Singing the Sky

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I’ve just been loving the vacation from school lately. Although, subconsciously I know I’m going back soon, since I woke up to a dream of my boss chewing me out and me quitting on the spot.

We had a blast in Houston–here are a few pics!

Here’s the life-sized floor sign indicating the floor we were on at the Hotel Derek. This caused us to ride the elevator to every floor to check out all of the other artwork on the other floors. It was cool. I loved staying there

This is Sage at the window in the hall. I like how it looks like he is playing cars.

Sage and Greg went ice skating at the Galleria. I could not get a decent photo–they kept getting past me!

This is the computer I bought at the Sony store in the Galleria. I’m loving it! I think that pink blog I write must be rubbing off on me!

We went to “Chinatown”, although it should rightfully be called “Asiantown” because many different nationalities are represented. (I’m not talking about the old Chinatown near downtown.) We ended up eating Pho twice–yum! I got my dad some sake and other goodies from the largest Asian market in Houston.

Here’s a pic of Sage and me. Is it apparent that Greg bought me a new camera for Christmas? 10 megapixels, 3 optical zoom at a decent price. It’s a huge improvement over the one that was stolen/lost. And it’s kinda pink, too. Like the iPod that Greg also got me.

So how weird is this? It was at Discovery Green. I have many more cool pics, but I don’t have my photo editing software installed yet–Sky has got to send it to me–and I don’t have the patience for Picnik right now.

That more or less sums up our trip to Houston. We were going to go and see the Nutcracker, but I waited too long to get tickets and they sold out. We were all happy, regardless. Apparently, I have found the magic amount of Ativan that enables me to NOT CARE that I am in the car in the middle of nowhere, other assorted stupid fears…I’ve stocked up so I can take more trips with this NOT CARING. I’m planning on going to Austin in two weeks. We’ll see! I’m so excited to actually be out doing stuff. The computer helps a lot as well. On the way to Houston, I worked on my app to grad school. It totally occupied my mind. As far as the data plan goes–well, that just didn’t pan out here in the boonies. Still, I have enough writing to do on my computer not to need it.

Sky came and went–I have photos but they are all turned the wrong way. It turns out that Sky is quite the artist. I would post his work here, but I’m worried about someone finding it and ripping it off. It is absolutely incredible art that could sell. I never knew. He never drew much growing up, but this stuff is all abstract, pattern-based stuff. He may have found his niche. He and Sage talked a lot, and when we went to the locally owned chicken fast food place, Sage said, “What a shame the government is putting places like this out of business.” Whaaat? He’s nine! I guess I just breed revolutionaries…

8 Comments »

So I’ve had a BIG decision. It has to do with the fact that I am getting pretty burnt out on the classroom, yet still have the desire to actually teach something.

I’m applying for one of the 15 slots in the next Educational Leadership Ph.D. cohort. My chances at this point look good. I’ve got GRE scores that are more than 200 points over what is required, my old boss teaches in that department and I have a good background.

If I keep my old job while working towards my Ph.D., it is going to be HARD. Assuming that I get in the program to begin with, of course.

I could get a research fellowship that pays half of what I currently make, but I’d have to make up the money with my Internet stuff. Which means I’d better get cracking on generating “passive income”, because I won’t have time to do anything once this program starts.

I feel really excited and good about this. It feels good to be moving away from something that I am tired of, and towards finding something that I am sure to enjoy. It’s an added bonus that instead of sitting here at my teaching job becoming more and more cynical, I will get to actively work at some of the problems that make me feel that way. I love the idea of being a professor and shaping public policy through my research while teaching.

More money won’t hurt anything either, although we won’t be rich.

Wish me luck on this one! I’ll probably be hearing something in sometime in March.

14 Comments »

Hopefully, insurance is going to cover my stuff. I’ve earned $300 writing this month, and I’m getting another $300 stipend for mentoring another teacher. I’ve already bought all of the Christmas presents I’m going to buy, so I ought to be able to get another laptop ($800 range) and then put the insurance money in savings–after I’ve bought a new iPod. That would be a good outcome, right?

Pacian was spot on about how losing the novel can be a positive thing. Now I don’t have to worry about reworking it. I can start from scratch. Perhaps it was an albatross of sorts anyway, blocking me from writing other things.

I tell myself these things, and I believe them.

5 Comments »

Today, we have a chance of snow. There was ice on my porch steps this morning. This is very unusual in Texas, at least the part where I live. Yesterday, it was in the 70’s and the
Air conditioning compressor in my car was doing its thing. One thing I dread is the air conditioning in the car going out. If it does, I have a good mechanic. I just have to bring him the parts. 1AirConditioning.com is a site that offers free shipping if you find yourself having to replace an A/C compressor. God forbid!

1 Comment »

Yesterday, I came home and noticed that my laptop was missing. It had been sitting right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen table. I looked around the house, and then called Greg to see if he had taken. He hadn’t. So then I called the police, who came over, found an unlocked window (!!) and three muddy footprints.

I wish the dog wasn’t so stinky. I had put her in the back of the house where she couldn’t get out. Nothing was stolen from the back of the house.

However, in addition to my laptop, my iPod was stolen (along with the cord, which was hidden in a box underneath the TV) and hundreds of dollars of software. Unfortunately, the software was in a CD case that also included my novel–the backup copy.

So, the novel is gone gone gone. I guess it was never meant to be.

I am mad mad mad.

When will all this shit quit happening????

10 Comments »

My students and I were talking about speed. Not the kind that is a drug, but the kind you get when you get a turbocharged car on a desolate East Texas highway. You can make just about any car turbo, for example, a
Volkswagen turbo charged car is not uncommon. I’m lusting after a convertible right now–perhaps a Miata, or even a Spyder. I think I would get over not liking to drive these country roads really quickly if it was FUN.

Of course I told my students not to drive over the speed limit. I am a hypocrite in that regard, I suppose. It is alarming, though, to imagine myself driving on the same road as my impulsive 16 year-old student who likes to get his dad’s truck up to 140. Somehow, though, a turbocharged convertible just seems romantic. If you want to give your car some extra “umph”, go to TurboChargerPros.com where they have toll free customer service and just about any part you could need.

Watch out. In a few months, I might be the female Speed Racer.

1 Comment »

I just got a new data plan through At&T, and I’m in the process of testing it out to see if it will work in the boondocks. We are on the road right now. I got it specifically so that I would be distracted from negative thoughts while in the car. I figure this is way, way cheaper than therapy, although at $60 a month and slow speeds, it is not cheap.

I have thirty days to try it out. We’re going to Houston in two weeks, and I plan to use it then as well. If it doesn’t work well, I could still send it back. But…hopefully this will help me get back on the road!!

3 Comments »

I just stopped by Margaret’s and read about how her college daughter might be taking the wrong classes, and I’ll be petty and admit it: I’m jealous. I’m also asking myself what she did as a parent that I didn’t.

Right now, Sky seems determined not to find a job in Portland. I don’t buy that there “aren’t any.” Bullshit. He didn’t take much with him when he went, and now he tells me that he is cutting down on his possessions so that they “will fit in one bag.”

I swear, this kid seems bent on becoming homeless. He doesn’t see it as a BAD thing, he seems to think it is COOL.

He has done so many hallucinagins that he either is having frequent flashbacks or is developing schizophrenia. He told me about his hallucinations and so on after I told him about my brother and the hell he is going through with schizophrenia. He thinks alternate versions of reality are fine, and I think, “Shit, I have had way too many philosophical discussions with this child, when I should have been…I dunno–beating some sense into his head?”

I am worried about him. That is an understatement, actually. I am angry, too.

My brother comes home (to my parent’s house) today from the psychiatric hospital. The insurance ran out. He is not entirely stabilized, although my parents say they don’t think there is a danger at this point. I will have to “babysit” so that my parents can get out of the house. I’m not looking forward to that, because my 6′10″ brother out of his mind scares me.

I feel like I am always on the verge of crying, at least when I let myself remember that these things are happening.

6 Comments »

I know I should be thinking of Christmas and all that, but I have got to do something about the missing camera situation before Christmas! Otherwise I am going to lose out on a LOT of photo opps! Fortunately, I have already bought all of the Christmas presents I am going to buy. Probably. There is always that last minute stuff…

So, I should have the money to replace the digital camera next month. That is, if the car doesn’t start doing that icky not starting thing again. That had me worried, but it stopped, thank goodness.

I think this camera is a nice one. I found it at J&R, which has some nice stuff, although at the moment, this camera is a bit over my price range by about eight hundred dollars. Still. I can wish, right?

This one is a Nikon D80 SLR 10.2 Megapixel Digital Camera with a fancy zoom lens and all that. It would be soooo nice! Santa, are you listening? Probably not. Still, I’m going to check out
j&r coupons. Sometimes you can get a really good discount with those things. I never shop online without checking for coupons and promos first. Never.

At any rate, whenever I do buy my camera, it will almost certainly be online, because I don’t want to buy it from the big megastore in my town. When I do, I will be sure to find
free shipping coupons, because have you noticed that shipping is totally going up? Ick. I’ve gotten so that I will hardly buy anything online unless I can hunt down a free shipping promo. Oh well, thank goodness for online coupons! I’ve probably saved about $80 or so this Christmas season using them, seriously.

I need to let Greg know about them. He hasn’t even ordered my gifts yet!!

2 Comments »

I just got back from walking downtown to watch our Christmas parade. It’s one of those parades where half the town is in it and the other half watches. I was supposed to be on my school’s float, but I chose to watch MY SON carry the American flag at the beginning of the parade.

I have to say, I felt some patriotism.

I walked back home after seeing Sage. Greg just called and told me that they made it back to the starting point, and were standing there watching the parade. Because…the parade is so incredibly long that some floats are just leaving while others come in, having finished.

The whole thing cracks me up in a way, but it’s cute.

Oh, and I have to add, I really, really, hate it that I lost my camera.

1 Comment »