Be Grateful #6

What a fantastic week!  It definitely had its ups and downs, but overall, this week was GREAT!

1)  I'm thankful I survived week two of my new job.  I'm starting to feel like I'm figuring things out...even if my first faculty training didn't go as well as I had hoped.  *lol*

2)  I'm thankful that I work at such a fabulous place!  The dean of our division was so concerned with our safety, he had Emergency Management and Risk organize a shooter simulation for us to prepare.  I don't think it went as well as it could, but the important thing is, is it got us to start thinking about what we would do in dangerous situations.

3)  I'm thankful I'm enjoying teaching Intermediate more and more all of the time.  I do wish I had more time and energy to strengthen the relationship with my Composition I class, but I think that will come in time.

4)  I'm thankful I survived my colonoscopy!  While the day before really stunk, I was actually quite coherent after my procedure and really enjoyed the loopy feeling.  *haha*  I got my the results on Friday:  I quote, "Biopsies showed quiescent crohns colitis changes.  NO DYSPLASIA . . . The small polyp was benign and not precancerous!"  WONDERFUL NEWS!  Praise the Lord!  And as my husband said, we learned new words, too.  Thanks for all of your good thoughts and prayers.  :)

5)  I'm thankful my Martha Stewart Living magazine subscription finally started back.

6)  I'm thankful we got to eat so many yummy things this week:  Sour Patch Kids popsicles (those saved me on bowel prep day!), Nutella croissants, KFC, potato soup, Flying Fish, veggies, roast chicken and baked potatoes, Gusano's pizza, and caesar salads!  And today, we are going to Fred's Hickory Inn for our Valentine's Day brunch!

7)  Speaking of Valentine's Day, I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband!  He is THE BEST, hands down.  We started the day with chocolate pancakes (imprinted with a heart) and strawberries.  At work, I got a goody cup from one of my new co-workers, and after work, Zach surprised me with a box of chocolates made by the culinary department AND Starbucks hot chocolate.  Then we came home, made dinner, and opened presents.  I got him a LEGO book, Jelly Belly Cinnamon Bears, and some pilsner glasses; LEGO, candy, and beer are some of his favorites, so I think I did well.  BUUUUT he did way better than me!  I GOT A CAMERA!  Just like I suspected!  ;)  Zach went ahead and gave me my birthday present early:  a Canon Rebel T3i!!!  He did so great, and most importantly, he saved me the stress of trying to find the "perfect" camera.  :)  I can't wait to finally get to use it today!  (I was behind on lots of things, but have caught up mostly, so now I can play.)  Today, we are exchanging cards--since his to me hadn't come in yet--and going for a walk to use my camera.  Don't you just love LOVE!?

8)  I'm thankful I'll get my permanent crown on Monday.

9)  I'm thankful I got a TON of work done yesterday.  Overall, I was pleased with my students' reflection papers.  Most of them developed their topics well and described them in a balanced combination of sensory details and engaging emotions.  I was very happy to see that not too many of them used fragments although they did forget commas with coordinating conjunctions and had far too many comma splices.  You win some, you lose some.

10)  I'm thankful we have so many friends from work and so many friends in the area now.  We had to go to the Jam Night because of Zach's new position, and I was so tired I was sure we wouldn't have much fun.  But it was a BLAST!  And that is thanks to the wonderful company we had.  :)

11)  Although I was sad we didn't get a snow day, I am thankful I got to see a little snow fall.  There's always this week...

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEK?

Be Grateful #4

It's been cray-cray around these parts.  I actually hate using that phrase (though I appreciate the ingenuity of whomever invented it).  But "cray-cray" seems appropriate for bloggy land.  *haha*

Here is a picture my husband took a few weeks ago when we got enough flurries to cover the ground.  I didn't take many photos this weekend when we went home because the Pharrs were either sick or sore, and we just had the LEGO club going on.  It flurried today like it did in this pic, but nothing stuck because yesterday it was around 70!  A horrible front came through, gave me a sinus headache from heck, and then left behind the snow.  It's silly, but I keep praying we will get one good snow day this year!

Anyhoot, I must have scarred and scared all of you folks last week talking about my lady business, but I'm just keeping it real.  (You know you've been in some awkward doctor situations, too...  If you haven't, I ENVY you and your ability to keep your modesty in tact.  Seriously.  :)

Remember when I said I was interviewing for a job last week????

Wellllll, one of my supervisors (in one of the departments I teach who also teaches in the other department in which I teach) was on the committee, and one of my colleagues from that second department was on the committee, and then the director of this department for which I was interviewing sat in on my interview and praised my experience (for having collaborated with faculty, designed curriculum, worked under a grant, etc.)....

...if you're confused, I TOTALLY understand.  Now maybe you can understand why I am eager to have one job.  ONE job.  O-N-E.  Let me explain.  I currently work part-time in three departments just at this campus.   (I also teach for another school).  Two of those are teaching positions, and there is a lot of overlap between those two departments (English and Academic Skills).  Then in my third position, I work under a grant that works with faculty, staff, and students.  And I also collaborate with many others on the mentorship program I coordinate under the grant, including the one where the position for which I was interviewing is housed...

There was only one person on my committee and in the interview that I did not know, and we got to chat before my interview started because I showed up to the conference room BEFORE anyone had made it.  Then I panicked because I thought I was at the wrong place because the interview was NOT on the schedule.  Thankfully, my colleague walked by and asked about a conference room behind a faculty lounge.  And he's all like, "I'm on your committee. I'll show you THE WAY."  Sigh of relief.  Then more panic.  How do you act when you know everyone (or almost everyone) on the committee?!

Coming out of that interview, I felt fairly confident in my ability and in my colleagues knowledge of me as an employee.  I told my friend that if I didn't get it, I must have STUNK to high heaven in the interview!

Welllllll, I GOT IT!  They emailed me on Monday about being a finalist and requested I complete a background check.  Then this morning I got the call about the offer.

However, because apparently I'm the most difficult person in the world right now, I had to run around like a chicken with its head cut off today to determine what my schedule will look like.  See, Zach and I have been planning this EPIC vacation for years (basically, since we got married).  And we have booked lodgings and bought plane tickets and ordered an outlet adaptor for our appliances.  There's no going back on that bad boy known as the UK.

So I'll be taking a month-long vacation after I've only been in the position for a few months.  Typically, that wouldn't be such a big deal because I let them know up front.  However, since I am teaching three classes (with two taking place during normal business hours), that's just not gonna fly.  So I'm going to have to kiss one of my composition classes--if not both--good-bye.  Cue sad face.

I HATE leaving my students and the English department in the lurch.  (My Intermediate class is safe because it is housed in a different department and takes place after business hours.)  I would have preferred to cut Intermediate loose because composition is so much more fun!  I had to do this (leave my kids behind) the semester I got sick; I know, I know, neither of these situations are exactly in my control, but I'm still bummed.  (Because this position closed before we came back from break, I was hoping their decision would have been made BEFORE the semester started.  As you can see, that didn't pan out.)  I should know in the next few days what my schedule is going to look like.  I'm hoping I'll be able to ride out next week, so we can at least finish Unit 1, and the next instructor can step in after that.

So lots of feels over here today!  I'm happy and excited and nervous and anxious and sad (not to just leave my students but also my current grant supervisor, the folks in the Advising Center, and my giant office that will be traded in for a cubicle.  And I won't be seeing my husby as much since I'll be in a different building.)

1)  I'm thankful for this new opportunity and for the opportunities I've had the past two years working at this campus.  I've got my first big girl job since I graduated!  I'm excited to see what the future will hold.  :)  I'm also thankful that my husband has been appointed interim Director of Student Life in addition to his role as an advisor and as a TV coordinator.

2)  I'm thankful for how supportive my husband, our families, and our friends and coworkers have been as we embark on these new journeys.

3)  I'm thankful for a free weekend that can be used to prepare for this transition.  I'm going to be getting ahead on cleaning, making cleaning products, and freezing some quick meals, so I'm blessed, not stressed.

4)  I'm thankful I'll have another week now before I get to enjoy that wonderfully tasty Bowel Prep or Go Lightly.  And that's a misnomer, if I've ever heard one.  (I had to move back my colonoscopy to do orientation.)  But we are still going out to dinner to Mimi's Cafe this weekend--this time to celebrate my new job!  

5)  I'm thankful my cousin has dilated to NINE CENTIMETERS!  She went in last night to be induced, and Keegan is almost here.  When I told my husband how far along she is and how that means she is very closed, he said, "That's just not right."  (Yep.  Ten centimeters is just not enough.) Next time you see me, I'll likely be bragging about my new little cousin.  :)