I have thought about many different things to write about in the last few weeks and per usual, I have forgotten all of these things as I sit in front of my computer. I have a little moleskin that I really should employ more often. I guess the trickier matter is having a pen at hand...
The weather has begun to turn slightly cooler. Today was the first humid, sticky day in a while, and I think tonight it is supposed to become cooler and drier again. I would like that, but I have been able to sleep with my balcony door open every night and wake up not sweating...so! ... this is a good thing. Any time I can not turn on the air conditioning, I am happy.
I am also sick. Sick sick sick. Something has been going around with the kids at work and I guess I'm bound to get it too if I'm asking people to blow their nose, more or less, into my hand several times a day. Being sick and being alone isn't fun. BUT!! The reason I am alone is good. Allison's older sister just had her second baby last week!! Congratulations to them! He is happy and healthy and named Rowan. I can't say that I'm not looking forward to Allison coming home tomorrow though. I even cleaned the kitchen floor. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.
My ESL classes have been going well, but I left lesson plans and home baked cookies with someone else tonight to teach my class. My voice sounds mannish and smoker-y (I don't smoke) and so...you know, it's important to have a nice sounding voice if you're teaching someone a language. I think they will be in good hands. I am kind of disappointed to miss tonight's lesson though because it is all about food. Damn. Anyway, each class I've had between four and eight students from Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua. Pretty fun crew. I think they think I'm just a crazy gringa. I guess that's pretty true.
So besides all the childrens being ill, work has been pretty fun. I took Penelope and Maelene to Audubon Zoo last week. We saw elephants and flamingos and monkeys and gorillas and white tigers and found a pink binky on the ground, but then put it back on the ground and rode the carousel and learned how to spell zoo and passed out in the car (not me, I was driving) and ate gelato and just had a lovely time. I learned to appreciate fold down changing tables in the women's rest room and had some conversation with a grandma about sunglasses on kids. All in all...a good experience. I did sort of feel compelled to talk loudly about bringing them back to their mothers though. I guess if they did anything really naughty (which they didn't) I didn't want people thinking they came out of me. ha! It sorta felt like rent-a-kid.
I'm going to be a ninja for Halloween. Ex-ci-TED! I'm gonna karate chop the crap out of people. I'm going to have no friends by the end of the night....ANYHOO, totally worth it.
I'll try to write down funny things that happen so I can relate them back to y'all. Most of the stuff I can think of right now that has made me laugh super hard in the past two weeks has been kid-poop related. Gross, right?
06 October 2008
21 September 2008
Sunday Night
I am excited. Tomorrow is the first day of Fall. I think Fall is the best season, hands down. And October is the best month.
Tomorrow I also start teaching an adult ESL course through the Hispanic Apostolate-Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. I went to volunteer orientation all of Saturday and it was interesting and kind of scary. I know that I want to do this because I really value the chance I've had to work on acquiring a second language, HOWEVER! when theory becomes practice and I actually have to stand in front of adults and teach them English, it gets scary. We've been provided books and rough ideas for what to do each class, but lesson plans and creativity are up to me and I guess I'm feeling concerned for my students. The good thing about this program is that it is incredibly interactive between the volunteer teachers, tutors, etc etc, and we can bounce ideas off one another. I guess...I just, you know... public speaking...people depending on you...responsibility...scary.
These past couple of weeks have been strange. We're lucky nothing really happened with Gustav or Ike but adjusting after evacuating and screwed up schedules and pay checks and whatever else goes along with stopping real life for a week has kind of been miserable. Or well, I don't know, maybe I shouldn't use a word as strong as miserable, but it has been unpleasant. I've written about my love of routine before and so I think I don't really have to expand on the topic. I'm just looking forward to things feeling "normal" again. Or something like normal. It's funny to wake up and go to sleep and remember that this is "LIFE" and this is what it means to be "grown up" and it's weird because it's one of those things that you don't ever think is going to happen. And then it does, and your constantly reminding yourself that it is and you have to enjoy it. And do things. And live "life". And really consider phrases like "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
And I guess further on this, I've been realizing that all these past twenty-two years, when I didn't do something, someone else had to. And the only person you're truly accountable toward is yourself. And when you don't do these things (normal day-to-day things like eating healthy and changing your sheets), you're really hurting yourself. And I'm glad I'm learning this because I guess that's what it means to be responsible. AND ANYWAY! This blog went in a direction I wasn't expecting, but I guess that's the way it is. I'm going to work on my lesson plan for tomorrow now. I sure hope my students appreciate a sense of humor.
Tomorrow I also start teaching an adult ESL course through the Hispanic Apostolate-Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans. I went to volunteer orientation all of Saturday and it was interesting and kind of scary. I know that I want to do this because I really value the chance I've had to work on acquiring a second language, HOWEVER! when theory becomes practice and I actually have to stand in front of adults and teach them English, it gets scary. We've been provided books and rough ideas for what to do each class, but lesson plans and creativity are up to me and I guess I'm feeling concerned for my students. The good thing about this program is that it is incredibly interactive between the volunteer teachers, tutors, etc etc, and we can bounce ideas off one another. I guess...I just, you know... public speaking...people depending on you...responsibility...scary.
These past couple of weeks have been strange. We're lucky nothing really happened with Gustav or Ike but adjusting after evacuating and screwed up schedules and pay checks and whatever else goes along with stopping real life for a week has kind of been miserable. Or well, I don't know, maybe I shouldn't use a word as strong as miserable, but it has been unpleasant. I've written about my love of routine before and so I think I don't really have to expand on the topic. I'm just looking forward to things feeling "normal" again. Or something like normal. It's funny to wake up and go to sleep and remember that this is "LIFE" and this is what it means to be "grown up" and it's weird because it's one of those things that you don't ever think is going to happen. And then it does, and your constantly reminding yourself that it is and you have to enjoy it. And do things. And live "life". And really consider phrases like "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
And I guess further on this, I've been realizing that all these past twenty-two years, when I didn't do something, someone else had to. And the only person you're truly accountable toward is yourself. And when you don't do these things (normal day-to-day things like eating healthy and changing your sheets), you're really hurting yourself. And I'm glad I'm learning this because I guess that's what it means to be responsible. AND ANYWAY! This blog went in a direction I wasn't expecting, but I guess that's the way it is. I'm going to work on my lesson plan for tomorrow now. I sure hope my students appreciate a sense of humor.
06 September 2008
Back in New Orleans
yeeHAW! Back home to sweet, sweet lady NOLA. Very strange, but very good. Just as we pulled off of I-10 and onto S. Carrollton, I could already smell the vomit. MMM! Smells like home....
SO! Here's the report: There are police, EVERYWHERE. I've never seen more blue lights in my entire life. There was actually a hummer parked down the street from our house with a national guardsman and a gun sticking out the top. So I guess that's good??? There are branches and bits of trees lining the streets and boards still cover many windows and doors. The huge hibiscus plant that was in our front yard got pretty messed up and had to be cut down. Also, somehow... during the storm a pigeon got inside of our house!!! There is bird shit EVERYWHERE. On the kitchen counter...on the couch...on the stairs. Kind of disgusting. BUT! Really...if this is the worst we got from Gustav, I'll take it.
ANYWAY, now we just have to clean up the poop and sort of clean up the house. We left in a bit of a hurry. And Lana is here visiting from Alaska! I feel bad that it was such terrible timing... but I think we'll be able to make some fun anyway.
So that's all. I'm alive and well. I don't know when I'll have to go back to work, but I imagine it'll be Monday. Power is mostly on, at least in our neighborhood, but not everywhere in the city. A lot of street lights are out. I don't know. It's weird. But okay...bye.
SO! Here's the report: There are police, EVERYWHERE. I've never seen more blue lights in my entire life. There was actually a hummer parked down the street from our house with a national guardsman and a gun sticking out the top. So I guess that's good??? There are branches and bits of trees lining the streets and boards still cover many windows and doors. The huge hibiscus plant that was in our front yard got pretty messed up and had to be cut down. Also, somehow... during the storm a pigeon got inside of our house!!! There is bird shit EVERYWHERE. On the kitchen counter...on the couch...on the stairs. Kind of disgusting. BUT! Really...if this is the worst we got from Gustav, I'll take it.
ANYWAY, now we just have to clean up the poop and sort of clean up the house. We left in a bit of a hurry. And Lana is here visiting from Alaska! I feel bad that it was such terrible timing... but I think we'll be able to make some fun anyway.
So that's all. I'm alive and well. I don't know when I'll have to go back to work, but I imagine it'll be Monday. Power is mostly on, at least in our neighborhood, but not everywhere in the city. A lot of street lights are out. I don't know. It's weird. But okay...bye.
02 September 2008
Sunny, hot
I'm in Austin, still, and that's okay. It's hot and sunny and everything Austin is supposed to be in the summertime. Things don't really start to become any kind of cool until the end of October...and even then, it's iffy.
The first thing I do when I wake up is check the news. It's good to know the storm is passed without major catastrophe for New Orleans. We don't know what's happened to our house, but I can't imagine it is anything terrible. I'm not sighing with relief yet, but I'm certainly feeling a lot less "dooms day"-ish. I hate how influenced by media scare tactics I can be. But, to be fair to myself (which I like to try to be) I've never experienced anything like an evacuation before and it's not a normal thing to have to do.
This last thought being said, I continue to struggle with my feelings. I obviously can't take the situation lightly, however! considering my minimal investments in the city (time wise and "property" wise) I feel less justified in my feelings of ... well, anything. I'm having a hard time putting this into words. I guess, mostly, I just think I shouldn't be so "dramatic" about it all because I wouldn't really be losing anything had something happened. My home isn't New Orleans. I'm not living in a hotel right now. I'm not being TRULY displaced. I'm just having to go home to Mom and Dad. Wah wah, boo hoo. See what I mean? Maybe not. I haven't said anything.
ANYWAY, I'm in Austin with nothing to do, not so much with where to go. I took my laundry basket out of the trunk of my car this morning and a gecko came out. Mixed feelings: I saved a gecko from a hurricane! and disgusting...there was a gecko in my f'ing sheets. I've been spending a good amount of time with my family, which is welcome. You forget how funny your family is when you only talk on the phone. Mom made a ton of food on Saturday night for the Texas Football game. This she does always and as always it was delicious and too much. I had to bring a bag of cookies and brownies over to Jon and Tyler's the next day to deal with the excess. I also haven't been eating so vegan in the past couple of days. Kind of hard to not eat what Mom puts in front of you.......
SO that's it. I'm just trying to think of things to do. New Orleans didn't seem so small until coming back here. From my sisters' house it's hard to go anywhere without having to get on a high way. The streets are smoother, though...and people sort of use more turn signals. ANYWAY, I'm going to go pretend I have something important to do.
K.I.T.
The first thing I do when I wake up is check the news. It's good to know the storm is passed without major catastrophe for New Orleans. We don't know what's happened to our house, but I can't imagine it is anything terrible. I'm not sighing with relief yet, but I'm certainly feeling a lot less "dooms day"-ish. I hate how influenced by media scare tactics I can be. But, to be fair to myself (which I like to try to be) I've never experienced anything like an evacuation before and it's not a normal thing to have to do.
This last thought being said, I continue to struggle with my feelings. I obviously can't take the situation lightly, however! considering my minimal investments in the city (time wise and "property" wise) I feel less justified in my feelings of ... well, anything. I'm having a hard time putting this into words. I guess, mostly, I just think I shouldn't be so "dramatic" about it all because I wouldn't really be losing anything had something happened. My home isn't New Orleans. I'm not living in a hotel right now. I'm not being TRULY displaced. I'm just having to go home to Mom and Dad. Wah wah, boo hoo. See what I mean? Maybe not. I haven't said anything.
ANYWAY, I'm in Austin with nothing to do, not so much with where to go. I took my laundry basket out of the trunk of my car this morning and a gecko came out. Mixed feelings: I saved a gecko from a hurricane! and disgusting...there was a gecko in my f'ing sheets. I've been spending a good amount of time with my family, which is welcome. You forget how funny your family is when you only talk on the phone. Mom made a ton of food on Saturday night for the Texas Football game. This she does always and as always it was delicious and too much. I had to bring a bag of cookies and brownies over to Jon and Tyler's the next day to deal with the excess. I also haven't been eating so vegan in the past couple of days. Kind of hard to not eat what Mom puts in front of you.......
SO that's it. I'm just trying to think of things to do. New Orleans didn't seem so small until coming back here. From my sisters' house it's hard to go anywhere without having to get on a high way. The streets are smoother, though...and people sort of use more turn signals. ANYWAY, I'm going to go pretend I have something important to do.
K.I.T.
31 August 2008
Nervous
(from nola.com)No worries, I'm not in New Orleans.
This is upsetting, to say the least. I've only been in the city barely 2 months and already I can't imagine not going back. It feels strange to be gone. I liked the way my life was going. I had plans. I can't even begin to fathom what it must be like for people who are from New Orleans. People who have real investments in that town. I can't fathom a lot of things.
We left (Allison and I) on Friday around one o'clock in the afternoon. I didn't think to pack really anything. In fact, I couldn't even find my keys. Luckily I had a spare car key, but I guess my other keys are going to be floating around somewhere....Let's hope not. But I suppose losing a set of keys is better than just about anything else you could lose. We saw caravan after caravan of buses on I-10 East, headed toward the city to evacuate people. It was surreal.
So I'm nervous. And I'm praying. And I hope you are too. This isn't looking good.
23 August 2008
Saturday
Whenever I begin to write an entry I feel it essential to say a greeting salutation. "Hi"
So Hurricane/Tropical storm... something, Fay, is coming! Not worried but it is starting to get a bit windy outside. Maybe it'll cool down some too. I'd like that. This city is too hot and steamy. Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in a port-a-potty. Is that how that's spelled? You know what I'm talking about, right?
Work has improved vastly. I work from 9-5 now, which I've always wanted so that when I listen to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" I can really feel like she is singing about my life. I DO stumble out of bed and tumble to the kitchen...you know, to pour myself a cup of ambition. MAN, I love Dolly.
I've said this to every single person I know, but if I don't regularly talk to you I haven't, so, listen. The best part about this job is that I have become much less self conscious. It's really nice. I've also sort of become amazing. Yesterday I got a potty training one and a half year old successfully on the toilet with an infant strapped to my chest. I then got her to flush the toilet, wash her hands, get the paper towel in the trash AND back into a diaper. I'm getting so much practice for parenthood. I'm also experiencing the best birth control of my entire life. God help me not to have kids until I'm at least thirty.
Don't forget to write.
xoxo,
Annie
So Hurricane/Tropical storm... something, Fay, is coming! Not worried but it is starting to get a bit windy outside. Maybe it'll cool down some too. I'd like that. This city is too hot and steamy. Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in a port-a-potty. Is that how that's spelled? You know what I'm talking about, right?
Work has improved vastly. I work from 9-5 now, which I've always wanted so that when I listen to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" I can really feel like she is singing about my life. I DO stumble out of bed and tumble to the kitchen...you know, to pour myself a cup of ambition. MAN, I love Dolly.
I've said this to every single person I know, but if I don't regularly talk to you I haven't, so, listen. The best part about this job is that I have become much less self conscious. It's really nice. I've also sort of become amazing. Yesterday I got a potty training one and a half year old successfully on the toilet with an infant strapped to my chest. I then got her to flush the toilet, wash her hands, get the paper towel in the trash AND back into a diaper. I'm getting so much practice for parenthood. I'm also experiencing the best birth control of my entire life. God help me not to have kids until I'm at least thirty.
Don't forget to write.
xoxo,
Annie
11 August 2008
Long time no write
How it do, friends & family? I'm sitting in my room in good ol' New Orleans, watching the rain through my balcony door. Sometimes the rain days are better than the sun days. Today was better than most.
I got a full night's rest after a weekend at the beach in Alabama. I could write page upon page of my criticisms about Alabama/Mississippi/the South in general, but I won't, because I don't feel the need to be political. That's one thing I feel like I should be but I'm not. I just don't like talking politics. It's rude, right? Regardless of the many backwards things there, the beach was nice and I only got a little sunburned and it's because I neglected to put sunscreen on my upper left thigh. My bad. You know, I do have one (more than one if I think hard) really nice thing to say about Alabama- they have a lot of great farmers markets. I wanted to stop so badly, but we were crunched for time and I had no cash on me....but I bet those peaches are delicious. What a pie I could make...
Speaking of, I've been slacking off on my baking these days. I was on a roll, starting at the end of June, when I would make at least one baked treat a week. After my birthday, and the bag of peanut butter cookies that just couldn't get eaten, I stopped. Maybe I'll make something this week. It is only Monday.
Work improves daily. The kids and I are becoming more comfortable with one another and learning each other's likes and dislikes. Communication is key.
So I still don't have pictures of our place...because I haven't taken any. But I will! I'll wait until there is no rain. Fingers crossed. Be good and stay sweet.
I got a full night's rest after a weekend at the beach in Alabama. I could write page upon page of my criticisms about Alabama/Mississippi/the South in general, but I won't, because I don't feel the need to be political. That's one thing I feel like I should be but I'm not. I just don't like talking politics. It's rude, right? Regardless of the many backwards things there, the beach was nice and I only got a little sunburned and it's because I neglected to put sunscreen on my upper left thigh. My bad. You know, I do have one (more than one if I think hard) really nice thing to say about Alabama- they have a lot of great farmers markets. I wanted to stop so badly, but we were crunched for time and I had no cash on me....but I bet those peaches are delicious. What a pie I could make...
Speaking of, I've been slacking off on my baking these days. I was on a roll, starting at the end of June, when I would make at least one baked treat a week. After my birthday, and the bag of peanut butter cookies that just couldn't get eaten, I stopped. Maybe I'll make something this week. It is only Monday.
Work improves daily. The kids and I are becoming more comfortable with one another and learning each other's likes and dislikes. Communication is key.
So I still don't have pictures of our place...because I haven't taken any. But I will! I'll wait until there is no rain. Fingers crossed. Be good and stay sweet.
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