Three Strikes and You're Out

Three related scenarios occurred within the past six days. They are all rather entertaining (on various levels) and recorded below.

Situation #1:
I went into school early last Friday to decorate my bulletin boards before meeting with another teacher. I had just been given keys to my classroom (HUGE deal!) however, my door was already open and the lights were on. I walked in to see a gentleman sitting at my desk setting up the computer (hooray!).
Gentleman: [looks up briefly] I'm not the teacher.
Me: [uncertain pause] I know. I am!
Gentleman: Oh. I thought you were a student...
WHAT?!?!?! It's not even the first day of school and I'm already being mistaken for a high school student?! Well, in his defense, I did come in with my computer backpack and my jeans rolled up mid-calf (it was 80+ degrees outside, give me a break). But still... I think I'll avoid the jeans for a while. Probably at least the next decade or so.

Situation #2:
While applying for a credit card at the bank...
Banker: So are you going off to college?
(Well no, actually I just graduated. I'm a teacher now.)

Situation #3:
Getting 'kid' pictures this morning...
The photographer looks at Timothy, who is now the tallest of the three of us and asks "so are you the oldest?"
No ma'am, that would be me, the college graduate. He's the youngest-a high school junior- the same age as some of my students.

Three strikes. People think I'm either a) a high school student b) a college freshman or c) younger than my high school junior brother. So what now? Am I just not allowed to grow up? I know I don't look old, but really? C'mon now. :P

Taking Care of Business

Originally I was disappointed that I would not be able to move this coming weekend. Right now I'm quite thankful for that fact. Given that I have not actually been home for more than two consecutive nights within the past three weeks (or at least I don't think I have been), it's nice to sit in one geographical location for at least a short period of time. That and I have a few business-like items to tend to before making the official move.

I have a list of to-do items for tomorrow (I think I may be a chronic 'to-do' list maker). It includes everything from reserving a Uhaul trailer, calling my apartment complex about Internet access, finding an insurance agent in IN, closing my MI checking account, checking out a toaster oven, calling my middle school principal about coaching the middle school cross country team, calling the Madison Grant payroll clerk, and digging through the closet basement to find a director's chair for my classroom (and to think that will be the same director's chair I used to play teacher as a child- oh the irony of it all). And that all needs to be done before 9 so I can go running with Kirstin. Ok, so maybe only the phone calls need to happen before then. ;)

It really is a strange balance at present. I'm living out of a suitcase for the next two weeks. My room is nearly stripped of its furniture and, as much as I have boxed and ready to go, I feel as though things won't be done until that back door on the Uhaul trailer is locked and we pull out of the driveway. I'll probably forget something crucial and mom and dad will have to save me by bringing it back down when they visit for KK's Welcome Weekend at TU. Yet somehow I'll survive.

Ok, completely switching tracks now. Flashback to last week while I was in IN. I found an apartment! I'm not entirely positive it'll be ready in time- it still needs new carpet- but it's all that had the possibility of being ready for me in time. Pictures of the model are included below. Pictures of mine will be supplied as they become available. :)

Indiana Vacation?

I'm in Indiana. Still. And, at the rate things are going, it looks like I'll be here until Friday (not that I'm complaining). Here's a brief synopsis of my doings thus far:

Monday-
drove down to TU
ran into Coach Bowers :)
stopped by an apartment complex- was referred to another
met my superintendent
visited a second apartment complex- put down an application fee
spent 6 hrs in Payne's filling out the application and typing up beginning of the year documents (and wasting time)
joined Ryan in helping Kelsey pack up her stuff in Marion to move to Indy
spent the night with Kelsey (and Jessie and friends) in their new apt in Indy

Tuesday-
bagel breakfast with Kels, Ryan, and Jessie
drove back up to TU
saw my classroom
met up with Erin
visited a potential housing unit
walked TU campus with Erin
came to Payne's to e-mail pics of potential housing unit

Shortly I'll drive down to Zionsville to spend the night and tomorrow morning with Anna, my old roommate. Sometime within the next few days I'm meeting with another Madison Grant teacher and hopefully finding a few more apartment complexes to check out.

Life is strangely hurried and relaxed at the moment.

Oh, and by the way, I'm not teaching two different subjects. I have four. Count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4. Precalc. Trig. 7th grade algebra. 8th grade algebra. My panic attack this afternoon was only minor. That may change once I have my textbooks. I'll let you know.

On another note, the head girls' track coaching position for the high school is open for this spring. It has possibilities... :) We'll see how the fall goes first.

Well, maybe I should just find a place to live first. Then we'll go from there.

Miss H lands her first real job :)

Well folks, despite my grand designs to return to the motherland (MI- thanks, Mitch) it appears as though God had different designs for me for this coming year. I had several wonderful interviews up in Michigan at great schools. I love the hand state and I love my great lakes. It seemed like a near perfect fit and I spent countless hours searching for jobs, checking district websites daily, and completing dozens of applications. And then one day, while helping my sister with a track workout, I get a phone call from a school I never initiated contact with. Yes, they contacted me at the job fair in the spring, and yes I chatted with them briefly. But now here I was several months later, fully expecting that job to have passed, and what do I get from them? A phone call. What do I do that night? Fill out an application. And the next morning? Call the school to get the new principal's name and end up setting up an interview for the following week.

And so, after the Brown-Vanderberg wedding, I hopped in the car with mom and KK, drove the 270 some odd miles down to Indiana, interviewed, and drove home. Two days later I receive an informal offer, pending approval of the superintendent. That was a Thursday. Monday I received an official offer. Five hours later I accepted it. That was just a few days ago. Now this Monday I'm signing papers and searching for an apartment in a town already overrun by college students (I love you guys :P ).

So, here is my official announcement. I am teaching at Madison Grant in Fairmount, IN this year! So all those middle school Algebra students and high school Precalculus students better watch out. They have no idea what's coming their way. ;) It'll be a huge learning process. But shoot, I've been waiting for this moment for over a decade. One would hope I'd be ready by now. And I think I'm as near ready as any first year teacher can come. Except that I don't have my textbooks or classroom yet. All in due time. Most importantly, I'm just plain excited. There's no fear, apprehension, or anxiety. At the moment, I'm only concerned about finding a place to live- I need to move out in less than two weeks.

Speaking of which, remember when I said, once upon a time, that I was setting myself up for a last minute hire? Well, I got it. And after today everything but my furniture and clothes in my closet are ready to go. So let's find that apartment, rent that Uhaul, and get her moving. :)

For those of you who will be at/around TU in the fall, I expect to see you and have the chance to feed you at least once in the course of the upcoming year. Maddawgs, bring over those DC bananas, we'll put them to good use and carry on the banana bread tradition. ;) Love you gals!

Encouragement

[To be read like an automated telephone messaging system.]
...For encouragment #1, read the comments on the previous post; for encouragement #2, read the excerpt from an email below; for encouragement #3, recall the tentative job offer from that IN school...(yes, I received a tentative offer from Madison-Grant today :P)

---
Lately with so many employment dead-ends, i've not even wanted to express any hope when it comes to new prospects - but you know what? Hope is a good thing, even if it doesn't work out. So here's hoping.

Take heart dear friend, the Lord always knows what he is doing.

I love you and miss you,

Anna

---
I hear back from two schools on Monday. One will tell me if a) I got the job b) I didn't get the job or c) I need to come back for another interview. The other is to formally extend an offer- barring any extenuating circumstances. Oh, and by the way, that former school is one in western Michigan. I got a surprise phone call yesterday morning and went out and interviewed this morning. Lord, please let my MI certificate arrive ASAP. Yes, life is still crazy. But in a few days I'll be able to decide where I'll be next year...

Double O C

Double O C. Out of control. (Thanks Maddawgs for the standardized abbreviation.) I'm certain that there will be points of life later on that seem much more out of control than the present circumstances. In fact, I'm quite certain that this will look calm in comparison to the following weeks.

However, that does not alter the fact that at this moment life does seem very much out of control. Nearly every aspect of my life, or at least the details contained therein, is out of my hands- the largest of which is still the lovely unemployment which consistently looms over my head and haunts me at the most awful times. :P

I'm entirely unable to plan my days for the [welcomed] interruptions of late notice interviews. And, truth be told, I was handling it all as well as could be expected until yesterday. Monday afternoon mom, KK, and I drove down to Upland and spent the night so I could be at the high school for my interview by 9. It all went smoothly and according to plan. We even had time to spend with Amo on Monday night. The interview went well, I enjoyed meeting the principal and assistant principal and seeing the school. But a 10-hour round trip in the car in less than 30 hours took a toll.

Then this morning I received a surprise call from a MI school. I submitted an application nearly a month ago and had assumed the position had been filled. Apparently not. I'm driving out tomorrow morning for an interview. Oh boy.

And of course this is all immediately following my Sunday night return from dear Amy and Lance's wedding. That event was entirely beautiful in every possible aspect. Naturally, it will require further discussion at a latter point in time.

yet despite all the uncertainty, my interview yesterday reminded me of something very important. I love high school. I love high school students. And I cannot wait to teach. Even in the frustrations of countless applications, interviews, and spontaneous travels that still remains the same.

Life is so up in the air that sometimes I wonder if all the pieces will settle again... and if they do, will they fall where I want them to?

Random Bullet Point List of Updates

This is going to be rather incoherent, so let's just skip the formalities and update on bullet points, shall we?

• Kirstin and I got our hair cut today. It's short. What ponytail I can muster sticks straight into the air (see picture below left). It's quite entertaining, actually. :P



• I signed up for a library card. Yes, I had one before. It expired. I thought it would be a good idea to have my own while I still have a legal address in the county. [I checked out two Tolstoy books and a classic Austen for reading over the next two weeks. Fun times. :)]


• I landed an interview at Madison-Grant High School back down in cornfields, IN next Tuesday. There's a random story behind that which we may get to sometime, but not tonight. Not really sure how I feel about the whole ordeal yet.


• I packed for Amy's wedding, my interview, and vacation tonight. Craziness.
  
• Mom, Kirstin, and Tim are going to come down to IN with me when I have to make the trip for my interview (which is totally great). We've promised a stop at Ivanhoe's. :)


• Kirstin painted my toenails tonight. They look beautiful.


• Tim very casually told me that he really likes my interview outfit and that I look professional. (Aren't brothers incredible?!)


• In a few short hours I'm flying to WI for one of my close friend's weddings. (Hooray for flying.) .... (OK, OK... hooray for Amy's wedding!)


• Kelsey just called this evening. She'll be at the wedding as well. It's going to be SO good to see that tracksta gal!


• Erin is driving up from Indy. We're planning on snatching some QT together over the weekend.


• Tabitha is flying out of Madison with me Sunday morning- except that she's going to FL. :)


• Technically the next two weeks are family vacation. With my interview and such, I'm not really sure how it'll all pan out, but don't expect to hear from me for an undetermined amount of time.


• We're nearing month five of researching and applying for jobs. It's become taxing and slightly frustrating (granted, I did start a tad early). I'm greatly looking forward to the time when this process is over- hopefully with a happy ending.


• "You do SuDoKu in pen?!" -Steffi (yes, I do)


• I miss my TU gals like crazy. I miss TU like crazy. I [almost] miss student life. But I don't want to go back. Strange? Perhaps. (yes)


• Talking to friends in Bethlehem, PA makes me miss my CTY students and instructor (Liz!) from last summer. That was an amazing time, but I know it wouldn't have worked well for this summer. Perhaps another year...


• I'm going to bed so I'm awake for tomorrow's travels.

LBD

I don't know how I managed to last 22 years without such an "essential" item in my wardrobe. (OK, I do know how. Her name is Lolly Edgerton. She has very graciously dressed me on several occasions.) But then again, I'm not exactly sure how June 14th marked my first attendance at a wedding either. Perhaps I'm just a little behind on this loop. Regardless, I am proud to announce the purchase of a Little Black Dress today. Congratulations, Becky. You can now dress yourself for Amy's wedding and no longer have to rely on your former teammates (not that any of us minded). After yesterday's events, I suppose you could call it retail therapy. I, on the other hand, will call it last-minute bargain hunting, for that is [also] what it was.

Fifty-eight hours until I depart for the Maddawg-Jarhead extravaganza of the century. After waiting nearly two years, it's hard to believe the Brown-Vanderberg wedding is almost here... :)