Oh, gosh, Jen, I forgot to say how happy I am for you. This is wonderful.

I thought you were done with school, but then thought maybe you were going back for more. Buffistas seem to be like Oliver Twist when it comes to education, "more, please." The "working tourist" idea sounds cool. How long do you get to stay with it?

I'll probably go back to school in a couple years, after I've got some of this life stuff under my belt. Not that I know what I want to go to school for. But that is a question for another time.

I have a four month visa for Dublin and a six month visa for the UK, so I'll be working and touristing for most of the oncoming year. It's a pretty nice deal!

today was my last day of chemo

Yay! Such excellent news to wake up to!

Blarg. I am full of gronk, and the Halloweenie is full of pep. It's a disconcerting combination.

I think that always happens, JZ. My babies were very quiet when I was on the move, and very active when I was trying to rest. And if I had a carb-y snack? Zap! Boom! Thump!

Yeah. Hec and I went to see a matinee of The Illusionist yesterday (not a Great Film, but definitely a good movie, and also incredibly beautifully filmed, just about every single frame rich and glowing and halfway between silent-film looking and painterly), and within 90 seconds of my first gulp of root beer, she was leaping like a mad leapy thing.

The boys were wild and crazy in utero. They got real quiet when they ran out of space and plotted their escape. It was odd after so much activity when they were still. Then surprise! They were so outta there.

I'm hoping to conquer the kitchen today. I have lots and lots of counter space. This has turned into lots and lots of piles of stuff.

I really want to see the Illusionist! For precisely the reasons you described, JZ.

Glad Halloweenie is doing well.

Yay for the good news, Jen!

It is absolutely gorgeous here today. Toto and I just took a little trip to the post office. He was so happy for the long walk. He's plopped on the floor now, panting and smiling. So cute.

Also, when I take him on these long walks, he knows they're different than the potty walks (not that he doesn't still sniff EVERYTHING). He walks differently...like strutting. He knows he's cute and that everyone's looking at him. He's such a goof.

Venturing out into the city....please let my headache not return with the loud!

I wanna see the Illusionist too. Not that I'm ever going to get to see a movie, ever again.

Warning: This post is very mememe. Reading it may bore you, if you don't care about my first week at school. Feel free to skip on to the next, no offense will be taken

t Takes a deep breath, lets it out.

The first week of school is over. There were ups and downs of many varieties, but on the whole I think I came out okay. Some students were confused, some were bored, some have decided I'm funny, some have decided I'm mean, some are still testing, but so far I think I've passed the tests they've given. Or at least, I haven't failed yet.

I'm a little/lot stressed. Our days are pretty darn long at our school - we start at 9, get out at 4:45 (as if I ever leave then). I have a 40 minute lunch and an hour-long prep period, but other than that I'm teaching the whole time: math 3 hours, advisory 35 minutes, Intro Music Theory 1 hour, tutoring/chorus 1 hour. On wednesdays, no music or tutoring/chorus, but professional development with other staff members. I'm getting extra pay for any time that's outside of our union contract (which is a decent sum), but it's still a LONG day. And then there's the planning/grading.

I'm actually happy that my to-do list for today (a SATURDAY) only has 8 things on it. Even if one of those things is "Set up pacing calendar for next year and a half" and another one is "plan next unit" and another one is "lesson plan for all of next week."

But despite the stress, and the cold it appears to be giving me (I thought it was just allergies, but it's definitely approaching cold level), and the never-ceasing muscle tension (for the first time, I'm thinking of looking into professional massages), I'm really, really having a good time. And I know that in about a month, when I'm really in the groove of things and the students are better trained to our school and my class, things will become significantly easier.

ION, I went on a date Wednesday night. A short one. This girl I've been chatting with for a while came to the restaurant right underneath my apartment, we had a drink and a fun conversation, then I went upstairs to plan again. Tonight, a realer date: I'm taking her to a party a friend is holding. A party themed after Neverland (which is the awesomest idea ever, btw). A party with plastic swords. What could go wrong?

It's too bad that my schedule is so incredibly packed, because it makes me wonder how I'm going to be able to fit in a possible burgeoning relationship.