Hiyaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

Hiyaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!
Originally uploaded by dreadfuldan.

This isn't mine but I came across it on Flickr and it made me laugh out loud.

Great moment with the woman in the back looking at the camera, too.

Showerhead

Showerhead
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

This is what I face everyday. Yes, my showerhead resembles a UFO. Or some funky microphone. Macrophone is more like it.

Couldn't sleep last night, again. I couldn't figure out why until I decided to go read in the living room. I walked out, leaving the lights off, and saw the backyard illuminated by the moon.

It was full and partially obscured by the woods behind the house. I grabbed a blanket off my bed and sat on the back porch with Keaton in my lap. It must have been 1.30am or so and it was so centering to sit there cross-legged with a black cat in my lap. His eyes were WIDE open and his fur gleamed.

I've been reading a couple books on the Salem Witch Trials and thought how, if I were back in Boston, and it was that time in history, I'd be so busted!

Note to Self

Go HERE and find some dinner ideas. Stop living on cereal, baby carrots and tater tots. And Kool-Aid.

Now go to bed.

I love Kool-Aid.

Jump in the Line

I was messing around in the iTunes Store (new U2 single!) and bought two more Harry Belafonte songs. I love him. So much fun and singing and dancing. Hoo boy.

Had a funny little moment at work yesterday. The main children's librarian was sick so J and I ran the show. There were a limited number of snacks (Cheez-Its or fruit snacks) (yes, we have Snacktime) and I knew the Cheez-Its would be in demand. I explained to the kids that they MIGHT not get JUST what they wanted. They might have to ask a neighbor to share. That neighbor might say no.

"So," I call out, "what do you do if you don't get the snack you wanted?"

From the back, a towheaded kid with an awesome Spiderman shirt on bellows, "DEAL WITH IT!"

There are people five times his age who have not figured that out.
Love it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dunno where to go for my next Photo Assignment; last week I went to the Lauritzen Gardens (photos @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/arahsae/. I'm hoping to do that at least twice a month because it's so much fun. Digital camera in one hand, Holga in the other. Treat myself to lunch when I'm done. One idea was to go to a couple of thrift shops and take shots of their wares. I can look for some furniture at the same time. I also want to go down to Old Market, which has lots of character and beautiful buildings. Interesting people, too; I'm not comfortable taking pictures of strangers, though.

Looking forward to work tomorrow - novel feeling. (BAD LIBRARY PUN, SORRY)

And they wonder why they have crappy teachers.

Nebraska teacher certification is the most idiotic waste of time. I can't understand how they EVOR (thanks Jo) get anyone teaching here from out of state.

It's August. I am unemployed and new to the area. "I shall teach!" I cry out. First stop, the local school district. I figure they will have the info and job and I need to be a successful teacher in Nebrasky.

The school district tells me to come back when I have a license.

Okay.

I fill out my paperwork stack. I arrange for my colleges and colleagues to send transcripts ($$$) and recommendations and credential files to the State Dept of Ed AND the local school districts.

Eventually, the Dept of Ed explains they will give me a license to SUB (not full-time teach) when I've "fulfilled the requirements for Human Relations Training." They give a list of six points (ha - I counted 17 separate topics in their "six points") that must be met and give the option of writing an essay stating how each has been met or taking a university class. Essays suck, so I take a gander at the class listings, a claustrophobic list of random course numbers at Midwest schools, a few available online.

You'd think my time as a working grownup (teaching and otherwise) would count for something. But an online course would be doable. I'll look into that.

Until I see that a prerequisite for the course is having a Nebraska teaching license.

WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON HERE?

Nevermind I've dealt with parents yelling at me and gossiping behind my back and incompetent fellow teachers and insane students. Nevermind one of my college courses dealt strictly with Intercultural Education (a title very similar to some of the accepted "Human Relations Training" courses). Nevermind my former employers have great things to say about my ability to relate to humans.

There's a 2-year waiver for the training but you have to already be an employee in a Nebraska school. Which I can't get. Because I don't have a damn license.

Shite.

OPTIONS:

• High and mightily storm the Dept of Ed and demand a license.
  
• Write a kick-ass essay so full of educational jibberjabber and five-syllable words that they have to give me a pass out of personal bewilderment.
  
• See if I can score the syllabus from my Intercultural Ed class and get credit. (Awesome class, btw.)
  
• Screw teaching and become world-class librarian, delivering a love of reading to the masses.
  

On the Good Side, I do get my first paycheck from the library on Friday. I'm torn - put it towards Mme. VISA or make a run to the bookstore? But I could use some clothes - need to show I am not a frumpy librarian type. No clunky necklaces, either. Teacherwear - a rant for another day. Ah.

Gotta get ready for work.

Courtesy of Meera

She told me that this was one of her favorite poems.

The Second Coming
- WB Yeats

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

That's only the first stanza. Sometimes I feel like that bird, knowing I'm too far away to hear guidance but stubbornly going further away.

For the whole poem: The Second Coming.

Convenient World

Convenient World
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

I want a convenient world. Anybody else? That would be great. I wouldn't need to worry so much because everything would be right there for my convenience. No fuss, no mess. Ah.

Toot toot! Responsible (BORING) driver coming thru!

I drove today. Drove responsibility. No one pulled me over. I was good.

Today was marvy for mail. One coffee-bearing package (ahhhh, yes) from Dana - and the jeans fit, thanks very much! Love the photos. And I also got a nice letter from Susan complete with a T token magnet she made all by herself. Well, not all by herself. I don't think Mike lets her use glue yet. She still needs supervision.

Part of my job is to participate in the high school reading club, a task I look forward to. It's also good because it means I get to go buy books and read them...not like I need a justification, but still. The meeting next month is the first and they are doing two books - Lori picked two so that the guys and girls would be more inclined to participate. I finished one, A Northen Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, just now. Great stuff - I feel like I'm back in my YA class, taking notes and jotting down my impressions, questions, etc.

At first I was worried because the book is set in the early 1900s; historical fiction is not always my forte. There's a lot of bad hist fic out there, and by bad I mean bo-ring. Authors get too caught up in details and making the narrative as true to life as possible. Not a problem here at all. Excellent characterization. Donnelly covered lots of issues but they weren't packed in, didn't overwhelm the story. I would read it again.

The other book is brand spanking new, Walter Dean Myers's Shooter, and I'll start that one tomorrow. The format is similar to Monster, (my dear Meera!) being full of transcripts, journal entries, newspaper clippings and other ephemera. Also has the typical eye-catching but inconvient cover; the police border line on mine is already wrinkled.

So good reading all around.

Now I have to be responsible.

It's gone. After ten years, my Good Car Karma has run out. Damn.

There I was, driving merrily home after my first real shift at work (which went really well because I didn't make any kids cry AND I got a library card AND I checked out books). I was driving on HWY 370. HWY 370 is a long stretch of nothing. It was 8.30pm. Not too many cars on the road. And then bam. Sarah got pulled over for speeding. Amazingly, this was the first time EVER (that Karma, remember?). The officer was nice. I was honest. I slammed on my brakes when I saw the patrol car, casually trying to make it look like I was just trying to pass the guy next to me. Didn't work. I was clocked at 67 in a 55 zone; this was lucky, as about five miles earlier I was pushing 80. He gave me a warning. I said thanks and carefully drove away.

Man, those spotlights are blinding.

I'll be good - I'll be good!

Yum

Yum
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

I forgot about this photo until just the other day. Classic image with the two tongues, don't you think? Very nice way to welcome Meera's parents, who came all the way to spend time with their daughter and meet her friends.

Thanks to Susan, (thank you!) I now have PRO STATUS at Flickr, meaning I get to upload tons more stuff. Go ahead and check it out, if you like. You can get there by clicking this photo or go http://www.flickr.com/photos/arahsae/.

More on the way!

50%

Hoax Photo Quiz!

I only got half of them right...but there are three more quizzes to try.

The cat one is hilarious.

Okay, I scored 70%-80% on the others so I don't feel quite so gullible! Be sure to look at the answers pages (click at the bottom of each quiz) for explanations.

Nawtee Books

Ooh, I'm chock full of warm-fuzzies from friends. I'm blushing. Hee.

Today was incredibly stress-free! I got outta bed at 11.30am and just perused my way around doing various odd jobs. This included indulging my artistic side with watercolors. Too bad I don't own a scanner and have to spare you from my masterpiece. One of today's highlights: letting Keaton Cat discover the fabulous world of ping pong balls. Zowee!

Be aware that Banned Books Week is almost upon us. Go ahead and read something a bunch of whiny fundamentalists don't want you to!

American Library Association Banned Books Week

You can also download the Book Sense Picks of 2004. I've only read four of those but have heard of all of them except #8. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books. I need to read it again.

Also off that website are the most frequently challenged books in 2003:

1. Alice series, for sexual content, using offensive language, and being unsuited to age group.
2. Harry Potter series, for its focus on wizardry and magic.
3. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck, for using offensive language.
4. "Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture" by Michael A. Bellesiles, for inaccuracy.
5. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers, for racism, sexual content, offensive language, drugs and violence.
6. "Go Ask Alice" by Anonymous, for drugs.
7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris, for homosexuality, nudity, sexual content and sex education.
8. "We All Fall Down" by Robert Cormier, for offensive language and sexual content.
9. "King and King" by Linda de Haan, for homosexuality.
10. "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson, for offensive language and occult/satanism.

1) I think the Alice series means the books by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I've never read those and if I am to be a good Children's Librarian Aide, I better know what I'm talking about. Or at least be prepared for parents who come in and want my opinion on such books - I had a mom do that when I was teaching in Portland; she wanted to know my opinion on the Harry Potter books.

2) Of course I've read them - they are not bad, just not the greatest thing since sliced bread. With the popularity of the franchise, why even bother fighting it?

3) Love it; taught it; students love it. The movie with Gary Sinise and John Malkovich is excellent. (Sinise directed it, by the way). And if I can teach this in a Catholic school without the kids freaking out about "bastard" and the like, anyone can. Funny story - Curley's wife is referred to as a "tart." I included it on their vocab list because I didn't think they knew what it meant. They didn't. Curley's wife was not a "slut," she was "something sour in flavor" or "a pie with a crust." That was a fun day. I made fun of them - "What??? She's a type of pastry, Peter? PLEASE check for context!"

4) Know naught about it, yet.

5) Oooh - read it in YA class! I liked it. It's about war - some things are not going to be snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.

6) The only reason I object to the book is that it's been presented as a real journal and was actually "edited" by an adult, Beatrice Sparks, who has created many other similar books.

7) Haven't read but it looks interesting.

8) I never heard of this Cormier! Shame on me - must read.

9) Picture book - I read a review of it in The Horn Book. (I have a card to send someone two free upcoming issues; anyone want?

10) Love it love it love it. And yes, I cry every time. But to challenge it on occult/satanism? Just for the imaginary Terebithia? That's depressing. And ridiculous.

(see below)

They Got Me!
I talked myself through possible questions, I showered, I made sure I had fresh breath. I drove, I sat, I made them laugh. I got a job! The director called tonight and Wednesday evening is orientation time.

The interview flew by - I did my best to convey enthusiasm and excitement about the position, as much as I could without getting out of my seat and doing a little song and dance. I passed out my resume and work history and just acted like myself.

Hasn't sunk in yet.

I have a place here!

Confidence, confidence, dry and secure...

Ok. I made a stealth appearance (sunglasses, trench coat, moustache) at the library I'm interviewing at and now know the lie of the land. It doth lie well. The building is very very small but they have excellent child lit facilities. There's a young adult area with graphic novels and tons of picture books for the younger set. Some videos and books on tape. Not bad at all. I kept seeing things I wanted to take home. I practiced possible interview questions in the car. Out loud. I figure people can just think I've got someone on speakerphone. Or I'm some amusing eccentric. Whatever.

Took Keaton Cat up to the vet again to see about the Bloody Sneezes (yum yum!). He's fine - the doctor said he's been sneezing so hard that vessels are rupturing. AND we bought more antibiotics! This cat is getting so tired of me squirting microbes down his gullet. And I am tired of squirting. Luckily, he forgives me pretty quick. Or maybe he just has a poor short-term memory.

I gotta go pick out my Interview Outfit for tonight. 7.15 is the magic time. Hoo boy!

But what I really want to do is direct.

There have been scads of monarch butterflies in the backyard these past couple days. I've never seen them before. Makes a pleasant change from the cicadas - what an incessant buzzing.

Today I'll practice interviewing. This means I close the door to my room and talk to myself about what a great employee I am. Oh boy! Posiitive self-talk! I went over the job description yesterday and wrote my qualifications/experience under each requirement listed so I have something concrete to start with. The interview will only be 15 minutes long; I tend to talk fast when I'm nervous, though, so maybe time will not be of the essence. My last teacher interview (successful, back in JP) lasted over an hour, largely because Sheila and I got to talking about favorite books and authors.

I made myself quite sick on the new BBQ flavored Cheez-Its. They are so good. I ate half the box. Then I was thirsty so I had a beer and that , combined with the mysterious goings-on inside my cranium, gave me a full-blown headache that kept me in bed until noon yesterday. Garg.

Keaton is still sneezing something nasty. I'm worried.

What's that knocking?

Yeeaaawwww! (New Nebraskan word I learned). I done gots me a job interview on Monday in the evening times. How do I impress the library board?

Hidden tracks?

Snotty Cat

After much consideration, advice from friends, and personal experience, I think a career change is in order. Enough with all this teaching stuff. Or non-teaching, as it is. Mine eyes have been opened to my True Calling: Feline Medicator. Vets should hire me on a case-by-case business to deal with challenging clients.

How do I come to such a conclusion?

Keaton has to take liquid antibiotics three times a day. I am the QUEEN! No drips, no scratches, not hard feelings. Years of practice with Norman and then the last two with SallyCat were key to my education and training.

I had a good day. Hung pictures. Pruned bushes. (That wasn't FUN, but the workout made me feel accomplished.) (I still can't get used to the People of Suburbia, walking their dogs, riding bikes, etc. all while I'm out pulling weeds or whatever, butt in the air. Maybe I can build a big hedge.) Excellent Sox game. Warm cat by my side.

Check out the artwork! I bought three prints from her while I was in Boston--she's in Portland!

Off to read...

Experiencing Literary Limitations

There is still some bitterness, lodged deep in my heart, harbored against the Bellevue Public Library. They took a polite, softspoken girl and crushed her dreams of reading in a whole new world, obliterated her trust in local government, and other bad things by denying her a library card.

Initially, this just pissed me off. Now, it is getting irritating. Yes, I admit I have a problem with books. I hoard them, smell them, admire them, protect them from incompetent readers, gobble their contents voraciously, and clutch their bound pages to my breast; my first love. Ah. But I keep having the same conversation with myself. IN MY HEAD, not aloud.

After seeing a recommendation online: "Ooh, I should go pick that up at the library!"
"You can't, remember? They didn't want the likes of you in there. From the wrong side of the city limits, you are."
"The cruelty! The horror! Damn those hussy librarians and their powerful research skills! Their computers can't hurt me; I've got a Mac! I will prevail!"
"Coffee's ready."
"Oh, good." [slurp] "I'll get that precious piece of plastic - if it's the last thing I do (in Nebraska)!"

I better find my black cowboy hat and get my revolvers cleaned up. See if my horse, Diablo, is ready to ride. Get the Gang together - I hope Sally is free; we could use her scheming mind.

Obviously, I've done one too many loads of laundry today and the fumes are going bad in my brain.

But this whole library card thing does chafe my hide.

P.S. In honor of my new residence, I am reading O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, one of Nebraska's VIPs. I read My Antonia five years ago and enjoyed it;O isn't letting me down. Simple prose, well-drawn characters, and I like that it's set here. I think my mom would also like her books. One of these days I'm going to drive out to Red Cloud, where Cather's childhood home is.

P.P.S. On the good side, not having a library card is forcing me to choose books from my To Be Read Pile, and that is a Good Thing.

Keaton Says Hello

Keaton Hello.JPG
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Here's a close-up. It was hard to get a photo that didn't totally make his eyes glow or turn him into a Cat of Light due to the glossy fur. He's got beautiful orangy-yellow eyes (like Norman) but they are green on the inside.

I'm taking him up to the vet tomorrow to get a rabies shot and a general checkup. He's got a bit of a cold, probably just from the kennel.

BONUS: Bruce likes him! Or at least he says so. Right now Keaton is sleeping on Bruce's feet while Bruce checks email.

I'm so happy!

He has arrived!

Panther Keaton
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Yay! I went to the Nebraska Humane Society this morning and came home with this dashing young gentleman. He's seven months old and I've rechristened him Keaton (his shelter name was Midnight, far too cliche for such a creature), after Buster Keaton, the silent movie genius. Black and white, full of antics and creative moves, just like his namesake.

This is a rather regal pose; he looks way bigger here than in reality. The cat loves people and sitting on laps and is learning not to jump on the counter.

"...we're all mad here."

My gut reaction to rewriting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of nausea. (Though I would like a peek at it, if only to support my presently unfounded rant!) How could he do that? What about using your own ideas and not copping someone else's? When does one cross the line - isn't this just fan fiction on a large scale? Or am I wrong to hold up Alice as some holy tome of literature, not to be tampered with?

...curiouser and curiouser.

This takes "underground cinema" to a whole new level.

And here's a follow-up.

Recap! Rehat! Rebonnet!

I made the mistake of scrolling down and ran into Sarah's List of Things to Accomplish This Week that I wrote up last week. Here's the dirt.

1. Signup at temp agency...
Not done. But I got some info on temp agencies. There are so many...how does one choose?

2. Allow garbage to be toted away...
Done! Yay!

3. Find scanner for use. Scan Holgas and get on website...
Scanner was found (Kinko's) but they didn't have up-to-date software and it was $ .40 a minute.

4. Beg, borrow or steal yellow pages...
Done! Borrowed at the dinky Bellevue Library.

5. Get health insurance...
Nope. Money would be helpful in this arena.

Well, I completed three and made advances in four. We'll see what tomorrow brings - I'm off to read.

No Alarm!

No Alarm!
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Isn't that a nice, polite, considerate sign? Maybe there should have been a "please" stuck in there somewhere. It cracks me up. Reminds me of the signs in Washington up on I-5: LITTER AND IT WILL HURT.

Today Bruce and I went to the Nebraska Humane Society. Amazing beautiful animals -- dogs, cats, birds, rats, hamsters, ferrets, rabbits. They've got them all! Bruce deigned to get me a cat for my birthday (wowee!) so I'm going in tomorrow to pick one up I hope the one I like is still there - will post photos either way. Now Sally can have a pen pal. Paw pal. Oooh - that's bad.

I'm over half through Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. (In reality, I'm reading the less P.C. Ten Little Indians published in 1944.) Mysteries don't usually hold much appeal for me but this one is supposed to be among her best. I read The ABC Murders and didn't like it much - too much plot and too little character development - but wanted to give her another try. So far, the book is VERY mysterious...started with ten...now we are down to seven! I'm baffled, as I should be, according to the blurb by the NY Times on the cover.

Holga Test Posting

Wow. That came out really big. I need to teach myself some more HTML. That's from the Granary Burial Ground in Boston, by the way.

Missile Tim

Missile Tim
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Here is Mr. Tim, saying a big hello to his lovely most dearest, Andrea, in Spokane. As Andy can see, Tim is in his FAVORITE place in the whole world! Whee!

I know Andy and Tim from ye olde undergrad days at the University of Portland, Oregon's PREMIERE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY. Tim came through Omaha Thursday night and gave me a ring. (not a RING ring - a phone call ring; he rang me up.) (Don't tell Andy!) (Or Bruce!) Bruce and I took him out to Zio's for pizza (v. delicious) and talked and talked. It was great to hear about old friends. Everyone is getting married and having multiple kids. I'm just trying to get a cat, especially since losing Velcro last month.

Tim would like me to explain that his brother went to USC and if he (Tim) had his druthers, he'd have been in an Oregon State shirt.

That really made me feel good - nice to talk to someone who knows the same people I do and has known me for more than a couple weeks.

Is This On?

Is This On?
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Here I am, giving the air traffic controller a piece of my mind. Those guys - they think they know EVERYTHING about taking off and landing. Pshaw.

I just gotta reiterate how amazing this was. Gorgeous on the way out (to a delicious dinner in York, NE) with the sunset and beautiful farmland all around. It was dark by the time we started flying back - out in the middle of nowhere - and the skies were on fire. So many stars, so beautiful. The Milky Way glowed a north-south spread across the sky.

And all the chatter on the airwaves - a pilot checks in, verifying location with any other pilots in the same airspace. Then we just look around and you can see them. Hey! I'm over here! Great - have a good night!

I love watching all the dials and gauges. Buttons, flashing lights, knobs, screens - it amazes me, even knowing basic elements of How & Why Planes Fly, that it is possible! And no, I am not that easily entertained. Plain old blinking lights hold no fascination for me.

It would be great to go up in a helicopter sometime and see how it's different. I hope I dream of flying tonight.

Contact!

Contact!
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Here's a shot Bruce took before we flew off. I offered to start the plane but Randy said no. I waited until he turned his back than gave it my all. No luck.

That's Lisa, Randy's wife, on the left. She's very friendly and laughs a lot - she's laughing with me. Honestly!

Wingshot

Wingshot
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Wowee! This was my view earlier this evening. Randy and Lisa flew us out to a little bitty town called York for dinner in Randy's 4-seater Piper. It was incredible. Loved every minute.

More tomorrow, more photos, tomorrow tomorrow, until then, tomorrow.

Bed bed bed.

The Mystery of the Hidden Hoodie.

Far too much hemming and hawing today. Make up your mind, Sarah! Gah. And can one have senior moments at 26? I took my Simmons hoodie out of the closet in preparation for going uptown (the coffee shop has very powerful air conditioning). Before leaving, I searched the entire house three times and am STILL no wiser as to its location. Perhaps it's gone on walkabout.

Had a rather dull day full of laundry and tidying up. Phone calls to people who didn't have the answers I wanted. Didn't make it to the coffee shop as planned, but that should be resolved later this evening - one of Bruce's friends and his wife are taking us out for a steak dinner, which is always a tasty experience, but we are going in his plane! I've never been in a small plane before and am excited. Or I will be once I get rid of a nagging headache.

I do want/need to meet people. I had such a great time with Boston friends that maybe I used up all my Good Friend Karma. Am operating under my quota right now.

My karma ran over my dogma. Hee hee.

Red Tape

I got my Simmons transcript in the mail, so the Dept of Ed should have one as well. Today I'm mailing off my whole Nebraska Licensure Application Packet. I'm missing some requirements - all the things that vary from state to state. Different tests, for one thing, though I think the three tests Oregon required should count. Nebraska also requires "human relations training," something I think should be waived just from surviving the parents I had my first year teaching.

As long as I keep my Oregon license valid, I think I'm okay. Maybe. Maybe I need a new career.

Er -

It just hit me that my last post is rather ridiculous in the face (ha ha) of my profile picture.

But isn't this more interesting than a regular, happy Ramona? I love it because it is THE image of an unhappy child. It's the expression she has whilst insisting, "I am too a Merry Sunshine!"

Reminds me of Tatum O'Neal as Addie in the movie Paper Moon.

(Thanks for scanning Ramona for me, Dana.)

Recognition

In church on Sunday (that's two weeks in a row, people) one of the women serving Communion looked just like Carolyn, the awesome teacher's aide I had during my first year teaching in NE PDX. She is one of the best people I know. In her 60s, full of energy and hugs and stories about when she was a groupie for Kiss. One time after a concert the band's limo almost ran over Carolyn and her friend - the guys rushed out to make sure they were okay.

Seeing the woman in church struck me - why did she remind me so much of Carolyn? Same general body type, similar hair, yes, but the clincher was the smile. The church woman and Carolyn were both Smilers. Not the bad kind, who fix a weak, watery upturn to the ends of the mouth, or those who smile blandly all the time, but people whose normal expression is pleasant and welcoming. That's nice, I thought. She looks friendly. Happy to be herself, happy to be here.

I am not a Smiler. I'm the person old men call to on the street, saying, "Hey, darlin', cheer up!" Seeing the Carolyn-esque lady made me stop, check the tension on my face (for even my regular expression has been called a frown) and smooth out the line between my brows. This is why students think I am mean on the first day of school. Why can't I relax? Yoga. Mmm - or yogurt. Yoghurt. Yo, Gert!

Must cultivate a non-threatening expression so as not to frighten off potential Nebby friends. Or just stop thinking too much.

Liquid Concrete...

Liquid Concrete
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

Wet wet wet yesterday. I love a good downpour. Liquid Concrete sounds like whiteout for your sidewalk. Like when people write in wet cement, you just wait until it is dry and brush a bit of Liquid Concrete over and viola! No more graffiti!

Made a late night run to Barnes & Noble last night (yes, yes, I abhor the place, but there are no new bookstores around here. Used, yes - and I've supported them. But when one needs a NEW book...) to pick up a copy of Persepolis 2. It was excellent. I liked it just as much as the first one, Persepolis (dur). The author, Marjane Satrapi, writes about her life in and out of Iran from childhood to the present in graphic novel form. Yes, folks, that means pictures. It's terribly honest. By that I mean she recounts things that I'd be embarrassed to have known worldwide - and it is widely read, as she's (still) living and writing in France. The author image on the back flap is...um...sassy? Wrong word. I can't say that without thinking of Phil Hartman on SNL doing his spoof on Sassy Magazine.

To complete my Book Report, I learned a lot about Iranian history/politics and how messed up Western views are of the place. Go read it.

There's a spider with a body the size of my thumbnail outside. Her web has to be over two feet across. Looks like it is early-morning web repair time. Especially after yesterday's storm.

Must make coffee. Or tea?

Tornado Free for Now...

Dark, pouring rain, windy and warm outside. And I feel blah. Unfeeling-ish. A lack of feeling? Can feel impassioned about things-what about unpassioned? What's the prefix for that one?

Maybe I should go make some more coffee. Coffee always makes things better. Unlike alcohol, which I am not supposed to have anyway because of the meds I'm on. Sucks because Sam Adams's Octoberfest beer is now out.

Oooh - thunder.

Sarah's List of Things to Accomplish This Week

1. Signup at temp agency. Hopefully one that fills positions for writers' research assistants, movie critics, animal shelter cat scratchers or book readers.
2. Allow garbage to be toted away. (I discovered this morning that the trash was NOT removed from the container last Thursday, despite the fact I left it on the curb. In my logical way, I assumed that the upside-down nature of the recycle tub next to the garbage can meant BOTH had been taken. I was wrong. And because of my unnaturally strong arms and the wonder of wheeled cans, I did not notice it was FULL.)
3. Find scanner for use. Scan Holgas and get on website.
4. Beg, borrow or steal yellow pages. (No house phone, so no phone book; Omaha is not as webwise as I'd like)
5. Get health insurance.

Gah.

I like my Sox RED HOT!

Hey Hey; We're at Fenway!
Originally uploaded by arahsae.

I am so proud of the Sox. Bruce popped the $14.95 required to watch baseball games via the internet and we've been watching them every night. They seem to alternate the broadcasts, and last night was a Boston one with Remdog and those lovely Boston commercials I've missed. Oh, Bernie and Phyl! The Foxwoods Casino! And the shots of Fenway. It's oddly comforting to have those familiarities here. And you do see the odd Sox baseball cap now and then.

My application for my license is complete; now I just play the waiting game. Simmons is taking forever to get me a copy of my transcript. My University of Portland one arrived two days ago.

Oh - the tornado warning siren just started wailing. I've never heard it before - what a horrible sound. Nothing shows up on weather.com except everything about Frances. Testing? Not on a Saturday morning, I'd think.

Life With Clean Clothes; Day Two...

Lately, it's been ON!!! or off... days. Nothing middling - either I get lots accomplished or barely naught. Whatever happened to moderation in all things? I thought the only items immune to that philosophy were chocolate and reading.

Patti Dean took my prints up at the Troop A Nebraska State Patrol office today. I told her I had some issues with a red onion that didn't want to be chopped into bits last night and apologized for the cuts on my fingers. I also apologized for the cut on my thumb, incurred whilst installing the dryer duct yesterday. This prompted the trooper at the counter to ask, "You should get your Air Force boyfriend to take care of that!" (They'd asked what brought me to Omaha, like everyone does. I should make something up...)

"Oh, pish," I replied. "He doesn't even change his own oil."

"You tell him that if you were with a Coast Guard man, he'd be able to fix that."

"No, no," added Patti, "you tell him a Marine could do it! That'll get him."

Then Patti and I talked about independence and flat tires and fathers who fix things. She looked to be in her mid-40s and was just married last year (that made me like her more, for some reason) and growing up with four brothers and a dad, she got very used to taking care of herself. Her husband has yet to get used to it.

So now I have friends in high places. Always helps to smile at the troopers. Their hats always remind me of Smokey the Bear...and the Smokey the Bear song...which I am now singing. What!? You don't know the Smokey the Bear song? Let me help: Lyrics for Sarah's Sing-Along Fun! If you prefer the Gene Autry voiceover: More Sing-Along Fun!

Don't know about my fingerprints, though. The card describes loops and whorls and arches; these I have, but on my left thumb there is some whirlpool action going on. Perhaps I demonstrate the infamous "double-loop."

So I'm one step closer to licensure. But the day was not yet over! After testing the offerings at a coffee shop in Olde Towne Bellevue (diagnosis: coffee-excellent; breakfast-ick) I came home to the Super Sarpy Shopper free paper and found an ad looking for an assistant children's librarian in one of the local libraries. YAY! I put on HireMe! clothes, grabbed my job files and a resume and zipped off to apply. I think they want to have someone hired by the 20th. It's part-time, 20 hours a week, and it would be great for me, as I am considering that path for when I get tired of teaching. That might be soon.

If you need some down time, please try these.