Updates updates (and a thought)

Update one (about jobs)- there is no updates. I haven't heard anything. But the position that (I hope) my name was put in for closes on the 31st, and I'm taking the certification exam for deaf education next weekend, so crossing fingers, I'll have a job soon. Because...

Update two Kerry and I decided to start house hunting, because our lease is up in August. We found a great house that's a foreclosure, for a great price. We looked at it twice last week, and Kerry's going to see what kind of loan he can be pre-approved for, and we may put in an offer! We could definitely afford it on just his salary, but my having a job too would definitely help! It's a three bed, two bath, in a really great area. The house has great resale value, and it's a tiny bit closer to the main highway to get to Savannah. So if we did get the house, I wouldn't have as long a commute.

Update three We have almost everything done with wedding planning. We went to Florida early this month to figure stuff out. In one week, we booked a florist, a cake baker, the officiant, ordered a ketubah (Jewish wedding contract), set our menu and booked a room block. I think that's it, but I can't remember off hand.

Not much else going on. I'm working on CPH, finished a Sheldon for one of Kerry's coworkers (who had a baby March 9), and I'm taking a brief hiatus from CPH to work on Juno Regina a bit.

Oh, and that thought...I don't know what made me think of this, but I had a strange thought the other day. Vegans (at least those for political/ethical reasons) believe that wearing any animal fiber is wrong because they're treated inhumanely, right? I wonder how many of them realize that not shearing a sheep (or any other animal that's shorn regularly) is inhumane, because the matting can become painful and the heat could become very uncomfortable...

Oh yeah!!! And I forgot- Kerry and I are going to Disney World in June. His friend and his friend's girlfriend are also coming. We haven't seen his friend in a year and a half, so that's awesome. AND we're staying in the Animal Kingdom Villas! I'll be working a day (obviously), but we'll be spending a weekend together. Kerry's friend hasn't been to Disney World since 1999, so a lot has changed.

So about that job lead...

Last week (not the one that just ended, but the one before), Kerry went to his first Kiwanis meeting here. This meeting happened to focus on audiology (which is a bit part of the point, a bit beside the point). At this meeting, Kiwanis donated $1100 to the audiology center of This County School System program for deaf education (it may not be called exactly that, especially not with the "This County", but you get the gist). The person accepting the donation was the head of This County's deaf education program. And she happened to be sitting across from Kerry. They were talking a bit, about how ASL is such a logical language (and it does, just ask anyone that knows it), and he mentioned how he's slowly picking up ASL because his fiance signs to him when she's on the phone or his mouth is full. He also mentioned that I'd just graduated from college with a degree in deaf education, moved down in December and was looking for a job.

She actually remembered e-mailing with me back and forth! She told Kerry that I should e-mail her again (I have), that I need to take the GACE (Georgia tests for teacher certification) in deaf education and get my 5-year nonrenewable certificate. Which, by the way, is a really awesome idea, because there's a job in Savannah Chatham County for a deaf ed teacher for next school year. And she's going to mention to her friend, the head of the deaf ed program in Savannah Chatham County, to look for my name! I feel like I may have an edge anyway, because of my degree. The only thing I don't have for the nonrenewable certificate is the GACE. I have a bachelor's degree with a final GPA above 2.5 from an accredited college, I am GACE basic skills exempt because of my SAT scores, the only thing I don't have is the GACE in deaf education. She also encouraged me to get interpreter certification.

So YAAAAY!!! For a job lead!

If you looked at my labels before reading, you'll notice that two of them are "synagogue" and "Judaism". Kerry and I went to services at the conservative synagogue in Savannah last night. We both felt uncomfortable with the service, but because there are so many different tunes to Jewish prayers. But we felt really comfortable with the people, the rabbi is really nice, and we felt comfortable with everything else. Especially since there were a few teachers there and they gave me some extra tips. But they're a Saturday morning synagogue, not a Friday evening synagogue. What does that mean? The congregation is larger for Saturday morning services than for Friday evening services. So in a couple of weeks, Kerry and I are going to go to services on Saturday morning.

Things seem to be falling into place slowly but surely. A setback- I applied for jobs at Petco a few weeks ago, and decided to give them a call to see the progress on that, and I'm told that they were fully staffed. So no job at Petco for me :( It would have been nice to have something to do while waiting for a job with benefits to come up. Thankfully, my parents are paying for my COBRA until I a) get a job with benefits, or b) marry Kerry, whichever is sooner.

So yeah, another update in the boring life of unemployed me.

When I can start my masters program

In early January, I brought in the paperwork needed to have my transcripts evaluated for what I'd need to get into the Masters of Arts in Teaching program in either middle grades education or art education. This past Saturday, I received the response in the mail.

For middle grades education (grades 4-8), I need two concentrations. I was originally thinking language arts and math. But then I saw I only need two classes (undergraduate) to complete requirements for social studies- US and Georgia History. Sounds easy enough. If I get a full-time job, I can take those classes part-time. So maybe I'll do social studies, not language arts. But then...then to get a concentration in math, I need 5 math courses. Science or language arts? 4 courses. So I think that no matter what, I'll probably be going to school full-time during the summer.

Art education, I'm even further behind than I would be in middle grades education. I would need a total of nine courses. That's a full year, if I go to school full-time. I don't think I'll do art education...

Kerry and I talked about it. No matter what, I'm going to start those undergraduate prerequisite courses spring semester 2010. I'll have in-state residency for a year (in state tuition), and our wedding and honeymoon will be over.

Next blog post- the awesome job lead Kerry got me

More of an update...

So here's what's been going on since I posted last...

I'm still unemployed, and becoming very, very upset about it. I'd like a job very much please. I've purchased three books for studying- the GACE for early childhood education study guide (the GACE is an exam one must take for Georgia teacher certification- I'm exempt from the first test because of my SAT scores), an MAT study guide and a GRE study guide. I plan on taking at least two of the tests in the next six months.

Kerry and I went to Walt Disney World for the long weekend. I worked a day, we played a day.

Remember how I mentioned (in July) that Kerry and I went to the Morikami Museum, which was a place I've wanted to get married since I was a little girl? We've got it! Our wedding date is October 18, 2009. We've registered for some stuff, but we need to add more. Apparently, if we're expecting 100 guests, we need to have about 150 things on our registries (combined). We currently have 90.

Yarn. Kerry's mother gave me a gift certificate to Knit Picks for my birthday. I used it to buy yarn to make a cute hoodie. It's going to have cables and will be red. And it's called the Central Park Hoodie. Pics (from the pattern's site, though I paid for the pattern):

Moved!

I've graduated (with a 4.0 GPA in my last semester!) and moved to Georgia. Things are a bit busy (and lazy at the same time) right now, so not much to say. We have a LOT of the planning for the wedding done already. I'll update more as I have more to announce ;)

Super happy news!!

Picture whoring first:


Yes, that is my hand. Yes, that is a diamond. On my left ring finger.

I'm engaged!!

How it happened:

Kerry and I were meeting up this weekend so I could give him some stuff from my room at school so I would have less to bring with me after graduation. Friday night, we both arrive at the hotel about the same time, check in, and go to the room. We were going to go to Applebee's to get an appetizer and drinks, so I sat on the bed with my coat on. Kerry said "Why don't you take off your coat and stay a while?" I mentioned that I thought we were going right away. He said that he was going to go to the bathroom first. I decided that since I'd just driven 3 hours, and drank a cup of soda (from grabbing a quick dinner at a drive-thru) in the first hour, I should go, too.

So he lets me go first. I finish, open the door, and he's on his knee with the ring, and says "We can't go yet. I have to ask you to marry me first." I was in absolute shock, because he'd always said he would propose after I graduate. I laughed, thinking "Oh G-d, he's proposing to me and I haven't crossed the threshold out of the bathroom yet!" and crying out of happiness. Ten minutes later, I'm still laughing, my hands are still shaking from the surprise/happiness, and he reminds me that I hadn't told him whether he'd marry me yet, but he'd assume that my accepting the ring meant "yes".

There are more pictures here.

Top bizarre names in football

While I was watching the Giants v. Steelers game today, I thought "You know, there are some really bizarre names in the professional sports industry." And decided to do some research. These players are not listed in any particular order of weirdest names, I just think they're weird. I also do not count weird spellings of names (like Jeremi Johnson or Johnathan Joseph), nor spellings that may indicate ethnicity (eg. Dewayne anything- that name's unbelievably common), as well as names that I think are weird, but the person was born out of the US, because I don't know if that's a common name in their home country. You'll notice I mostly cite funny names that are American. Oh, and these are my opinions, so don't flame me and say "Nuh-uh! It's a totally normal name!"

So, in the NFL:

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cincinnati Bengals)- um...how do you even pronounce that name?
Frostee Rucker (Cincinnati Bengals)- Yes, that is his real first name.
Marvel Smith (Pittsburgh Steelers)- I really hope whoever named him wasn't into comics...
Paris Lenon (Detroit Lions)- I've only heard of two people whose first name is Paris. They're both female.
Napoleon Harris (Minnesota Vikings)- You know, there was this other guy named Napoleon...and he lost his battle.
Marcedes Lewis (Jacksonville Jaguars)- A twist on the female name Mercedes?
Alge Crumpler (Tennessee Titans)- Did anyone else first read that as "algae"?
Von Hutchins (Atlanta Falcons)- Part of me thought he may be related to Sarah Palin. You know, the lady that named her youngest Trig (something something) Van Palin because she thought it would be funny to have a kid whose name rhymed with Van Halen?
Lawyer Milloy (Atlanta Falcons)- His parents must have had high aspirations for him. I bet he's now the target for any player that's been screwed over by lawyers.
Lousaka Polite (Miami Dolphins)- A food with nice manners. That's all I can say.
Laveranues Coles (New York Jets)- another "how do you pronounce that" name
D'Brickashaw Ferguson (New York Jets)- I can't find anything to say about that name.
Tank Johnson (Dallas Cowboys)- if you're a tank, then you should be a better defensive tackle. But you obviously aren't, given how your team is doing this year.
Plaxico Burress (NY Giants)- One of the first names that made me think of this list. I always think of plastic.

If you have any other names that you can think of that are funny, let me know. I'll do baseball eventually, because one of my favorite names is from baseball (Coco Crisp!)