Minneapolis was unexpectedly epic. The Ness Nest (as I am now calling it) is beautiful, calming, and already feels like a home away from home. It was so nice to spend quality time with Brian and to meet his new (extremely wonderful)BF.
We spent our day antiquing and at the Art Institute. We met the new friend at his work after hours (the Minnesota Opera) and he gave us a VIP tour. It included a trip up onto the roof at sunset and an impromptu performance of our favorite showtunes on the piano.
The Megabus trip home was awful. Truly just a bad experience. There was a white out style blizzard, the double decker bus shook under the influence of the wind, and at one point the highway had to close. We spent a good three extra hours winding down terrifying Wisconsin backroads, driving past cars flipped over in ditches. I don't blame the Megabus, but I doubt I'll be using them again. There were several points where I sat and prayed that they would pull over and tell us we had to get a hotel room for the night because the weather was too bad to drive.
Other news: I found out I made the "first cut" for AUSL. I have a second interview on March 12th that includes a 5 minute lesson plan and writing a critical essay response. I've got lots of prepping to do... eek! I've decided to do a five minute lesson plan on the American Flag for a 3rd grade classroom. Right now it's going well. I have lots of facts, now I just need to tie them all together for optimal fun.
If I don't make AUSL, then I am hoping that Columbia College comes through. If it does, I'll likely begin nannying for a certain pair godchildren to earn some part time money and take classes at night. And in the case of going the CC route, I'd also be teaching puppetry this summer for Pulaski. Which is about the best way I can imagine to spend a summer. It's nice that I feel pumped about either option. Both will provide me with very different experiences. Columbia College will be harder financially, since I'll be paying for school. AUSL will be harder in that it's a five year commitment. But I feel good about both options and I think I'd be happy going either way.
I also randomly had a job interview for a position I applied for in January. It's an Education Manager position at a large regional theatre in Ohio. The pay is a little higer than my salary now, which would be great. I'm still waiting to hear back about whether I make the second round of interviews, in which case we'd start thinking a bit more concretely about potentially moving back to Ohio. The job is amazing. I'd be creating my own education theatre programs and expanding on the ones they already have in place. We could also afford a house and we'd likely start working on making a little family if we go this route. We're trying to not get too pumped about it, because it might not come through. Their HR lady said they had several interviews to complete and that most of them were with people from NYC. So we'll see. I think I could compete with Ohio applicants, but NYC people might just have been credentials than I do. But it's an interesting option.
We spent some time with the godchildren this week. I changed some diapers and we both each had a night of rocking babies to sleep. It's a pretty incredible experience and I feel really lucky that we are able to be involved. I think it has made us both a bit baby crazy, but that's okay.
I think that's about it in the way of news. My bridesmaid dress came in for Mitch's wedding and it's absolutely gorgeous. Ali's dress is also amazing and the resort they've chosen at Lake Geneva is incredible. It's going to be a great weekend with family. I can't believe it's just 3 months away.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Whirlwind
I'm still a bit winded from what I can only describe as a killer weekend. I'm still attempting to get my head back on straight. It doesn't help that I have a math test tonight that I am unprepared for AND that I am wearing high heel shoes in the first time since... well, forever. But they are also the cutest of all shoes (and surprising comfortable despite the 3 inch heel), so we move on.
When I got home from work on Friday Dan had prepared an early Valentine's Day meal (steak, mashed potatoes and green beans). He also surprised me with an electric neck massager, because I get a lot of tension in my neck when I'm stressed. We watched new episodes of our favorite sitcoms and went to bed early, as he was driving me to the test site the next morning.
Saturday was full of test taking. It was a long, painful, and tiring event. I had thought ahead and took some excedrin before the first test and right before the second test. I also wore stick on heat pads on my back and shoulders (I am apparently an elderly woman). I think I did well, but with standardized tests you can never really know for sure. I feel relatively positive about the Writing Subsection and the Language Arts Subsection of the first test. The Math section is anybody's guess. I was more prepared because of my math class, but there were still some math areas where I wasn't confident. And surprisingly, the Reading section gave me more difficulty than I expected. They actually told us that this would happen, but it still surprised me. The problem is that there are usually two "correct" answers, but one is BETTER than the other. So I did a lot of vacillating between what I "thought" was right and what the test "thought" was right. We'll see.
The second test of the day (content area) covered Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, Health, Music, Art, Dance and Drama. For this test the math was actually the easiest portion. The toughest questions were about the subject matter in terms of teaching pedagogy. I haven't taken classes in teaching theory, so I had to do a bit of guess work. Normally you take this test halfway through your second year of graduate school, so there's that. Anyway, I think this one could go either way.
I finished the second test 2.5 hours early, so I was suddenly done and without a ride. I called Ryan to let him know I'd finished up and then headed to a pub across the street from the school, where I managed to drink four glasses of wine before he picked me up. We had some fun searching for Huck Finn's Donuts and then had a nice post test talk on the drive back to Chicago. When I got home Dan was waiting with a bouquet of roses and a pint of mint chocolate chip. That man, he knows me.
I spent Sunday in a daze, running about Chicago looking for a nice pair of shoes and tights for the interview. We also briefly stopped by to say hello to the babies and walked a bit in Lincoln Square. It seemed that everyone was outside, what with the weather in the low 50's. We enjoyed a bit of overdue vitamin D.
This morning was the interview. It was very different from what I was expecting. They asked me to spend the first ten minutes briefly summarizing my background. The other fifty minutes was a very intense decision making session where they asked me what I would do in various situations. I think I did well. I answered honestly and I think I made some points that they weren't expecting. I was able to cover my experiences at Shakes, Columbia College and Northwestern, which I think makes me look pretty fancy. And I also talked about my experiences with Blackbird and Open Books, which seemed to impress them a great deal.
And now... more waiting. I get the test results mid-March and they said I'll hear back about whether I have a second interview sometime in the next four weeks. All this waiting makes a girl pretty nervous.
This week will likely bring more whirlwinds. I'm trying to ride it out and to not let myself get down or stressed out. Pushing through seems to be the current motto.
When I got home from work on Friday Dan had prepared an early Valentine's Day meal (steak, mashed potatoes and green beans). He also surprised me with an electric neck massager, because I get a lot of tension in my neck when I'm stressed. We watched new episodes of our favorite sitcoms and went to bed early, as he was driving me to the test site the next morning.
Saturday was full of test taking. It was a long, painful, and tiring event. I had thought ahead and took some excedrin before the first test and right before the second test. I also wore stick on heat pads on my back and shoulders (I am apparently an elderly woman). I think I did well, but with standardized tests you can never really know for sure. I feel relatively positive about the Writing Subsection and the Language Arts Subsection of the first test. The Math section is anybody's guess. I was more prepared because of my math class, but there were still some math areas where I wasn't confident. And surprisingly, the Reading section gave me more difficulty than I expected. They actually told us that this would happen, but it still surprised me. The problem is that there are usually two "correct" answers, but one is BETTER than the other. So I did a lot of vacillating between what I "thought" was right and what the test "thought" was right. We'll see.
The second test of the day (content area) covered Math, Science, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, Health, Music, Art, Dance and Drama. For this test the math was actually the easiest portion. The toughest questions were about the subject matter in terms of teaching pedagogy. I haven't taken classes in teaching theory, so I had to do a bit of guess work. Normally you take this test halfway through your second year of graduate school, so there's that. Anyway, I think this one could go either way.
I finished the second test 2.5 hours early, so I was suddenly done and without a ride. I called Ryan to let him know I'd finished up and then headed to a pub across the street from the school, where I managed to drink four glasses of wine before he picked me up. We had some fun searching for Huck Finn's Donuts and then had a nice post test talk on the drive back to Chicago. When I got home Dan was waiting with a bouquet of roses and a pint of mint chocolate chip. That man, he knows me.
I spent Sunday in a daze, running about Chicago looking for a nice pair of shoes and tights for the interview. We also briefly stopped by to say hello to the babies and walked a bit in Lincoln Square. It seemed that everyone was outside, what with the weather in the low 50's. We enjoyed a bit of overdue vitamin D.
This morning was the interview. It was very different from what I was expecting. They asked me to spend the first ten minutes briefly summarizing my background. The other fifty minutes was a very intense decision making session where they asked me what I would do in various situations. I think I did well. I answered honestly and I think I made some points that they weren't expecting. I was able to cover my experiences at Shakes, Columbia College and Northwestern, which I think makes me look pretty fancy. And I also talked about my experiences with Blackbird and Open Books, which seemed to impress them a great deal.
And now... more waiting. I get the test results mid-March and they said I'll hear back about whether I have a second interview sometime in the next four weeks. All this waiting makes a girl pretty nervous.
This week will likely bring more whirlwinds. I'm trying to ride it out and to not let myself get down or stressed out. Pushing through seems to be the current motto.
Friday, February 11, 2011
So it goes...
I have two five hour tests tomorrow. Think lovely thoughts for me! I've known I'd be taking the tests for a little over seven weeks. To prepare I signed up for a math course (meets twice a week for two hours at a time) and I've attended two test workshops (3 hour sessions each). As far as plain old studying for the test... well, I did that a lot for the first two weeks, and this week. But those four weeks in the middle - well, they were spent on math class, math class homework and workshops. I feel like I probably should have prepared more than I did, but it's too late now. I do feel like I have a good grasp of the majority of the subjects. It's just math and science that have been weighing me down.
I have my first interview (of hopefully two) for AUSL coming up soon. This is one of the four things I've been waiting on, so very exciting!!!
I have my first interview (of hopefully two) for AUSL coming up soon. This is one of the four things I've been waiting on, so very exciting!!!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
So you say you want a resolution...
It has been a long while since I've thought about blogging. A few reasons:
1. My dearest of friends, Mr. Brian Ness, gave me a perpetual journal/calendar/box of good things. I update it daily. Although it's just a sentence per day, it contains wonders.
2. I have started carrying a notebook again, for all my reflecting/doodling/list building needs. It fills me up.
3. I have had a mixture of absolutely nothing to talk about and things that I want to say that are so huge I don't know how to contain them.
4. I track what I eat each day in a thingy (app?) on my fancy phone. Alas, what I eat today blogs now seem even more meaningless.
All this being said (my husband claims this is my favorite phrase), I miss the blog-o-sphere. I liked the idea of an online trail of breadcrumbs that led to better self awareness.
So here are some things.
I am tired of resolutions. If January is an example of things to come, then I can say without a doubt that THINGS CHANGE quickly and unexpectedly. Making a list in January that is for the whole year just doesn't work for me anymore. So instead of yearly resolutions, I'm making monthly goals. Each month I'll assess and adjust.
Here are my goals for February:
1. Stop using the words "exercise" and "workout." These words imply to me that won't enjoy the activity. Instead, this month I want to dance with Dan, stroll with friends, and to play with the dogs. I want to jump in the snow and stretch in the morning and just before bed. I want to feel strong.
2. Stop using the word "diet." I make constant attempts to do this but it never sticks. This month I want to focus on making healthy choices. Less cheese, less meat, less snacks, more tea, and more veggies. I can say I am content with the amount of fruit I eat (yay)!
That's it. Play more and focus on making healthier choices.
Other things:
I have been applying for jobs, grad school, and any other opportunity that strikes my fancy. Nothing to lose, lots to gain. I'm currently playing the waiting game and trying not to let it get the better of me.
I am very excited to say that husband and I were recently made godparents to some very awesome babies. It feels really good to be loved and trusted enough to be asked to take on this responsibility. We spent our weekends in January helping out the family and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. We feel good that we can sort of fit into their routine. It warms the heart to take a seat (and a baby) and quietly spend an afternoon. Husband and I seem to have mutually caught the baby bug even more so than before. I think we would start working on making babies right now if it weren't for a few pesky factors in the way. Seeing my husband caring for the babies makes me even more excited (if that's possible) that I married him. He's a natural. Favorite baby moments- anytime a baby farts, Dan singing No One is Alone, Dan and I singing a Beatles/ Ben Folds medley, and babies curling up against my shoulder.
More on the couple front- Last week we saw Les Miserables. It's in his top three of beloved musicals (the others being RENT and Jesus Christ Superstar). It tickles me to think these choices stem from a love of historical storytelling, a love of classic rock, and that he identified (and even dressed) like Mark in high school. The show was excellent and we were both giddy and wide eyed by the end. Next month he is taking me to one of my favorite musicals - HAIR (others being Godspell and Wild Party).
Other news- I'm traveling to Minneapolis next weekend for a play date with the darling Brian. I'll be staying at his new house and planned activities include antiquing, drinking around his dinner table, and just enjoying each other's company.
I have a stellar idea for a new blog. I've been kicking it around for a few month, rolling it over and seeing whether it's something I'd want to actually commit to. If I do it, it'd involve traipsing about the city/state/country to collect stories. I think doing it depends on whether or not I get into grad school/get a new job/move. If I don't get any of these things, then the new blog will definitely take off.
On the work/school front- This month has dumped a lot on my plate and I am trying to keep my head above water. Thankfully I have supportive friends who see me through- who are even picking me up from my test this weekend for a "detox" car ride.
Okay. This is longer than I intended. I don't know how long I'll keep it up. I miss my online community- specifically the sweet Aileen who always has helpful things to say.
1. My dearest of friends, Mr. Brian Ness, gave me a perpetual journal/calendar/box of good things. I update it daily. Although it's just a sentence per day, it contains wonders.
2. I have started carrying a notebook again, for all my reflecting/doodling/list building needs. It fills me up.
3. I have had a mixture of absolutely nothing to talk about and things that I want to say that are so huge I don't know how to contain them.
4. I track what I eat each day in a thingy (app?) on my fancy phone. Alas, what I eat today blogs now seem even more meaningless.
All this being said (my husband claims this is my favorite phrase), I miss the blog-o-sphere. I liked the idea of an online trail of breadcrumbs that led to better self awareness.
So here are some things.
I am tired of resolutions. If January is an example of things to come, then I can say without a doubt that THINGS CHANGE quickly and unexpectedly. Making a list in January that is for the whole year just doesn't work for me anymore. So instead of yearly resolutions, I'm making monthly goals. Each month I'll assess and adjust.
Here are my goals for February:
1. Stop using the words "exercise" and "workout." These words imply to me that won't enjoy the activity. Instead, this month I want to dance with Dan, stroll with friends, and to play with the dogs. I want to jump in the snow and stretch in the morning and just before bed. I want to feel strong.
2. Stop using the word "diet." I make constant attempts to do this but it never sticks. This month I want to focus on making healthy choices. Less cheese, less meat, less snacks, more tea, and more veggies. I can say I am content with the amount of fruit I eat (yay)!
That's it. Play more and focus on making healthier choices.
Other things:
I have been applying for jobs, grad school, and any other opportunity that strikes my fancy. Nothing to lose, lots to gain. I'm currently playing the waiting game and trying not to let it get the better of me.
I am very excited to say that husband and I were recently made godparents to some very awesome babies. It feels really good to be loved and trusted enough to be asked to take on this responsibility. We spent our weekends in January helping out the family and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. We feel good that we can sort of fit into their routine. It warms the heart to take a seat (and a baby) and quietly spend an afternoon. Husband and I seem to have mutually caught the baby bug even more so than before. I think we would start working on making babies right now if it weren't for a few pesky factors in the way. Seeing my husband caring for the babies makes me even more excited (if that's possible) that I married him. He's a natural. Favorite baby moments- anytime a baby farts, Dan singing No One is Alone, Dan and I singing a Beatles/ Ben Folds medley, and babies curling up against my shoulder.
More on the couple front- Last week we saw Les Miserables. It's in his top three of beloved musicals (the others being RENT and Jesus Christ Superstar). It tickles me to think these choices stem from a love of historical storytelling, a love of classic rock, and that he identified (and even dressed) like Mark in high school. The show was excellent and we were both giddy and wide eyed by the end. Next month he is taking me to one of my favorite musicals - HAIR (others being Godspell and Wild Party).
Other news- I'm traveling to Minneapolis next weekend for a play date with the darling Brian. I'll be staying at his new house and planned activities include antiquing, drinking around his dinner table, and just enjoying each other's company.
I have a stellar idea for a new blog. I've been kicking it around for a few month, rolling it over and seeing whether it's something I'd want to actually commit to. If I do it, it'd involve traipsing about the city/state/country to collect stories. I think doing it depends on whether or not I get into grad school/get a new job/move. If I don't get any of these things, then the new blog will definitely take off.
On the work/school front- This month has dumped a lot on my plate and I am trying to keep my head above water. Thankfully I have supportive friends who see me through- who are even picking me up from my test this weekend for a "detox" car ride.
Okay. This is longer than I intended. I don't know how long I'll keep it up. I miss my online community- specifically the sweet Aileen who always has helpful things to say.
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