Thursday, May 26, 2011

the unknown.

I realize that all of you are under a huge amount of stress related to the Reduction In Force (RIF). The Executive Team and Human Resources are working as quickly as we can to give all of you some information regarding your position. The week of June 6 we will begin to notify departments and employees of their positions. This notification process will continue until the beginning of September for some of you, depending on the need of your services. We do not take this process lightly and are reviewing positions to ensure we have made the right decision for the District. I will continue to update you as we move forward.
What you just read is an email from the school district sent to all employees. What does this mean to me? Well, I was only recently hired in September 2009, so I have less than 2 years in the district. A ridiculous amount of debt has made it necessary for the district to cut back. Right now the tentative plan is to cut kindergarten from full day to half day, cut bus service, cut "unnecessary" positions, and lay off some employees. And when it comes to layoffs, they're going to start at the bottom. Which means my job is in danger.
  
According to this email, I might find out as early as the beginning of June. Or I might be frantically checking my mail every freaking day from June 6th until September, praying to the patron saint of employment that I don't receive any bad news from the district.
 
This means I won't be going on vacation this summer. It means I'll have to put a hold on my plans to start looking for my first house. It means I've been working on revising my resume and portfolio, and I'm back to checking other school districts for openings, just in case.
 
I hate it... the uncertainty and the fact that no one is able to give me a straight answer about anything. I'm new to the politics of the school district, and I'm not even sure I understand how all this works. But what I do know is that it all just plain sucks.
     
Of course, I could be jumping the gun. Maybe there will be some sort of miracle at the last minute and money will come through. I could be worrying for nothing. But either way, I need to have a back up plan. Just in case.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday.

Most people dread Mondays. It's that whole "back to work" thing that gives Monday a bad name. But this week, I was looking forward to getting back to a normal routine. 
  
I foolishly (?) started my weekend on Thursday night - karaoke at the bar with a very fun group of people. I drank too much and stayed out too late, resulting in a groggy, hungover Friday morning. Then I went out and did it again on Saturday night. My poor body can't handle this kind of schedule anymore. I was cranky, sore, and tired from not sleeping well. I had no appetite Sunday morning... and when I finally ate, it was bowling alley pizza and a glass of soda (which I almost never drink). Then last night I decided that I was going to be healthy. I had a green salad with grilled chicken for dinner, followed by a homemade fruit salad for dessert (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi). I packed today's breakfast (oatmeal with dried fruit, a banana) and lunch (green salad with grilled chicken, 60 calorie pudding, raspberries). And by the afternoon, my stomach was upset. Perhaps the sudden change in diet had an effect on me. 
  
Or maybe it's stress. I've got a lot of my mind right now. I don't know if I'll have a job next year. There are budget cuts and layoffs happening in the district... and unfortunately, my job might be at risk. The school where I used to teach (for 8 years) is closing its doors in a few weeks, and this weekend is the closing Mass. A few days ago, someone asked me when my summer break was. I said, "June 17th, but then I'm attending a week-long workshop and then I'm teaching summer school for 5 weeks." He responded, "Wow. You don't get a break." And it made me think I really do want a break. But I need the money, especially if something happens with the job. Plus, I'd be bored if I had off all summer. 
    
Oh, and for the past few days, I've been ridiculously paranoid that some people are avoiding me. 
  
Blah. 
  
Okay. Now that I've gotten all that out of my system, I feel a little lighter. And there are plenty of positives here. Despite the excessive drinking, I had a fantastic weekend. I laughed a lot, I hung out with some great people, I saw my family and my dog. I did some cleaning and shopping. I gave myself a pedicure, grilled a delicious dinner, watched some of my favorite movies. It definitely wasn't a wasted weekend. No regrets. 
  
This afternoon I gave all of this a lot of thought during my 3 mile walk, and I came to a conclusion: all I need is a little balance. How very Libra of me :)

Monday, May 9, 2011

When I was 33, I drank some very good beer...

I had an idea awhile ago (maybe a year or so?) that I wanted to learn more about beer. People always talk about wine classes and wine tastings. I like wine, but I'm not that interested in learning about it. Beer, on the other hand... now that's another story. 
   
When I first started drinking, I was partial to the sweet stuff (screwdrivers, daiquiris, things like that) and I had zero taste for beer. But when I turned 21 and saw how expensive it was to buy a mixed drink in a bar, beer looked like a fantastic option. The only problem was that I hated beer. My first sip of beer was Coors Light from a can. I barely managed to swallow it and I wanted to puke. (Come to think of it, that's pretty much the same reaction I have to Coors Light now.) A friend finally introduced me to Yuengling Lager, which I liked. Sort of. Well, it was good enough to get me buzzed, and at the time, that was good enough for me.
   
Over the years, I developed a taste for different kinds of beers. Yuengling Lager is still one of my favorites, but I love going into a bar and scanning the list for a beer I haven't tried. Or a seasonal beer. Or the beer with the most unusual name. But I'd really like to fine tune my knowledge of beer. I want to know the difference between a lager and an ale. I want to know what makes a really good beer.
   


   
My plan is... well, I don't have it down to an exact science yet. What I'd like to do is start with one type of beer - for example, lager - and then sample different types of lager to see what the difference is. Additionally, I'd like to read up on that particular style of beer so I know what to notice when I drink it (color, taste, aroma, etc). A website called Beer Advocate might be helpful here. There's a page on their site called Beer 101, which gives tips and info about beer. This site also lists beers that have been reviewed and rated by people all over the world. I'm also lucky enough to live near a beer outlet that allows you to create your own mixed six-pack. So if I decide to focus on one type, I can sample six different brews. And, of course, I can always ask the Facebook community for suggestions. There are plenty of beer drinkers out there who would probably be more than willing to recommend beer.
   
As you can see, I haven't really figured it all out yet. It's just an idea I'm toying with... sort of an independent beer study for my own edification. I'll keep you posted :)