Today was my first day of tocing, finally. It turns out that I actually wasn't on the list for some reason, or they screwed up somehow. Luckily, though I overheard some teachers saying how they couldn't get anyone to sub for them, and I was like "Excuse me--I will!". Unfortunately, though, I didn't find out until after 8am this morning, so it was a bit of a rush, but I was glad to get to work.
I've also started my new teaching assignment. I'm now employed .544 time, which is a little over 50%. So, I'm teaching mondays in french immersion kindergarten, wednesdays tech classes and fridays in grade one still.
This has been a busy week, and it's going to be especially busy this weekend as Mike and I have decided to try and make it to our friend's wedding in Saskatoon which is on Saturday at 4pm, but Mike is technically supposed to work night shift on friday, so we're hoping he gets off early enough that we can drive there in time. This means basically not sleeping, but we figure it will be an adventure. He's driving to Edmonton, (if he gets off early enough), and I'm driving to Saskatoon. According to mapquest, it will take us 12 hours and 3 minutes, plus the one hour time difference, so we need to leave by 3 am our time to make it. I'm praying it's the slowest night ever.
Life in Dawson Creek has gotten much busier now, so it feels like I actually live here. For some reason, it has felt very temporary this whole time. Here are some pics and some reasons why I like our new home.
1) The sky is HUGE--you can forcast your own day just by looking off in the distance.
2) Every driveway has about 3-4 large trucks and a fifth wheel, so our tercel is actually unique.
3)You can wear a scarf (and not just as a fashion statement) from September to May.
4)When I tell people we want four kids, they think "Is that it?" I've met several families of 11 or 12 kids, plus other "averaged" sized families of 5-6 kids.
5)We don't have to change our clocks ever. (no fall back or spring forward)
6)There's only one of everything so you don't have to choose(bookstore, health food store, kitchen store, movie store--oh , wait, there's two of that one :)
7)There are moose in your backyard.
8)No seagulls to poop on your car while you're at work.
9)The movie theatre is identical to the one in Port Alberni where I grew up.
10)I get to see the Northern Lights.
Well, blogger doesn't seem to want to let me post any pictures right now...darn. I finally got some of where I live! Well, I know a lot of you have been wanting to see some pics, so I will try again later and hopefully you can finally see what it's like up here!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Snow in summer?
Yesterday morning was a shock for me as I left the house at 5:30 am to drive Mike to work. Why? Because I had to clear the snow off the roof of my car!
Yes, that's right. I've moved to a city where it snows in summer. I know it doesn't feel like summer anymore, but technically, the first day of fall isn't until Saturday, and we've already skipped to winter!
I will admit though that it was a complete fluke snow which only happened because of one day of arctic air and by noon it had all melted off the "mountains". It was still crazy though. I think it's the first time I've seen snow before November. It also worried me as I still don't have that block heater, or the snow tires. Must get those soon. I've also decided it's time to retire the summer clothes and put on socks. I wore a tank top and shorts the day before it snowed, and now I'm wearing two long sleeved shirts and a vest to go for a walk.
In other news, two of my favourite authors recently passed away. Madeleine L'Engle wrote some of my favourite YA fantasy and she passed away on September 6th at 88 years old. Even more surprising is that on monday Robert Jordan, the author of the Wheel of Time fantasy series died. I've been reading his series since grade 9 and apparently he was writing the last of the series--book 12. Hopefully it will still be published. Can you imagine if Tolkien or C.S. Lewis had died before finishing their series'? It's strange when an author dies because you don't really know them, but you feel as if you did because you read their work.
If you haven't read Madeleine L'Engle or Robert Jordan, I highly recommed "A wrinkle in time" and "The Eye of the World", which are their two first books in the series.
Yes, that's right. I've moved to a city where it snows in summer. I know it doesn't feel like summer anymore, but technically, the first day of fall isn't until Saturday, and we've already skipped to winter!
I will admit though that it was a complete fluke snow which only happened because of one day of arctic air and by noon it had all melted off the "mountains". It was still crazy though. I think it's the first time I've seen snow before November. It also worried me as I still don't have that block heater, or the snow tires. Must get those soon. I've also decided it's time to retire the summer clothes and put on socks. I wore a tank top and shorts the day before it snowed, and now I'm wearing two long sleeved shirts and a vest to go for a walk.
In other news, two of my favourite authors recently passed away. Madeleine L'Engle wrote some of my favourite YA fantasy and she passed away on September 6th at 88 years old. Even more surprising is that on monday Robert Jordan, the author of the Wheel of Time fantasy series died. I've been reading his series since grade 9 and apparently he was writing the last of the series--book 12. Hopefully it will still be published. Can you imagine if Tolkien or C.S. Lewis had died before finishing their series'? It's strange when an author dies because you don't really know them, but you feel as if you did because you read their work.
If you haven't read Madeleine L'Engle or Robert Jordan, I highly recommed "A wrinkle in time" and "The Eye of the World", which are their two first books in the series.
Monday, September 17, 2007
The best picture and the best restaurant
This is why I still love having a film camera--every once in a while you discover an old roll of film you never developed and you have no idea what's on it. That happened to me today, and I was excited to discover these pictures I had taken when my dear friend Amanda left Victoria. It was her last day and we four girls did all our favourite things, including eating at our favorite breakfast place "The Blue Fox". I had the pictures put on a CD just so I could post them here. Mmmm eggs benny and pan fries....
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Sore on Saturdays
My arms are so sore right now I can hardly type. Mike and I had our first volleyball game last night, and then I just spent the afternoon bowling. It was a lot of fun and we won our first game but my arms are so tired and aching. I couldn't even bowl the second game and just kept getting gutter balls because my hand couldn't even hold the ball anymore! Ouch!
Still, it was worth the fun of hanging out with new people. In other news, my second friday went much better than the first. Also, I start my bellydancing class on Monday, and I can't wait to start scrapbooking with the new stuff I got from the scrapbooking party.
Here is some more writing, although not poetry this time, but from one of the stories I'm working on sending out.
The first time she saw a tapestry, she was ten. In the castle, a ceiling so high her neck hurts to look up at it. In her arms, a basket of Magda’s medicines and salves, left on their doorstep. She begged her mother to let her take them. The walls of the castle are stone, the floor cold beneath her shoes. At the end of the hall, a large room with layered carpets and a fire waving in the corner. A servant takes the basket and thanks her for bringing it up so quickly. She is a young servant, with ruddy cheeks and quick hands as she unwraps the cloth to see what Magda has sent. She chatters on about the different things they’ve tried, but Shiloh hears nothing. Around her, the walls are covered in tapestries, so thick with thread she can hardly make out the images. She focuses on the center hanging: thread of gold woven with rich creams, reds and blues. Patches of violet and green linked in a complex pattern. A unicorn bowing to a woman, her robe of gold splayed around her on the forest floor. A story made of thread. The servant asks what she’s staring at. Oh, yes, the tapestries. Over a hundred years old, they are. Stories of magic woven together. Do you know that each one is like a page in a book? Beautiful, aren’t they.
Still, it was worth the fun of hanging out with new people. In other news, my second friday went much better than the first. Also, I start my bellydancing class on Monday, and I can't wait to start scrapbooking with the new stuff I got from the scrapbooking party.
Here is some more writing, although not poetry this time, but from one of the stories I'm working on sending out.
The first time she saw a tapestry, she was ten. In the castle, a ceiling so high her neck hurts to look up at it. In her arms, a basket of Magda’s medicines and salves, left on their doorstep. She begged her mother to let her take them. The walls of the castle are stone, the floor cold beneath her shoes. At the end of the hall, a large room with layered carpets and a fire waving in the corner. A servant takes the basket and thanks her for bringing it up so quickly. She is a young servant, with ruddy cheeks and quick hands as she unwraps the cloth to see what Magda has sent. She chatters on about the different things they’ve tried, but Shiloh hears nothing. Around her, the walls are covered in tapestries, so thick with thread she can hardly make out the images. She focuses on the center hanging: thread of gold woven with rich creams, reds and blues. Patches of violet and green linked in a complex pattern. A unicorn bowing to a woman, her robe of gold splayed around her on the forest floor. A story made of thread. The servant asks what she’s staring at. Oh, yes, the tapestries. Over a hundred years old, they are. Stories of magic woven together. Do you know that each one is like a page in a book? Beautiful, aren’t they.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Yikes it's friday again!
Well, tomorrow I get to take my second stab at teaching grade one. We'll see how it goes as I get to do PE with them this time. It will either be a really good thing or a really bad thing.
I'm finally feeling really busy and involved here though, I had meetings yesterday and today, a scrapbooking party tonight, my first volleyball game tomorrow, a lunch and bowling on Saturday, and then church on Sunday, and on monday I'm starting a bellydancing class, which I've always wanted to try.
It's also been so sunny and warm here that Mike and I have been going for lovely walks around town. DC is actually really pretty at the time of day where the sun makes all the trees so bright and green and the air smells like fall. I really like our neighbourhood.
I've also finally found a canadian literary journal that published speculative fiction, so now I can send out the fairy tale-ish story I have that I didn't know what to do with. Life is good this week.
Better go finish planning for tomorrow!
I'm finally feeling really busy and involved here though, I had meetings yesterday and today, a scrapbooking party tonight, my first volleyball game tomorrow, a lunch and bowling on Saturday, and then church on Sunday, and on monday I'm starting a bellydancing class, which I've always wanted to try.
It's also been so sunny and warm here that Mike and I have been going for lovely walks around town. DC is actually really pretty at the time of day where the sun makes all the trees so bright and green and the air smells like fall. I really like our neighbourhood.
I've also finally found a canadian literary journal that published speculative fiction, so now I can send out the fairy tale-ish story I have that I didn't know what to do with. Life is good this week.
Better go finish planning for tomorrow!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Farner's markets and Church picnics
So it's the end of a really great weekend. It started on Friday after teaching my first day in my own class as a real teacher. I will admit it still feels like I'm on practicum since I'm teaching under another teacher, but it was still cool to have a job again. The day didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped, but lets face it, 21 six year olds surviving the entire day without any injuries or disappearances is pretty good for my first day as an elementary teacher. I also am pleased to note that I didn't make anyone cry or pee their pants. We also got through all of my lessons and activities which was great, and I think they may even have liked some of them.
So, in all it wasn't too bad. There were a few mishaps, but mostly all of my problems were with discipline, and really, it was my first day with them all alone. I just need to figure out how to get them to walk quietly down the hallway with me without causing too much noise.
After school I hung out with Mike as he had the evening off. We watched a movie and then on Saturday, we went to the farmer's market, which I've been meaning to see since we arrived. It was really great--lots of fresh organic vegetables locally grown and also some funky jewelry (I got some glass blown earings for $5) and baked goods. So, we bought some carrot cake and took it over to our new friends Matt and Lindsay's place in the afternoon. We taught them the Bean game and Puerto Rico, which was really fun. They cooked us burgers for dinner and then Mike and I went home to watch the UFC fight.
Today Mike had to work so I went to church and then drove out of town by myself for the first time to Pouce Coupe, which is only about 8km away. We had a big bbq and picnic with the whole church in the park and so I met a lot of people. It was a beautiful day for September up north--23 degrees and so nice and sunny. So, it was the perfect way to spend a Sunday. It would have been better if Mike was there but that was him on the phone so I'm off to pick him up!
So, in all it wasn't too bad. There were a few mishaps, but mostly all of my problems were with discipline, and really, it was my first day with them all alone. I just need to figure out how to get them to walk quietly down the hallway with me without causing too much noise.
After school I hung out with Mike as he had the evening off. We watched a movie and then on Saturday, we went to the farmer's market, which I've been meaning to see since we arrived. It was really great--lots of fresh organic vegetables locally grown and also some funky jewelry (I got some glass blown earings for $5) and baked goods. So, we bought some carrot cake and took it over to our new friends Matt and Lindsay's place in the afternoon. We taught them the Bean game and Puerto Rico, which was really fun. They cooked us burgers for dinner and then Mike and I went home to watch the UFC fight.
Today Mike had to work so I went to church and then drove out of town by myself for the first time to Pouce Coupe, which is only about 8km away. We had a big bbq and picnic with the whole church in the park and so I met a lot of people. It was a beautiful day for September up north--23 degrees and so nice and sunny. So, it was the perfect way to spend a Sunday. It would have been better if Mike was there but that was him on the phone so I'm off to pick him up!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Back to School!
This is the very first year since I started kindergarten, that I will not be going back to school as a student after labour day. I'm still going back to school, but I'm teaching instead. I'm happy about this because I get to make some money finally and start paying back my student loan, which apparently has already incrued 503 $ worth of interest (?!) so that's always good. On the other hand, I desperately miss shopping for new text books, waiting to see my old friends back in our familiar clearihue building classes, and sitting around on the sunny green Uvic campus, wondering what my new classes will be like. Yes, I'm one of those people who liked being in school, and I'm missing it already.
But, one day, I'll go back and do a master's degree. I was looking into the low residency programs for MFA's but I don't know if I would like school at home--I mean, the whole point is to be at a University amongst other students. I don't think I would have the motivation.
Today was a nice sunday. I met another couple at my new church who took me out to lunch. It got really nice and sunny out later so I went for a run with my new ipod that my mom and Jessie got me for my birthday (thanks guys!). So, i have now officially joined the world of the ipod. It's bright green and really fun and makes me like running so much more.
It's nice to finally know some more people in DC and pretty soon there's a bible study for young couples starting, and then I'm going to take a yoga class and Mike and I are playing volleyball on friday nights we hope. I looked into some other classes as well, but I don't want to have every night booked just in case. I also am doing a once a month scrapbooking group with Lindsay from my church and that starts in two weeks too. So, September looks like a fun month so far. I already have my first day of school planned, which is the only day that I'm teaching so far. I also found out that I might be getting a second day of teaching in another class, so that would bring me up to a .40 position, which would be great.
Well, I better go get dinner ready. I'm a house wife for one more day. Not that I didn't enjoy it, even though sometimes I was bored, I got used to it. Mike is working late today because there was apparently a police pursuit. He called me about an hour ago all excited because he got to chase a guy through a park and tackle him. I think he was very proud of himself--it was his first foot chase. So, so far he's checked several firsts off his list and he's only been here a month:
--drawn his gun
--footchase
--assisted paramedics after a head on collision
--went on a drug-burning trip up north (not that you can get much farther!)
Plus, many other exciting adventures, including arresting someone in our own building...
Here's to all those who are going back to school, in whatever role you may be...
But, one day, I'll go back and do a master's degree. I was looking into the low residency programs for MFA's but I don't know if I would like school at home--I mean, the whole point is to be at a University amongst other students. I don't think I would have the motivation.
Today was a nice sunday. I met another couple at my new church who took me out to lunch. It got really nice and sunny out later so I went for a run with my new ipod that my mom and Jessie got me for my birthday (thanks guys!). So, i have now officially joined the world of the ipod. It's bright green and really fun and makes me like running so much more.
It's nice to finally know some more people in DC and pretty soon there's a bible study for young couples starting, and then I'm going to take a yoga class and Mike and I are playing volleyball on friday nights we hope. I looked into some other classes as well, but I don't want to have every night booked just in case. I also am doing a once a month scrapbooking group with Lindsay from my church and that starts in two weeks too. So, September looks like a fun month so far. I already have my first day of school planned, which is the only day that I'm teaching so far. I also found out that I might be getting a second day of teaching in another class, so that would bring me up to a .40 position, which would be great.
Well, I better go get dinner ready. I'm a house wife for one more day. Not that I didn't enjoy it, even though sometimes I was bored, I got used to it. Mike is working late today because there was apparently a police pursuit. He called me about an hour ago all excited because he got to chase a guy through a park and tackle him. I think he was very proud of himself--it was his first foot chase. So, so far he's checked several firsts off his list and he's only been here a month:
--drawn his gun
--footchase
--assisted paramedics after a head on collision
--went on a drug-burning trip up north (not that you can get much farther!)
Plus, many other exciting adventures, including arresting someone in our own building...
Here's to all those who are going back to school, in whatever role you may be...
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