Recap on The Boss

I met with The Boss yesterday morning, and I was terribly surprised by how well it went. I sat down, explained my current situation to her, and got a few options for the coming school year. Graham and I will have to sit down and crunch some numbers, but ideally my work situation will change at least somewhat next year. If nothing else, I'll have a little more time and a little less stress, or more time to deal with all the stressors at work. I said yesterday that I knew I wasn't the only one stressed out at work, but I couldn't handle it anymore.

After that, the day was pretty uneventful. Our four-day weekend has started, and it couldn't have come at a better time. I am really looking forward to taking a few walks, brunch with friends, and just relaxing after the last few weeks.

In other news, I had to deliver some bad news to one of my best friends the other day, and that was really hard. So far, probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I'll get into a few more details soon, once she's had a little more time to process things, but let's just say it sucked for both of us, and for very different reasons.

But, I'm off! Hopefully I'll have time to post pictures from the last few weeks. Enjoy your weekend!

T -16 Hours...

Until I know my fate. Meeting with The Boss tomorrow. Pray for me! Wish me luck!

A Shortish Update

Why, hello there, friends!

It's been a while. It's not for lack of updates (and trust me, there are updates), but just a lack of time. There's been so much going on, both here and at work, that it leaves me little time to do anything fun and remotely theraputic.

Let's see....we went downstate last weekend for Mary's graduation. It was plenty of fun, though really short. There were a few hiccups during the weekend--mainly lost hotel reservations and changed dinner plans, but ultimately everything worked out fine. It was pretty great to see Mary graduate--again! I've attended her 8th grade, high school, and now her college graduations. (Graham and I have been together a loooooooooong time.)

Today, (right now!) we're getting an alarm system installed. I'm pretty stoked about it. I haven't felt completely safe since I was robbed in November, 2007 (6 weeks before our wedding, thankyouverymuch). For close to a year after that, I jumped at every little sound and creak. In our apartment building, everything made me wary. I looked side-eyed at my neighbors because I didn't know them and trust them. Even in our new neighborhood where it's much safer, I still don't feel totally safe. After the break-in, it really hit me how someone was WATCHING me. They knew who lived where and who left when and when they returned. It was scary. I never want to go through that again. Everytime we return home, the thought flashes through my mind--was the house safe? Is there someone inside? We were lucky once to just come home to a mess. I don't want to walk into my house and find someone there.

In early May, some people from the alarm company were coming around the 'hood with this new promotion, and we met with one of them and ultimately decided it wasn't a bad deal. We get the system and install for free, so long as we keep the sign in our yard. We still have to pay the monthly fee, but it's not expensive. In my opinion, our safety is worth it. We're in a safe neighborhood--we're surrounded by cops and firefighters for miles! But, when criminals and thugs get mad, they also want to get even, and they come after cop homes and neighborhoods. We already had the sign in our yard, so having the system just makes me feel that much better.

This week....well, we finally got our contracts at work. I'm debating what to do about mine. I've been actively seeking new employment, but because no one has any money and the state is holding budgets everywhere hostage, I've gotten few nibbles. I'm frustrated because it's not "me", but no one knows if the positions they've been hiring for will even be available come August.

I honestly don't know what to do. I'm going to try and negotiate a way out of one of my jobs. My current contract says, "3/5 computer teacher, webmaster, alumni director, public relations..." and probably something else I'm forgetting right now. It's a lot to take on, both next year and in general. I haven't been happy bouncing between two different jobs, and the level of stress that I've been under hasn't always seemed worth the paycheck.

I know there are some (family members included, unfortunately), who probably think I'm crazy for considering going down to part-time, or taking a salary cut, or even considering just quitting altogether. That being said, there are good reasons I'm considering each of those options. I haven't been happy at my job in months. I leave most days and I'm really upset and crying. The stresses that have been placed on me and the expectations have been pretty unrealistic. I don't think I've done a better or worse job than the woman who held this job before me--I've maintained, that's for sure. But to expect me to take a department to another level, all the while balancing two jobs (including teaching and lesson planning and all that other b.s.) isn't at all realistic. AND....I think it's fair to say I stepped into this job with little training, and initially that was fine. It's really been since December/January that my qualifications have been called into question, and the work I've done has been put under fire. I'm pretty sure getting a position on the Supreme Court would be easier! Sotomayor didn't have this much scrutiny, that's for sure.

To add to all this, the morale at work is low. Really low. I've only been there 3 years, but it's never been this bad. Even the "tenured" teachers (HA! Like there's such a thing as tenure!) are feeling a lot of pressure to perform and perform well. No one wants to help out anymore, and no one feels thanked or appreciated.

Personally, my own morale is in the toilet because of how I'm treated here each day. I complain to Graham about it, and sometimes my friends, but I can't keep complaining about it because that's just not me. That, and I don't want to be that person who always complains so no one takes them seriously anymore. But really, it's bad. My higher-ups are always yelling at me and putting me down. My colleagues are talking to me like they're poised to become my boss. One coworker barged into my office one day and said, "You need to do these thank you notes for me." Um, where was the please? Where was the, "Is now a good time?" And once I did get those notes done, I didn't get a thank you. Another one runs behind my back all the time to report on me to the boss. Any misstep I take, my boss knows about it before I do. Anything I say jokingly is taken the wrong way and sent to my boss, and suddenly I'm explaining myself.

My boss has really taken to speaking to me like a child. I don't think she knows it, and she'd probably deny it, too. For instance, a few weeks ago we held a shadow day, and a bunch of new kids were in the building walking around. Because I had developed the shadow program, I thought I'd be the one to take the kids around the building, explain the day to them, etc. Nope. All my boss said to me, was "Camera ::nodding slowly.....take pictures....::nod slowly::....smile....::nodding still" Seriously. She spoke to me slowly and like I was a child.

A few days later we had more kids in the building, and I was busy...oh shoot, what was I doing...oh yeah. TEACHING. And at the end of the day, "Ange, did you get pictures of those kids?"

Me: No.

Her: Why not?

Me: Um, I was teaching all day. Doing my job.

Seriously. What am I supposed to do? Leave a room full of kids unattended so I can go take photos of kids who aren't technically our students, then send them to a newspaper that won't print them? Or, should I do my job and get to the other junk later? Oy vey.

In staff meetings, I'm given 30 seconds to speak. I'm never given the floor--I need to take it away. When I do have the floor, I get talked over. Clearly, nothing I have to say is of value to anyone in that room, so why continue?

The best part is that I'm not an idiot. I make mistakes, but I'm not stupid. And I hear things. So everything that's said gets back to me (schools are perpetual junior highs, in case you were wondering). What can I do? Right now, nothing. Roll my eyes, grit my teeth, and pray for 3:00.

I know that financially, and even logically, it probably doesn't make sense to anyone why you'd take a paycut or quit your job before you have a new one. Hell, I've openly mocked people for doing just that. The thing is, I just can't put myself through another year of this. The stress this job has put me under has done hellish things to my body, and my mental state is starting to teeter. I've already written a resignation letter. Now it's just a matter of, "What do I do with it?"

So. I've got some things to consider. It's gonna be a long one, folks.

So much for my shortish update, eh?

A short update

It's been a while, friends! Things have been busy over here on the south side.

For one, my friend Jess came to visit! It had been a long while since we saw one another, so she drove down from Michigan and spent the weekend with us. It was awesome! We didn't do very much other than eat at Portillo's, but it was still pretty delightful to just hang around and catch up on life. And to be completely selfish for a moment, it was great to have someone come out and visit me! I don't mind traveling at all--in fact I love it--but it was great to feel special for a weekend. :-)

Graham and I are both wrapping up our school years, and on both ends it's been interesting. As the days go by, neither of us really have any clue if we've got a job for the coming school year or not. Increasingly, I'm feeling more and more like a pawn. The lines have been drawn here, and more and more I'm finding myself on "the other side." In part, I agree with this dreaded other side and the points that are being made. On the other hand, I'm fairly certain it's opening the door for some people here to walk in and take my job from me. And truth be told, with recent developments in mind, it's starting to sound like a pretty good deal.

But, unfortunately for me, I need a job. Poop. Stoopid monies.


So yeah. Work's not exactly fun right now, which is just making a greater and greater case for me to start grad school soon. WOO! Fun!

This weekend is Mother's Day, and we decided to have both moms over for brunch. It'll be interesting since we don't have too much in terms of sitting apparatuses, but it'll still be a good time. And I've never hosted a brunch before, so yay!

That's really all for now. Look out for some photo-laden posts in the next few weeks. Visits to Springfield and Jacksonville for Mary's graduation, plus MY BIRTHDAY. It'll be a good time.

Happy Earth Day!

Wow! The other half is posting! Yep...it's me.

Angie usually includes photos, and maybe one of us will add pics to this post, but in honor of Earth Day, some little things we do to help the little planet we live on, and some other things we are thinking of doing...someday. Who would think that the oldest child would be the green hippie in the family?

On to the list.

1. Recycling. No brainer. We used to have to drive it a few miles to a recycling dumpster, which seemed counterproductive, but now we have a blue recycling can behind our garage. We sort the recycling (see previous post about our mud room) for no reason other than entertainment and ease of storage, then put it all into a bag that goes in the blue can.

2. Composting. In a daring move that I may come to regret, my wife and I made a deal. I got to buy and keep worms in a plastic bin in our apartment (now in the basement) and, in exchange, my wife gets a cat. We now use the worms to compost much of our fruit and vegetable waste, as well as unused bread. Other composted items have included tea bags and coffee grounds. Most of last year's jack-o-lantern was composted, too. We have used the compost to fertilize our house plants, window boxes, and now the seeds for our garden. Much of it will be used this spring when we plant outdoors. As for the kitty? Watch for posts about that later this spring.

3. CFL bulbs. They create less waste heat that traditional bulbs, which means less energy used and a lower electric bill. Added bonus, I haven't had one burn out in the over two years I have used them. "Dislike" the fact that they have mercury and need to be disposed of at special sites when they do finally burn out.

4. Power strips. "Energy vampires" are appliances that use electricity even when they are not "on." For example, those chargers for cell phones and video games. Anything with a little led light or clock is continuously using energy. Even our computers and televisions are running when off. Our toaster, which is used for maybe 3 minutes a day, has lights on it! Easy solution has been plugging all these things into surge protectors and flipping the switch off.

5. Energy star appliances. Personal favorite is that the dryer has a sensor. If the load is dry early, the dryer shuts off...genius!

6. Air dry clothing. Thank goodness spring is finally here.

7. Hose timer. No more trying to remember to shut off the hose at night. Coupled with a soaker hose and a lot less water is wasted.

8. Low-fume paint. Sorry, I can't remember the official title, but the paint and primer we have been using is low fume, which means less air pollution while the paint is drying.

9. Gardening. That means buying fewer vegetables that have to be shipped from halfway across the planet. The plants reduce CO2 and the flower garden will provide habitat for butterflies and other insects.

10. Electrical lawn mower. No gas emissions. Ours mulches, so no landfill space is wasted.

11. Ceiling fans. Make the rooms feel cooler, using less a/c

Eventual goals...

1. Regular composting. I would like to compost our lawn waste, too. The worms would get overwhelmed I fear.

2. Rain barrel. I would like to collect rain water from the roof to water the lawn and flower garden. Why use tap water if I don't need to. Maybe it will spare someone's basement from flooding, too.

3. Windows. We want to get better insulated windows.

4. Tankless water heater. Why use gas to heat up water in the middle of the night? Really?


Hopefully these goals will be realized some day. Don't plan to see us raising our own livestock anytime soon, but I think these reasonable goals can help. I bought a book about this topic a while back full of easy things that people can do without drastically changing their quality of life. Probably should reread it. If I find it in the room of boxes we still have, I'll post the title.

Bye for now fellow Earthlings.

The Mud Room

One of the things that sold us on this house is the mud room. I guess it's technically not a mud room, but a covered side entrance. That being said, calling it a "mud room" makes it sound like there's an extra room attached to the house, and really, it gives this space a better purpose. So there.

This is just a basic view of the mud room. It's not very big, so it's not like I can capture it through different angles.

As you can see, there are two windows and a screen door, so no matter what time of day it is, this space gets a lot of light. It'd be a perfect holding area for our seedings if it was insulated!

We're big recyclers, so to finally be able to sort our non-garbage is fabulous! In our apartment, we had a box for paper and a small garbage can for everything else, and that filled up fast. Being able to sort takes that excess junk out of the kitchen, and we can see exactly what we're using more of, which is a thrill for me, but only because I'm a big loser.

I seriously hate these ugly curtains. You can tell they were handmade by the previous owners. But, ugly as they are, they provide what little insulation there is in here. They're heavier than your average floral garbage, so they'll stay until we can find something a little less....gaudy? (And, they'll be here a while, because curtains for the mud room are at the very, very bottom of my to-do list.)
These handy little cupboards have become a life saver! They're currently housing our winter boots and our clothespins & clotheslines. Anything that's more for the outside goes in here. It's fabulous! And yes, it's carpeted. Why? I dunno. It's nice in that I can run in and out to the mailbox in my bare feet, but at the same time....who carpets a mud room?

That little blue box on the right side with the watering can on top is our mailbox. None of the houses in this area have the mail slide that I grew up with--each house has it's own mailbox. I'd be lying if I said that part of me didn't want a mailbox a la Carl & Ellie in Up! but having an indoor mailbox is nice. Sometimes it's a pain because the mail carrier doesn't always slide the mail in--occassionally we get a carrier who shoves a newspaper into the box and we have to wrestle it out like we're playing tug of war with a spunky little puppy.

As for "hopes and dreams" for this room, we really don't have any. I'd like to replace the curtains eventually with something that's insulated like these are, but that's not anywhere close to the top of the list. The only other thing we want to do is replace this screen door with something that can be locked. The current door doesn't lock from the inside or outside, so someone could easily sneak in and hide out for a while, or break in and no one would see them. However, having the side door locks replaced has helped quell that feeling, for a little while at least.

So, that's that. Hopefully I'll get my big girl pants on soon and I can update with some more changes and other things that are going on--I've been a bad housekeeper lately, so I'm not going to openly post pictures of our messes. I'll openly admit they exist, I just won't share them with the world. ;-)

A Surprise Visit To The Planetarium

Before we dyed our eggs, Graham and I made a long overdue trip to the Shedd Aquarium.



We paid a ridiculous amount to park, and on our short and brisk walk to our destination, we took some pictures.



We braved the elements.



Shortly thereafter, we found our spot in line. We learned we were in the wrong line to begin with, and we learned that there was a 2 hour wait to get inside. So, we chose a different destination:



The planetarium is probably the least frequented of Chicago's main three downtown. It's smaller, which isn't bad, but space and stars doesn't interest most people. For us, that was a good thing because the planetarium was empty compared to the Shedd. And being teachers, we got in free! Yahoo for staff ids!

Once we got inside, we saw a Mars rover.


Then we saw some planets created to scale. See that big yellow thing in the back? That's the sun. In the foreground you can see Saturn and Uranus. (Heh heh heh...)


We also got to see a few spinny universe things.


And, we got to see the ridiculousness that is the justification for reducing Pluto to "dwarf planet" status.


We moved on, and got to see Earth and Mars, Mercury, Pluto, and any other small planets in scale next to the sun.


Zoom! Zoom! Astronaut Angie gets down to business.


A piece of space fell into a house in the suburbs.



One of many sun dials on display.


Explanation of Cahokia in downstate IL.


Explanations and photos of Mayan calendars and spacey things.



Another universe spinny thing.


When we were done inside, we got to walk around in the sunshine. This is one of my favorite picture-taking spots in the whole city.


Graham snuck a photo of a very cold bride and her bridesmaids. The wind was brutal!


A parting shot of the Sears Tower.


Adios, skyline!


Better luck next time for the Shedd. We'll try again in the summer.