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Saturday, August 30, 2003

my first day is tuesday.

thursday i spent getting hired and filling out forms. i'm sure they're tired of me since i at least attempted to read the forms. lady was like - this form says i did my job. in fact it had a list of things that i said i was informed about. that's protecting them - not me. i refused to sign it in advance. however i realized later i made a dumb mistake. it had a long list of things and she'd put checks next to everything she'd discussed. i reviewed it and i signed it. however i didn't mark out all the spaces next to items she had not discussed. there was nothing keeping her from filling in the rest of them. dumb.

i learn that i'm to receive 10 days of orientation/training. it's just not known when this will take place. the guy that hired me asked when i was starting. i didn't know. he said he'd check with the principal. he comes in when i'm meeting with benefits lady and says she says next week is fine. i say okay. he says monday will be your first day. i'm fine with that. benefits lady says, but that's labor day. i say so what. he's like, okay tuesday. i'm like, why not sunday? she gets snippy and says "i just heard him say tuesday so september 2." if it was sunday, my benefits and stuff would all kick in september 1 instead of october 1. i'm going to be rather pissed if i get sick in september or if they pro rate my salary since i didn't work october 1.

one of the forms required was for direct deposit. i did not want to direct deposit into my checking account (no interest and i'm likely going to close my account with that bank). i was considering this and discussing this with koala; he might have first mentioned the state employees' credit union. the credit union of course makes perfect sense. after reviewing the options, i was sold. i called to find out if i could sign up since i was just hired that day. i was told that'd be no problem; they could just call and verify this. i eventually get in an office and the credit union employee started the process. she started trying to get me signed up for savings and checking. i did not want checking. checking has a $1/month fee and a minimum $100 balance. savings is required to participate, and there's a $25 min balance with no fee. i have $33 in my checking account and like $15 in cash. i was not signing up for anything with a $100 min balance. i tell her i want savings and will use it for direct deposit. we're now getting somewhere. however when she goes to verify me, trouble starts. i'm not in the computer (of course not - i was just hired and have yet to turn in a couple of forms...like the direct deposit form). i realize the business cards of the person who hired me and the benefits person were not in my folder. i rush out to the car and do no find them. however as i'm returning, i see them laying on the sidewalk.

i return with the cards thinking i now have phone numbers of people who can say i'm an employee. first guy not there. second person (with whom i'd spent like 2 hours that day) transfers the call to someone else to verify employment. that person of course cannot. i tell the credit union lady to call her back and say my name and mention i was the person she'd spent 2 hours with that very day. she calls back but only mentions my name. after like a 5 minute wait, something happens and the credit union lady starts filling out a form and eventually hangs up. i ask her if the lady did not remember me. she did not. i found this quite odd. the guy who wouldn't sign all the forms without reading them, who reminded her of her boyfriend, who spent 2 hours with her that day...she does not remember.

so now i'm verified. she needs $25. i say i don't have it on me, but i can go to the bank next door and withdraw from my checking account. she says she'll start working on paperwork in the meantime. i'm back in like 3 mins. i'm fast.

i then head over to the social security administration building trying to get another ss card. despite my trip down memory lane, i never found it. they close at 4. i know old people have plenty of free time, but c'mon if you're in a service industry i'd think closing at 5:30 should be the earliest.

friday i woke up early in order to meet with the substitute who's been filling in until someone was hired. just wasn't happening. i eventually leave around 9 for the ss folks. i get a printout that says. yup. this guys is who he says he is. i find it pretty funny. it's not like it'd be hard to fake - i guess the generic stamp is supposed to prevent that. i take it to the benefits people. despite their fellow office personnel being the ones who instructed me to get this paper, it's looked at with disdain, and i'm informed that i'll still need my card. i tell her that it should arrive in about a week. she makes this big public declaration that she's going to write this on the paper and does so with considerable flourish. i've had enough and leave. i realize later that i neglected to talk to the guy who hired me. as i'm lateral entry, i need to pay an $85 application fee. as previously noted, i'm broke. i'd talked to pops (he's out of the country. moms is up north as well). after some phone tag, he said i could use his mastercard and gave me the number. oh well. i guess i'll get around to it sometime.

i had a headache and went home. i wanted to head out to the school around when the school day was over to find out if i was teaching tuesay or doing orientation. i also wanted to set up the room, find out where the copiers, overhead projector, etc are located, bring home a few copies of the books, lesson plans, and other items in order to prepare. i lie down on the couch hoping to take a quick nap. 2 hours later, i wake up. i end up arriving at the school and the only car there is the principal's. she lets me in. i ask if i'm teaching tuesday or doing orientation. she laughs rather heartily. "you're teaching." she unlocks the door to my room and shows me where the breaker box is located. oh - the breaker box is not in the classroom. it's in the down the hallway. how convenient.

she mentions that labeling the breakers is a job for that weekend. there are no light switches in the rooms. if you want to turn off the lights...to, i don't know say you an overhead projector to teach, you need to flip the breaker. i need to find out if this shuts off the power to the computers as i suspect. i quickly determine that the air conditioning is not running. i ask about getting some more white boards (phrased it differently this time), she says that will be fine and that it'll take about a week. (we'll see.) there two overhead fans, but i soon realize they are not on the same breaker as the lights. i eventually get them powered. however as i'm moving desks, tables, filing cabinets, books, etc on a hot day without ac, i'm drenched. principal returns and says that she's leaving but will return later to set the alarm. i just need to close the doors behind me.

i continue arranging the room and digging through boxes and storage trying to find materials and arrange them. i was still feeling kinda sick so i started looking for a bathroom. i found a staff bathroom. i used it. i flushed. water poured out quite strongly. i started washing my hands. i realized it wasn't stopping. i'm the only one in the building. it's 5:24 pm on the friday of labor day weekend. i jiggle the handle. i continue doing so. to no avail. the principal mentioned that she'd return later that night to set the alarm. i keep checking. no change. she told me she was leaving to go to a retirement home. but i figured it can't hurt so i eventually look up her phone number (thanks google). i first talk to someone who sounded much older who repeatedly called for her a few minutes later she came on the line. after determining it was her - actually i asked if she was the principal and the person just said yes - i told her the situation. she said it'll do that now and then "especially if they're working on the lines" (i find this incredible - water was shooting out of the toilet) and if jiggling the handle doesn't work, it should shut off soon. she did mention that she'd call maintenance anyway. i left an hour later with no change to the situation. at the rate the water was flowing, thousands of gallons will be used before tuesday if nothing is fixed. i didn't have a key to a back room which is where i'd think a water cut off value was likely located.

i didn't see a water shut off valve, but i didn't look as hard as i could have and probably should have. as long as i really talked to the principal, i tend to think it's her responsibility now. if she does show up this weekend and nothing's changed, she'll at least be able to do something about it. i don't have any keys.

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

well i heard from school b. i called to find out if they'd decided. i asked to speak to the principal but was told the principal wasn't available. i asked if they'd decided yet. i was told no and that the principal was still interviewing people. i really need to be employed and i was torn between the two schools. (they are quite different situations making it hard to compare or decide.) so i told them thanks but i was going to pick school a. i then called school a to tell the principal my decision. the principal wasn't there and the person on the phone said she didn't know when he'd be back or if he'd be back that day or if he'd check email, etc. i did not leave a message. soon thereafter i got a phone call. it was the secretary of school b asking if i'd told school a yet. i said no. i was then informed that school b had also recommended me for the position. there goes my easy decision.

i kept trying to figure it out. the principal of school b eventually called and wanted to know what i'd decided. i said i wasn't sure and that i'd call with the decision in the morn. i got a couple of phone numbers for teachers at the school to get their view on things. talked in depth with one new teacher. this morn - bright and early - i called principal b and asked if it'd be okay if i came and observed for the day. she was amenable.

so after an interesting day i went to check out. (my favorite little story was when i was looking around the room which would be mine and was trying to figure out how best to utilize it. it seemed clear that another white board could be useful. i turned to the "substitute" (she's been there 3 years in various positions) and asked "any chance for a white board?" she started to answer and then started laughing. quickly i guessed what she'd heard. she'd thought i said "any chance for a white boy?" she said she was about to respond "i hope so. they need you.") in the office i found out that the school district's hr department was looking for me. i called in but got a machine and left a message. there was a teachers' meeting and i my attendance was requested. i went. afterwards i got up with the hr department. i'm to show tomorrow with my social security card as well as the ss #s, addresses, names of two people who'd be my beneficiaries. this kinda seems like filling out a will.

i can't find my ss card. i've been digging through boxes of papers and kept items. i'm a bit of a pack rat, and this is a rather dangerous trip through memory lane. boarding passes, post cards, poems, pics, notes, bills, keepsakes, etc.

it seems my memory on some things isn't that great. i believe many of the memories recalled require something to prompt them. maybe i'm just repressing them.

Tuesday, August 26, 2003

well, i never heard from school b.

gameplan - tomorrow morn call school b to find out their decision. if yes, decide which school (you'd think i'd do that now). call school a and let them know. then head to hr and get hired. then possibly to school a to "observe." i've been told it'd be unfair to have me take over thursday since other teachers had several weeks to prepare prior to classes. (current teacher leaves thurs.) however, i doubt this situation would last very long. i would think i'd observe the classes i'll be teaching while the teacher is still there. when he leaves, am i to observe a substitute teach my classes or am i to observe other classes while a substitute teaches mine? either way i expect to be teaching in about a week. i also have to start taking courses since i'm doing lateral entry.

i've yet to find out if i'd have my own classroom or i'd be a circuit teacher. i've also not yet found out what equipment/computers to which i'd have access. i could ask tomorrow, but i probably would say yes if they only gave me chalk and a chalkboard so i might as well find out after they commit to employing me.

so now i will have to wake up in the morn, change out of pajamas, keep clean, take classes, and teach classes. i think i'm going to need to find a watering hole.

Monday, August 25, 2003

i had a fantastic california roll update i was planning. however, someone else restarted the computer, and i now have to find many of the links again. drat.

as to employment. one of the schools called to let me know they are recommending me for the position. still waiting on the other school. i should hear today. i guess i need to make a decision (and start getting dressed every day). either way, i should start being a productive member of society.

in the middle of the night i tend to be very creative in thinking about other opportunites. i started checking out alaska's dept of ed for teaching jobs. i came across the following listing on this site:

Position Number: 1550

Category:
Math/Science/Business/Technical/Vocational

Job Title:
Secondary Science/Generalist - Kipnuk

Deadline:
Open Until Filled

Zone:
3

View the school districts in each zone.

Posted:
8/1/2003

Job Description:
Valid Alaska Type A Teaching certificate required. Housing available, running water.

Salary:

Other:
2003/2004 School Year

Contact Information:
Lower Kuskokwim School District
PO Box 305
Bethel, AK 99559
www.lksd.org

Contact:
Gary Baldwin
907 543-4886 Work Phone
907 543-4900 Fax
it makes me wonder if there's electricity.

Thursday, August 21, 2003

i should be sleeping. somehow i've got to fall asleep and then wake up and appear professional.

[link for nat]
well, i have two separate meetings scheduled with principals tomorrow before 11. somehow i'll need to fall asleep tonight. i'll actually provide some linkage later.

Wednesday, August 20, 2003

it's been a while. i'm sure you're salivating for nearly fresh links. i sent off an email to the principal of one school. instead of a response, i get a lovely email from hotmail. tomorrow, dialogue will occur (even if i have to use a.g bell's dreaded instrument of torture. yes we have one that looks quite like that. ours was from pine plains, ny which was a test area for nyc...so it's darn old.)

i've come to value original content on blogs. i really don't have much. i've decided just for shock and awe, i'll write up an essay or something. i think the first one will blame elizabeth dole for an increase in binge drinking and sexual assaults. if that doesn't leave you anticipatory...

Monday, August 18, 2003

i've got many links, but i'm just going to post links to pictures of the darkness right now.

Saturday, August 16, 2003

not much happened today. although i could get used to eating fresh, homemade sweet rolls for breakfast (two days in a row). time to live up to the byline.
ent dark city

delighted northerners:

Friday, August 15, 2003

turned in app. i believe i have a good shot at being a middle school math teacher. i need to call tomorrow to see if the hs positions are filled. there is one at a regular hs and one that's 6-12 and would be more individual instruction. this last one intrigues me. i doubt i'd be teaching calculus (or fractals), but it could be quite rewarding. income would also be good. i wants to visit some folks now that everyone is dispersing. (also i want to catch some acc football.) i'm also trying to get on the substitute list. i think i'd have a really good shot if i wanted to do middle school. for some reason, i've always thought high school and dismissed the middle school option. (i think i just know what's taught in hs and can't remember what one learns in ms.) i've pretty much thought only thought about teaching algebra and above. if they stuck me with advanced students, i'd be able to teach algebra; but i seriously doubt they'd give a newbie advanced students. watched the beginning of conan. he was sitting without makeup, guests or monologue. i wished he'd just have tried to kill time for the whole show by making fun of people. instead he cut to a rerun with marky mark. jimmy kimmel had the guy from friendster. dork. well, there's my life. enjoy it.

glasses still broken.

news roundup: - eh screw it. i'm tired. nighto.

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

local public schools need math teachers. no more blogging until i write a couple of essays to finish the application.

if you are starting to get bored, this site is much less pretentious.

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

i used blogger's help sytem. asked them a question. they say they fixed it.
"Hello,
We've fixed the problem that was causing the archive/disk full errors. Thanks for writing in to let us know about it, and we apologize for any inconvenience this outage may have caused.
Let us know if you need any more assistance!
-Blogger Support"

i agree with pinky. comments do suck. haloscan has treated my with this page all day: "Server Moved
HaloScan has been moved to a new server. If you're seeing this message, you are on the old one server. The changeover should happen automatically and for most people, this has already happened. However, some ISPs will be slower in updating the IP change so it may take a little while longer for you to see the site on the new server. Note that this server has commenting disabled as only the database on the new server will be considered valid. - 8/12/2003


california roll:
just started to blog...and my glasses broke. (yes i'm "bespeckled".) after some serious squinting, i now have a large bulge of electrical tape on one of the "arms." not quite hp, but still plenty dorky. i have many links, but i just wondered through the sphere and came across some sites i've never been and found some things which interested me. i know i haven't been mentioning our little war lately; but i'm still paying attention. time for another
iRAQ jumble:

Sunday, August 10, 2003

another backlog is forming. maybe i'll just do a purge sometime and let people come up with their own headlines. the restaurant is on as i blog. watching a priest bless a bar so "the spirits will flow into rocco's pocket" is must see tv. sis brought back some gifts. brother got mustard in a metal tube. i got haribo "les schtroumpfs." they seem bigger and softer than when i bought some "stroumpfs." (i've never seen headless ones as pictured. my bag looks nearly identical but actually has fully shaped schtroumpfs with blue bodies and red or clear head and feet.)

trivia answer: 19% if one in five of actual voters supported perot in 92, i wonder how high was the percentage of americans who supported him. i would have posted more but blogger was screwing up again.

Saturday, August 09, 2003

blah blah. nothing much going on. pops left for england. sis back from france. i'm on the computer. surprisingly, i've gone back and done some editing to a previous post.

Friday, August 08, 2003

nada. i did show yet more evidence that i'm becoming a less mechanically adept version of my father. i bought a grocery store's complete stock of cherry 7up. other posts will likely be more funny. if you're looking for that, read previous ones. today will likely be newsy and sciencey.

Thursday, August 07, 2003

okay still nothing from korea. i'm starting to wonder if they've already been bombed. as to my last post, i'm considering adding the bruised foot (caused by a shelf that fell on my shoeless left foot while moving a desk) or my dad dressing down for the auction.


Tuesday, August 05, 2003

as long as my past few days

well i do have some excuses as to not posting lately. thursday evening, i drove about 40 miles to meet up with a friend and catch a free showing of bend it like beckham. when i went to leave i discovered most of the cars were gone. there was only the van or the old camry. i'd heard pops discuss how the tires were bald (and they surely are) so i was not sure what to take. i eventually planned on driving the camry to my brother's soccer practice and driving the grand am. however by this time i was running a tad behind schedule. i had a rather bad feeling about this, but i went anyway. i drove gingerly so as to not blow a tire, but i did notice that the engine was acting oddly. this had happened the last time i drove it with my sister - the regular driver - but she said it was normal. i was somewhat pleased that it was overcast and not very hot out. the dash lights were also acting oddly. the "lights" light was always lit, and the "door" light also was lit at times.

i should have known it was not my night when i realized they were not showing a film but a video - ugh. i've probably watched 50 movies there, and never been shown anything but a film. the quality was not great. it wasn't even widescreen.

so we checked out a new dining establishment nearby. it was nicely decorated, and we ate outside as the night air wasn't too bad. as i'd only eaten the end (actually the bottom) of a loaf of bread, i was slightly hungry. i ordered a mint/ice cream/cake dessert and a pint. pint was fine (though they were out of the closest guinness approximation), but about 2/3rds of the way through the cake i was feeling rather nauseous.

i head over to lend a hand to a buddy who's packing/moving out. i got a nice new white tshirt out of the stop. i stick around until around midnight and then head out. i am still hesitant to drive the car again and make several remarks about it breaking down on the way back; i also considered asking to crash there that night. i figured that i'd still have to get home sometime so i might as well try now.

it's rather pleasant outside - 70sh - and i'm still driving carefully. about 20 mins later i stop at one of the last few stoplights heading out of town and at the very instant i come to a stop the light turns green...and the oil lamp flashes on and then off. this does get my attention, but as the dash lights were acting oddly, it turned off, and i was not in a place i wanted to stop - i decided to continue. i plan on stopping at a well-lit gas station i'd stopped a few times previously.

the engine seems to be acting pretty normally, and i'm babying it. i'm not speeding or flooring it - just steady. then...boowoosh and the engine dies and the oil light comes on. it's tough to describe the sound. it's like a cross between an explosion and someone sitting on a garbage bag filled with air and popping it. i didn't hear metal on metal or anything. i just knew it was dead. i pulled over and eventually pushed it into a nearby subdivision. i tried the car one more time and while it tried to start, it was not going to turn over. i considered calling pops but figured he's been quite busy at work and doesn't need a call at this time of night. all he could do is show up with a rope and tow me back to the house. mom's out of town studying for a final exam. no reason to worry them. i call the friend who i'd just left, and she was not surprised to hear the car had died (though probably none of my friends would be surprised to get a call like that). about 2 mins later a cop drove up and then away after i said i had a friend coming to pick me up.

i called about 1:15am. i call about every 15 mins to find out when she's arriving. i figure i was only driving 15-20 mins...it can't be that long. standing on the side of a highway alone at 1:30am is like being in some kind of wasteland. none too fun.

around 2:10am i am picked up, my new tshirt is hanging from my driver side window, and i'm rather tired. we make it back to the house. i grab a sheet and make a mattress horizontal (they're moving out remember). as the soothing sounds of ex's discuss who's going to clean the kitchen for a while, i put some pants back on and get up. i then proceed to mop the disgusting kitchen floor with some crappy mop that was nearly useless. oh well.

the next day is moving/cleaning day. i get up with mom around 11am. my plan was for her to pick me up since she wasn't too far, take me back so i could get the van and rent a tow dolly. pops eventually hears the plan and then the plan is somewhat shelved for a while. mom was planning on showing around 2:30 pm. well it seems her day didn't go so smoothly either so it's around 4:30 when she arrives.

despite promises for lunch for helping, i've still not had anything to eat all day. mom hasn't really eaten either, so we stop at an arby's. service was deplorable and mind numbingly slow. we sat at the window for about 10 mins. (i guess roast beef sandwiches are rarely ordered.) when we finally get someone's attention, i ask if they have a handi-wipe or some kind of hand cleaner. they say yes...and then hand out a wet rag. yes, they really handed out a wet rag. knowing my hands were disgusting from moving/cleaning, i try not to think that i'm using a rag handed out a drive thru window to clean my hands - i proceed to scrubbing them down. after handing it back, i see the lady put our bad of food near the drink machine. the bag tips, and i hear the fountain engage. the employee lunges for the bag and tips it back up. i think - as the fountain is one of those where you push for it to dispense soda, the bag couldn't have actually leaned forward and made it dispense drink into it. we eventually get our food, and i stuff a sandwich in my mouth so i can get back on the road. it is here when i realized that the bag is wet since it'd tipped forward and caught the little lever to release water. often they stick out horizontally - when pushed down, it dispenses water instead of soda. basically the bag tipped over and caught the lever...and the water went into the bag.

yes. the bag had actually drenched itself.

we stop at the car, and surprise...it's still dead. as the plan is still for us to get the car either that night or saturday, we grab the few things of value from the car (but not the battery or anything) and drive on. as the new music minister's kids were being welcomed with a party at our house soon after we arrived, we could not set back out. i was quite pleased about this as i was hot, tired, and had a headache. (side note, i've been having quite a few of these lately. i don't think they're migraines. they seem located about 4 inches about an eye - directly in the forehead.)

instead of getting a nap as i should have done, i checked email. (i was still expecting to get a response from the recruiter.) i head downstairs to the "fun zone." i'm not really hungry, but when i grab a slice of pizza i'm informed by pops we're heading back to pick up the car and that he can't locate a tow dolly locally. instead of my nap, i down about 3 glasses of mountain dew. i then spend about 30 mins calling all rental places in about a 60 mile radius - to no avail.

at this point i check to see when the sun will set. it's about 40 mins from then. despite it taking 40 mins to go one way with a good car, pops thinks we'll be fine, and we head out. about 10 mins later we notice that the clouds are growing quite ominous, and we turn on the radio. about 15 seconds later, a weather report is broadcast warning about extremely heavy storms in the area. yes in the exact area we were heading. have you ever drove for 30 mins with lightning constantly occuring - but only directly in front of you? i felt like i was going to see a flying cow any minute.

it's growing rather dark and windy when we arrive at the car. it's not really raining though. this changes quickly. by the time we eventually get the car turned in a way where we can attach the rope and pull it forward, it's raining rather steadily. we are both rather wet.

in order to save the battery, one headlight is disconnected. we head out. the rain is constant. traffic is heavy. there is about 8 feet between the vehicles. i am often running without the lights or the windshield wiper. the window keeps fogging up, and i am trying to wipe it with the brand new tshirt. the van gives off a constant spray which keeps the windshield almost impossible to look through.

i am trying to keep the rope taut while being towed in the pouring rain, without power breaks, in the dark, without headlights, through a spray, without windshield wipers, with a muscle cramp -- and we're passing cars.

the weather is so bad that many cars are going the speed limit or below. once we get out on the highway, we're making good time and moving steadily. so steadily that when pops looks back to check on the rope he misses the exit. this causes a delay of about 20 mins as it takes at least another 5 mins to find a place to turn around but in the act of doing so, the bungee cord broke.

eventually we're able to make our exit and continue on for the mostly uneventful (maybe just i've blocked the memory) remaining miles. we then get to hear middle aged couples compare their stories about crappy cars and wrecks. you know what i'm talking about.

with my family, this explains why i didn't post friday.

i overslept and missed marge's wedding. i regret this. oh well. anyway, we decide to head out to see this brass houseboat that we hear so much about. hour and 38 mins later, dad remembers he has a project running at work and shouldn't have gone. 2 mins later we arrive. since he needs to get back, we determine we can stay only an hour. 4 mins later, we find out that we can't see the boat. i do get to see the place. i could live there. apparently the boat in question is a 42 footer - that seemed darn big when i saw what similar boats looked like. we leave - they promise to send a video or something. back in the car, dad remarks: "shoulda known something like this would happen." i know i had that feeling.

siblings are leaving for camp so they stay up all night cleaning clothes. i wonder where they learned that. not sure why i didn't post sat night.

sunday at church is a picnic. quite a decent spread of food. also nearly no one my age.

pops and i end up going to see bad boys 2. i knew it was going to be a bad movie. it was. i came in knowing i would have to suspend disbelief. even so, there's a point where both he and i yelled out at the movie. if you've seen it, see if you can guess when.

i definitely was not planning on posting after that movie.

today there were more of the daily strong thunderstorms. i never turned off my computer or anything. about 30 mins later i got up from the computer to leave the room and the computer just lost power. i fiddle with the power cord for a second and the power flickered. i subsequently tried a variety of things to try to power it back up. nothing.

so now my computer is dead, and all my links are gone.

i figure others might enjoy this.

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