The Story of a Girl

This is real. This happened. This actually, honest to God, seriously happened. This year. In February.




Have I mentioned lately that I love my country?

So, I live. Little beat up, no worse for general wear, but live.

Anybody else out there still kicking about?

1) We don't talk about the Canucks game versus the Dallas Stars last night. Unless we are discussing the beautiful return of Ryan Kesler, or Henrik Sedin officially beating and setting a new franchise scoring record. Then it's cool.
And I swear this is not turning, and will not turn, in to a hockey blog. Honest to God.

2) Yesterday afternoon, after a craptastic morning -- a migraine and the screwy, yet expected, side effects of the meds I took for it -- I mercifully had a spare last block. A couple of my students who play piano and had a study that period came in to my room, and we jammed for a while.
I may have done some absolute belting as I slammed on the piano. I don't get the chance to do that here in my apartment, of course, even with my keyboard. I usually plug my headphones in to it, and play away, mouthing words. My classroom has thicker walls, which is more conducive to singing out loud. My voice is showing it today, however. Ask me about my black coffee and cigarettes diet: you too can have a thick two-pack-a-day rasp.
(Dammit Percy, you shouldn't go straight in to a belt without warming your voice up, even if you are physically able to do so. It will murder your throat/vocal chords, as you are being reminded today. Did you learn nothing from from your choral training back in high school and university? God.)
Totally and completely worth it though. It left a goofy smile on my face and I felt better for it. Still do, really.
Though I really do need to remember to watch it with my voice.

3) Weird as it may sound, I think my plan for the day is to drink a good deal of green tea. Not sure if this is connected to item two on the list. Not even sure it can be connected to it. I'm not even sure if there's a reason at all. I'm just craving green tea, and a lot of it.

4) The other items on my to do list today are getting my grocery shopping done, watching the most recent episodes of "Arrow" and "Elementary", and finishing at least one of the three books I have on the go right now.
I should probably quit with the reading numerous books at a time thing. I should also probably recognize this is an exercise in futility. Meh. At least I've addressed that it's a (possible) problem.

5) I know I go on about this quite a bit, and I know it probably irks the hell out of you all, but I just watched the trailer for "Fast and Furious 6". Han and Gisele are there. There's a shot of them dodging bullet fire together. There's another one of them back to back, guns akimbo. Yet another of them in the same car during what's presumably a major chase. It's quite possible I flailed at seeing all this.
Fandom gave me nothing last time despite their being awesome together in "Fast Five". It better frigging deliver this time around.
That is all.

Dear GOD did I have something beautiful happen.

I was doing some groundwork for the English Civil War and the French Revolution with my grade nines by giving them a super-breezy overview. They were blown away at how hardcore the situations truly were. It was, apparently, nothing like the musty, boring history they'd expected. One girl actually said aloud that she had no idea history was that insanely cool. This particular girl cannot wait until we get to the French Revolution and start talking about the movement from revolutionary ideals to just straight up anarchy.

I got much the same reaction when I was teaching my grade eights about ancient Sparta and Athens. They actually ASKED to do a project comparing and contrasting the two cities/cultures. Yet again, the kids had no idea that ancient societies were so nuts. Unsurprisingly, the kids are fascinated by Sparta. I don't blame them. I love ancient Sparta as a topic, so I kind of babble on about it. I had to catch myself and emphasize just how violent the culture truly was, and how their whole military machine worked only because it was running on the backs of slaves, but still. That they're in to it, and that they proposed a project and want to see it through says a significant amount.

...I just might be doing this teaching thing right. Huh.

It's been an odd week.

Long, and awkward, really -- it's the start of a new term, and of course classes haven't been solidified, nor have have class lists. This makes for interesting day plans, seeing as things shift every single day and you have no idea if your attendance records are accurate at all. You do your best though, and you try and teach. Not much else you can do.

Favourite course so far? I might argue Textiles 12. I was saddled with it, and yet got my wish: I get to team teach it with the teacher I've come to think of as a good friend. The theoretical stuff that I get to work with is fascinating, and is so very, very relevant to my interests. I've got plans for students to select clothing brands, and researching/presenting about their products, image, and aesthetic. After that, we may even be able to do some examination of haute couture, and fashion history. It's really frigging exciting. I never thought I'd be so interested in doing something like this. Shows what I know.

I'm also loving my Social Studies classes. In one, we're studying Ancient Greece. I was kind of conned in to planning a trip to Greece. Kind of. After showing students pictures and doing some basic background, the kids fell in love and desperately want to visit it. I said I'd love to take them. You should have seen the look on their faces. I followed this up with some caveats: show me you can behave yourselves, recognize that the trip will likely not take place this year, work on organizing the fundraising, and if you want to discuss it you have to do it on your own time as opposed to during class. The determined look on their faces after this was thrilling. Who knows. This might happen.
In the other class, we're looking at the Renaissance, and doing some major comparison of the Renaissance culture with that of the modern technological/cultural revolution around us. The kids are really in to it -- one of my most difficult to reach students was ridiculously in to discussion of the analogous nature of Renaissance theatre to its modern counterpart of TV and film. 
Their faces when I explained that Shakespeare was insanely fond of sex jokes and gave them some examples were priceless. They will never look at Shakespeare the same way again and I am totally okay with this.

So basically, weird, but all is well.

On a completely different, non-work related note...

1) Been watching Canucks games religiously thanks to online streams.
(I don't have any TV channels; whatever I want to watch I either download or stream.)
I have no idea why, but the more games I watch, the happier it makes me. The 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames last night was rather satisfying. Never saw myself as ever being a hockey fan to be honest. Here we are though.

2) As if I weren't neurologically screwed up enough, I'd been having some headaches. Then, I had one that lasted two days without stopping and got steadily worse. We're talking having to turn the lights off in my classroom to function bad.
This was my cue to go to the doctor seeing as I was in some serious pain.
Apparently, migraines.
(Did you know that some people who suffer from migraines successfully ward them off using either caffeine pills or crazy-strong cups of coffee? I didn't. Bless the doctor for opening my eyes to something I can get on board with very easily.)
So yes. Epilepsy. Now migraines. At least I now have both an explanation and a prescription.

3) I've been listening to copious amounts of 90s pop, and will now inflict it upon you. You get no apologies. I will be busy dancing and failing at hiding my shame. And yes. I am very much aware these are all boybands. I fail to care.
"Back Here", BB Mak -- Britpop at quite possibly its finest.
"I Want You", Savage Garden -- Oh, Daniel. Everyone loved Darren so much, but you will always have a place in my heart.
"If Ya Gettin' Down", Five (alternately known as 5ive) -- Barely makes the cut for the 90s, but omigod. Hockey pads, badass long coats, pretensions at hardcore-ness, and lots and lots and lots of black. Yes. Please.
"As Long As You Love Me", Backstreet Boys -- I lovingly refer to this one as 'the serial killer love song'. Oh, come on. With lyrics like "I don't care what you did" as well as "what you did and where you're coming from I don't care" and then throwing in "it doesn't really matter if you're on the run it seems like we're meant to be" you can't tell me I'm wrong It was a tossup between this and "I Want It That Way". You know what? Screw it. Have both. Because Backstreet Boys, that's why. So shut it.

1) Apparently, when you are able to reference, quote, and respond to quotes from "Pitch Perfect", you become a god to thirteen year olds. Good to know.

2) My microwave appears to have died. I though maybe I'd just blown a fuse this morning, and I was going to deal with it when I got back from work. It's looking like it's just the microwave giving up the ghost. Alas.

3) Saw the doctor regarding my foot. It seems to be healing well. The doctor, however, did point out some old injuries that I can only assume were from my dancing days. 13 years of ballet training, everybody: enjoy the screwed up everything.

4) I may be teaching textiles next term. Seeing as I can barely sew buttons on to my clothes, I don't even know.
What another teacher and I want to do is switch hit -- I'll teach the history, social aspects, and theory of textiles, she'll teach the hands-on technical stuff, and we'll trade off on a creative writing class.

5) My Foods class made jalapeno corn bread today. My gastrointestinal system is screaming. I love it.

6) I have had two really strange, really clear 'visions' for some original writing over the course of this week.
The first is a girl whose mouth has been sewn shut, and she's rather amused by the whole thing. She's either leading someone to their death or away from it.
Then there's a set of bickering Romanian siblings on the lam in a beat-up VW van with knives, stakes, and a worn-out copy of Bram Stoker's "Dracula".
The girl and the siblings aren't from the same story, I know that much.  I have no idea where I'm going to go with either of these though, or if they'll go anywhere. I've scribbled down things for both of them anyhow. They're just bizarrely clear, even if I don't know what they're really up to.
I may have found my weekend project. Hmm.

So, made my full application to the MEd program.

Any and all confusion on my part was cleared up by a fantastic contact/advisor who was so crazy prompt in responding that I think they've got to be a superhero. I'm declaring them thus, anyhow.

The first step of the program is a certificate. The second step is a diploma. The third is the actual degree. My one mistake was that I set my application as one for the MEd program, under the impression I needed to state my overall goal. My contact explained that nope, such was not the case. They also offered to just press a button and adjust my application right then and there so it was for the certificate. God, I love this contact.

Even better, I don't need that statement of intent to get in to the certificate program either.
(Despite how intimidating they made it sound, some further research -- i.e. spending half an hour scouring the Masters section of the university's website -- indicated it would only have to be 300 words anyways, just a quick explanation of why I wanted in to the program. That's a relief of sorts.)

The final step in this application process is to wait until about the end of May to find out if I've been accepted. Considering that's when my birthday is, that lovely letter would be an awesome present.

Then there's the fact that it's been declared a snow day. Again. Which makes it three in a row. Today, it's because the craptacular roads in our area are icy as all get out, so it's a wee bit dangerous for anyone to try and get to the school. The principal and the board have this thing about not wanting injured or dead students and teachers.

Huh. All of this -- a celebration of my application involving some tea that kicks your ass and makes the world absolutely vibrate that was provided by xenokattz, and a Friday off with a weekend ahead -- seems to coincide with a very specific time. Weird.

Funny how this all worked out at precisely ficlet o'clock. 

Multiple requests are welcome, given I have three days to myself and no planning to do as I took care of it before these snow days began. No guarantees of all being filled, but it's a safe bet because damn if I don't feel like writing.

ETA:

Hand in Hand, Chest to Chest, Face to Face
For scribble_myname. X-Men 616. Remy, X-23. Dancing.

Stalemate
For vikingprincess. X-Men 919. Jane, Riley. They just irritate eachother; they can't help it.

Marinara
For xenokattz. Elementary. Joan, Sherlock, Mary. Meeting at a crime scene.

GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT GUESS WHAT.

School was called off again thanks to ice on the roads. Unfortunately, no-one called me or the co-worker who gave me a ride. We made the discovery based on the empty parking lot at the school. Joy of joys. We called the VP, who apologized profusely for our being overlooked (apparently the phone tree is indeed screwed up), and has put the two of us at the top of HER list of folks to call.

On the bright side, this gives me time to at least start my application to the grad program. I may not be able to write a proper statement of intent, but I can at least begin the whole application process. May as well at least try, anyhow. Get as far as I can before any 'roadblocks' (HAH IT IS A JOKE BECAUSE THE ROADS HERE ARE CRAPTASTIC) get in the way.

Beyond that, some reading is in order. I blasted through two books yesterday. Who knows what I can accomplish today?

A strong cup of tea or a quick hobble across the street for coffee. Some academic badassery. Books. Let's get this party started.

Let the record show that when it comes to my work, I am indeed committed to sparkle motion.

The highways around this area are closed, crazy amounts of snow fell yesterday and more is predicted over the next 24, and it was looking like today would be a write off thanks to the weather. I didn't get the official snow day call though, so I assumed despite everything, classes were in session. Weird, frustrating, and nonsensical, but okay.

45 minutes. 45 freaking minutes standing there on the curb outside my apartment (as I normally do; the first staff member to drive by pulls over and gives me a lift because they are awesome) waiting for a ride. No staff passing through, no school bus. Three calls to the school without an answer.

At that point, I just said screw it, went and grabbed a coffee from across the way, and went back to my apartment. I figure I got lost on the phone tree or something. I'm going to ask about that at work tomorrow. In the meantime, I did my due diligence. I'm gonna go change into some dry socks and put on a movie or read a book. Maybe even get some laundry done. 

I may even write something. The 919 could use some attention, and the Riley/Remy/Peggy fic wants some love. If I'm feeling really ambitious, perhaps-maybe-possibly even something original. Le gasp.

Regardless of what happens or what I accomplish today though, at least I've got this coffee and some warm socks. That counts for something.

1) Normally, I like to set out my new year's resolutions on the 31st. I only managed a brief plan, the major one of which related to reading.

I ended up looking at my rather daunting 'to read' list. I ended up paring it down a significant amount, even after adding some of the recommendations you were all so kind as to give me as well as a couple books I received as gifts. So, I have 32 books on my list now. 4 of them are compilations/collected works/etc., so I don't know if those particularly count here. I suppose that means it's really only 29. I finished two of those books thanks to the nice long bus ride back from the coast. So, really, technically 27 now. I guess.

I am therefore setting a goal of getting through the entirety of my list this year, as well as chipping away at the anthology type ones bit by bit. I don't think this will prove particularly difficult, but we'll see. Life has a way of throwing curve-balls, and I have a tendency to spend far too much time browsing books on Amazon and the Kobo website.


2) The graduate program applications have opened up. I have until the end of March to get my stuff in: a CV, a statement of intent, and undergrad transcripts. I'm both excited and nervous about this. I'm sitting here on the precipice of the decision, wondering if I really can commit to sparkle motion (as it were). This second-guessing of myself is a bad habit that I truly need to break.

The way the program works is that you do one course per semester: summer semester, autumn semester, winter semester, and spring semester. I think I can handle that. The first course is summer semester, and starts in July. I think I can do that. It'll give me a sense of the intensity of the program. I can drop the whole thing if I need to. Nothing says I can't at least give it a try.  And you know what? Even if I get accepted in the first place, I don't have to actually go through with it in the first place. So perhaps I'm not second-guessing myself as much as I thought I was.

The only thing I'm worried about is writing a statement of intent. I'm going to chat with some of my fellow staff members -- particularly those who have Masters degrees and who were the ones who encouraged me to go for it in the first place -- and see what advice they can offer in terms of how to write one properly.


3) I am going to go make some breakfast and watch "Pitch Perfect" now. Because of reasons. By which I mean HELL YEAH I've finished my lesson planning for Monday Rebel Wilson is amazing and I love her, and it is an awesome movie besides.