The top ten things I am thankful for this year are:

1. My nephew, because I’m so happy that he’s here and healthy. He’s just the most amazing baby in the world. Really. I know I am saying this because I’m biased, but he is absolutely adorable in every way and nothing can convince me otherwise.
2. Graduating college with the highest degree.
3. Winning the History Achievement Award because it helped me realize that all of my hard work was noticed. I didn’t want to be average or almost the best. Winning the award showed me that I am the best and it was seen by the department.
4. That my mother is still healthy and in a stable place.
5. That I am still healthy. I always worry that without insurance, I’ll end up getting into some great accident and end up owing a whole lot of money.
6. The laptop that Alfee bought me for school. It’s my most prized possession and I can’t imagine life without it.
7. Finding all of the good music that I have.
8. Being able to really write again. For such a long time, life has been so busy that I’ve had no time to be creative. It is so refreshing to be able to sit down quietly and just write.
9. To have the time to sit down and read a book for pleasure instead of for school/work.
10. That I have nothing but good things in the store for me and my future. So, all I can do now is look forward to the direction that life will take me.

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Do you believe people are basically good?

I’d like to. I believe that people are naturally selfish. They’re not evil, but usually always out for what will benefit them the most. Maybe only out for their own satisfaction or what will satisfy their personal desires the best. It’s not a matter of hurting people or not caring if people are hurt, but more a matter of what will be the most personally rewarding. I do also believe that people will basically take into consideration the feelings of others, but the fact that there are laws and such force them to do so and put aside a lot of personal desire.

If you could change the custom of shaking hands, what would you replace it with?

Giving candy!

What is something that you enjoy that is a chore for most other people?

Man… nothing. I love being able to just sit there watching TV or typing away. Anything else, I consider a chore. So, really, I’m sure I consider most things a chore that others enjoy. I’ve just been too spoiled all of my life to enjoy anything that takes work.

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1. When did you last use the edge of a coin (or a knife blade) as a screwdriver?

I can’t remember the last time I ever had to do anything like that with a coin. I’m not exactly the sort of person to fix something; if something breaks, I find someone else to fix it. I have, though, used the tip of a knife blade to screw things in. If I don’t feel like going to the tool drawer to get a screwdriver and there is a knife handy, I’d choose that and just be very, very careful. I can’t recall the last thing I screwed in with a knife. It was probably something like my eyeglasses.

2. When did you last use a wire coat-hanger to break into a car?

Never! I wouldn’t even know how to go about that. But recently there was a keys locked in the car incident and the janitor guy of the hotel we were in tried to get the lock open with a wire coat-hanger… and effectively scratched the paint all around the car door. It was so annoying.

3. When did you last use food or drink as medication?

Every night! When I am sad or depressed, which I am a lot, chocolate makes me feel normal. It doesn’t make me feel any better, but I feel good during the moment I am actually eating the stuff.

4. When did you last use your cellular telephone as a flashlight?

Two nights ago! I needed to read something and I didn’t feel like getting up to turn on the light for something to small. It was to read the words on my earphones. Not something worth getting out of a comfy bed. So, I just reached for my phone and used that. It was ample light for me to see which plug was R and which plug is L.

5. When did you last use a paper clip for any purpose other than to clip paper?

I can’t remember. I have a high respect for office supplies and their functions.

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Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?

I buy books because I want them. It makes me proud to see a shelf full of my favorite books. I love the way that book shelves look, colorfully lined in alphabetical or size order. It’s like chaos and order all rolled up into one. I can’t imagine living in a home without a book shelf and without ample books to read when bored.

True, I could save a lot of money by going to the library, but then the books wouldn’t be mine. I want hard, owned copies of my favorite books so that I can pick them up and read them whenever the whim hits. Sometimes I sit in bed and think to myself, “I’d love to read that chapter again.” If I have the book, it’s a simple matter of getting up, pulling the book out and flipping to the correct page. If I don’t have the book because I’ve returned it to the library, all I can do is long and go without. There’s something really special and comforting about an old favorite, a book you’ve had for years, with a broken spine and dog-eared pages. When you look at a book like that, you know you’ve had a lot of good late nights together with many more to come.

Another reason to buy books is to support the author. If it’s a favorite, give back to the person who wrote it by purchasing it. I want good authors to get proper credit for the excellent things that they write.

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Did anyone else read this article from the New York Times: A School Chief Takes On Tenure, Stirring a Fight?

On one hand, I think it’s great. On the other hand, not so great.

As an accredited Social Studies teacher looking for a job, I know the frustration of there simply being no work available. The thing with Social Studies and a lot of other disciplines is that teachers get in, secure their job and die still holding their place because of tenure. It’s not until someone dies or retires that slots are open for new teachers to come in. At the school I student taught in, the head of the department told me with longing that he wishes he could hire me because they needed someone like me. But, unfortunately, there were no positions and the Social Studies teachers there have tenure and can’t just be ousted.

What tenure does is effectively keep out new, young teachers who have the latest training in education, the latest methods and a fresh outlook on teaching. A lot of old teachers get burned out and that harms students. How well can a child learn from a teacher with little enthusiasm, a teacher only there for the benefits and job security? A lot of old teachers also teach the ‘old’ way, paying little or no attention to the latest developments in brain research and teaching/learning methods. Despite being a profession that declares to support team work and unity, teachers are often very threatened by each other and hostile to suggestion. They take it as a personal attack on their intelligence and their abilities and shut down completely to help.

What good are outdated teachers who won’t update their methods to students? Research in education has already proven that some of the ‘old’ ways are ineffective, yet teachers continue to use them.

Yet, you can’t just throw people out of a profession like that without giving them a chance. Maybe this is my loyalty to fellow teachers talking, but I don’t like the idea of someone committing themselves to teaching, going through all the classes and taking all the tests, only to be told that they’re not good enough and have to go. Teachers should be given a few years. Most teachers don’t enter the field excellent teachers. They become excellent teachers through professional growth, team work and observation. Good teachers learn from their mistakes and continuously try new things to help their students.

What I think is this: teachers should be given temporary tenure after so many years and after an assessment of their abilities. If a teacher has been observed and documented as being a good educator, they should receive a temporary tenure status. After a few years, they will come up for status again and have to go through the same observation and assessment. If they pass again, they get their next few years of status. If not, they are required to take courses (paid for by the school system) in method and instruction. If they fail the course or opt out of it in the middle, they are to pay the full cost of it back to the school. AND, they won’t retain their job. If they pass, they come up for assessment again in a few months to show evidence of growth.

That’s my very rough, very problematic solution.

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I can’t believe that I have TWO boxes to unpack and that’s it.  When I was packing, I thought I had too much junk.  Granted, a lot of my stuff ended up going to the Diabled Veterans Thrift Store, but I still had so much stuff packed away that I thought I was never going to have room for it.  Now that I have only two boxes left, I am feeling a good deal more comfortable with my situation and having a nice place to live.  I need to make a table sort of thing for some of my jewelry boxes, but I figure all I have to do is turn over a very sturdy box, cover it in a nice sheet or blanket and use that.  It’s a good, free temporary solution until I can buy something.  The current money situation won’t allow for such things, unfortunately.

Priority, though, is Alfred getting something for his clothes.  When I moved in, he gave me his dresser and his shelf… thing… to use.  As a result, he is left with nothing and little space for his things.  I feel bad but happy at the same time.  He really does do a lot to make me happy.  Sometimes I forget this and act like a spoiled brat.  I need to try to be better to him.

Speaking of money, I am a bit miffed that a certain pay to blog site is having errors that won’t allow me to get my $98.14…  I contacted support, yes, so I hope to have it resolved in time.  I just <b>want</b> it so that I can start building back up my savings account.  Christmas is coming!  If anything, I want to be able to get one thing for everyone.

I still have too much junk, but it’s a slow process getting rid of things that mean something to you.  There are plenty of things I don’t mind throwing away, but a lot of things I’ve kept this long because I’m sentimental and I <i>love</i> them.  It’s not going to be an overnight job, that’s for sure.  I’m going to have to think long and hard about what I don’t want or need anymore.

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It was hard for her to sacrifice happiness.  She had so little of it throughout her life that she almost felt entitled to it, like it was owed to her after so long of emotional struggle.  It made her feel selfish, but the thought of going back to that place was more miserable than she could bear.  As time went on, she tried to stop feeling this way, told herself that she had to mature and get past the immature emotions and the stifling anger that contributed its own ample, significant share of misery.

Sometimes, you have to sacrifice, she told herself.  Even then, though you’ve lost, you can be satisfied that you’ve given someone something else.  Her brain attempted to rearrange priority.  Each time she managed to push aside her selfish needs, she thought in her head, you’re doing what no one ever did for you.

That’s the way cycles are broken.

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My job search is still on in full force, but I have some good leads. Since I can’t look for a teaching contract position right now (due to my plans to get a Master’s Degree), I have decided to apply to a few cities for a Substitute Badge. I hold a teaching license, so I am certainly qualified to sub… considering all you have to have to sub is a college education, no actual teaching skills required. I’ve heard from some people that getting into a lob-term Sub position is a great way to get a contract because you’ll get priority, which would be great if that was what I was trying to do.

As I browsed the careers section of some local cities’ education department pages, I did feel a heart tug at the few open Social Studies positions I saw. I’m considering applying and seeing what happens. Part of me is telling me that I need to apply for them, too, just in case. It’s always good to have a back up plan, and extra good to get your name out there. With Alfred’s current tentative job situation, it’s really important that I get a job as soon as possible. The bills aren’t that many, but they exist and they have to be paid somehow. By someone. If that someone has to be me, I am going to do it! I do love my cell phone and my cable enough to do that.

If nothing else happens, I can always Sub. This is what I tell myself. Providing that there is work in the area, I can get a position every day and make about $100 to $150 a day. Even doing that three times a week will give me enough to pay our few monthly bills. We won’t be going to movies every weekend, but the stress of wondering how stuff is going to get paid will be off of our shoulders.

It’s really hard to have plans for the future when you have to worry so much about the immediate present. I want to take the GREs, honestly, but no one has the money to pay for it. Not me, not Alfred, not any family member. I’m sort of stuck in this place where I am full of hopes and desires, plans to make something better for me, but I can’t seem to make it happen. Instead of getting all depressed about it, I’m going to take it one step at a time and just… keep going.

I’m scared for the future, but I can’t let that get the best of me.

I wish someone could tell me the future so that I would know which decision is best and right. I don’t want to make a mistake with something so important.

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1.) When was your last visit to an emergency room? What happened?
The last time I went to the emergency room, it was a pretty minor thing. I had an animal bite on my arm that needed to be taken care of. I’d had it for a few days at that point and tried to keep it clean, but it was pretty deep. The animal I knew didn’t have any diseases, so that wasn’t an issue. I was just worried about infection or possible problems due to the fact that it was pretty deep into my arm muscle. We sat there for a good few hours at a small emergency facility rather than a hospital. It was terribly boring! I was in college at the time, so I brought one of my textbook… though I didn’t end up reading any of it.

2.) Who do you look more like: Mom, dad or another relative?
When I was young, I looked a lot like my father. That’s what everyone told me. I think it was the blue eyes and the light colored hair that made me resemble him to a greater extant than my mother. As I’ve gotten older, my hair has darkened and my face has fattened a bit, so I think I look a lot more like my mother now. Everyone who sees us tells me that it’s obvious I am my mother’s daughter.

3.) What sounds annoy you?
Oh, I am absolutely insane with noises. But, I think that I can break it down to ‘bass’ noises be it a TV in another room, music outside, or someone blaring music in their car. I can’t stand that low, vibrating thump, thump from bass. I hate it at night when I am trying to sleep because it keeps me awake and unable to relax.

4.) What are three movies could you(or have you) watch(ed) over and over and still love?
Definitely: Donnie Darko, Blue Spring and Taboo.

5.) Do you ever wish you were someone else?
All the time! I get really stressed out and jealous of what others have, even though I try to be rational and tell myself that everyone has problems. No one’s life is perfect. Just for a day, I wish that I could be someone with an easier life!

6.) What do you think of when you think of Paris?
I always think of the Eiffel tower. It’s what you see on television whenever they pan into Paris. So, in my mind, that’s what sort of… defines Paris. I’ve never been there, so I have no real concept of the landscape or what Paris is remotely like.

7.) What’​ s the last sport​ing event​ you watch​ed?
I don’t watch ANY sports. I watched some people play softball for about five minutes once before I got bored and cold.

8.) What do you think about sexual Role Playing?
I think it’s fine. If a couple wants to engage in role playing, right on. It just means that they like to have fun with each other and they’re not so shy that they’d be inhibited from doing it out of embarrassment or shame. Personally, I am too shy and too reserved to do it. I be caught up in embarrassing giggles to actually have any fun.

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Now that the US has chosen a president, what do you think is going to happen in the next four years?

1. America will face another terrorist attack, which will determine Obama’s continued popularity or his fall into disfavor with the American people.
2. The war in Iraq will come to a slow close, but not fast enough for the American people.  There will be more complaining from both sides about Obama not doing enough or Obama doing things too quickly and threatening our security.
3. Yet another erectile dysfunction drug will hit the market with lots of late night infomercials or prime time commercials that use vague terms and either confuse innocent minds or make not so innocent minds snicker/purchase.
4. Americans will find a new health/diet fad, which will sweep through magazines and ‘life help’ websites that give trendy albeit premature advice.  There’s a 50/50 chance this fad will turn out to be BAD for your health rather than good.
5. There will be another housing/business crisis, which will plummet the American economy yet again.  People will blame everything from bad business practices to Obama’s weak leadership.
6. College tuition all over the US will raise. Why? To pay for sport teams, of course. We’ll continue down the slope of having too many people without college degrees, while we make it harder for them to get a higher education. This will help lead to prediction #10.
7. There will not be universal health care in the United States.
8. More states will pass legislation to allow gay marriage, which will be over turned each time by constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.
9. Education will be reformed with either the reworking or the abandonment of No Child Left Behind. People will still have reason to complain about it.
10. Poverty will stay the same or rise as unemployment makes small gains, has small drops or steadies. In the end, people will be less satisfied with Obama than thought.

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