Well, I can’t quite…

Well, I can't quite believe it, but it's true. After I got an e-mail from Columbine asking what had happened with the teaching job, I looked back over my journal, and realized that I completely forgot to tell y'all the outcome:

I got the job! More specifically, I got not one, but two, yes, two courses! From June 21 to August 17, I'll be teaching Basic Composition and Intermediate Composition at Salt Lake Community College! I am tremendously psyched, and excited, and scared. I am pestering all my old teachers for advice. I am reading through syllabi compulsively. I have to go pick up my textbooks sometime this week and read them. I am simultaneously full of ideas (I recently finished reading Mike Rose's excellent _Lives on the Boundary_ and also reread my reading notes from Deborah Lichtman's wonderful "Teaching Composition" class) and terrified that I will mess up and traumatize my students so badly that they swear never to write an English word again.

Let's not even bring up the whole issue of what happens if the Mormon students stumble across my web page. Meep.

(Actually, I suspect I will have to discuss that issue at some point, but I'm not going to think about it yet.)

I leave for Salt Lake on June 12th (it would have been a little later, but Kevin may be going to a conference from the 13th - 17th, and it'll make my life much easier if he's there when I arrive (in a blind panic)). That means that before then I need to:

  • sort through all my papers
  • pack (which includes teaching clothes, regular clothes, Clean Sheets files, writing files, textbooks for the courses I haven't finished yet, my teddy bear, some photos, my teaching books/notes, Jed's laptop that I'm still borrowing, disks and other assorted computer junk, formal Indian clothes for Roshani's wedding, jewelry for same, and I don't even know what else)
  • finish up as much as I can between now and the 12th so I don't have to pack quite so much
  • go to the dentist
  • keep looking for someone to sublet my room 'cause I could use the money
  • try not to panic
  • and maybe even practice driving and get a license before I go (it would make life there much easier for both of us if I can use Kevin's car)
Luckily, I don't have too much scheduled in the interim. One SFY meeting, one SFX meeting (which I *think* is next week Thursday, or at least I hope it is -- I better check). I have tech writing work most of this week; I'm not sure about next week, and am divided in mind on whether I want to be working -- yes, I need the money, but the time would also be very helpful. We'll see.

I'll try not to drown y'all in logistics in the next week or so. I know it seems like my life is really insane, but there are lots of nice quiet moments in it. David came and made dinner yesterday evening, and we had a good talk (though I was still feeling under the weather). Ellie and I chatted some about her wedding plans (she's making her own cake! I am very impressed). The red poppies have bloomed in my garden, and yesterday with David's pasta I had a salad from the mixed lettuce and spinach in my garden which were finally ready to eat -- it's amazing how much more flavor those leaves have than the store ones. I never quite believed it before now.

I'm happy about this summer, but I am a little sad about my garden. I hope Ellie doesn't let the pepper plants die (she hates peppers). The herbs will be fine, and I'm sure they'll get used, but I do hope I get a chance to taste some of the vegetables in August. We'll see. I'll probably eat lots of salad in the next two weeks. The tomatoes should last until October, but I have my doubts about the beans and corn. (I have no idea when the eggplant will be ready, but luckily, I don't much care. :-)

Kevin has a balcony, if I remember rightly. It's been too cold to go out there most of the time I was visiting, but now, perhaps I'll plant some basil and oregano and mint. I think it gets lots of sun; perhaps I should pick up a book on container gardening. I might even be able to manage a tomato plant if I'm lucky.

You'll undoubtedly hear more about my plans in upcoming days; I should get back to getting things done. Talk to you later, my dears.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *