Girls just want to have fun

One day early last week, I was eating my lunch in the employee break room. The conversation going on around me was about a trans sexual student. The student had asked for anonymity, but was going around telling everyone. We have a very diverse population and the concern here was that the student would tell the wrong person and get injured. The one gay teacher voluntered to talk to her.
The next day the conversation was about finding a rest room the student could use without freaking out other students and feeling uncomfortable herself. One of my students in keyboarding was talking about the bathroom problem being solved. DUH! Lightbulb!
The student known as Melanie, whom I thought was just an eccentric Hispanic diva, was the trans sexual. I was told to change her name in the roll book from Jose to Melanie. This in itself was not a clue because the corp is always making mistakes with names. Then the particle of conversation I had heard in the break room came to mind,"...and she gets really upset if you don't call her by her new name."
I am so naive.
The other day songs kept coming to mind when I was asked questions so I was answering in song. Mostly show tunes. Melanie was the only one who knew the words beside me.
I love my job. It is so rich with learning. Just think, I may even get to know my way around a computer!

You have entered the twilight zone.....

do do do do do do do do,
I awoke at 6:15, really refreshed even though I had slept on the sofa in my regular clothes and wearing my glasses. I got up and decided that since I felt so refreshed, I would go to breakfast early and get a head start on the day.
I walked into the bedroom and noticed my AARP magazine on the bed. I picked it up and looked through it to see if there were any pictures I might be able to use for my dream board. And while I was at it I read Charlie Sheen's interview. Interesting man.
I showered and fixed my hair. I pressed off a new pair of capris and decided to be brave and put two prints together for my top. I opened the door and surprise --no newspaper. I looked down the hallway to see that no one had news papers. Odd. But I could always get one downstairs in the lobby. I looked over the rail to see how breakfast was going.
Then it all became very real to me. There was Clint, the Sunday night bartender. I wasn't early for breakfast, I was late for cocktails. I stopped to chat with Angel who told me a similar story. We laughed and I continued to the bar where Clint had my G & T waiting for me. Without thinking, I said "Good Morning" and saw the astonished look on his face. Yes, I had entered the twilight zone.

Report from the looney bin

This week in group the therapist reminded me that I only had a few sessions left and I could decide to leave on Thursday or Monday. I said I'd think about it.
I realized that Juliemae Jones had put her phone number in the header of my resume and cover letters when she called to tell me that some woman had called and wanted me to return the call to schedule an interview. After fixing all the saved copies and deleting the pdf's I returned the call.
I had an interview yesterday at Cedar Internatinal Academy. A charter school. They have a web site which I used for research. They have the same problems as every other charter school except the ESL is Spanish not Ebonics. I thought the interview went very well. I don't know if I'll get the job, but I know the interview went well. And I don't know if I want to go through another charter school. They are supposed to make a decision this weekend. If I do get an offer, I'll look at the compensation to see if it is worth blood, sweat, and tears.
So I thought about it. Last night was my last night. Everyone said such lovely things. There is still a group that meets on Tuesday nights for two hours and there are tons of other groups available. Even socially orientated ones. The Tuesday night one is free for six visits. Then you graduate from that one, too.
My individual therapist is great. He really blew my socks off with my second visit. It felt like he had read my autobiography which I thought had not been published as yet. This session went very well also. I understand fully, why he wants me to read about TA and the Six Steps. Some of the questions he asked provoked a lot of thought and helped me remember things I had pushed way back in the dusty archives. I am going to start journaling and he suggested I do a dream board. I'll have to see about getting some magazines somewhere.
The job search goes on and on. I spent a long time at the center on Wednesday. I got a lot accomplished. I have now applied to enough jobs to cover me until Sept 3, 2009 doing the five per week requirement. Oh, Juliemae, I got a thanks but no thanks from one of the organizations I applied to while you were here just this morning. Planning on doing some more later this morning.
ttfn from the Embassy.

Me and the Universe II

Julie has been and gone. She really kept me towing the line. I got about seven resumes out. She also gave me the moral supprt to end a few impulse invitations and call questioning a couple of bills. This is something I let go and just pay usually. Not a good practice when you have money and disasterous when you don't. And she was just fun. Thank you , Julie. I really appreciate the help and the time you so generously gave to me.

This week has been a little stressful. Going from Julie's imposed structuring to therapy was a good thing. There seem to be a lot of available jobs with the state and I did start the process for Texas state teaching certification. (Last night, I met two women in the business center at the hotel who told me how to go about getting licensure for counseling. So I could work on that after I get a paying job. ) I have been treated so gently and warmly by the counselor at the Work Force Center and with the interviewer for Unimployment Benefits. Sure is a change from NJ.

The Biker Rally in Austin took place this weekend. We had about a hundred bikes parked in front of the hotel, in the valet parking spaces and in every available triangle in the garage. Saturday night was sure a hopping time during cocktails. All is quiet now. The place won't be the same.

Tomorrow starts another day of job searching. I just apply to everything that even remotely resembles my credentials. It is kind of fun. I laugh quite often wondering if I'll even get a rejection message. I will start splitting my time between Christina and Kyle' s home and the Work Force Ctr. There are a few classes there that I want to take and there is also the random possibility that someone may come there to recruit. Wouldn't that be nice.

The Universe (henceforth referred to as "Tut") and I do not seem to be on speaking terms. Yesterday, I found out that I do not exist. There is no record of me earning any salary here even though I have worked for six months. The people in Texas can find me in NJ, but not in TX. I have a house I can't live in and I am not in Texas records. Hmmmm. I think Tut is trying to tell me I don't exist. Or maybe I should not exist in Texas.

So, I have been trying to figure out where Tut expects me to be. I haven't a clue. I really like Texas, specially here in the Austin area. I assumed, perhaps wrongly, that the motto "Keep Austin Weird" was an invitation for me to move in. Who do you know that is weirder than I and who could better assist in keeping the place weird just by their presence thanI? I ask you.

Every where I go I find the most engaging and helpful people. They appear and do things that would be unheard of any place else. A Real Estate agent that is worried about where you are going to live. An insurance agent that comes to your house to put in a dead bolt. Where else but here? It seems that they have no concept of putting themselves out. They are generous, unjudgemental, and fun to be with. Or maybe I'm comparing them to the stereotypical NY/NJ persona.

If you have any idea what Tut is trying to tell me I'd sure like to hear about it.