Skinny Jeans

A while back, I finally bought my first pair of skinny jeans (see "wintry joys" list). Yes, they were from Banana Republic, but a) theirs were the only kind that provided adequate bum coverage (I'm long-waisted), and b) I had a 40% off coupon, ok?!?!

Anywho, I determinedly bought the size 8 pair. They were a bit snug. No problem, I thought. I'll just stretch 'em out by wearing them for a while. Sure, the tag says to wash them before wearing, but what do they know? I put them in with last weekend's laundry. Since then, they've been folded patiently in my dresser, waiting me to work up the courage to try them on again. What if they shrank? What if I expanded?

I put them on this evening to wear to Bible study. They fit better than they did pre-wash! WOW! Since they feel so comfy and trendy, I now have a dilemma on my hands: Fridays, the teachers at my school can wear jeans. Do I go with my tried-and-true faded bootcuts, or pretty much blend in with my students by donning the skinny jeans, a black polo, and my Converse? I mean, I know teachers are supposed to dress professionally, as a way to garner at least an iota of respect from students. But it's jeans day! And what will students respect more: cool new jeans, or 15-year old stonewashed Jordaches (this is an exaggeration of the old teacher jeans I spied last Friday)? I guess I'll decide tomorrow morning.

PS: Pic is from BR's website.

Let's Go for the Hat Trick

This has been a weird 90 minutes or so.

FIRST: I discovered 2 tracks on my iPod that were actually voicemails from homeowners/tenants to an A/C service place of some sort. I have no idea how they got there. I am so tempted to call the numbers they left. One is local, an 817 area code. The other is 979, which Wikipedia says follows the Brazos River from south of Waco to the Gulf Coast.

SECOND: A friend posted this lil' gem, which I love.

FINALLY: I have this song stuck in my head, so I thought I'd share. Not too strange, but the most bizarre-yet-catchy thing I've heard in a while.

Yeesh. I think it's time to go to bed.

Party Pics!

Last Thursday was the "Staff Holiday Party" at Jesse's workplace. The best part was the photo booth! It offered instant prints, as well as online viewing/ordering. There were also an assortment of hats, boas, and other accessories to try on. Here are 3 of my favorites of us:

One for the ol' scrapbook...if I had a scrapbook!

What's a photo booth without a smooch pic?!

And, lookin' sassy with a feather boa and yachtsman's cap.

Hey, Cakeballs!*

Consider your butt KICKED.

*Cakeballs are an oddly-named but delicious pastry.

Readjusting

Readjusting to working full-time has been challenging. This past week seemed both long and short. My workdays were long, but the precious hours before and after them were all too fleeting.

Waking up to my 7:00 alarm is tough. I stumble out of bed, getting ready in a fog. I try to reenact my morning routine from my last full-time job, but I have trouble thinking. What will I wear? I stare into my open closet, waiting for an idea. Behind me, shoes, scarves, jackets, workout clothes, and other articles are strewn about the treehouse. I am only grateful that I can sip my coffee en route to school and into the morning.

The students I help are funny, goofy, typical middle schoolers. They tell me I look nice, cute, and ask if I know Spanish. I respond, "Si, un poquito. Por que?" They blush and tell me, "Nevermind!" The teachers I work with are all different, but all great. Seeing them in action has given me tons of ideas for when I get my own classroom.

After work, there are errands to be run, exercise to be done, food to be cooked and eaten, and sleep. I battle traffic and my own sloth to get to the gym. I opt for easier meals, knowing that the space between dinner and drowsiness has narrowed since I began this job.

All this considered, I cannot imagine if I were just starting out as a "real" teacher. I thank God that I have this transition job, where the likes of lesson planning and paper grading are not required of me! And yes, I know that I will get used to it. ;)

Thrift Art

Last Saturday was Chris Blay's 9th Annual Thrift Art Show and Auction! He buys art all year at thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets. He then presents them in a gallery, complete with fictional titles and back stories, for an auction where bids begin at 50 cents.

About 30 people were in attendance, bundled in coats and scarves at the drafty warehouse. The larger room was where we first sat to watch a short video: an interview with the "collector" that was clever and funny. The gallery was a cute, smaller room adorned with industrial lighting, brushed stainless steel tables, and rusty remnants of heavy machinery in the corners.

I clutched my hot cocoa as I mingled and admired the artwork. Some memorable pieces included:

• A portrait of a man wearing a cowboy hat, featuring a garish yellow and black background, and the phrase, "Aaaah Jeff!" painted in one corner
• A painting of a wide-eyed puppy in the back pocket of blue jeans
• A matador on black velvet
• A pair of portraits with Modigliani-esque facial features. The man was wearing a pinstripe suit. The woman, nothing.

For $13, I took home this lovely rendering of a vase of flowers. The signature reads, "Cisarik '66." However, it was accompanied by a card that read:

Boquet[sic] for Your Thoughts: Through the use of groundbreaking technology, x-rays reveal an underpainting of three popular breakfast cereals from the early 70's. Experts believe the original artwork was done by the artist Ad Reinhardt.

This is such a great concept, and a very fun event. Accumulating "bad" art, giving it a new, if fabricated, context, and presenting it as such does wonders for changing a viewer's perspective. (I discovered this when I raised my hand to bid on a much-larger-than-life painting of a scorpion!?) I am definitely marking my calendar for next year's auction!

Dilemma: Sudden Influx of Feathers in My Nest

From dog- and house-sitting gigs, a generous insurance settlement, substitute teaching, and a soon-to-begin full-time job, I am faced with an increase in my available funds.

This is great, and a relief. I am very thankful.

However, I am scared to spend it. My budget seems sort of up-in-the-air, as there are one-time sources of income, and possibly one-time, or long-term, expenses.

• Do I need to get internet for my apartment? Yes. But which data speed? Should I spring for the zippy one, or even bundle it with cable? (I maintain that I don't have cable to keep my TV viewing to a minimum, but it might be nice to watch some of the shows I hear so much about...)
• What about Christmas gifts? The combination of having funds and the approaching holiday makes me want to shower my loved ones in presents! I want to be generous and charitable with that which I now have, but, remembering how little I recently had makes me cautious.
• I am in the mood to indulge myself in things, from the essential (new undies) to the frivolous (manicure and pedicure). Where do I draw the line?
• How much of it should I save? I was saving for a trip to Europe when I got laid off last December. I was able to make it last a surprisingly long time.

I can hear my parents' individual financial philosophies at odds in my mind. My mom: no luxuries! Modify your budget, and stick to it! My dad: Don't go crazy, but enjoy what you have! I guess I will pray for wisdom.

Nest #6: Cradle

I finished the nest just before I caught this cold. It's funny, I look at it now, blowing my nose and sipping tea, and I wish I really had a nest like this to curl up in! To me, it looks so sweet and comfy. It's made from the packaging from a birthday present I received, along with 2 pieces of blue-green ceramic art made by Candy Austin. (They were attached to a bookmark that was free at this year's Fort Worth Arts Goggle.)

Here's one side:

Here it is from the top:

Deep-Tissue Voodoo

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a lovely birthday massage at a local spa/salon. While the massage therapist worked on my feet, she asked, "Have you been having any problems with allergies or congestion lately?" I told her I hadn't, and didn't give it any more thought. When I was getting dressed afterwards, I noticed that I was sniffling a little bit. Last night's sleep was punctuated with having to get up and blow my nose. And, as I write this tonight, I am unable to breathe through my nose at all. I can't help wondering: what did she know, or, what did she do?

A sigh of relief, 11 months in the making

Whhhheeeeewwww!

I did it.

11 months since being laid off from my job, I finally secured full-time employment yesterday afternoon.

I will be a science tutor at a middle school where I have been subbing and observing. My heart is filled with a lovely mixture of thankfulness, excitement, and just plain-ol' relief! I start 2 weeks after Thanksgiving. I'll get to be in the classroom with the same teacher every day. This will enable me to get to know the kids, their learning styles, etc.

At the department chair's recommendation, I met with the principal yesterday. In a matter of minutes, he hired me and had the district begin my paperwork. He then introduced me to the vice principal who oversees the science department specifically. She was nice, had a good handshake, and- like me- was wearing pearls! I chose to take that as a good sign. As I walked away from them, it was hard to keep myself from breaking into a skip. I made it to my car just in time, bursting out a prayer of, "ThankyouGodthankyouthankyouthankyou!" as I clutched the steering wheel.

Birfday Bloggin'

Wow. I am 27 today! I would say the typical, "I don't feel like I'm X number of years," but I don't know what 27 is allegedly supposed to feel like.

A birthday, to me, has always seemed a good occasion to get a little retrospective, and also take a look at the future.

So what have the past 27 years brought me? So much learning, so many experiences. I have learned that...

• I am stronger than I once thought, especially when I lean on God to get through.
• People everywhere have a lot more in common than they like to think that they do.
• "Good" people are capable of "bad" things, and vice versa.
• Tucked within the folds of a hardship are blessings.
• The more I know, the more I want to know.
• Doing things that might be outside of my comfort zone have much more potential for growing me as a person.
• Just when I think my little heart can't take any more breaking, it tumbles into the most caring of hands.
• And, within the last year, I have finally, fully learned what it means to need the grace of Christ, and to joyfully surrender to it. (This last bit, the surrendering part, is a work in progress.)

So what do I see for myself in the future? If the last 4 weeks of substitute teaching have shown me anything, it is that the classroom is the place for me. It's not just that I am starting to develop a knack for "making the kids be good," but I am someone they listen to, and that they feel like they can talk to. This gives me hope that, when I get a class of my own, their little minds will willingly open, and I'll be able to saturate them with knowledge, and they'll be eager for more! The future may keep me here in my beloved Funkytown, or it may take me somewhere else. And for the first time in nearly a decade, that possibility doesn't petrify me. I hope for a job, and eventually, home ownership. I hope for travel, and serving others, and love.

Nest #5:Lemon-Berry, Choco-Perches

I recently finished another nest, of construction paper and cardboard scavenged from various desk drawers of part-time jobs. The title is flavor-related because I think the color combination just looks delicious together. The pink (berry) and yellow (lemon) pieces were straight and linear, and so lent themselves easily to a rectangular shape. After I assembled them, I thought that the nest needed some organic shape to it, something more soft and comfortable. Hence the brown (chocolate) "perches" in one corner. This was the trickiest part of the nest, as the cardboard was pretty hefty and hard to curl, even when wet. But, I took it little by little, and am very pleased with the result.

Here is the nest with a close view of the perches:

A peek underneath the nest:

And the nest from above:

Nest #4: Escape Hatches

I finished another nest this morning. I was just playing around with it, and it started to take shape. It ended up being sort of cornucopia-shaped... just in time for Thanksgiving! I titled it Escape Hatches because of the row of open spaces along the length of the nest. Then, being the punny girl that I am, I realized that the word "hatch" has many meanings when paired with "escape":

• Hatching from an egg can be a sort of escape
• A plot could be hatched to make an escape
• An escape could be made through a hatch

Here are 2 views of the nest, which is made from the dry-cleaner twist ties that were scattered on the floor of my dad's closet.

Creeeeaaakkk

I am amazed at how decrepit I feel, only a week away from my 27th birthday. My hips ache, my ankle is tender, my shoulders are tired... It's like my body has a rock in its shoe that it can't shake out. All this considered, I am taking the week off from working out. No, not totally, but I will trade in my runs, spin class, and weights for walking and yoga.

This is somewhat frustrating to me, as I love exercise that makes me feel productive, grow stronger, and work up a good sweat. I love doing push-ups. I love intensity that flushes my cheeks pink and makes me gasp for breath. I love the end of a run or class, when I am happily exhausted, knowing I've given it my all.

However, I know that this time is important. I'll be able to heal and rejuvenate. I'll be able to start running again next week, just in time to kick butt in the Turkey Trot.

What makes you feel old? What is something beneficial that you don't quite enjoy?

Banana Weave

Oh yeah, and I took this photo this weekend.

Anudder Nest

Hey friends! Well my series of nests is progressing along nicely. I finished another late last week. This one is made from card-stock graph paper I "found" in the sunday school class I taught last summer, and cut into strips, and the lovely blue twist-ties I collected from my dry cleaner. I also finished a sketch/study/mock-up for the otherwise-unnamed "mixed media" project idea I had in a dream. It is pretty cool and I am almost done with another variation on it. As soon as I take photos of those they'll be up for your viewing pleasure as well. Without further dudes, here are 2 views of the aforementioned nest. Ta-da!

You don't know what you got 'til it's gone!

My downstairs neighbor has moved to Oregon... and has taken her internet with her.  (Apparently it was hers that I've been using all this time!)  I lost my connection last night. Yes, I realize that my, as a friend said, "doin' a drive-by on her wi-fi," has moral and/or legal issues.  However, I am more interested in just how much I'd taken it for granted.  

Numerous email checks, peeks at the TV listings or my bank balance, inspections of the weather forecast, and making the rounds of school district websites to find job openings... I used the internet for everything!  All the time!

Have you had a similar realization recently, with the internet or anything/anyone else?  I can't wait to read your responses... from my local Borders.

PS: Thank you to Jesse, on whose computer I wrote this. ;)

Reflections: 1st Week of Substitute Teaching

This was my first week of substitute teaching for a nearby school district. I am subbing in an effort to gain both experience, and a full-time teaching position. I worked on Tuesday, Thursday, and today (Friday).

My first assignment was supposedly to be "extra help" in a science class at a 6th-grade school. I was really jazzed about it, as I'm certified to teach 4th-8th Science. When I arrived (early, mind you), I was sent to an ELA (English Language Arts) class instead. This is a district policy: if you come for one assignment, the school administrator can move you to another if they need to. I thought, "Okay, that's fine, this will just help me cultivate that thing they call 'flexibility'."

On Thursday I filled in for the art teacher at an elementary school. Despite the lack of lesson plans- instructions said to give the kids a "free drawing day"- it was a great experience overall. I saw a class from each grade level for 45 minutes, except my last class. It was only a half-hour, but filled with at least 50 1st-Graders [shudder]. But I was amazed by how many drawings I received from the students that day!

Today I taught Kindergarten at a very close school. When I walked into the room, the sheer amount of stuff was enough to make my little heart flutter. Oh my. There were an assortment of tables and chairs and rugs and posters and books and cubbies and shelves and toys and supplies and files and...yeah. The day started off with "Storybook Parade", which I guess is the new PC alternative to Halloween.

Things I still need to work on:

• Learn to use the Promethean Board! I've heard it's easy- I just need to call the district's office for training.
• I forgot to set time limits for things. I was taught that students need to know up front: 1) what they're doing, 2) what tools to use, and 3) how much time they have to do it. I missed the boat on that last one quite a bit.
• How to prevent-or nip in the bud-or ignore? the making of paper airplanes and poppers. I really didn't see the harm in the doodling or coloring or folding some of the kids did; it wasn't bothering any of their classmates.
• Further familiarize myself with, and practice, the principles from Love and Logic.

What I already knew:

• From my mom, "Kids never completely shut up." I found that to be spot-on. Even at its quietest, my room had a little murmur going on.
• Some kids process by reading out loud, or mouthing the words, or tapping their pencil. No big deal.
• Some kids will do anything to keep from doing work! I don't understand why- that in itself takes massive energy and thought.
• The "bad kids" are some of the smartest in the room.
• It's easy to tell when kids need a stretch break.
• Walking around during class is pretty effective for keeping kids focused.

What I discovered:

• A box of prizes from Dollar Tree is a pretty strong motivator.
• You can see in a student the sort of person they are going to be as an adult. There was a quiet girl who finished her quiz early and started doodling (like me!). Then there was the troublemaker who gave me an aww-shucks grin- the kind of guy who will act cute to try to get out of stuff the rest of his life. There was the play-dumb kid: "Miss, what's a quiz?" who will try to get by on what he doesn't know. There was the smooth-talker, who, when I passed his desk, murmured, "Wassup, fashion model?"
• I am NOT a Kindergarten person. It's like herding cats. Cats that want to "help" you or show you their work or their outfit. Give me a fifth- or sixth-grader any day.
• I can really yell if the need arises!
• High heels=bad idea.
• Expectantly extending an open hand in front of a student and receiving rubber bands from them gives you a giddy, powerful feeling.
• I still feel like a kid when I'm in a school. Will this change? Would that be a good thing if it did? I sat in my art classroom before class Thursday, grinning as I looked around me at all the cool projects and supplies. "I can't believe I got away with this! I get to be the teacher!" I thought.

Pics from the weekend

This was a creative weekend for me! I began a project, but not sure what exactly to call it yet...how 'bout "mixed media piece?" I also took some photos of things I found visually interesting around Jesse's studio.

Here's a lovely Saturday afternoon. I was struck by the colors and angles. Plus, the cracks that recently appeared around the covered-up window (visible just to the right of the little light fixture) are so haunting...and the way they connect to the still-existing window makes me think of a memory (of a person, or event, or otherwise) that can follow you around for a while, whether that is good or bad.

Here we have some Homies, with my glasses. It was funny to me (ok, not ha-ha funny) that my glasses match the left-hand girl's shirt perfectly. I just happened to set my glasses so that one wheel of the car is framed within each lens. I also like the warm, soft light in the bathroom.

And finally, in an homage to Richard Wentworth's Making Do and Getting By series, a repurposed brick chunk.

Art Project: Nests

So for the past couple years, I have been finding/receiving/swiping/otherwise accumulating little bits of prettiness. They are strips of ribbon and trim, hunks of interesting paper, and even colorful twist-ties.

Recently the idea occurred to me that, as I scavenged them much like a bird would, and live in a treehouse, I could also construct them into nests. I wanted to make them into something that would show others the beauty I saw in these materials.

The nest idea also brings to mind safety, comfort, and refuge. The act of creating them is an outlet for me, itself a refuge from anxiety. And I am making them at a time when my own nest is "threatened"- by my unemployment.

I am planning to take this idea a step further, and photograph the nests in contexts that exemplify the various avenues of my [unnecessary] worry. But, for now, I am happy that I finished constructing two of them last night. Behold, for your viewing pleasure: Nest #1: Fiesta, and Nest #2: 5 a Day.

PS- These are much more colorful in real life. Uploading the photo made it look washed out for some reason.