great to have around. They make you feel so appreciated sometimes.)

From one of my former roommates, Ashley- "I know you will find a teaching job... Who wouldn't want to hire beautiful and gifted Miss Hegelein, track star and math wiz???"

Interview? Check.

Whew! If the last three days weren't a whirlwind of activity and emotions, I don't know what is. (Alright, that may only be a slight exaggeration.) Wednesday morning I packed up some clothes and my 'file box' with my credentials and records and research on all my districts. I left home a little after 1 and arrived at the Jevert hotel right around 4, just in time to help with a little dinner prep. :) I spent that evening relaxing with the Jeverts and rereading some literature on the current high school of interest. This morning brought a lovely 7am wake-up, breakfast, shower, and short little 20 minute jaunt to the high school. I walked in early and one of the deans of students gave me a tour of the building prior to my interview. The library was a bit small, but the theatre and classrooms are huge! Yes! I then had a panel interview with 6 math teachers (half of the department) and the principal. They were wonderful. And, as far as I can tell, it all went quite well. I should hear back from them sometime Monday, so this weekend could be rather interesting. :P

I left the interview and drove home to the other side of the state, of course including a stop at Quizno's for lunch. I arrived home at 2, promptly collapsed on the couch, and mom and I watched "Pride and Prejudice". I made it about halfway through before I realized Kirstin was waking me up for dinner. My sleep pattern is far from normal and I don't know when it will begin to resemble some sort of schedule again.

Dad comes home from Germany tomorrow and we all head out to the lake for the weekend. Hopefully next week will include another trip out to western Michigan before my weekend in WI for Amy's wedding to be directly followed by family vacation. Crazy times!

Well, that's pretty much it for now. I'll probably snag some Oreos from the pantry before moseying upstairs for the evening. And it's another waiting period for Miss H. I'm almost becoming good at this game. :P G'night y'all.

Are you available Thursday morning? [YES!]

Sunday: The principal from my #1 choice high school called me. We had a 'phone interview' of sorts. He said they would ask 4 of the candidates to come for a panel interview. I would know by Tuesday evening. I thanked him and hung up. I was super excited. I ran circles around the kitchen.
Monday: I waited on pins and needles.
Tuesday: I waited on pins and needles. My phone never left my side. 7:00 at dinner- "mom, how late does 'evening' go?". 7:30, my phone rings. I have an interview at 9:40 Thursday morning. I jumped up and down. Multiple times. I made phone calls to important people to share my joyous news. :) Mom, Kirstin, and I picked out my interview outfit. I made arrangements to stay with Susan's family tomorrow night. I don't know how in the world I'm going to fall asleep tonight.

I have an interview! :D
Thank you, Lord!

Not only did that all happen, but today in the mail the fee request for my MI provisional teaching certificate arrived. I detached the appropriate papers, attached the appropriate postage, and promptly sent that letter and check off in the mail. According to my paperwork, I should receive that lovely certificate within 30 days. The pieces are all coming together. Maybe someday soon we'll actually have a completed puzzle. Woo hoo! :D

Teammates, Running, and Routines

Teammates:
One of my [former] teammates, Mark, was shot yesterday after flying home to the Bahamas. He was hit in the pelvis and story has it that bystanders convinced the assailant from taking any further action. He underwent surgery and is currently recovering in the hospital. His wife and children are there with him. I would like to ask for your prayers to surround Mark, his family, and the entire event. There were some incredible circumstances that turned his life to Christ and then allowed him to come to Taylor and compete for us. He and his family help run the Joshua and Esther Foundation. For more information, visit their website here.

Running:
First of all, I love coaching track workouts. :) Absolutely love it. Kirstin had half-mile repeats today. We visited the track right after (and then during) a bit of rain. I love the smell of a wet track. :) It's such a different perspective standing on the timing ladder by the finish line watching her run and yelling splits. Anyway, she had an incredible workout. For great high school races, her coach would give her, as well as several other distance girls, cupcakes as a reward. Thus, they "run for cupcakes". So tonight I thought it would be fun to pick up some cake mix on the way home. We had chocolate cupcakes after dinner tonight. :)
OK, so maybe it's not running, but Tim is taking a gym class the next few weeks so that he can continue to do band all four years of high school. Today I'm fairly certain he played basketball for three hours straight, participated in various other physical activities, came home, crashed, and then went to swim practice for a few hours this evening while KK ran. He's getting his fair share of physical activity!

Routines:
So I've been home for a month. Tomorrow KK and I are attempting to implement a consistent schedule in our day as the current lack of one is driving us bonkers. Here's my rough outline:
6:30- wake up
7- drive Tim to school
8- return home and eat breakfast
8:30- accompany KK on her workout for the day
10- return home, do core workout/lift, shower
10:30- begin daily chores
12- lunch
1- "Intercessory Prayer" reading time
2- personal cleaning, packing, unpacking, job applications, etc.
Of course chores, reading, cleaning, packing, and applications are interchangeable, but this is at least a beginning to some better organization. Tonight I'm thankful for the chance to drive Tim in the mornings- it gives me a direct purpose for getting up early. :) And since I'm getting up early, I guess that also means I should be getting to bed early. That may take a little more work. ;)

Acquisition of a Sandwich Maker

Still no updated pictures.
Still no more interviews.
Still... well, you get the point. Not much has changed. Except for one thing...

You see, today was a big cleaning day in the house. As such, I volunteered to make lunch for mom and Kirstin. (Note: Tim began his summer class today and wasn't home. I didn't leave him out of lunch.) Thanks to the influence of my [former] roommate, I appeared quite creative to those I was feeding. I made pizza sandwiches. Of course, this was only after learning that mom had a sandwich maker. It was a wonderful time. Not only was lunch delicious and filling (and warm on a cold cold day-boo), but at the end of the story I inherited mom's sandwich maker. That is correct, I am now the proud owner of another small kitchen appliance for a kitchen that I do not have. Go figure.

For now my sandwich maker is sitting in a cardboard box in the living room next to Fred (my clown fish tea kettle- remember?). Although the sandwich maker may be feeling dejected at not having a name, he doesn't have a face and therefore I'm rather certain I won't be able to discern any emotion or foster any sort of relationship with him. He may, however, take comfort in knowing that whenever I see him or use him I will be lovingly reminded of my roommate. That is, of course, far better than having one's own name.

A Grand Rapids Weekend

Well, this isn't going to be long, but here's a quick update on life.

• My interview went well but did not result in a job. I'm nowhere near heartbroken, so don't worry. It was an excellent experience.
• Susan and I had fun adventures looking at apartments Friday afternoon.
• I cut my toe open when I slipped out of my shoe in the rain after visiting the last apartment complex.
• I went to Susan's before heading up to Grand Rapids Friday night. She fed me and fixed my toe up. :)
• Rachael's wedding was beautiful, the reception was great fun, and the brunch Sunday morning just about topped off the marvelous festivities.
• Seeing all the Maddawgs again was simply phenomenal. Saying good-byes was only bearable because I'll see most of them again in three weeks at Amy Brown's wedding. :D
• Visiting old friends is one of the best things ever.
• I love thunderstorms.
• Rummikub should be in your game collection.
• I had dinner Sunday night with the Jeverts, spent the night, and then ran errands with Susan and her sister, met their summer boss, was practically hired for next summer, ate lunch, and then began my drive home.
• The drive, despite construction, was uneventful.
• Kirstin opened the garage and ran down the driveway before I got out of my car.
• I'm meeting some good high school friends for breakfast tomorrow.
• I received a piece of mail on Saturday. It had big bold red letters printed across the front. "Do not bend. Teaching license enclosed." For those of you who need a little help, that means I am now, officially, a licensed teacher! And, if you put a few more things together... I'm an unemployed licensed teacher. :P Regardless, I now have solid credentials [that will hopefully be recognized in MI]. Tomorrow I'm applying for my Michigan certificate. The pieces are slowly coming together. :)

And, with that, I'm heading to bed- probably in a round about way, but I'll get there soon enough. Pictures from the weekend will follow sometime shortly. ;)

Lights On

8:55pm Tuesday, June 10... we got power back! And today it's proved most helpful as I've printed directions for the grand weekend to come, caught up on correspondences, and looked up apartment complexes to make appointments. Due to that productivity, I now have a binder labeled "A Grand Rapids Weekend" sitting on the kitchen table. It's complete with every set of directions I may need between my dozen-plus destinations, important phone numbers and addresses for the weekend, information on three apartments, and spreadsheets on job applications. Organization doesn't get much better than this. :)

This evening I was doing my daily checks on job postings for the schools I've earmarked. Two more have listings- and the schools are even my number 1 and number 3... at least that's how a family friend and community member ranked them. ;) Hopefully one or both of those will turn into interview offers... and maybe even a job. :) Exciting times....

Interview? Yes please!

Friday morning, 11am.
I have an interview at a high school in Battle Creek, Michigan!

The principal called me this afternoon and we set it up. It's perfect timing, actually. I'm headed out to Grand Rapids for a wedding on Saturday and then spending Sunday in Kalamazoo. So the interview on Friday just has me going out to that side of the state a day early, not that I mind in the least.

I might have been really excited to receive that call. I might have run around in circles in the house. Just maybe. But no one was there to see. So I guess you'll never really know... ;)

I have an interview!!! :D

Lights Out

The past few days have provided tremendous thunderstorms like I have never seen before. The lightning, rain, thunder... all of it. And, until about 5pm Sunday evening, I absolutely loved it. You see, it was at about 5pm Sunday evening that the tornado siren went off and we lost power. Now, what's the first response to a tornado siren? Go to the bathroom and throw your pillow in the basement, naturally. Why throw the pillow in the basement? Well, because I might need it later that night. Why throw it? Well, because with such great storm clouds rolling in I'm certainly not going downstairs to miss it all! Mom, Tim, and Kirstin quickly scurried downstairs. Dad and I ran back and forth between the front and back door to get different views.

Well, power remained off, along with telephone service. Yesterday we called the phone company- earliest repair date was Thursday. Mom, Kirstin, and I went out to try to find a summer job for Kirstin. We also stopped by Panera so that I could get online to update the transcript file on my applications.

Tim came home from school (somehow they still had power even though none of the students or teachers did) and said the projected restoration for power was also Thursday. Tim, Kirstin, and I then spent the afternoon in the library because 1) it's air-conditioned 2) they have outlets for our computers and phones and 3) they have free wi-fi! It was great for Tim to study for finals, Kirstin to fill out online applications and me to... well... continue on my applications, of course.

This morning brought the relief of cooler weather. Seventy degrees feels cold compared to the ninety degrees we've had recently. It brought a nice breeze and my room cooled down from 83 last night to 78 this morning. Progress! This morning also brought phone service and an update on power restoration- tonight by midnight! Woo hoo! It's rather exciting, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much.

Highlights of the past few days:

• hooking up the generator
• locking the garage doors by hand
• flipping on light switches and remembering we don't have power
• hooking up the computer to the generator so Tim could access school assignments
• doing crossword puzzles with Dad and Kirstin last night under the one light we were running in the house
• taking ice cold showers
• "rapid extraction" of items from the fridge (thanks Tim!)
• scrambling to find batteries and flashlights
• Tim providing everyone with an LED flashlight
• Having the home phone wake me up this morning and not realizing we had recovered service until I missed the call :P

Not So Pleasant Discovery

While my CPR and First Aid certifications are ready to go and my transcripts have been processed and mailed home, I'm still waiting on that teaching license. Last week we discovered that a parking fine had been posted to my account thus holding up my grades. The ticket was for a gold Chrysler with Indiana plates. Unfortunately, that's not my car. Thus, that $20 fee on my account was meant for someone else and, these past few weeks that it's just been sitting there not taken care of I had no clue. You know why? Because I never received that little paper ticket. Boo. Thankfully everything was corrected rapidly. My grades are posted and I have several copies of my final transcript. But it put a major delay on the processing of my license which may make a major headache in a few weeks trying to get my Michigan certificate. Blah. But enough about that. We caught it. I took care of it. End of story.

Pleasant Discovery

My Indiana teaching license required me to be certified in CPR. A Michigan Provisional Certificate requires me to also be certified in first aid. Today I discovered that the American Red Cross certification is good for not one year like CPR/AED but rather three years. Since I had to retake the class during my stint as a YMCA counselor two years ago, that certification is still current. That means... I don't need to take the class 9-2 this Saturday! Hooray for wonderful surprises like that.

Now if only that license and those transcripts would arrive... :D

Phone Calls

My roommate called today. I had sent her a picture of the two of us that dad snapped as we were saying our good-byes after closing up the apartment. It made her cry. Which in turn made me cry.

But then I couldn't help but laugh uncontrollably when she discovered that Michigan is actually above Indiana and Ohio, and not where Wisconsin is. For such an intelligent and astute individual, I am still rather astonished that she was oblivious to this fact until this afternoon. Apparently my comparisons of the state to a mitten didn't help her much over the past four years. We'll have to continue working on her Midwest geography.

I also had a nice chat with Susan as she drove up for her sister's graduation this evening. And then I caught Riva online and we found a day between my trips to western MI and WI and her travels to Seattle and India to get together at least for a bit to catch up on life before she leaves me for med school in the fall.

So many wonderful conversations today with my friends from high school and college. A part of me believes that, with some effort, we can remain friends regardless of how we scatter across the map. Naive? Perhaps. But it's still comforting at this juncture in time.

Hockeytown.

Oh, and by the way....

GO WINGS!

Welcome to Hockeytown.
And thank goodness for no more overtimes.

Contentment

From my limited knowledge, the fog began to set in around 11pm last night and made a full appearance throughout the entirety of today. Yet despite creating an environment conducive to lethargic and sleepy behavior, the day was absolutely gorgeous. 8:45pm. The air was moist and barely cool. Fog still enveloped everything in sight but sufficient light remained to appreciate the surrounding beauty. Never mind that I was just standing on the deck covering the grill after a delicious hamburger dinner. I had both the freshness of spring and the warmth of summer- most likely the best of both worlds. It is nights like these that remind me that not only do I love the Midwest, but I love my Michigan. :)

This afternoon I went around town inquiring after temporary summer employment. I returned home with two somewhat promising leads. Given the state of affairs around these parts, I'm thankful for anything at this point. Those applications were followed by a few more hours of investigating various Michigan school district websites in search of potential openings. Someone must need a high school math teacher. :P Unfortunately, it appears as though postings will not be updated again until later in the summer. On the upside, I added roughly twenty more districts to my 'favorites' list to be checked daily- and I printed out four more applications to be completed by the end of the week.

Countdown: 11 days until my Grand Rapids road trip. Summer 2008 Maddawg Wedding #1 here we come! :D

She's a Graduate!

Kirstin has officially graduated from high school. And I have ample photographs to document the occassion. :) Tim played in the band and looked stunning in his school-issued tux. And, of course my graduate looked just like every other graduate there... absolutely gorgeous!

One of my favs- mom caught Tim laughing. :)

Tim looks great (and played great too).

We were arranging her gown, tassels, and medal... and maybe goofing off slightly...

The proud siblings with the graduate. :)

Kirstin receiving her "diploma" (or just an empty holder, you know how it goes).

Pre-Graduation Ceremony

Kirstin officially graduates from high school tonight. I think the strangeness of it all is starting to wear off. Afterwards she has the senior all-night party, which mom is working until 2am. So for the past few hours the house has been a quiet zone to allow for proper nap-age of aforementioned parties. I've just about run out of quiet activities in which to partake, and I still have an hour and a half of quietness. I thought quiet hours ended with TU. Apparently not. :P

A few things...

• I'm pausing my letter-writing to consume some Oreos and contemplate life.
• Contemplating life is hard work.
• Fresh Oreos are amazing- especially with a cold glass of milk.
• This evening I'll get my rest before running the early morning shuttle to and from school to pick up mom at 2a, pick up Kirstin at 6a, and drop Tim off at 7a.
• It's been threatening to rain all day and I think it might come just in time for the ceremony tonight- which just happens to be outdoors.
• Hope is a wonderful thing.
• There is nothing quite like the rediscovery of old friends. It too is a wonderful thing.

Grad Pics- take 1

The graduates.

Yummy desserts.

The Girls I Love

Just because I love them.
And I miss them. :)


After my final race. 4x400 relay team.


Praying before that last race ever.


4x800 baton picture. Classic. :)

B-day Pics

Just a few fun pics... :)

Birthday celebration with the fam...

Having fun with Tim; Kirstin doesn't like to share the Ceasar salad... stinker.

I may be old, but I can still count my age on my hands. Look! 22! (I'm excited, really I am...)

Since I'm 22, mom lets me play with the fire on my candles before blowing them out.

Document this. One of Kirstin's first cross country training runs. :) Mwahahaha.
Hint: she's smiling because this was taken before the run. Hehe.