Why is it that the first week back from a break seems to be the hardest? Perhaps it's because we all want another week of break. Maybe it's the fact that the kids just had a week of break and don't want to be at school either. Whatever it is, this past week was like that. Luckily the week flew by. There were also parent-teacher conferences. I was only at one day of those because I did one day of elementary. I didn't see many people. Monday however, the stereo in my classroom bit the dust. I'm waiting for a third "appliance" to die on me. I already had the fridge and now the stereo. What's next? It makes it rather difficult to have music in a music classroom when there is no way to play the music.
I found out this past week that when all of the other classrooms are getting moved around for the remodel, I won't be. That's a good thing to hear, because it would take a lot of effort to move me. My classroom has soooooooo much stuff. Besides, who wants to deal with the amount of noise that I cause. We did the hokey pokey this week in most of my elementary classes, it was awesome. I've done some more "games" recently. My older classes also played a game called what's my instrument. They have the name of an instrument taped to their back and they can only ask yes or no questions to figure out what it is. They seemed to have a good time. Now if only I were getting them ready for the concert. I have so much to do in a short amount of time.
Three weeks till music fest. Once again there is a lot of work to be done. I think I may need to take a day off to work on things.
Saturday I went to town, as in Ketchikan. I borrowed a friends car so I could run some errands. I needed to go buy a new stereo for my classroom, don't worry I'm getting reimbursed for it. I also really needed to do a good grocery shop. I bought tons of groceries. I still don't have everything put away. I think I'll have enough food for the rest of the year. Ok not really, but close.
Sunday, after getting home from church, I made sauerkraut. I remember making it with my parent several times, but doing it by myself, was far more labor intensive. I know it'll be great when it's done, I just have to be patient and let it do it's thing. Last night I also went to a Singspirational. I got invited by a few of the people I know. It's held about 4 times a year and it's rotated between the 4 bigger churches. It was interesting to say the least. There were a couple times where I started to laugh. I've never been to any kind of "revival" but wow this was really different from what I'm used to seeing at church. It might as well have been a revival. All there was was singing and it was all religious. It was far bizarrer than anything I've ever experienced. I'm having a hard time thinking of words to describe it. They are having another one in May, I think I may stay home from that one. Or I'll be back in Illinois, either way I think it'll be better if I miss it. What a strange experience.
It's never a dull moment here.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Finally
I have a fridge. I have a fridge. I have a fridge. (Dances around singing). I have a fridge. I have a fridge.
Woohoo after two long weeks I have a functioning fridge. YAY!!!!!!
Did I mention I have a fridge?
Woohoo after two long weeks I have a functioning fridge. YAY!!!!!!
Did I mention I have a fridge?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Regionals, Spring break, and snow
Oops, it's been a while since I wrote on my blog. It's due temporary insanity, better known as life here in southeast Alaska.
I made it through Regionals with only minor scarring. I took 4 band students and we had a great time. I haven't played that much in a long time. I rocked out on the tuba, the trumpet and the COW BELL. My students think I'm weird. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a video up on youtube of me singing Hey Baby when the Sitka band played. I don't care. I'm weird and I know it. I had a pretty good time. I'm looking forward to taking my band, all 11 of them, to music fest in about a month. It'll be a blast.
Upon arriving home from regionals, I discovered that I'd run out of heating oil. Oops. I borrowed a space heater from a family from church and made sure I ordered more heating oil Monday. I also discovered that my freezer had stopped working. Isn't that exciting? Monday I called the gas station to order heating oil and my landlord to tell them about the freezer. Meanwhile, the fridge section decided it didn't want to work either. Tuesday, I locked myself out of my house and had to walk up to my landlords to get a spare key, walk home, unlock the door, and walk the spare key back to my landlord. I turned the fridge on the coldest setting, it's almost keeping things cold. My week kinda went on like that. Finally Friday we had our first day of spring break. I went to Ketchikan to look through the music library at the high school. I had a great time hanging out. I spent the night over at the band director's house. She and her husband have a 3 year old who is adorable. It was fun. I was supposed to head up to Wrangell on Sunday but Tasha called me and she had influenza. So we decided it was best if I didn't go up to visit her. Instead Saturday afternoon I went back to the island.
Everyday this week it has snowed. It's currently snowing. I know I live in Alaska but really, it's the first day of spring. And you can ask anyone here, this isn't typical. Yesterday it was nice enough to go do somethings outside. I've spent the week kinda cleaning my house. Kinda. My kitchen is clean, my living room is almost done, and the rest of the house isn't too bad. Yesterday afternoon a couple of friends showed up at my house and said they were there to see if I wanted to go to a party. It was awesome. We had good food, good company, and we played some fun games. We played dominoes, pit, and catch phrase. It was hilarious. I didn't take my phone with me because it's not that important. I missed 6 text messages and about 5 phone calls. Oh well. I also came home to a note from my landlord. I called them because they had checked the fridge and could find anything wrong with it. I explained that everything in my freezer was now freezer burned and my fridge was on the coldest setting and wasn't keeping things cold. Hopefully that's enough to get a new fridge. But with the weather being the way it is right now, I don't see it happening today. I appreciate the layed back attitude of the island but somethings need to have more of a sense of urgency. Oh well. I've lived two weeks now with a fridge on the fritz, what's a couple more days.
I know, I have a weird outlook on things. It's not the end of the world.
So this entire break, I've gone to bed at about my usual time and I've slept in to about 7 o'clock. This is of course after waking up at 5:30AM and rolling over and going back to sleep. My body doesn't know what vacation is anymore. That's sad.
In other news, I have my plane tickets to come home for the summer. Two months of me terrorizing the lower 48. It'll be fun!!!!
Oh and I finally (after 8 months) got my two bookcases together and painted.
I made it through Regionals with only minor scarring. I took 4 band students and we had a great time. I haven't played that much in a long time. I rocked out on the tuba, the trumpet and the COW BELL. My students think I'm weird. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a video up on youtube of me singing Hey Baby when the Sitka band played. I don't care. I'm weird and I know it. I had a pretty good time. I'm looking forward to taking my band, all 11 of them, to music fest in about a month. It'll be a blast.
Upon arriving home from regionals, I discovered that I'd run out of heating oil. Oops. I borrowed a space heater from a family from church and made sure I ordered more heating oil Monday. I also discovered that my freezer had stopped working. Isn't that exciting? Monday I called the gas station to order heating oil and my landlord to tell them about the freezer. Meanwhile, the fridge section decided it didn't want to work either. Tuesday, I locked myself out of my house and had to walk up to my landlords to get a spare key, walk home, unlock the door, and walk the spare key back to my landlord. I turned the fridge on the coldest setting, it's almost keeping things cold. My week kinda went on like that. Finally Friday we had our first day of spring break. I went to Ketchikan to look through the music library at the high school. I had a great time hanging out. I spent the night over at the band director's house. She and her husband have a 3 year old who is adorable. It was fun. I was supposed to head up to Wrangell on Sunday but Tasha called me and she had influenza. So we decided it was best if I didn't go up to visit her. Instead Saturday afternoon I went back to the island.
Everyday this week it has snowed. It's currently snowing. I know I live in Alaska but really, it's the first day of spring. And you can ask anyone here, this isn't typical. Yesterday it was nice enough to go do somethings outside. I've spent the week kinda cleaning my house. Kinda. My kitchen is clean, my living room is almost done, and the rest of the house isn't too bad. Yesterday afternoon a couple of friends showed up at my house and said they were there to see if I wanted to go to a party. It was awesome. We had good food, good company, and we played some fun games. We played dominoes, pit, and catch phrase. It was hilarious. I didn't take my phone with me because it's not that important. I missed 6 text messages and about 5 phone calls. Oh well. I also came home to a note from my landlord. I called them because they had checked the fridge and could find anything wrong with it. I explained that everything in my freezer was now freezer burned and my fridge was on the coldest setting and wasn't keeping things cold. Hopefully that's enough to get a new fridge. But with the weather being the way it is right now, I don't see it happening today. I appreciate the layed back attitude of the island but somethings need to have more of a sense of urgency. Oh well. I've lived two weeks now with a fridge on the fritz, what's a couple more days.
I know, I have a weird outlook on things. It's not the end of the world.
So this entire break, I've gone to bed at about my usual time and I've slept in to about 7 o'clock. This is of course after waking up at 5:30AM and rolling over and going back to sleep. My body doesn't know what vacation is anymore. That's sad.
In other news, I have my plane tickets to come home for the summer. Two months of me terrorizing the lower 48. It'll be fun!!!!
Oh and I finally (after 8 months) got my two bookcases together and painted.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Brownies, fry bread, and.....
My bruises and ankle are healing well. My black eye is almost gone. It's only been two weeks. And what a busy two weeks it's been. To recap.... they handed out contracts, and yes I got one, we had a hazing incident which resulted in 5 suspended kids, two suspended coaches, lots of rumors, clearer traveling policies, and new responsibilities for me and the pep club advisor. What else has happened, oh the town has been in a bit of an uproar too because of it all (not my contract). Now Bristol and I are the teachers in charge of the cheerleaders. More Bristol than me because I'm pretty busy with pep band. And I've heard about it from Bristol ever since.
In other news, I've just about finished filing all the music in my music library. Go me. I need another filing cabinet, that's my current hold up. The second round of tie dye turned out great too. This coming week is Regionals, which is in Ketchikan and I will be gone from Tuesday till Sunday for it.
Other than the above mentioned things, life has been pretty calm. I made homemade brownies yesterday. Very awesome. Today I visited some friends and we had fry bread. Yum.
I guess the biggest news of all is in regards to my contract. Well as I said above, they offered me a contract for next year and....(I know the suspense is killing you).....I signed it. I will be here next year. My band kids are elated.
I plan on being back in the state of Insanity, I mean Illinois for a good chunk of the summer. I should be home all of June and July. This means road trip!!! and the county fair, and a the zoo with my adorable cousins, and I could go on forever. It'll be a fun trip and I even plan on doing some canning.
Well it will be exciting.
In other news, I've just about finished filing all the music in my music library. Go me. I need another filing cabinet, that's my current hold up. The second round of tie dye turned out great too. This coming week is Regionals, which is in Ketchikan and I will be gone from Tuesday till Sunday for it.
Other than the above mentioned things, life has been pretty calm. I made homemade brownies yesterday. Very awesome. Today I visited some friends and we had fry bread. Yum.
I guess the biggest news of all is in regards to my contract. Well as I said above, they offered me a contract for next year and....(I know the suspense is killing you).....I signed it. I will be here next year. My band kids are elated.
I plan on being back in the state of Insanity, I mean Illinois for a good chunk of the summer. I should be home all of June and July. This means road trip!!! and the county fair, and a the zoo with my adorable cousins, and I could go on forever. It'll be a fun trip and I even plan on doing some canning.
Well it will be exciting.
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