week 1 feels like a month (in a good way)

week 1: success! 

yes, it was a fun week, successful on many fronts. learning, getting to know different divisions, getting to know the other trainers (they're all spread so far apart!) and i didn't gain TOO much weight, even with all the feasting! i really do like the assembly of personalities and minds that comprise the training department!

the entire week was filled full (redundancy) of information-information-information! so, have you ever seen the episode of star trek, next generation where data shuts down and has to be rebooted? if there were a switch on the back of my neck, i think someone might have to go and flip it and put in a new card or something for more space...

this morning was the end of the conference, but it was really just the training team having an intimate-family breakfast. and i got all of my important stuff taken care of so that i can get paid! i am in love with the offices! it is SO kid-friendly, and fun...i would love to see some kids from our feeder pattern go through on a field trip and learn about the many different career possibilities in a company like Istation alone!

amazing what all goes into making the program happen! 

 just a few minutes ago, there was a knock on the door and of course a chorus of barking ensued...when i looked out the peephole, there was no one, so i prepared my ninja skills just in case there were someone hiding around the corner, just out of sight...fortunately i did not have to injure anyone tonight. there was a small box sitting in front of the door. hmm. strange, i haven't ordered anything in quite awhile. guess what came in the mail  hands of the fedex man:

i am SO impressed that brian was able to get these cards knocked out so quickly (i mean, he didn't print them himself, but he did gather the info and get them ordered in such a short turn-around!) just a little more official!

and i am really excited that there is a training opportunity in which i am going to be able to hang out with some great trainers and get to know them better, as well as observe and take in some new techniques and skills!

the boys were happy that i was home by noon today, because every night has been a late night until now. i think we're going to go out and visit some petsmarts and petcos tomorrow and anywhere else that allows dogs. the men are coming to fix the water damage from all of the rains, and that's going to make it a little loud and crazy in here, so i know they'll be less anxious if we can just avoid it altogether. and hopefully i can convince them to fix the hole in the wall that maintenance left there a couple years ago when they had to fix something with the sprinkler system...fingers crossed. ok, screw that, i'm going to cross my arms when they come in, and tell them that it's a non-negotiable since they have all of the tools here already.

ok, so if you've been keeping up with this blog for any period of time, you know that i have a certain affinity ok, obsession with florida. something i may or may not have shared previously about my job is that we have a presence in FL! so again, if you've been following, you also know that one of my 'kindred-spirit' friends lives there, and i have been SO  close a couple of times, and have talked about moving there..so hopefully that will be a possibility at least to travel to. only time will tell. i should ask jacira, one of my teacher friends in miami if she uses it or not...

i haven't exercised this week, and i can feel it. i think i am going to get up early (well..earlier than noon) to get out for a walk and maybe infuse it with a little jogging here and there! let's gauge it and see how it goes. i'm excited to get together with some friends tomorrow night-it seems like it's been forever.

hope you've had your own small successes!
julie

i may not have won the grand prize...but i'm good enough, i'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!

well, we've made it through 3 days of conference-i love the way it was set up, because i got to meet some great employees across several departments. i think we (new folk) were very fortunate that we were able to experience the conference even before we really had any real orientation, because, at least for me, it was beneficial to see how the company works together cog and wheel...it will make me better at what i know, and it helps me to know who to go to for what.

the wrist band that separated us from the competition!

i was on the LIGHT BLUE team-sales, trainers, support...we did pretty much everything together during the day sessions, and the last day and a half were pretty intense. monday was more of a get-to-know you, get to know the departments, etc...one of the activities was a game playing something akin to modern 'telephone' where someone gives a message and one by one it gets passed down the line and then transferred to the next group, but the caveat is that there is a team in the middle who is allowed to use whatever distraction tactics to try to keep the message from getting to the end. well, one of my teammates was on the distraction team, and she was perfect for the job. she happens to be very loud, and embarrassingly funny; can't tell if it's on purpose or not. it was somewhat endearing-you have to accept certain idiosyncrasies, as they make us who we are! but i digress-she was making revving car noises, chicken/rooster noises, laughing her unique laugh, crawling between the people trying to spread the 'word'...it's no wonder they didn't convey their message! i just wish you could all see it through my memory! somewhat ala "i love lucy". 

yesterday started a new phase, as we were given some tasks and problems of practice to work on as a group. now, you have to realize that i love watching group dynamics. i have talked about this before with friends, and i know how i work in a group. in fact, my admin team from cabell-both this year and last year know how i collaborate in a group. i can work well in a team, but i know that sometimes i need a minute to process out ideas, because i am a whole picture first, then figure out the details second person...so i need to think things through in a logical manner before giving my input (which drives people crazy who just want to jump in and start shooting). therefore, i tend to let people get started while i process. then i begin to ask questions, pose suggestions, take people back to the original prompt, poke holes and play devil's advocate..and make concessions and compromises as long as they follow a logical pathway. 

that said, within our group we had some TYPE-A personalities (so not me!!) and they immediately jumped in and began, and i sat back and played my role, asking questions, positing ideas, and offering suggestions. i completely didn't expect two ladies from our team to approach me later (separately) surprised that i was brand new and handling myself so well, one of them said, "i know this was a frustrating, overwhelming set-up, but don't think that your participation went unnoticed-it's obvious that you are really smart and on the ball." (that struck me as funny, because that would be one of the last adjectives i would use to describe myself! but it's always good to hear positive things from other people, and i'll just roll with it while it lasts! smile) then this evening, one of the best compliments; one of my friends, whom i've known for a few years said that someone had approached her and said that i was really nice. i hope i can always remain neutral and be above the fray, be inclusive and never box people out. #personalgoals  

last night's social event was our training group dinner-babes chicken and redneck pool party! fun times, great company! it was good to get to know more of the trainers better. i was able to name all 26! yes, i'm pretty good with names, but fortunately i got a little mini-directory with the faces, names and numbers of all of the pd trainers, so that when the dust settles and everyone is off to their corners of the world, i will be able to continue brushing up! i was a little sad, because i missed out on a girls-night-out with some friends, but i'm sure there will be others. 

not afraid to dress the part

how many trainers can you fit into an inflatable pool at once? 

water soaker fun

how fun is this little trainer-directory?! perfect size, too!!

this morning our keynote speaker was a principal from the lubbock area, and she was phenomenal! her story really hit home, and the fact that all of her teachers in her turn-around schools implemented istation with fidelity, and that was the main reason that they were able to have the successes that they did! i wish i had a video of her testimonial to share, because it would make such a difference for some of our administrators to see!  #powerful!

and of course i found myself having to visit the bathroom at pretty much every break, and one of those times, i noticed that the lock in one of the stalls was coming undone-the screw was falling out, and it wouldn't be long until it fell off entirely. my mcgeyver instincts kicked in, and i went back to retrieve my mini screwdriver from my bag, returned and fixed the lock on the stall (because God only knows how long it would take for maintenance..especially if they have to write up the order, process it, blah blah blah) one of those things i learned from kamp: ALWAYS LEAVE THINGS BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM!!

after that, we had our version of shark tank, and through all of the presentations, i know there was a ton of learning happening across the board! finally at the end of the day, we had another social event up on the 21st floor, where we played human-size games...jenga (which i got really good at), connect 4, bean bag toss, checkers, chess, air hockey...good times, lots of laughs, cash machine (with slips of paper telling how much you won)...i won 2 dolla! (2 avocados? on a good day). 

we created a very tall tower! 

my winnings

one of the only complaints i have is that there was really too much good food!! breakfasts, lunches, cookies...yikes. fortunately it's only once a year!

famous cookies. 

delicious lunch today-fairly healthy...until i found the churros!!

so tomorrow=final day of the conference...late breakfast, talk, meetings, continuing to finish with some of our orientation work. wrapping it up right!

time for bed!

julie

what do a/c, ilympics, thinglink and check engine lights have in common? me.

yesterday i went in to do paperwork and get all of the necessities taken care of...and learn about benefits. i pulled up just as the others were pulling in-they had flown or driven in and gone to lunch. i left around 1:40, and got home around 6 pm and it was super warm, making me think i'd forgotten to turn the air back on when i'd returned from mo...so i went to turn the ac on, and it made all the right noises, only there was no air coming out. this could not be good news.

so i turned up all of the fans. it was pretty bad by the time we got ready for bed! if i didn't have my bed fan, i would not have made it through last night-how did i ever make it through life in sps?? anyhoo. i was just slightly less than miserable, and the boys were panting as well-it was rough for them. this morning, when we woke up, it wasn't much better. i made a red-neck air-conditioner (bucket of ice cubes with a fan blowing into it) before i left. unfortunately, i know the boys were distressed, because when i got home, i saw they had vomited bile and almost diarrhea (don't ask, trust me on this one; i'm just glad the potty pad was down).

on a bright note, maintenance did come, and fix the air, in fact, they removed the old 80's thermostat, and replaced it with a brand new model, which i am hoping will save me money in the long run on electric! my bills have been outrageous! also, they fixed the lock to the balcony door...it may or may not have ever worked...but i'm on the third floor, so it really didn't phase me. but when all is said and done, better to get it fixed while they're here than forget and have to pay for it later. last item on the agenda-paint the ceiling. hopefully they come back to get that taken care of tomorrow, because it looks terrible!
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i arrived at the doubletree for the conference right on time, and dropped my belongings off in the main hall, before making my way up to the 21st floor-i am pretty sure i gained weight just thinking about breakfast on the way up in the elevator! yum! so i got to sit and chat it up and get to know different people on the training team. because so many were on the conference call during the first interview, they recognized me before i was able to make connections. but it will come together soon. when i got back down to the main hall, i was writing my name on a name-tag when a gal walked up and said, "go ahead and make one for me too. jane." and it wasn't the jane i know, so it was kinda' funny. she later said my writing was much better than hers, and she liked the way i did mine. she is a trainer as well (and we share a very similar humor, in fact our stories from the back of the room certainly added spice to the luncheon). a very unique and diverse group.

kinda' want to take the cutout with the istation icon home...i do NOT need any silly stuff #justsayno

assigned seating! with goodies!

had to break out the awesome wick-away/sports pull-over to stay warm (it actually looks good!)

the conference this year is ilympics-style:

we had an excellent keynote speaker, commander mark mcginnis. a navy seal with much to say about leadership and team. excellent talk, and strangely, i found myself with tears in my eyes a couple of times (and i'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be a 'touching' talk)...i think just the overwhelming-ness of realization of how much those in uniform really do sacrifice!

i ate entirely too much.

and when we went to the various trainings, i was wishing i could bottle up the cold air to bring back to my apt. for real, though..taking a jacket tomorrow and some hand warmers, because it's winter over there! even with coffee in hand...#needmukluks

when we reached the end, it wasn't really the end-just a transition to the istation building, where they had drinks and appetizers waiting. i wasn't into the drinks being offered, so i settled for a couple bottles of water, and after participating in the chatter for a bit, i was 'summoned to the principal's office.' i'd already had a heads up. lori just wanted some assistance and feedback, because she thought it'd be cool to try the thinglink, like the one i'd used in my presentation! #proudmoment can't wait to be a participant!

really? why didn't i know about the rain?? but from 21 floors up, it looked fabulous!

and here i was worried that somehow i was going to be cast in alexander's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, as on the way to the conference, my engine light came on-ugh. is it just a coincidence that it is happening only a week after i took it in for recalls? hmm...seems so suspicious. last thing i need-especially now, as i will probably be driving quite a bit. (surely nothing a doubletree cookie won't cure, right? ok, somehow buns-o-steel seems so completely overrated this week).

please check this out to get a small taste of one of the reasons i am thrilled to be a part of istation!

thankfully when i got home, i walked into a room, much cooler than the one i left this morning! i will be sleeping comfortably tonight. #grateful  we really don't know how good we have it. think of some of the modern comforts and conveniences that you take for granted and must take a moment to be grateful!

julie

short summer travels-coming home

so..a couple of things. i left mo on friday, after taking a short run on a back road just up from mom and dad's. gps and location doesn't work out in their rural area, so i had to kinda guess on distance. i stopped just shy of the mile mark; when i went back to check the distance on the way out, i found that if i'd gone just a little further, i would've KNOWN where to stop: always look for the signs...

yep, motivation for next time!

when i went to get the boys ready to go, chaco was all about it, but bruno, well, he said he was just getting settled in and wanted to stay.

basically he stayed near the door in order to ensure that i wasn't going to be leaving without him.

next renovation up: new carpet, new flooring! 

and made my way through ok..i now know why i always go south at big cabin (apart from the fact that it's faster and shorter)...the tolls. oh my word, the tolls. if you don't have a pass, you have to have exact change. so i found myself stopping at a Quicktrip to purchase something and get coins. unfortunately i turned out and drove in a huge circle to get back on the creek pike, but found myself back-tracking, AND to top it off, i'd forgotten to get gas while i was there. so i pulled off at the next exit, and again had to pay out change, meaning that i'd have to go in to this gas station and make another purchase to ensure i'd have enough coin-age, as they don't have bill changers at all of the stops (and no live people). and no sooner did i get all of the coins, than the next toll i went through had a human...as well as the next. i now have a very heavy purse with all the extra coins. make the best of it-great weapon.

so why did i go this way? isn't it obvious? i had to stop in norman to visit bmayes!! and since i had the boys, they haven't had a play-date in awhile, so i thought a little socialization would be good for them!

okc at rush-hour is satan. and i should have gotten off at the very first exit-tourist-welcome center, at the first signs of possibly needing to use the restroom...but i missed the exit, and decided i would push on. 17 miles south. it wouldn't have been an issue, except for the fact that when i got to moore, about 8 miles, there was traffic, due to construction and it was SOLID. by the time i got close to my exit, i had to unbutton the jeans, and find ways to distract myself, because i had to go so bad it hurt! all i could think about was the need to find a restroom, because i wasn't going to make it to bmayes' place and into the house, especially because i needed to let the boys out to relieve themselves as well. so i stopped at braums, and while i was in the one-person restroom, someone kept trying to open the door. hint: if it's locked the first time, it probably isn't going to be unlocked until someone comes out. (foreigners-tourists, i don't know, but it wasn't like i was in there watching a 2-hour movie or something). then of course, i felt obligated to make a purchase, because it seems like the bathroom/customer obligation-etiquette. so i bought two bananas, hoping my dollar would suffice, as i'd left my change in the car.

not long after arriving, we set off on a mission for hurt's donuts. my craving was about to be satisfied. and since i'd not had lunch, we grabbed a kale superfood salad at chic-fil-a (love). i was really struggling the inner battle while making my donut choices. i love the twix, and always get one (maybe next time i'll branch out). the dilemma came when i was trying to want to love the bacon-maple donut...it seems like such a great foodie item, but it hasn't worked for me the past few times, so i opted for the plain maple-suggestion from b mayes. it was the right choice! yum.

i'm a sucker for hurts-oh, the sugary abuse...but the craving is taken care of now for another 6-9 months.

then we chilled at the house, relaxed, watched a movie (bridge of spies), which was really good! based on a true story-obviously with artistic priveleges, some things lose historical accuracy...and after the movie, time to cleanse the palette with a little jimmy fallon- made sure not to let the boys out at night, as there may be resident owls of the large size, who leave bunny skulls in the backyard... so, after thank you cards with jimmy, it was off to bed, which if you recall, the first time i'd experienced the foam topper was when bmayes suggested it back in 2013! #perfectnight

as i was driving home, i laughed, remembering something that was said while i was visiting with the harmons on thursday...i don't know what made me think about it, but diane was talking to one of the grandkids and said, "you're as tiny as tinkerbell, but you weigh as much as ursula!" HA!! using disney characters to shame a child! comical-i'm sure there are plenty of disney references out there that would work to shame others-passive aggressive? lighthearted teasing? #adultingaspirations

today i will go in for a couple of hours to do some paperwork and benefits-stuff, and tomorrow will be the first day of actual full time employment with istation! the week sounds like a lot of fun, so i am looking forward to meeting the team and learning as much as possible! it's going to be packed and busy.

-julie

whirlwind of friend visits and thundermuffin mission complete!

so i continue on my short vacation...this morning i got up early and headed to the park to exercise...i walked a lap, ran a lap (mostly) ease back into it. going to have to 'push the envelope' if i want to get serious about toning up. then i began my trek down to branson!

oh, branson. i like you small...please stop growing.

i love branson. don't judge. first stop: dick's 5 and dime. i had to get a miniature pig...and found some other animals i had to have...why you ask? because someone, somewhere is going to be in need of a smile at some point, and i am going to supply it in the form of a miniature animal. wait for it... then i made my way down to the flea market-i always go when i am in town, because they have my favorite sheets-since 2011 so...yep, got new sheets-yum. and then it was time to head out to college of the ozarks to see my dear friend kristin. 

we had two hours to ourselves to catch up-the kids were down visiting their grandparents, and kyle was at a convention (i believe). it was so good to laugh and there were just so many things to talk about-a full day would still not have been enough time! i do appreciate this young lady-she lives to love on people and does it so well! kristin is the picture of grace under fire. i really wish she and my co-counselor, lindsey wheeler knew each other; they would be fast friends, because they have so much in common! it is amazing to me how some of my most compassionate, caring friends are the ones who are fighting physical ailments that to the general public, aren't visible-and in many cases if you don't know them, you'd never know the pain and exhaustion they deal with on a daily basis, because they would never complain about it. i admire them immensely! 

then i made my way over to lampe, mo, k2! the lady at the security post asked if i needed a visitor pass: yes, i'm pretty sure i should. when i told her i was just there to visit, she said, "that's great! lucky you-wish i had the day to go down and play...what all are you going to get to do?" my response: i'm just going to visit with trish for a little bit. that's all.  (at a camp that has lake access, jet skis, wake-boarding, every sport under the sun...i'm just here to chat...with one of my 'inner circle' friends). we just need to sit and catch up every once in awhile-i love our friendship (since '98) because it's so stable. she said it best today, and i can reciprocate- if i ever REALLY needed something, i know i could/and would go to her; one who would never commercialize on me, and will always speak TRUTH. so even though we only had maybe 45-1hour, it was precious time! #bringsoutthebestinme

fortunate to have forged this friendship

all too soon, trish had to go to the cafeteria to be a lunch-presence. since i'd already eaten, i took the opportunity to go up to see emmy before she worked the afternoon ropes course shift. the harmon family is like a second family in dallas to me. i absolutely love them! i've know them since '98 as well, my kamp connections are strong. i love it when most of them are together, and that was the package i got today! diane, emmy, brett ann, and hank were all there! and some of the kiddos were upstairs playing or sleeping. so it was fun to sit and chat with them. we always laugh together and often have some very sober conversations about family, politics, the Bible, and just life in general; authentic! i may be helping diane out with a little artwork for her class-we have that bond-smile. and hopefully emmy and i can connect to go climb the silos sometime when she gets back to dallas!

before leaving the tablerock neighborhood, it's kind of an unwritten rule that if one has any decency, they will stop by the blueberry farm for thundermuffins! so, as is tradition, i made the right instead of the left and took the gravel road less traveled and that has made all the difference! had my cumulobluebus, and i continued a tradition of sending shea a batch of thunder muffins! i had purposefully toted her address along (not that it is really heavy enough to tote. it was in the back of my amazing journal). when she saw the pic, i think deep down she knew before she even offered the bribe (i smile because i was already long gone by the time i got the offer) 

then i headed back to lebanon-where i saw several signs for hosea bilyeu-commissioner; first of all, i was sad that i didn't get to see the rees family. but it was somewhat exhilarating to see these signs first hand, in person, because i'd seen them working on the campaign on fb, and posting pics. and for me, when it comes to politics, voting for the guy with the most integrity who is willing to do what is right will always be the way i lean! so while i didn't get to see my missionary friends, i was thinking about them quite a bit-with much fondness!

and it was supposed to storm in this area tonight, but for the moment, crisis averted, the dogs will not be barking at least not until the wee hours of the morning..and hopefully not even then, rain, rain, go away...or if need be, arrive in the quietest of fashions...i'm tired. 

and tomorrow we fly (as in: fly, fools -ala gandalf...we will not actually be flying. we will be hurrying in another direction; norman to be exact. craving hurts. yes, it does...ok, i-am-craving-hurt's-donuts). 

good night!

julie

can't get my days straight! #teacherproblems

i got a message the other day from one of my dear school-friends asking if i'd be up for celebrating my new position on tuesday at 7pm-but the time was not good because i was going to be picking up a mutual friend from the airport at that time...or so i thought. we went through the whole act of rescheduling for lunch..then i got a text from nicolette saying that their flight was running a little late--on monday...my bad. apparently tuesday pm would've been fine. it must be a summer/teacher thing. once summer rolls around, we lose all sense of time and day! so while i'd been told the date, i was thinking the wrong DAY...i need to write these things down! (not the first stupid thing i've done since school let out! i hate making mistakes!)

so monday i did get out to go walk (tried to run a little, but i just couldn't get into it)...then i was able to get over to the car dealership to have two recalls taken care of. which apparently is an important thing. love it when they fix my car for free. and while i was waiting i got a call from someone about next week-he asked me if i wanted to stay onsite at the hotel, or (one of the managers had mentioned i might prefer to stay at home because of the dogs, so i wouldn't have to have to find someone to care for them right off the bat)...not realizing that this would be an option, i immediately took him up on it, because let's face it, driving all the way back up to mo and back in a day-not the most attractive option! although it does sound like the nights will be a little late.

so yes, lunch at the YARDHOUSE was delish! the company-as usual, charming (i appreciate each of these ladies so much)! several great conversations! great to have veronica back in town! and a few serious possibilities for emergency dog-sitting. i want to build up my go-to list because i definitely don't want to wear out their welcome!

each one of these ladies special for their own beautiful and unique personalities! #betterforknowingthem

before lunch, i'd packed almost everything up so that i could just come home and grab the boys for our trip home. on the way up to mo, i had a book on tape that stevie had loaned me-it was really good, once i got used to the guy reading it..when he read the voice of the czech woman, i had a really hard time not envisioning a burly transvestite with a cheap blonde wig...#malevoiceproblems great book, though!

we had a fairly routine drive and slept well. (slept well once we got there, not on the way, mind you!) today we got up and chaco had the opportunity to meet the  chickens-bruno didn't bat an eyelash...chaco on the other hand...had to exert his dog-hood and show who was boss. and yes, he is smaller than the chickens. they also got to meet mac, the collie. mac is less than a year old, so he is a little clumsy, and very excitable. bruno just turns around and walks away or at least out of reach. chaco...hotheaded. he was growling and nipping. he didn't like the big dog getting close to me...or close to him. he doesn't do well with big dogs. i don't know if they scare him, or if he just wants to be the alpha. either way, we need to work on that! i wonder if he would do better when i'm not around.

they're just so tiny in this huge field!!

i went to a couple of stores for some clothing, because i've had to get rid of a lot of mine that didn't fit anymore. #lovecuteclothes

not surprisingly, my dad put up a new target. he's really good about thinking about the things i enjoy doing, and he loves to create and put things together (and you wonder where i get it from!) i'm going to go out there tomorrow and shoot off a few rounds, as i haven't been to a range in dallas in awhile, and i need to keep my confidence up..in fact, when i get back to dallas, i need to set up a day to go with another friend from school who has her chl.

dad doesn't think the ammo will go through...i hope not, but if you recall, the last time we did this, i put holes in the back of the garage! so...we'll see! 

 after target practice, i plan to go down to branson to visit one of my dear friends from college-kristin-i don't get to see her as often as i'd like, but when i do, it makes my heart smile! she is one of those people who always keeps a great attitude, even in the midst of exhausting, uncomfortable circumstances...she inspires me! i was also going to go out to k-2 to visit with trish, mentor and friend. but i don't know if that is going to happen, or not, as things at kamp can get super hectic.. she is another dear friend who has had an impact on helping smooth out some of the edges in the formation of character. we never get enough time!

it is going to be a short visit to mo, because i will be stopping overnight in norman for donuts...i've been craving them for about 2 months now, but conditions have never been optimal to get up for the visit! i don't want to stop at the hurts here in springfield, because i fear i will be the binging donut-aholic and people will think there are deeper issues...20 donuts later-hence i need bmayes, my donut-accountability-partner and then i will have my fix for a bit...and i will swear off donuts until the next time i can visit anna maria island's donut experiment with shea!

have a great night! (p.s. it's wednesday night- looked at my calendar!)
julie

apparently "QUEEN OF ALL THINGS AMAZING" doesn't fit on the business card

 free, free, i'm free at last! this song, by dc talk, inspired by dr. martin luther king jr. was playing through my head all afternoon! summer school=OVER! woohoo!!

and i am happy to announce (drum roll please....) 

meet one of the newest Istation trainers!!

so excited to be a part of something i am very familiar with and very good at!

i had my final interview/presentation on wednesday afternoon-i was so prepared...i was expecting several people, but it was a smaller, cozy group. it went fairly well-i used a thinglink platform and allowed them to go through at their own pace and i did my part as a facilitator..it must have gone well, because i got a phone call today extending an offer and asking me to join the team-which i gladly accepted!

then i got a call from the vp of hr, saying how sorry she was that she couldn't join the presentation, she got there on the very tail end, as they were discussing-and they told her she missed the best presentation yet...um, that's fun to hear, because i certainly had a blast! anyhoo, we nailed down some dates and such so that i can go ahead and begin by the end of the month.

and before i knew it, i had another email (from someone different) asking me what i'd like on my business card! (i asked if i could have it read: QUEEN OF ALL THINGS AMAZING...unless it was already taken, in which case, they could just use my name...he responded that there were an awful lot of QUEEN this or thats out there already).

with all of this happening so quickly, i decided it would be best to go in today to finish up any remaining paperwork that i needed to do at cabell, and turn in my district-issued computer. i then came home and pulled up the old s-54...filled it out and submitted it.

bitter sweet...so 'final'

then i decided that i needed to celebrate me, so i bought some shoes and a pair of pants i needed. while i was in getting shoes, i received a call from the vp of hr again, but i had nothing to write on...besides a band-aid (unopened, of course) and had to jot down all that info in a tiny space...do whatcha gotta do!

so i have just over a week before i go in for my initial orientation/convention, which is being hosted here in dallas at the double tree (my understanding is that they may be getting us all rooms there, as it can be difficult getting in and out for the convention if one is not onsite)...roughing it, i guess. i was thinking about going up to mom and dad's for a bit, so i may drop off the boys and then go back to pick them up the following weekend-because it's the only real summer vacation i'll get this year!

and there you have it, things are changing-we'll see in how many different aspects, but i think it's about to get exciting around here!

julie

school's out...summer school's in...living for the three day weekend

tomorrow begins week 2, the final week of summer school. my mission was to help prepare our fifth graders for the THIRD re-take of the state-test...well, ironically information came out this week from our education commissioner stating that our 5th graders would not have to retake the test, due to 'vendor reporting errors.' so... i guess that means we'll have a little more fun this week week with our reading instruction-planning some socratic seminar-type discussions because they'll love it!

this three day weekend has been welcome, as i have used much of it to finalize my presentation for my interview this week. i am really, quite looking forward to it--in fact, i wish i could video it with a swivl- yes, it's going to be THAT good! 

last weekend i had the honor of attending a graduation luncheon for the twins-it was lovely! i really enjoyed spending time with solange and marisol outside work. it is really hard to believe that solange's babies are graduated! it seems like just yesterday they were in 5th grade, grappling with the language and learning...they have come so far and she has SO much to be proud of! they are both so well-rounded both academically and socially!

wonderful company!

this weekend, i did work a little on the running effort, gave my hair another treatment, and then today i had the joy of meeting with stevie, as she was traveling through on one of her road-trips to drop of furniture for built-by-stevie -she is so talented! i was hoping to go to klyde warren park and visit the food trucks, because there's such a great variety (nammi!!) but as we arrived, it began to rain! and it didn't look like it was going to stop, so we opted for kyoto sushi...only when we drove by, it was CLOSED ON SUNDAYS! so off we went to rock and roll sushi...and guess what? CLOSED ON SUNDAYS! strike 2 (technically 3, but only 2 for sushi...) so we went to mockingbird station to check out reikyu...and we were the ONLY ones there! is there an unwritten rule that i don't know about concerning sushi on sundays? it was delicious and we had great conversation, so i have no complaints about driving around! and by the time we finished, it was sunny out again, and we very well could have gone to KWP. another day!

hollywood roll! edamae! stevie!

on the way home, i found myself driving through a deluge..thanks, tx! good thing i have such amazing windshield wipers! anyhoo, i got home and was literally here for about 5 minutes before the power went out! ugh. and it started to get dark...so i pulled out some candles and looked for the flashlight...looked for a small lightbulb to hook up to my battery, but alas, all i had were the 60 and 100...boo.

teaching 4th grade science came in handy...if only i'd invested in the tiny flashlight bulbs!

the worst part was that i was almost out of coffee, so i may or may not have pulled out the camping gear-to light up the kerosene and make some camp-coffee. no lie. fortunately it didn't come to that. but what i did notice is that my ceiling is spotting-which means there is a leak in the roof...which in effect means that as soon as i report it, i will probably have maintenance workers in my apartment this week. triple ugh! this means i should probably figure out what to do with all of my school mess!

in other news, i DID, in fact clean out and almost organize the laundry room! yea, me!

so i think this is where i bid you adieu, and prepare for tomorrow-
julie

closing a chapter-of a very interesting book called: my life

well. yesterday was the last day for students, and today was the last day for teachers-final finishing touches and packing. now i have an apartment full of crap that i need to go through and decide what i actually need to keep, and what i'll not use again anytime soon.

surreal...no real emotions about it. it will probably hit in august when school starts again. 

we had a luncheon, as we usually do at the end of the year, and it was really nice. we had a little bingo game about what people were doing over the summer to relax-that was fun. conversation was the usual. it was very touching to receive recognition for my time at cabell...it also gave me an opportunity for closure and to thank staff and wish them the best as they move forward.

it's been a year of learning and personal growth-regardless of the challenges and frustrations...thank you

a little emotional looking at all of the faces i've laughed with, cried with, shared with...faces of amazing people who are doing the noble work of giving children the tools they need to succeed..thank you

but the truth is, while i have loved being a part of such amazing efforts, those efforts will continue and with every change, comes new opportunities-step up, cabell teachers and be leaders among yourselves! work together, help each other and be excited for each others' successes-it's a race, but we are all in it together!

it's difficult to express the attachment to cabell, regardless of the difficult times, the stress and the frustrations, because in reality those things pale in the shadow of the fun, the lessons learned and the amazing opportunities and friendships made over the years. i have learned so much and been in a position to help so many people, and to just be a presence. not everyone can say that, and i get it, but cabell will always hold a special place in my heart. 

and now i'm in a position in which i have an opportunity to make a difference in a new career..or may..i go in for the "final phase" interview/presentation the week after next, so until i have more details, i won't make too much of a deal about it. suffice it to say, i really want this because it just feels so right, and it's the first thing that i've actually been excited about in awhile (job-wise)...in fact, it meets much of the criteria i'd explored while going through the book: what color is your parachute-which i highly recommend to anyone who is thinking about any type of career change and just not sure what to do!

i'm not looking to get a tattoo sleeve, and i'll never just get a tat to get a tat...(cue tweety bird or any silliness). but special chapters deserve special gestures, so i did get a delta to symbolize change. very simple. and to be quite honest, it was kinda' on a whim suggested by a friend, but the symbol-on spot.

you've gotta trust a guy who has a teddy bear with minnie mouse ears in his place of business!

writing yet another letter-it's what i do.

2 1/2 more weeks to go for me, though, as summer school starts on monday. it's going to be brutal, but i plan to start each day out right and keep a smile because the kids need the encouragement!

next chapter, please.
julie