To Every Season: Turn, Turn, Turn

In every life there are many seasons. Bad ones, good ones, did that really just happen? ones, i wish this wouldn't end ones, you get the idea. I can honestly say, our season of house selling is finally (insert anything that is victorious sounding to you: (i.e., Rocky themed music, angel choirs, the beginnings to "Teenage Wasteland"...) OVER!!! We had a successful bid come to us this week on the house, John told the realtor to wait about 12 minutes before he called the couple back and say we'd take their offer. Ironically, they mentioned we would be closing on the next important day of my life coming up, the Jerry Seinfeld show in Louisville. I was floored. Is this a cruel joke? I'm going to be sitting in Chattanooga closing and MISSING the Seinfeld show? I was awestruck. Immobilized for a second. I got my bearings while I talked to myself in my head saying, "Jennifer, this is a good thing. Selling the house is so good!!! You've been waiting 18 months. You have no choice, you have to go. It will work out, Jerry will understand you not coming. He'll be around again soon..." Needless to say, we are currently working on getting the closing moved up, but I might have some good tickets for sale if anyone is looking for a great night out...

My methods block is in full swing. With too much information at one time, a proff that is currently in the hospital for a brain issue that has taken her out of our block, and the much dreaded info that I absolutely cannot student teach at Waco (Heather Taylor, I need you to help me here and ask if a K-4th or 5th would take me so I can request that before the second week of February) I am now 17 weeks away from methods being over. This semester is going to prove interesting in that I'm in a block group that has every non-trad student in the elementary program for this semester at the same school. I'm trying to figure that out still. Is Mayfield that ghetto that it takes all the oldies who've been parents to attend to the needs of their after school program? We'll see, we go to the schools this coming Friday to meet with the principal and get the low down. One good thing about the school I already know, snack everyday at 9:30! Score!!!! Me likey already...

I've been picking up the New York Times from Star Bucks and it automatically makes me feel smarter because its such a big paper with small font print to read. I know these journalists are really important and write about national and international news that will affect my world, thus I read it. Here was my favorite thing from Friday's Times:

Kids from an after school tutoring program in NY write to Obama about what should be the first thing he does when he gets to the White House.

1. Dear President/Mr. Obama,
The best thing about living in the White House would be running around like a maniac. The thing I would like the least is the work. Holly Wong: age 9

2. Edwin Jara: Age 9 Good job on winning! I heard about area 51. I wanted to ask you if there were any U.F.O.'s there. I think you should tell people in public the truth about Area 51. Just say, "We will take care of it" and do it.

3. My favorite one (all you teacher are going to love this one): 10 things you should do as president:
a. Make everyone read books.
b. Don't let teachers give kids hard homework
c. Make a law where kids only get one page of homework per week.
d. Kids can go visit you whenever they want
e. Make volunteer tutors get paid (I'm for this one in particular)
f. Make universities free (not so much for this one since I want to teach higher ed.)
g. Make students get extra credit for EVERYTHING
h. Give teachers raises (like this one too)
i. If No. 4 is approved, let kids visit the Oval Office, but don't make it boring.

One other article in the Times that was pretty funny to read was this journalist who was moving from NY to LA and decided to stop in Gatlinburg, TN with his girlfriend for a respite stop. The article has pictures of the downtown strip and he referred to everything being "Kitsch". I was just talking up the Dixie Stampede to one of my fellow Baristas at Star Bucks the other night and this article made me feel like a total tool. Do I like Kitsch? Have I no intellect to distinguish great entertainment from mindless drool? I'm in a quandry. I really am fascinated with some pretty ridiculous stuff. I mean, who doesn't enjoy the occasional Billy Bass singing, Amazing House of Pancakes, or lest we forget, the shrine of Dolly Parton encompassed in Dollywood Theme Park. Don't even get me started on Dixie Stampede! If this is Kitsch, then maybe I am a little. I have standards in this, don't get me wrong. I will never enter the AS SEEN ON TV store unless there products make it to larger commercial stores like Walgreens or Rite Aid (Go Ped EGG!) Anyway, the times also says that economic bailout is coming again and Ethan Hawke is on broadway playing in Cherry Orchard in case you want to know that too.

I'm off to bed. I will be posting some pictures soon, as John has been taking a lot. Of the cat. He's a weirdo :)