[sigh]

Today.

I found out I didn't get the job and Guilford, and am feeling discouraged, because if I'm always up against 200 candidates (UNCG) or someone with more experience than I could possibly have at my age, then I'm not sure how I'm ever going to get a job, especially one close to my family. Or even at all. I tried not to get my hopes up, but seeing my parents so excited and acting confidently in the interview tricked me into doing just that. I'm very sad on top of being discouraged.

Therefore, I was not in the best state of mind to receive an email from a former student that was a not-at-all-veiled threatening and completely libelous attempt at blackmail.

My mom told me I should get a lawyer and keep my eyes open in case I need to get a restraining order as well. Great.

And today was supposed to be so fun in class. We are doing skits, and watching video clips. I guess it's best that I have activities planned, so I don't burst into tears halfway through. I love teaching. It gives me the most wonderful feeling, and I'm so good at it. I wish I could learn the secret to getting a job doing it full-time.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. It still looks to be a long day.

Charity

bush vs. zombies!

the Marshalls near my dad's house is way better than anything they have down in Hot-Lanta.

I'm getting ready for my interview. I don't know what this feeling is. Is similar to nervousness, but more like excitement. Kind of like I'm getting ready to go on a first date. Let's just hope the school wants to kiss me at the end of it.

Not literally, of course.

Ooh, or it's like I'm getting ready to go back to the Dr. Who exhibit at the State Fair all those years ago. I know on a literal that I'm not actually in any danger. Yet, there's still this feeling of not quite knowing what to expect.

Hoping for the best!

Charity :)

ack.

Last night I was minding my own business, eating a yummy cookie (yummy!), when I crunched down on something predictably hard and round and little. Great, the top of my tongue stud came unscrewed again, I thought. One day I'm seriously going to crack a tooth.

Something felt different this time, though, and I rolled my eyes and headed to the bathroom, fishing out the little hard semi-sphere. That's when I realized what was different. The top had actually broken off, and the stem of the screw remained in the metal bar.

I've been thinking about taking it out lately anyway. I took it as a sign, and didn't really mourn too much. It was funny to realize I still have a slight lisp, although it might go away in time. My tongue was very sensitive where the stud had been, as I imagine one's skin would be once a cast was removed.

I didn't really miss it until this morning. Drinking my tall soy latte (I have to treat myself in troubled times such as these, I rationalized), I really felt the difference. See, the metal bar used to heat up when I drank my coffee, and I didn't even realize it until now. My tongue feels like a huge, desensitized blob that I'm in danger of choking on. Yuck.

I was going to post a film, as a visual aid. Then I looked them up and remembered my pledge after I got it done that once would be enough times. I can't go back. It's too gruesome.

One has to grow up sometime, I guess.


even goonies grow up.

bouncy castles are the best kind!

I got Sam a new zip lead today. I did have an old leash that was only about 4 feet long, and seemed a bit fragile. His new one is nice and silver (matching his collar; unfortunately his harness matches his last leash, but the green provides a nice POP of color, as Stacy and Clinton might observe). Anyway, it's from Planet Dog, and I asked the nice young man at the store today if he thought my cat would mind that it says "Planet DOG" and he chuckled nervously, replying, "No, I don't think so." I was like, "Kidding."

It's embarrassing how often I have to tell people I'm joking. And worrisome...

In other news, I think I'm in love with this cat. And maybe his human friend, too. Enjoy!



It's been viewed over 9 million times. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around that, even though I recognize that it's really good.

Today I went to a birthday party for a 4 year old. I babysit her and was lucky enough to score an invitation to the after party as well. SCORE! And, there was a giant bouncy castle! So. Much. Fun. And the little girl's mom, my friend Sara, even bought me Boca burgers (even though I'm the only vegetarian). What a wonderful time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the video as much as Sam likes his new leash and as much as I liked the bouncy castle.

Charity :)

At the Zoo.

I went to the zoo this past week with Alison and Jack. What a cutie! Here are some pictures.



The weirdest thing (aside from the beautiful Kori Bustard that was obsessed with me that unfortunately I neglected to get a picture of), was the otters, who were moving in a tightly clustered group, chirping. I guess I could find out more about it if I felt like researching, but Alison and I reasoned that they might be waiting for a feeding, since it was very close to closing time. I took a video, in case I have piqued your interest.



Have a great weekend! The weather is so beautiful. I'm off to a birthday party. Yay!

Charity :)

a sustainable mind.

I'm participating in a workshop on incorporating sustainability into the curriculum of my classes and in reviewing the preparation materials required for it, I came across this video.



I love the things he's talking about, and the idea that the developing countries could use our technological advances to skip our heavy ecological footprint types of development, but I don't really know how he expects the developing world to pay for it all...

In general, the environmental crisis scares me for that exact reason. Who is going to invest in the research and development of these ideas and how will we ever pay for them in time for them to make a difference?! It's like, if we would have devoted ourselves to the pursuit of "green" solutions" about 40 years ago, it might have made a difference. Instead, we've been "farting around" as my dad might say, while the window of opportunity slowly closed.

Now people can do whatever they want, and call it the wave of the future, but how can we possibly create the infrastructural changes necessary in time to avert social and natural disaster?

Just a thought.

[I've been struggling with financial crisis for the past few days, so I guess that's kind of "where my mind's at" right now. I sure would love a sustainable paycheck.]

But sure, I'll talk about sustainability in my class anyway. It couldn't hurt.

Charity :)

silly reindeer games.

OMG LOL. How do you like YOUR ramen??



I am having a pretty good day, even though I got TWO parking tickets last week. My first ever. The first was at school, and the second was in front of my house. I parked too close to the hydrant, because there were no spaces! Then today when I went to my car, there was a note from my neighbor asking me politely not to park in front of their house since they have kids and do a lot of construction. I love it. So I'm supposed to leave empty spaces there and park even farther from my own house when people who are at Fellini's and La Fonda are parked in front of MY house. Or maybe in front of the fire hydrant again? Oh, no. That's bad too.

Whatever. I don't even care. I got another interview done today (10 physicians, 22 total already!) and two more are in the works. Class starts soon, so I'm getting ready for that, too. I don't have time for silly parking games.

Charity :)

you know you're not at the top of your game...

you know you're not at the top of your game when you get up bright and early, drink your tea, take a shower, and then put clean pajamas on.

almost there... but not quite.

I have been cleaning my ceiling and other hard to reach places today.

Like, my ceiling fans, and my freezer. Here is some ice I got; when one bowl melted, I was able to fill up another and I'm still not through. The problem with renting is that I usually don't feel much ownership in problems such as these. But, as the post-it note on my bathroom mirror reminds me on a daily basis: Today's the day!!

Last week I went to Merlefest with my parents, and I wanted to post a few pictures of that.

Mom and me waiting for some music on a day when there was NOT a giant thunderstorm. (On the day there was, I happened to be on my way to see a venue indoors, which of course there were a line of people when I got there who were trying to escape the rain and so were standing in line for said concert, thus ruining my chances of being able to see it [grumbling continues under breath], which was not as bad as my poor parents, who figured they'd wait it out under Richard's poncho, which unfortunately had a hole in it, so didn't provide total protection from the torrential downpour in their seats situated right smack-dab in the middle of a slight, um, flood plain... So go the joys and sorrows of Merlefest!)

Mom and Richard while we were waiting (again, NOT in the heavy thunderstorm complete with lightning and dark gray sky which actually cleared up in about 30 minutes, which unfortunately was not quickly enough to prevent thousands of hippies and non-hippie bluegrass fans from getting completely soaked, along with my parents).

My most favorite band, even better than the Magnetic Fields (if only from a personalities of the artist perspective), the Avett Brothers performing some song which I don't remember which one it is but whichever one it was it ROCKED (they are great, and I had seen them the week before in Atlanta which also rocked, but what confused me was the extent to which the audience, made up mostly of what appeared to be a strange strange strange combination of frat boys and hippies, loved the band and sang along with a large number of their songs, a phenomenon which also occurred during the performance at Merlefest of another great band, Old Crow Medicine Show, both facts which prompt me to wonder where all these people are finding out about such great music, since most college radio stations I know of are playing mostly indie music [although Spin online did cover their Atlanta show]).

Anyway, I've also been taking Sam out on a leash lately. At first I thought it would be fun and hoped it wouldn't be too torturous for him, but I actually realized far too late that what has happened instead is that I've created a monster, as you can see below. He was waiting to go outside and he cries and cries and CRIES (also, his misdeeds have increased in both severity and frequency; the other day I was on my way out the door, of course dressed up and on my way to a baby shower with the gifts, and of course in the rain, and he bolted, finally allowing me to find him pressed entirely against the fence in my neighbor's yard, protecting himself futilely [I actually thought he was trapped at first] behind some dried out ivy stems).

Bless his heart.