Jobs

It's been quite sometime since posting...obviously because although I've been tackling projects left and right....I've had NO time for pictures and posting. I'll catch up when little man sleeps!

I've been prepping for a kids' consignment sale because I'm unloading some clothes and shoes and it made me think how cool it would be to have my own consignment business. Obviously...it would be hard, but it would be a job I loved...which got me thinking about all the jobs I've had and how they shaped my Interests. So...here's a little (well, not so little) list of my past jobs and what I learned.

Job: Roadside produce seller

Lesson: I love selling things. 

Job: Food vendor

Lesson: I love waiting on people, and I hate maggots. 

Job: Deli girl

Lesson: reaching your hand up the butt of a raw chicken is really as bad as it seems...and, I still love selling food and waiting on people. 

Job: Kmart cashier/layaway girl/key maker 

Lesson: I have the patience of a saint for dealing with crazy ass customers

Job: Associate at Gap Outlet

Lesson: ok...I love clothes and ringing up purchases for people. I hate the fitting room. 

Job: Waitress at Holiday Inn

Lesson: I learned what a penny tip was all about and what work release is (not for me of course) 

Job: Victoria's Secret

Lesson: Free bras are cool, the shit you have to put up with to get them is not. 

Job: Waitress at Cracker Barrel

Lesson: being this was my longest stint at one job (11 years although not full time) you'd think I would have learned lots...all I can say is that I can deal with almost any customer complaint after that. 

Job: tutor for America Reads

Lesson: sad, sad, sad stories are far too common In education 

Job: associate at Giant

Lesson: if you quit before you start, you'll be on a do-not-hire list for 7 years and have nightmares about it long after the 7 years is up. 

Job: Radio personality 

Lesson: I don't think it counts if you read the 5 a.m. News and no one hears it! I'm not cutout for radio.

Job: Intern for local PBS station researching 

Lesson: I'm not good at being someone's assistant especially for FREE. 

Job: intern for newspaper

Lesson: it's really embarrassing when your first article is canned...but it gets better...way, way better. 

Job: intern for another newspaper

Lesson: you can actually work at a place and never feel like you belong.

Job: entertainment reporter

Lesson: this shit is cool, for about 2 weeks. Then, it just gets to be old hat. 

Job: Food reporter

Lesson: this shit is cool for about 2 years...then it feels like Groundhog Day. 

Job: Substitute teacher 

Lesson: something new every day is cool and the places you dread going the most is where you learn the most. 

Job: Real teacher 

Lesson: I'll write a book someday 

Job: mom

Lesson: it's amazing how I can feel more pretty and loved covered in baby spit up and stickers than I do when I actually shower, wear makeup and go out on the town. True story. 

On working....

In just three days, I will be headed back to work. Fortunately for me and my dear baby girl, it's only for a week before summer vacation, and daddy will be home to watch Ayla. I can already feel the guilt and regret. My favorite time with Ayla is the morning. I love going into her room to see her playing with her hands or feet and cooing softly just waiting for me. ME. She needs me. And, I love morning feeding time. Then we play on the floor, singing songs and reading books. These times I cherish so much. I know her dad will be wonderful with her, but she has to drink from a bottle which oddly bothers me the most. Nursing is a comfort for both of us and a time to bond.

I keep reminding myself that if we want to provide our children with a sprawling yard to play in and a larger house, I need to go back to work. And when August rolls around, Ayla will be older and needing to eat less often...so maybe it won't be so bad. I try to remember the positives of day care such as the socialization and stimulation from other babies her age. If all goes as planned, she will be in the same building I am in which may mean that I can even feed her myself if the schedules works out just so.

All I know is that I would have regrets and doubts with whatever decision I make, so it's probably best to just make one and be content with it. As a Mom, I realize I am going to have to make a lot of tough decisions and this is just the beginning.

It's official

I was offered a job for the rest of the school year! I am so excited. The best part about it is, I have a better shot at returning full-time next year, too. I will be teaching English learning support at York County School of Technology until June 3.
Apparently, I did a really great job in my first four weeks in the 12-week substitute position, enough to consider me for this position and one for next year. No more $95 a day!
I am so happy that I get to continue this teaching career and that it has been moving so fast for me. I really enjoy the kids and getting to know them and their learning styles!

My grammar is suffering

Since I left the newspaper 2 months ago, I can really feel my spelling and punctuation slipping. Actually, I can see it. I read my blogs and blush at the terrible mistakes I make. I spelled "by the way" "buy the way." YIKES!
When I teach, I write on the board a lot and find myself second guessing what I spell on the board. Just today I wrote affect and had to look at it twice before I knew I was right. I miss having the time to grab a dictionary and look it up before I spell it. I need to brush up on my old skills again.

Exhausted

I haven't felt true exhaustion in so long. I was always really responsible about getting to bed on time, getting enough sleep and making sure I wasn't overdoing it.
In the past few week, I have felt exhaustion like never before. I started with Friday, when I was in school during the day and at Cracker Barrel at night. I woke up at 6 a.m. and didn't fall asleep until 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning. I think I did OK catching up over the weekend, but come Monday, I was at overdoing it again. I woke up at 6 a.m. to attend the first solo day of a 12-week sub position dealing with emotional support kids. I left school at 3:20 p.m. and drove to Harrisburg where I studied for a quiz. Then, I went to class. I didn't return home until after 9 p.m., only to do it again the next day. Well, Tuesday after work, it caught up to me. I took a 30 minute nap. Wedensday I took a 2 hour nap. Thursday, I took a 2.5 hour nap. It's getting ridiculous. I go home, sit down and have no energy to get back up. Fortunately, I was able to pull myself out of the funk long enough to take a cycling class last night and walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes. It was invigorating. When debating whether to exercise or not, I always remind myself how alive I feel when I am through, but sometimes the bags under my eyes and the exhaustion in my bones keep me from even attempting.
The exhaustion doesn't look to be ending anytime soon. I have a short time after school today before I have to be back at Cracker Barrel, and I return on Saturday (the bills have to get paid and we have been spending a lot at Lowe's and Home Depot as of late.) Then Sunday looks like a day to run errands, catch up on cleaning and return phone calls. Monday is a holiday, but I still have to go to class.
I am hoping to find a cure for this exhaustion and get back to the crafty, decorating girl I was before I took this 12-week sub gig. Who knew a dozen teenagers could wipe a girl flat on her back?

Peanut butter and Jelly and leftovers

Wow. I never imagined being so busy that I wouldn't even have time to make a decent meal. Even I can throw together something in 10 minutes. But yesterday, I went from teaching to Harrisburg to get a good parking space and study for a quiz, then right to class. I was gone from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. I lived on granola bars and peanut butter and jelly. Today, I am eating a mixture of leftover pork barbecue (the store bought kind) and instant mashed potatoes. This can't be good for fitting into the dress for Amy's wedding. But I am constantly on the move. I like it, don't get me wrong, but it's taking a little getting used to. I am teaching mitosis, miosis and acceleration and the makeup of solutions. It's actually fun to try to get this kids to understand this complicated stuff. And they understand when I have to go over something that I don't know.
I won't see Nate until Saturday morning. That is crazy. He is on night work and I am going to bed early so I can function when I arrive at 7:30 a.m. to gather together my lessons.
I am hoping after a refeshing weekend, that I can pull myself back together and get into a good routine. Now, I just have to make it through the next few days.

Work update

I have to say I expected to be a day-to-day substitute through the end of the school year. Of course, I hoped for somthing more concrete. I had a crazy phone call about two weeks ago, only two weeks into my subtitute teaching career. It was emotional supprt supervisor at York County School of Technology. She said the IU said I was available to substitite and she wanted to interview me!
I called her back, just to see what this was all about. After a little here and there, I am commited to fill in for the emotional support science teacher at YCST through the middle of May. I am excited, scared and happy all at one time. I will probably miss the day-to-day excitment of not knowing where to go. And even though I complain about random days off with no pay, I may miss them. Then again, I am happy to know that I am going to the same school and working with the same kids every day. I also know this is a great move for me and a step toward a full-time position in the fall, which is what I have been hoping for.
I am not really worried about the content. In the last month or so of subbing I have successfully covered many subject areas with no problems. It's the interactions with the students that I worry about. I hope I can help them and work with them without too many outbursts or tantrums.
Students always surprise me. Just when I thought high school subbing was the last thing I wanted to do, I had a super easy day Monday. And the best thing I heard all day was a senior boy who said, ""Our sub is hot." That doesn't hurt a gal's self esteem at all, does it?

My first night at Cracker Barrel

Last night was my first night at Cracker Barrel in Shrewsbury. Thanks to the weather, I made $14 from 5 to 9 p.m. Pathetic, yes. But for once, I was actually OK with it being slow. It gave me a chance to get acquainted with my new co-workers and learn that they keep straws and sugar in different places and sort the dirty dishes in a unique way.
And of the three tables I waited on, I actually knew one of the couples. And, one of the other waitresses met me when I was doing the Shawna Weil story. She is the mother of Shawna's best friend.
I realized that my time at the York Daily Record introduced me to SO many people in the community. And, I really can't hide!