Thursday, April 21, 2011

Unlike the dinosaurs...

Jesus is alive!


Happy Easter Weekend!

Monday, April 18, 2011

The Beckham Experience

My friend Virginia asked me how the Beckham experience was. In a word: rowdy.

Here's the article that describes it best. I won't go into it in my own words because, well, I don't know that much about soccer. I was, however, a little disappointed that Landon Donovan didn't play, because while I don't know soccer, I do know celebrities.


 Becks wore sleeves the whole time, so you couldn't see his tats. Also, doesn't his hair seem longer than normal?


Tim and I were done tromping around DC around 4:30 in the afternoon, and the game was at 7:30. All I wanted at that point was a cupcake. We thought about finding a restaurant or something around Foggy Bottom, but instead we decided to head to the stadium and relax in the restaurants/bars/cafes/etc. that would be around there.

Only we arrived at the stadium and there is nothing around. DC United did have a pretty fun tail-gaiting section, and I think that was the point where we could most vividly see ourselves living in DC and hanging out with hipsters who wear soccer scarves and play corn-hole before games. But I was also cold and tired, and maybe this much cranky about the general lack of cupcakes in the area. Nevertheless, a fun experience.

Friday, April 15, 2011

TFA Explained

I feel like I should be super secret about this post, because I know from experience that blogs where people discuss Teach for America come up on Google blogs and get a million hits, so they rise even higher, because insane people like me are out combing the internet for a clue, any clue, about how to get what we want (in this case, TFA).

So anyway, I applied for TFA out of college and didn't make it. I applied for an MFA program and did make it. Going to UNCW is in the top 5 best decisions of my life (also on the list: marrying Tim, attending the University of Arkansas, studying abroad in Australia, and getting involved with the Wesley Foundation).

But now that UNCW is about to end, I am faced with the prospect of working another minimum wage job, as I have done so often here in Wilmington. I thought TFA was a good alternative, and I have to admit, I wanted to avenge that failure. I made it this time, and they placed me in my preferred region, Eastern North Carolina, and my preferred grade, high school. The perfect place for me to have a job that used my education and Tim to go to his favorite grad school.

And it was so nice to be around TFA people. They were articulate, they sent funny yet moving emails, I could hear the passion in their voice, and the whole thing really felt life-affirming. Let me say it now: I'm glad these people are out there in our education systems.

But I turned them down. Everyone I talked to worked 10+ hour days. That should be good news to all of you out in cyber world... these people are completely dedicated to change! And I know that I was accepted to TFA because I have the same personality as everyone I talked to. I love teaching, and when I take up a cause, I can't let it go.  I go insane and thrive in that type of atmosphere. I could happily work 14 hour days and be satisfied; the search for the great achievement is completely thrilling. But, I'm dedicated to Tim. And to my church. And I want to start running again. And I want to have free afternoons, to make up for all of the free afternoons I didn't have in grad school.  And what I want right now is to try to be a writer, which requires being selfish about large chunks of time. TFA doesn't have room for people who want to be selfish with huge chunks of time. I know they have a waitlist of people who will be completely unselfish with their lives. I made it off the waitlist for UNCW, and I'll be eternally grateful to the one person who turned it down and gave me their spot.

So maybe I'll be waiting tables in Chapel Hill, because I'll be competing with 500,000 UNC graduates for the same jobs. But that's okay. I'm still young, and if I want to be a teacher, I can get a certificate with one more year of school.



Lately I've been a lot more personal in my blog. I don't think this will be a new thing, but Tim and I are going through a lot of changes right now. So here is our transition stage, laid out for all to see!

defense: passed


What I was most afraid of was that I would feel discouraged and not want to work on the ideas I already had bouncing around for things I wished to do with my manuscript. I don't feel that at all. I feel like I could write all day! All night! All weekend, all week, all month, all of my life!

Horray for those momentary highs!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The School Saga from A to Z

It was a long process. Before our trip to DC this past weekend, Tim had narrowed it down to five schools. 

George Washington: Because of the proximity to DC, Tim would have better job prospects for national jobs. It is the most expensive, but he had a campus job offer that would reduce tuition by 95%. But, no one had ever gotten the degree and certificate he wanted to get at the same time, so he was a little nervous about how it would work.

George Mason: They have Emergency Management and it also has the DC advantage, but it is still extremely expensive. We felt the campus and Fairfax was nice, but nothing really screamed us to live there. It's also a very large program.
After the trip to DC, these were eliminated. So it came down to...

North Texas: They have the emphasis he wants (Emergency Management), and is the perfect proximity to our beloved parents. It would probably be easier to find a job within Arkansas driving distance after graduation. But, Denton is Denton, which does not compare to Chapel Hill or Wilmington. 

UNCW: This is in our most favorite town in the whole wide world (it only beats Fayetteville by .3 points, and only because it had a beach. If everyone I loved in Arkansas would move to Wilmington, my life would be perfect, also because Wilmington is getting a Whole Foods and possibly a Trader Joe's, and it has First Presbyterian Church and a zillion wonderful local restaurants.) It didn't, however, have Emergency Management.

UNC: This is the smallest program. They offered Tim a scholarship. People called him to talk about his decision, and he was able to meet several students, all of whom he liked. He would be able to get the degree and certificate without problem, and its well-known for its local government emphasis, which is what Tim was interested in (as compared to national, ie DC schools).

So, because we couldn't put UNC's program in the town of Wilmington in the proximity to Arkansas of Denton, we chose UNC.

Go Tar Heels!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Happy Birthday Timoteo

Grotero

As I taught my Korean class last night, I spotted a cockroach crawling around, too close for comfort. I couldn't move because of my class. I just had to sit there and watch it conquer territories in the dining room, until it disappeared behind a bag of soil in the corner. I remembered that cockroaches travel in pairs, that they only come indoors because they are curious creatures, and then they get lost and can't get back outside.

Of course, I forgot about it when class was over. I'm not forgetting it now.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Sad Things About Growing Up

1) Removing The Doors as my voicemail message after eight years (the whole time I've had a cell phone!).

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Thesis Reading

When I attended a seminar on how to give a good thesis reading, Philip and Clyde's best advice was not to give a reading,but instead, give a performance. So if I look a little upset in this picture, don't worry, it's all part of the performance. 


Friday, April 1, 2011

March Madness is over

At least my March Madness. This past month I have interviewed for jobs, taken the Praxis, started a new Korean semester, and gone on a quick weekend trip. This past week I have turned in my thesis, turned in my last official assignment, and gave my thesis reading. Holy Moly. I feel a thousand pounds lighter.

I thought I'd be jumping around with happiness at finishing all of this. And believe me, I am relieved. I've watched a television show, a movie, and a documentary this morning, and I didn't feel one once of guilt about what I should have been doing. But in place of the pressure I'm feeling quite sad that this whole experience is coming to an end. I feel like I'm just beginning to figure a few things out. Now I need about 10 more years to really get in a routine. So, how about that UNCW? Would you mind extending the program another 8 years?