I guess it's time...

..for another blog that is. I haven't blogged in a while and today seemed like the perfect day to do so.

Well, I guess I'll update on my life first..then tell about today.

I've been living in Dallas since the beginning of January. So far, I like it alright. It's a great place to be, if you have money, because there are loads of places to spend it. But if you are like Kyle and I, and you are always living paycheck to paycheck, it can be kind of a downer. At least we have each other, though, right? Right:) (note: there was no sarcasm in that statement. or that one, for that matter.) For the first month of living here, I applied at countless part-time jobs in the area hoping to find something to bring in some money..and after a month the only place that called me was Michaels Arts & Crafts.....so that's where I currently work...as a framer. "Ever think about custom framing but when it comes to figuring out the cost your a bit overwhelmed?" Well, don't. Think about custom framing, I mean. (just teasing, other Michaels associates..gosh) It's an alright job, for now. I'm just waaayy ready to have a salary job already--so tired of living paycheck to paycheck (as I've already mentioned).

Anyway, now about today, before I forget. Well, I woke up and got ready for work like any other day. My amazing, future husband made lunch and coffee for me, so the day started off pretty well. I gathered up all my things and ran out the door (because if you know me, you know I'm typically running late). Well, I get to work...and well....it was work. Nothing to gossip about, as Quintin (one of my co-workers) would say. After work, I decided to take Miss Laney Ma'am (as Kyle and I call her) on a walk because the weather is absolutely amazing!! 80 degrees, praise Jesus! So I put the pooch on her leash and we started walking out to the car. This is when incident number one happened. She decided that she needed to take a crap..right then..and right there..in the middle of the sidewalk. I mean, she did go through this phase earlier on in her life when she would only defecate on concrete...but I thought she was over that. Apparently not. So then, I had to walk all the way over to the doggie poop bags that the apartment provides, so that we wouldn't get fined for leaving her poop on the sidewalk. Anyway, so after I took care of that little incident, we got in the car and head towards the park. Once we arrived at the park, Laney was so flipping excited that she was sniffing and wagging all over the place. After only walking, maybe 20 yards, she decided she had to take a crap...again (incident number two, pun intended). And once again, she did not go over to the grass like a good little (big) dog should..she awkwardly hunched over right in the middle of the path and relieved herself. That dog has no shame; I, however, do. I had to just stand there as people strolled by absolutely disgusted that my dog was taking a crap in the middle of the sidewalk. Don't worry, I cleaned it up. Once that incident was taken care of, we just continued strolling along. We circled this big pond and then made our way to a smaller pond right beside it. After we got almost all the way around, I figured Laney was thirsty so I walked her over to the waters edge so she could get a drink. Incident number three. She fell in. All the way in. I had to pull her out by her collar...poor thing was dripping wet, head-to-toe. I hadn't laughed that hard in a loooong time. I immediately called Kyle to tell him about it and at first he couldn't distinguish whether I was laughing or crying, haha. So we continued our walk, now dripping wet. We completely circle the little pond and then went back to the bigger one. We started making our way around when we came upon incident number four. This one actually doesn't have anything to do with Laney, but it was...strange. There is a very swanky retirement center right off to the side of the bigger pond. It is completely gated in (probably to keep the old people from running away...haha..just kidding..kind of) and there is a door about midway through the gate on one side that has a keypad on it. Well, as Laney and I made our way towards the car, I saw an old man trying to climb over the fence. Hah, when you first read that, I bet you thought I meant trying to climb the fence from the retirement center side to the pond side..but it was actually the other way around. He was trying to break into the retirement center. After a few failed attemps, he started asking passers-by if they would give him a boost over the fence. This old man was like in his seventies, at least!, and he was asking someone to push him over a fence! He must desperately want some new hips..or a knee..or something. Sheesh. So yeah..that was it really. I just couldn't believe that all that funny stuff kept happening....my life as a sitcom.

Update.

It has been fooorrreeevvveerrrr since I have blogged about anything, but some big changes have occurred so I feel as though I should update the world, or at least the small portion of people that may happen to read this (which even then, they probably already know..so I guess this is more actually for myself).

Well, first off, I graduated!! Not that it was ever any question that I wouldn't, but I am officially done with school and that is certainly something that should be celebrated. It hasn't really kicked in yet that I am done with school, probably because I still have in my mind that I will one day go back and get my PhD, but we'll see about that.

I also got engaged the Sunday after graduation to the one and only, Kyle Austin Jones. This also hasn't quite hit me yet, even though I have seen myself in countless wedding dresses and wear the most beautiful ring on my finger. ----------------------->

We are hoping to have the wedding in August but have soooo much to do!! We still have to ask the rest of our wedding party if they would join us for our big day, as well as do everything from pick a location and all that jazz. I want our wedding to be amazing so hopefully we can pull it off in 8 months:)

So, not only did I graduate and get engaged, but I also moved to Dallas! Yay! Well, I actually just moved in yesterday, but I'm here none the less (and currently bumming off someone's internet because we have no interenet...or cable--yes, we are living like freakin' Amish over here...no offense to any Amish people). Although we struggled back and forth about my moving in with Kyle before we got married, this is was just the best decision. I have seminars that I have to attend almost every Saturday and Tuesday in the DFW area in order to fulfill my requirements for my probationary teaching certificate, so moving here just made the most sense. This way, I can start subbing in the school districts up here and hopefully get my foot in the door with some of these school systems. I can also find out which districts I would even want to work.

My first seminar was today. I was super nervous and not sure what to expect at all. I figured there weren't going to be many people, but when I got there, there were people out the wazoo. Hundreds of people at this thing. Hundreds. And of course I got there way after everyone (granted I had to drive 40 minutes and was unaware that there was an email sent saying to arrive 30 minutes early..oops) and there were only a few seats here and there. So I searched through the crowd and found a table of harmless looking ladies and took a seat. They all ended up being really nice and we're going to try to find each other at the next seminar so that we can sit together again. It was interesting to see the range of people in the ACP (alternative certification program). I was the youngest at my table, and the oldest was probably in her sixties. All of us were either engaged, married or had been married, except for one (again just at my table). All of them lived in the DFW area except for one lady who drove in from Weatherford (my table only). The whole thing actually turned out to be extremely useful. I almost glad that I did this alternative program rather than getting my Education degree in school. It doesn't seem like they would do the things they were doing for us at a university. Today, we mainly talked about what we need to do in order to get a job. We also just talked about like what we think a teacher is and reminisced about our favorite teachers from the past. I have three.

Mr. Powell, 8th grade English, Wylie Junior High

Mr. Williams, Pre-calculus, Wylie High School

Dr. Beck, Psychology, Abilene Christian University

Mr. Powell is probably a huge reason why I chose to teach English. If he knew tha,t he would probably get mad at me because he always thought I should do bigger and better things with my life....like modeling (if you would see me when I say this, I would be rolling my eyes). If he only knew I've probably gained like 15 pounds since he last saw me, maybe he would be okay with my choice of career, haha. But seriously, I loved his class and I'm pretty sure that I kept everything I ever did in there in a folder, which I'm sure I still have at home (aka my parents house--which will always be home to me..at least until I have kids..and even then it will be debatable).

Mr. Williams--aka Mr. Will--is probably the coolest teacher ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but he is so flippin cool, in an extremely nerdy way. Just to explain how amazing of a teacher he is he made me love precal. Who is their right mind loves pre-calculus?? It makes absolutely no sense, but that's how great of a teacher he was. Oh the days of Sin-y, overhead musicals and throwing calculators. He also had a name for his hand, I believe, but I don't remember it. Hmm...I need to find that out...

And last, but certainly not least, Dr. Beck, one of the most fascinating men out there. He tells the best stories of all time. He makes freshman fall in love psychology (even though I didn't have him...I have actually sat in on his freshman psyc class--that's how amazing he is) and reminds seniors (because they have long forgotten) why they chose psychology as their major. ACU is lucky to have this man.

Anyway, I hope one day I am someone's favorite teacher. :)