NASA Here I Come!

Tomorrow I leave for Houston, TX and the Johnson Space Center. I'm a participant in the NASA Johnson Space Center Pre-Service Teacher Institute. I'll be in Houston for two weeks learning how to incorporate space and STEM lessons into my curriculum when I'm teaching next year. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) It is a highly competitive program with only 30 participants mainly from the Midwest selected to participate, although we do have some people from the East and West coasts as well. I'm the only one from Nebraska and I found out about the program through Creighton and Dr. Houtz, as she is my source for all opportunities related to NASA. She knows I'm crazy about NASA and would like to work there someday. I'm am super excited and don't know how I'll sleep tonight or if it's even worth it as I'm leaving for the airport at 5:45 am tomorrow morning. I have to close the restaurant tonight, then I'm getting together with a few work friends for a low-key good-bye celebration.
The things I'll learn in the institute, the people I meet, and the professional development opportunities I'll encounter will be invaluable to me and my future students. I am extremely privileged to get to go and I'll make sure to update as often as I can (though I might not be able to tell anyone about it until I get back since it is all day long, intense workshops and homework)
So, I'll liftoff for Houston tomorrow morning for the experience of a lifetime! Until then, I leave you with this clip of the nighttime launch of the space shuttle Discovery.

Loss of Vitality?

I had a dream the other night that I was on vacation with my family in some tropical, third world country somewhere. We went swimming in a gross river/lake/swamp type place and when we emerged everyone was fine except for me. I had blood coming out of my mouth/nose/ears, etc. Turns out, swimming in nasty water was not the best vacation idea and I got some parasite that was eating my insides! We went to this clinic and I had to undergo treatment with some other kids my age that had also gone in the water. In my dream, I hadn't graduated yet and since treatment took months upon months and you couldn't leave the country, or something, I was stuck. I remember screaming at my parents because I wasn't going to get my degree, my life was ruined, etc. So weird! I looked up parasites on the online dream dictionary and it said this:

"To see a parasite in your dream, suggests loss of vitality and feeling physically drained."

Now this I can believe. I've been serving pretty much every night this summer and I usually am a closer or are in the booths of the restaurant meaning I'm always one of the last ones there and get the most tables. That's fine for making money but I am absolutely through with serving. Two plus years kissing feet and running around like a personal slave is just not for me anymore. I cannot wait for August and teaching to start so I don't have to serve anymore. People are more stingy, rude, and needy than ever this summer. When I first started serving, I didn't mind it. Now it seems that people are taking on an attitude that a server is someone who doesn't deserve respect and it's okay to leave zero dollars on the tip line (which happened THREE times last night) That is not okay and I am not okay with serving anymore. No wonder I'm dreaming of parasites. Serving is sucking the life right out of me!!!

Lazy Blogger

Greetings, you blog readers out there. I know there are some of you because I actually had some friends tell me they missed reading my blog. I was flabbergasted. I thought no one but my roommate read my blog and she already knows everything happening in my life anyway. ;)
So, to appease my fans, because I know you are all DYING to read about my happenin's, I will attempt to start this again. And I will try hard. Well, harder than last time.
Anyway, lots and lots have happened since my last post before I student taught. The entire rest of my college education happened. Whoops. I also graduated, got accepted into the NASA institute, and found a job with Omaha Public Schools. So, lots has happened and I selfishly didn't share any of it with the blog community. Sorry!
But instead of dwelling on the past and telling you all those exciting stories, I'll just move on from here.
Today I had my last little rendezvous (before she moves) with one of my bestest friends in the world, Mallory. Mallory and her hubby are moving to New York and we had a nice lunch and chatted about things. She shares the same idea I have about living in Omaha. I really like living here and I could see myself being very happy staying here for the rest of my life. Everything I know is here, all of my friends and family are here and I've never lived anywhere else. However, I really would love to live somewhere different even for a little bit of time. If I stay there, fine. And if I moved back to Omaha, that would be fine, too. One thing that I realized about being one of the last ones in Omaha, is that everyone comes home eventually, so I always get to see my friends. Like Ben, who lives in San Diego. Even though he is so far away, he comes home once in a while and because I am here, I get to see him when he gets to town. If the opportunity did arise to move somewhere else, I do think I would take it though. The top places I would like to trial live are Seattle, Denver, or anywhere with mountains. Montana would be gorgeous and then maybe I could meet a cowboy.
I leave for Houston on Sunday for the NASA Johnson Space Center Pre-Service Teacher Institute. That's a mouthful. I'm am SOOO excited! More on that later.
With that, I will leave you with the funniest video I've seen in a while, compliments of Mallory showing it to me on her iPhone at lunch. Bye bye, Malla! I'm coming to visit you someday!

The Student Teacher

Yesterday began a whole new chapter in this life of mine. I started my student teaching experience in a fourth grade classroom and so far so good. I enjoy being "the student teacher." When I'm introduced to people the response is "Oh, you're the student teacher!" Because I am the only one in the school. haha
I also quite enjoy my grown-up, dress-up clothes. Although getting up early every morning will be a challenge for this NON-morning person to get ready every morning.
I like my cooperating teacher; she's very young and I'm her first student teacher ever. So this will be a learning experience for both of us. The class is pretty large with some wildness attached but I don't think it will be something I won't be able to handle. I've already had to be pretty strict with some, and some are already starting to cling to me. I hate to push them away but I also can't be Miss Hand Holder either. Classroom management will be KEY this semester for my sanity. Bring it on, little kiddies!

An Exciting Week

I find myself in the very lucky position of having somewhere to be every night this week with very different groups of friends.
Monday night I got the rare opportunity to hang out with Ben. He came home from San Diego for three days for Christmas. Monday night after my Violence in America presentation, we headed down to Spaghetti Works for some pasta goodness. He got to see my apartment beforehand and we did our gift exchange. I'm always bad at picking out gifts for guy friends, but I stumbled upon this really handsome leather Kenneth Cole watch. And since A) I knew he needed a watch that was both dressy and casual at the same time and B) he spent a lot of money on me for my birthday, I figured I could splurge on the watch. He got me a really cool necklace and a doodle book that I coincedentally purchased for my friend Marissa only hours before! I was looking at it thinking how I wanted to buy myself a copy because I thought it was so funny, and here Ben had it in his suitcase the whole time. It's crazy how our minds kinda ESP sometimes. After dinner, were we had the most brain dead server ever...I don't even know what must have been going on in her head, we went to the Max. We walked in expecting chaos and we were the only two people in the whole large bar! It was so prettily decorated for Christmas; I felt we were in a winter wonderland of alcohol. We had a good time, talking to the bartenders, getting free drinks, and playing pool. Love Ben!
On Tuesday, I did my Christmas with Ali and Marissa at California Pizza Kitchen. It was so yummy and our server was better than the other girl the night before. She made us crack up so much later because we ordered dessert and she told us the "tip" to eating it. Her tip consisted of her telling us to dip the cake in the vanilla sauce that was underneath it. Really? No, I was going to stare at the sauce and very carefully extract the cake from on top and avoid that sauce like poison. It was great. We did our gift exchange and they got me a web cam so we can keep in touch while they're in Spain. After, we took a series of ridiculous and hilarious pictures that involved an octopus balloon and the inside of my car. I'm going to miss these girls so much when they are in Spain :(
Tonight, I'm hanging with my Chang's bffs Aimee and Jess. We're going to catch a bite to eat and probably a movie. I'll update how that goes and the rest of my fun week.
Now, how do I have money to go out to eat??? I do not. Oh well, I'm picking up shifts before rent is due, so I should be semi-okay. lol

Goodbye, Captaincy

Yesterday was my last day as the women's captain for the Creighton Rowing Association. And while it wasn't my last day on the team, of course, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and as if it were the end of an era.
My first semester at Creighton was TOUGH. I felt so lonely. All of my best friends were in Lincoln, I didn't have many close friends in Omaha except for Laurel, Mallory, and Becky and I had just had my heart shattered. I wasn't living at home anymore, and although I enjoyed the freedom that gave me, I missed the comfort of having my family there. I cried alot and turned to eating. I gained so much weight that year and that only contributed to my sadness. The only thing I really had to look forward to during this time was crew practice. Everyone there was so nice and friendly. That first semester cemented some of the strongest friendships I have today. I've grown up with my senior class of rowers and it's crazy to think there was ever a period of time in my life where I felt that low, that unhappy. But my crew team pulled me out of it.
I was reading some old emails I had sent my dad at that time and all I ever talked about was what we were doing in practice, my new friends, and the goals and dreams I had for the team.
I was not a good rower at first. I was terrible in fact. I look at my first ergatta 2K time from freshman year and last year, and it is incredible how much faster I am now.
Crew also helped me with my immense weight loss that will forever be a part of my life. Once you get that big, and sink that low, there is NOTHING in your life that will ever bring you back to that weight. Crew helped me because it gave me a chance to work out, but after freshman year, after I started to become a better rower, it pushed to me to make those changes. I wanted to be a stronger rower and I began eating better and exercising outside of practice. I've lost 90 lbs since then.
I've always been an outgoing, humorous person and my best outlets for this were at crew parties and such. I think this new found confidence helped me to break out of my unhappiness and start making lots of friends outside of crew. Now, I have some of the greatest friends anyone could ask for and I love to go out and meet new people. Besides rowing, I think my number one favorite thing to do is meet new friends.
I learned so much as a captain of an autonomous team. Having to do everything ourselves cemented our bonds further and we came to rely and expect nothing but the best from each other. There are not enough words to say how much I enjoyed being an admin for such a great team and teaching the new rowers how to row. The crew team is a family. And the fact that next year, I will no longer be on the team is very hard to even comphrehend right now--and it scares me alot! I can't imagine my life without my team and it's very sad. But I KNOW I am a better person because of crew.
To the new officers of the CRA, this is OUR team. I hope you love it and take care of it as much as the seniors this year did. It's hard to pass over that mantle, but you are more than up to the challenge. And when this next semester ends, I hope we seniors have left a sort of legacy. The CRA has definitely left one in my life.

SNOW DAY!!!!!!!

So Papa Schleggs gave us all a little early Christmas present and closed school early Tuesday and all day Wednesday. This little mini vacay has been so wonderful. Heather and I made a gingerbread house, which we likewise destroyed the roof of and I got some wrapping done. We also braved the snow and ventured to HuHot for some yummy comfort food. If only everyday were a snow day. There really is nothing like a snow day to turn you back into a kid. Hot chocolate, anyone?