Thursday, July 31, 2008

I hate...

job hunting. I guess that is why I applied to 3 school districts back in December. Apparently that wasn't to my advantage.

2 of them contacted me in January. Both of the people who contacted me from those districts no longer work in their positions.

And the people who have replaced them apparently don't know how to answer their phones or return messages.

So now I am trying to decide if I should just look elsewhere (outside of education). Grrrrr. How come everyone says that schools are desperate for teachers and I am a teacher desperate for a school?

Thanks for listening. I will go fill out another application now.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Oh yeah...

I am going to class and learning stuff too.

Like tomorrow we are going RAFTING! Man, I like this grad school thing. :) It is our last day so we will spend the afternoon floating down the river. Apparently there aren't really any rapids so we really will just be floating. Good times.

Then I will be driving Rachel home to Idaho. Can't wait to see all my Idaho & Utah peeps. And to eat at Sonic, Craigo's and Fong's. And shop at Porter's and Artco. And go to the Rexburg temple.

Ellensburg has been fun. But I am ready to leave. I have sneezed AT LEAST once everyday while I have been here. Maybe I am allergic to communal showers. Or learning. Or my roommate. Ha!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

2 classes down- 1 to go

Our adventures in dorm living continues.




There are only 8 of us living in our entire dorm. Everyone (other than my roommate and I) are from Washington or Oregon and thus go home for the weekends.




This weekend we have had the entire building to ourselves. Sometimes creepy. Sometimes not so creepy.






Here are some of the adventures we have had so far-


Last weekend we drove to Seattle to visit my former roommate Amanda. Her and her hubby are living there for the summer. Perfect timing. She took us to Pikes Place Market.

Too many people. But so many delicious cherries. I bought 1 1/2 pounds and had the majority of them eaten before we left. Sooo yummy. Look at the yummy veggies.


I think I want to blow up this picture for my classroom.



Fun buskers singing Beatles songs.


Scary half mullet half dred headed guys making donuts. It was more entertaining watching him put them in the bag than it was eating them.



My cherries were so tasty... I was dreaming of more the rest of the weekend. So on Tuesday I drove to the nearest fruit stand to buy more. 7 pounds more. I still have a few left but not for long. I also bought a BOX of apples. It was only 74 cents a pound to buy them that way. How can you say no. Especially when they are 3 dollars a pound in the stores.



We have gone out to dinner as a cohort (the 10 people in our class) every Thursday for the last 2 weeks. Last week we went for half price appetizers at a place called Roadhouse. This Thursday we went to the Palace Cafe. They had 50 cent taco Thursdays.


Here is the 50 cent taco. I hope they don't charge much more than that on other days. It ain't worth it.


I had a bunch of free movie passes so we have been taking advantage of them. Last week we saw Hancock (2 thumbs up) and Get Smart (2 thumbs down). Yesterday we saw Momma Mia (2 thumbs up). I am excited for the X Files movie this weekend! Hopefully I can find someone in Utah or Idaho to go see it with me. I have a free ticket!!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I didn't tell you? I guess it's none of your business.

Apparently an explanation is needed.

I got accepted into a Master's program at Central Washington University which is located in Ellensburg, Washington. Literally the center of Washington. It is an online program made especially for teachers. So to lighten the work load during the school year, they have a 3 week on-campus session in the summer. That is where I am. I attend class each day for 3 weeks and will have completed 3 classes!! Next summer, I will come back to Ellensburg and complete 3 more classes.
So in 3 weeks, I will return to Canada.

Any questions?

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Matriculating in July

After being home for 4 days, it was time to head back to the US of A. But this time I headed for Washington state rather than Washington DC. I began my 11 hour drive with a stop at Peter's in Calgary. I got a Chocolate Creme de Menthe Oreo milkshake. It was so thick but delicious.
I just had to stop in Sparwood, B.C. to take a picture of the largest truck in the world. It was honkin'. (i haven't said that in a REALLY long time).
My first stop was in Spokane to visit my former Ricks roomie, Mikaela. She was kind enough to let me stay with her for 2 nights. And she even let me go to church with her. I almost had to leave Sacrament meeting and Relief Society because I couldn't stop laughing. There was a pregnant lady who kept making this weird noise that was a mix between dry heave/gagging/cat coughing up a hair ball/squeaky toy being stepped on. Everyone else acted like it ain't no thang. I- on the other hand- thought it was one of the oddest things I have EVER heard.
After Church I picked up my friend Rachel from the bus stop and we began our journey to Ellensburg, WA to start grad school at Central Washington University. It is an interesting town. It makes Rexburg, Idaho
look like a booming metropolis.
We found our dorm room and got settled in. Here is Rachel pondering the Sciences of Family Consumers.
Or else watching tv.
We did some rearranging of the furniture so our beds faced the tv and the fan. 2 VERY important features.
Here is the other desk where I am sure we will be very studious when we aren't watching TV or blogging. :)
Our cute retro metal dressers.
Our fun fridge/ microwave combo. They are attached and plug-in with just one plug! Fascinating.
The waiting room for the college boys who can't wait to take me to the cafeteria for all you can eat ice cream. It's a sacrifice I am willing to make since Rachel is married and has 2 kids.
The bathroom we get to share with our entire floor. Except the only people we have seen so far were a man and his little daughter.

The shower room. Which is literally a room of showers. I am scared. I don't normally shower so close to perfect strangers.

Or even my loved ones. If you want to have a shower party in the shower room, there is seating available for 3.

This makes me so grateful I didn't live in the dorms at all during my many years of matriculating.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Tagerino

My former roomie Midge tagged me. So here we go:

4 places I go over and over again:
*this is hard for me as I have been TOTALLY out of my routine since school ended and moving...
so I will predict the future
my sister Kim's house
my sister Andrea's house
my sister Kristi's house
my sister Jill's house


4 people who e-mail me regularly:
Rachel (my grad school buddy)
my Aunt Donna-Fay
my family
my bank


4 places I would rather be right now:
Target
my bed
Hawaii
Sonic :)


4 people I talk to on a regular basis:
Rachel (my grad school buddy)
Alisa (my former Vegas roomie)
my family
myself :)


4 favorite places to eat:
Sonic
Chipotle
Chick-fil-A
Pei Wei (I have only eaten there once but it was SOO good I want to eat there every day!)


4 shows I would watch over & over:
Alias
the Office
Arrested Development
Malcolm in the Middle