Bad pizza and oversized animals...
That explains it all. I am watching a three year old this week while his parents work. His babysitter went on vacation and it is spring break for his older brother and sister. They have been at a relative's house but will be home tonight. So tomorrow I will become a nanny again for three kids. I guess you can't go very far before the past catches up to you...or something. Anyway, this mom asked me (rather sheepishly) if I would be willing to take her son to Chuck E Cheese's. The very same place that I remember being really excited about when I was little. And it hasn't changed. The characters look the same, sing the same songs, and the stage set-ups is exactly as I remember. It was seriously a freakish flashback episode. Some of the games are the same but they have made it younger child friendlier. More games and stuff for the preschool crowd. But hey it wasn't really that bad. But then again, we were there at 10:30am before you should even think about eating bad pizza. This kid is pretty easy for me to watch as well. He was a little overwhelmed by everything so he didn't run off, in fact he wouldn't go anywhere without me. Plus the place has at least some security. You (and the kid you come in with) get stamped with this glow-under-the-blacklight ink with the same number. Then when you leave you have to show the "bouncer" your numbers so no kid can leave with the wrong person. You even get ushered under those red velvet ropes. Some semblance of safety. Pizza tastes the same and the prizes are still cheap plastic toys and junk. For all of those who haven't been to a Chuck E Cheese recently, I suggest that you pack up a relative (or someone you are babysitting) and head over to the nearest super fun filled party! And don't even tell me that you have never been to a Chuck E Cheese's because that is un-American.
Perhaps a job?
Yeah I might just have a future...and not in watching TV. Yesterday I stopped by a preschool that had "now hiring" on the sign outside and filled out an application. Funny thing is that this preschool is not your typical color and cut program. No....it is a performing arts school. Help me Adrianne!! The application asked "Can you teach art, music, dance, or gymnastics?" Of course I wrote "yes". Because I can. Just not well. But hey they are three and four...what could be hard about that? Then I was given a short tour. Turns out they really mean performing arts. Jazz and tap dance in the morning and ballet in the afternoon. Complete with recitals. I saw the little pictures of small tutus and leotards and tap shoes. But the teacher was amazed at my experience and background. Yeah I guess that means I am overqualified. Turns out a degree can get you somewhere...overqualified in a preschool. So she said she wanted to hire me on the spot but I couldn't start on Monday. Plus she isn't in charge, she was just another teacher. So she told me to call later in the week or she would get a hold of me to see if something would come up because they just bought another location. Then I could have an interview with the "boss". But today the same teacher called back and said that her boss trusted her judgment and wanted to know when I could start. She said my degree was a big selling point. I mean she called the boss yesterday while I was standing there and told her to hire me because I had a degree and lots of experience. It was kind of embarrassing. I think she was feeling pretty desperate because she had just hired a young girl with absolutely no experience. Anyway, I am going to meet the person in charge and check out the new location on Thursday. I will know then for sure about the job and all that. But hey I think that it is good news. So I wanted to share.
What is a home?
How many places can you consider home? Every one knows that "Home is where your heart is" and all that sappy nonsense but what if it isn't? What if you heart isn't in the same place as your "home"? Oh wait "This is not our home" right? We look forward to another home huh? Right now I am talking of three different places that I have called home. How can three places be my home? First, I have been out of town for a while. As I was debating staying away for another day I thought to myself, nah, I want to go home and sleep in my own bed tonight. I was talking about my "home" here in Michigan. But the day before I was talking about a friend from home. Did I mean the place I have lived the longest part of my life? Where I was born and raised? No I was talking about someone I know in Pocatello, my "home" for over 5 years. And yet I have one more "home" in Billings, a place I don't seem to get back to nearly as often as I should and yet I still call it "home". So what does "home" really mean? Webster told me that home means "one's place of residence". Well I don't live in two of the places I have very recently called home. So I kept looking and found, "a familiar or usual setting". I have to say that much of my parents' house is no longer familiar. A number of people have lived there since I have left, I no longer can call a room "mine", and even the cupboards in the kitchen have been rearranged so I don't know where everything is. So I am still at a loss as to what my home is. Where I am living now is not usual or familiar, pretty close to the opposite actually. I am struggling with not feeling like I have a home. You know how sometimes you cut yourself and you don't even notice until you see the blood? But other times you have a tiny papercut and it stings like crazy? Well I feel like I am bleeding but nothing is coming out. Like I have one of those papercuts and it hurts. But not on my hands. Or maybe I am just bleeding but I haven't noticed it yet. Because I do believe that it is possible to "bleed" and yet you cant see anything wrong. Sometimes those are the most serious kinds of injuries.
Sucks
Sometimes life sucks. Work sucks. Money sucks. Relationships suck. Paperwork sucks. Winter sucks. Dirt roads suck. I could go on and on right now. Yeah that is the mood that I am in. That is how I am feeling. And I just noticed that I could put "or lack thereof" after the first three items on my suck list. That sucks too. Sorry for the crankiness. I will write more about what I have done the last couple of weeks when I get over this dismal mood.
Update
So I am in Cleveland still and I thought I would post an update since I havent talked to anyone lately. Oh I just finished watching 24. Pretty stressful but as always plenty entertaining. Working on the house thing still with my brother. Today my mom called and told me that am aunt and cousin who live in Oregon now got in a car accident. Apparently someone crossed the center line and hit them head on. They are both in the hospital and I guess my cousin has internal bleeding. I havent heard anything in a while though. So obviously you know what we need. I want to talk to you girls but I remembered that it is the start of spring break so I figure that I will call after spring break is over. Then I will be back in Michigan too and maybe have news of my teacher certification!? So "girls" plan on chatting in another week okay?
Cooking for the neighbors
So I cooked for the neighbors twice this week. One Monday night I made a pork loin with rice and salad. On Wednesday we had chicken with a wine and mushroom sauce with a different rice and salad. Personally, I think that it was a success. I managed both meals without using a stove or oven, just a slow cooker and the camp burner. The couple upstairs is very friendly. Brooke is pretty funny...one of those bouncy types who likes to laugh a lot. Brigham is a sarcastic funny. I have enjoyed them both. Tonight they had us up for dinner. Side note...Brooke is also a fan of American Idol. We have watched the show with them for the last two nights. She is funny about rooting for people and Brigham just talks about the people who should get kicked off. Well I havent found my brother a house yet but there is still hope. He was pre-approved for a loan and he is working out a realtor situation. I wish that I had some future plans. I am trying to think of this time until I get a job as a vacation but that is hard to do when I am not doing any that resembles a vacation. I feel like I am a retired old woman without a life. But hey I have been watching some of the show 24 this week! Season 4 of course.
Back in Cleveland
So my brother asked me to come to Cleveland to help him look for houses. He thinks that he is ready to buy. Maybe he thinks that I am "experienced" because I did it once. So I drove down here on Saturday and started collecting home magazines. As if this whole process it going to be difficult. Right up my alley I think. Anyway, last night we hung out with his neighbors upstairs, Brook and Brigham. They were a lot of fun. We played Parcheesi and then watched the new John Cusack movie, Ice Harvest. I know that some of you are John Cusack fans but let me tell you, this movie was even worse that Must Love Dogs, if that is possible. He was not funny and the move was really stupid. Just for future reference if you were thinking about renting it. So today we drove all over Cleveland and surrounding areas to look for places that Chris would consider buying a house. I think that I have seen more of this city than where I am living now. I saw some really amazing houses and then some that were mansions with gated driveways and cameras that were crazy. I also convinced my brother to buy two new suits. He can afford it. Sort of. The funny thing is that we have to cook for the neighbors twice this week. Yeah, cook. Not exactly my strong point. Plus Chris doesn't even have a stove or oven. He uses a electric camp burner and a microwave. I will have to share those stories later I guess because I think that he is expecting me to be able to do this cooking thing. I told him that the only thing that I make is egg drop soup but I am not sure he knows that I am serious.
Stolen Lives
I just finished reading an incredible book that I wanted to recommend to anyone looking for a good read. I know that the middle of a semester is not always the easiest time to pick up a new book but I really think this one is worth it. It is called Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir. Basically it tells this woman's story about growing a (nearly) Moroccan princess and then being unjustly imprisoned for 20 years. He father tried to kill the king so the king had her father killed and then sent the family to a desert prison and they just disappeared from sight. Seriously crazy to think about. They escaped in the late 80s and weren't allowed to leave the country until one sister escaped to France in 1996. The only reason that they got out of prison and were allowed to leave the country was because the international press put pressure on the king for inhumane treatment. Think about it this way, the youngest was three when he went to prison and was over twenty when he got out. Can you imagine a life like that? Plus these aren't American prisons if that is what you are thinking. Dirt floors, rats, bugs, and sand just to name a few things. I really recommend it but watch out, it made me angry and sad too on top of laughing and cheering for them.
My (drunk) uncle...
So my uncle is retired. He is living the life of doing nothing. And I think that he really enjoys working around the house and working on his son's house too. But this week he started a 6 week sub job for a reading teacher. He used to be a teacher and then a principal. Typically, Wednesday nights are the guys night out for him and his buddies. Tonight was no exception except that he came back earlier and louder. He likes his liquor like many people in my family. But he was telling a story about his day with a drink in his hand and I think that he was a little wound up. So here is the story that he told...Retold as best I can. "I thought that I had the dumbest kid on the world. I mean dumb. Everytime he comes to a word that starts with a 'w' he says "was?" (head tilt and sheepish look here) But today was the worst. I haven't seen this kid yet this week because he was at speech when I tried to meet with him on Monday. When I went to see the teacher today he was also at speech. I told her that I would come back later. I met Richard later in the day and sat him down with a book to see what he could do. He glances at the first word and looks around the room, then back at the first word and then blurts out, "I don't know that word". I say to him, "well can you sound it out or tell me what it looks like?" He looks around quickly again and says the same thing. So I look down at the word and say "uhh, Richard that word is I". One letter, the letter I. This must be the dumbest kid in the world. I cant believe it...." Okay I know that is strange and not all that funny but imagine a guy with long grey hair pulled back into a pony tail sloshing a drink around in one hand and a piece of red licorice whipping around in the other hand telling this story incredibly loud and interrupted by frequent shouts and bursts of laughter. Yeah it was strange. Come on you all know that you have relatives like that too!
