Interview 1

I had my first (hopefully not last) interview today. Actually, as I was on my way out the door, another district called to "pre-screen" me for their official first round of interviews. The second the guy started asking me about my past and my reasons for leaving Past District, I got all nervous and my voice started shaking. After his call, I tried to think of a good answer for the Actual Interview I was on my way to, but I still think I fell short on that one. Other questions I think had suck-ass answers:

• What do you consider your biggest triumph and your worst failure?
• What was one of the suggestions on a recent evaluation?
• What would you have done differently at your past job?
• What do you know about APA? (At least this one is easily researched.)

Because I no longer want to dwell on these questions (today, anyway), I am going to tell you about my appearance... because I looked fabulous. I can't find the links to anything I wore, so you'll have to use your imagination.

• Dress: Navy blue faux-wrap. Cotton fabric textured with tiny navy dots. Wore with a white cami, but when I am not trying to get a job, it shows just the right amount of a little too much cleavage.
• Shoes: Red leather heals with a rounded toe and a skinny red leather bow. If they were a little higher, they'd be sort of pin-up style.
• Accessories: the usual little diamond necklace from Alex, but also a chunky wooden bracelet, bright yellow with painted red flowers. (I had to add another color so I didn't look like I was trying to be red, white and blue.)
• Bag: Light brown leather clutch.
• Etc.: Nails were OPI Sweetheart (a sensible pale pink), and even my hair came out great thanks to the low humidity and my new dryer.

I almost wish employers gave positions based on appearence, because I know I looked hotter than the chick who walked out as I crossed the parking lot to go in.

Seeking

So I finally sent my resumes out today, which is pretty bad considering my cover letters are dated June 8. I sent 56 of them. Plus I emailed everything to three schools. I have an interview at a really competitive district on Wednesday and am freaking out. I am still struggling to come up with a non-bullshit sounding answer for the inevitable question, "Why did you leave your former position?" I can't put the emphasis on the district's faults, but I can't put them on my own, either. And I feel that something generic like, "I am looking for a change," seems contrived and shady. Especially if I say that, and then they follow up the question with, "Did you resign or were you nonrenewed?" Then what? I can't lie. Grr. Suckage.

Anyway, tomorrow will be spent pouring more money into this job-seeking venture. Nails, brows, an outfit (last time I went through interviews, I weighed about 30 lbs less)... On top of the $60 I've spent on stationery and stamps, not having a job is costing me a lot.

P.S. Today I applied for unemployment.

*****

There was a dead chipmunk in the pool today. It was gross and I had to fish it out and throw in chemicals, and um, I threwitoverthefenceintotheneighbor'syardWhat?!

Sigh of Relief

Yesterday was my last day, or hours, actually, and I spent them at the elementary school. People I hadn't seen since I was transferred kept commenting on how wonderful and "healthy" I look. That normally led them into asking if I have lost weight. Just off my shoulders, I'd reply.

It is amazing to me that I am unemployed, have no idea what is to come as far as career and income, and am still so much happier than I have been. This might change if September comes and I still am jobless and we can't pay the mortgage, but for now...

Ahhhhhhhhhh...

Several Smiling Emoticons

Including today and tomorrow...

Approximately 10 hours left in district!!!!

Sales, Scrapping, Flies, Food

Two guys rang my doorbell, and when I opened the door, they claimed not to be selling anything, but why don't I look at this binder that just happens to list all the replacement services they offer? Having fallen into this trap before, and consequently entertaining the gutter guard guy for approximately 2 hours despite all polite and then even direct attempts to get him out of our house, I told these guys no thank you, that we are not ready to do anything yet. And you know what the one guy did? He pointed out the cracks in our front windows! The thing is? I know the cracks are there, and yet, I am STILL telling him no. If the cracks alone were enough to convince me to spend over $30,000 to re-gutter, re-window, and re-side the entire house, I would have done it! This asshole pointing out my home's embarassing cosmetic faults won't do anything but convince me to contract someone else when we do have the money. Jerk.

*****

It's Baaa-aaaack...

Yes, my friends, Scrapbooking is going to make a comeback in my life. I have a bunch of photos sitting on my hard drive. Now, I am hoping that without my ex-job sucking the life out of me, I will be able to revisit the things I used to enjoy. Crafty things. Scrapbooking. Beading. Card-making. Just the thought of it is making the black part of my heart shrink a little and the nerdy part sing B-52s tunes. Rock Lobster, indeed.

*****

There always seems to be a fly in the house. Apparently, flies can live for about 15 days, but I like to think that the lack of shit and garbage sitting around my house (on most days) would shorten their lifespans, and that it's not always the same fly. Plus there are always little fly corpses on the (cracked) window sill.

I don't normally try to kill the flies, because I'm not very good at it. I don't like to smash them against walls because I don't want to clean up their guts, and I really don't have the coordination for the mid-air swat.

Anyway, I was excited to trap a fly earlier when it landed on a candle and I covered the jar with the fly swatter. I walked the little cage over to the door, moved the swatter, and... the fly wouldn't fly! It just kept walking around in circles on the wax. I had to shake the candle several times before eventually turning it upside down and smacking it. It finally disappeared, but when I walked back in, there was a fly chilling on the TV screen. Suspicious, don't you think?

IMPORTANT FLY UPDATE: Just minutes after publishing this post, I heard a buzzing sound on the table next to me. Careful examination of the crime scene left me zooming in high def on a fly chilling inside my bag of Sour Patch Kids. A true flyitarian, I quickly grabbed the top of the bag, crumpled it up so the fly was stuck inside, and ran it to the trashcan. I like to think it's how Mrs. Miagi would have done it.

*****

And just what you want to read about following flies...

Tonight's Delicious Dinner: Cheesy Garlicky Super Tasty Risotto

2 cans low fat, low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. jarred minced garlic (I suppose you could use fresh, but I am lazy)
1 cup arborio rice
chives
dried parsley (fresh would have been better, but I have none)
a couple handfulls of mozzarella cheese (I would have liked to add some grated parm, too, but am out)
kernels from 2 ears of leftover grilled corn (or you could use frozen)
S & P

*Note: I did not cook this the way you are supposed to cook risotto, and it still came out great. So there.

Pour broth into skillet and heat until steamy. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add rice and corn. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat. Add cheese and parsley. Use kitchen shears to snip chives over the skillet. Stir it all together until the cheese melts in and it looks all creamy and delish. Salt and pepper to taste. If you are feeling daring, add a few tablespoons of butter to finish it off. I did.

Phew

I worked up the courage today to go to my old building and ask the principal if it would be "unwise" of me to list him as a reference when I send out my resumes this weekend. I was particularly nervous, because as I was making the rounds when I first got there, he caught me in the hall and asked me suspiciously where the kids' report card files are, as if I spitefully deleted all student records from the computer when I left. I informed him that it should be on the server just like it has been since September, and that perhaps the new teacher is just unfamiliar with the systems. I kinda gave him a little attitude, so I was relieved when he told me that it would not be unwise to list him, and that he appreciates all I did for the district, and that he knows it was a tough year, and that he will even (if anyone asks) say that I left because I "wanted a change." How cool is that? Now I feel much more confidant about sending out all my stuff and being able to walk with my chin up into an interview.

Everything but the Boards...

... refers to what Alex and I ate on the boardwalk yesterday.

I took my last personal day, and he has off on Thursdays anyway but his golf partner cancelled, and so we decided to drive down to Ocean City for a few hours.

It was an awesome day that included lots of eating. We started at Mack and Manco's Pizza, shared a vanilla-orange cone at Kohr's Bros., and came home with fudge from The Original Fudge Kitchen, salt water taffy from Shriver's (p.s. it was totally fun to choose all our flavors from the mix'n'match bins so we didn't end up with any of those pesky molasses pieces), and a large bucket of caramel popcorn from Johnson's. We played mini golf at Congo Falls, and 10¢ skee ball at Jilly's Arcade. We also bought these magnets, but were charged $3.99 a piece.

The weather was perfect-- sunny and warm with a side of sea breeze.

Now tell me you're not jealous?

I Know I'm Not the Only Complainer

My classroom thermometer only has numbers up to 90, but it was way hotter than that, and I am pretty sure that if it got any hotter, the red liquid inside (what is that stuff, anyway?) would have busted through the top, a la a Loony Toon with a fever. The hallway was slightly cooler, and walking past any open classroom door was like walking through dragon breath. A lot of un-A/C'd schools had half days today, but not us. Learning! Is too! Important! So they put on Happy Feet in the air contitioned auditorium and we sat in there.

*****

Ha! Pee-wee's Big Adventure is on HBOFE (whateverthatis) right now. Dude certainly lubs his bike... Lala lalaa!

Gossissippi

Psst! I have some hot gossip that I have to share here because I don't have any friends at my new job who would appreciate this...

A's brother M (who is short-term working for A until he takes the Bar) negotiated a deal with a girl's dad (the girl was there) last week, and M, as always, wrote his cell number on his biz card. The girl thought she was being picked up, and so she called him and they went out on a date last night. This would be a cute story except that he is 28 and she is 19, and at first I was all judgemental about the fact that he was taking advantage of a young (but legal) girl in order to fill his 7-months-since-the-big-breakup void. Then I met the girl when they post-dinner'd at our house and she was

• chugging beers like only someone underage would do on a Sunday night. (At the end of the evening, we actually served her a frozen lemon-lime gatorade and told her it was a margarita! HA!)
• dumb. (There was an entire hilarious exchange when she was asking about the rules of Washers about whether it's better to get it in the Box or get it in the Can, and it totally went over her head.)

They disappeared into our house for about 30 minutes, and although I don't think M sealed the deal, I am sure he at least got a little rubbing.

*****

On a related note, does your man share gossip with you? I always feel like I have to force stuff out of Alex because he still holds such Secret Loyalty for his brother. Then, once he spills it, he gets all nervous that I will slip that I know, and tells me like a hundred times not to say anything about it to anyone. I know guys don't gossip like girls do, but I thought that it was a Girlfriend Privilege to get the news.

Every Morning

I have been showering at night for the past few months because I like to wake up in the morning and slowly become conscious, rather than forcing the life out of myself under some water. My routine before actually getting ready has become Dog Out, Feed Dog, Make Coffee, Check Email, Blog Sometimes. Because my computer sits by a street-facing window, I have noticed some neighbors' routines as well.

• Howard goes for a walk between 6 and 6:04. He uses an old set of radio headphones, and I imagine him listening to a jitterbug station, if there is such a thing around here.
• Brunette lady walks her dogs. She has the black lab on a leash, and an old golden lab limps dutifully behind them, off leash. This makes me sad, because it makes me think about looking out the window some day and only seeing the lady with the black lab.
• The kid across the street warms up his car, even when it's not cold out. It is obnoxiously pimped out and loud and everyday I count down to 6:16, when he drives away and my windows stop rattling.

I wonder if there is another neighbor who notices me? 7:10: Girl throws heavy tote bag and self into car, drives off to hateful district, counts down days to summer vacation: 15.

*****

So the pool is finally filled. The filter is not running, all the cracks have been sealed, and yet we still lost about an inch of water between last night and this morning. What the eff is going on with this thing???