Job Realities

I've taught at the same school for the past eight years.  In fact, it's the only school I have every taught and I subbed for three years before being hired as a full time instructor.  The district is small, and has been declining in enrollment for a number of years.  There have been times I have thought about moving on primarily because a move to a larger district would mean one thing - more moolah!  

I was thinking about this tonight because I took part in a program at Iowa State where math teachers are able to get together, solve math problems and exchange ideas.  It really got me thinking about what it would be like to teach in a different district.  The new challenges and the ability to work with other teachers who teach the same subject I do.  

But with the possibility of more resources (and a bigger paycheck), closer work, etc, there is the flip side of the coin.  I love where I teach.  I work with wonderful coworkers, a great principal, and students and parents that I am familiar with (and who are familiar with me). I know the rules and how flexible they are.  Would I want to give those things up for a larger salary?  And what if the job situation wasn't the same as where I'm at now?  

The more I've thought about it, the more I'm content to stay where I am.  Sure, the pay isn't great and the thought of our district merging with another is always hanging over us every year.  I'm happy where I am and for right now, that's good enough.  Maybe in the future I'll look to move on, but for now, I'm home.

Let it snow, let it snow, LET IT STOP!!!!!!

It's snowing in Ames ... again.  It's getting to the point now where we don't have anywhere to put the snow when we shovel the driveway.  Over the past 5 days we've had about a foot of snow fall.  Yesterday we had an early out of school and this morning there was a two-hour delay. with the snow falling tonight and wind forecast for tomorrow, I'm guessing we may not have school at all tomorrow.  

It's not that I have a problem with having a snow day or two (I enjoy sleeping in).  To be honest, I'm just sick of shoveling.  Yesterday we got 4 inches of snowfall and I spent about an hour taking care of the driveway.  I had just finished shoveling the part of the drive that meets the street.  Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I finished, the city's snowplows can along to fill it back in.  UGH!  Oh to be back in Hawaii again.

Everything you wanted to know

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Robert
Birthday:	October 22
Birthplace:	Jacksonville, Florida
Current Location:	Ames, Iowa
Eye Color:	Hazel
Hair Color:	Brown
Height:	5'7.5"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Right
Your Heritage:	English/French
The Shoes You Wore Today:	New Balance Sneakers
Your Weakness:	doughnuts
Your Fears:	heights, snakes
Your Perfect Pizza:	Sausage and Mushroom
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	weight loss
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	LOL (and I'm just as bad at using it)
Thoughts First Waking Up:	Do I have to get up already?!
Your Best Physical Feature:	smile
Your Bedtime:	11:00
Your Most Missed Memory:	My high school best friend David
Pepsi or Coke:	Coke (I'm a southerner after all)
MacDonalds or Burger King:	McDonald's
Single or Group Dates:	Depends on the day
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Lipton
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Neither, hot chocolate
Do you Smoke:	NO!
Do you Swear:	Like a sailor
Do you Sing:	Only in the shower or when drunk
Do you Shower Daily:	Sometimes twice daily
Have you Been in Love:	Oh yeah
Do you want to go to College:	Been there, done that
Do you want to get Married:	YES!
Do you belive in yourself:	working on it
Do you get Motion Sickness:	No
Do you think you are Attractive:	No
Are you a Health Freak:	No
Do you get along with your Parents:	Yes
Do you like Thunderstorms:	Yes
Do you play an Instrument:
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Oh yeah
In the past month have you Smoked:	No
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	No
In the past month have you gone on a Date:
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Yup
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	No
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	No, something about raw fish makes me uneasy
In the past month have you been on Stage:	No
In the past month have you been Dumped:	Yes
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	No
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	No
Ever been Drunk:	Yes
Ever been called a Tease:	Yes
Ever been Beaten up:	No
Ever Shoplifted:	No
How do you want to Die:	Surrounded by family
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	A police officer
What country would you most like to Visit:	Australia
In a Boy/Girl..
Favourite Eye Color:	Blue
Favourite Hair Color:	Brown
Short or Long Hair:	short
Height:	high 5s to low 6s
Weight:	I like em beefy
Best Clothing Style:	casual
Number of Drugs I have taken:	perscription? I have no idea
Number of CDs I own:	too many to count
Number of Piercings:	none
Number of Tattoos:	none
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	too many to count
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

New Year's Commitment

A study by the National Institutes of Health found that on average most Americans gain 0.8 pounds over the holidays. I must have misread it. I moved the decimal point one place to the right and gained a whopping 8 pounds over the holidays.  I knew it was happening as my jeans just felt tighter around the waist.  

There are a multitude of excuses that I could use "place blame" - the after-school program I ran, basketball, traveling over the holidays and even the fact that it's just simply COLD.  But in the end I have no one to look at but myself. No one was making me eat the oh so tasty food or holding me down to prevent me from working out.  Truth be told, I was just unmotivated.  

Now that the weight is back for a return appearance (it's like Cher's farewell tour... it never ended!), instead of making a New Year's Resolution, I'm making a New Year's Commitment. With a little help from my friend Drew in Massachusetts, I've set a couple of goals.

January 1st 

Weight - 228 pounds

Body Fat - 33.5%

Short term goal - By February 1st be at 31.5% body fat

Long term goal - By January 1st, 2010 to be at 18% body fat.

I'm going to have Matt take some measurements for me in the next couple of days so that I'll have a baseline and give me some direction to where I want to go.

I went to Lied this afternoon to workout and it did feel good.  I just need to keep telling myself that this is not a sprint, but a marathon.

I'd be very open to any comments, suggestions or places where I can buy miracle weight loss pills!