Long time, no read

I realize it's been a while since I've written, so many of you may be wondering what I've been up to... the answer is simple: I work. A lot. Here, for your entertainment (ok, it's probably not entertaining at all, but whatever) is a typical week in the life of Indy.

Monday:
1. typical school day (job #1), which consists of:

• occasional 7:30 meeting (blech!!!)
• teach at the middle school 8:30-9:45
• drive to high school, prepare for class, check email obsessively, grade papers 9:45-11:25
• teach sophomore English 11:30-3:15
• lunch from 12:30-1:00 (which, with the quarter-mile hike to the English office where I eat on the floor above, leaves roughly 25 minutes for heating soup, eating it, and b.s.-ing with colleagues)
• clean up, prepare for next day, grade 3:15-4:00

2. go for a run

3. play guitar hero or otherwise engage in some activity that requires little thought

4. hang out with friends

total hours worked so far: 8 1/2

Tuesday:

1. typical school day (8:00-4:00)

2. eat dinner/watch Oprah

3. Sometimes I do GED (job #2) on Tuesday from 5:45- 9:00, where I give the test and work on grading papers for job #1 or preparing/grading for job #3 (see Wednesday)

4. If I don't have to do job #2, then I still prepare/grade for job #3, but I get to watch TV and talk to the roommates instead of watch people take a test

total hours worked so far: 20 with GED, approximately 18-19 without

Wednesday:

1. typical school day (8:00-4:00)

2. eat dinner/watch Oprah

3. teach English class at local community college (job #3) 5:45-9:00

4. if I'm feeling ambitous, or too stressed to deal with life: karaoke with the girls 9:30-midnight

total hours worked so far: 29-32

Thursday:

1. typical school day (8:00-4:00)

2. eat dinner/fall asleep to Oprah

3. do GED testing 5:45-9:00

4. watch LOST with the roommates, friends

5. play poker with the boys 9/10:00- whenever I get tired and lose my chips

total hours worked so far: 40-43

Friday:

1. typical school day 8:30-3:30 (hey, I'm tired by Friday!)

2. go for a run

3. nap

4. dinner with friends

5. Friday evening shenanigans with friends

total hours worked so far: 47-50

Saturday:

1. run errands

2. grade papers 1-2 hours (sometimes this happens on Sunday, or not at all... sometimes for much longer...)

3. Saturday afternoon/evening tomfoolery with friends

total hours worked so far: 49-52

Sunday:

1. church 9:15-11:15

2. nap

3. go for a run

4. Beatles Anthology viewing (new Sunday activity!)

Ok, I know a lot of people work more than I do, but I think 50 hours a week is enough, and probably a fair estimate of time, although it doesn't include time thinking or talking about work without actually getting stuff accomplished.

So, how do I have time to write this blog, you may ask? Right now, I'm on spring break- so total hours of work so far: nada :)

Ode to a Poet

As I have mentioned before, I am sometimes struck by inspiration at odd times and places. So, for my adoring masses, here is a little poem that struck my brain last night. Enjoy!


I wish I could write poetry like you,
Put those phantasmagoric phrases together as you do-
The way you fit together thought and emotion so lyrically.
And though you claim not to have internal rhythm naturally,
I can hear the beat. In the crashing, sliding turbulence of words,
Images that can only be seen once they're heard.
You're gifted with a talent I can just barely touch,
Like a painter who can't seem to find the right brush.
See, that simile was awkward while yours are full of grace-
Come effortlessly to describe perfectly the right feeling, time, place.
And while this clumsy ode to your talent seems to flow so easily,
I can't help but admit that it's because you inspire unworthy me.
So maybe if I'm lucky we can spend a little time
To search each other's souls' voices and open up my mind.

Has head firmly implanted up own ass

Here is a situation familiar to every single woman: meet guy, talk to guy, exchange number/aim username/myspace info. with guy, possibly kiss/make out/hook up with guy, be promised further communication... then... nothing. An e-mail or text, possibly a phone call if lucky, followed by the great, dooming silence. Some women shrug and move on, others obsess. I would be the kind that obsesses.

So, why does this happen? What would cause a seemingly normal male to completely dismiss his chances with someone he claims is beautiful, intelligent, and fun? Here are a few possiblities I have bounced around, inspired by a recent experience:

• has scary jealous girlfriend that was momentarily forgotten in the radiance of my presence.
• was scared off by my odd choices in poetry/stuffed dinosaur in my bedroom/random sports-related texts/etc.
• was disgusted by my choice of music. (So I like Christina Aguilera? I have an equal appreciation for Johnny Cash, the Beatles, and other dude music. Actually, I have very male and mature taste in music, but "Candyman" happens to make me smile.)
• is afraid of telling me he has the clap.
• took off his champagne/martini/beer goggles and realized the princess is a frog, or alternatively that I really am too good for him. (This depends on the fluctuating state of my self-esteem.)
• lost all phone and computer access in recent floods and is desperately seeking ways to contact me to no avail.
• is dumb and absolutely clueless about when to call a girl, even when I've asked him.
• is working on perfect song with which to win me back when he finally calls (hopefully not titled "Crazy Bitch from NYE" or like.)
• has genuinely been too busy, but has thought of it often and is silently berating himself for not having found the opportunity.
• was lying and didn't really ever intend to call, but is typical male lying liar.

The moral of the story: Gentlemen, if you say you're going to call, call. Ladies, if he says he's going to call, don't believe him, and occasionally maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised.

2007: Year in Review

The end of the year tends to make most people somewhat nostalgiac and retrospective, myself included. Here, for your enjoyment, are a list of things I could not have predicted would happen to me this year:

• Driving to Cedar Falls, Iowa by myself to stay with a guy I met once in Kansas just to hang out with my friends from France on St. Patty's Day. It was so worth it.
• Finding two amazing women to live with and the equally amazing "Three Queens House" for us. And that we would become known for our themed parties. (Next up- NYE pajama party!)
• Fitting into high school-sized jeans again.
• Developing a phobia of MSG and starting to buy organic food at the farm market and co-op, also affectionately known as "the hippie store."
• Finding my religion.
• Becoming a soccer fan. Especially to the point of buying an authentic jersey (FFF, in case you're wondering), and sitting out in 20 degree Fahrenheit weather to watch it. Bizarre.
• Not missing marching band.
• Chopping off all of my hair for charity and, more recently, highlighting it with some very European red streaks.
• Learning how to be an ex-girlfriend. (Sadly, I didn't ever truly believe someone would break up with me. Conceited, but true.)
• Finally seeing my best friend in Germany and getting to eat a hotdog in IKEA with her as we've planned for years :)
• Watching giant high school boys (future NBA stars to be sure) from around the world dunk basketballs on a puny Canadian team. In tiny, tiny Fowler, Michigan. During an ice storm.
• Ballroom dancing with a German man to rap music at a club in South Bend. (Okay, maybe that wouldn't surprise some of you, but the other people at the club were staring. Our salsa to "Soulja Boy" must have been magical.)
• Being offered a job teaching a college writing class in the spring. You may now address me as Adjunct Professor Indygirl, thank you.
• And, above all, making friends from all over the globe in this crazy little town and actually telling them that I have no reason in the world to want to leave here- and meaning it!

Those are the highlights, but judging by the first fifty, it seems anything could happen in these last two weeks of 2007!

It only took 18 months...

but I finally have my Indiana teaching license!! Which means I successfully leaped through the hoops set before me in round one of Indygirl v. State of Indiana.

Round two: Completing the year two portfolio project so that I can keep it. Sigh. It never ends.

I'm the one with the rose

"Hypothetical" scenario for you...

So "my friend" was seeing this guy off and on for a couple of months that she really seemed to like. During the off periods, she would sometimes visit or be visited by another gentleman friend she's had for several years. In September, they both told her they were completely through with her. Since, they have both seemed to find new girlfriends that make them utterly blissful (gag, gag, choke). Because she has moved to a small community (i.e. relatively few datable candidates) and made all of her friends through off-and-on guy (thus having to witness first-hand the blossoming relationship or have no social life), she's been feeling rather desperate and depressed.

What's a girl to do?

Well, during one Saturday night home alone, she may have turned to our generation's equivalent to the want-ad or mail-order mate: online dating. Opting to try a service that seemed more respectable by matching prospectives by personality profiles I- I mean, she- was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the apparent normalcy of those represented by the opposite sex. They seem normal enough- young professionals who have obviously been somewhat unlucky in love also, probably also a mix of shy and busy with few opportunities to meet someone now that we're out of the college scene.

So far, only a few emails have been exchanged, but I'll let you know how it goes. I mean, she will... oh, who am I kidding? Wish me luck!

Soirée in Review

For those of you interested, my "Eurotrash Soirée" (birthday party) went very well. We had an estimated attendance of 40 people, all exhibiting the height of European bad taste.

The menu included mini-quiches, a full cheese plate (Camembert, brie, chèvre), baguettes, baked brie with raspberry jam, croissants, Nutella, fruit salad, tomato/mozzerella salad, and a homemade flan (courtesy of my friend Dan- merci!). A wide array of wines (merlot, chardonnay, rosé, sparkling, etc.), white Russians, Heineken, and other European beers were consumed.

Activities included dancing, Guitar Hero, smoking, making small talk, eating, drinking, and blowing air kisses. I also received some lovely gifts. Thanks for everyone who was able to come!

Here's photo of me with a few of my friends (note the new hair...)