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!