Twas the Night Before .... My Flight Home

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Saskatoon and I really should be relaxing.  What am I doing you may ask if I'm not relaxing?  I'm cleaning up after my cute little adorable kitty cat.  I had no idea such a little creature could get in so much trouble in one room.  Since we've checked in Chloe has destroyed one roll of toilet paper, hidden all of the coffee stir sticks around the room, spilled my Big Gulp and chewed one of my room keys.  I am about to leave to meet friends for dinner and honestly I am afraid of what I will return to.  Hopefully, she will not destroy the room. 

Despite Chloe's antics, my mood has not been dampened.  I'm going home tomorrow and the excitement is building.  I only hope I'll be able to sleep. 

Pictures

La Loche Christmas Parade

Christmas Tree Created by my Grade 12 Students

More Pictures of Chloe

Chloe relaxing on the couch.

Chloe annoyed by the camera.

Can you see me now?

My House Is Just A House

My grade 12 students are writing essays and believe it or not this is their first real exposure to essay writing.  To help them out I've been trying to find examples of good essay writing.  This is no easy task.  I decided to go through my own essay's to find some examples for them.  As I was reading through my stack of essays I came across a reflection that I had written for an English class.  I don't know why but I feel compelled to share it.  Perhaps, it is because I am missing home, but nonetheless, here it is.

The Power of the Photograph:  Imprinting Reality

     My photograph is of my house.  I have lived in this house for twenty-three years.  I have laughed in this house.  I have cried.  I have screamed out in anger and suffered various degrees of exasperation.  I have survived the many stages of youth and I have fumbled my way through to adulthood.  This house has been my sanctuary through it all.

     This house has undoubtedly contributed to my experience of and my recollection of emotion.  I have left and returned to this house numerous times.  Each time I come back, I walk through its rooms and I can feel the emotions connected with my memories.  Sitting in a familiar chair or glancing at a specific object in a certain way at the perfect time can conjure up emotions that were thought to be long forgotten.

     I have heard of instances where people have experienced extreme emotion and this emotion becomes imprinted on the specific surroundings.  With this in mind, my house becomes a semi-accurate representation of my identity as my feelings become imprinted on the walls around me.  If the walls could talk they would tell you about my adolescence;  puberty and hormones and the fear and excitement of leaving home for the first time.

     The reality is; however, the walls cannot talk.  The memories and emotions lie within me.  The photograph, my house, merely triggers the long forgotten moments and the feelings associated with my childhood.  Does the photograph constitute a simulated identity?  A photograph cannot constitute my identity, it can only characterize what I want it to represent.  My house is just a house.

My house may be just a house but that doesn't change how much I miss it and the people, memories, and emotions in it. I'll be home in one week and the one thing I'm looking forward to the most is .... walking into my house and rejoicing in the comfort of memories and love. 

It's 10:00 pm .... 10:06 pm to be exact ... and I've finally sat down to reflect on my day.  As I sit, I realize that I haven't had such a productive day in weeks (maybe months, actually).  Let me give you a run down ....

It's Saturday so the natural thing to do is to sleep in.  I began my day at 10:30 am.  I rolled out of bed, tripped over Chloe, and began my morning routine.  After cleaning and beautifying myself I then took care of the kitty, making sure she had plenty of food and water.  By 11:30 am I was ready to head to the school.

It's amazing how time flies when you are having fun or, in my case, working hard.  I spent 6 1/2 hours at the school working on a module unit for my grade 12 students.  I thought that completing a module unit on Shakespeare's Othello would be easy .... I was completely wrong.  Unfortunately, there is not much (useful) information out there in cyberspace so much of the module information came from my own brain.  I was frustrated most of the day while I was working on it but by the time I finished it and re-read it ... I was very proud of the module package.  I hope my students will love the play as much as I do and enjoy working through the unit. 

So, now it's 6:00 pm and I'm finally leaving the school.  I stopped at Reg's (a convenience/grocery store) for some much needed supplies and then headed for home.  One might think that once I walked through the doors of my house I would sit down and enjoy some relaxation time but no, not me.  I immediately began working in the kitchen.  From 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm I cooked and baked. What, you might ask, was I making that would take 3 hours?  Let me tell you.  :)  Lasagna, Caesar salad dressing, and bacon for tomorrow's dinner with the neighbours (I also washed the lettuce).  I also decided to make some home baked treats ... rice krispie squares and peanut butter cups.  And of course the clean-up takes some time. A productive evening was had, to say the least.

As I sit and reflect on my day I am impressed with all that I accomplished.  Despite all that I completed today, I still have a super long "To Do List"  for tomorrow.  At least when I lay my head down to sleep tonight I'll know that my exhaustion was well earned today. 

12/19/2009

December 19, 2009.  This is the date that I cannot get out of my mind.  I wake up thinking about this date.  Throughout the day I count down the days, hours, and minutes to this day.  I go to bed and dream about this day.  Why?  I'm going home.

I never thought that going home would be so important.  I've been away from home many times and each time I returned it was always sweet but never has it held such importance and necessity.  I can't even begin to describe how this trip home will refresh my spirit, my sanity, and my faith.

I look forward to being with family, not necessarily doing anything but enjoying each others company.  I look forward to seeing friends who will no doubt remind me that life is not only about work and that I need to worry less and laugh more.  I look forward to singing and praying with my church family.  Although I experience the effects of the many positive thoughts and prayers daily, it doesn't compare to the hugs, laughter, and sometimes tears we experience together.  I look forward to being home.

I just can't get the date out of my mind.  It's December 19, 2009. 

See you soon!

Which is the Best Dog Name?

A trip to Meadow Lake today spurred a little debate between my traveling companion and myself. 

At the request of another teacher we escorted a stray La Loche puppy to the humane society in Meadow Lake. The puppy is female, a mixed breed, and a beautiful golden brown colour. 

This is the debate:  Which is the best name for this dog?

A) Bacon
B) Chaucer   

November 7, 2009

Today is a very special day.  It is the day when two of my closest friends make a lifelong commitment to each other.  It is now 6:00pm.  Half an hour ago the ceremony began.  At this time, I'm sure they have already said their vows, perhaps shed a few tears, and walked hand and hand passed their wedding guests as husband and wife.  I can imagine it.  Kelly is absolutely stunning in her wedding dress.  All eyes are on her, just as it should be.  Ken looks dashingly handsome.  The ceremony is simple yet beautiful.  Today is a day to be celebrated and remembered.

Ken and Kelly,

Although I was not able to make it home to celebrate with you today, you have been continually in my thoughts. I wish you a day full of wonderful memories shared with family and friends.  Enjoy your special day! 

I love you both!

The Kindness of Strangers

So I took my first personal day at work.  My wonderfully brave kitty had to visit the vet to get herself fixed and micro-chipped.  The closest vet is 3.5 hours away and this means a day off work.  So Friday morning, bright and early (6am), Chloe and I hop into the "beast" to begin our trek to Meadow Lake.  Luckily we both have some company to help us watch for deer and other crazy wildlife that might risk their lives and jump in front of the "beast".  My neighbour had to take her puppy, Brutus, to get snipped.  Brutus cozies up next to Chloe, well, her carrying case and Kim ..... well, there is no coziness between us, but she did keep me awake and alert for the drive.  Anyway, the drive is going smoothly until we stop for gas in Beauval .... unfortunately bad things happen to me in Beauval.  Not even five minutes after we filled up, the "beast" starts to shake and vibrate; the check engine light comes on and my heart rate speeds up.  Of course all this happens in a no cellphone signal zone and all we can do is talk sweet talk to the "beast" and beg her to get us to our destination safely.  Well, she did and after dropping our pets off for their scheduled surgeries we find the Ford center and gear ourselves up for some more begging.  You see, Meadow Lake is a very busy metropolis (not) so there was the very real possibility that the "beast" would not get attended to.  I must say, the men at the Ford center were extremely nice and courteous as they agreed to take a look at her, although, their schedule was very tight.  It didn't look good until we said, "we are from La Loche."  These five words prove to be magical .... as soon as people hear this, they seem to take pitty on us poor souls and they feel the need to offer kind words and help in any way they can.  Needless to say, the "beast" was looked at and fixed and we were able to leave almost on schedule.

Now, that is not the end of the story.  During our visit in Meadow Lake we did some necessary shopping.  One of our stops was the bargain store.  We stopped here while the "beast" was being fixed and since my purchases were big and a pain to carry around, I asked the lady working if she would hold them for me while I waited for my car.  She was not very keen on the idea and gave me evil eyes.  I said, "I'm from La Loche ...." and guess what .... her attitude changed.  All of a sudden she was willing to do whatever I asked and her evil eyes became sympathetic eyes.

Then we went to the liqueur store.  This is a chance to stock up on sweet tasting beverages that will help keep me warm in the winter months so I bought more then I normally would.  The lady checking me out gave me a stare indicating that I was a lush (she's not entirely wrong ... joking of course) so I felt the need to inform her that I'm not a boozer.  I said, "I don't really drink this much .... I'm from La Loche and ...."  Well, she no longer looked at me as though she were judging me but instead with deep understanding. 

One more stop ... the hardware store.  Kim decided to buy a game, Battle of the Sexes (we all know who always wins those battles *wink*wink*), and while checking out the lady asked us where we were from (I guess it was obvious that we weren't from Meadow Lake) and upon telling her that:  "we are from La Loche" she replied, taking a quick breath in as she spoke, "how do you like it up there?"  Diplomatically we responded telling her that it isn't that bad (and this is the truth) and she followed up with a horrible story about a friend of hers who was badly hurt while living here.  My point of sharing this with you is: not only do people feel the need to empathize/sympathize with us or help us out but they feel obligated to share any story that they may have regarding experiences in La Loche.  I suppose these stories are meant to help me out with my own experience.  They are generally warnings or .... well .... just warnings of being careful .... I guess I seem like a person who is not careful or takes too many risks.

Anyway .... to all those nice people who offered their sympathy and kind words .... and to all those nice people who shared their stories of warning .... thank you.  I appreciate your kindness ... because .... it gives me something to write about. 

Cheers!

Convention

I just returned home from spending a week in Prince Albert for a mandatory convention .  Did I enjoy spending a week away from La Loche?  Oh yes!  It is nice to be surrounded with all the unnecessary enjoyments of life:  an assortment of restaurants, shopping malls, grocery stores, bars, and a movie theater.  I spent way too much money (on necessities I assure you) and enjoyed a movie (Zombieland) and did some necessary relaxing and socializing.  This week; however, was all about convention and professional development.  Did I find this week beneficial to MY professional development?  I struggle with whether or not to speak honestly or politically.  I should say that it was a week full of interesting and important information that will absolutely help me develop as a teacher.  The truth; however, is that it was a huge disappointment.  The keynote speaker on the first day was not relevant to teaching in any way.  He spoke crudely and unprofessionally and I can assure you that his speech was meant more for a seedy nightclub rather than a professional teacher convention.  I am still confused about his purpose and what I was supposed to learn from him.  Day two was spent networking with "colleagues" (I use this term loosely) who made me feel insignificant.  Day three was when the fun really began.   This was business day and I left with a clear understanding of the division divide.  East vs. West.  The drama and lack of respect was worse then my own classroom.  The only aspect of this week that proved useful was the presentation of the final speaker on our last day.  His presentation was relevant and even provided a sense of hope.  If I take anything away from this week it will be his words and the inspiration he provided.

Now, I can't end this blog without writing about my trip home from and to La Loche.  It takes 5-51/2 hours to drive to/from Prince Albert.  I left Prince Albert at 4pm which meant night time driving and animal watching.  We spotted 17 deer .... one which almost met "the Beast" (that's my car) personally and that was just on the return trip.  I don't think I have seen that many deer in my lifetime.  We also saw 1 bald eagle, a bunny, 2 coyotes, a fox, and roadkill.  I have to admit it was kind of exciting.  I was hoping to see a bear but, alas, did not.

In conclusion, convention was a bust but I got a lot accomplished.  :)   

Pictures

Chloe watching me work.

Chloe is making sure my work prints alright.

Playing "hide and go seek".

Chloe is a big fan of "Dancing with the Stars".

Chloe wants to be part of the action.

 First snow fall in La Loche.

My backyard.

This Just In

My mom told me tonight that I need to write a new blog.  So .... here I am, trying to think of something clever, witty and utterly brilliant to write about.  The truth is, I've got nothing.  My weekend was spent visiting with friends and playing Rockband (Beatles Rockband actually) ... but this isn't anything new.  I had a not-so-good day on Monday but I don't really feel like writing about that either.  I will let you know that I had a fairly productive weekend setting up my new teacher website.  If you are interested at all feel free to check it out; you might be curious to see the kind of things I'm doing with my classes.  Keep in mind; however, that this is a website in progress and any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Website:  http://teacherweb.com/SK/LaLocheCommunitySchool/MsGreensides/index.html

P.S.  To all my family and friends who read this .... I miss you and love you all very much! 

Day Dreaming of a Beautiful ...... SMART Board???

Monday was a professional development day at school.  What does this mean?  It means no school for the kids and no teaching for me.  It means that teachers get together and learn together.  My morning was very educational.  The high school teachers spent the morning in the computer lab learning about various technology software at our disposal.  I took a lot of notes (written and mental) of websites to check out this weekend.  When it came time to play I decided to check out the wonder which is wiki.  What did I discover?  I learned that I am not a big fan of the wikispace.  Now, before you jump on this comment and tell me I didn't give it a chance or something along that line, hear me out.  I have had the opportunity to use other sites and software which I prefer.  For me, wiki just didn't live up to my standards.  I know it is free but I would prefer to spend a little bit of money and get exactly what I want.  That being said, this weekend will also be spent using a well trusted web service to build my own class website. Teacherweb, oh how I've missed you.  I also discovered on Monday how much I miss working with SMART Boards.  We had a brief learning session on the benefits of the SMART Board.  What was I thinking about during this session?  I was thinking about how much this wonderful technological tool would enhance my language arts lessons and engage my students (who, by the way, are not impressed with my overhead projector skills).  I have tons of SMART Board lessons, sitting idle on my USB key, just waiting to be used.  Oh SMART Board, when will you come to me? 

The Healing Power of Rock Band!

I spoke on the phone with my mom tonight and I told her, "I'm not going out tonight, I'm staying in and marking."  Who was I kidding!!?? Minutes after I hung up the phone a very enticing offer steared me away from my original plans.  The offer:  an evening of board games, good/fun conversation and ROCK BAND!  How could I refuse such an offer?  So, I quickly scarfed down my dinner and prettied myself up to head down the street.  The evening wasn't anything spectacular, just a group of friends and colleagues relaxing together.  I learned how to play Boggle, Yahtzee, and a game I can't remember the name of but it was very addicting.  We ended the night with a few rounds of Rock Band.  It's amazing how banging the drums for a few songs, or strumming a guitar, or singing one's heart out can be such a healing power.  I returned home feeling not so weighted down and more relaxed and calm.  One thing I've realized being so far away from home .... being in the right place, with the right people can make any challenge less daunting. 

I Welcome the Weekend with Open Arms!

Today is Friday.  It is the beginning of the weekend and two days of peace and relaxation are to follow.  My week was not good but it was not terrible either.  There were some moments where I wanted to pull my hair out and there were moments when I looked at my students with pride and wonderment.  I have to ask (although I'm pretty sure I know the answer), does it get any easier?  Will there ever be a day when everything falls magically into place?  The theme of perfect and easy is kinda on my mind right now.  I'm doing a novel study with my classes.  We're reading The Giver by Lois Lowry and we're discussing the positives and the negatives of the theme utopia.  When I read to my students every day I can't help to envision my utopia ... my perfect world ... or at least my perfect classroom.  I wonder, what if I could snap my fingers and the students would become perfect in every way ... would teaching become easier or would a new set of problems present themselves?  I have to admit, despite the challenges and the many, many rough days I wouldn't want things to be different.  Although the bad days might outnumber the good, I enjoy my students ... their humour, talent, and perseverance make the good days that much more special and make a new teacher beam with so much pride and admiration. 

One Good Day .... I'll Take It!

Today was a great day!  It's amazing .... I've been teaching only eight days so far and out of those eight days seven have been filled with stress and anxieity ... but today was perfect!  And today is all that matters.  Every class, (almost) every student worked hard today and participated today and learned something today.  I learned something to.  I learned that the smallest success matters.  Today my students raised their hands (most of them) to respond to questions instead of shouting out answers.  Today my quietest students spoke up and I heard them speak.  Today I was able to hear the music play instead of the rising sound of voices during work periods.  I left the school today with a smile instead of with a look of exasperation.  Yes, today was definitely a great day!  It was a day I will treasure and look back upon to inspire me through the rest of the days to come.   

Survival of the Fittest

I've had a lot of people ask me how my first week of teaching went.  I send my apologies to all of you who have asked me that .... I've needed time to decide how to respond or how best to describe the craziness I've experienced.  Teaching in Northern Saskatchewan is definitely different then teaching in small town Ontario.  Needless to say ... teacher's college did not prepare me for this.  In fact, I'm not even sure what I've been doing can even be classified as teaching ... at least not the kind of teaching that I can full heartedly be proud of.  How do you teach students who tell you off in another language while you are teaching?  How do you teach students who refuse to do anything that you ask of them?  How do you teach students who just don't care if they pass or fail?  I've changed my teaching strategies constantly throughout this week and I have not been able to find away to reach them.  I am the enemy.  I am the one who wants them to succeed.  I am the one who believes that they can succeed.  I am the one who knows how great they can be if they just try.  I was not naive of the situation when coming here but experiencing it has definitely been hard.  I have been tested.  I have cried many tears.  I have contemplated my future.  My goal:  I wish to be able to reach at least one student ... just one ... only one. 

Pictures of my trip to La Loche, my classroom, and Chloe

A New Addition

Today was suppose to be a day not unlike any other.  A group of us rose early to head to Meadow Lake to do some necessary shopping and bonding.  We did just that.  What happened after the shopping and during the bonding; however, was unexpected and perhaps a little spontaneous.  My neighbours (and friends) had to stop at the humane society to pick up their newly adopted puppy before we headed back to La Loche.  The moment I walked in and realized that I was surrounded (literally) by kittens I knew I was in trouble.  My focus should have been on how cute Brutus, the new puppy, is (and he really is) but I was continually drawn to the gorgeous and playful kittens.  Before I knew it I was filling out the necessary forms and preparing to take my new kitten home with me.  I could hear my mother's warnings in my ear ... "Sarah, remember your allergies," and "Sarah, will a kitten make your asthma worse?"  .... but I decided that the kitten needed me and that was more important.  In truth, I needed the kitten.  So, together ... the gang and I with new puppy and kitten in tow ... headed home to La Loche.  As I'm writing this my kitten is snuggling beside me and purring ... I know I made the right decision.  Her name:  Chloe.  BTW .... allergies are fine and no puffer has been used during the writing of this blog. 

Pictures will be posted shortly.

Registration Day

Tomorrow is registration day. This will be my first 'real' contact with my students. How do I feel? I feel anxious, nervous, stressed, scared, and of course ... excited! Beneath my full of confidence exterior is a bundle of uncertainty. Questions like ... "What will my students think of me?", "Will they respect me?", "Will they listen to me?", or "Will I be able to control and command my classroom?" flood my conscious and unconscious mind. I know that everything will be OK or great or Awesome because all of my supporters keep telling me that ... but ... what if it isn't. Failure is not an option ... at least that's what I keep telling myself. Wish me luck ... tomorrow is registration day!

The Journey

Here I am. I am sitting in MY house on MY sofa in northern Saskatchewan. In truth, neither are actually mine, they belong to the northern lights school division but as long as I am here and teaching I will call them MINE.

So much has happened since I left Stratford to come to the small town/village of La Loche and many people have asked me to share my travel experiences. So here it is .... four states, two provinces, and one long car ride make up this story.

DAY 1: Leave Straford for Marquette, Michigan

The first day on the road was filled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. My mom, dad and I piled into the car ... actually it was more like squeezed into the car to begin the trek. I had piled so much stuff into my car I couldn't even see out the windows. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for an adventure. Our first stop was the border and that is where the anxiety really started. With so much stuff we thought for sure we would get pulled over for a search. Luckily, after showing the border attendant (what is the proper title for the border crew??) some papers to prove I had a job waiting for me, he let us through. Our next stop was a very important one ... Birch Run for some last minute shopping at the Prime Outlets and Meijer's and of course lunch at Bob Evans. I love their cheesey baked potato soup. So good! Mom and I played a game during the long drive: we counted how many abandoned cars we saw on the side of the road and the number of deer we saw. The results: 4 abandoned cars, 1 live deer, 4 dead deer, an abundance of road kill and a partridge in a pear tree. The best part of the day, for mom and dad, not for me, was when we crossed the Mackinac bridge. The folks thought it was pretty awesome because we could see both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. I hate bridges and that's all I got to say about that. I will admit that we saw lots of nice country. The scenery was nothing short of spectacular. After a very long day on the road, 12 hours of driving, we arrived in Marquette, Michigan at 9:45pm. We thought that we would have no trouble finding a room but ... we were wrong. After stopping at a couple nicer places we finally found a room to rest our weary heads at the Ramada Inn. I advise all of you good people that if you ever find yourself in Marquette, Michigan, do NOT stay at the Ramada Inn. That's all I have to say about that. Some good news: my ear plugs worked.

DAY 2: Start-Marquette, Michigan ... End-Fargo, North Dakota

We ate breakfast at Big Boy and then we were on our way. Day 2's forecast consisted of fog and light rain. Again we saw some deer, unfortunately not alive. We arrived in state #2, Wisconsin, at 12 noon. Again the scenery was stunning. Mom had her notebook with her and noted a few places along the way that looked like they would be nice vacation spots. I have the names and locations if anyone is at all interested. We stopped in Superior, Wisconsin for lunch at Perkins. It was actually very cold and foggy here. After lunch we arrived in state #3, Minnesota; it is here that I raced a train. I'm not kidding. I won. A tornado watch was announced and I kept imagining scenes from the movie "Twister" and what it would be liked to be swept away. Luckily, I didn't find out. We traveled through the small town of Frazee which is the home of the world's largest turkey. We didn't see it but ironically we did see lots and smell lots of turkeys. We arrived in state #4, North Dakota, at 8pm our time (7pm North Dakota time) where we stayed at an Americinn (in Fargo). This place was much nicer and cheaper then the Ramada Inn the night before. We went to Hooters for dinner and then called it a night.

DAY 3: Start-Fargo, North Dakota .... End-Weyburn, Saskatchewan

Forecast: clear and beautiful. What can I say about my surroundings? The terrain is ..... flat. We saw lots of fields of sunflowers. We heard the song "Happy Trail to you" on the radio which brought back many memories. Aunt Laurel if you're reading this, I'm willing to bet you've starting singing the song. :) In Kenmare, which is close to the Canadian border, we saw numbers made from stones in the hills. My guess is that people passing through left their mark by mapping out the year that they were there in stones. Numbers dated back as far as the 60s and as recent as 09. It was pretty cool. The one thing I did notice on this part of the trek was the abundance of bugs and they all managed to run into my car. It was disgusting. I shiver in disgust thinking about it now, thus, I move on. As we got closer to the Canadian border we saw tons of oil rigs. We arrived at the border at 5pm (4pm Saskatchewan time). He didn't ask many questions and once again we had no problems crossing. He did ask if any modifications were made to the car while we were in the states and mom found this question odd. We arrived in Weyburn, Sask at 5:30pm and had dinner at Pump Jacks. Food = good; Service = slow. We stayed at a brand new Ramada Inn and had a great night sleep. My dad got up in the middle of the night and needing a drink reached for the coke bottle sitting out. What he had forgotten in his sleepy haze was that the bottle actually contained cherry whisky. That woke him up. Apparently there were lots of trains passing by throughout the night but I did not hear them. The ear plugs worked really well.

DAY 4: Weyburn, Saskatchewan - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Weather = good. Terrain = flat. We could see for miles and miles and miles and ...... The sky was a gorgeous blue and very clear. On our way to Prince Albert mom and I saw a small black flying object that was neither a plane or a bird. Was it a flying saucer? An alien spaceship? We'll never know. We saw tons of blue and yellow fields. We speculated that they were flax and canola fields. There were lots of marshy areas and tons of hawks .... big and beautiful hawks. We saw a moose near Cudworth (a town which has been in the news lately, google it) which was very cool. That made the trip for my mom. We arrived in Prince Albert at 2pm. We ate at a local restaurant - Ricky's All Day Grill - for dinner and did some shopping at Walmart for some essentials. I have no idea where we found room for our shopping bags, the car was already packed so tight.

DAY 5: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan - Final Destination - La Loche

Lots and lots and lots of trees. Many forest areas have been burned. There weren't many places to stop on this last leg. Again too many bugs. I have never seen dragon flys so big and of course they all flew into my car. We arrived in La Loche at 3:30pm and immediately went to the village office to sign up for cable and to use their phone. I called Anita (assistant principal for the elementary school) to meet her to get my keys. I met Anita at the elementary school and while I was in the building a bird pooped on my mom. For those of you who know my mom you will see the humour in this. :) Finally we arrived at my house. First reaction: very happy.

So, here I am. I've traveled through four states and two provinces and now I am home. I'm sitting in MY house on MY sofa and getting ready to start MY career.

Saskatchewan Bound

I never thought that I would actually have a blog. This past year in teacher's college my computer prof insisted that my class each create our own blog so "Random Rantings" was born. This page has been sitting idle now for months but now it seems like it has a purpose.

In two days, yes, two days I will be moving to northern Saskatchewan. I have accepted my first teaching position and in less then a month I will be standing in front of my first class. High school students beware, Ms Greensides is on her way.

Introduction to Blogging ....

I'm currently being introduced to the world of blogging. It is 11:07 am Monday morning and I am barely awake. I am sitting in my computers class and simply following instructions. I feel like a robot. The only thought currently going through my head is: I hate blogging.