I recently learned who the second highest paid player in football is: the Left Tackle, or the guy on the blind side. Two Fridays in a row I paid full price to watch The Blind Side, and I will probably do it again. It's a good movie. (Sandra Bullock's best role this year, although I think Mary Horowitz was pretty cool in All About Steve--maybe only because I can relate to her nerdy side.)
The movie is so uplifting, and so good. I really like Michael Oher ("Oar like the paddle"), he's a beast, with 98% protective instincts.
The movie has inspired me to read the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and be a Baltimore Ravens fan. I need to buy a Ravens hoodie to make it official.
Next Monday the Ravens are playing the Green Bay Packers.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
How Far WIll You Go for an Obsession?
I'm running on only 3.5 hours of sleep. Why do I do this to myself? Oh wait, because I'm a self-proclaimed nerd, and I love my nieces and nephews and apparently their friends. Last night I froze my bottom off waiting outside from 8-10 pm, and then in the theater from 10 pm-12:01 am to see The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
It was about 20 minutes before we were to go into the theater that I started handing out the tickets when I realized I was one short. Luckily, I had the receipt, so I got the manager to sign the receipt, and I was able to get in. Later I learned that I handed one of the kids an extra ticket (they were stuck together).
Once we got inside and claimed our seats, a group us took our camping chairs out to the car, and some people watched Twilight on the computer before the movie started, of course, so they could have the story fresh in their mind, while other people napped for about an hour or so before the movie--hey whatever helps you stay awake during a 2+ hour movie.
So, that is why I am only operating on 3.5 hours of sleep. Eventually I will take a nap, or just go all day like I did last year.
The things we do for our obsessions!
It was about 20 minutes before we were to go into the theater that I started handing out the tickets when I realized I was one short. Luckily, I had the receipt, so I got the manager to sign the receipt, and I was able to get in. Later I learned that I handed one of the kids an extra ticket (they were stuck together).
Once we got inside and claimed our seats, a group us took our camping chairs out to the car, and some people watched Twilight on the computer before the movie started, of course, so they could have the story fresh in their mind, while other people napped for about an hour or so before the movie--hey whatever helps you stay awake during a 2+ hour movie.
So, that is why I am only operating on 3.5 hours of sleep. Eventually I will take a nap, or just go all day like I did last year.
The things we do for our obsessions!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Into the future
My Monday ritual has been going to my 13 year old niece's volleyball game, afterwards going over to their house for dinner, watching CW shows together (we don't get CW on our satellite), and then come home around 10 pm.
(My nieces really like this show,
while I love this show,
and we like this show)
Well, Volleyball is over so I was going to come home early and mix up my Monday night primetime shows, but my other niece begged me to stay and watch One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, since it has become a tradition I couldn't say no, so I said "Alright" and stayed.
While we waited for her friend to come over (she doesn't get CW either), she didn't arrive until 9, so we skipped OTH and went straight to GG (Yay!). While I was waiting I went ahead and set the recorder for Thursday at 8 pm on the CW network. It is true I love Vampire Diaries. That is my new favorite show, and we haven't gotten into the show together (I tend to watch it by myself on my laptop), so I am hoping we can add it to our "tv bonding" time.
In order for me to record a show on Thursday evening I had to skip ahead on the cable's "Guide" to set the recorder. Growing up, watching tv wasn't always this easy, nor was it as time-saving. When I was little you couldn't turn to a guide on your tv, we had to purchase a TV Guide magazine (or read it in the entertainment section of the newspaper), then record our shows on VHS, and we could only record one show at a time; then in 1997 when Tivo was invented-- a box you could hook up to your tv to record, pause, and fastforward through shows independent of satellite or cable boxes--our lives were simplified. With Tivo we could record multiple shows at the same time, save them as long as we want, and program it to record one episode or the series whenever it came on without being home; we no longer have to worry about missing our shows, and we can catch up on a season during our free time. Now, our satellite or cable boxes come with DVRs (for a little extra money). Tivo and DVRs are a huge time saver, we can watch two shows in 8 pm - 10 pm time slot in about 1.5 hours, that's 30 minutes shaved off!
Setting the recorder for Thursday was like going into the future. I felt like Marty McFly for a brief second. I'm a time traveler now. It's every sci-fi lover's dream come true!
(My nieces really like this show,
while I love this show,
and we like this show)
Well, Volleyball is over so I was going to come home early and mix up my Monday night primetime shows, but my other niece begged me to stay and watch One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl, since it has become a tradition I couldn't say no, so I said "Alright" and stayed.
While we waited for her friend to come over (she doesn't get CW either), she didn't arrive until 9, so we skipped OTH and went straight to GG (Yay!). While I was waiting I went ahead and set the recorder for Thursday at 8 pm on the CW network. It is true I love Vampire Diaries. That is my new favorite show, and we haven't gotten into the show together (I tend to watch it by myself on my laptop), so I am hoping we can add it to our "tv bonding" time.
In order for me to record a show on Thursday evening I had to skip ahead on the cable's "Guide" to set the recorder. Growing up, watching tv wasn't always this easy, nor was it as time-saving. When I was little you couldn't turn to a guide on your tv, we had to purchase a TV Guide magazine (or read it in the entertainment section of the newspaper), then record our shows on VHS, and we could only record one show at a time; then in 1997 when Tivo was invented-- a box you could hook up to your tv to record, pause, and fastforward through shows independent of satellite or cable boxes--our lives were simplified. With Tivo we could record multiple shows at the same time, save them as long as we want, and program it to record one episode or the series whenever it came on without being home; we no longer have to worry about missing our shows, and we can catch up on a season during our free time. Now, our satellite or cable boxes come with DVRs (for a little extra money). Tivo and DVRs are a huge time saver, we can watch two shows in 8 pm - 10 pm time slot in about 1.5 hours, that's 30 minutes shaved off!
Setting the recorder for Thursday was like going into the future. I felt like Marty McFly for a brief second. I'm a time traveler now. It's every sci-fi lover's dream come true!
Maybe being on the news will help me get a job
After moving back to California the job search has been slow, but I know that something will happen. It has to. I have worked a little here and a little there, but nothing permanent yet.
Last Thursday my dad told me about a job fair around 10 am. I quickly got ready, updated my resume and printed 20 copies, and drove to the Kern County Fair Grounds (I turned down the wrong street and had to back track) by the time I got checked in it was 10 minutes to noon (it was over at 1 pm). This job fair was different from the job fairs I've attended at UVU--employers didn't bring pens--but I made some contacts with potential employers.
Today I am finishing up some resumes, and I am going to fill out some applications. So yes, the job fair was useful, but what was the most useful was being interviewed by Sabrina Rodriguez on 29 Eyewitness News. An old friend Facebooked me to wish me luck, while other friends called to tell me they saw me on the news. Hopefully my 15 minutes of fame will help secure a job!
Last Thursday my dad told me about a job fair around 10 am. I quickly got ready, updated my resume and printed 20 copies, and drove to the Kern County Fair Grounds (I turned down the wrong street and had to back track) by the time I got checked in it was 10 minutes to noon (it was over at 1 pm). This job fair was different from the job fairs I've attended at UVU--employers didn't bring pens--but I made some contacts with potential employers.
Today I am finishing up some resumes, and I am going to fill out some applications. So yes, the job fair was useful, but what was the most useful was being interviewed by Sabrina Rodriguez on 29 Eyewitness News. An old friend Facebooked me to wish me luck, while other friends called to tell me they saw me on the news. Hopefully my 15 minutes of fame will help secure a job!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Subbing Is Not as Easy as It Looks
Last Thursday was the first time I subbed (and I just barely recooperated) and it was interesting to say the least. I subbed in the fourth grade for half-a-day, I started after lunch and went until the end of the day. I was able to meet the teacher and watch how she does things, so that was nice to see how to run an elementary classroom, seeing how I don't know. My experience has been with teenagers, and while I am sure kids no matter what age group will act up for subs, I can handle teens-- they just kinda check out.
The kids were sweet and liked me (I think) but they were all over the place. They tattle, touch each other, can't sit still, tell me how to do things, do the pee pee dance (when they don't have to pee), ask to go to the bathroom or get a drink (right after lunch or recess), get bloody noses, get their feelings hurt, waste time, tell me unnecessary stories, and need a lot of personal attention. It's a mess, and I don't have the patience for it, and maybe they picked up on it because there were a few times that I got frustrated and barked at them. Before P.E. I asked them to sit silently for a minute so I could gain some sanity, and I wanted to see if they could be quiet, but after 20 seconds I got bored.
I have a new respect for elementary teachers, it is a tough job. They have to be nice to other people's children. They have to be like moms and dads and doctors and nurses. They have to deal with a lot of issues that they aren't necessarily trained to deal with--like bloody noses, how does that happen randomly?--and look good at the same time. They have to be nurturing and deal with hurt feelings--telling them to suck it up doesn't fly for these keds. Teachers just don't teach and that's never been in their job description. It's not like doctors or lawyers or engineers, where they just focus on one job or one skill, teachers have to multi-task and be everything at once. It's a tough gig, but someone has to teach the lawyers and doctors and engineers and businessmen to do what they do.
I'm glad it wasn't a full day, I don't think I could have handled it very well, but the kids survived. . . and I'm still here!
The kids were sweet and liked me (I think) but they were all over the place. They tattle, touch each other, can't sit still, tell me how to do things, do the pee pee dance (when they don't have to pee), ask to go to the bathroom or get a drink (right after lunch or recess), get bloody noses, get their feelings hurt, waste time, tell me unnecessary stories, and need a lot of personal attention. It's a mess, and I don't have the patience for it, and maybe they picked up on it because there were a few times that I got frustrated and barked at them. Before P.E. I asked them to sit silently for a minute so I could gain some sanity, and I wanted to see if they could be quiet, but after 20 seconds I got bored.
I have a new respect for elementary teachers, it is a tough job. They have to be nice to other people's children. They have to be like moms and dads and doctors and nurses. They have to deal with a lot of issues that they aren't necessarily trained to deal with--like bloody noses, how does that happen randomly?--and look good at the same time. They have to be nurturing and deal with hurt feelings--telling them to suck it up doesn't fly for these keds. Teachers just don't teach and that's never been in their job description. It's not like doctors or lawyers or engineers, where they just focus on one job or one skill, teachers have to multi-task and be everything at once. It's a tough gig, but someone has to teach the lawyers and doctors and engineers and businessmen to do what they do.
I'm glad it wasn't a full day, I don't think I could have handled it very well, but the kids survived. . . and I'm still here!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
More Tests
I really hate taking tests. I especially hate it when my future is determined by the outcome of those tests. We all had to take those poorly written standardized tests to move on to the next grade (a lot of times those tests have nothing to do with any content that you learned), or the SAT/ACT for college, and then once you got accepted into preferred college you had to take a placement exam for math or English. Then there are those exams that are required for aspiring teachers (even teachers have to take tests).
I'm talking about my TB test and my physical. I passed! So now I only have 2 or 3 more hoops to go before I can substitute. I, luckily, have a year to take the CBEST and will wait a few months. I think I'll take it after I start substitute teaching; that way I will have a little money in my pocket, and I will have an idea of what to expect on the test. The only way to get over my hatred of taking tests (well mostly "test anxiety") is to be prepared.
Monday, September 7, 2009
I Have to Do That?!
Since I have moved back to California I've been working on getting my substitute teaching application together. If you've ever tried to substitute teach in California it's quite the process. I first went to some of the district offices and then my sister told me I should go through the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS). So I did. I got a pile of papers to fill out, and a checklist of stuff to do; unlike Utah, California requires there substitute teachers to have at least a B.A. or in pursuit of one, and take the CBEST (a general knowledge test), whereas Utah only requires there subs to breathe.
Even though I have my Utah teaching license that limits a few hoops, but it also means that I have to spend $5 to have my transcripts sent. (That's right it costs $5 to send transcripts now when just a few years ago it only cost $2.) It's going to cost my somewhere between $150 and $200 just for the opportunity to put in a movie for kids that dislike new authority figures for about $100/day, with no medical benefits. (Sometimes being a substitute teacher is hazardous to your health.) Here's a rundown of what it takes for me to start substituting:
*A friend informed me that it takes about 72 hours for TB results to appear, and since Monday was a holiday and the "County" clinic would be closed it would affect the results.
Even though I have my Utah teaching license that limits a few hoops, but it also means that I have to spend $5 to have my transcripts sent. (That's right it costs $5 to send transcripts now when just a few years ago it only cost $2.) It's going to cost my somewhere between $150 and $200 just for the opportunity to put in a movie for kids that dislike new authority figures for about $100/day, with no medical benefits. (Sometimes being a substitute teacher is hazardous to your health.) Here's a rundown of what it takes for me to start substituting:
- Fingerprinting and background check ($63)
- TB Exam ($12.50)
- Physical ($30+ varies on physician)
- CBEST ($41, but I have a year to take it)
- Request Transcripts ($5) and proof of UT license
- Fill out the CA sub application (free) and other paperwork
- Evaluation of transcripts ($55)
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