...had me a blast!
That was lame. I apologize. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since MAY! My god. Sadly, the summer is coming to an end and fall (and my final) semester, of classes at least, starts on August 23rd. I'm looking forward to getting back to school and into the groove of class, seeing my friends, work, student teaching, etc but I would LOVE another three week summer vacation.
Our summer was fairly low key. I was able to work at my full time job this summer with Champion's club and I really enjoyed that. This summer I was able to network with a lot of case workers that had worked in metro area districts prior to becoming case workers not to mention I was able to pick the brain of a few special ed teachers in the NKC school district. I don't know why, but every time I had conversation with those ladies I felt positive about getting a teaching job in the spring. I was also able to stay working part time at Gymboree play and music. I love that job simply because of how different it is than Champion's Club. I'm able to play with 6 month old babies up to four year pre-k kids. Each time I went to work there I dove a little deeper into, what I thought, was a lost imagination :)
On top of the two jobs this summer I took one simple summer class: Community Immersion. It was a class that is designed to get us out in the metro area to see the diversity in Kansas City. We visited a juvenille detention center, an Orthodox Christian Church, and the Salvation Army kid's homeless shelter just to name a few. I would like to say that the Salvation Army and the detention center were 'eye opening' experiences but deep down inside I was kidding myself to believe that kids were not going through experiences such as the kids at those organizations. It did, however, solidify the fact that my empathy and patience for children far exceeds my patience for adults.
"If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job more important."
-Barbara Color
Of course our summer wouldn't be complete without a few weddings and road trips home. We enjoyed heading back to West Point for a wedding of a high school/college friend of Deren's. It was a beautiful wedding and as always, fun to hang out with friends we hadn't (or even had) seen in a while :) This summer still holds many more road trips. Next weekend we're heading to West Point again for the annual Sweet Corn Festival. When I first started dating Deren I thought, 'oh dear god what I have I gotten myself into?! A SWEET CORN FESTIVAL?!' But, I must admit I enjoy the festivities of this small town Iowa tradition. We're hoping to squeeze in our one and ONLY camping trip of the summer on August 21st with some friends. This time we're planning a trip to Smithville Lake right here in the Kansas City area - basically for something new. Of course, that is if Deren books the dang thing. {Deren if you're reading this book the site homie!}
We're also heading back to Woodbury for a wedding of my brother's friend. They're getting married at the historical center in St. Paul. It should be a beautiful wedding and I always look forward to seeing my brother's friends. It might seem odd, but when I see those guys it's sort of like I'm hanging out with Eric again. We're also looking forward to my brother's memorial golf tournament on October 2 this year - another chance to hang out with all of his friends and remember the awesome life of my awesome brother. Last but not least, just to keep October fun, my college friend, Lindsay is getting married and we have some celebrating and bachelorette partying to do on October 9 before her wedding on October 30. As you can see August and October are busy busy!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
firsts
Deren is heading to bed and seeing as how I'm on "summer vacation" I'm on a whole new sleeping schedule now and, well, I don't really sleep...
On Sunday, May 16th we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary. I'm in awe that a year has come and gone so quickly. It kind of caught us off guard. We didn't really make big plans to celebrate - we're just going out to dinner downtown and we purchased patio furniture for our new place. We're spending Saturday doing the Crawl for Cancer pub crawl with some friends and that's that! Nevertheless, here we are!
In our first year as a married couple we've settled into a new city, moved into a new house and we're starting to call it home. We've made some great friendships and some lifelong friendships fizzled away. People and things change I suppose. At this point in my life I don't want to surround myself with people that don't make me happy or don't reciprocate a friendship. The friends I've met here in Kansas City are fabulous and they have made moving to a new city such a delight. However, I miss terribly my friends from home and Iowa. The friendships I keep are ones of support and respect and I love you all with all of my heart!
As for my hunky husband of one year - I love you George and I'm so excited to be celebrating our first anniversary with you in Kansas City, MO (even though no one uses their turn signals and they ticketed me with a red light camera.)
On Sunday, May 16th we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary. I'm in awe that a year has come and gone so quickly. It kind of caught us off guard. We didn't really make big plans to celebrate - we're just going out to dinner downtown and we purchased patio furniture for our new place. We're spending Saturday doing the Crawl for Cancer pub crawl with some friends and that's that! Nevertheless, here we are!
In our first year as a married couple we've settled into a new city, moved into a new house and we're starting to call it home. We've made some great friendships and some lifelong friendships fizzled away. People and things change I suppose. At this point in my life I don't want to surround myself with people that don't make me happy or don't reciprocate a friendship. The friends I've met here in Kansas City are fabulous and they have made moving to a new city such a delight. However, I miss terribly my friends from home and Iowa. The friendships I keep are ones of support and respect and I love you all with all of my heart!
As for my hunky husband of one year - I love you George and I'm so excited to be celebrating our first anniversary with you in Kansas City, MO (even though no one uses their turn signals and they ticketed me with a red light camera.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
NEVER argue with an idiot
This post is going to be a rant... so read at your discretion.
As most of you may I recently picked up two more part time jobs bringing my job total up to three. One of my places of part time employment is a shoe warehouse (I shy from stating the name in fear that the internet gods will trace my blog and fire me, and, well, we need the paycheck). That being said...WHAT IS IT ABOUT RETAIL MANAGERS?
There is one in particular. We'll call him.....Anthony. Anthony is a jerk. There is no way around it. Unnnnfortunately, he will be spending the better years of his life working at a shoe warehouse. While he's there he will reak havoc on unsuspecting part time staff (mostly high school girls) who don't know better. Not me, Anthony, not me. I've been around the block with jobs, you could probably say I'm a jack of all trades. I worked at a retail department store back in high school and I know how they operate. The only knowledge they posess is how to keep their displays straight and their merchandise alligned.*
When Anthony asked us how far we were with our closing duties last Sunday night a poor senior in high school girl responded, "Done." Ooooh, Allyson, you silly girl. Anthony immediately piped up, "We're never done. Did we mop downstairs? Did we dust the fans? Dust the registers? Did we vaccuum the break room?" REALLY? Amidst the chaos, Allyson burst into tears. I saw a flashback in my department store days in high school. There I was! 17 years old and I was crying in a shoe warehouse in Allyson's body. Anthony told us to clean up aisle "C" (whatever that means?! ha). So I took Allyson and we cleaned aisle C together. I told her 'Anthony clearly is mad that he will be working at the shoe warehouse for the rest of his life. Don't worry, you're better than him.'
When Allyson was at ease and aisle C looked, well, the same Anthony came to talk to us...."Here's a little hint for when you close with me. I WILL check your section to make sure it's right. If it's not, we WILL stay here longer than we have to. Don't tell me somethings done when it's not done. I don't want to be a jerk but I have no problem being a jerk if I need to be." (does that even make sense?) When he was finished I turned around and whispered under my breath, "oh wow" to which Anthony replied, "what was that Amy?" to which I replied, "oh nothing, I just had to sneeze." He kept us until 7pm that night. We were suppose to get off work at 6.
Dear Anthony, maybe you didn't realize you are talking to? I have a bachelors degree and I'm in school for a second one. What do you have? Oh, that's right. A shoe horn.
Moral of the story:
"Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience."
*if you are a retail manager, I don't mean to offend. Please note that if you treat your part time staff like this, we are aware. and, well, we hate it.
As most of you may I recently picked up two more part time jobs bringing my job total up to three. One of my places of part time employment is a shoe warehouse (I shy from stating the name in fear that the internet gods will trace my blog and fire me, and, well, we need the paycheck). That being said...WHAT IS IT ABOUT RETAIL MANAGERS?
There is one in particular. We'll call him.....Anthony. Anthony is a jerk. There is no way around it. Unnnnfortunately, he will be spending the better years of his life working at a shoe warehouse. While he's there he will reak havoc on unsuspecting part time staff (mostly high school girls) who don't know better. Not me, Anthony, not me. I've been around the block with jobs, you could probably say I'm a jack of all trades. I worked at a retail department store back in high school and I know how they operate. The only knowledge they posess is how to keep their displays straight and their merchandise alligned.*
When Anthony asked us how far we were with our closing duties last Sunday night a poor senior in high school girl responded, "Done." Ooooh, Allyson, you silly girl. Anthony immediately piped up, "We're never done. Did we mop downstairs? Did we dust the fans? Dust the registers? Did we vaccuum the break room?" REALLY? Amidst the chaos, Allyson burst into tears. I saw a flashback in my department store days in high school. There I was! 17 years old and I was crying in a shoe warehouse in Allyson's body. Anthony told us to clean up aisle "C" (whatever that means?! ha). So I took Allyson and we cleaned aisle C together. I told her 'Anthony clearly is mad that he will be working at the shoe warehouse for the rest of his life. Don't worry, you're better than him.'
When Allyson was at ease and aisle C looked, well, the same Anthony came to talk to us...."Here's a little hint for when you close with me. I WILL check your section to make sure it's right. If it's not, we WILL stay here longer than we have to. Don't tell me somethings done when it's not done. I don't want to be a jerk but I have no problem being a jerk if I need to be." (does that even make sense?) When he was finished I turned around and whispered under my breath, "oh wow" to which Anthony replied, "what was that Amy?" to which I replied, "oh nothing, I just had to sneeze." He kept us until 7pm that night. We were suppose to get off work at 6.
Dear Anthony, maybe you didn't realize you are talking to? I have a bachelors degree and I'm in school for a second one. What do you have? Oh, that's right. A shoe horn.
Moral of the story:
"Never argue with an idiot; they'll drag you down to their level, and beat you with experience."
*if you are a retail manager, I don't mean to offend. Please note that if you treat your part time staff like this, we are aware. and, well, we hate it.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Love will find a way!
I fully regret putting any news about South Beach up on my blog. I've had so many friends ask me how it's going and I've had to sadly say. Uh, it's going. I have been trying to just cut carbs out of my life but it's harder than it sounds. So for all of my friends who keep asking me about it: I hate you and Thank you. It gives me motivation to keep it up! Because afterall, love will, err, find a way! haha.
Deren and I are going to celebrate Valentine's Day tonight because with my 17 jobs I don't know what my schedule is going to be yet for even this Sunday. So, to avoid confusion we're getting the celebration done tonight :)
Call me a nerd, but I get to go to KCATM Winter Conference tomorrow. It's a conference for math educators around the KC area. I've read the itinerary and I'm looking forward to learning new things before I even hit my own classroom. I can't wait to be a teacher - it's so fun to get my toolkit loaded up now. I'm observing in an awesome 2nd grade classroom this semester in the Hickman Mills school district and it makes me realize that I really can see myself teaching here in Missouri for longer than I thought. Although, I am taking my MN praxis tests this year so I can have that out of the way in case we move earlier than expected. Thank god I already passed the MO one! One less thing to worry about :)
My science teacher led a heated lecture last night about people who tell teachers how to do our job who really have no idea how to do it. They're called politicians. It really got my blood boiling. One particular quote that I HATE about teachers is:
"Those who can - do. Those who can't - teach."
My science teacher's comeback?
"Those who CARE - teach."
Deren and I are going to celebrate Valentine's Day tonight because with my 17 jobs I don't know what my schedule is going to be yet for even this Sunday. So, to avoid confusion we're getting the celebration done tonight :)
Call me a nerd, but I get to go to KCATM Winter Conference tomorrow. It's a conference for math educators around the KC area. I've read the itinerary and I'm looking forward to learning new things before I even hit my own classroom. I can't wait to be a teacher - it's so fun to get my toolkit loaded up now. I'm observing in an awesome 2nd grade classroom this semester in the Hickman Mills school district and it makes me realize that I really can see myself teaching here in Missouri for longer than I thought. Although, I am taking my MN praxis tests this year so I can have that out of the way in case we move earlier than expected. Thank god I already passed the MO one! One less thing to worry about :)
My science teacher led a heated lecture last night about people who tell teachers how to do our job who really have no idea how to do it. They're called politicians. It really got my blood boiling. One particular quote that I HATE about teachers is:
"Those who can - do. Those who can't - teach."
My science teacher's comeback?
"Those who CARE - teach."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
