Narrowing down...

Well, the past few days have been full of extensive pondering on my part. In my last post I told yall how my principal had inquired if I would stay in Vegas if offered a job. On Friday, Ms. D told us she had an interview on Tuesday for the ELL committee (English Language Learner) job she was asked to apply for with the district. Mrs. M then was taking to me about how if Ms. D is offered the job, the principal could get a long term sub for Ms D's room and I could just move across the hall after Thanksgiving. There is option 1... I know the school, staff, some of the kids, Ms D would leave her room as is and I wouldn't have to set up a room...

Option 2...Saturday night while in good ol Wally World, Cat, Nicole and I ran into Nikki, a girl from BYUI who did her student teaching last semester and is now teaching at a school in Henderson. She told us her principal is looking for 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade teachers starting after Thanksgiving. Hmmmm... the school is only a year old, it is in a nicer part of Henderson, possible $2000 signing bonus...

Option 3.... Arizona...the Mesa/Gilbert/Scottsdale/Queens Creek area.... Nicole has a cousin that works there and said they are desperate for teachers. New area, can say I have lived in another state, I have never been to AZ (I don't count hanging at the airport waiting on a flight), a little closer to home

Option 4.... Houston.... close to home, FANTASTIC pay (who can say no to starting at the upper end of $40,000????), close to the water (I miss the beach), cheap housing...

These are my 4 options. I am not sure what I really want to do, except teach. I am so ready to have my own room...not that Mrs. M hasn't let me have free range of hers to do as I please, but it isn't fully mine. I really hate decisions. I do know that I need a roommate where ever I go. Several of the girls have been leaning towards Arizona, but I am comfortable here in Vegas, not that I wouldn't become comfortable where ever I go. Hmmm... I need to ponder and research some more on the districts I am looking at...I will let yall know what decision I make or what is being taken out of the pool!

I really feel like a teacher now...

So tonight was PTA night at Red Robin... yum! So Nicole and I decided to go to support the Kesterson PTA. We called Cat to come join us for dinner....she thinks it is cool that our PTA does stuff...the one at Hal Smith, where she teaches, doesn't do anything fun or cool. Sad.

Anyways, we were there at dinner and a couple of my kids were there so I went over to talk to them and their parents. Then we talked to some of Nicole's kids and some of the other teachers. The Red Robin is in the mall, so we decided to do some shopping...always a good past time! Well, I really felt like a teacher when we were in a store and I heard "Hi Ms Mason!" So cute!

Well, I just wanted to tell yall how being a teacher is starting to feel real and not like just a class I am taking. I am teaching full time now and am doing all the lesson plans for the week. My cooperative teacher allows me to do as I please and helps me where I need it. Most of the time she is out of the classroom helping other teachers or doing whatever. I am now referring to the class as "mine"...today I was going to pick the kids up from PE and I ran into another teacher and they asked where I was heading in such a hurry (I didn't want to be late!) and I said "to get my class".

Oh and my cooperative teacher had her one on one beginning of the year conference with the principal on Wednesday... and she said Ms Woolridge, the principal, asked how I was doing and Mrs Morrill said fantastic. Then Ms W asked if I would stay in Vegas if I was offered a job. Mrs M said that I wasn't ruling out Vegas. However with budget cuts I figured the only job here I could get would be in the ghetto... if they had any openings. Well, Ms D, one of the other 1st grade teachers, was asked to apply for a better job with the district as the head of some project committee. She has applied and if she is offered the job there will be an opening in 1st grade at Kesterson! I am not saying I will be offered the job but it could be a possibility!

Well, that is the skinny on what has been going on this week! More to come soon...

Countdown

It seems in the past recent months my life has been filled with countdowns....to the end of my last semester in Rexburg, graduation, until I moved to Vegas, the days I was able to spend at home, etc...

Well, here is my latest countdown...

My days left until I am an official college graduate!

Days left: 70

I will be finished exactly 10 weeks from today! WOO HOO!

Saturday Night Adventures

Last night, Andrea, Daisy, Nicole, Sariah and I took off to Fremont Street. Fremont Street IS Vegas. It is the original. Lights, glitter, history. Fremont Street had the first telephone installed in Vegas, it was the first paved street, had the first stop light in town, is home to the first high rise and is home to the first building in town to have an elevator and air conditioning! To me this is Vegas...this is the place that made this city what it is. What everyone considers Vegas... the Strip... is nice, fun, and expensive... it contains anything and everything you can imagine. However old Vegas... it is different. A different feel, a different group of people. Now it reminded me of a cross between Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras and a street fair. There were vendors set up selling things and food, two bands ... one playing old school and the other was a punk band that covered everything and I mean everything from Sir Mix A Lot to Green Day to Cindy Loper. They were fun to watch and dance in the street to... which we did! The big thing to see is VivaVision... it is a HUGE t screen above the street. Here are some pictures of our adventure last night.

Sariah, Nicole and Daisy in the back seat
Andrea and I just before Andrea got out of the car at a stop light and danced in the middle of the street on the strip to the song 'Walk It Out'
Here we are on Fremont Street
The Fremont Casino
Some of Las Vegas finest
Who knew there were two Elvis's???? Well we have proof there are!
The rockin band we watched
A showgirl
The Golden Nugget!
A cowboy all lit up

Oh so the highlight of our evening was when we were walking down the street and these very waxed, very oiled up half naked Chippendales grabbed us to take a picture with them...a little awkard but we all enjoyed it! haha! At least I got to hug up on what I thought was the cutest of the three!!!

New Kids... FOREVER!!

Ok, so I know I am a dork, but I am ok with it. Those of you who know me really really well and know me from back in the day (aka my family) know that I was a big, no a HUGE New Kids on the Block fan, back in the day. I mean my walls were completely covered with their pictures. And I did have all the tapes (this was before CDs), dolls (like Barbie), pins, trading cards, t-shirts, member of the fan club etc... you get the picture, I was die hard fan. I don't think I ever told yall, but my freshman year of college my roommate and a large group of our friends formed a NKOTB fan club. Well, my love of NKOTB never really left, I just suppressed it over the years after they broke up. It was something I had to do to hide the pain of my favorite group breaking up... and losing my dream of being Mrs. Joey McIntyre! haha!!!

Then...


Now...


Anyways, I know you have all heard me talking about the most exciting new I have heard this year.... NKOTB reuniting, recording a new CD and going on tour!!!! WooHoo!!!! This fantastic news was sent via text early one morning by my cousin Jen. I was a bit grumpy for being woken by a text before my alarm went off, but when I read it I basically jumped out of bed and started singing and dancing. This made my day, week, month and year!! It was almost as exciting as when I found out they were going on tour and were coming to Vegas while I am living here...which I am hoping to get a ticket to the show (I am going to try to win one on the radio and if I don't I will have to eat ramen noodles for the rest of the time I am here so I can buy one - Have I ever mentioned I hate being a poor college student... but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and a paycheck! YES!) I have to say too that I am jealous that my roommate from my freshman year of college at Judson, Jenn has front row tickets to the show in Atlanta! I am oh so green with envy.



So, their new CD is out...and it is pretty good. I haven't bought it yet, but I did download it for free on Ruckus (a music thing for college students but you can't burn it or put it on an IPod - but it is like having a radio on your computer and you pick your own playlist). I have to say I was impressed with it. There are only a couple of songs (like 4 out of 17) that I am not 100% thrilled with, but the rest I practically know all the words already!! Oh and they have out two videos out right now...one for Summertime and the other is for Single. Here are the links to the videos just in case you want to take a peek at them! :)

Summertime ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25qiZy7vmqY

Single ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-fy9zVWFnE

Oh and they filmed the video to Single here in Las Vegas at the Jet Nightclub at the Mirage...I found out it was filmed the weekend before I flew out here....bummer!!!

So that is my little rant on New Kids on the Block. I know as I said before I am a dork, but its ok. :)

My First Podcast!!

As I have said before, I am in a technology classroom... and it is way cool. Right now we are reviewing the letters of the alphabet. I decided to have them make a picture using KidPix for each letter of the alphabet... and it was easy to divide the letters up since I only have 13 students! When they were finished, I had each one of them record their name and what they drew...they loved it! Here is our finished product... Enjoy!

Click on the link to see!

http://my.ccsd.net/podcasts/1837684467.mov

$315 on sale!

So Cat and I were window shopping at the outlet mall on Las Vegas Blvd. And we came upon the designer clothing outlet, so we went in. Most of the clothes were U-G-L-Y, ugly. And way way way over priced. But I am not the one wearing them and those that normally do usually get them for free just so they can say I am wearing so and so while prancing down the red carpet. Oh and these clothes would only look good on those same people and sometimes they don't even look good in them.

However, there was a shoe section. Oh yeah! and I did happen to fall slightly in love or lust with this one pair. They are gray with about a 4" heel and they were comfy! I would have bought them except they were ON SALE for $315! But they are Manolo Blahnik. Oh well, I can always go try them on and they will be mine for that moment. :)

Life in Sin City

Just a little update...

Well, things in Vegas are going great! I really like it here. I am even getting used to people having rocks for a front yard rather than grass... but I do miss trees. sigh.

Things with the roomies is great! We are all getting along very well. This past Monday, I had the chance to hang out with Brittany and Tyler. It was so nice to visit with them... and I helped Brit shop for prego shirts...even though she doesn't even look pregnant! My next thing is to help her set up her blog so she can keep us all up to date! On Saturday night, Cat and I met an old friend of mine, Sunshine at this rockin country club called Stoneys...it is only about 2 miles from our apartment and was really fun! It was good to see Sunshine since I haven't seen here in almost 5 years when we both worked at Global. Her husband is stationed here in Vegas right now.

School is going well. I LOVE teaching and can't wait to get my own classroom!!! Only a few more months and that will be a reality. However I am worn out by Friday... last week, I came home and was out for the night by 10pm and made myself get out of bed at 9am on Saturday... I am such a slacker! But it was the first week the kids were in school and they wore me out... no excuses. I am doing better this week! However it is 8:30 and I am seriously thinking of going to be soon! Sad, I know!

Well, I don't have too much to say....but here are some pictures of life in Vegas!
Roommates at graduation... Daisy, Cat, me and Andrea
The girls at the Belliago... Andrea, me, Daisy and Chelsea
Watch out Vegas ... we have arrived!
Andrea and Daisy are winners!!!
Water show at the Belliago
Lynley giving king kong some knuckles
Sunset from our balcony... that is the South Point casino at the very end of the strip (only a mile from our apartment)

They Survived!!

Here it is the skinny on the happenings of Hurricane Gustav...

He came through on Monday and hit land in Louisiana. My family all headed up to my cousin Jenn's house in Kiln (aka tha kill), MS.. it's about 20 minutes north of Waveland/Bay St Louis. They were all hunkered down there for the wind and rain. My mom said the wind was fierce and they lost power so to pass the time they enjoyed each others company while watching a few trees fall.

Meanwhile on in Waveland and Bay St. Louis (the Bay) the water came rushing in. It wasn't as much as Katrina but I have heard about 12 feet came in with the storm. The water came up to our property but didn't get into my mom's Katrina cottage. At my Aunt Kim's house the water came up to their slab. Both houses/properties are about a quarter mile from the beach. Jenn had a big branch hit her roof but no damage. The beach road in the Bay by St. Stanislaus and OLA (the Catholic high schools in town) washed away again. Other than that I have not heard of too much more.

It looks like Hurricane Hannah is not going to be a threat but all eyes are on Tropical Storm Ike. Thanks to all for keeping my family in your prayers!!! Oh wanna here something funny? Each week the students in my class do a weekly reader magazine thing and I am beginning to do them this week and guess what the topic is... Hurricanes! I am going to do a powerpoint with some of the pictures I have uploaded from the storm to show them actual video and photos.

Here are a few pictures from the storm!
A street in Long Beach...Hwy 90 (the beach road) is covered with water and it is making its way up the street
Coleman Ave in Waveland the street next to my street
The new Bay bridge
The new Bay-Waveland Yacht Club... they just finished it too! But it survived!!!
The stop sign at Nicholson and Beach Blvd in Waveland
Shaggy's Bar and Grill in the Pass Christian Harbor