Happy Groundhog Day!

What even happened with the little furry guy this morning?  Oh, who am I kidding. None of you are actually going to comment and fill me in :P  Just give me a second, I'll look it up for all of you (how generous is THAT?!)

                "No cloud, no confusing sunshine rain, shall fool this icon of Canada!!"

Click here for more details. Looks like an early spring!

But getting down to business. Okay seriously, WHERE DID JANUARAY GO?

I have so much to tell you. Time has flown by so fast this past month I'm not entirely sure where to start! I promise I'll make this as succinct as possible.

1) I GOT NEW INTERNET! Which means all the skype dates that have been pushed back can now happen, AND those of you which have suffered through glitchy-laggy-cutty-outty skype dates will now be able to have a real conversation! I must say, though, even though they could barely see OR hear me, having a surprise, [quasi]-conversation with two of my most missed and dearest friends in Scotland was the highlight of my week!

2) I'm being officially, on-the-record observed next week by a district principal for TWO WHOLE DAYS IN A ROW. It'll happen that week and then again sometime in March. That's kind of scary, I guess, but also good because then he'll get a true cross-section of my skills and my classes. Not as great as him only seeing the best classes, but not as bad as him seeing my worst. The fairest situation possible, which I really can't complain about :) AND, he seems pretty fair and supportive; and nothing at all like the Trunchbull (see below).

3) I bought a gym membership. Yep. Best part? I've even USED it. Haha Amber and I are trying to go 3x a week and I can already see an improvement in cardio level and upper arm strength. Huzzah!  Now if I could go back to how healthy I was eating before the Christmas break...

4) Yesterday was the first moment where I actually thought to myself that it wouldn't be so bad staying here for another year. I can hear you all gasping (and a few of you cheering?) from here. (yes, from the past. Your sounds are so loud that they defy the laws of linear time). 
Why the change of heart?
a. One or two of the schools I work is particularly welcoming, and I feel at home and a real part of a staff community. Of course, the kids are great, too. I have a strange liking  for my grade 5s. I think maybe because I've been their introduction to music; they are the result of my training, and I think it's really cool to see that. They're also just wonderful.
b. The winter hasn't been as bad (at least so far!) as people warned me about, which is a plus. I could survive that again for sure.   THANK YOU WIARTON WILLIE!!
If I could find a job, I might consider staying for a while longer. Strange how the first time I'm admitting this is in a public forum...but there you have it. I'm not saying I'm set on it, but I'm just saying the door is now open. Up until now, I've stuck to my guns of "I'm just here for one year; I'll be gone for good by July 1st". 

5) Related to #4, as I've been doing some reflecting, trying to figure out what exactly I want to do next year, I've realized that my favourite part about teaching is the non-classroom time. I LOVE coaching teams (I coached a grade 5 basketball tournament today and had a blast!). I LOVE spending 1-on-1 or 1-on-small group time with students after class. I LOVE seeing students in the halls and running into them at tournaments and I LOVE teaching piano. I don't know what that means in terms of next year, but it's just an observation. I'm sure lots of teachers agree with me, too, so it's nothing novel. But it makes me think, why, when schools need volunteers for coaching or volunteering or chaperoning dances it's so hard to find people. I don't think that should be seen as a requirement of the job, but rather a benefit of the job. But maybe that's just because I don't have much of a life outside of teaching to interfere.  My students are like the kids I never had, and I just love spending time with them. Their smiles and their compliments and their stories are what keep me going (even amid their whining and complaining sometimes).  Two of the schools I teach at are working on a sort of book study on how to connect to those students who are a bit tougher to understand, and I'm finding it really interesting. I can happily say that I can see an improvement in relationships I have with some of these students in my classes since September. 

6) I fixed my screwy printer today - GO ME! "Technical skills" seriously needs to be added to my resume.

7) I have the feeling that I'm on the brink of something great. I don't know if it's job-related or faith-related or relationship-related or money-related or what...but I've just had this strange feeling lately that something really good is going to happen really soon. Strange, maybe. But I've never had that feeling anymore. Or, maybe this is what happiness feels like.

8) I went to a Robbie Burns evening with Libby and Matt and his friend, which was lots of fun. I can honestly say I am able to really enjoy a good whiskey/scotch. I can honestly taste the flavours and I am getting better at the tasting technique, too. And, I got to have some haggis, which is SO delicious. It has such a bad rap, I don't know why everyone's hating on it without ever trying it. It tastes like meatloaf and stuffing and oats kind of  rolled together. You just can't think of what's in it, and you'll be fine...MMMMMM.



9) Weather has been pretty ridiculous. Not bad ridiculous, per say, just ridiculous.  Last Monday it was -47 and then by Friday it was in the +'s. What the what? Now, -47 sounds frickin' freezing, but to be honest, it was bearable. I guess I didn't have to be outside for too long, but I'm just saying...unless you had to touch something metal, it wasn't bad! I made the mistake of putting my key in my mouth for a second while I was fidgeting with them, arms full of teaching supplies, when they literally froze to my lips! 

THAT's when you know it's cold. 

On that Tuesday, I was with Tasha at Costco, and in the parking lot there was a banana peel on the ground.  Trying to make a joke, I said "whoa, I've actually never seen a banana peel like that, just waiting to be tripped on like in the cartoons". And then, as I mocked stepping and slipping on it....no, I didn't fall.  THE BANANA PEEL SNAPPED INTO PIECES. Not even like in half or in thirds.  Oh no; It shattered.

Basically what the thing looked like. Dang, that's chilly.

THAT's when you know it's cold.

Not me.

Sorry I don't have too many other things to share. I'm on my way out to my second housewarming tonight in 3 weeks, so I need to get ready and figure out what appetizer I'm bringing etc.

Miss you! Come visit me! (yes, YOU, the one reading this!)

Until Next Time,

B.