NewBrook Elementary - Vermont State Spelling Bee Winners!

Last weekend, the NewBrook Elementary Spelling Bee team headed up to Northfield, VT for the State Spelling Bee. After winning the District and Regional they had made it to state again (they have gone for about the last 7 years). This time the team's goal was to WIN state!

I worked at the Regional Spelling Bee because our school hosted it and I was instantly hooked. You would think Spelling Bee's would be boring but they are the exact opposite!!

I drove up with Joyce, a teacher at my school who is also the Spelling Bee coach. She and I were both very excited and nervous for our kids.

There are 12 rounds in a spelling bee - each student spells one word in each round. There are 5 teams and four seats for each team (so 20 spellers). There are also usually 1-2 alternates for each team.

Our school was row 3 and we were in fourth place up until the 8th round. It is not that we were spelling our words wrong - its just that every school seemed to be getting every word correct, it was a close competition. Going into the 12th round we were in third place. We were all hoping for second place. In the very last row of kids (so the last 5 spelling words of the whole Bee) the team that was in first place misspelled their bonus word (there are 20 regular words and then 5 bonus words-one speller gets one per round and they rotate) so we tied for second. THEN, Jessie, the last speller for our team got here bonus word correct - arbitrate - and we pulled in to WIN by only 2 points!!! It was crazy how close all the teams were the whole time and then at the very last second we wonnnnnnn!

The only 2 words our team misspelled the whole Bee were 2 bonus words: daffodil and bazaar (our speller spelled the other bazaar, bizarre).

We came home with individual medals for each kid and a BIG state champs trophy/plaque that is now prominently sitting in the office at school.

I am so glad I went along, it was fun AND we won!!

See the newspaper article: http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_16688031?source=rss

My First Trip to New York City!

I went to New York City this past weekend for the very first time. I went to celebrate with my uncle for his 25th anniversary of being in the priesthood. 4 of my aunts came from Milwaukee as well as my grandparents from Florida.

My travel plans WERE to leave Brattleboro by train at 12:31 pm on Friday (I had purchased my Amtrak tickets months in advance). So I get to the train station (and when I say train station I mean little room with lawn chairs in it) about a half hour early (what it said to do on my ticket). It is getting to be about 12:30 and I hear a loud phone call going on in the employee 'office'. After the guy gets off the phone he comes out to the waiting room area to tell me and others waiting that there has been a slight issue ... the train has engine problems and turned back around to go back to White River Junction, VT. Okay, I take a deep breath and think this is not the worst, it will just be delayed a little bit. The guy tells us he is going to call back in about 15 minutes to get an update.

15 minutes later we get the next announcement: that the train has severe engine problems and they will not be able to get another train. Great. The train is NOT coming. Okay, more deep breaths and waiting. They will be sending a bus to get people that might take up to an hour or two to get to Brattleboro, to take people to Springfield, VT, to get on a train there to get to New York City eventually. I got up at this point and made the decision to just get out of there and start driving. I would figure out the rest later.

So I ended up driving to New Haven, CT, about 2 hours away from Brattleboro. I found a parking garage to park my car (so expensive...there went my spending money) and found the train station. I went up to the ticket window to explain my situation and ended up switching my ticket over to a different train (which I had to pay $15 more for, not sure why when I was going a shorter distance...but at that point I just wanted to get to New York). That train was supposed to be leaving New Haven at 4:15 (I had gotten to New Haven at about 3:15) but was running 45 minutes late. On a positive note, it was a good thing that I drove to New Haven because in the train station there it had a posting about my train I was supposed to take and that it wasn't getting to New Haven until 9:45 pm - so who knows what time those people made it to New York by...?

So after waiting, I FINALLY got on my train. I sat down and started to feel a little better, I was on my way again. That wasn't until I started to panic again when we kept stopping (and not at designated stops either). The conductor came onto the loud speaker and said that we were stopping due to 'activity' ahead. I was getting so stressed out and just wanted to get there. I was supposed to have arrived in New York City at 6:40 and then grab a cab to my uncle's party which was starting at 7...

I finally got into Penn Station (at Madison Square Garden) and found my way through all the people to get into the line for a taxi. I only had to wait about 5 minutes for a taxi and then got in and gave the driver the address. I was going to the D&D (Decoration and Design) building on 3rd Ave at 59th Street. The driving in NYC is crazy - cabs zip in and out of traffic, honking at everyone (even though there are signs posted saying 'Don't Honk, $250 fine') and the start/stop/start/stop and pumping of the breaks is enough to make anyone car sick. I took the cab for $8.80 worth and got out on the corner of 3rd Ave. and 59th Street and finally made it into the building. The party was on the 14th floor so I had to wait for someone to come down and get me to go up, there was a man at the front desk that told me to wait. I get up to the party - around 8ish - just in time for the dinner to start. I changed and then could finally sit down and relax - and the glass of wine helped as well.

Saturday - day 2! I was up at 7:30 and got ready for the day. We went to Central Park in the morning and then to the Cloisters (a MoMA museum of Medievel European art/religious relics) along the Hudson River. Check it out at: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/the_cloisters. I had an interesting experience of going to church where my uncle said mass - in Spanish. I took Spanish about 5 years ago for 4 years so I could catch a few words here and there but luckily we had a book with the order of the mass in it with English on one side and Spanish on the other side so we could kind of follow along!

The last thing we did Saturday night was to go out to dinner at a small Mexican Restaurant in the Bronx. I had chicken fajitas - but of course the drive back to where I was staying made me feel car sick...a combination of just eating, my uncle's driving ;) and just driving in NYC in general.

My traveling back on Sunday was uneventful - of course when I have no set time I need to be back or time crunch! Overall it was a nice trip, but not long enough! Luckily, I am going back for Thanksgiving and will get to see more and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!! :)

What's the big idea((r))?

I have learned a few things from being out east about how they pronounce some words differently here.

1. Everyone says idear - not idea like it is spelled but idear. Where does that /r/ come from I wonder?

2. Everyone pronounces the word route -root- like a tree root. In Wisconsin we say route - like it is spelled but here is is root....? Hmmmm.

I have been corrected for saying route wrong - in a nice way of course - but I will stay strong and say idea NOT idear!

I have been enjoying the beauty Vermont has to offer and especially now that the trees are starting to change! I had the chance to go along on a field trip last week to Putney Mountain with the 3rd and 4th graders. We were bird watching - looking for falcons, eagles, hawks and other birds - to go along with there raptor unit. It was absolutely gorgeous! The two pictures are from the field trip!

I have been getting involved in my community: big brothers/big sisters, coaching 3/4 grade soccer and volunteering at PTO events!

I love my job and I guess I can say: so far, so good!

1 month on my own and the car breaks down....

So as I am sure you have read (you better be reading all my posts!) I went to Boston over Labor Day weekend. Well with NO problems we (my bestie that came to visit me and I) got home later Saturday night and were exhausted (physically) from the day. We decided to not go out for dinner but to head over to the grocery store to grab a frozen pizza and some wine. We go to the store, get our stuff, check out and then head back out to the car. Really very normal. Until I sat in the drivers seat and turned the key to my horror hearing nothing happen. OH MY GOD. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. So I tried again- nothing. We decide to sit and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Try again- nothing. AHHHH I don't know anything about cars or know what to do. And of course my cell phone is sitting at home charging.

Luckily my friend who was with me (thank God I was not alone on this one) had her phone so I call, who else, my dad. Of course he tells me he doesn't know what to tell me - what was I expecting, him to know what to do all the way in WI??? So we try a couple of different things- nothing and try to find someone to jump it- no one.

Okay so we decide to just get a cab (are there even any in Brattleboro???), go home and try to figure it out in the morning. The biggest concern I had was getting my friend back to the airport. On Labor Day. At 7:00 AM.

We do find a cab, a nice guy who talks a lot and seems pretty legit, get home and just breathe. Well I try to just breathe.

Next morning- we call a couple of different airport shuttles and find one (thank God) and then have to find someone to drive us to Greenfield, MA where the shuttle is picking up (like 25 minutes from my house) and luckily my teacher friend (thank God) agrees to take us. She tells me- oh you poor thing, and does whatever she can to help (including later on driving me to the car place a few times and helping me figure out what to do!!!).

So, crisis one of trying to get my friend home is dealt with. Then Tuesday after work I go to the car place to see if they have had a chance to go walk across the street to the grocery store parking lot where my car is sitting. No they have not. Okay, then what to do? They give us a jumper 'box' (jumper cables attached to a battery box that you can use to jump your car without another car) and YAY the car starts. I feel that this is a good sign! I drive it over to the car place and they agree to get to it tomorrow.

So I call the next day and they say some car terms and something about the battery - so I say go ahead and fix it, whatever you need to do so I can have it back (after 5 years of no car and only having one for a month or so, who knew I would get so attached to having it?) after school Wednesday.

The crazy thing is that it was a new battery that was just put in a month ago when I bought the car, and I know it was for sure because it was my dad's friend who did it for us...or so I thought...I get to the car place and they show me the 'old' battery - which has a date stamp of July 2000 (well according to the guy who is telling me this). Wow I am thinking, that is crazy because why would my dad's friend not put a battery in when he said he was, etc.

So I get the car back having paid my check for the new battery and service and am on my way.

Of course there is more to the story. So I talk to my dad, who talked to his friend who put the battery in and it really WAS a new battery. The date stamp on Interstate batteries is shown by the numbers 1 through 0, 0 meaning 10, for 2010. So if it was in fact a new battery, it must have been a defective battery, which means it is under warranty by Interstate. So now I must call the car place I went to, tell them all of this about the date stamp and Interstate's warranty on defective batteries and hope to get my money back maybe. I know I have been avoiding it because it is kind of awkward but oh well, I need to get over it and it would be nice to get that $100 back.....I will keep you updated on what happens!

Oh, my life! :)

Boston!

So one of my bestest friends came to visit me over Labor Day weekend - which was AMAZING to have a true true friend with me in the flesh. She suggested that we go to Boston for a day trip over the Saturday she would be here. So we got up kind of early and set off on our drive to Boston. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to the outskirts of the city and then we parked at a subway station, Alewife. We parked there and then took the subway into the city, to the downtown crossing.

We then took another subway up towards where Bunker Hill is. We looked up at Bunker Hill (it looks like a miniature version of the Washington Monument in D.C. but is not that miniature) and thought what is so special about this? We learned that Bunker Hill is not just a monument but was actually used in the Revolutionary War as a lookout and a place to shoot cannons from. So we had the grand idea to climb up the steps to the top.......all 298 steps........however many minutes that took later (not to mention we were coated with sweat) we had reached the top. The view was nice and luckily it was pretty breezy up there to cool us off and dry off our sweat! You would think the way up would be harder but I swear the way down was crazy. Our legs were shaking and feeling weak so both of us were holding on to the railing and going slower than old ladies! We heard a guy saying that it is hard on the lungs on the way up but harder on the legs on the way down ... so right!

After our 'adventure' we headed along to follow the Freedom Trail. We saw some old cemeteries, Paul Revere's house, some old churches, the old state house and just a bunch of areas of significant Revolutionary War history.

After our truly authentic Boston lunch (NOT - we ate at McDonalds) we saw some really cool street performers. It was a bunch of guys moving and break dancing who seemed to gather up a huge crowd. Then they were involving the audience by having six people get in the middle so that one of the performers could jump over them. SO they worked the crowd, played some music, danced and of course collected money (how could we not give some, they were so cool and super attractive as well) and then came the big finale. The crowd was pumped up and we waited and waited and then finally one of the guys ran up and jumped over the six people (they were bent over). It happened so fast but it truly was amazing. I will have to get the video clip of it to put up!!

Next stop was the Boston Commons - it was super pretty and a HUGE park. It was like two big parks right next to each other, but separated by a street. It was busy, lots of people sitting, enjoying music, walking, hanging out with their dogs AND then the best part ... the wedding party photos. Saturdays are a common wedding day but even more common I guess is getting your wedding pictures done at the Boston Commons. We creeped on the 3 different wedding parties we saw - some dresses were better than others...but all the flower girls were cute! They even had some swan boats in the pond, I wanted to go for a ride but the line was really long.

After a long but fun day in Boston we ended up in Chinatown and then a little touristy area near the subway station. My friend bought a Boston sweatshirt and I bought -of course- a keychain to add to my pointless keychain collection. We headed back on the subway to where the car was - our feet and legs tired and truly worn out but with good cause!

2 down...how many to go?

I have officially completed my first two weeks of school - even though they were short weeks - and my brain is tired. I like all my kids, I like everyone I work with and so far I really do just like everything. The hard part is getting over how surreal it is to be a 'real' teacher and not a college student anymore. Also, getting over the fact that I am super young compared to all of the other teachers and aides. I know that I graduated college, have my degree, have knowledge and (some) experience BUT I just don't feel like I'm with a group of my 'peers'.

Luckily my principal and special education director are super supportive and check in with me regularly to see how I am doing and what I need help with.

Last week I also went to a PLC, Professional Learning Community, Training which was very helpful and made me feel like even though my peers aren't my age or seem like my peers they ARE and I need to establish myself keeping that in mind.

I have gotten the hang of how the school runs, which classrooms do what and have finished MY schedule and started some informal inventories to see where my kids are at so I can see what I need to do to get them where they need to be. :)

First Day!

Yesterday was my first day and it just flew by. The first week or two of a special education teacher who has a 'resource room' who sees kids 30 minutes a day here or an hour a day there is kind of in 'limbo' with no set schedule yet. So for this first week I am just peeking in on some kids and hanging out in the general education classrooms to get to know my kids and observe them a bit.

I started the day with doing some paperwork/organizational stuff and then headed into one of the 3/4 classrooms. They do multi-age classrooms here at NewBrook so there is one kindergarten class, 2 1st and 2nd grade rooms, 2 3rd and 4th grade rooms and 2 5th and 6th grade rooms. I was hanging out with the larger 3/4 classroom that is team taught with 2 general education teachers. That particular classroom has 6 kids in it from my case load so I got a feel for the ones I will be working with. After doing a couple of activities the class got together with the other 3/4 class that is a little smaller in the multi-purpose room (gym, auditorium and cafeteria) to play some fun games. One we played was charades in small groups. I joined one small group and facilitated and even got to act out a few things; going jogging, flying a kite and playing golf :)

I ate lunch in my room with my para-educator and then was planning on hanging out in the smaller 3/4 room but got side tracked with organizing a file cabinet.....so fun, I know! Before I knew it the day was over - it went by SO fast!

I got home around 5:00 but I know that once I get farther into the year and have more to do and plan I will probably be living at school!

Of course, when I laid down to go to sleep last night all I could do was think of things I had to do, obsess over how to do things, what to do and tooooo much. It is hard to shut your brain off to sleep!

So today I got to school a little earlier and will most likely stay a little later, getting a little done at a time. Oh, and I spent the morning with the kindergarteners - they are too cute!

I am a real teacher...?

I can't believe that I am actually starting the new school year on Tuesday as a real teacher!

I will blog all about it next week!

Oops! The story of how I got too carried away with throwing things away.

So I decided to start going through everything in my classroom last week, continued into this week. There was SO much and I figured that I had to look at what I had anyways so why not make some decisions of whether or not it should stay or go.

After going through the first few shelves I determined that the deciding factor for whether or not something would be thrown away was its publishing date. If anything was published BEFORE I was born (1987) then it FOR SURE could be thrown away. This was according to me, myself and I. No consulting or guidance, just pure and simple --> garbage!

Well I was continuing to go through things and loving it (I absolutely LOVE organizing....just wait for the labeling to start :) ha ha!) when I came across a push cart piled high with stuff. I looked at it and using my deductive reasoning skills decided it was stuff from the other school (Brookline) that was combining with my school (Newfane) to make the new combined school of NewBrook. So I begin to go through it, either throwing things away or putting it away where I thought it belonged in my classroom. Done. Happy with my accomplishment I packed up to head home (this was Friday afternoon).

So the weekend comes and goes (nothing too exciting here: just me running errands, going to the farmers market and the library).

Monday morning - I have to go to the central office to get my iPod Touch set up and syncronized with my email and contacts (yes I get an Ipod Touch). So I do that and then head over to school. I have a meeting with my paraeducator that I will be working with. I meet a couple of other staff and paraeducators and then start my very informal meeting with my para. We chat, and discuss how things work, blah blah blah.

As she is leaving to go, I point to the now empty push cart and tell her that I sorted through all of the stuff that came from Brookline. She looks at me and tells me that it was not from Brookline but it was the Speech/Language Pathologist's (SLP) stuff. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I begin to panic. I threw stuff away. I went through it all. AHHHHH!!!! My para tells me it is okay, she won't be mad because she is a very laid back and free-spirited person. Still. I am freaking out. The minute my para leaves I begin to run around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to sort through the recycling bin, going through my shelves and racking my brain for what was on that cart to put it back.

I have now put stuff back on and hope she won't be pissed and hope that I have remembered/found everything that belongs on it.

Another DUH! moment. How many of these are going to keep happening to me? But on a good note I ran into my Special Ed director and told her about going through everything (well not the SLP's stuff) and about my throwing away anything published before 1987 thing. She said that was great and that I really could throw away anything published before 2000 if Iwanted to. Looks like another round for me!

Well tomorrow and Wednesday I have a RtI (Response to Intervention) Workshop/training, in my classroom organizing Thursday and then all district staff meeting/special ed meeting Friday.

Then comes inservice Monday and FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Tuesday the 31st. I am super excited to finally meet all my kids, after reading and hearing about them but at the same time I can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed and very nervous too.

Journey to New Hampshire

On Sunday I went to visit some friends of my grandparents in Stoddard, New Hampshire. I was very excited to go because I would finally be seeing some people and interacting with others. I had never met them before but my grandma said that they would be super friendly, nice and make me feel right at home. Well they were right because I had the best time!!

My only issue *of course* was getting to their house. I had directions to follow HWY 9 into Keene, NH and then stay on 9 until I got to Junction 123, turn left there and turn right on Treelyn Rd (which is a dirt road). Well I did fine until I got to Keene, NH because then (I did not know it at the time but I had passed a turn to continue on 9) I got to this roundabout that did not have 9 as an option. So I drove in circles a few times then pulled over into a Dunkin Dounuts (they are every where around here) to call them. So I talk to them and get back on the right track.

I am driving and driving and driving and begin to panic that I went to far ..... oh no! So I try to look for places to pull over to look at the map of New England I have (like that would help anyways) or to use my cell phone to call them (but of course I have NO service). I finally pull over in this driveway looking thing and am freaking out that I went way too far. I look up and see a gas station - so I get back on the road and pull into the gas station. I bring my cell phone (to look up the number of my grandparents friends if I need to call them from the gas station's phone --I hope not!--) and the little slip of paper I have with directions on it. I go in and ask the guy working (looks super young, like he is in high school) if I am anywhere near Junction 123. Luckily, I am! He looks at me like I am kind of crazy, because I was in such a panic that I went to far, and tells me it is just a mile or so up the road and to turn left when I get to it.

THANK GOD!!!

So I get back on the road, make my left turn at Junction 123 and then begin to look for Treelyn Road. I of course pass it, so I turn around and make my way onto the dirt/gravel road. I am staying to the right and after I go over the little (and I mean tiny) bridge I start to look for their house. Well I knew they lived in the woods but it was like back woods, no one around, houses very spread apart. So I recall what her house number is so I am driving and looking, looking and driving until I finally get to a tree with their house number and a cute little sign with their names on it and a moose (there are lots of moose here you know? and signs that say MOOSE CROSSING ahead :) ha!). I park and go in the house and am greeted with smiles and hugs, like I have known them forever, only I just met them. Thank you to all the grandparents in the world who are just great!

So we had a nice leisurely Sunday of chatting, taking a walk around the lake, playing with their dog (SO cute), eating, watching TV, and the best part yet -- going into town.

So we are just sitting around chatting and one topic leads to another and 'Grandma' goes, "hey do we need to go to the dump today?" I look up from the newspaper ad I am looking at and then look back down. 'Grandpa' replies that "yes, as a matter of fact we do." I, trying to be smart, go, "I have been just dying to go to the dump!" They both look at me and laugh and then we all pack up the car to go into town to go the dump. What an adventure. We drive through town (which is a general store and a volunteer fire station) and get to the dump, where you literally do your own dumping.

After that we sat down to a nice dinner and had some yummy caramel ice cream to top it off. I left once it started to get dark, so I didn't have to try to find my way through the winding dirt path (aka road) to get back to the main highway. Of course I was packed up full with leftovers and some school supplies :)

How nice. I loved it!

To check out Stoddard, NH: http://www.stoddardnh.org/!

A Key Item

So yesterday I was bored -imagine that- so I decided to stop at the grocery store after I returned my Redbox movie -Alice in Wonderland, which I liked- to buy a brownie mix, which I had been craving. So I am walking around the store trying to find the brownie mix and then I decide what goes better with brownies than ice cream? So I grab some vanilla ice cream and walk by the frozen fruit. I remembered that I had vanilla yogurt at home that I had already bought and thought buying some frozen fruit would be a good idea because then I could make smoothies. I pick out two bags - one of strawberries and one of mixed berries...

Side note: people here are super nice, or at least the woman in the grocery store was to me. As I was grabbing the frozen fruit she asked me if I would like a coupon. I say sure, and she proceeds to rip out the coupon and hand it to me. She goes, "50 cents is 50 cents." I thank her --- wow that made my day!!!!!

Okay back to the story, so I check out and drive home. It is raining (not really pertinent to the story but I just wanted to make that note) and I run in the house. I start to put away the few groceries I bought and have a DUH moment.

I DO NOT HAVE A BLENDER - WHICH IS NEEDED TO MAKE SMOOTHIES. DUH!

So yes, I have had my great laundry adventure - which I realized it is spelled laundromat NOT laundry mat and then now my great buy stuff to make smoothies and then realize you don't have a blender adventure.

I have ventured out again today and got my library card :) yay!

Tomorrow I am going to the Brattleboro Farmers Market: http://www.brattleborofarmersmarket.com/!! It should be fun.

Well until my next adventure or DUH moment..... have a great weekend :)

First Day Alone

Well after a fun drive, minus the BORING long drive through New York state on Sunday, unpacking the car, setting up my apartment (what little there was to set up) and going to the grocery store (I always hate that first grocery shopping trip when you are starting from nothing) I am 'settled'. I have found the nearest Target (only 20 minutes away in Keene, NH) the WalMart (only a 5 minute drive across the Connecticut river over the NH border) and my local Redbox (who is my BFF for now), I am starting to feel a little more comfortable in my new home. Not to mention that I absolutely love my surroundings - the beautiful scenery, GREEN everywhere, super friendly people and a busting downtown.

So I had my first day of work today - well it was just technology training but it went well. I met the two other new special ed teachers to the district, and they are older who have worked at other schools in the area. SO - I am officially the youngest teacher in the district and the newest to the teaching profession! Woo Hoo! One of the other teachers I met today though has a sister that is teaching at my school, Newfane Elementary, also and said that the three of us should get together. She asked me what I like to do and I said whatever (I just want to do anything with anyone at this point!) She suggested kayaking - I quickly asked her if this would be for exercise or for fun and she reassured me for fun! So we are going to exchange info tomorrow and set something up.

Also, I just found out that one of my old neighbors is now living in Boston, which is only 2 hours away so I can go visit her maybe. I have my uncle living in New York, New York AND my grandparents close friends live a little bit north of Keene, NH so I kind of know people around here :) ha ha!

As for what I did today - I had the most ridiculous and annoying laundry mat experience. So how many trips does it take to get your laundry done?

Trip 1: I packed up my laundry, put it in my car and headed to WalMart to go pick up some laundry detergent and dryer sheets to start. After wandering through WalMart for an hour (just to DO something and kill a littleb time) I arrived at the laundry mat. I proceeded to put my laundry into two different washing machines, put my money in ($2 each load) and my laundry detergent to get NO result. I of course had closed the washing machines and when they did not start, I began to panic because I thought my laundry was locked into the washers. I looked around to see if there was an office, someone on duty, or even just a sign with a phone number or a procedure for when this kind of thing happens. Nothing. So I walked around a little and went up to an older man who was also doing laundry. I told him I had never been here before and was having issues with my washers. He walks over, checks it, smacks it a few times and told me that this place is not kept up that well and this happens a lot. Great. He showed me how to use a quarter in this little slot thing to at least get my clothes out of the washers and then told me to look for some washers that are wet-ish because they must work then. So I thanked him and finally got my washers to start. I drove home.

Trip 2: Since the laundry mat is a block down the hill from my house, I decided to walk down to switch my laundry. I was pleased to find the washers had done their job and my clothes were done. So I walk up the dryer and put my quarter in (it says 25 cents next to the slot) and press start. I see the temperature pop up (Hi) and the numbers 06. I think nothing of it and decide to walk home 'thinking' it was all set to go.

Trip 3: I decided to drive this time and go to the Redbox first to return my movie I got last night and get another one for tonight (remember, the Redbox is my BFF for now). Once I finish up at the Redbox I stop at the laundry mat (again). I find my clothes had stopped so I opened it up and they were still a little damp. So I put in another quarter and walk around a bit, looking at the bulletin board in the building. A little bit later I notice that the dryer has stopped again. So I go put in another quarter, and another and notice that the littleb 06 is changing to 12 and then 18. OHHHHHHH each quarter is 6 MINUTES - duhhhhh! SO I put in enough for a half hour or so and drive home.

Trip 4: I waited a half hour and finally walked down to the laundry mat again (I could not drive again) and FINALLY my clothes were dry. After taking them out and folding them I walked back home and put them away.

I sure have learned a lot about what not to do when trying to wash clothes at the laundry mat. After many episodes of wanting to slap myself, I finally had some clean clothes.

Well the little cafe I am sitting in, The Works, is closing at 6 - so I am going to head back home to make some dinner and watch my movie (I got Alice in Wonderland finally)!!

Love and miss you all!! :)

Moving To Vermont

Well I will be packing my car up to the brim, picking up my best friend to drive along with me and trecking across the country to Vermont. We leave early Saturday morning and are stopping at my friend's gracious aunt and uncle's house in Ohio along the way.

It is hard to imagine that after being in school for 18 years straight that I will be making the transition from student to teacher. It is funny that even though I have graduated college and have my first job, I will yet again be starting another school year -- this time on the other side of the table. I will go from being a professional student to a first year teacher.

As for the name of my blog, it comes as inspiration from my new principal. When I met him last week he told me this of a new teacher: "Your first year is survival. Your second year is for reflection. And you third year is when you finally begin to teach." So, as I 'survive' this up-coming school year and adventure of moving to a city and state where I know no one I hope that you enjoy reading about everything - good, funny or bad.

I will miss everyone of my family members and close friends as I move to Vermont to embark in my first journey after college but I am truly excited to start this job and live in such a beautiful part of the country. If Vermont is not on your list of places to see/visit you need to add it now!