Let's Play Ketchup

I'm a weird blogger.

Well, I mean, I'm just weird, period, but my Blog-Life (similar to 'hood-' or 'thug-') is incredibly erratic. 

I'll go months without a single post

then BAM...

way too many all at once. 

In any case, a lot of things have happened since last we met, so..

...let's ketchup, shall we?

• I am ALMOST DONE with my FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING. Can you believe it? I can't. It has been one crazy ride--with a shockingly unpleasant dose of the crazy--but I am surviving, and I'm almost there!
• I took two ensembles to two separate festivals and each group received a Superior rating

some of my advanced orchestra kids getting ready for a pre-festival concert.

a few of my intermediate orchestra kids after their festival. on a Saturday. at 8am. 

I guess, as a sort of sub-bullet, that now would be the time to mention how much I adore these kids. And, no, that's not creepy. When I first got my student teaching assignment and realized I'd be working with middle schoolers I was......what's the best word.......apprehensive? But now... I can't imagine teaching anything else. I don't know what it's like to be a parent, but I think I have sort of an idea. It's ridiculous how much I love these kids. How they can make a terrible, awful, no-good day a million times better just with their bright smiles. I can't count the number of times I have been caught honestly off-guard--and had to take a minute to stop laughing--by their humor. To see them work and struggle and conquer and even fall in love with music......it makes all the hair-pulling days and anxiety-ridden nights worth it. I don't know that I'm any sort of good teacher: I'm not a musical genius. I don't compose. I'm not a brilliant soloist. I don't have amazing lesson plans that will get published in education journals. But what I do, I do pretty well: I love these kids and the subject I teach. I count myself incredibly blessed to be able to honestly say I love my job. And these radiant young souls I get to come in contact with every day are teaching me more than I thought I'd learn :) 

• I've made new friends. 

• I've kept in touch with old ones.

• I've gotten used to finding movie theaters in big, smoke-filled casinos.
• I've seen some pretty good movies. Divergent, Saving Mr. Banks, Winter's Tale, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. 
• I've had a vegan burger.
• not my thing.
• I've stood toe-to-toe with people who are more than twice my age--stood my ground, and made decisions I never thought I'd have to make. I've felt the backlash of spineless mortals and been the subject of plenty of slander. I've raged and ranted and held my tongue and carried on. And you know what? I've won. 
• I've gone rock-climbing/hiking. Like, across rocky gaps and slippery slopes and unbelievable heights. 
• I've been to my favorite place on earth. A few times :) With many plans to go back. 

I always swore to myself I'd live in Cali. Now I'm in landlocked NV, but some day....some day.............

• I've gone to a pro (okay, minor league...) hockey game. 
• I cheered myself silly for the Olympics
• I've seen people make some really bad decisions

• I've kept up my Supernatural addiction. 
• Okay, really, if you haven't seen this show at least once by now....you should. It is wonderfully weird to me that I--the biggest chicken you will ever meet, the person who (as a 16 yr old) had to sleep in mom and dad's room the night of Pref after watching Poltergeist--have fallen for a show all about the freaky and spooky. That's how good it is.
• I know approximately how many Little Caesar's pizzas I can fit in the backseat of my (old) car. 

I'm not even gonna explain this one. 

Let your imaginations do as they will. 

• I've written pretty faithfully to a missionary. Yep, Elder Connor Ontiveros is still one of the funniest people I know, and it has been AMAZING to see all the change that has happened to little bro since he went out into the field. The people of Iowa/Missouri/Mississippi are lucky folks :) 
• I've had root canals and crowns and cleanings and basically my teeth suck, but I legit don't hate my current dentist, so that's a plus. 
• Yes, I was there for the Mailmanapocalypse. 

Why so many? In one place?? At one time??? The world may never know.

• I've been a homebody, a partier, a hermit, a social butterfly. 
• I've cried, I've prayed, I've ranted, I've stayed up too late with every possibility chasing the others around all because of my job, but I've kept at it. 
• I've been lonely. 
• I've been overwhelmed. 
• Goodness knows I've been annoyed. 
• I've been happy. Confident. Content. 
• I've been intensely self-critical all with the intention of always trying to be just a little bit better. 

Spring break is nearly over. 

6 more weeks. 1 more concert. A few end-of-the-year awards nights and meetings and business to attend to.

Then it's summer. 

Maybe I'll have some blog-worthy experiences for you by then ;)