Lists.

I'm not really sure what is going on right now. Overall, things are going well, falling into place. But then there are times when I feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster. Nothing major, but just... I'm not sure. I'm chalking it up to there being so much change lately. And I'm a big baby. So some things to force me to pay attention to the good. Plus, I'm a fan of lists.

1. I ran the first long run of week 8 of the couch to 5 k program. Because I was increasing pretty quickly and running more than the three times/week it calls for, I was able to compact a few of the weeks. 28 minutes, no walking intervals. When I went to the gym, I felt kinda crappy and was only going to warm-up and maybe do a few intervals, but once I started running, I felt better and decided to go for it. That, plus running everything except for the Big Hill this morning is a clear determination that progress is being made. I was starting to doubt I would be able to do the Squash Blossom even though it is a month away, but after today, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do it. If nothing else, I'll beat the walkers, right?

2. I have started a lace shawl and a mini-sweater that will become a deep-v-neck sweater.

In real life, this is more of a kiwi than an olive. I didn't want to fuss with lighting. Lamb's Pride worsted, size 7 addi circ. I will be following the Japel minisweater pattern until the v would meet, then knitting down (and none of that trim stuff). There will be some waist shaping involved, as I would like to look like I have one, but I haven't determined exactly how that will be done. I will be investigating "Sweater Design in Plain English," but suggestions welcome.


Helen's Lace by Lorna's Laces. On my monitor, pretty close to true color. Lovelovelove this yarn. Size 3 addi circ (I don't have anything else that small except DPNs) nice big chart. I'm using lots of markers. Lots.

3. Some good ideas from the librarian at school about a good home for the anthologies of plays and some of the other theatre texts I don't need to keep. I can't part with one of my theory texts, but really, I don't need most of the others. The books are the hardest thing for me. I've made some headway, but still. Lots of books.

4. Mom will be heading over this weekend and taking lots of things away and helping with a donation drop off. Yay!

5. I've separated out all the yarn I will not be keeping. I bought vacuum-bag things (those bags that you can suck the air out of with a vacuum), and plan to get some of the "to keep yarn" shipped to a friend in the near future.

Choice

Yesterday, I sent emails accepting the offer from a placment company and rejecting the offers from the hagwans (private schools). I feel good about this decision, but am still sort of in a minor freak-out, "is this real?" kinda place. Like, "I am really going to do this? For real?"

I look around my apartment, and there is SO much stuff! And I look and think, "oh, I can't get rid of that! I LOVE that!" when the reality is that I need to get rid of almost everything. I have a big rubbermaid tub of books that I'm unable to part with (though I may go through again and try to purge) and I've gone through the yarn stash and seperated out what stays and what goes. I am planning to ship a box of yarn to a friend in Korea within the next week or so. Kind of like a downpayment on actually moving, I guess. But still, so much stuff. I'm planning on a yard sale, and the rest? I guess Goodwill.

Right now, clothing will be pretty easy, as it will mostly be handknits since almost everything else is too big. While a good thing, I need to start thinking about what I need to take with me to Japan.

Decisions decisions...

I have made lists and pro/con-ed myself until I feel kind of nauseated. I'm going to talk to my parents this weekend, and may call my brother, but I'm leaning towards the public school option right now. Less knowledge up-front, but not going through this transition alone.

A friend at school today reminded me that this is going to be an amazing experience. And if I realize I made a huge mistake, it won't be the end of the world. Get up and move on. I need to remember this. And breathe. And sleep.

I got my "we would like to renew your contract" letter from this school district today. Heh. I was also told by another SPED teacher here (who just applied for her US green card - she is from the Philippines) that maybe I should just stay here and try to get married, as I am at "that age." Again, heh.

Okay, so in terms of something that isn't about my obsession with deciding on a job offers. I finished the sweater I was working on, and before blocking, tried to take pictures. Tell me if you see what I see in the color of the yarn in the body of the sweater:
(Let's pretend the neckline has been adjusted, okay?)


In the sun, same dyelot. In fluorescent light, same dyelot. But once finished? Different. Damnit.

job (4)

Wow.

I just got an offer from the placement agency I interviewed with last week.

This would be working with public schools, within an organization that has been working in the area for a while now.

I wouldn't leave until August, and the only real difference is that I would purchase my ticket there and be reimbursed by the school rather than having them buy the ticket.

I don't know what to do! I've said since the beginning that if I got this, I would probably go with it.

I sent an emails to all the schools that have made offers and asked for the weekend to decide.

I'm a little shocked right now.

I am having a hard time with the decision making process in terms of jobs. A cut and paste from an email to a friend - the input of others greatly appreciated.

In order of offers:

#1 - shared apartment, teachers positive about experience. 2.0 million won/month. Contract not super-clear, but the owner seemed like a nice guy. For sure no cameras in the classroom.

#2 - not as good of a feeling on the phone, but the people who work there were REALLY positive about their experience. Verbal agreement to single apartment, but not in the contract. (three teachers, 2 apartments. the person I talked to who teaches there said about 90% chance that won't change.) 1.9 million won/month, token relocation costs. unsure about cameras in the classroom.

#3 - good feeling from phone, I "know" someone who knows the owner, (friend of a friend) 2.2 million won/month, single studio apt., clear contract. Would probably work more than at the other schools. For sure cameras in the classroom, and while former teachers are positive (as I would assume they would be since he gave me the email addresses) the people who are there now weren't. They weren't negative, but no ringing endorsements. While some were brand new, the other had been there for a while and while he wasn't negative, talked about how he had to put in more time than he thought. Although the link was no longer active, showed up in relationship to a black/greylist site, but not sure why (which is the part that is really freaking me out) - but seems to be because they only hire North American teachers.

So, while a few hours ago I felt really good about my decision, now I'm starting to question it. A friend who is currently there has offered to "interview" the school director tonight (they were going to play poker, anyway) so I think I am going to email the other schools and let them know I need the weekend to decide. Although I said "yes" initially in the email to the third school, I'm starting to question myself.

Expect phone calls this weekend.

job offer (3)

Third job offer in as many days.

This is probably the best offer, and I know someone who works with the school director.

job offer (2)

I just received a second job offer.

Wow.

Still waiting to hear from one interview (the placement company), and have another school that has asked to talk with me.

I will have made my decision by the end of the week.

Job offer

Last night I had a phone interview with a school in Korea, and I was offered a contract.

Pros:
* I was able to negotiate for a little bit more than is standard for first year English teacher.
* The people who work at the school are very positive about their experience.
* I would be living in the apartment building right next door to a friend.

Cons:
* Housing is shared, meaning that I would have a roommate. (there are ways in which this could be a pro, but...)
* I might be able to make more money and have single housing if I were to work at a private school.

I have a couple of days to decide. If I'm offered the position with the placement company, I will probably take that instead, but all in all, this is a good offer.

By the end of the week, I should have a better idea of where I will be teaching for the next year. Wow.

hiking.

Yesterday, I walked/jogged the trail out to Milk Ranch Canyon



which is a small canyon just outside of town. You're in sort of a pine forest, then boom, there is this pretty little canyon. Short - about 2.25 miles or so round trip.

Today, I hiked Pyramid Rock

which they say is three miles round trip, but it felt like a LOT more than that. Seriously. Long. But pretty.

Interviews

I had the phone interview for a placement company I would really like to work for. It sounds pretty great - the guy who started the company taught in Korea for three years, and every couple of months he goes over with a fairly large group of people. There is orientation and training in the province where they are teaching, and so you go in with a pretty strong regional support system. All public schools, and the company takes care of placement and visa processing. I'm trying not to get too excited, because honestly I couldn't tell if having so much teaching experience was a positive or a negative. I should know in a couple of days.

I also received three requests for interviews from private schools, one asking me to look at a contract. (not the greatest offer, but pretty standard.) Things are moving in the right direction.

Unrelated: I am inordinately angry that after doing my taxes, it shows that I basically make NOTHING. And yet I owe. Not a lot, but still.

Also unrelated: Operation Get Up And Run is still in full effect. 2 miles before 6 am, 4 times this week (I started the plan on Tuesday). I can hardly believe this is me.

Update on Japan and job and random stuff.

Two months from today I leave Indianapolis for San Francisco, and two months from tomorrow, I leave for Tokyo.

We have about 7 weeks of school left this year.

On Thursday, I interview with a placement agency that will have openings in Yeosu this summer. I've sent my resume to a handful of schools where I know there will be vacancies, but I still have nothing definite, and while I know that I probably won't for at least a little while, it still freaks me out.

Things with the running are going well - I did my longest training run ever this afternoon (and possibly the longest I have ever run without stopping in my whole entire life) and while it was slow, it was still more than a mile and a half. Without stopping .(~2.25 with warm-up/cool-down) For real runners, that is kind of pathetic. For me, that is HUGE. I should probably note that this was done on a treadmill with the fan right on me, so not-so-much real-world conditions.

Also, I have about five inches left on a sleeve before I finish my second sweater. Then I can start the Print O' the Wave shawl (link is to the blog of the woman who designed it, and it has pretty pictures) and the other sweater I've been planning. Because nothing says "Spring" like a nice wool sweater. (/sarcasm).

Operation Get Up and Run

Yesterday, I came up with a plan. I decided that I would try to get up and run in the mornings before school.

Today was the first day.

It was cold and windy and hilly, but I did it. Two slow miles, with a handful of walking intervals, but Done! Good!

I know this is shocking for some people reading this, and I assure you this really is me writing. I don't know what's getting into me, either. :) I mean, one of my favorite things is being able to roll over and go back to sleep when I don't have to get up early, yet I was out the door by 5:15. In the morning.

After trying to run at 8000 feet this weekend, I kept reminding myself how awesome my first run at sea level will be. The jump from 6500 ft. to 8000 ft. wasn't pretty. But out of the mountains, I'll feel like Wonder Woman!! Rock!

jeans and running

I am wearing a pair of jeans that I haven't been able to wear comfortably since the beginning of my Freshman year in college. And even then the comfort part is debatable.

I'm a little bit in shock.

Also, I did a little bit more than half my run today on the High Desert Trail (there 's a bike race there tomorrow, so I wanted to get out there beforehand) and ran almost the entire way to the mile marker (I walked most of the first hill, but still!). Coming back was mostly uphill and into the wind so I ended up having to walk more than I wanted too, but I was really able to see the difference in my ability from just a week ago. It was beautiful and the weather was almost perfect. Windy, but sunny and cool.

Japan and Jerome

I just finished filling out my travel registration for Japan!

As I was filling out the personal information form, there was a question about personal interests that might make a particular city a good place for you to go during the "prefecture" - when we are in towns all over Japan and which includes the homestay. Ichinomiya is a city that has a lot of textiles, and is where Noro yarn is made (if you go to the site, click on "yarn pictures" - amazing) I wonder if Habu is made there, too. And I wonder if Japan has a version of an outlet store. Anyway, I mentioned that I have an interest in textiles and so would like to go there if possible, but added something to the effect that the scheduling had to be a pain and I wouldn't cry if it didn't happen. Only I made an attempt to sound like an adult, so I didn't use those actual words.

Anyway.

I also just got back from Jerome, AZ.

I drove over to Flagstaff yesterday afternoon (in remarkably bad weather, I might add) to see Mom and go to Bookman's - the world's most wonderful used book store - in order to sell a ton of books and magazines. If I could have taken store credit, I could have gone nuts in there! Instead I took the cash and traded for a book and a magazine. (An aside: I have a friend who can find sample-sale designer dress pants in her size at a Goodwill in Gallup. Me? I can find rare knitting books in used book shops. Sigh. Anyway.)

Jerome is a former mining town -I think it was abandoned at one time. Totally on the side of a mountain - it is a little disconcerting to look at, actually - southwest of Sedona coming down from Flag. The drive was beautiful, but I learned the hard way that knitting in a car - particularly on a twisty-turny road with major altitude changes - can have the same effect as reading in a car. Ugh. (I did manage to finish the body of a sweater before the ick set in, though.) It was really, really pretty. (the view, not the sweater. But that is pretty, too, I guess.)

In Jerome, I went to a lovely little yarn shop - Knit 1 Bead 2 - which is filled with more loveliness than the pictures on the web site indicate. The lady who owns it wrote the first pattern I used for something other than a garter stitch scarf - a garter stitch shawl. But it had increases! And stitch markers! Anyway, the lady was very nice. It is one of those yarn stores with lots of "fripperies", which is kind of nice to look at and touch. Afford? Not so much. But there were some basics and some things I thought were really reasonable.

To celebrate Japan, I bought a yarn from Habu - a bamboo yarn that is so shiny and pretty and even the YARN itself drapes well. Love. And the nice lady gave me a major deal on it - woo! (Like, major. But she helped wind the slithery stuff, so she HAD to know how much of it there was, right? Anyway.)

I took a bunch of pictures, but really, if you aren't there, most of the time one rock formation looks like any other. Let's leave it at there were rocks and they were dramatically beautiful. Seriously. And there was this:



Says it all, really.

three things

I am in the process of setting up an interview with a job placement agency that will have jobs (multiple) Yeosu (the city I want to be in) in August. A little later than I was hoping, but several people suggested getting in touch with this agency. We'll see how it goes.

And.

I ran longer than I have in my whole entire life (I think) today. Still not long. Good for me, though, which is the whole point of this.

And.

It is 70 degrees and gorgeous outside today.

Knitting. Or rather, unknitting.

Early last Fall, I cast on for the Faroese Shawl from a Gathering of Lace. It is the shawl on the cover of the book, and I think it is pretty, but any pattern that starts off with "cast on 421 stitches" is pretty major in my world.

And the shawl refused to grow. Now, I realize that I was knitting the whole of the outside edge of the shawl, and that as I progressed each row would get shorter. But still, no growth. And then the mistakes began. I will fully admit that there is no question that all of this my own fault. Charts were clear, techniques were basic and/or explained. I know I have a short attention span, and the chart was long. Post-its marked my place on the chart, but if I had been a smart person, I would have used more stitch markers. Mistakes were made. One half of the shawl was pretty darn near perfect. The center panel was dead on. But the first half? A mess. Stitch counts off, random yarn-overs, distorted diamonds, lines that were all over the place. And while I feel like I can fix a lot of things, this was beyond my ability. So it sat in the basket of current projects untouched for months. For a long time, I thought I would be able to come to terms with the errors and just move on, but I finally came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to be able to move on, and that this yarn deserved a better fate. So today, I ripped. out. the. whole. thing.

All scruched up on the 32inc. Addi #10:


After being freed from the needle. That's a CD case for reference as to the actual size of the thing:


And all the wool wound back up. Diet coke can for reference. (Hey, use what ya got.):


Which for those of you who don't know, that is a lot of wool.

So, this brings my current projects to a reasonable number. The sweater that has a few more inches of ribbing and a sleeve left, a sock that has been languishing unloved, and the mohair shawl that might meet my ripping wrath later today. But right now it is sunny out and I'm going to head out to the High Desert Trail.

More Japan stuff

Today I got the first packet of information for Japan!

Ooh lala!

There is a list of things I need to do and dates by which they should be done. I'm glad I have the passport in hand, as that will make things a bit easier. I should be able to take care of much of it this week (Spring Break! Woo!) and a lot of it is basically paperwork-type stuff (flights, personal data sheets, setting up a doctor's appointment, proof of US citizenship, that type of thing) so nothing too onerous. And if nothing else, teaching SPED has made me a paperwork champion.

I will be flying to San Francisco, and there is an orientation there for a day, then we fly as a group to Tokyo. We'll be in Tokyo for a while, then we will go to different towns around Japan. We'll reconvene in Tokyo for a few days and we fly back to San Francisco on the 29th. I'll find out which town I will be going to in a few weeks.

Right now, I think I will try to fly out of Indy as I think it makes a lot more sense to move before Japan (heck, I'm not even sure the airline I need to use will fly out of ABQ) and not pay rent for a month I'll be out of the country. In a lot of ways, I just want to hurry things up, then I freak out about not having enough time.

A friend is being wonderful and I have a handful of leads to follow up on for jobs in Korea already! I've edited my resume (if anyone wants to proof it, let me know! I've had some folks look at it here, but the more the merrier) and I'm planning to start getting in touch with teachers and schools next week. Ideally, I would leave for Korea soon after returning from Japan.

This is really real!

Links

I've had a couple of questions through email about the diet and fitness stuff, so I thought I would link a couple of pages here.

Fitday. This is the site that really helped me be aware of what and how much I really ate. The first week was more than a little horrifying, but now I love it. It will show you all kinds of pretty graphs, and helps track food and weight. I don't trust the activity stuff, as it doesn't seem accurate.
Stumptuous. Women and weightlifting. A feminist academic who lifts weights? Awesome.
Couch to 5K, as linked below. I'm not a runner - not yet - but I aspire to be. Baby steps.

I also know that I need something to be working towards or my attention wanders, so setting goals is really important for me. I have a couple long-term goals (unassisted pull-up, squat body weight, run the Crescent City Classic someday) and set short term ones pretty regularly as a way to keep myself motivated (the 5k, 135 bench...). I also track workouts but probably should come up with a better way to do that. I may play around with Excel over break and see what I can come up with.

So yeah, exercise more and eat less. Amazing how that works.

Oh, and it is Spring Break. Rock.