I haven't used a Mac computer since my student teaching�three years ago. Well, at my new job I have an iMac. What is up with these things? I never had problems with Macs before, other than them being sort of weird, but I am so uncomfortable with this computer. For example, I was told that if your computer freezes up, sometimes you can't turn it off. I had that happen. I tried ctrl-alt-delete, the tried and true method of getting the computer to restart. Apparently that's a PC thing. Well, then I tried turning off the computer by pressing the button on the keyboard. Unresponsive. So�the solution? If your iMac won't restart, you have to UNPLUG it. What?!?!?! I was seriously afraid I was going to break it, but I did it anyway.
I've had work the last few days. Luckily the work days have been much less meeting heavy than the new teacher days. We've had mainly morning meetings, and then have had the entire afternoon to work. I have everything in my room done and put up, and just need to buy a few things and do the bulletin board outside of my room. I made Justin come and help me do my bulletin boards because I am spatially challenged. I feel like the room could look better, but it is passable. At the high school no one really made a big deal about bulletin boards, but looking at the other teachers' rooms here, your room decorations are more important. Some rooms were amazing. I'm jealous, but I'm just not that artistic or creative, so I have a hard time knowing what to do to make it look good. There is a laminator available, though, so the posters look a lot better.
It was pretty depressing going to work today because Justin, Elizabeth, and Mark all went to the river for a picnic and innertubing. I've promised myself not to bug Justin to work on getting a job, but it still bothers me. Hopefully he will get his act together soon. I know he just got out of school, so it is hard to jump immediately into looking for work. However, it just shows the difference between us. When I am looking for a job, I work so hard on it. When he is looking for a job�well�he doesn't look for one. His money will run out pretty soon, though. We had a free month of rent for September as part of our move-in special, but October he will be screwed if he doesn't get a job soon. I have enough money to cover it, but if I have to cover it repeatedly there will be a real problem. I will not support someone else, and that is all there is to it. I can't be with someone that I don't respect, and who is using me. Wow, I'm getting a little ahead of myself, aren't I?
I hope they are going to get back soon, because it sounded like we were all going to go to dinner together, and it's already 6. I'm hungry.
I still haven't actually planned any lessons, or my year-long goals. I know I will have at least a few weeks done soon, so I'm just not worrying about it. The girl who had the amazing room that I was so jealous of told me she doesn't have any lesson plans done yet, either. However, she's math, so I think lesson planning is a bit easier. Maybe I'm wrong. Sorry, math teachers of the world. I really like this girl, and she came by my room to say hi. She's one of those people that I feel like I could be friends with, because they are so familiar. I don't know if that makes sense. The problem, though, is that we don't have the same lunch period, and we're not on the same team. Once school starts I will rarely see her.
As far as my team goes, I am feeling a little bit more comfortable with the special ed. teacher that I was a bit wary about. I think maybe he just felt lost and confused. I still really love my team leader, who is helpful and wonderful. I also like the science teacher, and am not sure what to think of the social studies teacher. He is one of those people who sort of says shocking things, and puts you on the spot. Sort of a weird sense of humor. The math teacher is a girl my age, but she is one of those married people. I am not sure what to think of her yet. She seems nice enough, but I get this feeling from her as if she is keeping her distance from me. I need to try to be more friendly and see if she warms up. As anti-woman as this might sound to say, I feel almost like it has something to do with the fact that we are both fairly attractive women (I sound horrible and conceited, but it's taken me a long time to think I am attractive, so there you go). I know I sometimes feel uncomfortable or weird around another attractive female so maybe that is what this is about�maybe we are both doing it? Why are girls so weird and competitive? Why is it important for us to feel like we are "the cute girl?" I'm not lying, I always like it best when I feel like I am the one that everyone thinks is the cutest. I think that's why I keep my hair long now�because I feel like people equate beauty with long hair. Is that the saddest statement you have ever heard?
I found out that I passed my CTL stuff, the huge portfolio that I put together all last year. The catch? Even though I did a wonderful job, apparently I had to have something like three credits in advanced coursework. I thought the work I did for my masters covered it, but no�so I have to take another course, either this winter or summer. I don't need my CTL for another three years, but it was annoying and anticlimactic to find that out at the last minute. So I'm not sure when I'm doing it. I can take the course online. Luckily the reimbursement in my new district works a lot better and I will be reimbursed right away for up to six credits.
I watched Pretty Women last night on TV. That's one of those movies that you can watch over and over again. Although it has many issues (the biggest one being Richard Gere is annoying), I really love that movie. I would buy it, but they show it on TV all of the time.
It's hard to update my diary now because Justin is almost always here, and I don't really want him to know about it. He actually does know about it, but he doesn't know where it is. I don't want him to find out the site address. Any time I get on the computer, he comes in to talk to me or whatever, so I can't really update when he isn't here. It's kind of annoying. Luckily we are still getting along really well though. I think we have both lightened up a lot since the last time we did this.
Anyway, I better go make a snack since it may be a while before they get home.
