Still here, counting down the days

Yep, I'm still alive. I don't have much exciting news to report, but here's the latest.

My summer plans, as of now, include

• migrant camp in West Palm for a week with school kids
• a summer job at church planning our main summer event for kids as well as helping with the Sunday morning program, plus continuing to volunteer
• a possible trip to Texas to volunteer at kids camp, again for church
• a trip home sometime in July

The job is great because it'll give me something to do a couple days a week, plus some extra money that I can save for trips for spring break and/or next summer break. I'm also just really excited about it becaue the church I'm attending is doing great things in and for Miami.

Went to Monkey Jungle again last weekend for the third time. I'll tell ya--they are losing money on Tiffany and I! We bought season passes and got our money's worth by visit two. Sometimes, you just need some monkeys in your life. Plus, I got a new boyfriend...

Also last weekend we went to Sam's club and found this sign. I think it just goes to show that Miami really IS a foreign country.

Who doesn't love a nuzzle at the gas pump? I know I do!

This weekend was a long weekend, five days to be exact. Sadly, though, graduation was on Thursday and I had to go, along with every other ILS teacher. It was not enjoyable at all, but I looked really cute so that's all that matters. Here's a pic of me, Ali, and Ann (the other Michigander).

I guess we sort of graduated too, in a way. We graduated from our first year at LaSalle. There as a lunch afterwards that I was going to attend but the clock just kept ticking and ticking and it got later and later and I couldn't deal with people anymore so I didn't go. I got an oil change instead. lol

Didn't do much else exciting this long weekend. Went to the beach for a minute on Friday, until it got cloudy. Saturday was errands all over town. I went to get my car liscensed and registered in Florida and it was, as usual, a nightmare. I'm speaking to the lady in English and as soon as she sees my name, switches to Spanish. Um... Hi? I was speaking to you in ENGLISH the entire time I've been standing in front of you. I don't know the Spanish words for what I'm trying to tell you! It all worked out, though. Sunday was church and errands, and an unplanned but fruitful trip to Home Depot where I got some nice table lamps for cheap. Woot! Today was work and errands. It's nice to have some time off just to get stuff DONE. I'm so excited for the summer when I won't have to grade papers all weekend and I can just improve the things I did last year instead of invent things from scratch. 8. More. Days.

Finally, some gratuitous cuteness, in doggie form, to get you through the week.

Happy Memorial Day!

Much love.

A bit late but... DISNEY!

It's been over a week since I chaperoned Grad Nite at Disney. I really have no excuse for not updating until now, I admit, but I just get so dang busy. I'm so OVER grading papers and work in general. I can't WAIT until I'm done and have a whole magic summer to myself. Speaking of which, I'm in the process of obtaining summer employment--I had an interview last week with the Miami Children's Theater to help with their summer program. Although I want to travel this summer, I realize that by working THIS summer, I can save up and go somewhere fab NEXT summer, and probably spring break as well. Although it's not the most glamorous decision, it's probably the most fiscally responsible. I've got to email Lisa some dates and see if I can work it out to go home for a bit before camp starts. Anyway, that's what currently brewing.

This past weekend, I went to an Indian restaurant, Imlee, with T and Ali and it was SO good. I had Goa Fish Curry and enjoyed every bite. After dinner, we rented August Rush and watched it here. Cheesy and unrealistic, but cute. And let's be real, I LOVE me some Jonathan Rhys Myers. Da. Ddy. I also rented a Kiwi movie called Eagle Vs. Shark which was totally indie and adorable and Kiwi and made my hard smile. Yay New Zealand.

Okay, on to Disney. We left around 2, which, apparently, is pretty normal. We were aiming to leave around 1 so... yeah. At the food/potty pit stop, I ate for free because I told them I was a chaperon and they gave me free pizza. HOLLA! I love free crap, especially free food. But I also remembered, as I was fighting my way through hordes of high schoolers, that I hate being around that many people. So yeah, that was fun.

We actually ended up getting to the park a bit early (a first for Miami kids, I'm sure) and had to wait outside for a while. Fredy and I had heard that in previous years they did an underground tunnels tour for the chaperons, so we booked it to the chaperon station to sign up. All our effort, however, proved fruitless: there was no tour. But at this point, Fredy and I had lost everyone else, so we hung out together the whole night and barely even saw a student. We had Fast Passes (read: a free pass to the front of the line) for most of the popular rides and barely waited in line at all. It. Was. Awesome.

We went on everything we could. Space Mountain was even more fun than I remembered it. Thunder Mountain is also still a wicked good time. The new and improved Pirates of the Caribbean, which now includes several versions of an eerily lifelike Jack Sparrow, was excellent. Peter Pan was a bit dissapointing because, let's be real, I wanted some demon Tinkerbell, and she only showed up once. BOO.

I realized throughout the night that Fredy was basically MY chaperon. And boy, I tell ya, he knows his way around that park. Good thing too, 'cause I had no clue.

We ate twice, once was our free meal (burgers with exploding ketchup and fries) and the second time was the chaperon breakfast buffet. Sometimes you need biscuits and gravy and pineapple at 1 am. Clearly. We started to leave the park at 2 am, and ACTUALLY left at 3 am. I didn't sleep much (read: at all) on the bus home but I rested so all was not lost.

I'll post a couple pictures, but you can click here for the full album on Facebook.

There was a fireworks show for the seniors and it provided many lovely photo opps.

The castle and I at night. :)
3-D glasses are hot!

The best part about Disney is the old cliche that everyone gets to be a kid again. Where else on earth is that acceptable?

Much love.

Working for a living

It's been a long time since I updated, which is pretty sad because I actually have stuff to report. Since my last post, I got a job. I'm now working at Barnes and Noble in the Lansing Mall and so far, I really love it. Crystal was right, it's really fun. I'm still getting used to the register procedures, but I really enjoy being around the customers and reccomending books and all my co-workers seem nice too.

It kinda sucks, though, because I like to so much that I don't want to quit, which I might have to do. I'm hoping I can transfer because... I'm moving to Miami to teach come August. I'm hoping to transfer to a B&N in Miami ans work maybe a couple weekends a month and holidays/days off, but I don't know if it'll work. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Y'see, that five year plan I was thinking about last entry? I think I've got it figured out. It goes like this: two years in Miami wherein I will utilize school breaks and the convenience of Miami International Airport to travel to South America and take my U.K. trip. After two years, I will go back to school full time and get my Master's while working at B&N and (hopefully) working enough hours to get insurance through them. After that, it'll be career and settle down time, capping off the five year plan with a trip to see the Olympics in London. I'm hoping that if I throw that all out into the universe, I'll somehow make it happen. All that "Law of Attraction" and stuff... or something.

In non-job news, I've seen a lot of movies lately and basically just hung out. I obtained a pop corn bucket after my viewing of Pirates 3, and it's pretty much awesome. A $25 dollar value for absolutely free thanks to a dumb teenager. My life is awesome.

Mom and I went out today and I was looking at house stuff (yay!) and and I signed my contract at LaSalle. August is gonna come really soon.

Man, I just remembered that I hate packing.

Much love.

Life at home

Well, unlike my last job search, things seem to be happening this time around. I had an interview with Clark County, which is basically Las Vegas (the entire southern half of the state). The only thing I'm unsure about (besides whether or not I want to actually teach) is if I want to live in Vegas or not. I've also applied to every district in North Carolina but am having trouble actually getting an interview, even though they send me emails telling me they want to interview me. Um, awesome. As far as non-teaching professional jobs go, nothing's really happening there either. I'm still holding out hope for a summer gig, at least. I'd really like to start making money so I can pay my bills.

The crappiest part is, if I move, I can't have my birthday prom. Again.

I've been thinking a lot lately about a "Five Year Plan" for my life, figuring that if I make one things will materialize and my life will take shape the way I want it too in a whole "Law of Attraction" sort of way. The scariest thing, though, is that in five years I'll be 30, going on 31. YIKES. And, as of right now, I have a lot of desire but very little direction. No one tells you life is going to be like this; no one tells you that somewhere after college you sort of get lost...

I think what I'll do is make a list, a list of things I want to come into my life, and read it once a month, just to focus myself.

Anyway, things are happening and I'm hoping that one of them will be the right thing.

Much love.

On the road again

Well, I packed for about 30 seconds today and I feel good about it. I HATE me some packing. Anyway, it's not too bad because it's mostly putting stuff back in the backpack I bought for the trip. I'm also adding the FABULOUS dress I bought at Gadzooks for $32. Hi, I'm in love with it and it's totally, like, 1977 Diana Ross-ish but not fancy and it's awesome. Anyway, can't WAIT to wear it. Can't wait to leave either.

I'm in this weird funk being home right now. It's like, I don't have a car to drive, I don't have a job but I can't really look too hard for one because they'd probably want to interview me in March and I'll be gone, my friends here are few, far between, and busy, and I'm feeling the general ickyness of life that I felt before I left for Korea over a year and a half ago. Only now I have a dog.

Speaking of, took him to the vet this week and he checked out fine, no structural or anatomical problems are causing his breathing weirdness. So we're thinking it's probably allergies or something. Hopefully we'll know for sure once I get back and have him checked out by internal medicine.

Not really much else to report. I'm kind of excited to take the airport shuttle from here instead of having someone drive me. It'll be like Korea!! And seriously, I hope the person who thought of that idea makes tons of money because they are SO SMART. :)

Not much else to report, just thought I should update one last time before I head out. I'm imagining I'll have internet access while I'm down under, so I may get a couple posts written from there. If not, I'll see you all when I get back.

Much love.