'Cause · if · it's · really · right, · there's · nothing · else: · Behind · Green · Eyes

I'm posting prolifically again.
I didn't do anything but go grocery shopping today. I slept in super late---until around 10 or 1030. I just felt drained today. Last week was emotional and busy and it just left me exhausted. When I wasn't sleeping or grocery shopping, I was reading, watching a little of Alton Brown's "Feasting on Asphalt" marathon on the Food Network, and playing around on the "interweb." I also made a half-hearted attempt at straightening my hair but I gave up, deciding that I would rather re-wash it and start the whole process over--tomorrow. I don't have the energy or patience to mess with it right now.
I'm a little nervous because my grad program basically starts on Monday. Classes don't begin for me until Monday August 28 but I have a variety of events to attend to this week. On Monday, I have to meet with the faculty members in the Department of Social Work, and the other graduate assistants, for coffee at 8 AM. After coffee, we grad assistants have to go to a university-wide training for all of the TAs and GAs from 930-5 or 530. Then we have training all day Tuesday and Wednesday as well. We also have to make a ten minute "teaching presentation" on Wednesday, on a topic of our choice. Yikes! I think it is ridiculous because the GAs in our department don't even teach classes independently.
The new grad student orientation is all day Thursday but I'm planning to blow that off. I think we can just do the required orientation activities via the web and since I've been a student at this particular institution forever, I don't want to hear more of the same old, same old. Plus, I selfishly want to have some time off. I've rambled on long enough. Good Night.

I've become such an addict. I've won almost everything I've bid on, save one item. Someone keeps outbidding me on it. Since I really do not want it that badly anyway, I'm giving up. I used to wonder how people got sucked into e-bay but now I'm starting to understand. I'm usually not so materialistic!
Edit: Crap, I just found something else I liked and I bid on it. All of my money is going to e-bay. I have to keep away from that website!

Well, I worked two shifts at Bernice Mathews today. They had me work some extra time there today, since it was my last day.
During the after school program, we played with water balloons, took the kids on a walk to Paradise Park and back. We then served them dinner and the day was done.
I'll miss those kids soooooo much. I don't think it is going to hit me for awhile. They were hugging me and begging me to "just work one more day." It was sweet and touching. They made me a poster with their handprints and names all over it. I'm going to hang it up. Selene, my boss at the school, gave me a picture of the kids holding a banner that said "Thank you" and gave me a little bag filled with assorted memorabilia from the 21st Century Learning Center. I was so lucky at these two jobs. I had wonderful experiences and worked with wonderful people. I'll miss them all.
I'm so tired I need to crash. I can't think of doing anything else. Tomorrow's a free day though. I have nothing planned.
P.S. I do have hope that I will see some of the kids again. I'm being kept on as an on-call/substitute for the programs. If one of the TAs can't make it, and if I'm available, I'll be called into work. I think I'll jump at the chance to do it, if I don't have class or some other obligation, because I love those kids so much and seeing them will make my day.

I'm finishing up my last shift at the library right now. I get off at 7 tonight. One boss gave me flowers and a card and another gave me a little gift that I have yet to open. Erin hugged me and started to cry. She told me to make sure to not lose touch and I won't. I can't believe my time here is done. I turned in my keys to the building and the library tonight. It is time for me to move on though so it is all good.
I took Ruben and Zach bowling earlier today at Starlite Lanes and I (sigh, gasp!)won (I'm a ridiculously terrible bowler!) but I didn't break 100. It was fun and they're cute. Next week, Ruben and I are planning to hit Wild Waters. We were supposed to go with the whole family today (which was outrageously fun last year) but some people were sick. I'm hoping we can find a time when everyone can go, before the park closes down for the summer. If not, oh well.

Just when you thought that I could not get any more nostalgic about the jobs I'm leaving at the end of this week, you thought wrong. I was barcoding in the stacks this afternoon when I overheard Karen telling Amy that tomorrow is my last day at the library. Amy wasn't aware that my last day was approaching so quickly. I went on my break and decided to treat myself to Jamba Juice. "Salisbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel was playing in the car as I drove toward the entrance to I-80 west. All of the sudden, I broke down and cried. I couldn't believe the fact that I'm going to be leaving the amazing people at the library so soon. I couldn't believe that I would no longer regularly be appearing in the place (the library) that has basically served as my second home for the past year and a half. I've felt really sad and heavy-hearted ever since. I had to try to compose myself in order to speak to Tina this afternoon and I succeeded.
Then, I came back to work this afternoon and was greeted by Erin. I asked how she was doing and she said "Okay." She seemed really sad so I figured something was going on. She then proceeded to surprise the heck out of me by telling me how she wasn't aware that my last day was coming so quickly, how sad she was to be seeing me go and that I absolutely have to drop by and visit and not lose touch with her and my co-workers here.In fact, she now tells me she's going to bring a movie for me to borrow (tomorrow) so that I will have a reason to have to come to the library and visit her. How sweet! I was floored and extremely touched by everything she said. She's just the most amazing and enthusiastic person. I can't say enough good things about her!
I got a Peach Pleasure smoothie at Jamba Juice and now I'm just kicking back and finishing my shift. I still feel really sad. It is amazing what knowing this week is my last at these jobs has done for my attitude toward them. My attitude has improved ten-fold and I'm not "sinfully" wishing time away as much as I usually do. Peace.

I voted in the primary election today. My voting place has switched back to being the beloved elementary school I attended, Elizabeth Lenz. I had not set foot in that school since I voted there in November of 2000 (My polling place switched to another school, further away for the years 2002 and 2004.). Prior to voting there in 2000, I don't believe I'd been inside Lenz since I graduated from the school on June 8, 1994. I love that school so much. I still go there, on my nightly jogs and spend time on the school grounds but I never get inside it anymore. Everything looked so much smaller than I remembered it being!
I'm trying to enjoy every minute I have left to spend with the Bernice Mathews kids. I still can't imagine not seeing them on a weekly basis, watching them grow up, sharing "precious little moments" with them, hearing all the cute things they say etc. They've been a huge part of my life for a year now and I will miss so many of them so very much.
Doing the before school program this week has been filled with bad and good. It is horrible to get up and be at work that early (though Angie has to be at work even earlier so I shouldn't complain!) but, at the same time, it has given me an opportunity to see two of my favorite kids again. When Marisa saw me on Monday, it had been two months since I had seen her. When she saw me, her face lit up and she sounded so excited when she said "Janet!" It was really touching and totally great to see her again. I will also miss Alexandra, who has talked to me, just about every morning, over the past year. I do hope to see her in the future as she is a Little Sister. Hopefully we'll see each other at Big Brothers/Big Sisters events in the future. I love these kids so much and I am so sad that I'll miss talking to them.
At the after school program today, we played tennis on the Mathews playground. It was so much fun and I totally got my exercise for the day. During homework time, I had about five kids demanding my attention at the same time. Usually, this would have frustrated me. Today, I just tried to savor it.
I'm now, in the next week, going to try to catch up on correspondence I've been neglecting for a long time. Thank you to everyone who has been patient with me.

Last night, I went to Angie and TJ's house for a little barbecue. They had the barbecue in celebration of the fact that they have completed their yard, which looks really nice. It was the first time I had really socialized, in about a month. On the way home last night, I saw another large fire burning in South Reno. This fire was in the Huffaker, Rattlesnake Mountain, Double Diamond region. It was huge and very frightening.
This morning, as I was driving to work at LHS, I noticed that the hills in the area are completely blackened and charred. The air in South Reno was also thick with smoke. It seriously makes me wonder if there is someone going around Reno, setting blazes in the hills. It could just be hikers tossing cigarettes or something but I'm really suspicious. I hope there are no more fires in this area for a long, long while.
I'm double barcoding at LHS right now. Thank God this is the last weekend I will ever have to work in here. I work here Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week and then I am done. I'll miss my boss Erin and Gloria, the custodian, the most. They are a lot like me and totally understand my periodic need for complete solitude. (These periods last weeks!) Erin was telling me, about a week ago, that people tell her that she will do so well and be so much more social and outgoing for a while and then, boom! She won't answer her door, won't answer calls and just completely hides out and becomes totally reclusive. When Erin told me this, my face lit up and I said "That is so me! I do that too!" I just thought it was really neat to be able to converse with someone who totally understood this facet of my personality, which is so bizarre to many others. Erin and I never got to become really good friends, after all, she is one of my bosses and we didn't get to talk for long periods of time but I will miss her kind, caring attitude. I'll miss hearing what is going on in her life and I'll miss telling her what is going on in mine. She always wants to hear what I've been up to with my Little Ruben and such. Everyone who works here loves her. She's the favorite. She's got a great, upbeat attitude and she treats everyone with complete respect. If I'm half as cool as her or half as wonderful as she is, when I'm her age, I'll be pleased as punch. This entry is becoming an ode to Erin!
Gloria is generous, good natured, hard working, reclusive like Erin and me, and is someone I have enjoyed talking to over the past year and a half. She has bought me treats from the snack machine outside the library, just about every night shift I've worked, since August of last year. I'll really miss seeing her every week!
I guess I'm waxing nostalgic because the fact that I have a mere twelve hours of work, over the course of this week, left to do in this library is finally hitting me.

I went down to Mira Loma Park, after work, and picked Ruben up. His older brother was practicing football there. I talked to Tina for awhile at the park. Ruben's five year old brother Zach was begging to accompany Ruben and I. Tina told Ruben it was his decision (and mine!) as to whether or not Zach could come with us. I said it was okay. Ruben initially said Zach could not come but then changed his mind. Ruben, Zach and I went to the Sparks movie theater and saw the movie Pulse. (I asked over and over if the movie would be okay for Zach to see and was assured it would be.The kids have been desensitized to horror movies as they've already seen so many.) The movie actually wasn't overly scary. It was a Wes Craven film, like "The Hills Have Eyes" but was about a hundred times less gory. I really didn't like the movie. The plot and acting really were not good. I didn't really expect them to be. When Ruben and I go to the movies, we generally see movies I would never go see otherwise.
Anyway, it was a fun little outing and a good end to a very long day. When we emerged from the theater, the dark sky was filled with smoke from the "Verdi fire." It smelled just awful. It seems to be less smoky now, which is good.

Today, for me, is the kind of day I refer to as a "marathon day." I'm currently working my 10-3 shift at the library. When I finish here, I'll be working at the Bernice Mathews Elementary School after school program from 330-600. After I finish my shift at Mathews, I will pick Ruben up at 630, since he and his family will be at Great America this weekend. I'm hoping he'll be hungry at that time, so we can go to dinner. He eats at strange times so it may not work out but we'll see.
I really want to straighten my hair but it takes so long anymore (it is getting pretty long!)that I am forced to leave it in its natural state.
I have a lot of things to organize at the house this weekend, since the carpets are being steam cleaned on Monday. However, I am so sick of having every second of every day booked with something I just "have to do" so I am going to set time aside to see one of my very favorite people, if she has time to see me:).
Side note-Ruben has called my phone like five times today. I can't answer it since I'm at work. I told his mom, last night, that I wouldn't be getting off of work until 6 today. He must be really bored at home.

I just feel so lethargic and tired all the time. I really can't motivate myself to do anything. This has to change by the time school starts or I'll be completely screwed. Anyway, I saw Ruben today. I took him today so that I can have the weekend off. I do have to work Sunday morning for four hours, unfortunately, but that is not too bad. At least I don't have to work both days. I put my foot down about that one.
Ruben and I had a late breakfast/early lunch at McDonald's. Ruben then insisted that I accompany him to a house in Lemmon Valley where some puppies were being given away. He told me that he had chosen one for me to have but then that puppy had been adopted by another person. Of course I can't adopt a puppy right now because my cat, who is sick so much of the time, would kill me. He's been the "pampered only pet" forever and I don't think bringing a new puppy home would help matters. I hope it doesn't upset Ruben or the lady giving the puppies away too much. I just can't do it. I'm touched that they thought of me anyway. Ok, time to go wash my hair.

My computer's been on the fritz for the last couple of days. It seems to be fixed now and that is quite nice.
My weekend has been fairly low key so far. Yesterday, I got up early to mow the lawn. After mowing the lawn, I picked up Ruben and we went and saw the movie called Monster House. After the movie, we went to a couple of stores and then I took him home. Tina had Godfather's Pizza and their delectable dessert pizza so I stayed and had a piece of each. Tina talked to me awhile and I wound up being at their house much longer than I had planned to.
I came home and took a long nap. Like a 2-3 hour nap.
I slept in this morning and now I'm just doing chores and going shopping with my mother.
I also saw the second installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise,after work one night last week. I know most people like the first movie better than the second but I liked the second better. I hope Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan wind up together. I absolutely love it when the edgy, bad boy gets the "good" girl. That's why I have such a thing for the whole Brenda and Dylan relationship. Furthermore, I'd take Johnny Depp over Orlando Bloom any day.
For the next two weeks, I don't have to work the before school program. I just work the library and the afterschool program.
In three weeks, I work the before and after school programs and the library. Then, at the end of that week, I will be celebrating the end of both jobs. I'll start my new job the Monday after I quit my current jobs. I guess the winds of change are going to start blowing around me pretty soon. I completely welcome that.

Angie called me yesterday and I thankfully was able to talk to her, instead of us playing phone tag as has become customary these days! I drove to her home and then we drove to the mall to look for clothes. We also had a late lunch at Wendy's. Of all the fast food burger joints, I think Wendy's is my favorite. In'N'Out is pretty good too. We then drove back to Angie's home and got ready to go out. Angie and her friend Kim helped me with my hair, makeup and outfit. Kim drove Angie, TJ and me to the Silver Peak Brewery and Restaurant downtown. We met up with some of Angie's coworkers there and had a good time. I sat next to her former coworker Daniel, who offered to buy me several drinks and suggested that I accompany him to EJ's Jazz Cafe sometime. He's a lot older than me and wasn't really "my type" (whatever that is!). My good friend Kristin, to whom I had not spoken since April (or seen since February), and her husband Steve met up with us at Silver Peak. When we finished at Silver Peak, we walked to the Vino's nightclub, which plays 80s tunes all night. We danced a little there and then Steve and Kristin took us back to Angie's and I got my car and drove home. I had a good time last night. I'm glad I made an exception to my usual "no socializing" rule.
I'm supposed to take off for the big SB and LA tomorrow. I wish I could spend the rest of the summer down there. I love it, love it, love it. I'm just not ready to live there quit yet (and may never be). I'll be back next Friday. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. To all of my American lj friends, have a marvelous 4th of July! I'm actually going to drive down to L.A. to view the fireworks. We're going to find a really rockin' place down there. I cannot wait!
To my Canadian lj friend, Happy Canada Day!!
PS I tried Britney Spears' old fragrance "Fantasy" last night at Sephora and loved it!

After a lot of indecision on the part of my various relatives, it has been decided that I will be in Santa Barbara for the 4th this year. I have a lot of cousins and such in the SoCal region. After SB, we're supposed to take the PCH down to L.A. and then I will spend the day there and come back. It will just be a quick little jaunt I will be making. The only bad thing about going down there is that I never want to come back. Well, that's not entirely true. I just want to call up all the people I like and tell them to get down there so we can all be there. :)

It was a very relaxing weekend. The only plus side of having broken the barcoding machine last weekend was that I got this whole weekend off. It was marvelous. I did very little but that is exactly what made the weekend so fantastic.
I did manage to find a cute Beatles shirt this weekend. I think I will wear it tomorrow.
I do have to get my windshield repaired on Tuesday because it is having another problem.
My boss at the school had asked my co-worker and I if one of us would be willing to go in and work the morning shift tomorrow. My co-worker agreed to and I'm happy because I cannot abide the fact of getting up that early to go in when I was promised that I wouldn't have to work past June 23.
Luckily, one of the new girls at LHS has an even more flexible schedule than I do and is a much more hardworking and all-around better employee. Due to this fact, there will not be such an uproar when I leave my job in 1.5 months.
I hope Karen, my supervisor, remembers that she promised me I could have July 2-9 off. We hammered this deal out about a month ago, before she had a chance to completely fashion the summer work schedule. I don't want any freak outs from her when I remind her that I need the week off. I may or may not make in appearance in my beloved So Cal during part of that week. I know that Libby and I are taking Sam and Ruben to dinner Saturday but my weekend is otherwise open. I'm almost free of these oppressive employment situations.
Still waiting to hear from the high school principal about an internship placement. Methinks that I will be required to call and harass the school office again to get an appointment. Such is life. Hope everyone had a first-rate weekend.

So there was a group of about 40 kids and mentors who met up to go rafting at about 5 PM last night. We divided up into seven groups. A rafting group supplied us with gear and guides and we set off. We rafted from Mayberry Park down to Wingfield Park. Sammy complained and complained but wound up absolutely loving the rafting trip and was so glad she embarked on it with us. Ruben had a blast. The rafting was much different than the tubing we did together last year. This year, we were each given paddles. We didn't have to paddle the whole time, as our guide did most of the paddling from the back. Of course, the guide decides to put me up in the front of the raft and I was expected to be one of the power paddlers. It was a huge mistake because I couldn't keep the strokes for backward and forward paddling straight. The strokes went kind of opposite of what one (namely me) would expect. It wound up working out okay but everyone in the raft constantly had to remind me that I was doing the wrong stroke. I can be such a bozo about stuff like that, I swear it. I never felt like my strokes were fully synchronized with those of my fellow paddlers. I didn't help them achieve the "Viking Effect" (working together with perfectly synchronized strokes--the guide swore that this would be achieved without much strenuous effort--think again!).
The river is so beautiful. There are many gorgeous parks along the river, most of which I wasn't even aware of. There is also some really great architecture, homes and such. Some people have tied rope to trees and they enjoy swinging over the river. A teenage boy did so last night and took it upon himself to purposely moon us in the process. The kids in my raft were less than thrilled with his antics.
Other folks have wooden porch swings, patios complete with lawn chairs and wonderful gardens that overlook the river. I plan to spend a lot more time on the river in the years to come. I always have such an absolute rockin' time when I go and spend time there.
When we returned to the car last night, Tina had left me several worried voicemails on my cell phone. It turns out that a shooting had occurred right near the river last night. We did see several cop cars near the Ox Bow park, as we floated down the river and I later found out that they were there because of the shooting. I guess that Idewild Park was even closed down and evacuated for a time because of the shooting. The kids waved and called out to the cops who found it in their hearts to wave back, despite the grim circumstances:D. It was such a thoroughly entertaining time. (The rafting trip that is)
When we arrived in Wingfield Park, at the conclusion of our rafting trip, a segment was being filmed for a local show that will air on the local governmental channel. The show is trying to show that there is more to Reno than the casinos. The people filming the show saw the rafting gear and immediately asked to put the the gear, and all of us, into a tiny segment of the show. It will air in July.
We rode in vans belonging to the rafting company from Wingfield Park, back to our cars at Mayberry Park. (Was that an awkward sentence or what?!) As we turned left onto Fourth Street, from Keystone Avenue, what did we see but a motorcyclist who had been invloved in a crash with a car. His bike was wrecked and he was lying in the street, presumably dead, or at least gravely injured. It was horrible. How sad and awful.
The ambulance and fire trucks arrived on the scene and it was a nightmare. I felt bad that all the kids had to see that. I thought to myself, in light of all the dreadful events of late, "What is this town coming to?"
What a night.
Libby and I took Sam and Ruben to IHOP for dinner. I had the Harvest Grain 'N' Nut Pancakes topped with blueberry compote. I did my usual sampling of each of the four syrups put on the table as well. After dinner, Libby took the kids to their Grandma's.
Oh yeah, in another brilliant moment the other day, I taped over my favorite episode of the show that has been my favorite since I was eight and a half. If anyone who reads this has a copy of the 90210 episode "Isn't It Romantic?," I'll do everything short of selling my soul to secure another copy. It is the episode where Dylan and Brenda first really, truly fall for each other. My shallow side majorly came out the other day, after I inadvertently taped over the show. I was so bummed, you would have thought a major catastrophe had occurred. I've been coming home from work and having 90210 marathons, watching old episodes I taped years and years ago. I can't even watch the season of 90210 reruns they are currently playing on Soap Net. They're the ones where Dylan and Kelly get together. (Gag me with a friggin' spoon.) Those episodes pretty much sicken me. O.K., now I'm just getting totally wacko and exposing my obsessive and shallow sides. Catch you on the flipside.

On the social front, there is not much to report. I saw Nicky for a couple of hours on Tuesday. I had the day off from the library (but not from the school). The reason I had the day off was to visit the dentist, as I missed my appointment last winter and hadn't been in a year! Luckily, the visit went well and everything's okay on that front. I swear that they tip my chair way too far back at the dentist's office. It took me seemingly sooo long to recover once they put me back up. I was dizzy and my body definitely was not liking the rapid positional change. I started to panic and thought I was going to pass out. Terrible. One perk that did brighten my visit to the dentist was that a massage therapist was visiting the office on that particular day and was going around, massaging the hands of those of us getting our teeth cleaned. She massaged both of my hands and then half way up my arms. It was grand and very relaxing. I'm very happy I switched dentists! I love the idea of getting hand/arm massages whilst I am nervously, uncomfortably lying back in those awful chairs.
Anyways, I guess I got off on a tangent there. Nicole and I met up at the new mall and we hung out. We walked around quite a bit. I was more impressed with the mall than I was the day I visited it with Angie but I still was not overly impressed. We went in to the Yankee Candle store and I found it disappointing. I love candles but, to my surprise, maybe I don't really love Yankee Candles. (I do dig Martha Stewart's new candle line though. I got one of her "Miami Beach Trio" scented candles for my birthday. It smells like a combo of coconut, mandarin peach and raspberry. They had about a million other kinds that I wanted to buy up as well, but that is another story altogether!) We capped our visit by stopping off at the mall's Starbucks where I ordered a blackberry green tea frappucino. It was good to see Nicole again. I'd not seen her since April prior to that visit.
Angie and I played phone tag for about three weeks. I've never seen anything to equal it. Every time she called me, my phone was off or I didn't hear it etc. and every time I called her, the same thing happened. We finally met up last night and watched Gilmore Girls DVDs and she introduced me to Ben and Jerry's oatmeal cookie dough ice cream, at her home. The ice cream earns a major yum from me. It was really good to see her again and I can only hope that we won't go nearly a month before we see each other again. Oh, dear. I think I'm going to make a third part for this entry. I may do that later, or, I may abandon the idea altoghether.