I got a job. Woo hoo! They said they were doing interviews today and tomorrow, so they would try to make a decision by tomorrow afternoon. But they called me this afternoon and offered me a job. Yay!!!
So as of August 15th, I'll be a teaching assistant for the Math and Science classes at East Shore High School in Orem.
And Daddy especially, if you're reading this, please don't laugh too hard.
My first choice would have been Social Studies, and then PE/Health. Math and Science was my third choice, right above Business, which I wouldn't be qualified for AT ALL. I took math in high school-- my junior year. I passed Bio 100 and Physical Science 100 at BYU... ]like 7+ years ago. And yet, somehow, I'm supposed to help kids with their math and science work.
EEEEEEEeeeeeeeek!
However, I am just the teaching assistant. There will be an actual teacher there who will know something about math and/or science.
And I am a fairly competent person. I learned all this stuff once, and I can figure it out again. Plus the kids have to write essays for every packet they finish, and I am quite good at writing. Maybe that will be my focus.
Either way, I'm super excited for my job. It will be challenging. The kids at this school are generally ones who failed out of the regular high school, and they're not very motivated to do well in school.
But I like people. And the harder I have to work to like someone, the more I end up caring about them. I'm sure I'll have good days and bad days, but all in all, it should be a good experience.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Art
Once in a while, I get sick of just sitting around the house. Most of my day is comprised of working on school (via the internet), cooking, cleaning my house, and perhaps doing some yardwork. I get to see the people at church once a week, and the Young Women again on Wednesdays. Then Thursday I have Two Good Things, which is my writing group. And I see a lot of Kevin, who works from home 95% of the time. It's a good life, but sometimes I need... a field trip.
So tonight we rode our bikes to Springville. We went to dinner at the Art City Trolley restaurant. The food was good, and there was a neat little ambience, what with the front of the restaurant being a trolley and all. Then we continued our ride to the Springville Art Museum, which is FREE! I didn't know that from the onset, but I was determined to go do something fun, even if it cost ridiculous amounts, as the museums in China do.
The current exhibit, lo and behold, is a quilt show! They were exquisite! It was fun to view them from across the room to see their general look, and then to view them up close to see the immaculate stitching and quilting. Part of me would start to think, "Wow, someday I could..." but before I would finish that thought, the rest of me was reeling with, "I can imagine the extremely freakish amount of time and patience it would take to make something even half this awesome, and I don't have it!"
So I didn't come home wanting to make a quilt to someday put in the quilt show in Springville. Plus, we will be moving in another year, and I don't think I could finish one in that short a time period. Some of the quilts had taken the artist like 5 years! 5 YEARS!!
I like making simple baby quilts. I start them, I finish them, I move on to something else in my life. I think it's the OCD in me that keeps me working at something until I finish with it, and if it's something huge, it keeps me hating it until I'm finished.
And I have a job interview tomorrow! I'm hoping and praying I get this one, so feel free to join in!
So tonight we rode our bikes to Springville. We went to dinner at the Art City Trolley restaurant. The food was good, and there was a neat little ambience, what with the front of the restaurant being a trolley and all. Then we continued our ride to the Springville Art Museum, which is FREE! I didn't know that from the onset, but I was determined to go do something fun, even if it cost ridiculous amounts, as the museums in China do.
The current exhibit, lo and behold, is a quilt show! They were exquisite! It was fun to view them from across the room to see their general look, and then to view them up close to see the immaculate stitching and quilting. Part of me would start to think, "Wow, someday I could..." but before I would finish that thought, the rest of me was reeling with, "I can imagine the extremely freakish amount of time and patience it would take to make something even half this awesome, and I don't have it!"
So I didn't come home wanting to make a quilt to someday put in the quilt show in Springville. Plus, we will be moving in another year, and I don't think I could finish one in that short a time period. Some of the quilts had taken the artist like 5 years! 5 YEARS!!
I like making simple baby quilts. I start them, I finish them, I move on to something else in my life. I think it's the OCD in me that keeps me working at something until I finish with it, and if it's something huge, it keeps me hating it until I'm finished.
And I have a job interview tomorrow! I'm hoping and praying I get this one, so feel free to join in!
They DID receive it!
So I wasn't allowed to enter a story that had previously been published, even on a blog. But it doesn't say I can't later publish it to my blog. :) I got an email on Monday saying they'd received my story. That's a day-and-a-half later, not the one hour later they'd said they would send confirmation emails, but whatever.
So here is my wonderful, earth-shattering story. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I was happy to actually finish it.
So here is my wonderful, earth-shattering story. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I was happy to actually finish it.
Weekly Escape
The fugitive was on the run. Recently escaped from a prison in the middle of the Arizona desert, Joe had subsisted so far by eating the watery insides of cactus plants. Now, nearing midnight by his nearest estimation, he was on the run again. Just over the hill, according to prison legend, was a road with a lone service station.
Sure enough, as he neared the top of the hill, he could see a faint glow of light, and then a dinosaur Sinclair sign. Those had always been his favorite gas stations, ever since he was a boy. Parked next to the closest gas pump was a black Corvette Stingray, and the owner was inside chatting with the swing shift attendant over a cup of coffee.
The stupid man had left his keys in the car, so Joe jumped in, threw it into gear, and pealed out into the night.
He swerved between late-night semi trucks and the occasional car. A few miles from the service station, he glanced in the mirror to see flashing red lights behind him. In his well-practiced prison vocabulary, he cursed the cops now on his trail and smashed down the gas pedal, putting several more big rigs between them and himself. Any minute now he’d be seeing the Mexican border, and he would be free.
Just as that thought ran through his head, though, he crested a hill, showing him an entire blockade of police cars covering the road in front of him. Cursing again, he took the Stingray for a crash course in off-roading. Several cruisers left their posts and followed him across the sandy desert.
“Oh yeah?” Joe sneered as he watched the speedometer steadily rising, “I bet you weren’t expecting this!” He cranked the e-brake, turning more than a full circle and coming to a complete stop. A ring of cop cars formed around him, illuminating the falling dust. A loudspeaker told him to step out of the car, but Joe had something else in mind.
Now facing the direction he came from, he gunned the engine, clipping the corners of two police cars, ramming one into the car beside it, but avoiding any substantial damage to his Corvette. Joe raced back towards the highway, police in hot pursuit, and felt himself catch air when he sped up the road’s shoulder. But instead of coming down with a bump, the momentum of the car kept it moving upwards.
He opened the window, stuck his head out, and shouted, “Ha ha, suckers! You’ll never catch me now!” The police below fired their guns at him, knocking off a side mirror but then missing him completely as he flew out of range. Gaining altitude, the cars below him faded into the night. But now two helicopters came flying towards him. Their searchlights waved through the night, occasionally flooding his car with blinding light.
One of the choppers cut him off, and he had to swerve desperately to avoid flying right into the circling blades. This turned him to directly face the helicopter behind him, a Vietnam-era army machine, complete with firing capabilities, each gun focused on him. The blades were so close that he could hear nothing but the “Thb thb thb thb thb” of the whirling blades, which was occasionally interrupted by the fluttering “Tck tck tck tck” of the machine guns firing at him.
Joe did everything he could to maneuver away from those helicopters, trying first to outrun them, then to fool them by diving to the ground and then pulling up at the last minute. Nothing fazed these guys. No matter what he did, they were right there on his tail, seeming to anticipate his every move.
On one of those dives, he saw a road leading through some overhanging trees, leaving just enough space for a car, but no possible way for two helicopters with their swiping blades to make it through all those thick branches. If he angled it just right, he could squeeze through the trees and land softly in the shady glen. He lined up his car and started his descent.
But suddenly, Joe felt as if he was no longer in control of the car, but that an enormous, invisible hand had grabbed it and hurriedly dropped it. He and the Stingray fell unceremoniously into a giant pit, followed immediately by the two helicopters, each bouncing slightly as it hit the bottom.
“Okay, Timmy, it’s time to go home.”
Timmy’s mom threw the rest of the toys into the toy bin, and before he knew it, Timmy was being dragged out the door into the parking lot.
“Mom, just a second. I have to do something.” And before the bell had stopped tinkling from their exit, Timmy yanked the door open and ran back into the waiting room. The receptionist winked at him and then turned back to her computer. Timmy dug through the toys to find the black Corvette Stingray, which he then tucked behind an old copy of National Geographic in the magazine stand.
He turned to the receptionist. “Make sure no one buys this one, okay?”
The receptionist smiled. “Of course not, hon.” And then to Timmy’s mom in the doorway she said, “And we’ll see you next week, then. Be sure to let us know if there is any unusual swelling or discomfort from the allergy shots.”
The fugitive was on the run. Recently escaped from a prison in the middle of the Arizona desert, Joe had subsisted so far by eating the watery insides of cactus plants. Now, nearing midnight by his nearest estimation, he was on the run again. Just over the hill, according to prison legend, was a road with a lone service station.
Sure enough, as he neared the top of the hill, he could see a faint glow of light, and then a dinosaur Sinclair sign. Those had always been his favorite gas stations, ever since he was a boy. Parked next to the closest gas pump was a black Corvette Stingray, and the owner was inside chatting with the swing shift attendant over a cup of coffee.
The stupid man had left his keys in the car, so Joe jumped in, threw it into gear, and pealed out into the night.
He swerved between late-night semi trucks and the occasional car. A few miles from the service station, he glanced in the mirror to see flashing red lights behind him. In his well-practiced prison vocabulary, he cursed the cops now on his trail and smashed down the gas pedal, putting several more big rigs between them and himself. Any minute now he’d be seeing the Mexican border, and he would be free.
Just as that thought ran through his head, though, he crested a hill, showing him an entire blockade of police cars covering the road in front of him. Cursing again, he took the Stingray for a crash course in off-roading. Several cruisers left their posts and followed him across the sandy desert.
“Oh yeah?” Joe sneered as he watched the speedometer steadily rising, “I bet you weren’t expecting this!” He cranked the e-brake, turning more than a full circle and coming to a complete stop. A ring of cop cars formed around him, illuminating the falling dust. A loudspeaker told him to step out of the car, but Joe had something else in mind.
Now facing the direction he came from, he gunned the engine, clipping the corners of two police cars, ramming one into the car beside it, but avoiding any substantial damage to his Corvette. Joe raced back towards the highway, police in hot pursuit, and felt himself catch air when he sped up the road’s shoulder. But instead of coming down with a bump, the momentum of the car kept it moving upwards.
He opened the window, stuck his head out, and shouted, “Ha ha, suckers! You’ll never catch me now!” The police below fired their guns at him, knocking off a side mirror but then missing him completely as he flew out of range. Gaining altitude, the cars below him faded into the night. But now two helicopters came flying towards him. Their searchlights waved through the night, occasionally flooding his car with blinding light.
One of the choppers cut him off, and he had to swerve desperately to avoid flying right into the circling blades. This turned him to directly face the helicopter behind him, a Vietnam-era army machine, complete with firing capabilities, each gun focused on him. The blades were so close that he could hear nothing but the “Thb thb thb thb thb” of the whirling blades, which was occasionally interrupted by the fluttering “Tck tck tck tck” of the machine guns firing at him.
Joe did everything he could to maneuver away from those helicopters, trying first to outrun them, then to fool them by diving to the ground and then pulling up at the last minute. Nothing fazed these guys. No matter what he did, they were right there on his tail, seeming to anticipate his every move.
On one of those dives, he saw a road leading through some overhanging trees, leaving just enough space for a car, but no possible way for two helicopters with their swiping blades to make it through all those thick branches. If he angled it just right, he could squeeze through the trees and land softly in the shady glen. He lined up his car and started his descent.
But suddenly, Joe felt as if he was no longer in control of the car, but that an enormous, invisible hand had grabbed it and hurriedly dropped it. He and the Stingray fell unceremoniously into a giant pit, followed immediately by the two helicopters, each bouncing slightly as it hit the bottom.
“Okay, Timmy, it’s time to go home.”
Timmy’s mom threw the rest of the toys into the toy bin, and before he knew it, Timmy was being dragged out the door into the parking lot.
“Mom, just a second. I have to do something.” And before the bell had stopped tinkling from their exit, Timmy yanked the door open and ran back into the waiting room. The receptionist winked at him and then turned back to her computer. Timmy dug through the toys to find the black Corvette Stingray, which he then tucked behind an old copy of National Geographic in the magazine stand.
He turned to the receptionist. “Make sure no one buys this one, okay?”
The receptionist smiled. “Of course not, hon.” And then to Timmy’s mom in the doorway she said, “And we’ll see you next week, then. Be sure to let us know if there is any unusual swelling or discomfort from the allergy shots.”
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Crabby Crabby
I entered a 24-hour short fiction contest. I've entered it 3 times now, but this is the first time I've actually had the opportunity to sit down and write it on the day they send the prompt. One time I didn't check my email that day (and missed the contest), and another time I was helping Sarah move all her stuff into my living room and packing my stuff to "move to China."
So I was pretty happy to sit down and actually write this story. I had a lame idea at first, but I didn't write much of it (like 3 lines of an outline) before I went to the movies with Kevin. We went to see The Incredible Hulk. It was Incredibly boring (no plot, no internal drive to the movie... just a couple fight scenes in between Bruce Banner's trying not to turn into the green guy), so while I was watching it, I had time to think of my story.
I liked Transformers, except for the scene at the end (ok, the last half of the movie) where Optimus Prime is fighting Megatron. It felt like watching a 6-year-old boy play with action figures, complete with the "I am Optimus Prime," "I am Megatron," bam, bap, crash pow! The voices were a bit deeper, and the special effects more vivid-- more vivid than when I watch the child playing. But I'm sure that little boy sees and hears his toys exactly as they appear on the movie screen.
And that's what The Incredible Hulk felt like too.
And that helped me write my story.
I finished it last night and submitted it. An hour later I still hadn't received an email confirming they'd received it, so I went to bed.
This morning I still hadn't received a confirmation email, so I re-sent my story, and sent a second email hoping that they received it. Then after church today (which is after the 24-hour deadline), I still hadn't received a confirmation email.
Blah! I don't think they got my story. I am so sad! And crabby!
It was really good. It had a word limit, so it wasn't as rambling as this blog post. It had a good ending, so I think it had a good chance at winning the contest (based on past winners which all were based LOOSELY on the given topic/prompt and then had a twist/surprise ending). I'll post it here, but not today.
So I was pretty happy to sit down and actually write this story. I had a lame idea at first, but I didn't write much of it (like 3 lines of an outline) before I went to the movies with Kevin. We went to see The Incredible Hulk. It was Incredibly boring (no plot, no internal drive to the movie... just a couple fight scenes in between Bruce Banner's trying not to turn into the green guy), so while I was watching it, I had time to think of my story.
I liked Transformers, except for the scene at the end (ok, the last half of the movie) where Optimus Prime is fighting Megatron. It felt like watching a 6-year-old boy play with action figures, complete with the "I am Optimus Prime," "I am Megatron," bam, bap, crash pow! The voices were a bit deeper, and the special effects more vivid-- more vivid than when I watch the child playing. But I'm sure that little boy sees and hears his toys exactly as they appear on the movie screen.
And that's what The Incredible Hulk felt like too.
And that helped me write my story.
I finished it last night and submitted it. An hour later I still hadn't received an email confirming they'd received it, so I went to bed.
This morning I still hadn't received a confirmation email, so I re-sent my story, and sent a second email hoping that they received it. Then after church today (which is after the 24-hour deadline), I still hadn't received a confirmation email.
Blah! I don't think they got my story. I am so sad! And crabby!
It was really good. It had a word limit, so it wasn't as rambling as this blog post. It had a good ending, so I think it had a good chance at winning the contest (based on past winners which all were based LOOSELY on the given topic/prompt and then had a twist/surprise ending). I'll post it here, but not today.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Well... not too many people remember things we've done... That's okay. I remember enough random details from my past to fill up several lifetimes, if that's possible.
And I haven't yet heard back from that job I applied for, so I applied for a couple more. They are ESL teaching assistant jobs, and they have the word "bilingual" in the title. I assumed that meant you have to speak English and Spanish. But after reading the actual job description, I can't find anything that says that. So, I figure it means that I'd be working with bilingual students. Either way, I AM bilingual... I just don't speak Spanish. Be specific, people!
I have snow peas, lettuce, zucchini, and yellow squash in my garden right now. I wish I had more zucchini, but it looks like a couple of the zucchini plants turned out to be yellow squash or else some weird hybrid squash instead of zucchini. Blah! I wanted ZUCCHINI!
And I haven't yet heard back from that job I applied for, so I applied for a couple more. They are ESL teaching assistant jobs, and they have the word "bilingual" in the title. I assumed that meant you have to speak English and Spanish. But after reading the actual job description, I can't find anything that says that. So, I figure it means that I'd be working with bilingual students. Either way, I AM bilingual... I just don't speak Spanish. Be specific, people!
I have snow peas, lettuce, zucchini, and yellow squash in my garden right now. I wish I had more zucchini, but it looks like a couple of the zucchini plants turned out to be yellow squash or else some weird hybrid squash instead of zucchini. Blah! I wanted ZUCCHINI!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Memories
I have seen this on a few blogs and I think it is a cute idea!
If you want to play along, feel free to, I would love to hear from you all!
1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is the most memorable for you.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you...!
3. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. And please do this on your page, too, so we can all share in the fun times together. :)
Monday, July 21, 2008
I applied for.... a job!
I've been looking for jobs, and I haven't been terribly successful, hence the current unemployment. But now there are a lot of postings for education-related jobs coming up in the fall (i.e. August, which is not fall at all, but don't get me started). I've been looking through them but still haven't been impressed. There was a 3-hour per day job at an elementary school 4 miles away. And then there was an afterschool Colorguard instructor position just 2 miles further. I tried to apply for them, but the website wasn't exactly user friendly, so it didn't happen. And now the Colorguard position is filled, and I don't want to work half-time at an elementary school.
I'm working on a degree in Secondary education. I like teaching actual subjects, not "how to sit in a chair and hold a pencil."
So I finally found a job that sounds interesting, challenging, and totally doable. It's a teacher assistant job at an alternative high school in Orem. I'd be basically tutoring small groups of students in all sorts of areas.
Now back in 2005, I substituted a few days at Provo's alternative high school. I had to bite my lips to keep from crying because they were SO disrespectful and frustrating. I'd give them the assignment, hand out books, offer my help, and they would... not do what I said. But imagine it from their perspective: First of all, you have a problem with authority. Now bring in some goody-two-shoes little substitute teacher who starts bossing you around. If you don't do what she says, then what? Absolutely nothing. You might get a reprimand from the teacher when he gets back. Um... totally worth not doing the school work.
Plus it was an auto shop class, and they were doing busy work out of the books. I would have been sassy and rude too!
But when you get a steady class, or at least a routine, the students get to know you. And I've found that once I get to know students and show them respect (expecting respect back), thing work out pretty well. I know it will be hard, and I know it will stretch my patience. But I think this would do wonders for my experience. If I can do this, I can do anything!
I'm working on a degree in Secondary education. I like teaching actual subjects, not "how to sit in a chair and hold a pencil."
So I finally found a job that sounds interesting, challenging, and totally doable. It's a teacher assistant job at an alternative high school in Orem. I'd be basically tutoring small groups of students in all sorts of areas.
Now back in 2005, I substituted a few days at Provo's alternative high school. I had to bite my lips to keep from crying because they were SO disrespectful and frustrating. I'd give them the assignment, hand out books, offer my help, and they would... not do what I said. But imagine it from their perspective: First of all, you have a problem with authority. Now bring in some goody-two-shoes little substitute teacher who starts bossing you around. If you don't do what she says, then what? Absolutely nothing. You might get a reprimand from the teacher when he gets back. Um... totally worth not doing the school work.
Plus it was an auto shop class, and they were doing busy work out of the books. I would have been sassy and rude too!
But when you get a steady class, or at least a routine, the students get to know you. And I've found that once I get to know students and show them respect (expecting respect back), thing work out pretty well. I know it will be hard, and I know it will stretch my patience. But I think this would do wonders for my experience. If I can do this, I can do anything!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Youth Conference
Hmmm... I just noticed that I never wrote about Youth Conference. Well, that might be because I'm still trying to finish up homework from the class for which I have been almost completely MIA. Today I got a ton of stuff done around the house... but very little homework.
So Youth Conference.
We drove out to Vernal and did baptisms in the Vernal Temple. Then we drove up to Flaming Gorge. We camped a little ways away from the reservoir, and the first night, after we set up camp (all the girls in one large tent, and the boys had all brought individual tents.... hmmm... boys and girls are different!), we went on a hike out to an overlook of the reservoir. We got there just as the sun was setting, and it was truly one of the most spectacular vistas I've ever seen! The lake makes S curves through the mesas, and there were little bits of sparkling water off in the distance as far as you could see. The pine trees there are Ponderosas, so the whole place smelled like vanilla and pine. I tried to search for an online picture that captured it, but there are none. It may be the most beautiful place I've ever been to... and that says a lot!
So the next day we went rafting in the Green River. I was a bit nervous going through the rapids with all these teenagers who had brought water guns and made plans to flood each other's boats. But the rapids were few and far between. There was a lot of paddling and duldrums, so that's where the water fights happened. The boys all hopped into one boat and made like pirates. They would beat the sides of the boat and sing the beginning of The Eye of the Tiger. Then they'd chant, "Men! Men! Men! Men!" as they caught up to the boat they would then waterlog.
It was really fun! I was on the dry boat, whatever that meant.
Then we had lunch and went boating. It was incredibly choppy water, but I managed to get up on one ski. It was a mega-fatty ski-- probably as wide as two regular skis. But if that's what it takes to get up, hey, I'll take it.
And that was basically it. I think the funnest part was to see all the girls flirting with a couple of the boys. Were we that obvious when we were that age? I think not. But then again, I don't think I knew what flirting was until college... and then my awkward attempts showed that I should have probably practiced back when I was in YW.
Ahhh... Youth Conference.
So Youth Conference.
We drove out to Vernal and did baptisms in the Vernal Temple. Then we drove up to Flaming Gorge. We camped a little ways away from the reservoir, and the first night, after we set up camp (all the girls in one large tent, and the boys had all brought individual tents.... hmmm... boys and girls are different!), we went on a hike out to an overlook of the reservoir. We got there just as the sun was setting, and it was truly one of the most spectacular vistas I've ever seen! The lake makes S curves through the mesas, and there were little bits of sparkling water off in the distance as far as you could see. The pine trees there are Ponderosas, so the whole place smelled like vanilla and pine. I tried to search for an online picture that captured it, but there are none. It may be the most beautiful place I've ever been to... and that says a lot!
So the next day we went rafting in the Green River. I was a bit nervous going through the rapids with all these teenagers who had brought water guns and made plans to flood each other's boats. But the rapids were few and far between. There was a lot of paddling and duldrums, so that's where the water fights happened. The boys all hopped into one boat and made like pirates. They would beat the sides of the boat and sing the beginning of The Eye of the Tiger. Then they'd chant, "Men! Men! Men! Men!" as they caught up to the boat they would then waterlog.
It was really fun! I was on the dry boat, whatever that meant.
Then we had lunch and went boating. It was incredibly choppy water, but I managed to get up on one ski. It was a mega-fatty ski-- probably as wide as two regular skis. But if that's what it takes to get up, hey, I'll take it.
And that was basically it. I think the funnest part was to see all the girls flirting with a couple of the boys. Were we that obvious when we were that age? I think not. But then again, I don't think I knew what flirting was until college... and then my awkward attempts showed that I should have probably practiced back when I was in YW.
Ahhh... Youth Conference.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Suspense
I like to write, and I harbor a secret dream (if you still think it's secret after I tell EVERYONE) to someday write-- and finish-- a book. I write scenes, and I ponder ideas. I read books in my favorite genre, the one I'd like to add to, the noble genre of crappy teen chick lit.
But I notice that the biggest flaw in my writing is that I have no concept of suspense. If I think of something, I mention it. If I know how the story will turn out, I have no idea how to drop subtle hints instead of saying, "OK, and this is how it ends."
I was talking to my mom about this when we were at Lake Tahoe last week. She laughed and agreed with me. One of the family stories about me is that when I was little and my grandpa would come to visit, I'd get super excited! Erik and I would go hide behind the couch or something so he could come find us. But right when Grandpa would walk into the room, I'd jump out from behind the couch and yell, "Here we are, Grandpa!"
But I notice that the biggest flaw in my writing is that I have no concept of suspense. If I think of something, I mention it. If I know how the story will turn out, I have no idea how to drop subtle hints instead of saying, "OK, and this is how it ends."
I was talking to my mom about this when we were at Lake Tahoe last week. She laughed and agreed with me. One of the family stories about me is that when I was little and my grandpa would come to visit, I'd get super excited! Erik and I would go hide behind the couch or something so he could come find us. But right when Grandpa would walk into the room, I'd jump out from behind the couch and yell, "Here we are, Grandpa!"
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Homework--or lack thereof
So why am I becoming a teacher if I can't even do the homework MY teachers assign me?
College teacher, take heart. My high school teachers are wondering the same thing.
I tried (and partially succeeded) to do a week's worth of homework in one day: today. I did a lot. I finished all the group assignments. I did all my participation. I just have a few things hanging over me... and I will proceed to forget about them until I get back from Youth Conference this Saturday.
Yup, I'm home for one day and then leaving tomorrow. This has not been great for my grades. I hope to pull a B. If I get a C, it won't be for lack of trying. It will be for taking a 4-week class during a 3-week series of houseguests, vacations, and Youth Conference. Poor me. :)
Movie Quote:
Snorkles... Albuquerque... See? I can do it too!
College teacher, take heart. My high school teachers are wondering the same thing.
I tried (and partially succeeded) to do a week's worth of homework in one day: today. I did a lot. I finished all the group assignments. I did all my participation. I just have a few things hanging over me... and I will proceed to forget about them until I get back from Youth Conference this Saturday.
Yup, I'm home for one day and then leaving tomorrow. This has not been great for my grades. I hope to pull a B. If I get a C, it won't be for lack of trying. It will be for taking a 4-week class during a 3-week series of houseguests, vacations, and Youth Conference. Poor me. :)
Movie Quote:
Snorkles... Albuquerque... See? I can do it too!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
I'm Baaaack!
I just got back this afternoon from Lake Tahoe with my family. Kevin and I decided that once we finish the little pond in our backyard, we will call it Lake Tahoe.
I had an awesome time with the lake, the water, and my family. I am taking classes online, and they did not let up for the Independence Day holiday. Neither do my grandparents have the internet at their cabin. So Alex (my ingenius but frustrating brother) just rode the golf cart around the area, refreshing his network list until he found a decent, unblocked network. So I'd drive out there, work on my classes for about 20 minutes until my battery died, and then freak out because it had died right in the middle of something.
The reason Alex's solution was a little frustrating (i.e., the battery dying and me huddling over my laptop in the dark with mosquitoes buzzing around me) was that the nextdoor neighbors had a great wireless signal. He just didn't get around to calling them. And when I got there, they had a bunch of guests, and then when we called them, they weren't home.
So I didn't do as much homework as I could have, should have.
When we got home, our house smelled a little funny, but we figured it was just stale house smell. But it wasn't.
Our fridge had somehow blown a fuse. Easily fixed by flipping the switch in the circuit breaker, but we apparently were several days too late to save the perishables.
I guess it's good to do a big, thorough fridge cleaning every once in a while. Like today, apparently. :)
I had an awesome time with the lake, the water, and my family. I am taking classes online, and they did not let up for the Independence Day holiday. Neither do my grandparents have the internet at their cabin. So Alex (my ingenius but frustrating brother) just rode the golf cart around the area, refreshing his network list until he found a decent, unblocked network. So I'd drive out there, work on my classes for about 20 minutes until my battery died, and then freak out because it had died right in the middle of something.
The reason Alex's solution was a little frustrating (i.e., the battery dying and me huddling over my laptop in the dark with mosquitoes buzzing around me) was that the nextdoor neighbors had a great wireless signal. He just didn't get around to calling them. And when I got there, they had a bunch of guests, and then when we called them, they weren't home.
So I didn't do as much homework as I could have, should have.
When we got home, our house smelled a little funny, but we figured it was just stale house smell. But it wasn't.
Our fridge had somehow blown a fuse. Easily fixed by flipping the switch in the circuit breaker, but we apparently were several days too late to save the perishables.
I guess it's good to do a big, thorough fridge cleaning every once in a while. Like today, apparently. :)
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