Engagement Pics with the New Photographer

Well we found ourselves a new photographer for the wedding, and she is AWESOME!!!

We did our engagement pics yesterday, starting out in an art gallery in Louisville and then wandering around downtown and to the waterfront. Nina has already edited and posted a few of them on her blog -- check out the link over to the right. It's called "Shooting the Light". Right now we are the most recent entry, and if you click on the picture you can make it bigger.

I also started a wedding website for us, where we will direct people to RSVP and check out other info about our wedding. Check it out here.

Work, Travel, Wedding, and More Travel

So much has happened lately... For one, I have continued to be insanely busy at school (the one where I teach). So busy, in fact, that I have fallen behind in school (the one where I am a student). Luckily, the grad school teacher is allowing us to catch up on what we're missing (apparently a lot of us are in that boat).

A couple of weeks ago, Ryan and I rode to Washington, D.C. with my parents to visit with my mom's family for the weekend. We went to my Uncle Pete's 60th birthday party on Saturday, then had an early Thanksgiving dinner with the family on Sunday, and visited with my dad's brother on Sunday night. We spent a few hours sightseeing in D.C. on Monday morning before hopping on a plane and flying back to Louisville.

It was nice to see the family, but of course I ended up even further behind at school. My students did not react well to having a sub, and it will be quite a while before I plan on having a sub again. I am just VERY thankful that I right now I have five whole days off...

Once we returned from D.C., we got some disappointing news from our wedding photographer, Jessica. She found out she and her husband are expecting, which is great news for her, but her due date is three days after our wedding!! So, she had to back out on us, but she found a couple of other photographers who were available on our date. Unfortunately, those photographers were at least twice as expensive as Jessica.

Luckily, Ryan isn't working right now and instead has become my personal assistant and housewife (hee hee), so he has really been on top of contacting other photographers. I think we have found a replacement for Jessica who is actually just a little bit cheaper, so I'm very relieved.

In other wedding news, I had ordered my dress (Oleg Cassini for David's Bridal) but by the time it came in, I was having doubts about it. I finally went with my mom to try it on, and it fit fine and everything, but I realized I just wasn't that excited about it. I decided to go back and try on some other dresses, some that I'd already tried on before, only this time without the corset-bra-thing underneath and in a smaller size.

I ended up finding the perfect dress that is almost exactly like what I originally wanted. The only detail that doesn't match my original idea is going to be altered, so basically I have managed to end up with the perfect dress -- and in exchanging the original dress, after the alterations, I'm actually going to end up saving about $200.

So now I'm back in super-wedding-planning mode, and I have found my ideal bridesmaid dress from J.Crew -- and it's on sale right now for $70!! :) I'm going to email the girls now to see if they're ready to buy....

Hey d.: anything you can do I can do better ;-)

Well, I wouldn't really say my Palin look was all that great, looking back....for one thing, I *had* perfect Sarah Palin glasses....but I kid you not -- the dog chewed them up on Thursday. No kidding. So I was stuck wearing the one pair I have left, which are decidedly less Palin-ish. Also, we were running late because I was at school until 7pm yesterday, organizing my classroom (a never-ending endeavor), and realized when I got home at 7:30 that my black suit was still at my parents' house in Indiana. Crap. So we made a quick trip over there, came home, got ready...but I didn't have time (or patience) by that point to bother with too much back-combing for the height on the hair. AND I didn't have any hairspray. You just can't do Palin without backcombing and hairspray. So, this is how it turned out:

And Ryan came as the union worker husband, Mr. Sarah Palin:

Unfortunately, my camera battery died before we even left the house, so there are no other pictures of the night. ):

I was disappointed to find that despite being in Kentucky, a decidedly red state, I got a lot of "Boos" and "I'm not voting for you!" It's a costume, people! Sheesh! I solved this by telling the more vocal democrats that I was supposed to be Tina Fey. Most found this quite funny.

On a more positive note, everyone recognized my costume.

Other honorable mention, funny or creative costumes:

- Where's Waldo? A group of 14 people dressed in striped shirts, but only one true Waldo: hat, shirt, glasses, brown cane, brown shoes, and jeans. I drove myself insane trying to find Waldo and went up to one guy accusing him of being The One, only to have his cane waved in my face: "Waldo's cane is BROWN. This one is BLACK!" lmao...

- A girl was carrying around a box of Cheerios with a knife stabbed into it and a box of Golden Grahams that had been strangled. It took me one hour, two shots, and a Captain and Coke to realize she was a cereal killer (which by this point I found quite funny).

- A guy had little baby chickens glued to his shirt. He was a chick magnet.

- A flip flop

- Michael Phelps. No kidding, it was 60 degrees out and the guy was wearing a swim cap, speedo, and 8 gold medals. That's it.

- Oh, and who could forget my friend Kelley, who went as Amy Winehouse. Complete with beehive updo, black eyeliner, and purple bra hanging out.

Well it was a pretty awesome night, or it must have been, considering we didn't leave until after 3am and I did not get out of bed until about 6pm today. Hey, I work hard. I deserved it. :)

TGIF

It's Friday...the one evening in the week that I designate for doing absolutely nothing school-related -- grad school or work-school -- nor housework related. I have no responsibilities whatsoever on Fridays. I come home, I sit on the couch, I watch tv, maybe sleep. I refuse to do anything but veg.

During the rest of the week, though, I'm going 1,000 miles an hour. Saturday and Sunday will be spent a) continuing to unpack the boxes in the house, putting clothes away, doing laundry, etc., b) reading and writing for grad school classes and c) planning lessons for next week (or at least a general idea of them). Monday through Friday I wake up by 6:00am and leave by 6:40am to get to school by around 7:15am...the kids start showing up at 7:40am but their classes don't start until 8:00am, so they either come to my room or sign out of my room to breakfast. (I used to get up at like 5:15am, but realized that I didn't need to get to school at 6:50am if I had my day planned already, so that extra 45 minutes of sleep have been absolutely priceless.) In the evening on Monday and Tuesday, I have to finalize lesson plans, which includes tracking down materials (usually online), typing up handouts, making copies, and figuring out how the hell to address the state objectives. I also have to finish up any homework for grad school that I didn't finish over the weekend (and lately I've been behind, so I haven't gotten much done on the weekend). On Wednesday and Thursday night, I have classes at UofL from 4:30pm to 7:00pm, and then I have to do more lesson plans. Oh, and let's not forget grading papers. I'm WAY behind on that.

The place where I spend all my time these days...

Needless to say, things have been a little nuts. Hopefully, though, things will get easier once everything is fully unpacked and I don't have to worry about it. I do love our new little house though. I have my desk and a tv set up on the sun porch (the walls of which are half walls and half window, so it can be closed up), so when I am home during daylight hours, I can enjoy the lovely sunlight and beautiful fall air. The weather has been beautiful -- I couldn't ask for anything better! (Side note: It was 83 degrees here today, gorgeous and sunny with no humidity. It is October and a week before my birthday. Two years ago, my first winter in Chicago, it snowed in Chicago a week before my birthday. There are not words to describe how happy I am to be HERE and not there!)

Our cute little house...

Despite how exhausted, overextended, and crazy I have felt, I am still very happy with my decision to be a teacher. Yes, I am in survival mode and I am getting by day to day (I use the analogy that it's like I was hanging from a cliff by my fingertips, and with every day that goes by I have been pulling myself up little by little, so eventually if I just take it one day at a time, I will be standing on top rather than holding on for dear life...) We have had a lot of behavior problems, mostly because these kids' lives are sooo unstructured...a lot of them come from single parent homes, their moms were really young parents, and several live with grandma/grandpa or aunt/uncle. In fact, one lives with his mom and his "stepmom", whom he calls his aunt. He's one of our favorites. :)

Most of the kids are not malicious or bad kids -- they just have some really bad habits -- and it was pointed out to us that if a kid develops a bad habit by repeating the behavior and receiving no negative feedback, it will take repeated good behavior for the kid to develop better habits and break the old. Seems obvious, but it was an enlightening insight, because I am SO tired of repeating, "Justin, have a seat please." "Kelly, turn around and stop talking." "Darrick, BE QUIET!" "Keep your hands to yourself!" As an adult, I expected that I'd tell them something once and they'd just do it. It hadn't occurred to me before that they need to practice the good habits too. We had a faculty meeting the other day, and even though we were discussing behavior issues, I couldn't help but just feel this flood of LOVE for these kids. I mean, I truly adore them and am so happy to spend my days with them -- even though they wear me out. It's the most fulfilling experience I've ever had.

I have been observed by my grad school mentor and by a couple of teachers at school, and all of them have said I'm doing a good job with the classes. It has been a learning process, and every day I think of even more ways to improve things. But my mom pointed out something that made me feel good -- I've never subbed or taught before. I walked into a classroom 6 or 7 weeks into the school year to teach kids who had been with substitute teachers all year, both in Language Arts and Science. They had very little structure and were used to doing nothing in the two classes. Two weeks into my teaching career, my students are engaged in the work, they're listening, they're participating, and they might even be learning something. :) Considering the circumstances (my lack of experience combined with coming in late and learning as I go), I'm doing a damn good job. :) And, the kids like me -- I can be mean, but they all know that I am only mean when I have to be. Several have told me that I'm their favorite teacher. Just hearing that makes it all worthwhile. :)

Time for an update...

OMG.

The past week or so has been insane! I started teaching a week ago Thursday, and it has been crazy trying to keep up with lesson plans and stuff. Not to mention, we moved into a new (rental) house this week. It's a great house -- the location is awesome and Addie loves the back yard -- but it's going to take another week or so to get the boxes unpacked, with everything else I have going on.

About the kids. Most of them are great, and I'm SO glad to be teaching 8th graders. But, they have had subs in and out so much that their discipline could be a little better. They have gotten used to doing whatever they want and some of them don't listen too well. Plus we have the crayon throwing issue. Slowly but surely, though, I'm getting them under control. It's exhausting though! I have never been so tired in my life!

What planet is this again?

Well the last week or so has been a little crazy. For starters, I got the job that I interviewed for last week (yay). So, I'll be teaching 8th grade Language Arts at a very small, rural middle school...I am really looking forward to it, but also very nervous. I don't have a start date or anything yet because the central office in the district has been trying to get their sh*t together for a few days. I guess they have a good excuse now, but I'll get to that part.

On Friday morning, after hearing about the job on Thursday, I went and signed the lease at our new house (another yay) and then Sarah (my MOH) and I stopped by David's Bridal for a quick trip to check out one of those $99 sales. I knew it was unlikely that anything under $100 would fit what I have in mind, but I figured it was worth giving it a try, considering all of the dresses were on sale at least a little bit.

Lo and behold, I FOUND MY DRESS!! It was actually very different from what I have been looking at, but I tried it just on just out of curiosity, and it turned out to be perfect. I really wanted a dress that doesn't look just like every other dress I've seen, and I think I managed to find one that's classy and different and still flattering. I can't wait for the fitting....even thought it won't be in until after Christmas....

So then on Sunday, the remnants of one of those crazy hurricanes blew throught the area, and about half of Louisville still doesn't have power. Luckily, the power at my parents' house was restored on Monday afternoon, but now the water is not fit to drink because the water company doesn't have electricity to run the sanitation. Public schools have been closed all week and probably will be until Monday. There hasn't been a situation like this here since the blizzard in 1993, but I have to say that the problems are being handled really well. The mayor of my hometown in southern Indiana has volunteers going around town and delivering cases of bottled water to people's homes. I'm really very impressed ... although, of course, there are still those people who think they are being neglected and their needs are being ignored...

I get to go see my new classroom tomorrow! Yay!

Hypochondria.

First, my apologies for my depressing previous post. It seems I had reached the final straw that day, but it did mark a turning point because things started getting progressively better after that...except for the cough, which after three weeks, still hasn't gone away. On Saturday night I was at a wedding reception and was in the throes of a coughing spasm, when all of a sudden I felt POP in my left side (around the same area where I was already sore) and the most excruciating pain spread through my body like fire. I sat there for a good minute trying to catch my breath and at the same time trying to decide whether to call someone to pick me up, because I was not sure at that moment whether I'd be able to move the rest of the night. The pain eventually faded back to the dull soreness that had been there before, but the cough continues. In the past week, I have finished an entire bottle of regular Robitussin and another bottle of the nighttime stuff, which works only well enough to allow me to sleep. Sorta.

Hence the hypochondria.

Actually, Sarah, a friend of a friend who happens to read this blog (shout out!) started it. My hyphochondria, that is. She suggested that I might actually have whooping cough, because she had similar symptoms to mine in the past and was eventually diagnosed with it herself.

This was surprising to me because I had assumed that getting it was similar to being diagnosed with smallpox. Or polio. As in, the chances are like one in a million. And only if you've visited a third world country. In the past 90 days. Or some crap like that. Of course, being the self-diagnosis queen that I am, I began researching whooping cough and found that doctors have recently realized that the vaccine we get when we're kids wears off in our 20s (which confirmed what Sarah had already told me). So most of the people diagnosed with it now are either adults or infants who haven't been vaccinated yet. My symptoms are actually perfectly in line with the symptoms described on every website I've found.

Therefore, I have diagnosed myself with whooping cough. Go ahead, call me a hypochondriac. I know.

So, I'm going to see a doctor sometime tomorrow, and hopefully I can convince them to do the swab test. Or else just get me some damn antibiotics and cough medicine that works, so I don't break any more ribs.

(Note to readers: if you have been around me in the past three weeks, you might want to research and be on the lookout for the symptoms. Or even see a doctor and get an antibiotic just in case. Ethromycin should do the trick.)

In other news unrelated to my health issues, we found a house that we like and were approved for it. We're going to move in at the end of the month, which works well because we won't be paying double-rent. The house is the perfect size, has a huge backyard for Addie, and a sunporch which will be awesome.

Also, I interviewed this morning for another teaching job. Keep your fingers crossed.

So I guess things are getting better.

Game on, bitches. ;-) (Sorry, I just really love the Paris Hilton commercial on MTV...)

Seriously people, enough is enough.

I'm starting to lose faith, and patience, and maybe even my sanity all together.

1. I have been sick with some kind of respiratory infection for the past two weeks. I haven't been to the doctor because I was rejected for individual health insurance due to some obscure mental health diagnosis by some doctor four years ago, whose opinion was then negated when I saw the next doctor. Nevertheless, Humana seems to think I am "uninsurable" under an individual plan, and for the first time in 24 years, I am without health insurance, and my body has decided that now is a good time to fall apart. I have taken every OTC drug known to man, I think, trying to stop this cough -- I coughed so hard last night that I have either pulled a muscle, cracked a rib, or caused some kind of hernia in my abdomen. Which is great because now coughing is twice as painful. I have Vick's vapo-rub practically shoved up my nose (which is helping) and I've been sucking on nasty mentho-cough drops -- I'm really about mentholed-out, here. Oh, and the heating pad that I sleep with against my throat has become my best friend. I mean really.

2. I still don't have a job (which is why I don't have health insurance, obviously) and I interviewed for some crappy hotel desk job yesterday. Get this -- I DIDN'T GET THAT JOB EITHER. I mean for cryin' out loud, what does a girl have to do?!?!

3. The house that we found that we really really liked that had the finished attic and I was all excited about -- rejected for THAT too. The landlords decided they wanted to rent it to people who don't have a dog. Thanks a lot, pal. So I guess we'll be living with my parents for a while. Oh well.

Everything is starting to add up here and I am beginning to wonder if the universe is aligning against me as some sort of paybacks for leaving Chicago, quitting my job, and actually going after what I want. I wonder what Randy Pausch would have to say about this mess.

Trying not to get my hopes up but....

Well, I didn't get the job that I interviewed for a week ago. The principal said I had a 'wonderful interview' but that another candidate had dual certification -- meaning that he/she was certified to teach Language Arts as well as another content area. Unfortunately, there's really nothing I can do about not having dual certification without going to school full time for a year, and that's not including working on my Master's -- not really an option right now. So, as far as the things I could control -- my interview, specifically -- I did my best and it was okay, so that helps soothe the sting of rejection. A little.

I heard rumor of another LA job that is supposed to open up because somebody quit already, but I haven't seen the posting yet. I did email the principal of that school, so we'll see. So far I haven't heard anything yet, so in the meantime, I have an interview tomorrow at a hotel to work at the front desk. I'm not sure what it pays or whether it offers insurance, but as far as I'm concerned, a job is a job at this point!

On to brighter topics: fiance and I are looking for somewhere to live, preferrably in a house because of the puppy. I found a house that I really, really love and I'm afraid to pass it up. It is a cute little 3 bedroom, and the third bedroom is actually in the finished attic!

















I have already decided that I'm going to turn it into my office/tv area. That is, if we get it...

The guy who owns the house (who is, by the way, about 27 and his name is Brad) said there is another guy who wants the house, but apparently Brad didn't get a good "vibe" from the guy. Our bigger problem, however, is that fiance didn't notify the current landlords soon enough, so he's stuck paying rent at our old apartment for September. Therefore, we are trying to work out a deal with Brad so that we could move in mid-month and pay a pro-rated rate, which would save us about $400. He's discussing it with his live-in girlfriend and letting us know.

At least if we get this house, it will give me something to be excited about. :)

Whoa.

I'm blown away. Just did one of those Meiers-Briggs (sp?) personality tests, and here is what it said. No joke -- that's how it turned out. I did not alter these results!!! Uncanny, I think. For those of you who know me, you know what I mean.

Makes me feel a little better about....me.

Blogger's Paradise

I have been reading lots and lots of blogs lately. Which is funny, I've never been much of a blogger or a blog reader or any of that...but I'm addicted. What is it about reading the thoughts of total strangers that I find so intriguing? I feel like some of these people could be my best friends, postulating on life over Margarita Monday...

I do have to wonder, do these people plan their blog posts ahead of time? Like, do they prewrite/draft/revise? Or are they like me, just spewing whatever comes to mind?

Once upon a time, I was one of those writers who could spew whatever (words, mind you, not projectile vomit) but I am so out of practice...I guess I have spent too many months writing two line headlines without clauses! (Right, d.?) So now, after reading the immensely entertaining blogs of my peers and of total strangers, I am ashamed and feel grossly inadequate... But, I digress.

Oh, faithful readers (read: "the small d." because I know you're the only one who actually reads this garbage), what a week it has been. First of all, I started feeling ill on Saturday morning, but still dragged myself up and out for class in the morning, shopping at the mall, and out with friends to O'Shea's that night. For the first time in a loooong time, we found ourselves up until the wee hours of the morning, talking about who-knows-what (really, I have no idea) and I crawled into my bed at oh, 7am. Probably not a good thing considering I had planned to go dress shopping with Mom the next day. I managed to try on one dress that I LOVED in the store, and then looking back at the pictures, realized it was not. quite. it. Of course, this could have been the hangover talking. One fight with Mom and an emotional breakdown later, I vowed to NEVER, EVER go dress shopping (or do anything wedding-related) while hungover. Especially not with Mom. In fact, I'm not sure if dress shopping with Mom is a good idea anyway.... More on that later.

Monday morning. Interview for the most perfect-for-me teaching job. Felt like things went G-R-E-A-T. Principal even introduced me to another teacher as his "replacement", as in, I'm already the replacement. As in, already got the job. But at the end, principal says he'll make a decision by Thursday. Fast forward to today -- Thursday -- and if he's made a decision, he ain't told me yet. Peachy.

Meanwhile, Monday-thru-Thursday, the cold or whatever it was that I had Saturday morning came back with a vengeance. I managed to do lunch with a friend and then Monday Margaritas with the ladies, but since then I have been completely sidelined, a.k.a. drugged and knocked out on the couch... This is just not the time to not have insurance. Or I guess, not the time to be ill, considering the whole rejected-by-individual-insurance issue. Story of my life. Seriously.

Thankfully, things seem better today, at least where illness is concerned. Nevertheless, for good measure, I cancelled the appointment with the potential photographer and spent an extra couple of hours in couch-potato mode. Then, class tonight -- Language Arts Methods. A few of us from Alt Cert, and all of whom BUT me have already been teaching, and the rest are regular MAT kids. When I say kids, I mean most are fresh out of undergrad and are still glowing and glittering with their idealism. "I want to instill in my students a love of reading and writing and..." blah blah blah. Which is all fine and dandy, but good luck finding yourselves jobs -- but oh wait, that difficulty finding a job thing -- apparently that's just me. Nevermind. Carry on.

Yes, I have become quite the cynic. Maybe I should change the title of this blog to "WARNING: My Cynicism May Ruin Your Day." HA.

Sorry kids. Blogger's paradise, eh?

ETA: I just found this song on another one of the blogs that I have been reading...an old school remake, but beautiful just the same...if I could figure out how to make my blog play music....

My inspiration

So I guess the new trend these days is to make an inspiration board for wedding design. Interior designers make inspiration boards all the time, and I guess the idea has transferred to wedding planning. Of course, none of these items are meant to be taken literally, but hopefully they will help to get ideas and keep everything focused. If it doesn't "fit" on or with the inspiration board, then it probably shouldn't be included in the decorations.

Also, note that I have a picture of an altar at a beach destination wedding -- that's meant to show that I want the wedding to have a "destination-ish" feel, even though I wouldn't consider Starlight, Indiana a destination...

Before life gets away from me too much...

So my buddy, the small d., whom I will miss very much now that my days in the business world have ended, has this really cool blog, and it gave me the idea to start a really cool blog of my own.

Unfortunately, I know mine will never, ever compare to the coolness of the small d. But maybe I can find my own level of coolness? What do you think? Anyone? (I know, me = cool is highly unlikely, but I can try...)

So this is where we are right now:

- I have started going to graduate school for a Masters of Arts in Teaching. I'm in an Alternative Certification program, which sounds really cool on paper -- being in the program means I am certified teach while going to school at night. The major bonus is that we do not have to take an unpaid semester for student teaching -- we teach in our regular classroom and are observed while still getting a paycheck. It all sounds really sweet, except that if a fully certified (read: already has an education degree) teacher wants the job and I want it, the district is required to hire the fully certified teacher. That means those of us in the program are only eligible for the jobs that are left over after all the fully certified teachers are hired. I'm trying to teach Middle School Language Arts, but I'd really rather teach High School English -- unfortunately, I was told that there are more jobs in MS, so I went for it. Yet as of today, I don't have a teaching job. No substitute job; nothing. In fact, I have no employment to speak of as of July 25th. Which is both liberating and terrifying at the same time, especially in light of the fact that...

- I got engaged on July 1st! I'm very excited about this, considering I've been waiting for this wonderful thing to happen for over 2 years. We already have a date, a ceremony and reception venue, a DJ, catering (included in the reception venue), and a wedding party. Oh, and a guest list that keeps growing but a budget that doesn't....

But ya know, I haven't had a whole lot of time yet to enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to finding more time for planning, and I hope I can somehow channel my inner Martha Stewart (ha! not likely) to come up with some really creative, impressive decorations and whatnot. Truthfully, I have had to pull myself away from various wedding planning websites over the past month because it will suck the time and the life (that is, the life away from my laptop) right out of me. Part of me wants to talk about my wedding all day every day to anyone who listens for two seconds. The realistic part of me knows that I have just under 11 months until my wedding, and people are really going to get sick of hearing about it by the time the day actually gets here.... ;) So, I'm definitely looking forward to getting immersed in wedding planning...as soon as I can give myself permission to do so...

So I might find myself doing some blogging about my ideas and concerns and excitements and thoughts regarding the wedding...or I might write about challenges in teaching (or, at the rate I'm going, not teaching...).

And every now and then, I glance at my ring and it hits me all over again: holy cow -- I'm getting married!