Update on My Sorry Attitude!

Ok, I just want to apologize for the crappy attitude I have had lately.  I have been drowning in a pit of self-pity and I am trying to crawl my way back out of it!  I have decided to stop whining, get over myself, and get on with finding a job.

From now on, I have decided to apply for ANYTHING that I am certified to teach ANYWHERE in Georgia.  I would really hate to move away from my family (and take Monkey away from the rest of the family), but I have to do what I have to do to support my family and not go slowly insane!  I am still hopeful I will find something within an hour's drive from home so I don't have to move.  If I do have to move, I will put my big girl panties on and just get on with it.  People move away from loved ones all the time.

I am currently at 32 applications in and more likely to add on in the next few days.  I have even applied at a correctional institution to be an Educational Manager (basically I would schedule the teachers and do paperwork).  I know I could sit back and draw unemployment for six months, but I am not that type of person.  I need to be out there doing something, working!  Now, I will not work at Wal-Mart or the like (simply because I would make more on unemployment sitting on my lazy butt than I would standing on my feet all day - isn't that sad?).

Tomorrow is a big day!  I have to do some grocery shopping, stop at the dollar store, and swing by the unemployment office again (for some job training or something).

I Got Absolutely Nothing....

So, I sat on my heiny and did nothing today (nada, zip, zilch, nothing!)  It was nice, but I think I am slowly going insane not working.  It isn't like having the Summer off is a new thing (as a teacher I always do) however this summer is different.  This summer I am off of work without the luxury of knowing I will soon head back to the grind stone.  As much as I complain about the long hours and craziness, I really do miss teaching.

I did get my first unemployment check in the mail today.  I find it strange that they would give me unemployment when I am still getting a paycheck, but if they want to, that is fine with me.  I won't refuse the money!  I do know that I absolutely can not touch this money.  I need to get it into savings as soon as possible so I have it when my paychecks stop!

Next week I have my phone interview for food stamps.  I was supposed to have it last week, however the notice didn't come in until the day after it was scheduled.  After days of playing phone tag with the DFCS lady, I finally left her a voice message asking her to reschedule the appointment and I would make sure I was available whenever it was.

So, talking about food stamps, lately I have been scouring the internet looking for cheap, easy, and filling recipes I can do to make the most out the food we will get.  I am not a chef, but I can cook simple things.  It just gets difficult in this house, we have no counter space!  If you have any tips or websites you love, please let me know!

I got to thinking earlier.  I am fat (I have mentioned this before here).  I am ok with that, I don't even mind the word.  Over the years I have taken ownership of a word that all too often was used by others in an attempt to hurt me.  I much rather use the word "fat" than "obese" - I hate that word!  Anyway, I was thinking about the silver linings of being fat.  I have never broken a bone (thanks to the soft padding I bounce! lol).  I have never been mugged or kidnapped.  Think about it, if you were a robber would you want to come up to a woman that outweighed you and could probably kick your butt?  I think not!  I have never been kidnapped.  Think about it, have you ever heard about a really fat person being kidnapped?  Nope!  Logically who would want to try to pick up and carry a fat person?  Another benefit would be that I can easily weed out the jerks in a room.  If a person doesn't want to look at me or talk to me, or makes rude comments about me, they aren't the kind of person I want around me.

 I once had a student say something rude about me being fat.  I stopped what I was doing, turned and looked them straight in the eye and said "I know I am fat, you know I am fat, the rest of the world knows I am fat.  We do not need to be told that fact.   It doesn't hurt my feelings when you call me names, but I will not stand to be disrespected in my own classroom."  You could have heard a pin drop in that classroom.  The students were looking back and forth between me and the student and they had their mouths agape.  I didn't miss a beat, I turned back around and kept teaching.  Not once did anyone in that classroom say anything disrespectful to me again.

That squirrel never saw it coming....

Not such a great day today.

My unemployment still hasn't come through, so I went down to the unemployment office today.  Had a nice 2 hour wait to talk to someone for five minutes!  Thankfully the lady helping me was so super sweet and helpful.

I then head over the Sears to look at some clothes my sister found for Monkey (he starts school this year and she found some great stuff on clearance - she works there).  I decided to wait for her as she was supposed to get off "any minute".  Well two hours later she is finally ready.  Although I did have a great time laughing with her and her boss, so it is all good.

The highlight was going to the Chinese buffet (score!  I love Chinese).

However, on the way home, I ran over a squirrel and killed it! :(  Not to mention the little fluffy bunny I ran over three weeks ago.  My killing spree has got to stop!  lol  Seriously though, it is sad and I can't get that sound out of my head (thump).  Grrrr