Lookit

Hey, I'm starting a new blog. I guess I should create it before I post this. Okay, I'll be back...

Throwdowns, crotch kicks, and crying fits

So. I'm a teacher. The title of this post references things that have actually happened in my classroom since the first of the schoolyear.

For those of you who may not remember, I'm teaching 7th grade math and 8th grade Geometry. Do you remember what 7th grade was like? These kids are squirrelly!! Many have issues with authority and structure, probably due to their home situations. Our school is largely low-income, minority kids, and I have to admit, that takes some getting used to.

Teaching is, by far, the most difficult job I've ever had. There's just so much planning that goes into it! I never feel completely prepared, and that bothers me. It's like you could work 24 hours a day and still find things to do.

Classroom management is a struggle for me... I don't want to be mean, but sometimes I have to be in order to get the point across. I had to go in this week and really lay down the law, because it felt like my authority was quickly slipping away.

I don't know, folks. So far, this isn't fun. It's stressful, it's more hours than you would expect, and when I get home, I am EXHAUSTED. I kinda like a job where I just get left alone to do my work, and then go home and do whatever I want. Teaching does not fit that mold. I know it's early to be having second thoughts, but I can't help it.

Okay, more typing later.

Easter Fun!

I know, Easter was a long time ago. HOWEVER, you just thank your lucky stars for these pictures, late or not. Because you know you love pictures. Mmhmm.

Bella got some bunny ears, which I hijacked to place on my poor unsuspecting husband. What do we learn? Never go to sleep first.

Here's Shane, Karen, and Bella! We spent Easter time with them this year, and Bella and I both had our first horse rides! Good ol' Oreo. He's a very friendly horse, thank goodness.

Perfect

I love music. I hope you do too.

I don't often hear a song that I really connect with; the music industry sure is pumping out a lot of junk here recently. However, there's this song that I can't stop listening to. It's called "Homebird," and it's sung by Foy Vance. Have you heard it? It's perfect. Seriously, I cannot think how you'd improve it. It makes me stop. Stop and listen.

It digs into my heart and lights me up and I feel it all over. It makes me warm and gives me chills and it feels like a memory of a place I've never been. Sometimes it brings the tears to my eyes, as good music tends to do.

So as I sit here at my desk, the tears burning my cheeks, I thank God for music. And I cannot help but be angry at Him. Why did you give me this love but not the talent to match? Selfish. Selfish.

Here I sit, brokenhearted.
Tried to blog,
but only farted.

Finally Friday

This has been a long week.

We had some crazy weather on Tuesday and Wednesday, complete with ice and road closures and such. Houstonians DO NOT know how to handle real winter-type weather. I even got to stay home from work on Wednesday! Poor husband did not.

So then on Thursday, my entire department got called in for a mandatory meeting. I assumed that it would be about the weather, and how to code in our time off for Wednesday, etc. I was wrong. Apparently, our company has decided to shut down our service center, in favor of a mix of centralization/outsourcing. So the announcement was that we'd all be losing our jobs within the next year.

This was a total shock; we had not heard a single rumor! This is even more surprising, considering that nearly all my coworkers are female, and the rumor mill works OVERTIME around here generally.

So my last day will be August 15, 2007. I've never been in this situation before: knowing exactly when a job will end. I'm not that upset about it, honestly. I had never intended to stay in this job for very long... but I had intended to stay for a while longer. :)

I dread jumping back into the job search process. Justin and I talked last night about how frustrating it can be, especially when you aren't able to clearly articulate your job objectives, which I'm not. I don't really know where to start.

I'd appreciate your prayers... also, if you have any contacts or ideas for me, throw them out there!

Love, Corrie

The people have spoken...

let the blogging begin.

NEWS: We are married!! It is official. The wedding was so much fun, and not terribly stressful. Unfortunately, there was an outbreak of the plague sometime during the weekend, and at least twenty people ended up sick. So sorry, everybody! Otherwise, the wedding was great. ;)

The Honeymoon was pretty fantastic as well... we went to London and out to the Cotswolds. We could definitely live out in one of the little English villages. We stayed in the most amazing hotel: it bills itself as the oldest hotel in England, dating from 947 A.D. Can you believe that?!

Some Honeymoon highlights (I'll post pictures when I get them, no worries):

Best food - Indian food from The Cinnamon Club. Some of the best (and most expensive) food ever to enter my face.

Weirdest food - Lamb and Mint flavored potato chips. Actually mentions "lamb powder" in the ingredients.

Favorite souvenir - Lucky cat!!

Celeb sighting - Robin Williams (no kidding, we really saw him)

Creepiest experience - Visiting the dungeon at Warwick Castle. We were both very aware that people had actually been kept there and died there, and it was uncomfortable, but in kind of a good way.

Curb count - Justin hit approximately 5 curbs while driving around England. Not bad! And we never got stuck in a roundabout.

And now I'll open the floor for questions... let 'em rip!