Interviews

Last year, the a/c was out in my van. I had an afternoon interview after I finished work for the morning. It was noon when I left, and it was already close to 100* with the humidity up close to 90%. I rolled the windows down and headed down the road to the interview, trying to ignore the thoughts of what was happening to my hair. 

I arrived at the interview looking like the Wild Woman of Westeros. I had brought a change of shirt with me, so I slipped into the clean, dry shirt in the bathroom.  I could do nothing about my windswept hair except run a brush through it. Unlike everyone else, when it gets hot and humid, my hair gets flatter and straighter. I pulled the mess up into a barrette. When I took a serious look at my face, I gasped. It was bright red. I ran some cold water over it, but there wasn't much I could do. 

I presented myself to the startled receptionist, and then sat in a chair fanning myself with my folder until called into the interview. 

I faced a very startled looking panel, with a very proper gentleman at the head of the table. I began my introduction with the stock "The air conditioner is out in my car, and it feels like I drive through water to get here."  The proper gentleman struggled to keep a neutral face as we proceeded with the interview. 

Needless to say, I didn't get the job. 

However, one year later, I'm interviewing with the same organization. When HR called to schedule the interview the receptionist who had witnessed the whole fiasco last year asked me "Is your air conditioning fixed yet?"  

I guess I really did make an impression!!

It's a Sub Job. What Can Go Wrong?

I originally published this in 2013.  As I recall, this particular incident happened towards the end of the school year, but I didn't get around to writing it down until the summer of 2013.  Enjoy the look back!

When I sub, I normally only sub in grades K-3.  I'm certified to teach K-3, and when I was teaching, I taught K-3.  It's the group that I am most comfortable with, and am the best at teaching.  However, as the year comes to a close, I stop being so picky and take just about any job I can find.  I think it's that motivation that says "You won't be getting a paycheck in June, July, and August" that makes me be less picky.

One day in late May, I took a job entitled "Supplementary".  These jobs are the grab bag of the substitute world.  You don't know what you're getting into until you walk in the door of the building that morning.  Surprise!!

This particular day, I was assigned to 2nd grade in the morning and 5th grade in the afternoon.  The 2nd grade class was a hoot, and I spent a wonderful time with a great class of kids, and had an awesome set of lesson plans to follow.  I enjoyed myself no end.

The afternoon with 5th grade was particularly memorable.  The teacher had left us with a DVD to watch, and had trained one child how to turn it on and get it to go.  The movie was in her laptop, and it was to be projected from her laptop onto the white board in front of the room.  Her final words to me before she left were "YOU don't touch anything.  Only SHE does."  (Pointing to a child in the class.)  Okie Dokie!

We finished up the lesson she had left, and then SHE attempted to start the movie. Nothing happened.  The girl tried, again, and nothing happened.  The kids became very, very helpful.  (Overly helpful, even.)  Yet still, nothing happened.  I called down to the main office, and they sent an Assistant Principal down to "show us" how to make it work.  He ended up calling the media specialist, who then ended up calling the technology guy from the county who was in the building working on the network. 

So, while all of the great minds were working on getting the DVD to run, what were the kids doing?  We started playing "Simon Says".  Twenty minutes later, the crew of four adults looked at me and said "It's not working."  (Insert evil teacher/mom glare here.)  I asked, "So, what do I do?" 

"Oh," said the Assistant Principal, "You follow the plans she left you."  I handed them the plans that said: "Watch the movie.  The kids know how to turn it on.  YOU don't touch the laptop.  Only the trained student may start the DVD.   Dismissal begins at 3:15."  He gave me a blank stare, and you could see the same panic I was feeling beginning to build behind his eyes.

Thankfully, at that minute, the teacher next door stuck her head around the corner and said "Hey, do you want to join us?  I'm just about to start the movie.  The kids are welcome to come over and sit on the floor!"

At least I didn't touch the laptop!!

Progress of One Kind and Another

Our poor kitchen.  Pity me and my husband.  We've been locked out of the kitchen for close to a month now.  Granted, I'm not the world's best cook, and I don't always enjoy cooking, but when you can't get into your kitchen you really begin to miss it after a while.

We're making significant progress now.  The pace is picking up, and I am so very, very excited to see how fast things are moving along!

The sink has been removed from the counter.  We were both very surprised at the condition of BOTH of the joins underneath the drain in the sink.  Both were corroded.  The left sink bowl hadn't started leaking yet, but I honestly think it was only a matter of time before it started leaking.  The sink itself is only 12 years old, so I don't understand the corrosion and deterioration.  You might want to have a look at the pipes under your own sink and see how they're holding up. 

Wow, isn't it pretty?  We left the lower pipes, and more importantly the "U" bend, or trap intact.  This allows water to remain in pipe and keep sewer gas from coming back up into the house.

The view from the front. FYI - we DID turn the water in the sink OFF before we began taking this apart!  If we hadn't, we'd be dealing with even more water.

The sink and the faucet, out in the carport.   I'm also very concerned by the amount of mold and mildew behind the faucet and behind the drain/vent for the dishwasher.  I'm concerned that there is going to be damage to the drywall.  I guess we'll find out soon!

This week didn't involve any expenditure of money - just expenditure of physical labor.

As of right now, we're still under our max budget of $1500.  We've spent $396 to date.
The crucial moment is now.  The next bit hinges upon our ability to get the counter top out without breaking it....

I've stopped all mention of the Property Brothers around my husband.  He's feeling stress enough about this without my harping on how much faster/better Jonathan and Drew (and their crew of many tradespeople) could get this done.  Right now, it's just one guy with the help of his rather inept wife and overeager sons.


Other Posts in this Series:
It Only Looks Like We're Not Making Progress
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Catoctin Mountain

On Father's Day, daughter and I took husband out for a hike.  We ventured out to Catoctin Mountain in Frederick County.  We weren't planning on things being as crowded as they were.  At times, it seemed as if most of the greater Washington DC area had come out to Catoctin to hike the trails and check out Cunningham Falls!  Husband got an extra special present, too.  He sprained his ankle coming back over the ridge on our way back to the car from the falls. 

We hiked over to the falls from the visitor center.  Let me tell you, that was a pretty impressive hike over the ridge to the falls.  There was a lot of uphill, and the ground was quite rocky - great for turning an unsuspecting ankle.

A not quite so rocky, not quite so steep portion of the hike.

The view up the creek to the falls.  I thought this was prettier than the falls themselves.

A very hot dog cools off in the water.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Out by the parking lot, that little stream has calmed down a lot!

If you'd like to find out more, visit these sites:

Cunningham Falls State Park

Catoctin Mountain Park

Monday Musings

The most fantastic boss, and a very good friend left my place of employment two weeks ago.   I love him dearly, and in the two weeks since he left, I realize just how much of a force he was in that place. When you have somebody who challenges you and helps you to realize just how much you actually can do - AND that person is your boss - WOW.  Just wow.  What a thrill it was, working for him!  I am going to miss him more than words can say.  I wish him well in the next step in his journey.

I've made more progress than I thought possible on stuff around the house this weekend.  In my continuing quest to get almost 2,000 things out of my house this year, I am in the process of tackling my closet.  I am cleaning and dumping clothes that no longer fit.  It's been a trying process.  I still don't want to admit how much junk I had in my closet, but I'll be hitting a big number when I tally things up at the end of the month.  Even better, I might be able to keep my closet doors closed....

My trainer is moving on to Graduate School at the end of next month.  I've been trying to work without him, at the same intensity level.  While in my head I know I can do it, I'm still having trouble trying to convince my body that I can push myself that hard without him there.  The mental game I'm playing with myself, to be able to do this, is more than I was expecting.  Honestly, the motivation to succeed is high.  I bought a cute little flirty skirt off the rack in the regular size at the store on Friday.  I'm wearing it to work today.  I want to continue to buy those cute little flirty skirts, and maybe even a few in a smaller size, so I will find a way to keep working out, and I'll find a way to step up the intensity level.

I don't know if you can clearly see the "Service Past Due -59 miles" note.

Finally, this picture.  The new car is smarter than I am.  It does a better job of keeping track of service dates than I do.  I had scheduled an oil change and service last week.  When I drove it into the mechanic's lot, this was the annoying message on the dashboard notification system.  Only the mechanic can reset that button.  Just how annoying is that?  I probably need something equally annoying to push me to go schedule my mammogram...

Book Review: Supernotes

image: Amazon

Disclaimer Notice: This post contains Affiliate Links.  

Agent Kasper works in Cambodia with his partner, Clancy.  The two of them own a bar in Phonm Penh named Sharkey's.  People come into Sharkey's to conduct business, and to get a drink and a bite to eat.  However, Sharkey's is not all that it seems.  Both Clancy and Kasper work for foreign governments.  Clancy for the CIA, and Kasper for the Italian Intelligence Agency.  In the course of their work, they have stepped on some powerful toes and have been warned to leave the country, immediately.

Unfortunately, the two do not get out of Cambodia fast enough, and they are captured by the government and then disappear.  Kasper's living nightmare begins with his capture, and he knows that he will never be allowed to leave alive.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend and mother back in Italy hire a very determined lawyer and they work together to find out what happened to Kasper and free  him.  As they dig deeper into the circumstances behind Kasper's disappearance, they find deeper and bigger forces than they ever expected are behind his disappearance, and that they have every intention of keeping Kasper and the information he has uncovered disappeared forever.

This book is a page turning, edge of your seat spy novel set in modern day Cambodia and Italy, with flashbacks to events that lead up to Kasper's situation.  With events ranging all over the globe, and people and events tied to every major government in the world, knowing who you can trust and who you can't is a guessing game.  Trusting the wrong people will leave you dead.

Things Overheard While Shopping

My own kids are now grown, so shopping is a mostly pleasant experience.  I say mostly, because I still have to PAY at the end of the trip.  That's not always quite so pleasant.  Gone are the days when the kids fought their way through the aisles, when I'd end up finding an associate, handing them my cart, telling them my name and asking them to put it somewhere for me until later that day when I could come back without the kids, and then scurrying my screaming brats out to the car.

I thoroughly enjoy the comments that I hear from kids and parents as I roam the aisles of Target, and have almost laughed out loud at some of the comments.

Here's a sampling of just a few I've heard over the past few weeks:

"Mom, Jamie hit me!"
"Jamie, did you hit your brother?"
"Ummmm..."
"Did you hit your brother?"
"It all happened so fast...."


"Dad, Mike called me an idiot"
Sotto voce, from the person in the aisle next to me: "If the shoe fits...."


At the Starbucks counter:

I need to speak to a manager. My drink doesn't sparkle. 

(Question here: how do you get a Frappucino to "sparkle"?)

And one jokester at the gym:  I'd like to complain, I've been a member here for 6mo tha and I haven't list any weight yet. 

Sir, I can set you up with one of our trainers & they can go over your workout plan with you. 

What??? I have to work out, too?  Next thing you know, you'll tell me I have to watch what I eat!