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[Jan. 28th, 2009|09:11 pm] |
Poor LiveJournal. I have neglected you so.
The other night I was reading all of my past entries, and there was a lot of stuff in here that I'd forgotten about. I would never have remembered thinking or doing any of this if I'd not written everything down in what I'm sure had to have been a fit of boredom in several instances. It's hard to say if I'm writing now out of boredom or out of some strange need to try and preserve how the last several months have gone, so future me can read this several months from now and wonder the same thing after several months more of negligence.
Anyway, since my last entry, a lot has happened.
I finished my student teaching at Holt, completed the program at MSU, and set off on my long job search.
I worked at Crystal Springs again last summer, and had even more of a blast than my first summer there. A lot of our shenanigans and tomfoolery are documented on YouTube. (This reminds me, I took some video of our recent Christmas party that I have to edit together and put on YouTube as well.)
During the summer, I applied for math positions at over 30 different schools. I got interviews at about 20 of them. I got job offers at none of them. Why? Because "you interviewed great, and you'll make a great teacher someday, but we have another candidate that has a couple more years of teaching experience than you." So much for MSU grads having an advantage in the teaching market. When they told us, "because you went through MSU's program, you'll have no problem finding a job," they forgot to add, "if that job is in South Carolina, or Arizona, or Georgia." I calculated that the amount of driving to and from interviews I did over the summer was the rough equivalent of driving from here to California and back, and then down to Florida. Plus gas hit $4 a gallon last summer. Ugh.
I did pick up a job back in Sturgis though, albeit not as a full-time teacher. I'm currently an educational aide at Sturgis High School (the official job title is "Student Advocate"). Basically what I do is work mostly with kids who are failing in the traditional classroom setting. They take classes online through a program called NovaNET, and have the opportunity to earn some of those credits while working independently and at their own pace. A lot of the kids we get really take well to the program, and seize it as another way to have success in school. Most of the students on NovaNET are taking Algebra I, which is right up my alley. I really enjoy getting to know these kids and helping turn their high school careers in the right direction.
I've also gotten to do some other stuff on the side. I've been tutoring a few students in different areas of math for a good price. I also helped run backstage at the musical, and am currently getting paid to be the assistant director of the winter play, which is an awesome and fun experience. I also supervise the one-hour after school detention room every Wednesday, and have helped watch doors at the basketball games a couple of times. A few weeks ago, I also helped some students start up an anime/manga club. I think this club is really awesome, not just because I personally like anime and manga, but because it caters to a part of the student body that is almost completely uninvolved with after-school activities. We've had roughly 20 kids show up for each meeting so far, and it's great. I hope it continues for the rest of the year and beyond.
So yeah, life is good.
Oh, and Corinne and I are engaged. That's pretty cool too. :-)
I've been visiting her every weekend since school started, and have popped up there in the middle of the week on a couple of occasions. We spent almost my entire Christmas break together, including over a week with just the two of us in East Lansing. I proposed shortly after New Year's, and we've been happily planning our wedding since. The date is not exact yet, but we're looking at May 2010. It will likely be in the Chicago area too, as that's where we're planning to move in the fall.
Well, that about sums up the big details since last April. My job is going well, I have a wonderful fiancee who I'm incredibly happy with, and we have plans for the future. Everything is going pretty darn good right now!
Now if the Cubs would just win a World Series, life would be perfect. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 5th, 2008|11:35 pm] |
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
Today was great! My dad and I took my brother to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game for his birthday, and they won 9-7! Here are a few of the day's highlights:
- Dad went to get hot dogs in the third, and the Cubs scored a run.
- I went to get hot dogs in the sixth, and the Cubs scored a run.
- Skip went to get beer in the seventh... and the Cubs scored FIVE runs.
- In the third inning, I yelled "IMPRESS ME OR I'LL KILL YOUR FAMILY!" to Derrek Lee. He immediately hit a home run, and went 4-for-4 on the day.
- Chanting "FU-KU-DO-ME!" when Kosuke Fukudome doubled in Lee and Ramirez in the seventh to give the Cubs the lead.
- Watching Kerry Wood notch his second save of the season.
It was a great day, and I'm really glad I got to spend time with my dad and my brother. What a wonderful start to spring break! |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 3rd, 2008|10:38 pm] |
I'M DONE WITH LEAD TEACHING!
I'M ON SPRING BREAK!
I'M GOING TO A CUBS GAME ON SATURDAY!
I'M GOING TO SALT LAKE CITY ON TUESDAY!
Oh happy day! :-) |
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[Mar. 18th, 2008|08:02 pm] |
I found this video from "Garfield: His 9 Lives." I can't believe I forgot about this. It's really moving.
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[Mar. 17th, 2008|05:29 pm] |
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Death Note has found a place among my favorite animes in recent weeks. It's a great psychological thriller, really good storyline. Although I'd be terrified of having a notebook that could kill people just by having their names written in them. |
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[Mar. 12th, 2008|10:48 pm] |
These are my preseason predictions for the 2008 baseball season. I'm too lazy to write out why I think everything will shake out this way, so blah.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
EAST
1st - Boston Red Sox
2nd - New York Yankees (Wild Card)
3rd - Toronto Blue Jays
4th - Tampa Bay Rays
5th - Baltimore Orioles
CENTRAL
1st - Detroit Tigers
2nd - Cleveland Indians
3rd - Chicago White Sox
4th - Minnesota Twins
5th - Kansas City Royals
WEST
1st - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2nd - Seattle Mariners
3rd - Oakland Athletics
4th - Texas Rangers
NATIONAL LEAGUE
EAST
1st - New York Mets
2nd - Atlanta Braves
3rd - Philadelphia Phillies
4th - Florida Marlins
5th - Washington Nationals
CENTRAL
1st - Chicago Cubs (GO CUBS!)
2nd - Milwaukee Brewers
3rd - Cinicinnati Reds
4th - St. Louis Cardinals
5th - Houston Astros
6th - Pittsburgh Pirates
WEST
1st - San Diego Padres
2nd - Arizona Diamondbacks (Wild Card)
3rd - Los Angeles Dodgers
4th - Colorado Rockies
5th - San Francisco Giants
We'll see how brilliant/stupid I look come October! |
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[Mar. 11th, 2008|09:40 pm] |
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Hey! I'm subleasing my apartment for the summer if anyone's interested. |
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[Mar. 1st, 2008|07:12 pm] |
You know, after posting that entry, I started reading through all of my older posts. I haven't read any of them in a long time. I found myself thinking, "Wow, I was way happier a year ago than I am now." And that kind of made me sad.
BUT... then I got to thinking, I still have things to be happy about! Life just seems such a downer right now because I'm busy all the time. But there's a lot of good things to think about!
1. I'm going to not one, but TWO Cubs games this spring, and maybe more! I'm going to Wrigley on April 5th to watch the Cubs and Astros with my dad and my brother. I'm really excited for that, because I haven't been to a ballgame with either of them in a very long time. I'm also going on May 15th with Corinne to watch the Cubs and Padres, a game we have excellent seats for.
2. I'm working at Crystal Springs again this summer! I absolutely can't wait! Last summer was just perfect, and it'll be just the thing I need after a long year of student teaching. (I've had fleeting thoughts of wondering what it would be like to do camp ministry instead of teaching... but I don't know how good I'd actually be at that.)
3. I'm going to Salt Lake City for spring break, to the NCTM annual meeting! Now, that might sound boring, but I'm looking forward to the trip. I've never been to Utah, and haven't been west of the Mississippi in many, many years. It'll be right when my lead teaching ends, so I'll be in a very celebratory mood.
You know, my mom always tells me "chin up" when times are tough. She's right, as moms tend to be. I've been teaching for 24 weeks, including lead teaching for the past 6. 4 more weeks of lead teaching left to go, and the "hard part" as I see it is over. I'll make it. I just need to keep remembering that. |
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[Mar. 1st, 2008|06:59 pm] |
I haven't written on here in a long time. This may or may not be coherent.
I don't know how I can aptly describe the past several months. It's been hard. Challenging. I don't think I've ever been pushed so hard in all of my life. This is the quintessential "duh" statement I've been making and hearing over and over again, but teaching is hard. So very hard. How hard is it? I haven't even finished writing this paragraph and I've already used the word "hard" five times. Well, that makes six actually. But you get the idea.
I never had a true appreciation for all the work and preparation my teachers had to put in every day. Planning, choosing assignments, writing assessments, grading, paperwork, e-mails and phone calls to parents, meetings, so very many things. When we were in school, we didn't see a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that teachers did. Even those of us, like me, who has a parent that is a teacher. I never truly knew the work teachers did until this year. And it's so very tiring, exhausting, and... hard.
I'm not going to lie, there have been several times this year where I cried. Yes, I cried. And I never cry for anything. There have been many late nights, very stressful weeks, little sleep, general anxiety, and occasional feelings of hopelessness and wondering if I'm really going to make it through this year. I've found myself wondering if I can really do this teaching thing. It's so overwhelming when you're new to it all.
Thank God I've had my friends and family to support me through this. I've talked to my mom and my dad on the phone many times when I was feeling down, and they made me feel better. My friends, especially Corinne, have been there for me too. And of course, God is with me through all of this. It's comforting to know that; at the same time however, it makes me sad because I just haven't made time to spend in prayer or dialogue with Him. My life is so consumed with teaching. I know I should be setting aside time for God, but I just don't know how to handle life the way it is right now. But I know He's there, and He's listening, waiting, sticking with me through thick and thin, and ready whenever I need to talk.
I guess if the internship year doesn't kill me, it'll make me a stronger person. I don't know how people make it through this! But they do somehow. And I'm almost there. It's been over six months. Just two more to go.
I'm incredibly stubborn when it comes to asking for help, but please pray for me, everyone. For sanity, for tranquility, for peace, for wisdom, for leadership, for making a strong finish, and then for finding a job in a couple of months. Man... a real, honest-to-God, real world job... exciting and scary all at once.
God bless you, my friends. |
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| GO CUBS GO! |
[Sep. 29th, 2007|01:45 am] |
CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
The Cubs are the champions of the NL Central and heading to the playoffs! YESSSSS!!! |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 26th, 2007|10:45 pm] |
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Yessss, after hours of struggling mightily, I finally got my wireless router working with my cable modem! Wireless internet in my apartment~! |
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[Aug. 25th, 2007|09:28 pm] |
In the spirit of the Rangers/Orioles beatdown that I mentioned in my last post, I thought I'd share something I read today in the sports page.
On this date in 1922, the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies in one of the wildest games in baseball history. The score? Cubs 26, Phillies 23.
The Cubs led 25-4 after four innings. FOUR INNINGS.
It's a good thing they built up a 21-run lead, because that's surely what helped them to hang on for the victory. The game ended with the Phillies leaving the bases loaded.
Another interesting note, the record for most runs recorded by a team in a single game is 36, by the Chicago Colts... who later became the Chicago Cubs. |
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[Aug. 22nd, 2007|08:32 pm] |
I just listened to the last couple innings of a game between the Rangers and the Orioles.
The Rangers beat the Orioles 30-3. THIRTY TO THREE IN A BASEBALL GAME.
Holy... crap. |
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[Aug. 21st, 2007|06:29 pm] |
Woohoo! I started my internship at Holt 9th today! This week it's a bunch of meetings and getting ready and stuff, but next Monday is the big day when the students arrive! I'm definitely excited!
Oh, and I did find a place to crash here in EL until I can move in to my apartment! :-D |
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[Aug. 12th, 2007|11:52 pm] |
Problem:
I cannot move into my apartment in East Lansing until August 25th.
My internship in Holt starts August 21st.
I need a place to stay in the area until August 23rd or 24th.
Soooo... any kinds souls out there that can help me out? :-D |
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[Jul. 16th, 2007|11:53 am] |
Hey everyone! I'm still alive and having a great summer at camp. There's not much to update on that's new. We had our biggest camp ever last week and we all pretty much worked overtime. Some of us went to a Silverhawks game Saturday night, and that was fun. I haven't seen Harry Potter yet, but I plan to soon. And I'm getting the book this Friday at midnight! Woohoo! And Corinne and I are still doing well with each other. :-D
Oh but this is a great summer.
Later, friends!
P.S. GO CUBS!! |
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[Jun. 26th, 2007|05:02 pm] |
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I got beaten up by a group of eight-year-old girls in chapel yesterday. |
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[Jun. 19th, 2007|11:15 am] |
WHAT I'VE DONE AT CRYSTAL SPRINGS SO FAR:
- Raked leaves
- Moved furniture from some buildings to some other buildings
- Raked leaves
- Learned how to drive a tractor named Eleanor
- Raked leaves
- Sturggled mightily for five hours with a water faucet that didn't want replacing, then replaced it
- Raked leaves
- Weeded the volleyball court
- Threw my back out while weeding said volleyball court
- Raked leaves
- Replaced light bulbs in the tabernacle while deftly avoiding electrocution
- Used the mighty force of high-speed jets of water to clean off the deck in front of the dining hall
- Drove across camp in the staff golf cart... backwards
- Tore apart and put back together a big, heavy table
- Painted shelves a delightful shade of purple
- Finally finished raking leaves
- Helped perfect the rules for Ultimate Pong... by playing Ultimate Pong a lot
- Learned how to mountain board, sort of
- Played laser tag and shot trees with paintball slingshots
- Weeded the basketball court while trying not to get attacked by hordes of angry ants
- Sang the theme from "Ghostbusters" while using the leaf blower
- Fixed a shower handle in the bath house, without the luxury of turning off the water to do it
- Pretended to be a mad scientist while mowing camp in the Bobcat
- Accidentally dripped enamel-based paint all over the dining hall
- Consequently learned how to use paint thinner
- Accidentally wrote in permanent marker on a dry erase board
- Immediately utilized recently-acquired knowledge of using paint thinner
- Thought it would be a neat idea to see what would happen if I pulled out a can of pop from the bottom of the stack in the pop machine
- Soon realized it wasn't such a good idea
- Figured out what all the circuit breaker switches in the tabernacle did
- Provided the voice of the talking deer head on the wall in the dining hall, saying such things as "Grandma got run over by a reindeer... Grandpa got revenge."
- Set up the camp store and put together an awesome arrangement of bandanas and dog tags
- Attempted archery; nobody was killed
- Went canoeing and tipped over twice in a row
- Discovered that I can, in fact, sort of kind of play the drum set
- Consequently was drafted into the praise band as the drummer
- Scraped paint off the side of the tabernacle
- Immediately learned to despise scraping paint with a deep hatred
- Later vacuumed paint chips off the sidewalk along the tabernacle
- Cleaned bat poop out of the tabernacle
- Damn you, tabernacle
- Put up a very long ladder next to a tree; thankfully did not have to climb it
- Pretended to be "Stomp" on three stories of scaffolding we erected in the chapel
- Went star-tripping
- Watched fireflies, then watched the stars come out
- Pretended to be a spinal victim in the pool
- Helped compose a song with the breakfast menu as the lyrics, then performed the song the next morning
- Smashed up an organ... with a sledgehammer
- And many other things I'm probably forgetting
This is one of the best summers ever. :-D I hope you're all having a great summer too, my friends!
P.S. I turn 25 tomorrow! |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 15th, 2007|07:07 pm] |
Hey everyone! I've moved to Crystal Springs camp in Dowagiac for the summer, and I've already spent hours raking endless amounts of leaves! Oh boy! ;-)
Won't be online very much, except for when I can get down to the library. Corinne has an online class this summer, so I'll tag along with her whenever I can.
I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start. See you whenever I see you! |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 9th, 2007|03:14 pm] |
Grades from my last semester as an undergrad at MSU!
MTH 425 - 3.0
MTH 496 - 4.0
TE 408 - 4.0
Made the Dean's List one last time, woohoo!
Pretty much been spending this week at home, getting back on a normal sleep schedule and (finally) playing Kingdom Hearts II. Once in a while I look at the cats, who are just lying around and sleeping, and I think to myself "man, they have the right idea," so then I go take a nap myself.
Oh what a rough life. ;-)
Getting excited to start working at camp next week! I move to Crystal Springs on Sunday.
CUBS GAME WITH CORINNE TOMORROW!! HOORAY!! |
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