Reporting In

Okay, here's my update. I like hearing from you guys too, so I'm in.

I'm back to teaching high school French and Spanish. I'm not loving it, as I knew I wouldn't but it's a regular gig so it's all right. After my mother died I just didn't have it in me to do a serious job change. I figured I had enough changes to deal with. So, yeah, I'm pretending I still know Spanish and I manage well enough with French. What I get a chuckle from is when Chichewa slips out instead of the target language. I'm better at catching myself before the words escape my lips but once in a while I don't realize what I've done until I hear the words reverberate back through my brain after it's too late. Then I smile wryly to myself.

I am now gearing up to see what else is out there for me. Little by little.

I am also looking for a house. I've got a buyer's agent and I've been inside a few, driven by many, but not yet found my dream house. Shop till ya drop.

I have applied for four jobs since I've been home. Two of them were retail. One was a swim coaching job. The last was at my alma mater. Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. Mostly I find it funny, but sometimes it's sad. I hadn't really had my heart set on any of them so it really is okay, but I hope it's not an omen. I'll know for sure whether it's a curse if I don't get offered an assistant coaching position. If that happens, then I may actually have a problem.

What else... The leaves are turning and it's getting pretty up here. I am starting to feel more at home. It's like driving through memories. I've been doing that a lot lately, I'd say.

I am back to Tae Kwon Do twice a week. It's fun. It's a bit of a drive but for now it's worth it.

I guess that's mostly it. No great shakes. As for books, I've been reading detective novels. I have had difficulty concentrating so these are easy, escapist, entertaining.

I'm coming around, peeking outside of my cocoon. Yesterday I went with friends to the Cumberland Fair. I bought a fun sweater. I realized when I got up this morning that I proabably could have haggled for it, and although I quibbled over the price a little bit, it didn't even occur to me to haggle the price down. Funny how that is.

We ate fried dough, maple syrup cotton candy (best cotton candy I ever had), watched the horse pull, and, best part, the rodeo. Yep, cowgirls barrel racin', rodeo clowns making mockery with a little pony, and buckin' broncos! Sure thing. Bronco ridin'. It was fun. Beautiful day. Crowds of white people, smell of greasy, salty food, stalls of poultry, goats, rabbits. Going through the 4-H barn was like a trip down memory lane.

That's all this reporter has for you today.

-Martha