Homesick.

I want to go home.

My students are great.  My job is awesome.  The people I work with are fabulous.

I miss my husband.  I miss my family.  I miss my friends.  I miss my house.  I miss knowing where all of the treasures of the city are.  I miss knowing everything.  I miss KC.  I miss planning my sister's wedding.  I miss seeing how my sister is adjusting to college.  I want to be able to check in on my dad since broke his clavicle.  I want to get coffee with my mom.

So my dilemma:  Right now the cons are outweighing the pros.  And so far there isn't enough facebook or texting to fix anything.

My Larynx Hurts

I OFFICIALLY SURVIVED MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVER!  Write it down in the history books folks, this is an event worth celebrating.
PLUS I even want to go back on Monday!

My Speech classes went great.  I think this class will be so much fun for everyone.  Of course I've only met half of the classes -- but so far we got off to a great start.

Broadcasting was another story.  I don't know what I'm doing so I'm not very good at pretending like I know what I'm doing.  I think once I get past the "first-day-of-school" syndrome that I will be fine.  This group of students looks like it will be my first real challenge.

The thing that freaked me out on the inside a little was the constant administration coming in the class, standing at the door and staring at me.  Do I say hello?  Do I pretend they aren't there?  Do I make a joke about their tie?  I have not been in any school district where this was a common occurrence.  People tell me to invite them into classroom activity so that they won't come back... but that doesn't seem very proactive to me.  I have nothing to hide - come back and visit any time you want.  I like feedback.

So all this talk about school is kind of against my list of things I wasn't allowed to do tonight.  A wise coworker encouraged me to not do anything school-related on Friday nights so that I could have a night of mental freedom.  I guess I better stop talking about school!

It All Makes Sense Now

I've realized that this new career is like willingly juggling chainsaws and torches.  It's easy to do once you have it figured out and is very impressive to spectators.  But getting there is challenging, risky and if you mess up it could cost you a lot.  Fortunately I have great resources to learn my new routines and am feeling fairly confident that I will be successful.  I just wish I knew it all already :)

Survived the first week!

Today marks my second day of in-service and my second day of having BBQ for lunch.  The organizations who have been donating lunch must think that this part of town needs to experience their BBQ.  No problem for this Kansas City girl!

I feel like I have reverted back to college.  I am having to make new friends in a town where I know no one.  I have no dishwasher.  My dwelling is a questionable structure, but it's cheap!  And finally, I have to take my laundry to my parents house.  Except I am no longer the one earning an education - I'm giving it!  (While learning in the process, of course.)  Maybe college is so important because it sets you up for how the rest of your life will go...

The school district thus far is awesome.  The environment feels very supportive and I feel like I am being set up for success.  Check back with me in November after I have had my own classroom for a while and see if these feelings are still the same :)

And in completely unrelated news, this evening I learned that grasshoppers will inhabit your dining room curtains in order to shed their outer layer of [skin?].  Part of me said, "Gross!", while the other part said, "Whoa, how way totally cool, dude!..."

Tomorrow is a work day and then Threshing Days, here I come!

I Like Meeting Other Dogs...

I took Louie for a walk where we met several new doggies.  One doggy was running with his dad when he saw Louie, turned around to run towards home, proceeded to trip and somersault across a grassy patch,  and then keep running towards home.  Said doggy's owner turned around, ran towards home and told me, "So much for that run", as he ran by.

Louie also met three miniature dogs of varying breeds who didn't really appreciate Louie's presence.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow night.  They just have to get used to him.

I want to start walking/jogging/running with Louie but I don't want to overwhelm him.  I think we may start in the mornings when it's a lot cooler.  He is a pudge, after all... thanks Mom.  We shall see how the dachshund work-out routine goes!

No TV Makes a Clean House

The last thing on my mind when I moved was setting up the cable and internet service provider.  Lucky for me, a neighbor seems to be sharing internet with the complex and I hope they are not stealing my information as a type.  I finally got around to setting up the service, but they can't get out here for another week to turn it on.

I could get out and run around town... but I can't stomach walmart anymore and the temperature is planning on hitting 106 degrees this afternoon.  Fortunately it is really dry here (my dried out sinuses will tell the story) and the heat is a lot more tolerable than KC.

I could clean my house... but I did that yesterday.  I put up all my pictures (did I mention Command Picture Hanging Strips by 3M?  Amazing!).  I even cooked all my food for the WEEK.

I think time moves slower out here.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing - just something to get used to after living with impatient city-dwellers.

First Night as a Single-Weenie Mother

Louie and I are now here to stay.

We started out a few days ago with four cars loaded full of things I didn't realize I had so much of.  It would have been more things if every person in the KC metro weren't already moving and occupying all rental trailers.  So, even though I feel like I have too much stuff for one person, I still am only half-way moved!  Beyond that, I guess I'm kidding myself and I don't have enough stuff because I have gone to Wal-Mart at least 6 times in the last three days, each time exchanging the wrong size curtain for a new set.  If I have to glance at the curtain department at Wal-Mart one more time, I may start crying.

Enough complaining - I got my house set up and it looks five million times better than what I started with.  Thank goodness I worked at fabulous Nell Hill's and got some great stuff to make my rental look like a home.  Additionally, 3M's picture-hanging strips are about the greatest invention EVER.  Here's hoping my pictures don't fall down over night!

I will post some pictures soon...