Little Pink Houses for You and Me

Picture Courtesy of http://tinyhouseblog.com

I own a house.  A house in a town where I no longer live.  Currently that home is being rented out by a young couple and their adorable two year old son.  So that makes me a landlord.  However, I am also a renter.  I am renting a duplex in the area where I now work.  I HATE renting.  I feel like I am pissing away money every month.  Not to mention that I live in a much smaller place now, but my rent is 400 dollars more expensive than my house payments.  That’s the difference between rural Maine and Southern Seacoast Maine.  I would love to think about purchasing a home in this area, but damn these places are expensive!  I fear I may be a renter for a long time.

I came across this blog a while back and I keep going back to it.  I love these little homes.  It is just me, I don’t need a ton of space.  In fact, the less space the better.  That means the less crap I accumulate.  When I moved from my house to the duplex I began the purging process.  I still have so much more I can get rid of .  It is just stuff, right?  Why do we (or maybe just me?) feel the need to possess so many material objects?  This is something I really want to work on.  Minimalism.  That’s what 2012 is about for me.

You really should check out the Tumbleweed homes.  Some of them are so cool.  I love looking at how people maximize their small spaces.   I really love the B-53 (pictured above).  It is so stinking cute.  Can’t you just picture yourself sipping tea and reading a book on that porch?  Just a little tiny patch of land needed.  Some sunflowers in the yard.  Home sweet home.

Read Full Post »

Who Wrote the Book of Love?

I have always wanted to write a book.  The problem is that I have never been able to come up with a subject or a story that seemed book worthy to me.  Every single time I think I come up with a pretty decent plot line, I realize it is just a modernized version of a Jane Austen novel or Shakespeare play or my main character sounds just like Holden Caulfield.   It is as though I don’t have an original thought in my mind.

But about a week ago, I realized I don’t need to create a story.  Why not tell my story?  You see, it started with some text messages between me and an old friend from college.  I was sharing  a few highlights from some of my, shall we say, “more interesting” dates and she wrote back to me, “You should write a book about all these dates.”

I have never written a book before (well, duh, I think that’s pretty obvious) and I don’t really know how one goes about it.  I have the moleskine notebooks and plan on doing some brainstorming this weekend.  It will be fun to look back at some of those horrendous dates and laugh at them now.  It is all about perspective, right?  Of course, now that I have gone on four dates with this new guy, I am hoping that the book will have a happy ending and won’t end with my protagonist downing a bottle of wine and painting pictures of her seventeen kitty cats.

Read Full Post »

This and That

I have been on “vacation” for a week now.  I put that in quotes because this summer is going to consist of me packing, finding a place to live and renting my place out.  Not to mention figuring out a new job that I have never done before.   I am not complaining, I swear.  Really, I am actually very excited about all of this.

First, let’s talk about the house search.

I spent ten hours today (most of them in the car) driving all over southern Maine and New Hampshire looking for a place.  It is not that easy finding a place that will take three dogs.  I looked at one very cute, but also extremely small, apartment.  The drawback is that there is NO YARD for the pups.  My dogs are very used to rural living and have developed the habit of needing bushes or woods to go to the bathroom.  They will not go when on a leash.  Living in a downtown area is not really a possibility for me.  So the cute, but small apartment was not really an option.  I then looked at a place in New Hampshire with a nice yard, but the apartment?  Ugh.  The most disgusting carpet I ever saw and a bathroom I couldn’t even turn around in.  The floors all slanted down and the closets?  Teeny, tiny.  Not good for this girl with too many clothes.  I then checked out a few more places to no avail.  The last place I looked at?  I think it might be home.  Rural setting, beautiful area.  Acres and acres of woods surrounding the place.  Less than a five minute drive to an adorable little downtown area with a great bar/cafe that I had lunch at.  The house? A duplex (an elderly lady lives in the other half).  Two bedrooms, lots of closet space.  Nice tiled floor downstairs.  A walk-out basement for the dogs.  Washer/dryer hook-up.  Dishwasher. Nice, clean carpets upstairs.   I’m in love.

Home sweet home?  I hope so.

On a totally different note.  This is my birthday week.  That’s right, I am one of those people who believe in a birthday week.  Last night I went out to dinner with my father.  We had a fabulous dinner and even better conversation.  My old man got a little sentimental on me.  He kept gushing about how proud he was of me and then the most earth shattering moment?  When he said to me, “I know I fucked up as a father and I regret so many things I did or didn’t do.  But somehow, kiddo, you turned out amazing.”    That was probably the best birthday present I could ask for.

And then this morning I wake up and check my reader and find out I won a pouch from Long Story Longer!  Can this birthday week get any better?

Why yes, it can.  Because then this evening my mother called me and said we were going to a performance of Shakespeare’s Complete Works on Saturday.

A home, love from my father, a fabulous pouch and Shakespeare!  I love birthdays!

Read Full Post »

Ch- ch- ch- changes

I recently enrolled in the information and library science master’s degree program.  On a whim, I applied for a high school librarian job at a school in southern Maine.  I honestly assumed they would probably just laugh at my application, but I figured why not at least try?  Then they called and asked me in for interview.  The interview went really well.  The faculty I met were extremely warm and inviting and very casual and laid back, in other words, a place I felt I would like to work.  One of the teachers gave me a tour of the school.  In the interview when they asked me if I had any questions for them, one of the questions I had asked was what they all liked best about working in the district.  On the tour the teacher said to me, “What I didn’t say in the interview was that the best thing about working here is that 90% of our staff is under the age of 40.  It is a great place to work and a great place to make friends and be social.”  She was so sweet.  As I left, she said, “I really hope you get the job.”

Well folks, guess what?  I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!

I am beside myself.  It is so exciting.  It is also very overwhelming.  I have to move.  I have to figure out what the hell to do with my house.  I am sad about leaving my job and my students.  But I am also so excited about starting somewhere new and meeting new people and living in a town with some life and culture and a pulse.  It is going to be an adventure.

 

Read Full Post »

36 in 36

My birthday is coming up in a little more than two weeks.  I tried to come up with 36 things to do in my thirty sixth year.  Here is what I have so far:

1. Go to California to see my sister and niece
2. Grow my hair back out to the stacked bob
3. Run a 5k
4. Take a photography course
5. Host a dinner party where I cook the entire meal
6. Get an orchid and keep it alive
7. Plan a girls’ weekend
8. Hike Tumbledown Mountain
9. Camp on an island (plans in the making)
10. Do more volunteer work
11. Learn to make earrings
12. Go kayaking
13. Get a pedicure
14. Get a massage
15. Join a book club that actually meets
16. See more live music
17. See Garrison Keillor when he comes to Maine
18. Go fishing
19. Ask someone out on a date
20. Watch less television
21. Read more
22. Take a real vacation, involving hotels and room service
23. Do (take?) a sauna
24. Blog on a more regular basis
25. Quit smoking
26. Join a club or group of some sort (something social)
27. Go to the Common Ground Fair in the fall
28. Do something exciting for New Year’s Eve
29. Take my pups on more walks
30. Take my dad to a Sea Dogs game
31. Take my friends’ kids for a weekend
32. Go to a batting cage
33. Go horseback riding
34. Sing karaoke
35. Take a Zumba class
36. Finish painting downstairs

Read Full Post »

The Waiting Game

Well, I have sent out a gazillion applications in the past few weeks.  Now I am just sitting and waiting and wondering why nobody is calling.  I have applied to a couple of schools here in Maine, one of which I interviewed at ten years ago and didn’t get an offer.  I guess I just have something to prove to myself with that one.  I also have sent in a slew of applications to schools in Connecticut, since that is where my graduate program is.  I can do the whole program online, but I would really rather not do it that way.  I would like to be in a classroom with living, breathing human beings if I can.  I think the fact that I do not yet have a Connecticut teaching license is definitely not working in my favor.  I feel like I look really good on paper.  I have strong letters of recommendation.  I am the department head at the school I work at now.  I have been in the same place for nine years, I don’t move all around.  I not only teach at the high school level, but also at the college level.  I have a Master’s degree.  Hell, I would set up an interview with me.  So, why the heck aren’t they calling?

Read Full Post »

“That’s a Negative, Ghost Rider”

So I finally heard from the school that I interviewed with on Monday and if you couldn’t guess from the title of this post-  I did not get the job.  I had a feeling when I left that this was the case, but silly me, I still held onto hope.  I am disappointed, but not as disappointed as I thought I would be.  The idea of selling my house, packing all my shit, moving three dogs to a city, leaving my family, friends, etc is all a little bit overwhelming and hard to imagine, so I guess what I am trying to say is that I am okay with the rejection.  Yeah, it stings, don’t we all want people to accept us and want us?  But, hey, it is okay.  I am okay with it.  I am still appying to other schools in Connecticut-  the pay increase is just way too much not to be tempted.  Will I really  move?  I don’t know-  I just want the option.  So we will see how all that plays out. 

In other news- the snow is melting, temps in the high 50s to low 60s this weekend.  The dogs and I are getting outside.  They are loving it.  I spotted the daffodils sprouting up in their usual spots on my lawn.  The pre-cursor to Spring for sure.  “Hope Springs Eternal” or something like that, right?

Read Full Post »

Blood in the Streets in the town of New Haven*

*lyrics to “Peace Frogs” by The Doors, hopefully not really the case.

News on the job front.  I had the phone interview with the school in New Haven and I have made it to the next phase.  In a little more than a week I will be heading to New Haven to tour the school, observe some classes, teach a lesson and then debrief and be interviewed.  The school is going way out of their way to be accommodating and hospitable.  They are reimbursing my gas mileage, the recruitment officer (the RO for short) even offered to fly me down for the interview but I wanted to have my own wheels, and they are putting me up in hotel for the night.  The RO has emailed me often, keeping me up date with everything going on and just being way too cool for me to even put into words.

It is strange.  What started out as a whim, “why not just apply and see what happens” is turning into, “Oh my god, could I really be moving back to Connecticut soon and starting a new job?”  Everything is so up in the air in the right now.  I have no idea how many other people are being interviewed and how much of a chance I actually have.  I have no idea if I am cut out for the intensity that this job seems to demand.  I feel like I am entering the unknown.  If I am not offered the job, I am not sure what that is going to do to my ego.  I also have no idea what that means for next year for me.  I can always stay where I am, there is no danger of me losing my job there, but the question is do I want to?  I think I know the answer to that.

That would be a big fat resounding NO.

I am ready for change.  I need change.

Please, please, please send me good thoughts on April 4th and I will be sure to keep you posted on how it goes.

For now, I am going to be planning the most kick-ass 30 minute poetry lesson I have ever planned.

 

 

Read Full Post »

Is the Universe Trying to Tell Me Something?

Earlier this year I saw the movie Waiting for Superman.  It is a fascinating movie, if you haven’t seen it.  When I got home after seeing the movie I did some research on charter schools.  I found out there are none in Maine.  I looked into Connecticut, where I went to undergrad. school (and where most of my friends live) and found a school there that was looking for a couple of English teachers.   On a whim, or high off the inspiration of the movie or something, I applied for the position.  And then I sort of forgot that I applied.  This weekend I received an email from the school saying they would like to conduct a phone interview.  As I stated before I have been unhappy with my job this year.  So, I set up a time (tomorrow evening, by the way) for the interview.  And then tonight?  I turned on 60 Minutes and what do they have a segment on?  Charter schools.

Is the universe trying to help me make a change?  Or is it just mocking me?

Read Full Post »

Shhh…..

I am a high school English teacher.  I am also the head of our English department.  On top of that, I work part-time as an adjunct professor at the local community college.  Teachers in the state of Maine, and really across the nation, are grossly underpaid.  However, the rewards outweigh the paycheck, thankfully.

My job defines me.  It is who I am, what I do.  Weekends and vacations are spent planning and correcting.  I bring my job home with me every night.  The actual act of grading papers has never really been something I enjoy, but teaching has.  Being in the classroom, interacting with students, helping them work through difficult tasks, create meaning, this has always been where I shine, where I am the happiest.  In the past, my students have made me love my job and have made the red tape, bureaucratic b.s. worth it.  Not this year.  I have not enjoyed my job at all this year.  I have five classes, three of which are full of wonderful, high achieving students.  Two of which are not very academic, but they are fun kids, charming, mischievous, and likable.  However, I have reached the point of teacher burn out.  My job isn’t fun anymore.  It consumes so much of my life and I am not liking it.  I continually feel overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated.  I am on an academic intervention team that is working to help improve our students’ achievement and I feel like all the time and work we are putting into this project isn’t going to make a damn difference.  I feel like a bad teacher.  I can’t motivate myself to come up with new lesson plans, so I have been relying on things I have done in the past, whether they were successful or not.  I just came back from February vacation and I am already counting the days until April vacation.  I have become THAT teacher.  This has me freaking out.

I have been thinking and reflecting for the past couple of weeks on what my alternatives are, what I can do to make me happy with my job again.  The obstacle I face is that I have a Bachelor’s degree in English, which is completely useless and a Master’s degree in Education, which qualifies me to teach and that’s about it.  I’ve thought long and hard about what it is that I love to do.  I love sharing books with people.  Nothing makes me happier then when I hand a student a book and they come back and ask me for another or the next one in the series.  I want to continue doing that.  I do not want to worry about test scores.  I do not want to bring my job home with me every night.  I want my vacations to be vacations.  I do not want to be in charge of ten other teachers.  I do not want to spend my prep period counseling other teachers and supporting them when I have a stack of papers a mile high that need to be graded. Selfish?  Maybe, but it is the truth.

Once upon a time my dream was to own a bookstore.  Last year, I worked part-time in a wonderful little independent bookstore near me.  I loved the job, but I really don’t think I could handle the business aspect of it all.  I also fear for the future of independent booksellers with Amazon and electronic readers.  So where does this leave me?  Ahh… yes, the library.  I want to be a librarian.  There I said it.  I want to be a librarian.

I am speaking with an adviser on Thursday to figure out if I need to get my Master’s degree in Information and Library Sciences or, since I already have a Master’s degree, if I just need to take a few courses to get certified.  Either way, I am excited for what the future holds.  I haven’t said that in a long time.  It feels good.  It feels right.

Read Full Post »