Welcome to Thursday everyone! I really could use a weekend right about now, so I'm glad it's finally here. Not to do fun, exciting things one would normally do on a weekend, but mostly to catch up and finish/start all the work I have to do by next week...
For starters, I have not one, but TWO heavy-duty revisions to do, one of which is due by tomorrow, so I better hustle. I also have a rough draft of my 10-page case study due Wednesday as well as a proposal for a unit plan due next week as well. On top of all that, I still have to read another book before Wednesday and stuff to get done for my new job, (testing, fingerprints, etc.). I felt so overwhelmed yesterday I thought I might cry, but I stuck it out. Meanwhile, my body decided to play a cruel trick on me and make me feel like I got hit by a car... Needless to say it wasn't the best time for a flare, but I feel better today, thankfully, and hopefully it won't come back anytime soon.
That being said, I had a lot of fun filling out paperwork today for my new job, (that's funny, isn't it? "Fun" and "paperwork" in the same sentence...) I have no doubt that my new superiors as well as the other staff members are really fun, caring and genuinely good people. I was even reunited with one of my old friends from summer camp, who now runs the local branch summer camp. Hopefully we'll be working together this summer because I'd really love a chance to get back into summer camp, even if it's only day camp. I have no idea what I would do, whether I would just be a basic counselor, or if I could potentially fit into one of the program areas. I was thinking about my strengths and realized that camp really isn't a good place for reading or writing, it's more about the outdoor activities. I think since I've already done recreation that I would be good at that, but I'd like to try something new, (but relatively easy), like arts and crafts or drama, something I might be good at but have little to no experience in. We'll see, but I hope my summer is just as fun as my new job should be!
All the work I've been doing has kept me pretty busy, but at least it's mostly good news. Unfortunately, that means I really don't have a lot to report on today... I didn't get to meet with my favorite focus child this week, some of my shows weren't on or I haven't gotten to them yet, (like Arrow, which I heard was really good), and it's just been a really hectic week. I did, however, learn about a premier of the first trailer for the new TMNT movie coming out this August, (SQUEEE), so I've linked that video below. I can't tell just yet whether or not it'll be great from a TMNT fandom standpoint, but I do know that I'm really excited about it! Even if it might be bad, I HAVE to see it.
That's it for me. Time to get cracking on some stuff before I run out of time. I'll be posting another blog post tomorrow about a lesson on cyber-bullying we did in class today and Tuesday. That will be in my ENGL 889 tab, so look out for that! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm very pleased to announce that after last week's depressing post I have good news! Although I've still been sick and it's not all happy-fun-town over here, I'm really glad things are finally starting to look up and get better, (hopefully).
The first big thing is that I FINALLY got a call back from the coordinator at the YMCA and they officially offered me the job as a Group Leader! I will be employed as of Thursday after signing all the necessary paperwork. I'm excited and glad to be starting a new chapter in my work life outside of retail and, even though the money is not terribly great, I know I'll be a lot happier and a lot less stressed here than I would be anywhere else. I've always wanted to use my educational degree towards my job and now I get to do that. It won't be a lot of time, just two days a week, which may or may not kill our finances and drive my husband crazy, but I'm hoping that I can grow with this company and next year move up to a higher paid position for more hours. I'll just be glad to get out of the house and play with kids after school! I'm super pumped and I can sort-of relax for now.
Speaking of my husband, I do feel bad about not pulling my weight around here. It's not that he minds, but I can see how much pressure he's under to provide for us while I've been out of work and I just wanted to take the time to let him know how much I appreciate all of the support he's given me during this difficult time and all the praise he's given me for sticking to it. I have no idea what I would do without him pushing me and reassuring me that everything will be alright. He has been the absolute best and I hope that someday I can repay him for all the kindness he's shown me, but for now I just love him unconditionally like any wife would. I love you Bear:)
Ok, so moving on out of Sapville, I also have some not-so-good news regarding my internship. For the past two months I've been visiting and observing teachers in their natural habitat, looking for a classroom to call my own for next year. It felt a lot like The Bachelor in the sense that I was seeing all these potential matches and looking for one to give my final rose to, not knowing how the other teachers felt about me. Well, it looks like I won't be proposing to anyone yet... Out of the three top teachers I chose to move forward with, NONE of them wanted to pursue a relationship with me. So I'm back to square one, scratching my list and waiting to hear from the internship coordinator about my options. I have no idea who is left to chose from, or if I'll be outsourced to a completely different school district, but I'm so over this process that I just want to be done with it. I spent all that time for nothing and now I don't even know where I'll be. I don't know if anyone will like me, but this time around I will probably do things a little differently. Before I was focusing more on the relationship between me and the teacher and I should have been focusing on what age group I prefer and the area I'd like to be in. I need to put more of an emphasis on the educational aspects and less on the personal aspects in order to get a match and I feel bad that I ruined my chances with mostly everyone already... Hopefully they can find me someone I'll enjoy spending a year with. We shall see, but now I have to wait even longer, until the end of April, to find a match. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it...
That being said, I do have some TV reviews to get to, so strap on your spoiler helmet and let's get cracking. First up is The Amazing Race! I can't say I was sad to see Luke and his mother go, but they did alright. I felt like it was their time to go and better now than further down the road when it gets even more difficult. I think that for someone who is deaf they had a really great communication system, (only flawed by Luke's inability to keep his cool during certain situations). Overall I feel bad for them, but my new favorite team is still in it! The Globetrotters have made this race so much fun for everyone and they just keep bringing the smiles, so I hope they make it to the finale. I would also love to see them get out of the third-world countries sometime in the near future, so hopefully that happens soon.
Once Upon a Time was also new Sunday night and boy am I lost. Rapunzel, although an important fairytale character, just felt kind of shoved in there and the whole thing with Zelena is getting weirder. I was talking with someone last week about how Rumple is back and that must mean someone has his dagger, but I wasn't entirely sure. Now it turns out that Zelena has it, but how did she get it? Why is he spinning gold for her? Where the hell did he go at the end of the episode? Why does Zelena need David's courage sword thingy? Where are all the flying monkeys being held? What does Zelena want with Snow's baby? WHAT'S GOING ON?!? I'm just really confused now and this episode wasn't one of my favorites, but I'm sure the next one will answer at least one of my questions. The whole scene with Regina and Henry was adorable, so I hope he gets his memories back before the end of the season, although I think they might need Rumple for that. Who knows? God knows I don't anymore. This is really an interesting development.
Finally, we're down to I think ONE episode left of How I Met Your Mother and I'M DYING. We FINALLY get to see Barney and Robin's wedding and for a second I really though she would run away with Ted, but now Ted is a wise one and he talked her out of it. Did anyone else think Robin looked stunning in her dress?! Marshmallow and Lily pad made me cry a little, thinking about my own husband and how much like them we really are. I'm sad we won't get to see little Daisy grow up like Marvin, but I'm glad things are getting settled. I love how "the mother" has helped everyone in the group, (except Ted, obviously), find some balance in their own lives. Hopefully I can keep it together next week for the finale... All of this closure has to be bad for you, doesn't it?
One last thing: there is a new trailer for X-Men: Days of Future's Past out now, so if you haven't seen it yet, the video is below. Enjoy! I know I did!
That's it for today. Along with my internship anxiety I also have about half a book to read, a four-page reflection to write and a couple revisions to spit out before the end of the week, so I'll be pretty busy by Thursday. I'll be happy to start my new job soon and get back into the swing of things. I'm not sure if I have a break in April, but I'm kind of hoping I do at this point. After the semester I've had already, I can safely say I'll need a vacation ASAP. If you have thoughts about this weeks TV recap, let me know in the comments below. I'm nearing the end of my March photo challenge with the North East Blogger's Network, so if you're not following me on Instagram yet, now is the time. Also, if you ever want to see me live-tweet The Amazing Race, I do every Sunday, so you can follow me there too. All my links are up at the top! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Hello again! It's Thursday already and oh, how the tides have turned. Tuesday I was filled with hope and happiness and today not so much. A lot has happened and by now I've already been able to remedy some of my situation, but even I can't work miracles.
First off, I've had a sinus migraine for the last two days, which would've been great if I were still on vacation and didn't have stuff to do. For instance, the two revisions I have to do on the papers I passed in before vacation, which I thought would be fine. I always think my work is satisfactory and when I miss the mark on something I get frustrated and disheartened. Who wants to do a revision? Nobody. Then, to add to my disappointment, one of my prospective teachers for my internship contacted me to let me know she was no longer interested in working with me. Now I only have two teachers left in my remaining intern pool and I'm hoping they don't crap out on me because I have no other options. I'm starting to panic because the form is due by next week and I'm already down by one. What's to stop the other two teachers from backing out on me too? This whole situation has been awkward from the start and only makes me more anxious. I just want this to be over and know where I'm going already.
On top of all THAT, I was (mis)informed about my eligibility for financial aid and REALLY started to panic because of the amount of money I would need to pay for my internship. Thankfully I fixed everything with the financial aid office and am covered for next year with at least half time status. With my job situation still in limbo, it was hard for me to envision paying off a personal loan without any money coming in. Speaking of jobs, I found out through my potential employer that one of my references, (my old boss), got transferred, so his contact information I had been giving to other potential employers was invalid, which caused a lot more problems for me than he did originally... With ALL of that stuff having happened in the last few days, this weekend will be a welcome relief, at least for a little while. I went from elated to struggling within 24 hours and it wasn't fun. At this point, I've accepted the fact that revisions are a necessary part of school and shouldn't be viewed as a punishment. The fact that I don't have a particular due date helps too. I'm in a much more positive mood now that I've assessed my situation and applied the necessary patchwork solutions for now. You wouldn't think my life would be this hectic and stressful without a job to burden me even more.
Hidden Harley Quinn foreshadowing?
All of that aside, I have two new television reviews for you this time. As some of you might remember, I believe I've mentioned the fact that I watch Arrow on the CW every Thursday, (because it airs on Wednesday and I watch everything on Hulu Plus). It's really one of the only good shows on that channel, which is frequently plagued by good-looking murderous teens who always seem to end up at a dark club. Anyway, Arrow follows a traditional DC comic book storyline about a green-hooded vigilante figure protecting his city from injustice. If you've been following the series, you should be caught up to what I'm about to say about this week's episode. If you aren't, then I suggest you should start from the beginning, especially if you're looking for a new show to watch. Watch out for these spoilers! We left off with Oliver agonizing over the realization of Slade being alive and ready to kill his entire family, but we don't really focus on that in this episode. It was all about the Suicide Squad, (another DC reference). Including Diggle and his ex-wife/lover, (weird), there are also con men involved in this team of ruffians. They end up dealing with an old terrorist "ally" of Diggles when they find out he's harboring some sort of chemical weapon that I'm still unsure about. The whole story line was great, but the best part, by far, was one scene in the base where we hear one sentence uttered by what we can only assume is the Harley Quinn, judging by her very familiar tone. Although it may just be a one-time gig for my favorite DC villain, there's always potential in these shows, so we'll see.
The other show I watched tonight was The 100, which premiered its pilot episode this week. According to the description and from what I gathered from the show, it centers on a small cluster of humans on a space shuttle almost a hundred years after a nuclear disaster destroyed the Earth. Obviously some people escaped to form this group and they are attempting to maintain the population to keep themselves alive for as long as they can, (or until they find a habitable planet). Cue the imprisoned teens, 100 of them, sent to Earth to test the environment, because they're "expendable." The range of their crimes vary from serious murders to mindless pranks to just having been born. The teens touch down on Earth, not knowing what they'll encounter or how much radiation they'll be exposed to, but their reactions were priceless. Even though the premise seems very "Hunger Games" like, there were a few issues I spotted. One being the obviously pretty cast, although that doesn't hold true for everyone this time. I do like the fact that one of the original April O'Neils from the 80s TMNT movies is one of the main characters. Unrealistic attack sequences left me scratching my head, (why didn't she lose her leg in that monster's mouth?). And the kids' rebellion screamed Lord of the Flies. It's only the pilot, so I will keep watching because it seems interesting and very unnatural for the CW, but I'm hopeful for it's success. If anyone else wants to sound off on this or on the developments in Arrow thus far, you can do so in the comments below.
Well, sadly that's all I have for this week. Like I said, I'm looking forward to this weekend because I actually have plans. I have a baby shower on Saturday and dinner with family Sunday, so it should be a good time. Hopefully I'll have more good news by next week, but we'll see. I'm getting tired of saying that and then coming up with nothing, so I won't be making any more promises. I'm just going to enjoy the time I have to myself and keep looking forward. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Here I am, all alone, sitting on the couch watching The Avengers. This has been one of those days where you pretty much wanted it to end the moment it began, save for the one hour I got to spend with some of my favorite students. Other than that one small event, I haven't wanted to do anything all day.
I guess my health could possibly be to blame for my lethargy. This isn't really anything new, but it has taken me for a bit of a loop lately. With Lupus, it's hard to tell what's wrong and what's "normal." Usually I have the typical joint pain coupled with some minor fatigue. Today it's been more like having been hit by a vehicle and struggling to keep my burning eyes open...which has been slightly uncomfortable. I have an idea about what's causing this to happen: I've been taking some antibiotics recently to combat a completely different ailment and those tend to weaken your immune system. Add antibiotics to an already barren wasteland and you have a giant rave going on between your white blood cells and anything that moves, (ie: everything). So, long story short, I feel like complete crap and I'm just waiting for all of this to go away and feel normal again. I don't like not feeling like myself.
With all of this going on, I'm still waiting to hear back from the YMCA about my job opportunity, however I have been informed that my references have been contacted and she's gotten a call back from at least one by now. Hopefully, if all goes well, I should be employed by the end of this week. Keep your fingers double crossed for me still because you never know what could happen. Even though this job would only last until the end of the school year two days a week, I still feel like there's more of an opportunity for me to grow there and have fun at my job, so I'm holding out for it as long as I can!
You hear some people say, everything happens for a reason. I'm still not sure if I buy into that concept completely, but something tells me there's some sort of higher power at work here. Although I've suffered a lot of setbacks recently, including my unemployment and health issues, I've realized that I am truly happy. Some people feel incomplete or unhappy with the choices they've made thus far. As for me, I can say with certainty that I am finally really happy. I'm working towards my Masters degree, (which will be my last degree), I have a loving and devoted husband who supports me in everything I do and has for the last six years, plus we're lucky enough to have a mutual understanding of each other which means our fights are virtually non-existent, I no longer have to worry about the stressful retail environment I was subject to as of January, I have spent loads of time with my family lately and I've been loving every second of it, I'm an aunt to a wonderful little boy and I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be right now. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be with who I'm supposed to be here with and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have small moments of epiphanies every now and again and the one I had today only boosted my spirits even more. Despite my shortcomings, I am happy nonetheless.
That being said, let's talk about TV, shall we? As you might know already, right now my shows are Once Upon a Time, The Amazing Race, and Agents of SHIELD. We'll be focusing on the two from this past weekend. Spoilers beyond this point, obviously. First up is The Amazing Race, and let me tell you, disappointment takes on a whole new meaning after this weekend. To say that Brendon and Rachel have overstayed their welcome is an understatement in my opinion. They are possibly one of the most annoying couples that have ever been on reality television and I CAN'T STAND THEM. I was so happy that they were going to be last because of that ridiculous challenge Phil made them do, but he pulled the "non-elimination" card out on them. I was beside myself with rage. Really Phil? NOW you pull that out? C'mon man... They better screw themselves over next week or I'm going to be super pissed. I hope she chokes on her stupid sequins...
Once Upon a Time was also new this week and it was great! I made a few predictions last week about the Wicked Witch and her relationship to the Evil Queen that ultimately came to fruition by the end of this week's episode, (thank you, thank you...). The only thing I didn't count on was the Witch turning all the missing dwarfs and Little John, (poor bastard), into her personal flying monkeys. That can't be comfortable. What does the Witch want with Snow White's unborn child!? If only Snow knew who was caressing her stomach, she would high-tail it out of there so fast. By the way, where the heck is Neal? Everyone else is wondering, but we probably won't find out until much later, knowing them. Now we know that his father is still alive, so what's up with that? Also, why is Rumple acting like such a sniveling little worm again? It's almost as if he reverted back to his old self when the Witch, (?), brought him back from where ever he sent himself. Who knows...with this show, anyone could be behind all this freaky stuff. I just hope poor Belle doesn't have to spend half her lifetime trying to get Rumple back to loving her again.
Well, that about does it. I just finished the movie, so now it's time for some last-minute reading for homework I already know I won't finish by tomorrow. If I wasn't so cold and unwilling to move I would totally go grab some McD's right now, but sadly, I'm still too lazy. I have high hopes for the rest of the week, considering spring is almost, (FINALLY), here. Hopefully I'll have a lot to talk about on Thursday. Just a reminder, keep up with my progress on Instagram with my link up at the top of this page. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Greetings and salutations! It's already Thursday and boy do I want the snow to stop. Not only is it below twenty degrees, (plus a nasty windchill), but we got a couple inches of snow too, resulting in some power outages last night. Hurray for the end of winter! I DO have some good news though! I had mentioned on Tuesday that I had a pretty important interview today for what I would consider one of my dream jobs and I am about 93% sure that I got it! I went into the interview feeling nervous, but also excited about the prospect of doing something I like with kids for the rest of the time I'll be in school. I also felt pretty confident in my experience, coupled with my degrees and educational background. I just have to wait for my references to check out and I could start as early as next week. AAHHH!!
Obviously I'm a little excited about the possibility of being employed again while still holding onto my subbing position until the end of the year. Even though I wouldn't be working a whole week, I would still be way happier there than I would if I ever had to set foot in a retail environment again. I think it's important to keep your options open and if the opportunity is there, I have to take it. I won't get too many more opportunities like this; a chance to do what I've always wanted to do again is too good to pass up. It seems like the perfect fit, so here's to hoping the dark days are behind me.
That being said, this week wasn't too great until today. Town elections were on Tuesday and my town was voting on the prospect of building a new school building for our kids. If you saw the school in its present state, you would've voted yes: they are fighting and working hard to alleviate the obvious structural and spacial issues facing the school as it stands. Unfortunately, a small margin of voters pushed more for basic renovations rather than spend their tax money on a new building. This made me angry because the town is basically saying there are more people here that could care less about these kids and their education than they do about their money. The population of elderly voters outweighed the percentage of younger voters, who obviously would've voted for a new school. The older generation doesn't have kids who go to school anymore, so why would they vote to pay for a school that won't benefit them in any way? They don't see the ripple effect this causes in the community either. These kids believe their elders don't care about them or their future, which in turn won't provide them with an adequate outlook on life. It'll only make them want to leave this school district even more than some already do. As a substitute teacher, as well as someone who values student opinion, I see the vote as one for these kids, not for taxes. The backlash and negativity on social media after the vote was decided was immense. The only reason I know that is because I respect these kids and I think they deserve better than what they have been given. All the more reason for me to do good by them.
Speaking of students and respect, there was an incident at one of the schools I am observing at involving a hate crime. To think that middle schoolers are capable of this magnitude of cruelty is mind-boggling. I keep thinking back to my own time in middle school, in a different world. Although I have fond memories of meeting new friends, some I've kept to this day, and of fun teachers, I also have memories of sickness and backstabbing. I was diagnosed with Lupus at the beginning of my middle school years, so I remember more about hospital visits than of school work. I was also the victim of bullying, mostly by people I had once considered friends. It's tough in middle school, to gauge who you really are and what you believe in. I think that might be one reason these kids are more likely to become bystanders than those who are willing to take action against hatred. I know that I felt somewhat alone within all of that silence, so I would assume the same holds true for these abuse victims. We have to learn how to be nice to each other, or our future will most likely be bleak at best.
Enough of that sad talk for now. Things are looking up, at least from where I'm standing. I've made it a goal of mine to always impact kids in a positive light, and that's exactly what I plan to do, especially if I get this new job. That being said, I plan on doing some premature celebrating this weekend. I will be attending a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis at the local Margaritas restaurant with my husband and parents. All proceeds from the event will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, so I don't see any harm in drinking margaritas for a good cause! What better way to celebrate my probable employment?
I've done something I never expected to do this week: watch Frozen. I liked it, surprisingly, and now understand why all my kids are obsessed with the songs, mainly "Let it Go," seeing as it's been stuck in my head for the last few days. That, and "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" I liked the movie because I saw a lot of similarities between my relationship with my own sister in Elsa and Anna's relationship. We grew apart as adolescents and I wish I could go back and change that, but we're better now and get along really well together. I like the symbolism of "sisterly love" as opposed to the usual "romantic love" aspect of most Disney movies. It shows that they are veering away from the typical story lines in favor of a more modern approach to things. I look forward to seeing more of Disney's new creations, seeing as Frozen has done so unbelievably well.
Monday is also St. Patrick's Day and, for most of us, that means day drinking and wearing as much green as possible. For me there is an entirely different element to this holiday, considering the fact that I am mostly Irish, although it might be hard to tell from my maiden name and my dark hair. While my mother's side is almost strictly Irish, my father's side, although we identify more with our Italian roots, we are partially Irish as well, from my grandmother's side of the family. Because my family treated St. Patrick's Day as a family event, we would always get together for the traditional Irish supper of corned beef and cabbage, which hasn't changed. I am in charge of making my Nana's Irish soda bread, which is my favorite and very easy to make, however rather sticky. I love this holiday because I can tap into my roots and get together with family just like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Also there's usually a Boondock Saints marathon, which is nothing to scoff at. It's a time to celebrate life and good luck, which a lot of people do with booze. Good thing I always keep a spare bottle of Jameson in the freezer!
That's all I have for you this week. If you want to see this week's TV reactions and predictions, check out my last post. Next week school is back in session, so I will go back to having a full schedule. I'm in the middle of an X-Men marathon right now, so I'll have to decide between that and the homework I still have to get done... If you are interested in following my progress in the Northeast Bloggers March Photo Challenge, the link to my Instagram is among the rest of my social media links at the top of the page. I know I've said this before, but if anyone has ideas of what you would like to see me post about or review, let me know in the comments below! Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Hey everyone! I hope everyone is having a good start to their week so far. As most of you already know, I'm on spring break this week, so I'll be spending a lot of time inside or at schools for observation hours. Much better than going somewhere warm with plenty of alcoholic beverages, (said no one ever). Eventually I will be able to relax and relish my educational accomplishments, but until then, the work never stops.
Good news! I applied to another job recently, (Saturday), and received a call back complete with a phone interview yesterday. I have another in-person interview on Thursday, so fingers crossed I nail it! I don't think I've wanted any other job more than I want this one, so I hope I get it. It would be perfect, not only for my educational background, but for my schedule next year. A part time job where I get to work with kids and still get to finish my Masters degree is like a dream come true! I'm trying to keep my excitement on the down low, but it's hard when I've been bored out of my mind lately... I'm determined this time to impress everyone and leave no doubts. I'm feeling good about my chances!
There were a few important things to happen on my TV list this week so far, (SPOILERS, obviously). First up is TheAmazing Race. Sadly, my favorite team of YouTubers ended up getting eliminated this past Sunday. They made a valiant effort, but in the end luck wasn't on their side. If I could tell them directly, I would say that they made the show more enjoyable and they made their viewers proud. It's not every day that you get to run a race across the entire world, so that accomplishment is enough in my eyes. They shouldn't be so hard on themselves! My new favorite team I think, especially after this last leg, is probably the Globetrotters. They are hilarious and make everything they do a party, so it'll be fun watching them progress in this race too. Rachel and Brendon still make me want to punch infants, so hopefully they're the next to get axed...
Sunday was also the premier date of one of my favorite shows Once Upon a Time!! I have been so pumped for this premier that I was actually sad that I decided to watch The Amazing Race. Everything about this episode made it worth the wait. I am patiently waiting to ship Emma and Hook because that just needs to happen. Also, I totally called Walsh, (or whatever his name was), being a friggin flying monkey! Both my dad and my husband think that the flying monkeys are a bit much, but if you're going to have the Wicked Witch be the new villain, she HAS to have her monkey minions. I'm also thinking that it might take forever for Regina to recognize Robin as her true love, but I think we'll all be a lot happier when she does. This episode just got me all excited for next weekend all over again! Sound off in the comments below about things you liked or didn't like about the mid-season premier. The Bachelor finally ended yesterday and, from what I read on Twitter, it was a shit show. Juan went from "most eligible bachelor" to "most hated and misunderstood bachelor" in the span of about two weeks. I was originally a fan at the start of the season, but as the weeks wore on more and more people, including myself, became detached from his Latin charm and focused more on his exasperating logic. He made so many bad decisions that it was hard to stand up for him, so I just stopped watching because it was too painful to witness him digging his own grave. That being said, I'm glad they made Andi the new Bachelorette because I think she may bring a sense of dignity, ingenuity, and reality to this "reality" show. Being a lawyer, she has to have some common sense, right? Plus she's a Phi Mu, so she better live up to those standards. If she does, I promise it'll be a good season. Thoughts?
Last on my list is How I Met Your Mother, which also aired yesterday. I think the closer they get to the end, the sadder the episodes are going to be. I was barely paying attention to what Robin was going through with Barney and her mother while Ted was determining, (unsuccessfully), what Lily was up to at The Captain's residence at 3am. Needless to say I didn't see the real answer coming, but it made me cry nonetheless. I can understand why Lily wanted to keep her new pregnancy a secret until after the wedding to prevent any attention deviating from Barney and Robin's wedding, (which STILL hasn't happened...). My guess is that the wedding will happen next week with the finale being the reception, where Ted is supposed to FINALLY meet the mother, (whom we've already met through other people's varying circumstances). I'm getting more and more confident with the idea that she may already be dead, but anything can happen at this point. It's a true testament to their scripting prowess.
That's all I have for today. I really have to put a sizable dent in my "Born Digital" novel for next week, (I'm only on chapter three...). The next two days are full of observation hours, seeing one of my favorite students and going to my potentially life-altering interview, so wish me luck and I'll tell you all about it Thursday. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Hello there everyone, it's already Thursday! This week I've been super busy, which has been both nice and horrible at the same time. Nice because I'm not just sitting around doing nothing and horrible because I've been running around trying to get everything done... I'm doing my best not to get discouraged with my job search, but I'm taking a little break this week from looking so I can look more next week while I don't have classes. I also have two papers due this week, (one was due yesterday and the bigger one due tomorrow...yikes!), so I haven't had a lot of free time to peruse the Internet.
One thing I am feeling a bit uneasy about is the internship I'm lining up for myself for next year. This whole process has been daunting, to say the least, as well as uncomfortable. It's literally like we're on a dating show; the interns visit prospective teachers to see what it's like in their classrooms, then, at the end of the month, we put our top three choices on a form and send it in to wait for a response, (the teachers do the same thing, only with their top three interns). During this period of observation hours, you have to go into their classes and watch them teach. I've always been one to sit in the corner and watch, responding to anything the teacher might say to me during the time we have together. It's all very nice and you get to see what it's like to be in there with them without the responsibility of actually teaching. More of a fly-on-the-wall thing.
My issue right now is that everyone in my group of interns kind of already has their top three, which I think is supposed to be "secret," (I don't think we're supposed to tell anyone who we like the best just in case it doesn't work out or they're seeing the same person). It's awkward most of all because I know a few people who have been seeing my favorite teacher when I'm not there and I'm afraid that we're going to lose that connection we made the first time I saw her. I also don't know what everyone else is doing when they're in there: Do they help her out? Organize classroom supplies? etc. I never know if I'm doing too little or more than enough to make myself known and show that I'm interested, but you just have to wait and see. It's frustrating because I don't want to lose out on my top picks by putting all my eggs in three symbolical baskets and having none of them put me on their lists. It's a very confusing, stressful process and I already can't wait for it to be April so I know where I'm going to be.
I guess I'm just nervous about potentially not finding anyone... I want to make a connection with someone in a way that is comfortable for both parties, but it seems so forced sometimes. You have to think about being with this teacher for an entire year, not getting sick of them, supporting their teaching style and being there for them when they need you. That's a huge deal, and if everyone else isn't freaking out about this like I am then they are completely desensitized. I'm also the type of person who HATES not knowing ahead of time what's going to happen. I'm a planner: I have to plan EVERYTHING. If I don't know what's going to happen, I get anxious and I do research, (if possible). For example, while watching a TV show on Hulu that has already aired, I will look up the recap of the episode online to see what happens. I do the same thing with movies, books, etc. I don't know why, but I just don't like surprises. With my life already unbalanced, I feel like I have no idea where I'll be next month, let alone next year. I have to figure out what's going to happen to me, preferably soon.
On a slightly happier note, let's talk about TV this week! The two shows that I watched were Agents of SHIELD and How I Met Your Mother, and both had an amazingly good storyline. SPOILERS AHEAD!... So the main event in Agents of SHIELD was most definitely the blue man torso in T.A.H.I.T.I. when they broke into the "Guest House." There are apparently many speculations about who this guy was, what species he is and where he comes from. My husband and I took a guess and figured he may be one of the frost giants from the Thor series, which seemed most probable to us considering the relationship Thor has with the Avengers, (SHIELD as part of the Avengers), and also the appearance of some familiar Asgardians for the next episode, so we'll see about that. We are also still researching other alien possibilities from the Marvel universe, including the Kree and an alien tribe on Centauri IV, but without any real clear clues as to who this may be, we're stuck wondering, probably until the end of the season if the previous episodes are any consolation. I would also like to point out the fact that whatever "drug" Coulson and Skye were injected with has obvious alien properties, so now they have that to bond over. What's that all about? If you'd like to voice your opinion on this development, voice your opinions in the comments below.
How I Met Your Mother was really sad this week, at least in my mind. First with everyone realizing that this may be the last time in awhile that they will all be together in one place. Then they hit us with a fast-forward to Ted crying over The Mother's comment about a mother being there for her daughter's wedding, which apparently made everyone believe that she's going to miss her own daughter's wedding, (meaning death). I think, after this many years of not knowing, if they have the mother be dead at the end of all this, it might actually make sense. I can see why a lot of people may be angry about waiting this long only to find out that she's already dead. But I can see where the creators are coming from. Why else would Ted spend this much time and effort telling his kids about how he met their mother? I would have to go back to the very beginning to see how he started this conversation, but he may be paying homage to her in his own way. She did tell him to not "live in his stories," but isn't that exactly what he's doing? I don't know, I just know that I haven't wanted to cry like that about a television show in awhile, (not since "Same as it Never Was" from the TMNT animated series).
I think that's it for now. I have a paper to write! Speaking of, my topic is actually quite interesting; it's about exploring the possibilities of technology as it pertains to understanding our students as people instead of just students. I hope I do the subject justice. If you want to learn more about what I'm researching or what I'm reading about digital literacy, let me know and I can put links to all my resources on my class page. This weekend will be most welcome, considering I actually have plans and I can relax a little! I have a birthday party tomorrow night and family dinner with the in-laws on Saturday, so that should be fun! Spring Break starts next week too and, although I'm not going anywhere, I hope my husband and I can find some time for just the two of us. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
Happy Tuesday to all! I'm having a surprisingly good day so far, but that could all come crashing down at any moment, so let's keep our wits about us, shall we? I spent some time with my favorite teacher this morning, had some Dunks for second breakfast and now this, so I'm doing well today. It's also Founder's Day for Phi Mu Fraternity, of which I am an alumnae member. Love, Honor, Truth!
As usual, I don't have much to talk about on the personal front. I'm actually getting over my cold, (I think...knock on wood, or whatever is closest), so I feel better and school is back in session, so I don't feel as useless as I did last week. That being said, I do want to talk about a few things, one being an ultimatum I gave myself whilst wallowing in my self pity. I'm going to make it a point to try harder at things like cleaning around the house, getting out of said house and making more of an effort in general. I've been really lazy and bored lately and I'm tired of feeling crappy, so I want to do more. Obviously having no job makes being lazy really easy, so I'm going to try to fill up some of my free time with more beneficial activities, like reading for leisure and getting caught up, (or ahead!), in some of my homework and other projects. Since I don't really have an excuse not to, I should be doing more instead of letting distractions like TV take over my down time. I have about four books lined up for me to read and review, so I want to make it a goal of mine to start one this week or during vacation next week. I would also like to be more active, maybe even go back to the gym, (it's been at least a year since I've been to the gym I keep paying a membership for...). Or at least yoga or something.
Speaking of TV being a distraction, two things that happened on TV this weekend were The Amazing Race and The Oscars. SPOILER ALERT for Amazing Race: I was sad enough when they introduced the show with Bopper being sick and leaving Mark to race with Mallory, but then she had to go and ruin it again for all of us by losing the second leg. I can't see how, being an obvious fan favorite, they can keep doing the show and leave with nothing, but we'll see if they ever get to come back. I don't think they'd do two "all-stars" in a row, but you never know with reality television...
As for The Oscars, I think it's safe to say that it was one of the best Oscar events in the history of the show. Ellen was almost flawless, (that snide joke about Liza Minnelli rubbed some people the wrong way), and there was pizza, so it was pure gold in my book. So glad that 12 Years a Slave won a few awards, including the big one. Also, I think it's time for me to see Frozen now. I've compiled a few of my favorite gifs, memes and pictures from the night, so enjoy those below.
That time Ellen scared the crap out of Leo and Sandra.
The Selfie Heard Round The World (on Twitter)
Everybody getting pizza!
My personal favorite. Poor Leo...
That's all for today. Like I said, I'm trying to get back in the swing of things with my school work, so hopefully that will pay off for my paper due at the end of this week. I've also started observations again, so hopefully this will get me closer to a potential cooperating teacher for my internship as well as my focus student, who is cool beans by the way. I will most likely have my TV show reviews by Thursday, although I've stopped watching The Bachelor for now, (I think it's gone downhill super fast, so I think I might just wait for the end to see who he ends up with, if anyone). I'm very invested in Arrow on the CW as well as Vikings on the History channel, which just started back up again last week, so stay tuned for at least those. If you're not already following me on Instagram, click here to check my progress so far in the Northeast Bloggers March Photo Challenge! I still have almost a full month to go, but things should get interesting. Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.
