11.25.2007

the update...

well, it (once again) has been quite a grip since i've posted on here. . .

Life right now, is, well, wonderful. With all of the things I have going on (and there's always a lot), I can say that I am truly thankful to have a life so full of love, family and meaning. I realize that there are many who just don't have that. Where do I begin???

...the wedding
planning is going well for the wedding. i mean, damn. we have had 2 years and some change to get all of the details together, haven't we? we are just finishing the process of securing all of the services (except the limousines, flowers and the honeymoon)...all of the rest at this point is feeling like gravy by comparison. i just didn't realize how expensive our little wedding would be! it's hard to remember all of the details, even for a thorough planner like me. who can remember auntie this one and that one or cousin so-and-so and what's-his-face from work for the invitation purposes. so, N and I are deftly straddling that etiquette fence between doing what's expected of all brides and grooms and doing things our way. but, even with all of the costs and the endless array of things to remember and plan for, I am still incredibly jazzed about our big day. we are party people, so you can imagine that this wedding is going to be some shindig!

...the gym
i've been going to the gym with N y'all! it has been great for us to join the Y together. did you know city employees get a discount? i pay 40 bucks/month for myself and N!!! anywho, our Y is a state-of-the-art exercise and activity complex, and there are lots of things to do. with the help of a trainer (free), we do cardiovascular and strength training workouts. i love that the members come in all shapes and sizes....the meat market musclefest element is not there at the Y. everyone is there, honestly trying to achieve some level of fitness...after the wedding i'd like to look into the swimming classes (yeah, i'm one of those city kids who never learned!)....i have been so much more energized since i started going....i have to get my butt in gear and drag it in there, especially after the big Thanksgorging holiday!!!

...the teaching
teaching is wonderful! of course, with any teaching gig, comes the usual causes of my weekly headaches: the shiftless co-worker who's there for a paycheck, that undiagnosed AD/HD kid who just won't sit still during the mini-lesson, and the million and one things to do in one school day. however, this is one time when i can say that they admins are allllllright. i never thought i'd be in a situation like this, but i thank the Creator that i am. one admin is a former co-worker from my first school, and like everything she does, she is no joke at her job. that's one of the main reasons why i wanted to teach at her school--she knows her shit, folks. and, because of that, there are many forces at work in our school. many of my co-workers are threatened by her gender or her race or even her age (she's on the younger side), and that manifests itself in many different ways on our staff. i can't believe the time some folks take in trying to sabotage her for these reasons. if these co-workers spent the time it takes to try and get her in trouble on their own pedagogy, we'd have an all-star cast of teachers. they hate the fact that she really is there for the kids first and foremost. teachers keeping the school from putting the children first---sounds backward, doesn't it? well, the lesson I've learned in education if nothing else, is that you can't make the truths of public education up, however sad and unbelievable they might be...
On another note, I'm fortunate enough to have met some wonderful fellow educators here as well. It also doesn't hurt that my class is relatively small (14 kids!)... I've also been fortunate to have a few extra per-session jobs to help out financially with the wedding...N is being so supportive about it all...he cooks dinner on the nights I come home late, does his and my share of the housework when he knows I'm exhausted. He is already being what I consider a wonderful husband!!!

...the life with N
my life with N is great. i can't imagine where i'd be without him. i have grown so much as a person since we met. we have argued and fought about zillions of things, but there's a strong foundation underneath all of it...and that's what I come back to each time. I recently shared this concept with a girlfriend of mine who is now living with her man. She'd having a hard time adjusting to sharing her space. She finds herself arguing with him about the smallest, though not insignificant things. I shared with her that we argue from time to time, too. However, the difference is that instead of just throwing in the towel, that foundation of love that we have for each other brings me back to a place of sticking with it and making it work. The "fights" are always in some way about us wanting to make happiness possible in every way. We both are continually learning how to communicate better with each other as a result. This love we have has found a home inside both of us, and neither one of us ever wants to let that go...so I'm incredibly happy to be with him.

For now, that's all there is...but it's enough. I have some ideas for the future, but until then, I'm still working, teaching, and loving hard...and enjoying it...

Blessings,

J