The Poor Kitty

My roommate took our kitty into the vet today to get her de-clawed. This was the look I got when I got home from work:

Big Changes

It has been a while since I posted, and in an effort to avoid my bedtime, I'm going to provide the general public with a brief synopsis of the last three months.

A week after my last post I finally moved into my friends condo. It has been a wonderful change in my life. I now live 10 min. from work, unless there is snow or an accident on Bangeter Hwy. I have two wonderful roommates that I have been able to hang out with & socialize with when I'm home. My roommates are also wonderful examples of thriftiness & I have been able to save more money than in previous years. I live in a wonderful area of town & I'm a part of a wonderful singles ward. I've been able to make a few friends in the last three months, in addition to the ones I already knew.

I had a wonderful christmas break & received a new camera for christmas. I looked forward to posting pictures from my new camera. But since school has resumed, I haven't found the time to learn my new camera & upload pictures. Hopefully soon, I'll make it a bigger priority.

The most recent change in my life is the decision to go back to school. I want to pursue a Masters in Education & Administration, so I may become a school principal or vice-principal someday. I'm not in a big hurry, but I know I can't teach my entire life & I already feel some "burn-out". I've run into a couple of obstacles since I decided, however. Once I decided I wanted to earn a Masters in Administration, I needed to decide which school to attend. Most programs start in the summer. My first choice became the University of Utah, but I discovered I had already missed the application deadline for the year. I can apply as a non-matriculated student, which means I can take up to 9 credits without being officially enrolled in the program. But it will mean the program will take 3 years instead of 2. It might be nice to spread the classes out, and relieve some stress while I'm also working full-time. But it will also mean more money in the long run. Another option is the University of Phoenix. It seems to be a "low-stress" program because I only take one class at a time, but it is completely on-line & I'm concerned about not having real people to talk to & attend class with. From the principals I've talked with, a big part of school is networking with other students who I may end up working with in the professional field. I'm currently looking into my final option, Utah State University. Apparently, they offer this program through their extension campuses, but I don't know any details yet. I hope to talk to someone in the department tomorrow. I've also run into some problems with my teaching level. All of the programs require a level 2 certificate, but I still have a level 1. Even though I have technically taught for 4 years, I've had some difficulty getting credit for the 2 years I taught at the charter school. I haven't tried to work out the details because I didn't have the need. But I may need to jump through that hoop before I can attend school. Don't you love government bureaucracies?

Anyway, there's a quick summary of my life. I'll try a do a better job of keeping th'blog updated.

The Power of Music

For those of you who don't know, I play bass clarinet in a community band ensemble. We rehearse Tuesday nights & give periodic concerts for the community. It has been alot of fun & a great way to keep my "sophisticated music-ears" active. It has also been a great way to socialize with other music teachers in the area. Last night we gave a concert in partnership with the Skyline High School's Wind Ensemble. Our group performed one of my favorite songs that I played in high school, "Where Never Lark or Eagle Flew". It was our big competition piece & it sometimes made me & my family cry. When my mom found out we were performing it, she wanted to come hear it, even though she already had commitments that night. I later remember that she also graduated from Skyline High & it was fun to see her walk the halls of the school after the concert, reminiscing.

While I didn't know the American Fork High School band teacher who was killed in the recent bus accident, the band director at Skyline High School did. When the Skyline High students found out about the connection, they respectfully wore red ribbons at the concert. They also dedicated their performance to her memory, even though most of these students didn't know her personally. I thought they showed a great example of sympathy & maturity beyond their years. It made for a very emotional night!

Another fun weekend

Any day away from work is a great day. This last weekend I spent some good vacation time with family in Moab. For a full report, see Megan's blog. Unfortunately, my camera is really old & doesn't take good pictures anymore. So, I don't have any pictures to share. But I wanted to keep up on my blogging anyway. Moab was great fun, and it was nice to spend some time away from my work life. It makes me sad that summer is coming to an end, as the weather today reminded me. I actually saw snow flakes falling outside my window for about 5 min this afternoon! I have been singing christmas songs all day. "Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!" Anyway, I'm excited for the changing seasons & more fun experiences with family & friends. I also had today off, so I was able to get some cleaning done. I think I did 7 loads of laundry today, most of them consisting of stuff with red sand in it. I also had to go to the laundromat & clean my sleeping bags. Another sign the summer season is over. But, I'm excited to wear sweaters & sweatshirts! AND...my friend called me and said we can "definately" move into the condo on the 17th of Oct. Yippee! So, while I have to go back to the work-grind tomorrow, there are still great things coming up. :)