One Foot Out the Door

Ow.

So, not sure if I told you or not, but I've taken up rollerblading. It was just up and down the streets to start with, but my housemate and I (she'd bought her blades back from the States, this is what started it all. I used to rollerskate all the time, but thought I'd try blading to keep her company) discovered very quickly that we lacked certain skills....like the ability to stop.

Kinda important to be able to stop. I couldn't keep jumping over gutters and using the grass...or a convenient tree...or a fence...to stop all the time. So, lessons had to be found. We tracked down DIGI Skate out at Browns Plains. They run adult skating lessons every Tuesday night.

I've actually been doing quite well at it (which is surpising me no end). I'm up in the highest group now. We've been doing stuff which I can only really describe as dance skating manouvers. Tonight was transitions (switching the direction you're facing in one quick movement, one minute you're skating forwards, the next you're going in the same direction but facing backwards) on both two legs and one leg (one leg is scary in blades, and damn hard to do), Spirals (you know that move where there's one leg on the ground and the other is up in the air behind you? Yeah, that), spins (those are fun once you work out how to do it without spinning too hard and crashing to the ground), and 180degree jumps.

They also tried to get us to do 360degree jumps, but I can't even do that when I'm stationary! I stacked it so hard when I tried. Landed chest first on the ground and that's when I'm pretty sure I bruised my rib. Coughing hurts, sneezing really hurts, and don't get me started on laughing!

I've also found another problem, couple of problems actually. The wheel base on my skates is way too long for the stuff I'm doing, and I'm aparently too advanced for the skates I'm using (something about how the skates I have are recreational and designed for beginners who don't do all the funky stuff I'm doing. The wheels are designed on an angle, and when you're balancing on one foot that's really not something you want to have. I got a "Wait, you're doing what now on your blades?! O.o o.O O.O ).

Oh, and the brake at the back is driving me nuts. I don't use it, and the way I stop, well, it keeps catching when I do my spin stop and nearly sending me flying. Plus, actual spins/twirls are really hard to do on the opposite foot when there's a brake there.

The brake needs to go. It's coming off on the weekend!

I'm actually eyeing off some hockey skates at some point. Short wheel base, and they're designed to take the kind of pounding I'm giving my skates (I swear I heard the axles creak tonight when I was doing a fast spin stop).

In other news, I'm finished Uni for the year! Handed my last assignment in yesterday *cheers* This year's been rough in the assignment department. I'm tired, really, really tired. My final assignment involved creating 12 hours of lesson plans and writing about the psychological, linguistic, and sociolinguistic aspects of what I did, as well as blathering on about what, exactly, I thought "Language" was...and I just couldn't bring myself to care about it at all.

The entire thing ended up being around 6000words of writing (not including the lesson plans) and roughly 40 pages long.

I'm actually going to go and talk to the uni about switching out to external coursework instead of internal.

One more year, that's what I'm telling myself right now. One more year to go and I'm finished my Masters degree and completely free. Of course, conisdering the current economic climate, actually being able to use that degree anytime soon might not be a reality.

So, to treat myself after the year of hell, I'm going to Stradbroke Island for a day tour in a couple of weeks. I got a good price for it (I'm on this Living Social daily deal thing. They had it for $49 so I grabbed one). My treat to myself after this year.

Also, I AM EMPLOYED!!!!!!!!!!!!! One of the temping agencies my name is down at called me up to tell me there was an ongoing, part time position available that they wanted to put my name down for. I told them to go for it, and got a phone call a week later saying that I was the preferred candidate and when could I start? So, I've been in training for two weeks, and tomorrow is my first day flying solo in the office. I'm an Administration Officer for the Queensland Police Scenes of Crime Unit (think CSI) out at Indro. I do pretty much anything and everything administration. Work is definitely interesting.

And that's my life in a nutshell at the moment.

Wha'd'ya know, I've actually handed an assigment in a day early.

Shock.

Horror.

Could it be that I'm finally getting over the lazy, last minute streak that I had last year?

...

...

...

Nah, probably not.

*******

In other news, you know you've gotta look tired when your boss comments "Jeez! You look as exhausted as I feel"...and it's only Tuesday.

Got my Uni results!

Linguistics: Phonetics & Phonology:- 5 (Credit)
Computer Assisted Language Learning:- 6 (Distinction)

I passed!!!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

(and survived my first day at work. Am being observed tomorrow)

One assignment down.

Done.

Finished.

Never to be seen again!

WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!

Critical Analysis of an ESL Textbook... bloody hard. Final word count came in at 3700 and roughly 9 pages long (I worked with a partner on it).

One more assignment to go. This one I'm actually enjoying. Working with a partner again, only this time we're making a short chapter from scratch of an ESL Textbook.

( Wanna see? )

Amusing classroom story for you. Lecturer last night wanted to write something up on the white board, so grabs the marker and starts drawing.... the pen sounded kinda weird but he just kept going....

....unfortunately, the wall also happens to be white, the same shade in fact. Guess what he'd gone and done? Yup, you guessed it, he'd written on the wall instead of the whiteboard.

I can't believe that we've only got one more week of classes and we're into exam prep and exams! Where'd the time go?!

*****************EDIT******************************

DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!!!!!!! I just got an email from my partner with some stuff to look over and she's gone and added a heap of stuff at the end. I am NOT HAPPY right now. Not happy at all. Thank you, very much Olivia for shooting down my hopes of getting to bed at a decent freakin' time. 4am on Monday night, 2am last night, and now it looks like it's going to be another late night tonight.

I got my mid-semester exam results back today: 63% *massive grin*

I'm extremely happy about that 'cause that subject.... bloody hard! I was quite pleased that I got full marks for one section that was really giving me some troubles. I just don't get syntactical analysis and PCO's, PCS's, IO, DO, C, S, NP and all that sort of stuff. *curls into a ball whimpering*... don't ask me how I did it, but I got full marks for the section where I had to label all the stuff.

So, I'm currently sitting on 44% (ish, I'm not exactly sure if my math is right) for Semantics, Syntax, and Morphology. 20% for the worksheets, 22% for this exam (it was worth 35% of our marks). The final test is worth 45%, so as long as I pass it, I pass the subject.

At least the last couple of classes have been interesting. We were listening and discussing Old and Middle English today.

But, yeah, happy Sheena is happy! (and bought a bottle of wine on the way home to celebrate results with housemates).

In other news, I started work last week. I've got a garaunteed job until 30th of July and then they're gonna see if they still have the budget to keep me on. I've been reading reports and typing up summaries into a database. It's fascinating reading (all about archaeological digs)...but, is it dry or what! It took me 5 1/2 hours to sumarise a 26 page report. The one I'm summarising right now... it's 26 pages of just dig results, that's not counting the other 20 pages of stuff... O.o

If feel my eyes starting to cross and the first thing I do is go splash some water on my face and make myself a cuppa.

Hey all!

Remember that embroidery sampler I posted a while back with the Decepticon symbol on it? Well, this is what I've been working on since then. This is gonna end up as a cushion of some description. Probably a pin cushion judging by the size of it.

I've been working on calico this time and it's much easier to sew on. Less fraying than with whatever the hell that was I used before.

That silver bit on the...well, it will be a Fleur de Lis was a pain in the proverbial backside! I have stab marks on my fingers from doing that. Ignore what looks like the blue stains, it's a washable seamstresses pen. That'll come off when I was it. Those three circles in different shades of blue took about an hour and a half all up (I had to very carefully cut away four strands of the fabric). Don't even get me started on that green and burnt orange border. That took about 2 days all up to finish.

I'm enjoying myself, despite the constant stabbings *grins*

( Piccy hidden behind here to save flist )

In other news; I went out for dinner with one of my old students tonight. Had a lot of fun. We had ramen at this to die for place down from the Casino. Mum and I stumbled on it when she was down here and they still remembered me when I walked in!

We're going to the Gold Coast tomorrow for the day.

Nothing much else to report. Mum and Dad decided at the last minute to drive down and visit me for Easter. It was great to see them again but, boy, did we do some running around or what!

Uni starts back up again on Monday. It's been good to have a bit of a break with no work or anything.

Speaking of work, it definitely looks like I'm unemployed again. I've been searching for other stuff to do instead of teaching 'cause it seriously fries your brain trying to do full time work and part time uni. I'd get to Tuesday and feel like it was Thursday. I was just mentally exhausted.

So, have been searching for something where I don't have to think too hard at work. That way I'll still have brain power left to try and understand what the heck my lecturers are trying to teach me.

*Edited due to uploading the wrong picture **headdesk***

WTF?!

Seriously, WTF?! Wasn't one infected blister enough? Why, oh, why did you decide that this blister had to get infected as well? I keep it clean. I cover it when I'm wearing shoes, I keep it open to breathe when I'm walking around the house, and yet it's starting to show signs of infection!

Thousands upon thousands of blisters through my dancing years and not a single infection and more than half of those suckers bled damn you! One month in Brisbane and I've had two, count them with me Body, two infected blisters.

I hate you right now, truly.

Yours in pain,

Sheena.

-----------------------------------

Got another blister the other day. Checked it today and it's all red and starting to feel like the last one did. Antiseptic has been pulled out of the cabinet and I've been applying it for the last few days. I am not a happy camper right now.

In other news I've decided to do the Abbey medieval festival this year as a re-enactor. I'm gonna make my dress (14th century) by hand and I've been learning to embroider as well... well, re-learning. I used to do this sort of stuff when I was a little girl but just ran out of time/interest (I was a, well, to be nice, I was a bundle of energy when I was little. Sitting still, that wasn't an option).

I'm actually really enjoying the embroidery. I spent most of the weekend on the couch learning different stitches and the like. I <3 the Split Stitch. Saturday saw me on the couch watching episodes of Lie to Me with my embroidery and Sunday it was the first season of NCIS.

It took me about 24 hours all up to embroider a Decepticon logo (purple and complete with red eyes) on a brown background.

( Here be embroidery! )

I started work last Monday (worked Mon, Thurs, Fri). This week I'm working every day. Next week is every day and so is the week after. Not sure what my schedual is like after that but they are talking about putting me on a shared class or something two days a week.

Uni's sorta see-sawing between understandable and WTF? The Linguistics course is anyway. The TESOL one I understand.

And that's my life at the moment.

Dead.

Y'know how I was going in to work to sign stuff and study the books I'll be using next week for the class I've picked up (which, incidentally, I am sharing with another teacher)? Well, I got a phone-call this morning at 8:05am (after a very late night. I was too wired about buying furniture. I've never done that before ^__^) from the DoS.

My first thought? Oh, shit! I'm late!!! *ack!flail!panic!*

"Sheena! It's the DoS at IH here. You know how you were coming in at 10am today? Do you think you could come in and do a relief shift starting at 9:30? One of the FCE teachers just phoned in sick. It's mock test day, so you won't have to do any prep work...?"

Don't ask me how she did it, but she managed to sound like she was doing puppy dog eyes through the phone.

Please note: I was still in my PJ's in bed at this point.

Anyway, I said yes and don't ask me how, but I was dressed, medicated (asthma stuff) and out the door by 8:10am. I snagged an apple from the fruit box on the way out. Managed to get to the train station just as a city train was rolling in. I was in at the school with about 40 or so minutes to spare.

It was a really, really easy test to do. All I had to do was sit and stare at them while they did the mock test. And mark one of them. Simple.

My ringtone totally embarrased me at one point, though. One of the other teacher's phone rang. It was some pop song or something or other. She muttered something about having to change it and I piped up with "It's not as bad as mine, trust me!"

....

....

My phone rang just as the words left my mouth.

*to the tune of Raiders March from Indianna Jones* "Kiss a Wooki-ie! Kick a Droi-id! Fly the Falco-on through an as-ta-roid. 'Til the Prince-ess is annoye-ed! This is space ships, it's monsters, it's Star Wars, we love it!"

Let's just say the office cracked up laughing and left it at that.

A few minutes after that my message tone goes off (G1 Cybertronian transforming) and one of the other teachers actually recognised it.

I think I've been labled a geek on my first day. *grins*

So, the job itself. It's actually two different IELTS classes. I teach one of them in the morning and one of them in the afternoon and it's two different things. The great thing is that I only have to write one lesson plan for the entire week! Sweet!

Mondays: 8:30-11:30 Int IELTS. 12:30-2:30 Upper-Int IELTS skills class. Then run to Uni (via my favourite Chinese restaurant at the bottom of the Myer Centre for a steamed pork bun...the owner has learnt my snack and drink order O.o) for my Semantics, Syntax and Morphology lecture starting at 4pm. I finish at 6pm that day.

Tuesday: 6pm - 9pm is my Critical Perspectives in TESOL lecture and tutorial

Wednesday: Day off (unless I get called for relief work)

Thursday: 8:30-11:30 Int IELTS. 12:30-2:30 Int IELTS skills class.

Friday: Day off (unless I get called for relief work).

I'll be doing 10 hours p/week at this job. More than I was expecting that's for sure.

*snickers* I'm watching Effie, one of the cats, chase a moth around. It's kinda amusing. And speaking of cats... I came home to one of the housemates playing the tin whistle. Tom, pyscho-bi-polar-kitty, didn't like it. He'd wrapped his paws around the housemate's arm and was trying to pull the whistle away from his mouth. I found it highly amusing.

Effie hopped up on the couch earlier to see what I was up to and I ended up with a mouth full of tail fur when she decided the she wasn't all that interested in what I was doing. Ah, the joys of living with cats.

Wanna know what I'm gonna be studying? Some of these courses have got me salivating and going DO.WANT!!!

( Course list, descriptions and my comments under here )

still no word from Uni. Looks like I'm calling them again tomorrow. If they tell me my application's sitting on the "To be processed" pile again I shall be most... upset.