Sychronized Periods... I mean... life changes.

All girls know that when you are uber close to another girl, a strange thing happens. When you spend excessive time with another female, and you are already a female, a mysterious, seemingly miraculous thing happens... you begin to menstruate together. (I had to use the real word. Why? Because it is gross sounding, AND it is a Latin derivative. Duh.)

My closest friends and I have not been physically near each other, save one spectacular surprise weekend, in a LONG time. SB has lived in Florida since my junior year of college. CD moved to Paris last August. Seems unnecessary to say that we haven't had periods together in quite awhile... though I am quite confident that when SB was my roommate and CD lived across the hall we at one time or another had quasi-synchronized menstruating. 

But distance doesn't seem to stop life synchronization.

Next weekend is ominous. (another good Latin derivative)

SB LEAVES FOR THE PEACE CORPS. DC then... effing BULGARIA.  So excited/proud for you whore.

CD comes back to the States, not for me, but because her cousin is getting married. But more importantly: JOB INTERVIEWS. She is coming back to the US this summer/fall, and she may or may not be relocating to a city she's never lived in, and either way, she needs a JOB. And next weekend is a critical for her life back in the States. 

Me? I am flying to SA with CB to peruse houses. That's right. Houses. For us to live in. In 43 days. Houses to rent, mind you, but still, houses. We are planning on signing a lease (fingers crossed, lots o' prayer). A house is so... adult. A house with your fiance (for 2 days) turned husband is massively adult. 

I have to ask God, "Is there something special about May 15-17 that tremendously important things are occurring all at once? Could you possibly make it even more critical by getting me a job that weekend too? No, too greedy? Okay, I will wait on that."

So there is that. Next weekend.  Life decisions.

My dearest friends SB and CD:

Be safe in DC, whore, and enjoy the Nando's. Be especially safe in the Bulg. Write letters. Send emails... if you can. Make a snowman. Hope you like the prizes I sent you. PS: They have nothing to do with PC or Bulgaria... just fyi. Everything to do with dinosaurs though. 

CD: You are the best person for any job position. You are a rock star and I would hire you any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I can't wait to see you again. Good luck next weekend, not that you need it. 

House in SA: Please be nice, with good flooring and appliances. More importantly, please be affordable and in the right area. K, thanks bye. 

And so our new lives begin...  (sooooooooooooo dramatic. a nice touch.)

Thoughts on a Monday

I want to get married... like... tomorrow. 

I applied to teach Latin at a Catholic school. I am not Catholic... but I find Catholicism interesting.

My best friend in the whole world is leaving for the Peace Corps to Bulgaria in 13 days. I am so sad I haven't taken more advantage of the days leading up to her departure and chatted more. I will miss her sorely... even if we haven't chatted lately. Because really, it is just knowing that she is a blackberry message, IM, or phone call away that is comforting. This will soon change.

Other other best friend in the whole world (who is located in Paris, France, fyi) is AMAZING and helped me revamp my resume over the weekend. Words cannot express the gratitude I felt in my heart for such a seemingly small act. 

I hired movers for June 22.

If I don't get a job teaching- full-time or part-time- CB and I will be penny pinchers. I don't really want to do that. 

I really, really want a red 2010 Mustang. Read above thought. 

CB and I are going to SA in 2 weeks to look at houses to rent. We are hoping to sign a lease that weekend.

When did I grow up? WTF?

Oh. And today CB and I have been together 2.5 years. Yes, we do count the half anniversaries. Bite me.

Pedicures and Orange Cup with Ms...

Today was the day I spent an afternoon with 3 junior high girls. Sweet girls. The ones who are quiet in class, drowned out by the excessively chatty outgoing girls. 

For those of you who might be wondering why I would be hanging out with junior high girls at the mall: It has to do with this auction my school holds every year. Teachers are encouraged to contribute their time or skills to this as items to bid on, and I was contacted by someone helping with the auction and asked to enter something. She came up with the idea of an afternoon shopping with me, including pedicures and Orange Cup. I agreed and apparently the afternoon with me sold for $680. I was completely flattered by the amount it went for, but also felt a little bit like a fake- as I am really not all that exciting or cool in real life.

 I was slightly overwhelmed by the fact that I, not being a mother or even a babysitter ever in my life(save one horrid summer of nannying), had no idea what to do with 13-14 year old girls. I think the 10-11 year age gap has something to do with that.  Luckily, the parent-teacher organization at my school provided us with a gift certificate for pedicures and a delicious treat I had never had called Orange Cup. 

All in all, it was both fun and exhausting.  I understand why my mom spent my childhood telling me not to touch things in stores and I had to suppress the urge to tell these girls the same thing as we walked in and out of pricey boutiques. I did say, on more than one occasion: Just don't break anything. Please. 

Other Stuff:

The school year is ending. AKA: My time of having a job and salary is ending. 

I am very seriously considering NOT teaching this fall, not because I don't love it, but because hopefully I will be in a teaching certification program and working on studying for the GRE. CB has told me I can do absolutely whatever I want to do, as long as I am happy. This includes my not working idea. Or at least not working full-time. I can't not work. I just can't. 

On June 27th I have take the hardest Latin exam of my life. If I pass it, I will get accepted into an alternative cert. program in San Antonio. Passing it is the key. 

I wasn't planning on publicly announcing this here, but I think I'm going to simply because it makes it easier to talk about things. CB and I, with our parents' blessing and encouragement, are legally getting married in June. Happpyyy! Never fear... we are still having our beautiful wedding on Dec. 19 with a full ceremony and reception and everything; it just made more sense for us for get married legally in June (so I can be on military health insurance, what with the heart problem and all, so we can get all of the financial and legal affairs sorted out, etc. etc.). "Why not just have a big wedding in June anyway then? " you might ask. The answer is that CB is both in medical school, approaching 3rd year rapidly, and the United States Army. Dec. 19, 2009 was the ONLY date in the next 2 years on which he can have a big wedding celebration and honeymoon. We still consider Dec. 19 to be a very important and special day for the both of us, as this is our declaration in front of our friends and family and God that we are bound together for life. We see it as equally, if not more, important than our private June legal ceremony. Our parents won't even be with us in June, simply because we want the December ceremony to stand out and be special. So there's that. Happy 2 weddings for me! 

What Teachers Make

This video is pretty freaking amazing. Especially if you are a teacher. I could watch this over and over. This is his hyped up version, there is a calmer, more collected version as well. PS: This video makes me even teary slightly.

And I've never seen slam poetry. I like it... a lot

More from the same guy, Taylor Mali, who in fact is an eighth grade teacher.

And lastly, another funny one for me... mostly because I see this every day in a classroom.

A resolution

Last summer I had a specific routine. I would wake up, eat cereal, put on workout clothes, walk down the stairs and out the front door, put my Ipod in my ears and walk/run a very specific route around my condo complex. This condo complex is really 2 condo complexes in one, however. This didn't seem to matter for a long time to me though, because I did this very routinely every morning for a few weeks. I loved it. I loved being outside and looking at the trees/flowers/birds/people. I loved the sunshine on my face, shoulders, and legs... even if I was wearing SPF 50. I loved that I was exercising and actually enjoying myself.

One day my routine was shattered. An old woman who lives in the condo complex that is specifically NOT mine came outside and yelled at me for walking/running on the her side of the complexes. (Long story short, we are all in a gated community. There is an invisible dividing line separating one condo complex with its homeowners' association from the other condo complex with its homeowners' assocation. Stupid, I know.)  I walked away, nearly crying. I didn't stand up for myself. I didn't yell back. I didn't even state my case. I just walked away, tail between my legs. A little later that same morning, an older man who also lives in MY side of the complex who also happened to walk every morning... on BOTH sides... stood up for me to the woman. It was an interesting/fun interaction, but I never felt comfortable walking/running on that side again. So I joined a gym. 

This brings me to today. I think I'm going to give up my gym membership. Nevermind the fact that it is only a mile down the road, I NEVER go. I don't enjoy being there when I am there. The treadmill is alright but really, nothing compares to walking outside. The sunshine. The birds. The flowers and trees. Somehow, an air-conditioned gym just doesn't stand up to that. I hate having to plan when I am going to work out. I hate having to get in my car and drive before I work out. One might ask, why don't you just walk to the gym? Because, my friends, I live in a city that is not very safe for a young female to walk alone in.. be it one mile or fifty... it ain't happening. Sorry.

Because it is an AWESOME time of year right now and the weather is incredible more often than not, I am going to attempt to reclaim my routine. It will look a little different, as I won't be able to do it in the morning, but I think I will in the afternoon.  I have resolved to stand up to the old lady if she tries to confront me again, because dangit... walking down that street doesn't hurt anyone or do anything, and I see people from both sides walking on all sides all the time.

I am happy for springtime. I am happy for getting back my walking/running outside and doing a workout at home routine. It was working for me last summer. I hate that I ever lost it. 

Either my life is lame, or I'm no good at the writingz.

I find that when I read other people's blogs, I have less to say about my life. Something about me feeling not nearly as interesting and not nearly as good of a writer as others. Meanwhile, all you other people should keep updating. Thanks, bye. 

An Update... and some peeektures.

(A note about the pictures: I seem to have lost my touch with the formatting of the blog, so unfortunately the pictures I talk about later have been placed at the beginning... except one of them, which is where it needs to be)

Hello dear friends,

It has been awhile since I last wrote anything. So sorry. CB was in town for a whole week and I got to experience firsthand what it would be like having to work everyday and deal with stress, all while having someone around at the end of the day.

He was wonderful though, as usual, and when I was a beastly, grouchy woman at the end of the day, he just smiled and made me dinner and tried to help me clean (Seriously... a man of seemingly infinite patience). He also got my brakes fixed one day while I was at school (not to mention that he got my car washed, went grocery shopping for me, and fixed my windshield wiper fluid leak). I definitely found myself a wonderful person, and not just because he does stuff for me either. 

One of the (many) things we had to do while he was in town was have our professional engagement pictures done. Earlier we had a friend do pictures which were amazing, but as part of the package I got with my wedding photographer was a complementary engagement session. Overall, so far I do not like a majority of the pictures, and I do not fault the photographer in any way. I fault my stomach... and butt.... and double chin... In other words, I haven't been working out or doing anything I should be, and in far too many of the pictures I look a tad on the pregnant side. It is scary. 

I have a choice 5 I will share here (see above), though I should note that these were copy/pasted from the photographer's website and I am not sure if I am supposed to have them- so know that if these pictures don't look quality it is probably because of that, not him.  All photos are done by Roe-White Photography. And they are beautiful when they aren't copy/pasted. 

Anyways, that is all I've got for now. I am still looking for a job, and I am terrified of the one I potentially found/don't think they will hire me because I don't have a certification already. I wish they would work with me, but then I kind of don't because, well, it would be a LOT of classes to teach and all of the sudden I wouldn't just be doing Latin 1, I would be doing Latin 1-AP Latin. Not that I'm not capable, but geeeeez.