You Don't Know What You've Got Til It's Gone

Conversely, you don't know what you're missing until it's restored to you.

I had my septum straightened a few weeks ago. The first week after the surgery was fairly unpleasant, due to the giant splints in my nose. Seriously, I had no idea how huge they were until I went in to have them removed. Let's just say, if I hadn't been present for the removal, I never would have believed there was that much space available. I'm thinking of taking in a boarder.

Since then, I've been really enjoying the novelty of breathing through both nostrils simultaneously. I truly have no idea when I lost that ability - possibly when a friend whacked me in the nose with a telephone receiver, back in the days when phones were tethered to the wall. So it's been a good, long while.

The only downsides right now are that I'm sneezing a bit more than usual - I guess the dust particles have more access - and I'm still not really comfortable blowing my nose. My nose is still a little tender, but it's also kinda drippy. This is probably karma's way of paying me back for driving my family insane as a child, when I steadfastly refused to blow my nose. I can remember being banished from the living room, more than once, because no one could stand to hear my sniffling any longer. It didn't bother me then, but it sure does now!

So there - more information about my nose than anyone ever wanted to know.

There's No Place Like Home

Over a year since my last post, and I still can't say that I'm fully moved in. But I'd guess that I don't really need whatever's in the boxes I haven't unpacked, so the next move should be easy!

Eugene has been an interesting place to live for a while. I don't think it'll ever be home, but it's a nice pausing spot while I figure out the next adventure. I'm hoping for someplace that pays teachers well, so that rules out the USA. Lots of people have suggested Korea or Japan, but I've never been drawn to that part of the world. I'll probably end up in the Middle East before too long.

I find it interesting how nonchalant I've become about moving to a foreign country. I guess if you do anything enough times, it becomes normal to you. Not that I even have the prospect of a job yet, but I'm taking it for granted that I will, and that it'll be overseas.

In the meantime, I'm trying to enjoy Eugene as much as I can, despite being unable to find a true level of comfort here. The people are great, I like my job, I have a nice apartment, but it's just not a town I can see myself in long-term. I visited Poznan over the summer, and was struck by how much more at home I felt there than I do here. What does that say about me, when Poland is more my home than Oregon?

I Love What You've Done With the Place

I've been a Eugenian for 2 weeks now, and I'm already more unpacked than I was after 2 years in West Seattle. Of course, I have more space here, and no roommates, which makes a HUGE difference. And I can't claim to be completely moved in, because there are still a number of boxes taunting me from the corner. But, overall, I'm quite comfortable here.

I wish I could say I've been too busy to unpack everything, but I've actually done a lot of nothing since I moved here. Work doesn't start until Monday, so I've had all kinds of free time, and have spent most of it exploring the town, shopping for small appliances, and sitting on my ass, thinking that I should really unpack some more boxes.

The highlights so far have been going to the roller derby and the symphony, both very enjoyable & entertaining in their own ways. I found the closest Target, and I'm minutes from Trader Joe's, so the essentials are covered. I've only gotten lost on campus once so far, but I'm sure that'll happen a few more times. I know which buses to take to get to work, since the parking situation is rather challenging. I haven't met any of my neighbors yet, although I did say hi to one of them yesterday. Everyone seems quiet, and I'm on the top floor, so I don't have to worry about any loud walkers.

So, there's my exciting first 2 weeks in a nutshell. I'm looking forward to meeting my colleagues & finding out my schedule next week, so I can maybe start planning some lessons. Or maybe I'll avoid working by finally unpacking some boxes.

Mormons and Cheerleaders and Mathletes, Oh My!

I'm just about in the middle of a 2-week teaching job on the UPS campus in Tacoma. We've got 50 Japanese & Chinese high school students who are spending the next 10 months as exchange students in various cities in the USA, and it's our job to prepare them for the horrors of the American high school experience.

At the same time, there are huge groups of Mormons, cheerleaders and mathletes on the UPS campus, doing whatever it is those groups do. It's actually been great for our students to see some "typical" American students, and we've forced them to interact a little - on a scavenger hunt the other day, they had to find out who the founder of the Mormon religion was.

What I'm finding most interesting is my own reaction to the various groups, particularly the cheerleaders. You see, I was in the band during high school. We didn't exactly mix with the cheerleaders. It was from my band teacher that I first heard the term "cheerthing." And even now, every time I see a group of them, with their little skirts & their pom poms & their never-ending cheerfulness, I find myself wanting to smack them. Hard.

I'm sure that these girls are perfectly harmless, normal kids. They go to classes, they hang out with their friends, they eat dinner with their families. But then they put on tiny outfits, jump around and shout. And it makes me hostile.

It's probably good that I don't have any nieces.

I'm the Kind of Gal Who Likes to Live on the Edge

I've decided not to go to Saudi Arabia - at least, not this year. I've also worked my last day at the ticket office. Which means, I'm currently unemployed. Sort of.

I have a 2-week teaching job that starts next week. After that, I have no idea what I'll be doing for work. I'm hoping to get a job at the University of Oregon, but I won't know for a few weeks. And if I don't get it, I'm back to where I was last January.

I probably should be more stressed than I am about all this. I'm sure it will kick in soon and I'll start to freak out. My apologies in advance if you get caught up in the maelstrom of my insanity. But in the meantime, enjoy my unexplainable calm about the whole mess.

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...