Money and Change

Posted on May 30, 2013 by simpleijustdo

Hands down, the biggest change that The Boy and I will be experiencing centers around money. I have been so lucky to live and work where I do, because teachers here make a decent wage. Without the third person in the house, and with an increasing salary, I was able to crawl out of the debt that was largely due to the ex’s money mismanagement, and then provide a life for my son, virtually free from want.

In about a month, I will be unemployed. I will get paid through the summer, and God willing, I will be employed again by the time those paychecks stop coming. But I know I will not be making anywhere near what I have been making.

Now, before you start freaking out on my behalf (because I really have put a lot of thought into this move, contrary to what most people think), we will not have a mortgage or rent payment. And if you give that fact it’s due consideration, you will understand why this move is not nearly so scary as it might have seemed. For most people, the house payment is the biggest chunk of their pay, usually 25-33% of their monthly income. In addition, insurance is substantially lower (at least half of what we pay here), and we will have no water bill (well water). The Man is very handy, and the labor portion of any home repair bills (and even some minor car repair bills) will be nonexistent, as well.

We have considered selling my rather new car in exchange for an older, yet reliable car, eliminating the one car payment between us (not sure we’ll do this, but it is on the table — we both feel if you aren’t making payments, you’re paying repair bills). We also intend to plant a garden, if not fully-fledged this year, then at least by next, to supplement our groceries (we have really good soil – used to be a potato farm!).

Where I do anticipate some difficulties adjusting to a blended checking account will be in the food department. The Man loves the convenience store, and often eats out, sometimes for lunch and dinner. The Boy and I eat out about once a week, with all other meals coming from our weekly groceries. Of course, we may also have a discussion or two about where to keep the thermostat, too…

I just found this lovely series from The Peaceful Mom, on how to live on under $28K a year. You should check it out – lots of great tips on how to live more frugally (without couponing). I’m hoping we can use some of these in the near future (I’m thinking a clothesline would be nice!).

What money-saving tips have you used?

Liebster Awarded Again!

Posted on May 29, 2013 by simpleijustdo

I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award again (Thank You, Meredith, from Looking Up With Down Syndrome – LOVE that title!), but I promise not to bore you with a super-long post this time (and I guess I really better work on getting some more followers so I don’t qualify for this award anymore!). I’m going to take Little Bird’s Dad‘s lead and use Meredith’s questions for upcoming posts.

First I have to give you 11 facts about myself, so that’s what I’ll do today:

I’m average height for a female in the US (actually o.4″ taller, but I’m not splitting hairs).
I also have fairly average feet, although the average US shoe size for women has grown over the past few decades, and is now an 8, while I still wear a 7.
My song of the day is Get Lucky (featuring Pharrell Williams) by Daft Punk – it’s great packing music!
My favorite flower is the Gerber Daisy.
My most-watched movie is The Princess Bride – it can be annoying to watch it with me because I tend to say all of the lines along with the movie – can’t help it.
I’m a hopeless Anglophile, and visiting Britain is high up on my bucket list.
I usually only eat red meat once or twice a week. It’s not really a conscious choice, but it makes me feel better.
I once took an Esperanto class (with my mom).
I should have considered being a linguist – I love words and languages and how they develop.
Just started Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, not realizing how long it was (one drawback of the kindle)…
I’m growing my own basil from seeds, and I haven’t killed them yet!

I’ll save the rest for future posts…

Leaving School for the Last Time

Posted on May 28, 2013 by simpleijustdo

As I mentioned last week, my resignation went before the board, and I was finally able to tell my students that I was leaving. I wasn’t quite sure how to do it, but I just started speaking, and was honest with them. They didn’t make it easy for me – there was a lot of screaming and howling (middle school behavior leaves much to be desired), but I was able to get through it without breaking down. There were a few that were in tears, although I think a few more had suspected ever since I got engaged. They know enough about me and my personal life to put two and two together. I got many, many hugs, and lots of that look they have when they are thinking hard about something – you know, the “processing big news” look.

Our year-end concert was this past Thursday, and again, I wasn’t sure what to say. In the classroom, I’m more able to articulate, but put me on a stage, under lights, with a microphone, and I’m not as comfortable. The kids performed well – I know they were doing their best for me, knowing it was my last one. At the end, one of my eighth graders, one I never would have guessed would grab the microphone, stepped up and read something she had written for me. As she read, multiple kids came up to hand me bouquets of flowers, and then there was no stopping the tears. So many kids came up for hugs, and I hugged each one individually. A few told me how they felt about me, and my class, that it was the only reason they liked coming to school, and such… It was all very sweet, and a touch heart-breaking.

I know they are concerned about what will come. A multi-year class is never the same with a new teacher. I know they are sad, and a bit mad that I am leaving them (some are probably glad, too!). I just keep trying to explain to them that sometimes you have to do things that are good for you, even if they don’t seem like they are good for anyone else.

I am still getting random hugs, and messages written on my white board, disappointed looks, and a few quickly-wiped-away tears. The eighth graders have asked me to come to their dance, a rather big hullabaloo the evening before the last day of school. Normally, I don’t, but I might pop by this year.

These kids represent 16 years of kids who have taught me so much about themselves, and human beings in general. I’m a better person for having been a teacher, and I really wish John Q. Public could teach for a day so they knew what really happens in schools, from the teacher’s perspective.

It is time for me to go, however. I’m so glad these kids have made it a sweeter experience.

Remembering on Memorial Day

Posted on May 27, 2013 by simpleijustdo

My bands used to do our local Memorial Day Parade. It took us a long time to prepare for it (we started in February), it was always scorching hot, and parents often complained about it. After being accused of exposing their children to heat stroke for making them wear blue jeans a few years back, I decided that this gig wasn’t really all it was cracked up to be.

As always, when breaking with longstanding tradition in the education community, it is best to simultaneously propose a replacement activity. Instead, we decided to visit a local nursing home and perform for real veterans.

This will be our third year, and I think it serves our elders well. They really enjoy seeing the huge group come in and play for them. Many end up in tears because it brings back memories of their own or their children’s experiences with school music programs. They insist on shaking my hand, and tearfully thanking me, which always gets me.

It also serves the kids well, to remember these elders, to see how much they enjoy their performance, to understand what it must be like to have to wait for your entertainment to come to you.

On this Memorial Day, I’m thankful for the service of our veterans, and also the elder community who supported those veterans.

8 Reasons Why The Boy May Be a Time Lord…

Posted on May 26, 2013 by simpleijustdo

Doctor Who fans are a fiercely loyal bunch, and I can proudly say that I was recently initiated via Netflix. Now, I’m sure there are various strata of Doctor Who fan-dom, and if there are, I am probably in the lowest of the low, because I have not watched all the old-old episodes, with Doctors 1-8, and have not even watched any episodes with the most recent Doctor Who, because I am fiercely loyal to (and have an equally fierce crush on) Doctor number 10. But. There are enough similarities between Doctors (I mean they are all supposed to be the same Time Lord, after all), that I think I can make some generalizations, and bring your attention to the fact that The Boy may actually be Doctor Who…

1. He has an affinity for wearing the same outfit everyday, because he thinks it’s the coolest thing on the planet. Or on several planets.

The Tenth Doctor’s Outfit – Keith Schengili-Roberts

2. He also has an affinity for Chuck Taylor’s.

3. He has a wee obsession with clocks and timers – What Time Lord wouldn’t?

4. He tends to use common objects in uncommon ways… like a Sonic Screwdriver, perhaps?

5. He is whip smart, figures stuff out on his own, and loves technology. He could probably fly a TARDIS meant to be piloted by six Time Lords with one hand tied behind his back…

6. He tends to need a companion to share adventures, and to rein him in when he gets out of control.

7. He wears glasses because he thinks they make him “look a bit clever”.

8. He looks typically human on the outside…

Now can you see why I’m a fan, and why maybe, just maybe, The Boy may be a Time Lord?…

Whoa.

Posted on May 23, 2013 by simpleijustdo

I’m so sorry not to have posted in awhile. It’s the end of the school year, and more specifically, the end of my last school year, meaning wrapping normal things up, while also wrapping up unusually large, abnormal things. Oh, and moving. And getting married. And helping my autistic son get used to the idea of our moving, and my getting married… Remind me why I did this to myself again?

I have officially resigned my position and told my students, which was difficult to do. Tonight is my last concert, ever. And I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t a little verklempt. Because of my overwhelming list of things to do, I’m not getting much sleep (the list won’t let my brain turn off), making me even more tired than I already was. And I feel as if I’m walking around in a daze, as if in limbo anyway, already saying goodbye here, but not really getting there yet.

Thank goodness for the extra day this weekend, which I will use to get caught up on sleep, and caught up in general. I just wanted to write a quick post to let you know I’m not going anywhere, at least in terms of the blog. I’ve missed writing desperately, and will be back as soon as I can take a nap… or four.

Zzzzz…

Progress: Noticing a Difference

Posted on May 14, 2013 by simpleijustdo

I’ve done a few posts about exercise over the past year, and if you’ve been around awhile, you know it’s a relatively new concept for me. For most of my life, my high metabolism has carried me through, and I haven’t been too worried about what I eat, or my weight in general. Around the time of the breakup of my marriage, I was at my heaviest, and lost a lot that summer and fall, getting back to my more normal weight range. And then about a year ago, I started to notice the cellulite and flab creeping in, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t so happy with what I saw in the mirror. Last winter, I bought some weights and a bike trainer so I could ride my own bike (which I love!) indoors. I also started breaking out the yoga mat again on a semi-regular basis. And it lasted awhile, but I didn’t really see results, so I slacked off and got out of the routine. This past fall, I wrote about needing to get back into some kind of routine, because I was shocked at weighing in at the doctor’s and finding I was 15 pounds over my normal weight – yikes! And then I came up with a plan. And when that wasn’t quite working, I adjusted it a bit. I struggled with it. I really, really struggled with it, and I felt like I was failing.

And then in March, something clicked. I started sticking to my plan. The thing I thought I’d never do, get up early to workout, started working for me. I found I wasn’t tired, I was very willing to get up and get on the bike, and just ride. It was another opportunity for some alone time, and to process thoughts, so it wasn’t a crazy, chicken-with-its-head-cut-off kind of all-at-once start to my day. And I coupled it with some targeted, low-impact exercises found on Pinterest a few minutes before bedtime.

And then… I actually upped it. I was riding the bike 3 times a week, and I bumped it up to 5 days a week (although sometimes I take a day off to do a 20 minute yoga routine instead). And I started doing the night-time exercises every night. And I added another routine found on Pinterest, and some sumo squats. Not a ton, but enough to burn. And I kept upping my resistance on the bike, making sure I was still sweating by the time I was done.

If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve gotten a few updates, which I promised, and which helps keep me accountable, and since the beginning of March, I’ve lost two inches on my hips! And I woke up yesterday, and I couldn’t see my saddlebags anymore. And that inner-thigh fat? It’s fading. They say it takes four weeks for you to notice the changes, and 8 weeks for close friends and family. It’ll be interesting to see what The Man says when he comes to visit this week.

All I know is, for the first time in my life, I am enjoying working out, and I’m seeing results. 😀

Moving On

Posted on May 10, 2013 by simpleijustdo

I’ve worked in the same place for twelve years. And although I have had other jobs, even within this career, I have always been a teacher. That will end in June, and it’s scary yet liberating, unfathomable yet exciting. I shouldn’t necessarily say that I will not be teaching – I should qualify it with, “in the public schools”. I am actually quite hopeful that I will continue teaching in some capacity, whether it is tutoring, private lessons, community college, or in some other area. I mean, let’s face it — I’m not going to become an accountant, a cage fighter, or an astronaut. I do this well enough, that I feel like I can transition my experience and skills into something similar if not the same.

One of Gardner’s multiple intelligences is Intrapersonal Intelligence which has to do with knowing and understanding yourself — I have always scored very highly in this area on those tests, probably from being an only child, with no one to analyze except myself. I really think about my own emotions and reactions, and try to learn from myself on a constant basis. I have been monitoring my feelings toward this slew of big change heading our way, and as the day gets closer, I have noticed a few things I will miss, for sure. But mostly, I am ready. Ready to be doing something else. Ready to reactivate and rededicate my brain to new and different ventures.

Today, I received news that would have driven me insane – news about coming changes to my current position. Almost simultaneously, I received news about a possible job prospect where I’m headed, one that is exactly the type of thing I was looking for. And I thought, “How serendipitous that I receive both pieces of news on the same day!” I could have headed down the negative path, worrying about what I’m now thinking of as “my old job”, but instead, I’m clearly thinking and moving toward this positive path, the path of my future. I see that as even more proof that I’m ready.

Take Care

Posted on May 9, 2013 by simpleijustdo

I’ve been thinking a lot about how little people pay attention to those around them. There have been a number of stories of people passing by strangers on the street who are in obvious distress, like the gay couple who were attacked in broad daylight across from the New Yorker offices while people inside the nearby McDonald’s chose to take photos and video with their phones rather than intervene. Or the complete lack of courtesy displayed to other drivers that is so prevalent on our roads today. Or the incessant bickering, and finger-pointing coming from our nation’s capital.

But, too, we hear the stories of people “paying it forward” – people paying for a family’s meal “just because”, or the athlete giving up his chance to compete to donate bone marrow. And these stories make headlines because they are a bit shocking. People go that much out of their way to help strangers? Yes, yes they do.

It’s called courtesy. It’s called caring for your fellow human. Some call it fellowship, or humanitarianism, or good manners. It’s just caring about people, and not just yourself and your own little world.

In the adolescent stage of human development, the individual is naturally self-centered. There’s a natural, psychological reason why kids that age are so insecure – they really believe everyone is staring at their every pore everyday. Do you remember that? I certainly do. And therefore, everyone must care about everything they do, and therefore, they see themselves as the most important thing in the universe. My point is, it’s a stage in natural human development, and we are supposed to grow out of that, but many of us never do. (And I think that percentage is getting higher, in part helped along by parents raising their children to believe that they are the most important thing in the universe. But I digress.)

I think that the realization that you are not the sun, while everyone else is just flotsam — IN YOUR WAY… I think that’s quite close to the meaning of life. Knowing that we are here, put on this Earth to help each other, and acting upon it in your everyday life and dealings with others has got to be the be-all, end-all.

After these musings had been bouncing around my head for a few days, I saw this video which complemented my thoughts extremely well, except that I don’t think this worldview is dependent on education. I think it’s dependent on being human.

Teacher Appreciation

Posted on May 6, 2013 by simpleijustdo

If you weren’t aware, this week is teacher appreciation week. And I have a few things to say about teachers – a few blog posts-worth. I’ll start with this…

Teachers work hard. I know because I am one. I also know because I watch others do it, and because I know my own son. I remember my friends as students from my own time in school, and I have been immersed in the culture of education for the past 33 years. I have also come to realize that teaching is one of the most difficult gigs out there. I have only recently learned this from speaking to colleagues who have worked in other sectors before teaching (and some after teaching, as well). And I can tell you that it has only gotten harder as the years have gone by.

Teachers, lately, have started verbalizing how difficult the job is, primarily because the demands have increased while the rewards have decreased. And there has been considerable backlash. No one goes into teaching because they get summers off (because we don’t, really) and will make loads of money, but neither should teachers qualify for public assistance, yet they do. Neither should they have their names printed in the local paper, labeled “ineffective” based on their students’ test scores, yet they do. Teachers are sometimes expected to produce miracles, and when they don’t they are vilified.

I consider myself a good teacher, and I don’t think it’s conceited to say so. One knows when one is good at one’s job. Notice I didn’t say “great”. But over my career, I have been called a racist, a “favoritist”, I have had countless parents berate me over the phone, swear at me, and question me on why I didn’t let her daughter fill out her birthday invitations in class, or why I was upset that their son threw pencils at my office door.

Those aren’t typical days, but increasingly I am incredulous at the things we deal with, from all sides. It’s a really hard job. And parents who really know their children usually get it. It’s too bad so many don’t have a clue who their own children are (“My son doesn’t lie!”).

So take a moment this week, and think about the people who have taught you, and the people who are teaching the children of today. Send them good thoughts and/or prayers that they will continue to have the strength to do the job they do, because that’s what they really need, so much more than the trinkets from the dollar store, and the cookies. They need your support in the classroom, in the community, and at the polls. They sacrifice so much and work so hard for our kids, and will never be appreciated enough for doing so.