You Can't Be Allergic to All Of It

Here's my list of known allergies:

cats
dogs
feathers
molds
trees
grasses
weeds

I probably live in the wrong place. There are 3 dogs and a cat in my house. It's over 30 years old (the house), so I'm sure there's mold. I sleep under a feather duvet. There are trees, grasses, and weeds everywhere I go - it's the Pacific Northwest!

In 6-12 weeks, I hope to be a little less allergic. I'm taking vaccines that are supposed to desensitize me to my allergens. If nothing else, it's an exciting way to take medicines - I get to use syringes! Thankfully, there are no injections involved. At least, not since the day of diagnosis - there were a LOT of injections that day!

At least I'm not allergic to dust! I'm not exactly good at keeping things tidy, which includes dusting. I just hate the idea of turning perfectly harmless bunnies out of their homes, when they're really not hurting anyone.

Sometimes You Just Stand There, Hip-Deep in Pie

Well, the fellowship does not seem to be working out as planned. Which I'm sure my father will be thrilled about, since he really didn't want me to move to Bosnia. Just wait until he hears what I'm considering now... :)

I do have some ideas about my next step, though I've decided not to publicize them until they're much more likely to actually happen. I really don't relish the thought of going through another round of "Hey, weren't you going to _____?"

I spent the afternoon with my former colleagues in Auburn, cheering for graduating international students and eating Thai food. I really miss spending time with those incredible people. I learned so much during my all-too-brief stay there, and not just about teaching! I keep hoping the stupid economy will shape up, so we can all go back to work there again.

I do have to mention my pride in one particular student who graduated today. When I first met her, she was in Level 2 (out of 5) and only stayed in my class for 2 days before deciding she didn't like me and transferring to another class. I taught her again in Level 4, and really enjoyed having her in my class - at the end of the quarter, she even apologized for her prior behavior! And today, she graduated from Level 5, and told me how much she missed me. She is the reason I love teaching - she and all the students like her, whether I witness the transformation or not, make my (former and - I hope! - future) job completely and utterly worth all the planning and grading and stress.

Now if I can just find the right teaching position again...