Where in the World???

 

Aloha! I’m back!

You guys, it has been a ROLLERCOASTER ride since the last real post I did. I had a few scheduled, but you haven’t seen me around since my official hiatus on April 4th.

 

I have moved …. twice! 

You guys already knew about the big break-up. I don’t get why people keep asking me if I still talk to him??? Like, no! WHY would I!?! I had to call the cops on him – a cop! Just STAHP, right nowUH. So I packed up all my crap, put most of it in a storage unit (new expense), and was stuck living in my “temporary” rented one bedroom. My roommates were very amiable, but I HAD to move for several reasons:

• I was super cramped and felt a little claustrophobic.
• It took nearly 50 minutes to travel to or from work.
• The fence was unreliable and the neighbor’s dog was aggressive.
• I could not really invite guests over besides family.
• I was tired of dirty dishes literally ALL over the house.
• Whatever my body-building roommate threw away in the kitchen trash started attracting never-ending bugs.
• My landlord’s two sons were not very nice to Baby – and she ADORED them.
• I wanted to be able to walk around half-dressed or looking like a hot mess hobo and not care.

I was not planning to move again right away. I was going to wait it out and pay crap off (y’all, I’m seriously in debt now, not quite sure how this is going to go). My work partner K had her BFF’s apartment locator husband on the hunt for me, and then my SPED teacher from my first year of teaching sent me a screenshot of this potential rental coming on the market – right around the corner from my old house, and even closer down the street to her house! I couldn’t pass up the 2 bedroom for the price. It was less than the rent my new landlords were jacking up my one bedroom to down the street (also large factor in why I moved out of my little bungalow down the street).

Moving was painful, I’m not going to lie. I think I’ve mentioned about 339087497 times how much I HATE moving! I was moving EVERYTHING out of my room to the new place by myself. One day I almost passed out. I had to go cool myself with a cold cloth for about 10 minutes. I moved everything except the bed and two dressers, but I did take all the drawers out and move those. In the process, I found several new pieces of furniture large and small for my new house because remember when I was supposed to move in with that asshat and spend the rest of my life with him? Why would we need two couches and two microwaves and this huge ass desk? So I had to buy some things for the new house. I had movers move the bed and dressers, and then I hired them a few days later to bring everything out of my storage unit.

We are 90% settled in. I am still waiting to get my kitchen table out of my parents’ storage unit. Of course it is in the very back! That probably won’t happen until mid-July. I also have not put up any of my wall decor yet, but I should do that soon. I have 2 boxes of picture albums, frames and other photos I don’t quite know what to do with, so it’s still all boxed up. The only thing I am not sure about is my inversion table. Right now it is in a corner out of the way, all taped up so it can’t come open. I have no idea where I am going to store it after use. That’s also a July problem.

MOVED OUT OF HIS HOUSE

My new little cottage

HEY Mom! What’s up?

When there are no more boxes

Super nosy neighbor

Low-key spying

I had nowhere else to put my shark

What a nightmare

A new roof!

Baby is wild celebrating this move

IN LOVE with this desk

Oh, hello bullet journal

cuteness

 

I’ve gone on dates … and almost got kidnapped! 

I’ve gone on a few dates. All fizzled. It seems that we are living in a first date culture. I don’t get that. I am also SUPER surprised at the number of couples looking for a third partner or a partner for just them or just for their wife. I guess I’m too naive?

My first date was with a German engineer. He was very knowledgeable and extremely talkative. I liked him, but I felt a little ashamed of myself that in his 3 years in the US he has traveled more extensively than I have! He was going back to Germany this summer, so it wouldn’t have been a lasting thing anyway.

Then there was the ADT head honcho. His voice was like silk. Makes sense that his degree was in musical production. That lasted a week and a half.

Then there was the Indian guy. We went to a really nice place close to downtown Austin. I had just started my keto diet, so I was sticking to water, salads, and meats. I understand there are people who feel awkward or whatever when they are the only one drinking. I don’t understand that because you do you, so I thought he was just trying to be nice. He already had champagne for himself when I arrived. He asked a couple times if I wanted a drink and I declined every time. We had a really great conversation as we ate. As the dinner wound down, he wanted to go see Deadpool. I was interested exactly 0%. I agreed. The theater was sold out, of course, with opening weekend. I found this cute little drive-in theater that was showing The Goonies! We actually got a spot. I was so excited. We couldn’t keep the radio on without turning off the car, so he was fussing about all the displays. I didn’t care. After that was fixed, he all but attacked me. I told him to cool his jets because he was making me feel very uncomfortable. He was as far onto his door as could be. After about five minutes, he got out. I thought he was going to the concession stand. He got back in and started the car. As we pulled out of the theater, he was FLYING. He almost got us T-boned on my side. We got back down to the main street we’d come in on, and he was turning the wrong way. I asked him several times where we were going and he wouldn’t answer. Finally he said he was taking me to my car. He plugged his phone in and set his maps and the GPS said “Going home.” I started panicking, for good reason. He was going 60-65 down a residential street. I started reaching for my purse – to get my phone and call 911. All of a sudden, he swerved into this super shady convenience store with no gas pumps and started yelling at me to get out. He told me I could get an Uber to my car and shoved me out and took off. In hindsight, I think the only reason he stopped and dumped me is because he thought I was reaching for a gun. It cost nearly $50 to get back to my car. I was so shaken I cried. My (male) Uber driver was ultra nice. He let me cry and then when we got to my car he went on this angry tirade about men like that giving all men a bad rap, nothing was wrong with me, hoped I would find a nice guy, etc.

After a few weeks, I went out with this guy who lived in my hometown. Instant connection. We had a great night. Ate at Olive Garden and then went to play putt-putt. He made a few holes-in-one. He was old school country and I really liked him. Again, after a week and a half, it died. He totally ghosted me. If I ever run into him around town, I guess I’ll ignore him and pretend I don’t know him either.

 

I’ve been recognized at work…finally! 

My principal hand-delivered the yearbooks to me when they arrived. He was waiting for me to crack open a box. He poured over one and congratulated me on a job well done. Considering he has no idea what we do or how hard or stressful it is, this made me feel really good. He legitimately was interested in what our books looked like.

My principal also complimented my partner and I in a sit-down with him (about other department stuff) and then in a meeting with other teachers present. He is proud of the fact that we actually work together, plan together – and that we get along and like each other. We told him we’re joined at the hip. Seriously, at this point we share a brain. I also felt so validated because my partner K said if I had left this year (because that was the plan before the break-up), she was going to approach our principal and ask to move to the writing elective because she couldn’t work with anyone after me. Awwww. I hope we’re together for many years to come.

We have also been approached to try TWO new things next year. The first is from our principal. He wants us to completely change our teaching methods to blended classrooms. The upside is we have more individualized instruction with small groups of students and can really target skills. The downside is it is less control over the classroom and who knows if those kids over there are actually working? They look like they are….and then you grade the work and they were 94% goofing off. He specifically said it could crash and burn horribly, but we are failing forward. At this point, what could it hurt? The second came from our instructional specialist (which came down from the district). We are going to do a Texas Lesson Study with the state education agency. It is a long process that involves several sessions where they come in and film. Last year there were 216 educators in Texas who piloted this program. NONE were language arts teachers. My partner and I will be the first that we know of. It’s quite daunting.

Lastly, I received my five year service pin this year! I was so happy to hit this milestone, especially since it almost didn’t happen. This also means I can now apply for federal loan forgiveness! My loan will almost cut in half after everything goes through. It will be so nice once that’s paid off.

On another note, my yearbook staff next year is going to be awesome. I have a great core group of veterans returning and a stellar leadership force. And they are a force – to be reckoned with! We went to our spring workshop in April and got some good stuff going. I also got to lock up our principal in jail at our carnival.

My yearbook leaders

Graphic Novel Party

We all fit inside the game booth

TEAMwork makes the dreams work

I put my principal in jail

5 Years of Service

Yearbooks are IN!

 

I’m teaching summer school

Lord knows, I need the money right now. I am seriously a bazillion dollars in debt at this point (how??) and while I am panicking over here in this one corner, in the other three I’m totally ignoring and not caring. We’ll always have bills. And I have a plan! However, my living arrangement costs have drastically increased, so I’m not sure yet what the new monthly bills will look like. It’s going to be tight for a while. This summer school money will only alleviate a little.

The kids are too much. I like a lot of them, and then there are the 3 or 4 that are absolute turds. (I’ve been using the word “turdie” a lot lately.) I tried choosing activities that would be engaging and fun. They LOVED the murder mystery at the end of the first week. Even though it’s work, I’m enjoying it. The kids have proclaimed that me and my partner K are the most likeable and favorites. I’ll take that.

The summer school principal has taken note of that, so hopefully I’ll have a fast-track in for next year. We have two more days of instruction and then they take the third administration of the state reading test. I have been assigned to an oral administration group, so I will at least not go crazy out of my mind being bored for 4 hours because I’ll have to be reading questions and answers to every student.

 

 

The cruise is coming up

The cruise is coming up! Things are starting to get finalized and all the details put into place. I just ordered our group shirts and excursion yesterday. I’ll have to get our parking ordered and hotel booked this week. It’s fast approaching and I’m realizing I need a new swimsuit (the elastic is out on my old one) and I have no water shoes (never have) and who knows what else I’ll think of. I am going to soak up this experience – AND SWIM WITH SEA TURTLES!!! After this, I plan to pick dates to head down and watch a release of Kemp Ridley sea turtle hatchlings.

 

The brothers

My oldest brother has deployed. He is currently in El Paso doing whatever they’re doing before they leave the states. He will be going to Africa and I’m a lotta nervous about it now that it’s closer and weird shit has been happening over there. He kept telling my mom, “Don’t worry, you’ll be a rich woman if I die.”

My middle brother came home for leave and then went to his new base in Kentucky.  Just a few days later the Red Cross was sending him home when my grandfather died. He is back up there and loving it, although he doesn’t send much word back home. I learned from my oldest brother that my middle brother is also deploying in January to the Middle East. My oldest brother choked up a bit when he told me and he stressed that he was the one to go, that it was his job. Maybe he is growing up a little bit.

My youngest brother, my baby, graduated high school! He is spending his summer at home until we go on the cruise and then he’ll be shipping off to basic training soon after that. Because he now has his license, he is wanting to drive everyone’s vehicles everywhere. (The bleached hair is for baseball playoffs…it’s a tradition.)

Deployment/Birthday party

TJ graduated

Grandfather’s funeral

EJ deploys

Me and my other baby

---

 

I’ve spent a lot of time with my family and friends and Baby. Yes, she is french fry wasted in that photo. This time, I didn’t fall apart. I just moved forward. Thanks for all the love and support these past two months.

Just living life

I must sit up front, Mama

French fry wasted

He actually thinks I’m his girlfriend 🙂

Work peep

Favorite work peep

Familia

Familia

Baby talking to Grandma

I love this pillow

I am back and I’ll be working on getting things back up and running around here. I have not read a book since mid-March, so I am anxious and excited about diving back into reading this summer now that I’m mostly settled in. I can’t wait to hear from you guys and go around visiting!