Life Lately: Teacher Credential Progam Edition

Sup. I'm here for my monthly check-in ;) 

School has been kicking my butt and has left little time for much else! 

So let's talk about it! 

I started back in August, and my semester the schedule is as follows: The first 8 weeks of the semester (M-F) were strictly coursework, learning about methods, theories, strategies, lesson planning, standards, etc. Every Thursday of weeks 4-8, we went to our clinical practice sites and observed classes, shadowed students, interviewed students, interviewed teachers, etc. Sounds complicated. It was. Trying to juggle all of my coursework with assignments, reflections, presentations, TPA Task 1 (which I passed!), personal life crap, baseball, and concerts was rough and caused many breakdowns. But coursework is finally over and I made it out alive with passing grades and into the second half of the semester! 

These next 8 weeks are strictly clinical practice (M-F). I'm in an 8th grade humanities class that covers English Language Arts and Social Studies. I have two sets of weirdly entertaining students and a cooperating teacher who I've learned a lot from! Today is the start of week 3, and at this point I've gradually taken over more and more of the instruction! It feels SO weird being the grown-up in the room who is supposed to know it all. Spoiler alert...I don't. My first official observation is this Thursday so we'll see how effective I am at putting everything I've learned into practice!

That's about all I've got...see ya in a month. 

Seriously though. How terrible is it that I only post monthly these days?! Especially when I have this new awesome blog design courtesy of this lovely lady and I feel like I've wasted her talent. November goal: post more than once! 

SEPTEMBER IS FINALLY OVER

And I couldn't be happier.

I usually love September. But it was lame this year. My birthday is usually something I'm all about. This year is was meh and not what I wished it would be. Regular season baseball is coming to an end and the games are starting to mean a little more. This year the Yanks were eliminated from playoffs, Derek Jeter retired, and my last few Padres games had the worst timing ever. There's a bunch of other stuff that I don't feel like sharing, but just know this month hasn't been a happy feeling month. No lie, I spent more nights crying this month combined than over the course in my entire life. 

School started in August, but we started to get into the meaty stuff like theories of education, reading, techniques, and assignments in September. Right when I was trying to get my season ticket money's worth and squeeze in the last few baseball games of the season. On top of that, I had a minor breakdown over content standards and lesson plans and what resources I'm supposed to use and know about. Normally my notes are orderly, neat, make sense, and on paper...but this year, most of my textbook are on an iPad and I'm still struggling figuring method that works for me.

This is more of a ramble and starting to pick up on this blogging thing again since it's kind of been 40 days since my last post! 

Anyways...the month is over, and we're starting a new one. It's time to move on and focus on what's ahead!

Things to look forward to in October: Countryfest...mostly Sara Evans. Luke Bryan. TPA Task 1 will come and GO! I'll be at my clinical practice site full time instead of just once a week! And with the exception of my bilingual course, I'll be done with my methods courses for the semester. 

Hot Dog & Hamburger vs. Burrito & Taco

So this is my unofficial first week of school. I'm spending time at a middle school observing and helping with opening up a classroom for the beginning of the year. There may (probably not) be a post about that later, but that's not what today is about. I'm sharing a story today!

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The teacher I'm with has two classes, AM and PM. She had the kids make name tags to sit at their desks. She was describing the difference between the hot dog and hamburger paper folding methods to her morning class for these name tags. She then mentioned an alternative description that would be more relatable since we live in San Diego. A hot dog fold could also be thought of as a burrito fold. Then she had the kids guess what a hamburger fold could be thought of. I confidently said quesadilla, the rest of the class said taco. Whomp whomp. 

The afternoon class did the same thing. Same spiel. Same description. When it was time for kids to guess what hamburger was...I didn't say anything. But I listened. And a kid in that class said quesadilla. While the rest of the class said taco. I said "yes!" and pointed at the kid who said quesadilla because at least one other person in the class was on the same page as I was. It made my day :]

Happy Thursday peeps.

Why I Resigned...

School.

Shout out to Lebron!

It's August, and I officially start my teaching credential program this month. The hours of school and student teaching conflict with my office schedule. So I decided to take a break from work (until I run out of savings) and totally focus on school. I'm happy, excited, nervous, anxious, and scared to start this program...all at the same time. 

Happy and excited. For so many reasons. I've wanted to teach since I was in 7th grade. (2000) I spent 7 years in college, with a course schedule that looks similar to my high school course list. I owe that to my liberal studies major. With the exception of college softball, some electives, and my personal life...school wasn't that exciting. But I got it done and got one of my first pre-requisites checked off for my program. This time around, when I start school...I'll be taking classes that relate to what I want to do with my life and directly relate to my career. Andddd after 14 years, this program is the last step before becoming a teacher! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Nervous. Because this program is totally different than anything I've done both with my undergrad and work. So even though I've asked tons of questions about this program and what I'll be doing, I still have no clue what's gonna happen. 

Anxious. One of my favorite sayings about anxiety is it's not fear of the future, but wanting to control it. Any one that knows me knows that I like to have every minute of my life planned out. So I was a little anxious when the coordinators of our program interrupted our question and answer session of orientation and said "trust us"which I totally should since this is their 23rd year doing it. So I'm still a little anxious because (as of now) I have not control of anything. Once I figure out the school schedule and get into a groove, I'll be fine...but that moment is not now.

Scared. That whole not having a job thing...scary. Because that means no income. But I've still got bills. I should have done a better job of saving money but I suck at that. Also...this whole money thing kind of means I'll be giving up some stuff. Like season tickets. And going out to lunch/dinner and drinks with friends. Concerts. And maybe a gym membership. And Netflix...after I catch up on some shows. Hahah. It'll all work out. Some how. But I don't know how.

Since I haven't consistently posted, I haven't given many updates. I spent all summer working on prerequisites for this program. Bachelors degree: check. CBEST: check. Multiple Subject CSET: check. CPR certification: check. Fingerprints & Certificate of Clearance: check. Letters of recommendation: check. English CSET: Half check. I found out on Monday that I passes that the 2 (of 4) subtests I took in July! The other 2 are scheduled for September...so I should probably start studying now!

Happy Wednesday peeps :]   

I Don't Have A Job

I started working in an insurance office the summer of 2006 as a fresh faced 17 year old high school graduate. 8.5 years later...I've resigned. Friday was my last day.

Super awesome quality photo of my farewell dinner.

That job was the most consistent thing in my life in that time. A time when friends came and went. And came back again. Family and home life wasn't always peachy keen. School was a roller coaster of passed, failed, and retaken courses. But I always had somewhere to be Monday morning. And for that, I was thankful.

There were pros and cons to having the job I did at my age. 

The cons were not making any friends my age at work because everyone in my office was in their 40's/50's/60's:: And the friends I did have all worked server or retail jobs...so when we were up late hanging out, they all had the luxury of sleeping in until 10 or 11 because their shift started in the afternoon instead of 9/9:30 am:: Also...insurance. Something that's not so fun to work with when you're a teenager/early twenties:: I made some good money. And saved none of it::

I was bummed out this last year because even though I wasn't in school, I wasn't given the opportunity to work full time. Which would have been extremely helpful in keeping some of my sanity since my workload nearly doubled but didn't have enough time to get stuff done. I started to resent work. What made it worse is getting a second job (that I never told my first job about) that I was obsessed and absolutely in love with and realizing I was so overrrrr my first job. 

The pros were working with people I got along with. And didn't have to deal with workplace drama. Or people talking crap about each other. Because everyone at my office was a grownup and didn't have time for that nonsense:: Everyone liked sports:: My work schedule was consistent. I worked M/W/F 9:30-5:30. Well not always M/W/F, sometimes it was T/TH/F...depending on my school schedule:: My schedule was super flexible. With work and life. Like baseball, or beach days, or dancing with the stars tapings. I didn't need to really ask for time off or release shifts and hope someone picked it up. As long as I gave my boss some notice and wasn't crazy behind on work, I was good:: I have something of substance to put on a resume:: Weekends off: I made more than the average college student:: Paid holidays:: I had job security (see: 8.5 years) because I rocked at what I did:: Freedom. Because I was so good at what I did, I was able to fart around the internet and still be able to complete all of my tasks for the day::

The first part of the blog makes it sound like I hated my life, but I honestly had more good times than bad. And I learned so much. About insurance...which I will inevitably have to get for myself when I become a grown up. As well as some professional experience. Which rocks. It was an awesome feeling knowing that I was being treated to a nice dinner and celebrated for my time at work rather than just getting the door slammed in my face. Now that part of my life is over..and it's onto the next step of my life...wish me luck!

*Title of this post is a total lie. I still have my Safari Park job and will be working that until Labor Day weekend. When I'm done there...I won't have a job.

My Feet Hurt

Like real bad. And I have no idea why. It's not like I've spent a crazy amount of time on my feet. Just the usual. But whatevs. They hurt, and it's no fun. In other news, this is a weekend update post...that takes place from Wednesday-Sunday. Because a weekend post is better than nothing. You're welcome.

Wednesday: Left work at 5:30, cruised to OC with Sara, ate lots of sunflower seeds, slept. No pictures. Sorry.

Thursday: CATALINA! Rode some beach cruisers all day. Hung out on some rocks because the beach has no shore. Ate a bomb.com burger and had some cool looking sangria that wasn't as good as the one at Barleymash. Played mini-golf. Sara won. Drank some buffalo milk. But not REAL buffalo milk, it was just a blended boozy drink called buffalo milk.

BUFFALO MILKKKKK!

Friday: Worked til 5:30. Then I went to Keri's softball game with Lime and played Veronica's kids while we were there. Then we went to a 10:30 pm showing of 22 Jump Street. I remembered of the times I had to be home from the movies by 10:00 pm. Yay for adulthood. The movie was hilarious. I loved it. I'm looking forward to 30 Jump Street: Flight Academy.       

Saturday: Worked at the Safari Park. Got kept late at work. But not as late as I thought they'd keep me. I was notified that Veronica's kids slept in til like 10:00 am. Which means Caroline and I rock at babysitting. Went to the Padres game after work. I sympathized with the dude who was at a ball game and got caught sleeping. I wanted to sleep before the game even started. I was so exhausted after a long day of work plus driving home late from Catalina Thursday plus being out late at the movies Friday night. But then I had a sangria and a bratwurst at the game and all was better. Sort of. Then the Padres won! Then we went out dancing at Moonshine. Then running around town to get spare keys for me car because I left mine in a different car. And then finally...sleep. For 4 hours.

Sunday: Work. Checked out a new job for my mom with my mom and grandma. Ate Mexican food. And Froyo. Then blogged. Then bought my Dierks Bentley ticket. Then fell asleep. 

This post was pretty much just writing stuff so I could share Catalina pictures. Happy Monday kidlets.

29 Things I'm Thinking Right Now

i'm alive. and this is a real blog post. not a mirage. i know you haven't seen one of these from me in a while, so i understand the confusion. you get 29 thoughts that have crossed my mind recently in honor of the 29 days i didn't post this month...you're welcome.

-one of my favorite friends, keri, got married over the weekend. it was an incredible wedding.

-getting pampered at a salon as part of a bridal party rocks. free champagne. and you hear things like how your eyelids are perfect pallets for makeup. and how beautiful your hair is. and that your eyebrows are shaped perfectly.

-bachelorette party was in vegas. it was my first time there to really party since i've turned 21. it was a lot of fun. and it was not a lot of fun. both. at the same time.

-vegas recap: long drive. edc weekend. don't like techno music. coyote ugly. big ass pizza. sleep. pool party. lots of booze. lost sunglasses. thunder from down under. lax @ the luxor. tired feet. hotel pizza. coyote ugly. sleep. sunglass shopping. win big money. pool party. expensive dinner at hakkasan. long ass line for afrojack at hakkasan. long ass walk to hyde at the bellagio. long as wait at the bellagio. sleep. pack. drive home. sleep.     

-you're not supposed to fall in love with a stripper. but i did. one that's in thunder from down under <3

-69. the amount of times we heard "that's a big ass pizza" while carrying a pizza down the vegas strip.

-your phone screen can still shatter while being totally enclosed in a lifeproof case.

-blood orange vodka rocks.

-ninja mimosas rock. thanks juliette :]

-my job at the safari park still rocks.

-baby cheetahs are the cutest. we have one at work right now.

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-i'm still overwhelmed at my office job. a month and a half left and i'm done.

-anyone else think that ice challenge is stupid?

-i need to pick up on this fitness and healthy eating thing again. it's totally been abandoned this month.

-i need to actually WEAR my fitbit. it sits in my purse and only counts those steps.

-i like soccer. i like team usa. i like competitions that take place on a worldwide stage. i can't get into the world cup this year. not sure why.

-i miss playing soccer.

-i've committed to using a lilly pulitzer jumbo agenda for the rest of my life. i'm obsessed. with lilly. and with consistency. *i've used the small for 2 years and loved it. just needed to go up in size. and this is totally not an ad.

-i'm really good at holding grudges. that's not nice of me.

-television: so over pretty little liars. super behind on sytycd. wish cara maria didn't get ko-ed from the challenge. picked up on mad men. ellen still has reruns on. i might re-watch the hills.

-my next teacher test is in 2 weeks, and i haven't studied. i start today. my notes will be titled "pink lemonade" because i'm using a yellow legal pad and a pink highlighter. 

-i complained about that whole angels stadium thing to management. they apologized. and someone offered me free tickets. i didn't take them up on it. i'll elaborate more on this soon.

-3 weeks ago i did a wine and paint thing for another friends bachelorette party. i've always wanted to do something like that. and i loved everything about it other than the part where i suck at painting. 

-i'm getting california fever. i want out. never thought i'd ever say that...but i feel like i need a big change in my life after i finish my credential program. looking at dallas and nashville right now. this might just be a phase.

-i need to read mocking jay. 1st part comes out in a few months and i still haven't cracked open the book!

-i need to stop spending money! but a savings account totally burns a hole in my pocket!

-my biggest struggle right now is deciding between carrying a cross body messenger bag for school and a purse with handles for personal crap OR a cross body purse for personal crap and a shoulder tote for school.

-tony gwynn is gone. i'm sad, but not distraught like i feel i should be.

-tony gwynn memorial was the coolest/weirdest thing to attend.

Danity Kane...Show Stoppin'

So one time (Wednesday night) I was flipping through radio stations and randomly stopped on Z90, which is the local hip-hop/rap station. I don't listen to it much because it gets a little to gangster for my taste. But they were playing the best song of all 5 of my radio presets, so that's where I landed. I must have stopped listening once my song was over because I left it on that station. I hear a commercial not much longer for Danity Freaking Kane. Not only are they back together (last I heard, that was just a rumor) BUT THEY WERE ON TOUR! I texted Lime ASAP and told her we absolutely had to go. 

Side story. Caroline and I met playing ball at PMar. Obviously all most of the girls became friends, but the thing Lime and I bonded over was our love for DK. On our long practice days our schedule was morning workouts from 6-7, morning break from 7-8, study hall from 8-9, and practice from 9:30-1:00. During that morning break, most of us girls would either go grab burritos or McDonald's, bring them back to campus and have tailgate parties while bumping Danity Kane in the parking lot before study hall. It was mine and Lime's soundtrack to our life at 17 years old during our freshman year of college. 

Back to the main story. We didn't buy tickets that same night because Chels wanted to go but we needed to wait it out and see if anyone picked up her work shift. No dice. Whomp. So I bought mine and Lime's tickets Thursday morning and was pretty amped for that night.

We get to the place where the concert is being held (Humphrey's by the Bay) and had a couple of drinks before we chilled in our seats waiting for everything to get started. No "professional" cameras were allowed (not that I have one) so all we've got are iPhone photos. You're welcome :]

View from Humphrey's was a lot sweeter than it looks.

Pre-show best friend selfie with Lime!

After having to sit through 2 opening acts, it was time for the main event! 

The 4 girls. Drea, Aubrey, Shannon, and Dawn. #sweetresolution.

Dawn, Shannon, Drea, Aubrey. #betterresolution. #notreallythough.

Ahhhh. It was seriously the best thing ever. They did leave out some classic songs. And they went and announced that DK went from 5 members to 4 (leaving D. Woods behind) to 3 (Aundrea bailed) so now Danity Kane is a trio. That made me a little sad. But whatev. At least I got to see a majority of them. And it was incredibleeeeee. I'm still on such a high from the show!

And then there were 3. DK3. Aubrey, Dawn, and Shannon. 

Sad faces after learning the news that they're now a trio.

They announced that they'd be at one more show in LA this weekend...and Lime and I seriously considered the trip for a quick second, but the existing plans we each have for the weekend trump the trip just a little. It's all good. This concert was just the start of a bomb.com weekend! 

The First Time I Saw Derek Jeter

Time for a TBT post, baseball edition of course. 

My friend Lyndsey and I had been 16 for less than a year, and we (actually probably just me since I was the baseball fan) convinced our parents to let us make the 90 mile drive to Angels Stadium by ourselves. We funded the trip (gas, parking, tickets, snacks) with money earned from recycling cans. Plus a little extra help from our parents. Our directions came from Mapquest and had a Thomas Guide Book as backup. We hit the road with Cheeto Puffs, Hot Tamales, and Pepsi and after 2 hours of driving, we made it to the Big A. 

I actually don't remember if that's is how it all went down, but recycling cans for money, having a Thomas Guide Book, and Cheeto Puffs, Hot Tamales, and Pepsi are things definitely happened.

Story time. We got to the game early, sat in our seats, and watched batting practice. We sat next to a father and son and the kid who was no more than 10 years old kept saying that A-Rod was a sucky player. I wasn't having any of that because that's when A-Rod was a big deal, and not a pathetic excuse for a baseball player. I started to banter with the kid and eventually told him that he's the suckiest player, not A-Rod. I went there. Maybe getting told I look like I need exercise was karma for that. Full circle. I hope that kid took my statement to heart and used it as motivation to become the next big prospect for the MLB. MAYBE I SAID THAT TO MIKE TROUT?!! OR BRYCE HARPER?!! Probably not. Sorry about being mean, kid. You didn't deserve that. You called it, A-Rod is the suckiest player.

Anyway, I couldn't tell you how I felt the first time I saw Jeter or if he made any sweet plays or pretty much anything about that game. The only memory I have of that day other than everything mentioned above are these sweet pictures captured by Lyndsey.

Crotch grab :] Hahahaha.

That's about all I've got. You're welcome for the picture quality. They're pictures of pictures. It's crazy to think that this was just about 10 years ago. And crazy to think that this guy became one of the most talented and beloved players in baseball history. And lastly...crazy to think he's done.

  

The Knothole Club, Angels Stadium

I'm writing this post as a PSA to the internet because I did my due diligence in researching this place (like I do with anything and everything else I do) before making a reservation for the Monday night game of the Yankees series I recently attended. I found nothing. So I'm putting the info I learned when checking in for our Monday night reservation out in the world so others can learn from my "misunderstanding."

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The Knothole Club is a restaurant at Angels Stadium that sits in the club level section above right field. They've got indoor seating and a bar as well as some tables in an outside patio. Looks like a super cool place, with a bomb.com menu. Reservations can be made through Open Table. When you make your reservation, make sure you read and understand the following statement:

"PLEASE NOTE THAT ACCESS AND RESERVATIONS FOR THE FIRST SEATING ARE RESERVED FOR CLUB LEVEL TICKET HOLDERS ONLY. GUESTS FROM OTHER SEATING SECTIONS WILL ONLY BE ALLOWED ACCESS AFTER FIRST PITCH. THE SECOND SEATING WILL BE BASED OFF OF FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE AND NO RESERVATIONS WILL BE TAKEN."  

This means that even though you go onto their website and make a reservation you will absolutely not get in at your designated reservation time unless you've got a game ticket in the 300 level sections of the stadium. The only other exception seems to be season ticket holders. That notice above is posted on the first page of their opentable site, and don't see it again until you get a confirmation/reminder e-mail. You've gotta be a REAL SMOOTH (smoother than me, someone who has kind of been able to talk their way into a lot of stuff) to be an exception. Anyone sitting in other sections of the stadium is welcome to come into the place and and out [if room allows] after the first pitch. 

Monday's seats

Okay, now that I'm done with that PSA, let me tell you how I learned this zero exception lesson: I bought nosebleed tickets for my friend and I to the Monday night Yankees game. The plan was to just get in and wander around the stadium instead of sit in our seats. I researched some SRO (standing room only) areas at the stadium and came across the Knothole Club. I did some Yelp reading and saw mentions of reservation trouble but it was about opening day. It's been a month since then, so I figured all the kinks had been sorted out. I didn't rely on that though. So I called all the available numbers. One is disconnected. Another is the general number to the stadium and was told they don't have the option to transfer to the club and anyone who could be reached didn't have/know any information. The last phone number was some sort of manager. I called 3 different times, no answer, get a voicemail. Left one message, never heard back. Figured we'd take a shot, make the reservation and hope everything works out. We get to the stadium Monday night at like 4:40 pm because our reservation is at 5:00 pm. Well...the main stadium gates by the huge helmets open at 5:00 pm on the dot, and all the other side gates open at 5:30 pm. There is a long ass line in front of the helmets about a 20 minute wait. Now I'm super concerned that even though we were at the stadium on time, we might lose the spot because of the line. Once we get in to the stadium, we book it to the place, ride the elevator, am told I look like I can use some exercise, and get to the door of the restaurant. In front of us are 2 other groups of people who had reservations without club level seats and either skipped the above notice, misunderstood it, or were just trying to talk their way in. Well the other two groups of people were able to swing it in their favor because they USED to be [*are not currently] Angels season ticket holders. I tried to make my Padres season ticket membership work, no dice. That's when we went to complain to the "captain" [who has not contacted me since the "incident"] and then carried on with our night. To make matters worse, Yankees lost. It was not a good Monday.

That's it. Hopefully people trying to get in come across this and learn from my mistake, and avoid getting called fat. I'm just super bummed that it didn't work out after doing tons of research, including Twitter and Instagram stalking, and was not satisfied with the level of customer service throughout the whole process. And obviously, this isn't something I experienced by myself because I'm dumb, because we walked up to the entrance and found two other groups having the same issue I was about to have. I understand why they have a restriction and limit entrance to certain people at the beginning, but include something on opentable where people either have to check a box saying they've read the notice, or have people type in or reply to an e-mail with their seats and make them aware of not being able to come in at a certain time despite the reservation. I just think it could be handled a lot better than it was. 

Next time, on the blog: a recap of the rest of the series. It got better.  

If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say...

Word. Kind of. Because telling someone to GFY isn't very nice. But the person this is directed to was a total asshole and deserves it.

I'm in Orange County right now for the Yankees series against the Angels. I look forward to it every year because it's usually the closest thing I get to a vacation. My friend and I get to the game early last night because we have reservations at the Knothole Club, a restaurant in the stadium. The only way to get to this restaurant was to take the elevator so my friend and I pile in with a bunch of other fans and the elevator operator. I am the only Yankees fan on that elevator. The elevator operator, George, begins to engage in some rivalry banter about the two teams and I kind of just stand there and smile. I'm used to hearing how much the Yankees suck and blah blah blah. I don't really argue over it anymore. Also, I'm focused on the time since we're already late for our reservation. 

What happened next was total and complete disrespect, made it personal, and kind of ruined my night. We approach the floor of the restaurant and the elevator operator notifies everyone that we'll be getting out in a second. Except for me, the Yankees fan because I'm not allowed in. Hehe. More stupid shit talking. Whatever. And that he'll let me out but I can't get back on the elevator when I leave...but it's okay because "you look like you could use the exercise." ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!! I kind of brushed it off when he said it and sarcastically said something like "oh yeah, definitely."

I complained to this guy's boss, some sort of "captain" at the stadium, but still wasn't totally satisfied. How on earth does this guy think it's okay to say something like that, not only to a stranger...but to a guest at your place of employment?! Doesn't everyone go through some sort of orientation where you learn not to be rude to guests at your work place because it reflects negatively on the business?!! I wasn't wearing anything revealing where my fucking fat rolls were spilling out or anything that gives away that I'm totally obese and need some exercise. Just some boots, leggings, a Yankees t-shirt, and my cape thing over that t-shirt. I'm not skinny or thin or whatever this guy's threshold is for people who no longer need to exercise. I know that. And if you read this blog, you'll know that's something I'm working on prior to the asshole's statement. BUT YOU DON'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO A STRANGER. Especially one who has done absolutely nothing to you.

I'm not going to lose sleep over this. Or going to extremes like starving myself to look like a female who no longer need to exercise. Or kill myself over it. I'm not looking for people to tell me I'm beautiful just the way I am or that I don't need to lose weight or any other self esteem boosters. I'm just venting about how lame some people can be.

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. And GFY George.