Ok. I got a box of Popsicle brand "Shakers" popsicles. They're strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate milkshake flavoured, pretty tasty. The only downside is that if you bite it, it's kind of dry, so it's better to take your time. So I'm doing this, with the strawberry, and, well, just look what happened.
Dirty dirty popsicle
Nice eh?

In other news, I found out that the 100 things theme is actually a webring, so join up if you have that on your site, and do it and then join up if you don't have it yet.

I think I'm all ready for school, I made a colour wheel poster that turned out pretty well, and organized my tables a bit better. I'm just hoping I can fit everyone in my 9 and 10 classes in the one room, without having too many people at one table, since they'll need room for paper etc. I'm still a bit nervous, but Tuesday is going to be so fast that we won't really have time to do much anyway. I'm getting my students to fill out an info/interest sheet, and I'll probably just talk to them for a bit about what we're going to do etc. I've figured out how I'm going to work the art history/non-studio aspect into my courses, which makes me pretty happy. I wasn't really sure how I was going to do it since I don't have a lot of slides and stuff, but hopefully my plan will work. I'm going to get them to do weekly critiques of art pieces, either in the room, in books, or at the gallery if they can make it out. I'll teach the 9s some theory and test them on that, but the rest of the classes should already have that so I don't need to pound it in to them.

Happy, feeling good.
Chapman's brand Super Fudges are the best ice cream treat in the world, I'm fairly sure. And they're low fat.
Ben & Jerry's 'half baked' is the best ice cream.

This is my new blogchalk:
Canada, Riverview, New Brunswick, English, Sarah, Female, 21-25, photography, movies. :)

oooOOOOooooohh, I bought a proper teacher lesson planning book. It's red. V. spiff.
Just remembered I have to print off my surveys for classes, as one of the reasons I'm going to school is so I can photocopy those bad boys. I also want to make a colour poster, with a colour wheel and examples of hue, tone, and saturation. It's fun being in the art room, you can just make the stuff you didn't buy! I was sorting through the pastels today, I got myself some baskets at Dollarama, and there are a disproportionate number of pink pastels. I'm not sure why. I will design some sort of bonus project involving pink pastels, brown paint, and red yarn. And glue. It'll be beautiful. I'm not finalizing my outlines for the term until after I meet the kids and get their interest sheets back. I'll probably end up doing what I am planning anyway, but just in case they all really want to do something that I didn't think of and can afford, I want to leave it open for now.

I made my big art order yesterday, and I think I have enough left to do something fun, but I'll have to wait and see. I have no idea how much it costs to buy clay. One of the teachers knows how to use the kiln, so that's a big bonus, since I have no idea. 3 of us who live in Riverview are going to start carpooling to school, so I'll only be driving 1/3 of the time, which is very nice. I made signs for the fire exit and class rules, and plan to make a colour wheel poster tomorrow. I hadn't planned on going in at all tomorrow, but I got stuck in meetings for all but an hour today, so it left me no prep time. I should only be a couple of hours tomorrow though, I just want to be sure I've got everything organized the way I want it, the class setup etc, and photocopy my info/interests sheets for my classes. The first day we only have 50 minute classes and an assembly, so I won't have time to do much anyway. That's good though, I can't freak out too badly.
I'm starvin marvin, I'm not sure why, I actually ate breakfast and lunch today. Very odd. I'm going to go eat something though.
I warn you, I'll probably be talking pretty much exclusively about school for like, a month. Not much going on really...deal with it!

Ok. So yesterday was boring meeting stuff, but I did get to meet the teacher whose job I'm taking over, and got to see what he's done already. I have some ideas now, but am still planning on sticking to my own stuff mostly as well. I did spend some of yesterday's speaker time brainstorming things to do, so I think I'll be set. I do have to make an order, which I will do soon, I'm going to check out the supplier catalogues tonight and put something together. I'm not going to order a *lot* of stuff, just some paint and paper for now. I have to go out again and buy some containers for pastels, they're all in a jumbly mess but I do have a good supply for at least first term.
Today I repainted the door, and am pleased with that. I did some more cleaning and found a box of goggles, some tile for carving and printmaking, and a whack of pastels in the sink. Wet. Why, why would you put pastels in the sink? I'm assuming it was students, but it's still odd. We have a waterfowl park very close to the school, so I'm thinking of some landscape sketching.
I don't have anything to report that's not school related, and I can see this getting pretty boring for most of you, so I'll quit now. Tomorrow is staff meeting for the morning and personal prep time for the afternoon, Thursday is a meeting for new teachers, and Friday is optional as to whether or not we want to go in. I've met some very nice people already, 3 of whom are from Moncton/Riverview, so that's terrific. There are several new teachers, so I'm not alone, which is also nice.
Going to look at art supplies!

New pictures!
Mort and George
the regular classroom area of my 'space' Not conducive to creativity in here I'm afraid, but I can spruce it up a bit and maybe just show slides etc in here.
the large, studio area of my class This is great, I found a stash of art desks that I will switch for these ugly tables, and I plan to set up a big still life arrangement in the middle.
Very bare, no? I have some nice posters to put up, and I'm going to repaint the door. Right now it's blue with ART written in big block letters in red. Nice that they made the effort to paint it, but wow, could we have gotten just a smidge creative with that? I plan to, and I want to do it before my students come back. But again, I'm still not freaking out. hehe...it'll come, I'm sure of it.

Wow, I'm boring. Left to my own devices, I'll really just sit around and do nothing. Perhaps get some fast food. I'm going to be in trouble when Grant leaves, I'll just be a deathly bored fat person wallowing in my own...boringness.

I have been trying to put together a plan for the year, but I have to wait and see what I can get for supplies before I can get into really detailed planning. I did meet with my art teacher from high school, and he was pretty helpful, he gave me copies of his course outlines from last year and some ideas on ways to do art history with minimal (read: no) resources like slides and ... a really thorough knowledge to be quite honest. Where we'll be near a gallery, I can get my 11/12s to go 2-3 times in the term and write reviews of the shows, perhaps research one artist they're interested in. I have some fun ideas for projects too, that won't take a lot of resources. I'd like to do some sculpture, I'm hoping plaster of Paris turns out to be not terribly expensive and maybe we can do carvings. I can get them to practise on cheap bars of soap or styrofoam blocks too, so we don't end up wasting too much stuff. I'm looking forward to it, and I'm not terribly worried, which is in itself kind of worrisome. I'm just going to use what I have. I plan to make up rough outlines tonight or tomorrow, I'm meeting Mr Brooks again Monday to make up an order, so it'd be nice if I knew what I would need before then. I'm assuming I can go to Kent to buy wood and stuff and get reimbursed, rather than ordering stuff, but I'll find out for sure.

Anyway, I've been away neglecting my poor kitties all day, so I'm going to go give them some lovin'.

I'm still really getting used to this being employed thing. I think I need to go out and buy some stuff without feeling guilty to really let it sink in, lol. I'm a bit nervous though; I have pottery wheels and kilns that I don't really know how to use, and I can't find the light switch in the darkroom. I'll have to do a refresher course on photography, not the taking but the developing. I'm trying to get in touch with my high school art teacher, who I've done some supply work for, to see if he can help me out. He must have handouts for his photography unit, I know he does one, so that'll be super handy. I also need to know what the kids need to be taught as far as art history. The curriculum doesn't have specific outcomes, just really generic ones like "leadership" and "problem solving", which are good, but don't really tell me how much Picasso the kids need to learn about.
I think I'll head down to the school again today to try to set up a bit more and get comfortable in my space, maybe decorate a bit with my sweet-ass new art posters. For now, I'm going to make some breakfast.
If anyone does know anything about kilns, please let me know where I can get info!

So I have a job. A real one, at that. I'm so excited, but incredibly relieved and sort of tired at the same time...it's such a load off. I'm going to be teaching art to grades 9-12. I'm going in tomorrow to see the school, my room, get keys etc. Apparently I have a kiln and a darkroom, so I'm pretty darn excited. My man at the district loaded me up with posters, paper, overheads, lesson books etc, so I'm stoked, and I'll get to get some new supplies too. I don't know if there's an art fee for the students, I'm pretty sure we had one when I was in HS, that helped pay for some stuff too. I'm in Sackville too, which is a super art community, so hopefully I'll have some good support that way. I'm going to call my art teacher from HS who I did some supply work for last year and see if he has any advice for me, or plans or something.
anyway, I've been on the phone since I got home at 3:30, and I still haven't gotten a hold of my mom, silly woman. Anyway, I'm going to take Grant and I out for supper to celebrate, but I just had to share in case I didn't call anyone already to tell them!
*big fat sigh of relief*

Just got back from the cottage with my dad. Weather was perfect, tide was high, save for perhaps a dog or 2, there's not much more I could have asked for. We got new-to-us furniture today, a loveseat/sofabed and la-z-boy chair that is deadly comfortable. I'm just trying to arrange stuff now so it looks nice. If I knew anything about feng shui I'd probably try to pull some of that off, but I don't. All I know is that you're not supposed to have your back to the door, it's bad for your chi or something, so I'll do that.
Tomorrow, Tirésa and I have an instutute, my last, on advice for beginning teachers from beginning teachers. I figure even if I don't have a job just yet, I will at some point and thus this will be useful. It's a 2-day one, so I'm going to go and see, my only concern is that everyone else will be like, "whee, I have a job! I'm so excited!" and asking things that may not be generally relevant but more specific. It's not so much about being jealous of the people with jobs (esp since I've found out that the people who got jobs I interviewed for were rediculously more qualified), it's more that I just don't know if it'll be useful for me right now. If it's like that, or just crappy, then I just won't go back for day 2. I'm hopeful though.
I have a meeting on Tuesday with a guy at district office who up to this point has been very kind, helpful, and honest with me. I'm just hoping to sort of chat and see if there's really nothing else I can be doing, without becoming annoying. I'm fairly sure there isn't anything, but it's worth checking out. There are also a couple of more jobs that I'm interested in, so I'll see what's going on with them. I'm still upset of course, at the unemployment situation, but as my mom said, I have a pretty good track record of things working out for me, so even if this particular thing is taking a bit longer than I'd like, chances are it will work out soon-ish. I'm not going to tell anyone about interviews anymore though, it's too hard to be let down and then to have to tell everyone else too.
Wow, I think that's probably enough. I'm going to move the futon over to the "reading area" of the apartment, even though it matches really well with the curtains where it is, and move the new couch over to the window. Exciting, no? Once I get everything settled, soon I hope, I'll take some pics and show off a bit. ;)

Another one bites the dust.
(warning, venting to follow)
I'm going to call the district tomorrow and try to talk to someone I know there, because I'm being told that there's nothing more I can do to get a job, that my presentation is really good, I'm not doing anything wrong, but there is always someone more qualified who gets the position. So, my question remains, why are they interviewing me? I have very little interest in doing an interview for a job I cannot get. And if there is somebody more qualified, unless they like, urinate on one of the interviewers, chances are they're going to get the position. I keep getting told not to get discouraged, not to give up, that my time will come, blah blah, but I'm finding it impossible to keep up hope when I really don't feel that I have had a chance at any of the jobs I'm being interviewed for. Interviews are good regardless, to a point. But I'm to the point now where it doesn't even make sense to interview me any more, I think everyone who does hiring at the district has interviewed me at least once, and I don't need any more practise to work on my presentation. I'm pretty fed up. I made a decision to stay here, moved into a new place, and am trying to make it work, but it's proving pretty difficult. I'm not ready to try again for jobs elsewhere, it's not in me to move again, especially for the things being offered in other districts, which are just long term supplies. Better than nothing, yes, but worth packing up and leaving? Harder to say. I also was led to believe that I would have at least one more interview, that I would hear about this week, but I did not, obviously. So I have to see about that.
For now though, I have to go to bed.

Hey, I was just watching Blind Date and Toni, who just got kicked off Paradise Hotel (she scared me anyway, honestly, did you see the size of her arms? and boobs?), was on that show one time. weird eh? It was just a preview of the episode, but she sure didn't look like she was having fun. Neither did her date though.
I had a pretty productive day, I cleaned / deodorized the carpet because the room had a funny smell and I couldn't think where else it was coming from. I hung my new, very pretty tab curtains, I'll take pictures tomorrow when it's bright again. I got thick, cream coloured ones for the 2 bigger front windows and cranberry ones for the smaller side windows. Completely by accident, they match the futon perfectly, so I think I'll leave the futon where it is under the window for now, to show off my interior decorating prowess. I also worked on my presentation for my interview on Thursday, although it's pretty much done, since I've done so many interviews already and been told that my presentation is very good, quite professional etc. I've made more slides, and will make overheads as well since when Tirésa went to her interview, the computer wouldn't read her disk or cd. I've never had a problem, but better safe than sorry I guess! Anyway, because I've been working so hard today, I'm going to go chill out and watch some tv.

My newest pet! hahaha...ew... He lives outside my window. I will call him Harry.

ok, I'm watching the funniest mini-movie thing right now. It's called "Zen and the Art of Landscaping". I'll do a brief synopsis for you all.
Zen is the lanscaper. Wife comes home to swanky house he is landscaping and seduces him. They are interrupted by her son coming home. He tells Mom that Zen used to beat him up in high school. Then Dad comes home, figures out what was going on. Threatens to beat up Zen, egged on by the son, Andy. Parents get mad at Andy for coming home unannounced, and ask him what was so important he had to come home instead of call. He says "I'm gay.". To prove it, he kisses Zen. The dad then asks if Zen is screwing his son as well as his wife. For no good reason, Dad tells Andy that he's adopted. This is news to Andy. Dad further explains that this is because the wife didn't want to have kids as it would ruin her girlish figure. Wife confronts husband about his having an affair, and it turns out to be with Zen's girlfriend.
Just funny, and confusing, so I thought I'd share.

Because I'm a super genius, I just figured out that I can use the BlogThis!/Google toolbar to blog anything, not just the website address I'm currently visiting. I am a pretty smart person, I just don't think of things all the time. I was realizing too, that if I misplace something, I rarely find it by looking. I just have to think on it for a day, then I'll realize exactly where I've put it. Very strange. I still haven't unpacked, it's really sad. There is just this part of the apartment that's full of stuff, boxes...not even a lot of stuff, but enough that I just sort of pretend it's not there. I have not much else to do today though, so I'll probably tackle it soon. I want to get curtains, and may go look, but 3 of the 5 windows are *huge* and thus expensive to cover. They're covered by ugly mini blinds right now though, so I want to do something nicer. I'll go for neutral colours I think, because I'm pretty sure, but not positive what colours I'm going to be painting in here.
Plus, if I clean up, where will he sleep?

Yes. the other institute was better, not that the grief one was bad, but it was just sad and thus not enjoyable. The sex one was enlightening in that I learned some things and got some ideas, but also in the jaw-dropping lack of knowledge that exists in the general population of teachers.
I have to eat something, because I've been drinking a bit the past couple of days and it caught up with me this morning. For me, drinking a bit is really only a bit, it's just that I do it so rarely that 3-4 Mike's Hard is really quite significant to my poor brain!
The cats are awfully glad to have me home, poor guys, we haven't been home for more than a day or 2 since we moved, so I'm not going anywhere for a while now I think. Plus I'm tired of living out of a bag, it doesn't take me long to get to that point.
Not much to report, it was warm but rainy at the cottage for the time we were there, but enjoyable regardless, of course.
Oh, right, Wednesday night we went to see Bad Boys II, and it was really really good. Very funny for the most part, but with very good action throughout, and just a touch of a love story strung through. Mostly funny though. Go see it.

went to an institute today on helping children deal with grief and loss. Part of the technique we learned was to have the child write a letter to the person they have lost, apologizing for things they didn't get to apologize for, forgiving for things, saying what was left unsaid, etc. Then he read us a letter written by a 14 year old girl to her dog, who had died recently after having been sick for a while. I was *weeping* after the first paragraph. Shoulder shaking, nose running, doing my best not to make too much noise. It was all things like her happiest and saddest memories of him, things she was sorry for like stepping on his tail, forgetting to feed him one time and he got into the garbage and then got in trouble for getting into the garbage. I've been really emotional for the past couple of weeks, but this was just too much. The presenter gave us a break afterward, which was very necessary, since I definitely wasn't the only one crying.
anyway, I have to go to bed, I have to call around tomorrow and beg for a job, and I'm just tired. Still getting used to sleeping in the new apartment and got up early this am to drive here.

well the unpacking is coming along, a bit slowly but all the important things are where they belong. We're getting a sofa bed and a lazyboy chair, I'm pretty exicted about that. 2nd hand, of course, but apparently in very good shape so it'll be cool. I'm going to make a little "quiet area" with all the extra room in this place, with the futon and a desk, facing the fish tank. It will also be good if Tirésa comes to stay with me, instead of having to sleep in the middle of the living room.
anyway, not much going on here, really just concentrating on getting moved in, but I've got my books all put away, most of the clothes and all of the kitchen is organized, including some spiffy new oven mitts from WalMart ($0.80, nice). I'm heading up to Fredericton for 2 institutes on grief and attitudes toward sexuality, both of which I'm looking forward to, should be interesting. We might head to the cottage but I'll be back on Saturday either way.
going to head to bed since I have to get up early.

ok, first, this is the view out my window at the new place. Not too shabby eh? I don't have much new to report, sadly, but I wanted to post that and say that I just posted the "home" pic for 26 things, which I forgot, even though I said I was done. I'm so ashamed....
I have lots to do, so I'd better go pretend to do something constructive.

Boy, moving is fun.

We left the old apartment in much better shape than we found it, except for the mildew, which Grant did actually try to clean up a bit but I have no guilt about that. I've got my fishes set up right beside the computer desk, so now I can spend even more time here! haha...

There are still many, many boxes that need to be unpacked, and the bed has to be set up, but we did pretty well today. My 26 things page is all done, I changed one of the pics and uploaded the missing ones, so you have to go see it again even if you've already been. Compliments are appreciated, I'm pretty proud of the page.

I have to go pick up a couple of things, but Superstore is across the street so I think I'll just go there. Lightbulbs and a water-saver shower head mainly. Also, the fire station is across the street so I feel pretty safe that way. My new landlord gave me 3 booklets that have paint swatches in coordinating groups, very handy. I was thinking green, but I think our stuff is more blue, so we'll see. Anyway, I'll be back, I just want to get those things before the store closes.