Relays and Whatnot

So, Relays weekend is over. As much as I like Relays and think they're an awesome thing for Des Moines and the Drake community, I'm always a little happy when they're over. I really don't like having to fight for a parking space in my own parking lot or deal with drunken parties outside my window when I'm trying to go to sleep because I have to get up at 6 AM and go teach...

We did have fun this weekend. Friday night we went down to Court Avenue and listened to the bands and had some drinks with some friends. This was the first time I'd ever actually gone down to Court Avenue for Relays weekend. It was actually pretty fun. Makes me glad I'll be here next year! On Saturday I went to the stadium with a couple of my friends and watched the actual relays events for a few hours. We saw someone break the world record in the Women's 100 Meter Hurdles!!!! That was pretty awesome.

My uncle is now out of the hospital and living at my house in Wichita for a few more weeks. At least he's doing a lot better. This is my last week of student teaching! As much as I love teaching, I'm ready to be done, especially since I won't be doing much more this week because I'm supposed to be giving the class back to my teacher...

We had "Mystery Day" on Friday with the kids, which was basically a long scavenger hunt and they were outside for about 2 hours. It was pretty fun for them, and we had gorgeous weather! It's amazing to me - it was pouring 3 days ago, and now it's 80 degrees and sunny, not a cloud in the sky!

2 weeks until graduation. That's a scary thought.

Street Painting!!!!

I just got done with Street Painting a few hours ago. Street Painting is the weekend before Relays, and it's a great time to get out and be a part of the Drake Community. Organizations design squares around the theme for Relays and their own theme, and paint them on the Painted Street. Usually, people end up getting painted as well! It was gorgeous weather for it this year!!! I only hope that next weekend is just as nice for Relays. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures because I didn't want to ruin my digital camera with paint, but hopefully some of my friends will have them up soon, so I can borrow some and let everyone see them!

I had an ISEA Student Program Conference this weekend. At first I was a little apprehensive about going because I felt like I'd been through all of the sessions, but it actually turned out to be really fun, like it generally does. It's cool to get to meet new people and network. I hope that we can get our DEA chapter to be bigger in the coming years - it's just hard when the SOE is not part of the campus, and people don't want to participate in things, even when they are part of the organization...oh well.

A good thing!!! My uncle is now sitting up, awake, and they took the respirator out!!!! A step in the right direction. I just pray that things continue to improve and that there are no more setbacks.

I'm graduating in exactly 3 weeks. How scary is that!?!?

Long Weekend

It's just been a long weekend, and I feel like it's going to be an even longer week. Saturday I drove home because my uncle is in the hospital. Right outside of Osceola, I got out of my car to get a pop, and I locked my keys in my car! Of course, I had locked my phone in there as well. Thankfully, pay phones don't cost anything to call the State Trooper. So they had to connect me to a locksmith who came out and unlocked my door - bye bye $50 because I'm sure my mom will forget to send it in to insurance to get reimbursed... The rest of my trip was fairly uneventful. When I got home I went to see my uncle. It didn't even look like him. He had all sorts of tubes and bags and everything sticking out of him. My cousin kept reminding me that that was "good" compared to what he had looked like. Kind of a sad deal. He wasn't doing too well the majority of the weekend, but apparently today he was doing better, so that's good.

Sunday, my little cousin had her first communion, so we had to go to lunch for that, and then it was my grandma's 81st birthday, so everyone was up for that. It was kind of fun, and I got to eat real hamburgers!!! I miss being at all of the family events. I drove to Manhattan and stayed with one of my friends for the night. It was really nice to get to see her and talk to her again, since the last time I saw her was July!

This morning I got up and drove to Topeka to visit the school that offered me a job. I sat in on three classes. I liked the teachers I met, and the students are pretty much just normal high school students. I don't know what I had in my head, but the pictures kind of clashed. So, then I called the assistant superintendent that I have been working with, and told her I tentatively accepted the job. (After recent family events, I really feel that I need to be closer to home.) However, she had to call the principal that I had just left, and figure things out. The only thing I've heard back from them is that she still has to talk to them...therefore, I'm still going to my interview at Waukee tomorrow. Technically, as long as I don't have a contract in my hand, I can do whatever I want. I just feel like I need to keep my options open. I just assumed the principal knew she'd offered me a position and that if I accepted it, everything would be taken care of...apparently not.

I went straight to tutoring when I got into town, and then I went grocery shopping. I went to dance tonight. Some days I really like going, and others I just really don't. Tonight was kind of inbetween. I don't dance 7 days a week like some of the girls. I'm lucky to still be able to turn fairly well and at least look like I know what I'm doing! I did have some good turns tonight, it's been awhile since I've had those. I will definitely miss that studio if I do end up in Topeka. I really like that they still push me and correct me, even though I'm not ever going to be a ballerina...

Tomorrow it's back to the 6th graders and Mystery. It will be nice to see them again. Last week they were upset I wasn't going to be there today! Only 3 more weeks till I'm done student teaching, and 4 more till I graduate. It hardly seems like it should be here. This semester has really just flown by.

I really really need to start addressing graduation invitations.

Happy Easter!

Ok, so it's a day late... I had a good Easter weekend. I went out to my cousin's in Lincoln, NE, and just spent the weekend with them. It was kind of nice to get away for awhile and not be around school stuff and things that stress me out. Out there, I didn't have time or a reason to think about jobs and graduation and all of that other stuff. (Which reminds me, I need to start addressing graduation invitations). I will admit, Sunday I was a little tired since we got up to serve breakfast after Sunrise Service, but other than that... I love my family, even the very extended ones.

I'm currently trying to set up a time to go back down to Topeka. Part of me is beginning to think that I should just take the job - I'm pretty much guaranteed the ninth graders, which is ok with me. I found out I didn't get the Waukee job because they chose someone with more education and more experience - nothing I could have done differently. But then, how am I supposed to get more experience if no one hires me????? There are some things keeping me here, but the more I think about it, I would probably be ok if I went there. I don't know - I'll have to see after I go down there again.

We started our Mystery Unit today. My first block really got into the read aloud, but second block didn't really. We'll see. Maybe they'll get more excited as we go along and find out more about the mummies! I'm getting observed tomorrow. It's really amazing how I'm no longer nervous about it. I feel so comfortable in front of the classroom and in front of the students that it's just another part of my day. I suppose that's good. The weeks have just kind of flown by in the middle school - only 4 weeks left there and 5 until I graduate! I'm not sure that I'm ready.

Halfway!

Yesterday was my last day of being with my 9th graders. It didn't really hit me until 5th hour was leaving and one of the students said, "Bye Miss Blasi, you're my favorite student teacher, I'm going to miss you." Then I about started crying. At lunch I about started crying, and after school as well. But, every teacher I've talked to says they feel the same way at the end of the school year... I guess this is one of my ends. They were really fun, and I actually enjoyed teaching Romeo and Juliet, despite my previous qualms about it.

I just spent the morning teaching ballet to Brownie Girl Scouts. It was a lot of fun. It was also kind of nice to have someone be impressed with my ballet skills, instead of me feeling like everyone is so much better than I am. They wanted me to do a dance for them, so I made one up on the spot, because I wasn't prepared for that!

We went to see 300 last night and we ended up sitting in the very front row because we got there late. I didn't really think it was too gory, though some heads did roll... Maybe I'm just jaded from all of the other war movies I'm forced to watch...

It's finally starting to warm up. Our giant icicle died the other day. Here is a picture of what it looked like before it died. I'm excited about it possibly being 60 on Monday and Tuesday, and even more excited that I get to go south for Spring Break where it might be even warmer!!! My mom told me yesterday I might have to help burn CRP fields when I'm home... should be a blast.

I officially have my interview for Topeka over Spring Break. I'm a little nervous about it but excited all at the same time. I hope it goes well.

We're performing at SE Polk tomorrow for Drake Dance Club. It should be pretty fun.

Rules of Laundry

For those of you who are prospective college students reading this, or anyone else for that matter – especially those who live in apartments and have a community washroom and have to pay for washing as well, here are some things about laundry that I feel you should be aware of.

1) Do your laundry. No one wants to be around someone who is wearing dirty clothes.
2) Have plenty of quarters on hand. Quarters are like gold to college students. Laundry at college is not cheap, and you may have to do less loads than you’re used to (I usually wash a light colored load and a dark colored load). Don’t make not having quarters an excuse to not do your laundry. You have been warned.
3) Time your laundry. Washing usually takes 35 minutes and drying takes 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how many quarters you put in and how well the dryers dry.
4) Be on time to get your laundry out of the washers and dryers (you have about a 15 minute leeway, especially if it’s a Saturday when everyone is doing laundry)
5) Laundry that is left for over an hour and half (really, 30 minutes) is fair game.
6) If someone moves your laundry to do their own because you forgot yours, deal with it. Do not be stupid/mean and move theirs out before it’s finished just to get back at them. It’s your fault that your laundry has been sitting there.
7) If you feel like it, leave a note explaining why you moved the laundry – it might make people less hostile.
8) Again, be on time to get your laundry and then you won’t have to worry about your clothes getting moved so you feel like you have to rewash them and waste your precious quarters.

I went to do laundry this morning at 11:30 and someone’s clothes were in the one and only washer my apartment complex has. I left to go to Wal-Mart and go shopping. I got back around 1:00 and proceeded to go do my laundry, assuming the other person had been down to take care of theirs. The same clothes were still in the washer. I moved them into the plastic tub that was sitting there with laundry detergent, since I assumed they belonged there. The clothes had that yucky wet smell to them, as if they’d been there awhile (since they had been there for at least an hour and a half!). I was up cleaning my apartment when I hear a door bounce and “Someone moved my clothes!” “Really, did they leave a note?” Duh someone moved your clothes, you obviously forgot you had laundry. So, I go down after 35 minutes, I time my laundry, and my clothes are now on the counter and hers are back in the washer being rewashed. I’m thinking this is pretty rude. I had given her an hour and a half to take care of hers, and I’m pretty sure mine weren’t done washing when she took them out. But whatever. I put mine in the dryer, and my laundry got done. People really need to grow up sometimes. Seriously, if your laundry is there for over an hour and a half, someone is going to move it, especially on a Saturday.

I think we’re going to a party at my friend’s house tonight. It should be entertaining at the least. Today’s been pretty uneventful, minus the laundry. I cleaned our apartment, it’s always nice to feel like things look like they are where they belong. It’s kind of strange to me to not have any homework to be doing on the weekends, but that’s ok. I’m glad to not have it. I need to be working on my portfolio, but that’s for another day.