First Full Week - Done!

So we had our first full week of school. And I fell asleep cuddling with my kitties around 6:30 p.m. on Friday night and I stayed down for the rest of the night. I guess I was tired!

So the big thing on my mind: I want to get a dog. I know two cats is plenty of pets. And I'm sure many people know me as a cat lady (shudder & cringe) but actually, I grew up with dogs. I volunteered with a pit bull rescue group for several years in the Bay Area. I don't actually get cats....I'm really good with dogs. But I went walking with another teacher and her dog and a bunch of kids came out and walked with us. I really enjoyed that. I don't have anyone to walk with and when it's up to me, I'd rather not go. I think a dog would get me out more. I also live alone. Thankfully, I share the duplex with a male who has a dog and weapons. I'm not afraid for my safety, but I might be next year.

This would also be a great time to get a puppy. I would have to get a puppy so he/she can grow up with my cats. But my little complex area has a lot of dogs. More so than last year. This would be a great way to socialize my puppy. And I always planned on settling down, getting married, having a family, and then getting dog. I have to ask myself....what am I waiting for? I can afford a dog. I can train a dog. I have a good life going. If not now, when? True, vet care would be difficult but not impossible. I would just have to make an effort.

So what kind of dog do I want? Not a dog from Akiak. I want a dog who's already had his shots, and I want to know who the parents are. My good friends the Millers have lost both dogs they adopted from the village (one of them being the first puppy I rescued). One dog was too aggressive and was attacking children and the other just got sick and died the next day. I don't want that. I want to stack the deck in my favor as much as possible. So, there it is. More to follow I hope.

I wrote earlier about my Aerogarden and book clubs. Both are going well. I am actually growing plants (see the picture)....although, they aren't looking as healthy as I hoped. I caught Lola, my naughty kitty, smacking them down with her paw, so I think I know why they look kinda funny.....

I've been reading a lot. I am reading two books at a time. One for my book club and the other for me. I am seriously in love with the site Goodreads. It's fantastic. If you are a reader, seriously check it out. I like that I am reading books that I would not have thought to read. My book club tends to go for the Young Adult books out there, but we are from all over the world and I think they are getting away from that.

This week I went to two different community feeds. A community feed is just what it sounds. One family makes food for the whole village. Families do this to celebrate birthdays and when someone passes. I went to two birthday ones. My teacher friends had a community feed at their house just yesterday. Check out her blog at the right of my page. She goes into detail about how much food she had to cook. It's a lot of food. I tried caribou for the first time and tried 4 different kinds of agut'aq (eskimo ice cream).....agut'aq is made with berries, crisco, sugar, and sometimes mashed potatoes & white fish....I found it was the berries that I didn't care for....straight from the bush and very tart! I tried: high bush cranberries, blueberries, cabbage, and white fish agut'aq. The cabbage one tasted a bit like cole slaw. There were soups there too, but after I left the first one I found out it was beaver soup. I wish I had tried some beaver. The caribou meat was yummy. I went a whole year without trying new foods and there I go trying new stuff in one week.

School is going well. My two reading groups are going well. I find I do miss teaching math. Math was when I got to be a bit more silly in my teaching methods. But I am taking time to read aloud to my students (both groups) and I have fun acting out the books. I had taken classes in Benicia about using these icons to promote a higher level thinking (blooms taxonomy) for reading and I have been using them here in Akiak. And wouldn't you know it, just talking about Goldilocks & the 3 Bears brought on some great discussions!

So that's it for me. Life isn't too exciting right now, which means I'm due for a shake up pretty soon. I am really looking forward to winter coming. I bought a new parka since the zipper on my old one broke. My new one is purple. Yay! I'm tempted to buy some new boots too. I don't need them, but they are fabulous looking. I still love my gray ones from Sorel, but there's another pair.....so tempting!!

And They're Off!

So school started this past week. I have 11 students, 2 boys & 9 girls. I can already tell that I'm going to have a great year with my little guys. I am also the reading teacher for 3rd grade, so I get to keep working with my sweethearts from last year too. It feels like I'm playing hooky by not teaching math. It's a very weird feeling....like I'm forgetting something.

By the way: my aerogarden is totally sprouting! I CAN grow something besides mold! Yay me! I'm growing baby greens, salad greens, and romaine lettuce. I've noticed that my house is smelling fresher too. But the setup is pretty easy. I never did get that $50 refunded, but I have a plan to order the replacement bulbs....I'm going to send them to my mother's and pick them up when I'm there for winter break. So haha aerogarden people!

So I had a little trouble this week. And rather than go into the specifics, I'm just going to say this: In teacher books, they warn you to stay out of the staff room. This is because the staff room is a known place where teachers complain. And no offense, but we are a complainy bunch when we get together sometimes. I have no problem venting, but when it comes to problems, I think of Ed Harris in Apollo 13, "Let's work the problem, people."

And over the years, I've realized that not everyone wants to fix the problem. They are more content to complain about it. And that's true with other problems not involving teaching. I wonder if it's because in order to fix a problem, you have to actually work on fixing it. It's easier to just complain and sometimes even to just give up.

In my little Lara World, problems do exist, but they have to be fixed. I will read whatever book I need to....I will ask whoever I need to....I will try whatever I have to.....I make lists, I talk it out....but I need to be working on it. I had one job at a video rental place where I tried everything I could think of to make Sunday mornings run smoother. I got in trouble every Sunday. Too many movies weren't put back....so the next Sunday, I'd focus on putting the movies away. The lines were too long......so the next Sunday, I'd focus on customers....and then, of course, the movies would back up. I finally realized after I quit that I should have said, "I can't do this with just two people. Give me more help!!!" But I tried everything I could do to make it work. I'm like that with my classroom.

Sometimes, we get so involved in the "what's not working" that we don't stop to appreciate what is working. My class is a sweet class. They ALL want to try. They will have their moments, sure, but I'll be ready. They asked me, "Will you love us more than Miss Q***** did?" (My roommate last year.) My response? "Are you kidding? I'll love you even more!"

The bumps on the road are just bumps....let's not focus on those and look up past the road.....cause it's an amazing view!

3....2....1: Happy New School Year!!!

Thursday is the first day of school. My school year has officially begun. It started last week in Anchorage at my inservice. The inservice went well. I think people are starting to get to know me....which is nice.

I wasn't in a really mood to shop, but that was fine. Since I had been living in the village, I didn't need very much. So that was non-eventful.

There was one awkward moment...I ran into my ex-boyfriend. Or rather I would have if I hadn't turned around and ran down the hall. Yeah, I am so smooth......ah well.

Last year, on my way home I got stuck in Bethel the first night. So I arrive in Bethel and find that once again, the planes aren't flying. But this year, I have a friend with a boat. So I was not stuck in Bethel. Ha ha! This past weekend, all the teachers have been coming to Akiak. I have spent the majority of the last three months being the only teacher in my little circle of teacher houses. Now I have to get used to the sounds of my neighbors.

I went for a little walk today showing one of the new teachers around. Akiak is pretty much a circle with roads that run parallel through the circle. It's easy once you get the hang of it. It's odd that I'm the more experienced teacher here....it's nice to be helpful and to be respected like that.

During the inservice, I had to facilitate a group. I just followed the guidelines but I was surprised by the praise I got later. As hard as it is to live out here sometimes, this experience continues to bring out the best in me. But I still want to do more.....I've made friends with some women and sometimes I hear about their pain. I feel helpless....I would so like to help the women here realize just how strong and amazing they truly are. Sometimes I feel like all I can do is just be positive.

I feel that way with my students too. The obstacles they face in life are more than I ever had. And they keep going, they keep living, they keep loving, and they even keep laughing. There is a strength that flows through the village that would totally push away the dark things if people realized just how strong they are.

Rural Alaska makes you tough. I'm tougher than I was.....but I don't think I'm harder. It's a harsh world but there's still a gentleness. Life is more difficult here but the bonds of friendship are deep and you really aren't alone. People really do try to take care of you and they go out of their way to be helpful. There's so much beauty here....you just have to be open to it.

Yes, I love being out here. Life makes sense to me. Seeing my ex brought up all the pain again....but it really helps to be somewhere where I feel needed, valued, and liked. As much as Akiak needs someone like me right now, I need Akiak too.

Comin' Round the Bend.....

Hello, hello, hello!

I decided a new year needs a new look! And even though I posted yesterday, I decided to write about a couple new things I have coming up:

1) I joined an on-line bookclub. I have always wanted to join a bookclub and decided it was time! Plus, I like hearing about different books that I wouldn't normally read. I have been reading a lot of vampire books and am kind of ready to move away from that. It seems the books with the most buzz around them are books for Young Adults. Hopefully, this bookclub will vary in their book choices. I have my kindle and can download books out here in the bush via my computer, so I'm ready to read Wolfsangel....I really recommend the book site...it's called goodreads.com & you can add all the books you've read & read what people have to say about them.

2) I am going to try to grow some salad seeds. I just ordered an aerogarden, which is supposed to be easy to grow things in. I sure would like to have fresh lettuce & you can grow romaine leaves & those are my favorite for salads. They have all these kits, you can grow tomatoes, flowers, herbs, & veggies. It's a container (mine will be about the size of a coffeemaker) that has a light attached and the base has the spots for the seeds (see picture - mine is would be the small one except it's white). Once mine comes in, I will be sure to post pictures of what it looks like and if anything actually grows. I do not have a green thumb. I once bought a herb kit you had to just water & cover...I followed the directions but the only thing I grew was mold.

The one thing that was not cool is that despite the site offering free shipping, I was charged a "non-domestic" P.O. Box delivery. So I wrote the company & asked for a refund stating two reasons 1) the free shipping offer and 2) domestic means "not foreign" and Alaska is part of the Unite States. And since it was almost a $50 shipping fee. I hope they refund me the money. I'll let you know what happens.

So that's it! We'll see how this all turns out! I officially start my school year on Tuesday in Anchorage. Next week is when school actually starts. Fingers crossed!

Went Ha, Ha, Ha....All the Way to Bethel

As I begin my Year 2 in Alaska, I was wondering, would there still be adventures? Would there be anything new to post on my blog? Would life still be exciting enough to warrant writing about it? Hmmmmm...

I knew I wouldn't get many responses from my last post. I think posts of a personal nature make people uncomfortable. My reason for writing about it, was that it was an experience that I would grow from. Not a fun or exciting adventure, but an adventure for me nonetheless. At the end of my journey, I wanted to have a fair representation of all that shaped me, including some things that would make people uncomfortable....and trust me, if you were uncomfortable reading it, it was no walk in the park living it!

So I finally got internet installed in my house....which is how I am able to write this in my living room instead of having to walk to the school. Yay for me!

I was suposed to be working in my classroom, but one day they were putting up SmartBoards and all the boxes kinda defeated the purpose of cleaning up. And then I decided to soak up as much laziness as I could in my last remaining days of my vacation! And then I was asked if I would like to go to Bethel on a boat with Captain J to pick up my friend MM. There would be time for a little shopping and then we'd come back. I thought "Sure!"

We were going to leave at 6 p.m. yesterday, but it was so windy Captain J moved the time to 5:30. No worries. I walked down to the river and stopped.....

Boy, did that river seem angry....

The water was very choppy and there were actual swells. I guess a couple of teachers loading the boat were concerned about my ice road trip where I got so sick, and wondering if I could make it during this one. (If you aren't familiar with my ice road adventure, please click here.) I knew I would be fine....because I was going to be on a boat, not inclosed in a vehicle. True, the boat was a covered boat, but I wasn't worried.

And I was wondering if I would still have adventures! Oh my!

I swear we hit wave after wave! We would ride up on the top of the swell, stay there for a couple more then come slamming back down! And the water would hit the metal boat with a ginormous SMACK sound. And there were many times we would hit HARD. Captain J would have to slow down to 1.8 miles an hour, she tried taking the waves sideways....waves of water would splash onto the front of the boat (we were inclosed) and the boat would smack down....we were rolling with the waves....but man, it was rough! We were going against the wind almost the whole time.

And for some reason, I found this whole ride hilarious! Not only was I having the time of my life, I thought it was so funny. I laughed the whole way. I wasn't scared....I mean I braced myself for many hits and I held on to dear life, but I didn't feel like I was in any danger. It was just funny to me.

We made it to Bethel and I had just enough time to shop for some groceries before MM met us at the boat. We warned her about the conditions on the river. We knew it wouldn't be anything like the ride to Bethel because going back we'd be going with the wind. But MM was prepared for the ride.

It was like boating on a different river. For most of the trip, the river was calm & oh so peaceful. There were a couple of bumps and MM was groaning on a couple of them, but I was telling her, "What? This is nothing!" I felt so hardcore. The way back was like sailing for babies.....I experienced the hard stuff.

But then we hit one patch of choppy water. And I started laughing again. Then everyone else was laughing (probably laughing at me but whatever) and we were having a good old time.

Once we got back to Akiak, MM invited me over to her house for dinner and since she had brought back pizza, you know I was there! We watched a movie and MM & I played with a baby she was babysitting.

I woke up today and I am sore! My back, shoulders, & neck are sore from the bouncing in the boat....and my sides are sore too...but I think that's from all the laughing....

In answer to my earlier questions, oh yes, there will be plenty more adventures to come. Life up here is far from boring!!

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!

I realized last night that my life would make a terrific Reese Witherspoon movie trailer:

Picture this:

*Reese moves away to a remote area of Alaska
*Reese starts teaching and loves it

and if that's not a movie all to itself, there's more!

*Reese meets a man and things get very romantic
*Reese finds out he's a lying, cheating dog and breaks up with him
*Reese picks herself up moves on

The next part of the movie isn't written yet, as I'm still working on that one. But I can definitely see that last part with some peppy "go get 'em" soundtrack playing.

Except, I don't see Reese being a good choice to play me....maybe Sandra Bullock. I do think Reese could pull me off though.

I also realized that when I try to deal with questions about my life or have something I'm trying to work out in my brain, I always turn to books. When I first got a cat, I bought a book & subscribed to Cat Fancy. Then when I felt I finally understood cats (or realized I never would) I gave that magazine up. When I survived the Great Breakup years ago (my personal BIG ONE), I bought a book about heartbreak. And it helped.

I have countless teaching books, a few books about diet & exercise, and several historical books.....you get the idea.

So when faced with my current issue of "how the heck did I not see this coming????", I started reading a new book. It's called "When Good People Have Affairs: Inside the Hearts and Minds of People Who Have Two Relationships". It's helped me for two reasons.....1) My ex's type of cheating isn't listed in here, thereby affirming my suspicions that he is not a good person and 2) it's helped me see that I really did see the signs and ignored them.

Granted, that's not what the book's about. The book was written for the reader to be having an affair. There's a few points that I don't agree with (by the way: for some fabulous reading check out the reviews for this book on amazon....some of the best reviews I have EVER read!!) but it has helped me accept my own responsibilities. I know, it's shocking that I'm not perfect, but there you have it. It lists elements that are essential in a relationship and safety (trust) is one of them. And I ignored my gut. I knew something was off, but I made excuses. I really should have ended things a long time ago. And truthfully, I never really trusted him.

Ahhhh....but what did I just do? Shoulda......shoulda, woulda, coulda.....

And now, it's live & learn time. It's time to let it go & move on. I'll never forget, because it was a valuable lesson for me, but I don't need to dwell on it. Also, it was a humbling lesson that I can be wrong if I don't trust myself. It's kind of a weird sensation to be half right and half wrong at the same time. A part of me knew he wasn't right for me....and even with a couple of little things. He didn't care for Star Wars. That right there is a big thing for me. I'm a total sci-fi geek and I'll need a boyfriend who will enjoy Star Wars every now & then. But it's not just Star Wars.....there's Star Trek, too. And Terminator.....one of my favorite most romantic scenes comes from Terminator (C'mon "I came back for you Sarah Connor." that's soo romantic!!).

But I digress.....oh but that was a fun little ride!

Anyways, it's also funny given my need for reading books that when I did come out here, I hardly read anything at all. I didn't read any blogs or books. I did read a lot on the ATP (Alaska's Teacher Placement) website. But I kinda have enjoyed not doing a whole lot of reading about living here. I've just been living here. Sometimes I think it's a good thing to put the book down & go out & LIVE life. At least I know when I get stuck with something or need to think things out, there will always be a book written about it!