June News
I spent most of the month sleeping in catching up on weeks of missed sleep from the school year and hiding out in the dark cave of the living room*. Yes, I have been enjoying my summer – minus the job anxiety**. This summer I also stumbled upon a very good way to explain teacher “summers off” to jackasses: We have a 10-month contract paid out over 12 months. We are doing work up front with much-delayed pay. Summers are our collection of interest – and in today’s time, we are expected to attend mandatory trainings that are not within our contract and for which we don’t get paid for. Teachers also go back to work 2-3 weeks before students’ first days, so if you hear someone maligning teachers…help us out. 🙂
* The living room light is harsh! Why do I need the light on to watch TV anyway? I’m saving The Man $$$! Also, he’s asleep during all this time, so it helps me stay quiet. Because everything is amplified 893862376 times at night, so same concept applies, right?
** STILL don’t have an answer from my most recent teacher interview (from June 20), which was bizarre in itself. They literally forgot about my interview. I’ve had a call back from a law firm that they are now (you know, five months later) moving forward with the hiring process, but no real information. Tomorrow is my last day to resign without a bunch of hoopla. I have tried hard to keep thinking like my #1 cheerleader – my teaching partner from this year – that I WILL get a job.
The day of that interview I spilled an extra large glass of milk all over my computer. I am now self-imposing capped drinks and sippy cups. I was reimbursed $750 for my computer because of course, it was irreparable, and still paid out 3.5 car payments extra for the new one that came with a sub-woofer, of all things. FYI, Best Buy has changed the protection and support plan. They are now separate and total $550. That’s why it was astronomical. Knowing me, I will need it. So that’s why I’ve basically been AWOL again all month. 😦
I’ve been doing some growing of my garden jungle. I visited a nursery at the instance of The Man. There aren’t many around me without traveling into Austin, which I’d like to avoid. I was disappointed in the one I went to, and even more annoyed and frustrated after the “heat tolerant” plants I purchased died within days of being in partial shade. So I’ve now gone a little hibiscus crazy.
The Man booked a super fancy dinner (like, half my car payment!) at the end of the month. We haven’t done this since Valentine’s Day 2016, so he said we were overdue. While it was expensive, it was delicious and we will go back – this time with room for desert! I am also going through my boxes and getting rid of stuff! I’ve donated an entire box and sold a couple of items.
This year was my 10-year high school reunion. I rode the float and went out to our luncheon afterwards, and invited my teaching partner and her daughter to come eat with us. A girl I was forced to be friends with (because our mothers worked together, and she was always telling stories to her mom and getting me in trouble) was there and kept giving me dirty looks. I called her out on it, and her comeback was “Like you can’t accept someone’s Facebook friend request.” HA! Bless her heart. Oh, bless her. Where that holy water at?
Backstory – I was asked to help with the football team in 7th grade by my math teacher (also football coach) because he trusted me not to get involved with the boys. However, she was boy crazy and found out and basically threw herself at his feet to help me. At the end of the season, she started a rumor that I was pregnant by the most popular football player. That was the end of our tenuous friendship if you could call it that.
Then I figured it out. I think she thought that my teaching partner and I were lesbians. But she wouldn’t associate with me, unlike our classmate who we all knew was gay since we knew what gay was. And you know what? I’m OK with that. It will be interesting to hear if that comes back around to me through the grapevine. OH – and this happened! I cut and donated 16 inches (again) to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program.
OH – and this happened! I cut and donated 16 inches (again) to Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program.
Instagram Life
@sissybearla
June Reads
After my amazing streaks from April and May, my goal this month was to read 10 books. Sadly, I’m lacking….
Average Rating: 4 stars
Pages Read: 248 pages
Favorite Book: n/a
June Posts
First, if you haven’t heard…FREE AUDIOBOOKS ALL SUMMER LONG! I’m not going to share ALL the posts like I did in March’s monthly. Instead, I’m just going to share the non-meme, non-book specific posts.
Top Ten: Best Books of the Year…So Far
A Book That’s Changed Your Life
My Bullet Journal: My Worst Ideas
My Bullet Journal: Favorite Spreads
Visitors & Search Terms
June – 469 views
This is the first time in over two years I have fallen below the 500 views per month mark. It makes me sad, but I haven’t been around either. Hopefully, these things change now that I’m making my way back.
Challenge Updates
Let’s pretend I made massive strides here, people.
- Goodreads – 27/52 completed
- Alphabet Soup – 15/26 completed
- Audiobook – 5/6 completed
- NetGalley – 14/50 completed
- Shelf Love – 8/52 completed
- Summer BINGO – 2/25 completed
- June BINGO – 5/25 completed
July Reads
I am still working my way backwards through my NetGalley approvals. These are from January – March 2016. Progress!! My upcoming ones are perfect for summer reading! Look at those beautiful covers. 😀
Girl of 1000 Wonders 
Donating 16 inches of hair is awesome!!! I’ve donated between 10 and 12 inches a few times in the past. I’m growing my hair again, but I’m not sure if I’ll let it get long enough to donate again. Besides, there is much more gray in it these days.
I wasn’t planning on growing my hair out (or to donate), but I did let it grow out and then it just started pissing me off. LOL. I couldn’t do anything with it, and I thought starting over would fix my main issue with it (didn’t). I think I need to keep about shoulder length hair to be happy with it. My mom also likes to donate – she’s actually getting it cut next week – but I think she is going to run into the same problem with her graying hair. She likes to keep it short – this coming from a woman whose hair from 12 to 38 or so was to her knees!
[…] June Chit Chat […]