A Rant About... Facebook

To whom it may concern:

www.facebook.com

1. No, I won't join your group about you losing weight when I don't really even know you. Nor do I care to read about it in every stinkin' status you post to the point that I hide you from my feed. I don't care about how much you ran, downward dogged, swam, or biked. Got it? Awesome.
2. I don't care about how much you miss your Brocky or Pumpkin, etc. I'm sure your man loves how demasculate him in your status. Oh, I'm also sure he loves your clingy status.
3. That's great you have a new tat but really? Tinkerbell? On your shoulder blade? Let's think outside the cliche' box, shall we?
4. Make up your mind about your relationship status. You either are together or you aren't. To me, there's no such thing as "it's complicated."
5. Statuses every 5 minutes? Really? Even Twitter considers that annoying.
6. Don't complain about your missing dog when you're on Facebook all the time. Clearly you don't miss the poor thing that much if you aren't out searching your tail off for your "best friend."
7. If no one comments or likes your status, it clearly is not that "cool or neat."
8. Don't give long winded, complicated statuses either! 
9. How can you possibly be a fan of 104 different pages?! GOOD GRIEF, CHARLIE BROWN!
10. No one is interested in your drunk pictures- especially with a keg. I mean really, we're NOT in high school anymore.
11. Finally, little children... aka 15 year olds I do not know at all... don't add me as a friend. We might have gone to the same high school, but I still don't have a clue who you are!

The Dixon Ticonderoga

This is a completely random post but as I was about to start doing homework with my Dixon Ticonderoga, courtesy of my boss, I had a flashback to a presentation we had in training at work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Dixon Ticonderoga.

See this isn't just any pencil... it's the perfect blend of graphite and clay... Now I could go on, but only Redbull can do it the right way. She's only slightly obsessed with these pencils. When she taught, she'd lend these to her students. Lended... and in borrow. Thanks to her, I now know the real reason it's used on standardized tests, the ACT, and the SAT. I also have sort become attached to it. It does have the perfect eraser.

And no, I'm not sucking up. And no, I do not know the point to me blogging about the Ticonderoga.

Just a few suggestions on what NOT to say to a teacher...

1. Your job is so family friendly- it's a great job for a mom. 
2. You must have it easy breezy.
3. Your degree is so simple to get!
4. You're off at 3pm. I wish I had it that way at my job.
5. You don't take your job with you wherever you go.
6. Who the heck are you to judge my parenting?
7. Why aren't you babying my baby?
8. Why did you give them an F?
9. My child would never hurt a thing...
10. You don't get paid a lot do you?

Now. I've heard all these quotes and then some... and I want to put my reaction to each line but I resisted... y'all can do that yourself :)

i am alive! i am! i am!

I've been absent for about 11 days... I have been exhausted every single day. I completed my intense training on Tuesday to my uttermost depression. I was so so so so sad. But-

I came away with an award for having the "Right Stuff", an award we give to a certain member of teams for having what it takes to be an astronaut (based on the book and movie.) It's pretty much the TOP award given. I was really shocked. I thought someone else was getting the award until my boss said, "she's the perfect blend of elementary teacher and rock star." I went blank. Honestly blank. And then I had to give a speech when I was on the stage. Yikes.

I loved my team, I love love love love my job. I love that I'll also be training for Aviation Challenge and Day Camp. I love that tomorrow I get to go in and help design shirts for this summer. I love it all.

And now, I'll leave you with some awesome pictures :)

Since I've been gone...

1. I've been going to 12 hour training days at the Rocket Center. You read that right. 12.
2. I'm so excited to start this job already.
3. I could tell you anything about space if you asked me to, down to what goes in the external and solid fuel tanks on the shuttle. 
4. I've been getting behind in school and will attempt to rectify that today.
5. I get to wear a flight suit that's bright blue
6. I made a kid go nuts unintentionally last night with my Space Camp shirt. We talked about our favorite simulators and the Star Wars exhibit.
7. I've been learning how to operate the simulators (oh so fun.)
8. We've talked about registration, homesickness, kids on behavior medications, special needs, and issues that happen in the pre-teen age.
9. We've discussed everything under the sun (no pun intended.)
10. Finally, did I mention I'm ready for this job to start already?

Team America to the G

Stressed, yes. Worth it, yes.

I'm officially a Space Camp graduate. I also think I'm the youngest one in the group.

My group is great. We've already gone from 14 to 13 people... the training is hardcore and there's never a 100% pass rate. Talk about added pressure.

I am so glad to be working in a positive but nonetheless exhausting new working environment. I stress exhausting by the way because that's what I am. Our trainer is awesome. I know that I'll be able to handle these crazy shifts but man am I tired.

We're getting a Star Wars exhibit in June to the museum which is definitely neat but it's not free to the staff of the museum (bummer.) It will also get in the way of teaching to the little chilluns about Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the STS program (I'm already speaking the lingo!) but I love a good challenge like that. I won't lie, I'm a little on the stressed side. I'm basically taking a semester-long course on the Space Program in what lasts less than three weeks.  Our group has already talked about having study sessions, teaching in the museum at midnight (no joke), and pulling each other along for the ride. Easy? No. Teamwork? Yes. Some people don't want to do it, but I sure want to keep this job, as do others in the group, so we're going for it.

The best part is that I've developed a love for rock climbing, even with my massive bruise from the wall on my arm. What's even better is that we found out we can climb it when we're not on the clock whenever we want. How cool is that?