Sunday, December 16, 2007

A look back

So this came in a MySpace bulletin, but I wanted to do longer answers, and add stuff, so I'm putting it here. I'm pretending someone is interviewing me.

1) Where did you begin 2007?
2007, as in 2005 and 2006, and will be in 2008, began at my brother's house, affectionately known as "The Cabin." We dress up, we serve hors d'oeurves, we drink, there may or may not be fireworks, we do some kissin' at midnight, and we celebrate loudly. Tons of people show up throughout the night, and it's always good fun. Each year gets bigger than the year before.

2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Still married, going on 5 years at that point. And we were still trying to win our house, so we were still living with my parents. I guess it was a double-date in teh house.

3) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
Thankfully, I was able to get a class in the fall. Spring didn't offer anything, and I jumped through a great many hoops, as UNO dropped me from the school and I had to reapply. Luckily, I kept my credits. Then, I had more trouble registering for spring '08, as once again, phantom blocks were on my account. But I was able to pass this course with an A, leaving three more classes and the final internship, which acts as student teaching. I will take all three classes in spring of '08, then the final internship in fall of '08, and then I will be an officially certified teacher. Due to the malarkey that UNO has put me through, I've decided to put the master's on hold until A. they can get their acts together or B. I can go somewhere else, preferably online. Do you know I entered the certification program in fall 2004, and I won't finish until fall 2008. I could have almost had a whole other bachelor's degree in the same amount of time.

4) How did you earn your money?
Same way as I have since 2005 -- teaching 7th and 8th graders language arts and assistant directing summer camp.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
I came awfully close in August when I was putting the finishing touches on my classroom and smashed my finger, spraining it in the process.

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
So far, so good. We didn't have fireworks at the 4th of July this year, so we escaped it.

7) Where did you go on holiday?
Hm. This is a premature question. We will be in Walt Disney World with Mark's whole family from December 26-30. It will be our first trip together since our honeymoon in 2002. It will also be my first trip without being "on duty" with other peoples' children since then. I also took my students to Washington, D.C., and Williamsburg, VA. back in May.

8) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Our house. That was a long and agonizing journey that I hope to not have to repeat for a very long time. But it has been well worth it. We've been here for about 6 months now, and we're still dealing with moving items in here, but it's pretty lived-in by now. We put up Christmas lights this afternoon and the tree earlier this week. We were very lucky...only our wreath was ruined in Katrina.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Melissa got engaged.

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
Thankfully, not this year. I know of some people who died, but none have been close people.

12) Did you move anywhere?
Why, yes, as a matter of fact, we did. We bought our house in Old Metairie and moved in in the middle of May.

14) What concerts/shows did you go to?
It was a slow year for us. I think we only did Voodoo and Start Select.

15) Are you registered to vote?
Ha. I was still registered in Orleans. When we moved, I changed my address on my license but forgot to change my registration. I went to Orleans and changed it. I then had to send a confirmation card in. Then a few months later, I got a phone call telling me that they received the card, and now I have to go register in Jefferson. Apparently, the form is designed to look like I was reregistering, but Orleans is SO screwed up that it didn't do anything for me. I asked the lady on the phone for the address of where I should reregister, and she told me she didn't have that information in front of her. So right now, I'm not registered to vote.

16) Who did you want to win Big Brother?
I hate this show. I hate all of these "reality" shows. I care more about the piece of gum I threw away yesterday afternoon than I care about the answer to this question. The writer's strike should be resolved soon because I'm so scared....so very, very scared...of what is headed our way if we can't have writers.

17) Where do you live now?
I've told you twice already.

18) Describe your birthday?
We threw a party combining housewarming with my birthday. It was a lot of fun...tons of people...we broke in the new BBQ grill my parents gave me for my birthday....good drinks were served....got some presents....and then I had to go to work the next day, which was my birthday. It was Camp Open House. I spent most of my day there, then I went home, where Mark was watching Rocky. I hate Rocky. And it wasn Rocky II, actually, which made it worse. We ate leftovers for dinner and I got gifts from him, but it was actually an extremely crappy birthday.

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2007?
Get our own home.

20) What has been your favorite moment?
Signing the last form in the conference room at the bank, then being handed the keys to my very own home.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?
I can't do it all on my own. I'm no Superman.

22) Any new additions to your family?
Thankfully, no. But Geoff has a perfectly lovely new girlfriend, Rhea, whom we absolutely adore.

23.) What was your best month?
June, because we were moved in and settled and it was my birthday and camp and it wasn't quite so hot yet.

24.) What music will you remember 2007 by?
Well, since Katrina, our radio station choices (unless we want talk, urban, or country) are extremely limited, so I really don't know much about radio. I've been using CDs and my iPod.

25) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
We drink a lot at the Cabin.

26) Made new friends?
Our camp director this year, Li, is absolutely amazing and she and I were thick as thieves until camp ended. Mary, my new teaching partner, is lovely and will one day bring me Lost, season 2. And I got closer to some people I didn't know very well before, which is always a lovely thing.

27) New best friend?
Nope.

28) Favorite Night out?
St. Patrick's Day was fun, Halloween was fun, '80s night on Thanksgiving was fun, Mardi Gras was great, and my party was great fun. Love those adjectives.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Quick update

I was about to post something a few weeks ago and didn't get around to it due to a major crisis in our life. Then I decided to wait until it was rectified.

We were running low on funds, so Mark got a part-time job at a local store that sells items special to a certain college in this state. They happen to be verrrrry busy this week.

A few weeks later, this part-time job was all he had. After five years, he was released from L.

Several dead-ends and many tearful weeks later, he has been promoted to full-time at this store, starting Monday. Benefits included. He also has an offer to go to a competing radio station, but it would be part-time with no benefits. So radio loses.

He is still looking for something else, which is current boss is aware of. That's how nice this lady must be. Anyway, if you see anything not radio, as he was already looking to get out of radio before being sacked anyway, let us know. We are NOT looking to relocate. We went through too much to put down roots when we bought this place. We may never move.....acts of God willing.

Also, Dad got our other shower working. Well, technically, Chris and Geoff did. But Dad finished it up top with Mark's help. Many thanks to my two younger brothers for climbing under my house and braving ancient trash bags filled with Tab cans in holes under there.

Happy Chanukah.