Tomorrow

It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I'll start out at work, where we'll be doing Little Gate Jazz Fest from 9:30 - 11:30. It's a LG tradition which is modeled after the real Jazz Fest. We'll even have watermelon, meat pies and snoballs. Truthfully, I don't know if that really mirrors City Park's Jazz Fest because I have not gone in my adult recollection. I've always had finals around then and/or couldn't really justify the expensive tickets. I know that they would be worth it to see some of the acts, but maybe next year. Jesse'll be done with school. Maybe Mia will be able to come too, but she'll probably be in finals.

My mom'll be in town tomorrow. Her birthday is on Thursday, but so is my Uncle Fel's funeral. I have to babysit tomorrow at 2, on the Westbank. Then, I have to teach ESL from 6:30 - 8:30. My mom'll be sleeping over and though it's a short visit and the reasoning is sad, I'm happy to be able to spend a little time with her.

Jesse fixed his TV tonight! After some tedious and uneasy TV deconstruction and soddering, we plugged it in and lo and behold, the clicking sound did not occur and a visible and discernable picture was there. We're both quite impressed and it only cost him about $15 dollars for the parts he ordered online. He saw a youtube tutorial as well since this is something that's been happening to more than a few Samsungs. Even though he would have liked to get a new LED TV, I think we're both more than content that we won't have to spend hundred of dollars (for a repairman) or thousands of dollars (for a TV). What a learning experience though, and I'm proud of his tenacity!

So to celebrate (though Jesse was playing on his computer while), we finished Julie and Julia and watched the second episode of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It was a wonderful and somewhat low key night. Jesse even enjoyed Julie and Julia! That was the highlight. We started Food Revolution yesterday evening, and though neither of us care much for reality TV (but I have my guilty pleasures), we like Jamie Oliver so much! I missed Glee, but I'll catch up. That and on Parenthood.

Til next time. Bon nuit!

Not to be political, but this speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbyFeFhUTmI&feature=fvst

And to think when the SLRC was in NOLA, I was recruited. Hahaha

Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver

Thanks to Drew and Daddy for introducing me to TED. Please watch. I cannot summarize what he has to say as articulately or concisely as he does. It's a little under 22 minutes.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

Sick day #2

I had to stay home again. I still feel pretty terrible. Jesse stayed home from work today to take care of me. It was very sweet of him, but I'm still a little worried about him missing so many days of work in general.

So I laid in bed most of the day. I wasted time just bumming around the internet and not being productive, but trying at the same time not to strain myself really. Jesse got me apple sauce and chicken noodle soup this morning so I didn't have to worry about that. I'm just waiting for the antibiotic to do it's work. I have't taken a decongestant yet though because I don't like taking too much medicine. I couldn't really watch too much online because my computer's so old that to watch Hulu I needed to download Adome 10, which my computer wouldn't do. Netflix streaming is not supported by my operating system. Jesse played FFXI a lot of day and with his TV dying (yea!) we cannot use his new desktop.

I am not prepared for the Praxis Spanish Content Knowledge exam I have slated for tomorrow. I wasn't prepared two days ago and I had hoped that I'd be able to better prepare yesterday and today, but I haven' been motivated and being sick doesn't help at all. So I called ETS and asked if there was anyway I could reschedule it. Usually you can if you do it 3 days in advance and pay a $45 fee. But, I got sick yesterday so I called to ask, and they said if I got a doctor's excuse then they're able to allow me to. I'm working on the doctor's excuse.

Well, not much else to say. I'm just going to use the rest of today and tomorrow to get better so I'll be healthy to babysit on Sunday. I'm, obviously, not going to take the Praxis II tomorrow morning at 7:30. Oh, and Jamie and Stuart aren't coming in this week. Unfortunately, it's a really bad reason that they're not; Cody was in the hospital for breathing problems. Turns out he had pneumonia in one of his lungs and then got crupe (sp?). I'm sure he'll be fine, but that's probably really scary!

Watching Jamie Oliver right now. Gonna read for fun in a bit.

Daydreaming

I spent most of the day daydreaming and/or wallowing in self-pity. I'm depressing and I want to get out of this funk. I didn't do any studying yet. I'm just not motivated. Am I lazy with all the things I do?

I guess on the upside, I sent out some cover letters to magazines and a publishing house.

I did, however, also spend too much money shopping on J. Crew's website right now. 2 tops, a dress, and a beautiful skirt. Sad, but it made me feel a little better. And, I'll definitely get to wear them should I have an interview!

Also, I want this for my birthday, which is June 5. Eek, 24. But, I'm ready for the year of 23 to be over. It was a hard year.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?color=034&navAction=jump&id=030037

Sick day

I woke up with an intensely sore throat (not the normal ones I get from sleeping with my mouth open under the fan or A/C) and my left ear was hurting. I called in sick, slept a couple extra hours, bummed around the house until around noon when I decided to go to Walmart to pick up the prescription antibiotic Ms. Lisa very kindly called in for me. I still hope it's not strep. She told me that if I had fever and/or white blotches on my throat, it could be. I didn't have fever, but honestly, I can't tell if my throat has blotches on it. Mia said it's definitely inflamed.

Anyhow, I ate two bowls of vegetarian (without dairy evening--tear) butternut squash soup and a grapefruit; the second I added fresh italian seasoned croutons and blue cheese to. I have to eat yogurt (to avoid yeast infections, I guess, because it's a pennicilin?) with my medicine so I just polished off a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich and I'm working on my granola-raspberry-banana-yogurt concoction. I'm going to study in a bit.

Oh, and I'm going to cancel on going to the mall with Neill, regretably, but I just don't feel up for it. So no J. Crew interview clothing spree. Walking Saki was a chore this morning as I could barely muster the strength. I wonder if that's what my dad feels like everyday. I'm feeling much better, but still far from recovered. I hope I can return to work tomorrow without fear of spreading my sickness to the little ones. Also, Jamie's coming in this weekend so I hope I'm better so I can see Cody. We haven't seen him since Christmas, and he was only a little over a year then. And, Drew and I are babysitting Sunday. So many kids to be around. Impromptu, I was asked to babysit Isa tonight and I had to decline.

Bah. I hate the way my body feels when I'm sick. Back to my yogurt and studying.

Seriously, L/G Style

You called me a month ago to ask me if I'd still be interested in the application I put in at the end of last summer. You said the interviews would be in May. You asked me if I was still in NOLA, and I told you yes, but I'm willing to relocate to Austin. You said you'd get back to me. That was about a month ago (possibly longer), and I called you last Monday to confirm a date. I was told that someone would get back to me the next day on whether the originally stated phone interview would suffice or if you'd prefer having me come in person. I waited, day after day after day. I didn't want to seem needy or impatient. So finally, yesterday I called to get the office voicemail requesting that I leave a message and that you'd return my call within a business day. Alas, I waited once again all day to receive your call.

I want to work for you. Despite the seemingly lacking sense of punctuality and possibly priority, the magazine seems amazing! I can tell from the online version, and I've also heard good things offline about you. I'm just waiting so I can ask my boss off should I need to travel to Austin. Additionally, contracts go out any day now and I'll only have a week to decide to sign on for another year at McGehee or look for something else. I need you to give me an answer. I will be content to stay at McGehee though admittably, it's not challenging in the way I want to be. There just aren't a lot of options in New Orleans right now in the fields that I am interested in working. Tomorrow, I'm going to J. Crew to buy some interview clothes. Maybe premptive, but I've waited long enough.

http://www.lstylegstyle.com/

I should be studying now. Ah, Praxis.

An 11-year-old's work

I'm dumbfounded at how complex this video is and that its writer/producer/director is an 11-year-old, the daughter of English Muse (google her blog). When did kids become so amazingly intelligent with such ingenuity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO-y1OVz5Bg

Opinions for clothing: interviewing with L Style G Style

I know that I should dress a little more monochronously for interviews, but this outfit is quite me. I love the floral print (and if I can't afford J. Crew, I'll make my way to Target and find something similar). I can't get all giddy yet though since I still don't even know if they want me to come into Austin or we're still doing a phone interview. So shopping is on hiatus. I'm waiting for the second call from them. Well, lemme know what you think.

The shoes and Coach bag are just placed on here for fun; I definitely cannot afford them. And, pink is far from my favorite color, but I love this satchel!

http://www.mywomenstuff.com/2010/02/28/new-coach-kristin-collection-sparking-a-renewed-interest-in-coach/

Saki's lineage and exploring photo uploads

I think that she's a corgie-chihuahua-husky mix. Don't ask me how.

This is our Saki, courtesy of Mia and her iPhone.

And go here to see an actual corgie-chihuahua-husky :)

http://www.luvmutt.com/blog/2007/11/neville-the-chi.html

Images, a success, but I want to get better at this.

La semana pasada...que ocupada! (The past week...how busy!)

This past week was my week back from spring break.

Today I've really started to get into my Praxis study guide. As much as I'd like to blow of this test and ride it off as just a $50 loss (because I'd get the remaining 80 if I cancelled), this is something that I know that I should do. So this week will be even busier than last because, of course, there is far more preparation that I have to do than I was uninformedly planning. I think I'll be okay come Saturday morning; I think I'll pass.

Jesse and I went to City Park today to work on our applicable studies-- he, animal law readings and Me, of course, Praxis study guide. But, this morning before I ran and we went to the park, I stopped by Borders to buy birthday cards for my mom and Jesse's sister, Jamie. I ended up splurging on two magazines, Poets and Writers and a British high fashion one, Lula. Honestly, I shouldn't have and truthfully, I could have bought/wanted so many more if I had stayed on that part of the bookshelves. But, just one flip and I couldn't help it; nevermind the 16-dollar pricetag. I didn't buy Boho or Believer because I figure I could read Drew's when I hope to meet up with her sometime this week to have a movie and magazine afternoon! I'll write more about the magazines though once I've actually had time to keep them open. I'm using these as a reward for all the effort I'm putting into the Praxis exam (not that it's an inordinate amount).

Anyhow, I was supposed to cook this evening (chorizo seitan, frijoles negros, tortillas y huevos), but since we were in the mood for something else, Jesse and I decided on the new Magazine Street location of Sukho Thai (did you know that the name means "dawn of happiness"?). We picked up Mia and then enjoyed a thoroughly satisfying dinner with plenty of leftovers. Not to mention, the new place is incredibly spacious, cosmopolitan and all around, New Orleans zen. I had the vegetarian yellow curry, Jesse had a clay pot of seafood, and Mia had pad thai. Hmm, I definitely recommend it. The one on Royal is just as good, and it's one of the first places Jesse impressed me with in our first couple of weeks of dating--over two years ago. It's a regular Thai spot in our restaurant repetoire. But, I'm glad there's a new place Uptown to compete with Basil Leaf and LA Thai. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love LA Thai, but Sukho's just a bit more for your money. I also love Bangkok, but I don't generally compare it just because I think the owners are from a specific part in Thailand and they incorporate their traditions into the food. I love it, but it's different from most of the places I've had Thai. Somebody, perhaps Jesse?, said that it's like homecooked Thai. I'd have to agree with that opinon. Oh, and I like Chill Out Cafe on Maple, too. Ah, food.

So this week...I babysat twice and both days were pleasant. I got to take Isa to swim lessons and when there, I was propositioned by a mother of three to babysit one day a week. They live on the West Bank, and I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I still work at McGehee five days a week. I dogsat Balto and on Saturday when Jesse brought me to their house, we decided to eat breakfast at Whole Foods. We shared part of a delicious French cheese plate (including apple paste, or membrilla de manzana) and I had a chocolate croissant and Jesse, a cinnamon twist. Plus, chocolate milk and Odwalla mango tango, respectively. Ah, food...again.

Friday, when I got off of work, I swung by Xavier to hang out with Mia until her 2 o'clock lab and we went to the new Pinkberry (http://www.pinkberry.com/) across from WF. I wasn't planning on getting anything since I had a pretty filling lunch, but once there, I couldn't resist. Size-wise, I upgraded too--from mini to small. But, it was frozen yogurt topped with fruits; I got the mango yogurt with fresh kiwi, mango, strawberries and raspberries and pomagranate juice! There are so many options for toppings and yogurts. Ack, my blog is really starting to get heavy on the food.

Nevertheless, I think I'm keeping relatively fit. I ran both yesterday and today (and a few times last week) and today my diet consisted of the following:

Breakfast: organic vanilla yogurt, banana, flax granola, and strawberries
After run snack: chocolate soymilk, banana, and strawberry shake (no sweeteners added)
Picnic lunch: cheese, apple paste, self-made caesar salad (with amazing WF herbed croutons) and an apple.
Dinner: veggie yellow curry over Jazmine rice

I need to keep at a similar daily diet and I'll be in better shape in no time.

So this entry goes on and maybe isn't so chronological, but there's a lot that's happened in a week, so much that maybe I can't remember it all in its order and importance. Lastly, I'll mention that after the Praxis, I'll be fully ready to prepare for my Austin magazine-interview. I'm so ambivalent about the job because I really do love New Orleans, but as I learn more about the magazine, I know that writing would be such a lucky and fulfilling job for me! Just waiting for a response. Also in our future...apartment hunting? Dunno where yet though.

Until next time (hopefully sooner than later)!

The End of Spring Break (as a college graduate)

I was particularly appreciative of spring break this year. McGehee's, unfortunately, did not coincide with Loyola's or Xavier's (Jesse's and Mia's, respectively), but my family still got to spend Easter weekend all together in Missouri. I am so lucky that I got a job with a school because I really took for granted all the holidays we get off when I was in school. Apparently, most real jobs in the states don't take off for those days, as I've found out post-graduation. Sadly, the kinds of benefits and holiday packages offered in the US for the most part suck compared to those in England, Germany, and France, to name a few, and so on top of the lack of national holidays, taking personal ones are not easy.

Once I got back to NOLA, I had high hopes of cleaning the apartment from floor to ceiling, studying constantly for the Praxis exam and script-writing with Drew. Well, nearly a week later, virtually none of that has come to pass. And, that's okay. I'm totally fine with that. I had late-awaking mornings and lazy afternoons, but they were not lackadaisical because I enjoyed them. I didn't make the most of my time, being incredibly productive or efficient, but I used this as a real spring break. And though I can't say that I wish I didn't get more done, I'm not at all disappointed with myself. I do have a lot to do in the next few months--retake the GRE, really research the programs I'm going to be applying for, decide with Jesse if we're going to move
to a new apartment, possibly look for another job, and make plans for a Bolivia trip.

I did some sporadic cleaning, mainly daily chores, but nothing real substantial. Even though this following week is pretty packed already, I have hopes of cleaning a little bit at a time before or during the weekend. Jamie (Jesse's sister) is coming to Luling to see his grandmother who was in the hospital last week so maybe she, her husband and their son, Cody, will be visiting us, too.

As I blogged earlier this week, I found out that I won't be a teachNOLA fellow this year. And, now knowing this, I'm less motivated to study Spanish for the Praxis. I was even tempted to cancel my registration because I'd receive $80 back, only losing the $50 registration fee, but I don't want to lose that and I think that taking the test is a good idea as it could potentially open up doors for me since I have applied to teach Spanish at some of the private schools. So I'm going to go through with it although having to be at UNO for 7-something on the Saturday morning is not my idea of time well-spent.

Drew and I hung out three days, more-or-less. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day we planned on working on the script, and we did in a way. We discussed characters and figured out a tentative game plan for writing, but most of our days were spent enjoying life (and sometimes we were able to guise it as "research"). Friday morning she came over and we had plans to make it to a cafe in order to get some work done out of my aparment (lacking in workspace and tabletops). We "swung" by the French Quarter Fest in order to check it out and say hi to Jeff since he was helping his brother out. It ended up being uber-crowded, which was somewhat of a surprise to me since I expected more people to be working in the afternoon. They couldn't have all been tourists! But, that coupled with spring break, and who knows? I'm glad we went on the Friday and not during the weekend when even more tents and events were planned. Though no writing was done, we walked down Royal, window-shopping; I tried on a beautiful, ethereal [wedding] dress; and Drew took some very nice photos (distinct, provoking, crisp). Did I mention that the Southern Leadership Republican Convention was going on? We had to park at the Hilton because of how packed the Quarter was, and low and behold, we were surrounded by Republicans! We were even recruited to which we firmly declined. We split a dozen charboiled oysters at Drago's and after shopping at WF, we returned to my apartment to cook later that evening for Jesse and Jeff. Drew did most of the cooking (a tomato, mushroom, vegetable pasta), but I helped prepare the ingredients, which included seitan. Since Jesse didn't like most of the vegetables we were using, I made him a blue cheese and pesto cream sauce. The next day he tried the seitan and veg pasta and didn't dislike it so much though!

Well, I'll write more about Saturday in my next post. I should get to bed since I'm out of the habit of waking up early. I don't want to be late for work!

Why am I up so late? Craigslist-browsing and such

Just applied for a writing position for a fledgling New Orleans-based, high fashion magazine. I attached a link to a review I did on an Esperanza Spalding album for my writing sample. I don't want to get my hopes up, but they'll be in contact in 2 weeks, says the craigslist post.

http://www.offbeat.com/2008/07/01/esperanza-spalding-esperanza-heads-up/

Had a very well spent, albeit relatively unproductive afternoon with Drew today--Whole Foods, Vom Fass (http://vomfassusa.com/) and then Bee Sweet Cupcakes. She also encouraged me to pursue writing because apparently, I often talk about how much I like writing and want to write.

I went to BR with Neill this evening to see my mom and drop off/pick up some stuff. It was nice to spend an hour or so with my mom.

Well, it's past 3. So much for waking up early in the morning.

Hmm

Another DP daily, particularly applicable to my bouts of self-loathing and lack of self-confidence. I've come along way from my high school days of emo-ness, but sometimes I need to remind myself of this:

You've gotta love yourself to love other people. Walking around hating yourself is no way to change the world. When you find yourself desiring a better relationship with yourself, open up to letting others love you. Surround yourself with people who see your best ­and forgive your worst. Today, make sure your spiritual path is crowded with those who love and support you.
daily kabbalah tune- up

Oh, the day

Overslept today and it reminded me of the good old days of unemployment. I feel guilty saying that because I should be thankful that I have a means of paying bills and supporting myself. But, I wish I had a job that I really loved and woke up excited to go to each morning.

Today I'm supposed to meet up with Drew to work on our script. Though it's been slow and new, I'm enjoying this different medium. Obviously, I wish I could get paid to write because I love doing it! I guess if I took the time (for example this summer when I'm off of work for 1-2 months), then I could potentially work on something substantially readable. Until then, I'll have to dream and work one day at a time. I'm still waiting for the phone interview with L Style G Style in Austin. I think they said it would be in May...

Also in the plans today--clean the apartment and run. I've been doing well with exercising since returning from Missouri. Hopefully my nearly 11 o'clock wake-up won't set me back too far. I'm worried about returning to LG on Monday, not being able to make it to work for 7:40 because I've been in the habit of sleeping in now.

Lastly, I'm really starting to read some of the blogs that nominally have been following on here. I'm hoping to expand my network and really connect with some other bloggers. I also want to revamp my banner layout and possibly come up with a new background. We'll see. I know that it's supposedly simple, but I still don't know how to add photos or link previous posts. I just need to take the time to play around, I'm sure. Blogspot seems pretty user-friendly.

http://mystylebackgrounds.blogspot.com/ - fun option for templates

Morning hope

Today feels like a good day to start over. Last night I got the disappointing news that I wasn't going to be a teachNOLA fellow next school year. It wasn't such a blow because part of me expected it, but at least I was given a chance to prove myself among many, very qualified individuals. I still don't know if I should seek new employment, but while I was walking Saki this morning, I felt very "secure" in a hopeful future. Jesse's staying home from work (again) and it makes me want a new beginning for him, too--work-wise. So to starting afresh! We'll see how it goes.

Another rejection

Thank you for interviewing with teachNOLA. We greatly appreciate the time and energy you devoted to this effort. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a position.

As you may know, we receive many applications for the positions available, making the applicant pool for the teachNOLA program extremely competitive.

Due to the size of our program, we regret that we are not able to re-evaluate or provide feedback on individual applications. However, we encourage you to pursue your demonstrated interest in expanding educational opportunities for all students and explore other ways to contribute to this effort.

We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

---

I've received a lot of these letters in the past year, but it's okay; I know this sounds pessimistic, but I sort of expected it. There were so many qualified people at my interview day alone. I talked to Dr. G today and her fiance didn't even get an interview because of the number of Spanish teaching applicants. Well, I guess this makes next year a little easier for me. If I do stay at McGehee, I can really focus on preparing myself for applying to grad programs again. At least interviewing with teachNOLA gave me more experience with interviews as well as a better idea of the state of New Orleans public schools. I don't even know now if I should really focus on looking for other jobs. McGehee is pretty comfortable, but it's not challenging.

Where do I begin?

What a busy weekend that flew by. Jesse and I got back into New Orleans at about 5:20 yesterday and waited Neill to pick us up. I haven't spent a lot of time in New Orleans-Metairie/Kenner rush hour traffic, but we weren't able to get Jesse to class until past 6:30 and it began at 6. But, it was all okay and he was able to sign the roll. I know Neill was upset with me because of my blunt questions and lack of communication and I'm sorry, but all's well that ends well, right?

We got into Kansas City around 9 on Friday evening, but because my mom and Mia got lost and combined with the 3.5-4 hours it takes to get from Linn Creek to Kansas City Airport, we didn't end up getting to the house until after 2 am Saturday night. Mia and my mom picked us up without a hesitation, but I don't know if I'll fly to Kansas City again (or even St. Louis) to visit my dad--unless we get a rental car. It's a lot to ask I think, especially since the KCIA is like 15 miles away from the city itself. It was big and spead out, we learned, when my dad brought us there yesterday. Either way, I didn't realize that it would take so long to get to the house after landing so maybe in the future, we'll drive the entire way, but that's just so time-consuming, and flying gets so expensive. Why do my dad and grandma have to live in spread-out MO? Once we got there though, I enjoyed it for the most part.

My grandmother really took a liking to Jesse, but though I know that Jesse is a wonderful boyfriend and that I'm lucky to have found him, I sometimes don't put as much stock into what my grandmother says because she has a habit of being both racist and classist so it's hard for me to tell if she likes someone for who he/she is or what his/her profession is. She also asked us ad nauseum (directed more towards Jesse this time though) when we're getting married, do we want to have kids, when I'm going to get a ring, etc., among other seemingly inappropriate things. Anyhow, minus that, the smoking and the few periods of tension that almost led up to full-blown fights (just between various people in my family except for my mom), the weekend, I think, was pretty nice. I don't want to say a success because it sounds weird qualifying it as some kind of objective, but the lake [house] was actually quite fun and we got to do a little bit with everyone. Two days was not enough time, but that's all the time off Jesse could muster between work and school. (He needs to save any other days he might have for finals study days.) And, while he's not rushing to get back to Linn Creek, I know that he liked the place relatively well and wasn't as uncomfortable as he's been in my dad's company in the past (i.e., last Easter). Maybe by next Easter, Daddy won't be addicted to facebook, cigarettes or rum and coke. I'm not holding my breath though.

We did a fair amount of shopping at the outlet mall there so I got a lot of good deals. I should take photos like Drew does, but I doubt it'll happen. I got a $60 pair of pants for less than $6 at the Banana Republic factory store, and I got some cute shorts and on-sale courdaroy pants from J. Crew. Also, did you know that J. Crew gives a 15% discount to students and teachers? Score.

Jesse had his first frozen custard when Mama, Mia, Grandma, Jesse and I went after mass. I only had one this trip though; I usually eat a lot in general each time I go up there because we're in the house a lot of the day and the food's just staring at me. I have a hard time saying no if I'm unoccupied and it's in front of me. Sunday, we went to mass and then had a delicious lunch, cooked/prepared by my mom and Mia. The rest of the afternoon, we took family pictures around the house and rested (Jesse did homework, too). In the late afternoon, we drove my grandma back to her house in Columbia, visited her a little until it was dark and thunder-y, and then headed back to Daddy's.

Not going to plan another trip to MO soon, but I may return with my mom and Mia for a short trip this summer. And, my Uncle Alfie invited us to his condo in NJ this summer so maybe Jesse and I will visit Philly and more of my family. We'll see.

I've got some script-writing to do today and some Praxis-studying. I did nothing productive regarding those two things in Missouri. It's such a lovely day outside that I want to make it to the park or a cafe to do so, but after leaving her the whole weekend, I feel guilty to leave Saki part of the day. If I bring myself to getting out of bed again, I'm about to go runnning to work off some of what I consumed all weekend.

Missouri and catchup...tomorrow

So tired after a long and serendipitously nice Easter weekend in Missouri. So much to write about, backtracking not to be forgotten. I still want to write restaurant reviews. On top of that I need to get cracking on Drew's and my script, I need to actually study for the Spanish Praxis, and do various chores around the house. So lucky that I have Spring Break this week; yay for working at a school! Well, I have lots of catching up to do--both reading a writing. Hopefully, I'll start my day off well tomorrow. Running? I need to get back in shape, especially if I'm going to start trying to get a modeling portfolio together again.

Bonne nuit!

teachNOLA interview

Nearly a week ago, I participated in an interview date for teachNOLA. It's somewhat like Teach for America in that it is an alternative certification program which seeks recent college graduates to apply for and teach in public schools. Whether the newly-christened teachers spend 2 years or a lifetime teaching is thought of to be beneficial because the quality of teachers graduated is expected to be refreshingly high and from diverse academic backgrounds. I went to Lafayette School on Carrollton last Saturday morning as one of around 150 applicants at that event alone. This was the third interview event and I was told (among many things and pieces of information) that there were only 40-50 positions available.

I don't want to really go into all the questions asked or the particular order of the activities partially because I don't wish to relive it; partially for brevity sake. I was interviewing for a Spanish teaching position in grades 1 through 12 and I gave my sample 5-minute lesson in Spanish and English. It was directed at an elementary audience. It went better than I had anticipated, but not as good as I would have liked. I wasn't as articulate in my interview either; I feel it was a case of nerves. But, prior to the actual interview, I felt relatively confident and pumped. I had gotten so much support from the career and counseling services counselor, Tamara, and Dr. Garza and Jesse. I guess when it came down to it, I second guessed myself because of just how much I feel that I don't know about the state of the American (and even lower, that of New Orleans') school system. But, there was an incredibly qualified and competitive pool of applicants, and I could feel the potential as I walked through the school's cafeteria that morning. They came from all over the US too. Perhaps even from abroad.

Anyhow, I'll know the decision in about two weeks--maybe one by now, but I'm not holding my breath. Not to be negative, but I doubt that I got it. But, if I did get it, I sure would be happy!

I'm still waiting to hear from St. Martin's Episcopal in Metairie. I heard through the grapevine that they may be in need of an elementary Spanish teacher next fall. I got my Praxis study guide in the mail the other day and I will be quite devoted the next week and the following weekends leading up to April 24 to successfully passing the Spanish Content Knowledge exam with flying colors! On a divergent note, Neill called me this evening to tell me some wonderful news: Anthropologie is coming to New Orleans. After finding out that Anthropologie is taking the old Pottery Barn space at Shops at Canal, I logged onto anthropologie.com and filled out an application. So funny that it's taking that spot, too, because a few weeks ago when I was there with Drew, I was somewhat regretful that the amazing space wouldn't be occupied by PB any longer. Well, retail isn't my dream job, but Anthropologie isn't just any store. I also find that working there would be in line with future magazine opportunities. Lastly, I just want to keep my options open.