Another reason I haven't been writing as much is because I have started discovering (for the first time, a little late...I know) the world of blogging. Most of the people writing the blogs I have been reading have interesting stories to share, are super funny, or extremely clever. I know I am just writing to keep family and friends updated a bit, but still. When you're reading some of the best it kind of makes everything you write seem a bit dull. I never realized just how many different types of people keep public blogs. Even just through blogspot.com alone I could (and I have, oh boy) waste a good part of my day sorting through the pages and pages of random stories. I will have to list a few of my favorites I have stumbled upon once I get them written down. As for right now, one of these that comes to mind is yourfaceblog.blogspot.com. The creator Damien Weighill, is a really fun artist. You send him your picture and he draws it and posts it on his blog.
HEY, REMEMBER THESE?!
area of a triangle = 1/2 bh
volume of a cylinder= pi times r squared times h
1 gallon = 8 pints
y= mx+b
c squared = a squared + b squared
.......
So, Saturday morning I took a state required test for grad school. Wait a minute. I guess I just assume most of you already know the main things about me, but I forget that I am pretty much the worst at keeping in contact with old friends. Actually I am pretty bad at keeping old friends, really. Something that really has been weighing on my mind pretty heavy lately. Anyway, for those of you that don't know...I have been applying to various graduate schools here in Chicago, hoping to get into a master's program for Elementary education. If I am accepted, I will be in school for two years and leave with a Masters of Arts in Education degree and a certificate to teach grades K-9. In order for these schools to even look at my applications, I have to pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test.
Basic skills. I know. So why was I freaking out weeks ahead of time? It has honestly been so long since I have had to revisit high school math rules and numbers were never my strongest skill to begin with. Plus, every time I have to take a test my heart races so fast I feel like I will probably pass out. SO, I thought that if I studied myself silly I would at least be heading into the whole thing with confidence, which counts for a lot in most cases. I didn't sleep very well the night before and had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get there on time. I tiredly stumbled down the stairs with my Whidbey Island coffee (thanks dad!) and a mess of papers that I felt like I had put together in my sleep (half of which I ended up not even needing). I was picked up pretty quickly by a really friendly taxi driver who later told me that he couldn't take me to where I needed to go, but that he could find me a taxi and then I wouldn't have to wait in the cold. He didn't charge me a penny and drove me around until we saw an empty car coming down the road (we were the only people driving so early). He wished me luck and I told him that I didn't know how to thank him enough. And seriously, what a nice person. When things like that happen to me it always makes me realize just how I need to be more understanding and giving I need to be.
Once I was at the test site, I felt so much better. The cups of coffee I had sucked down were just starting to kick in and I could see the end of the tunnel. Also, there was something calming about being surrounded by 200 other people that were all there to try and become teachers someday. Everyone was really friendly and funny and I soon felt a little more at ease. It did take me a while to get into test taking mode (it didn't help that the first reading assignment was on stress management). For the first hour of the test (the whole thing was FIVE HOURS LONG, with NO BREAKS!) I felt like I was never going to be able to concentrate on the material in front of me. My mind was focusing on everything but the test! I had figured weird things would happen mentally during the test, but I have never experienced anything like that before. It was like the more I tried to focus on the test, the further away from it my mind ran.
Once I had completed the test, my body felt relaxed and I think I even smiled finally. It felt so good to be finished with the whole thing. I remember hazily walking down the hallway after finishing, watching the next batch of people waiting to take the test. I was considering shooting them glances that read, "Oh, that test was much worse than I had pictured" but then figured it would have been pretty mean of me. I was so tired after the test that I even forgot to grab my cell phone from the check in desk. I had to walk the huge hallway back again, right past all of the people I had passed already. Probably good that I didn't ham it up on my walk out. As soon as I got back into my neighborhood I bought and took some Theraflu for my cold and fell asleep faster than I had for a month or two. So now, all I can do is sit and wait for two to three weeks. I think I did just fine and I'm not too worried. We'll see.
After my long nap on Saturday, I went out with Jenny and her friend Betsy. I had a really fun time, and it was nice to be out without feeling like I had a whole bunch of stuff that I needed to get done. It was also awesome to be able to share things that had been on my mind for a while with a friend. Jenny really has this amazing way of making everything seem like it's not such a big deal. Saturday night I realized that I am getting better at being friends with girls. I am a pretty shy and nervous person usually, but have been finding that since we have moved to Chicago I have been (slowly) getting better at not being incredibly awkward.
I am posting the picture below to prove two things:
1.) Getting married does not automatically make you a responsible adult.
AND
2.) Dishwashers are nice.
In one standing, I must have washed 7 plates, four glasses, two mugs, pots, pans, bowls, and silverware. Seriously disgusting. I realize that this picture also makes us look like fat pigs who eat all the time. How can two people create so many dirty dishes?! We honestly don't eat that much and the answer to how we create so much crap: laziness.
We're working on the problem and hopefully we will have it all fixed by the time we have kids. Oh wait, maybe that is why we will have kids. Chores teach responsibility and someone has to do all those dishes...right?!
Here are my latest projects, though I have to admit...with everything going on I kind of sent crafting on a vacation. A red pillow with felt birds, and a miniature quilt for Zoe's little doll Hannah. Carly, the red pillow is for you. I just need to get the time to mail it!
Do you all remember my "Books to Read in 2009" list a few posts back? It is such an Allie move to start reading a book that wasn't even on my goal list. The book that snuck into my list and bumped its way up to the top was one recently given to me by the family I work with. It's called "13 Reasons Why" and is written by Jay Asher. It is about a highschool girl who commits suicide and then has someone passing around cassette tapes that she recorded before she took the pills. She addresses the tapes to 13 different people, telling each of them that they had something to do with her death. The more you read, the more you discover exactly why she killed herself. Pretty morbid sounding huh? The lady I work for said, "It's an easy read, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. I finished it off in just a few days!" First of all, I'm curious about what types of books she is interested in and second, how can I pass up an easy and exciting read? I'll read this one now and get to the rest later. Wow Allie...how predictable.
Sorry if this post seems to be all over the place, hopefully by the next time I write (soon! soon!), I will be feeling much better. Before I get some sleep, I need to share with all of you my friend Amy's blog from China. Amy is dear to my heart and a friend that honestly changed my life. She is an amazing, beautiful person and she writes more eloquently than anyone I have ever met. I love reading about her adventures in China (she teaches English) because she has such a unique way of looking at the world and handling new challenges. If you have the time, please check out her blog at:
http://www.thisismynoise.blogspot.com/
I promise you won't be disappointed.
MOM: I am no longer scared of this video! Yay!
