Just 'a filling you in!

To all my dearly devoted enthusiasts:

I have promised most of you in person that I’d update you soon.  Soon has passed so I’m afraid I’m much overdue in fulfilling my promise.  My apologies, but prepare yourself, I will make it up to you in the perfection of my writing. 

My summer began as excitingly as you can imagine.  I finished my semester of student teaching in Fayetteville, North Carolina and graduated a week or so later, with family coming to see me from near and far.  It was a day I will never forget!  My sincerest thanks to everyone in my life, if it wasn’t for each and every one of you, molding me and supporting me, I wouldn’t be who or where I am today.  I always say that I’m the luckiest girl in the world, and it’s true.  Because of you.

After the elation of graduation (you’re welcome for the rhyme) ended, it was time for me to go back to the ol’ grind stone.  Work.  I love(d) my job at SpecComm, but that chapter was going to give me H-E-double hockey sticks before it would let me go.  I worked a month of way too many hours to describe before the big trip.  This time, I was able to go to Belgium and worked my little patootie off some more even after I got there.  After the success of a show ended, I got to vacation in Holland and Belgium with my mother, sister and brother in law.  Again, luckiest girl in the world.  We saw Brussels, Amsterdam, Leiden, Alkmaar, Gouda, Antwerp and the Haag.  I made new friends, new memories and a little spot in my heart will forever be changed by the experience. 

After I returned home…begrudgingly…I went back to work with much less work on my plate.  I played follow the bouncing office three or so times before the whirlwind began.  “What whirlwind,” you ask?  Oh, well let me fill you in.  It began one foggy Thursday morning (foggy brain, not foggy outside) with a new message in my inbox from a name I didn’t recognize.  I opened the message, read the first couple of lines and my stomach lurched.  It was someone in Texas who was interested in my resume.  Holy COW!  Dublin, Texas, it said.  Then, I wondered…I looked it up…how far is this town from my sister in Dallas?  Okay, Google Maps, deliver me good news please.  120 miles and 2.5 hours.  Hmm.  That’s possible.  Alright, I’ll contact him back and see what’s what.  Do I email him because he emailed me?  Or, should I call and seem more on top of things.  Okay, mom, I’ll call.  So I did. 

The call went well, I so confidently decided, and then my first of many games of waiting began.  In angst. 

Phew.  The wait ended after about a week.  I got another email, and a Skype interview was scheduled.  Angst again.  Nervous angst…for the unknown and my first real interview.  Ugh.  Well, the day came (2 days later) and my interview happened.  It was 45 minutes long in office bounce #2 of the summer and I felt elated when it ended.  I thought it went so well, I was hopeful, but again, I had to wait LONGER!  Ugh.  I am no fan of waiting.  I got a call about a week later that the next principal wanted to E-meet with me and ask me a few questions.  Oh geez.  Okay, so that was scheduled for two days later, and yep, you guessed waiting in nervous angst…but more excited because it was my second interview!  That was a good sign, right?!

Things were looking good for me in my own little brain, but I wouldn’t know for a while still.  After the second interview, a whopping 5 minutes long, I was ensured that they’d let me know by early next week.  This was Thursday.  GEEZ.  Now, I had to wait over the weekend to hear something and then what is” early next week?  Monday?  Wednesday?  UGH.  Finally, after a “relaxing” weekend… It was Monday again…waiting, waiting, waiting, nothing.  Okay, Tuesday…waiting, waiting, waiting…MAN!  Alright, Wednesday.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.  UGH!  THURSDAY.  Waiting, wai…ring ring, “HELLO?”  “Hi, Stephanie?”  This was it!  The moment I had been waiting for…I’ll get either a job offer or a thanks anyway.

Then I heard it.  CONGRATULATIONS!  I couldn’t believe it!  I can’t believe it!  BUT.  Yep, there’s always a “but.”   The Superintendent needed to meet with me the upcoming Monday.  Now, remember, this was Thursday morning. 

PANIC mode came back.  Mom was in a meeting, my sister wasn’t available, the only time in the entire day that I knew I couldn’t get in touch with anyone.  WHAT DO I DO?   I decided to try to relax while researching flight times/costs with my airline miles, moving around the move date…going crazy with what if’s. 

So, I called dad.  He helped me cool off, calm down a little and take a breath.  Dad’s cool head reassured me that this whole thing was GOOD NEWS and it would work itself out.  By the time I was finished talking with him, and go back inside, mom’s meeting was dispersing.  THANK GOODNESS.  She sees my smile and gets misty eyed…dumb contagious tears!  We were both excited but I was also panicking, so emotions were difficult to keep a handle on but there were only tears, no sobs.  (Those of you that know me, know that this is quite a miracle! ;p)

Thank goodness for my traveling…miles saved up…I had enough miles for a roundtrip and a one way ticket.  Phew!  The one-way was for my sister to fly up then drive down with me. 

My mom and I discussed, my sister and I discussed, I called American Airlines.  Everything worked out.  Now, about a month earlier, I planned this weekend to escape to the beach with my girlfriends.  So, when I went home that night, I had to pack as much as possible, not only for the big move, but for my beach weekend.  I was unsuccessful.  My car was over packed for the beach trip in general, and I under packed…like 2 left shoes and no back up pairs.  Go me.  Rushing is obviously not my thing.  Friday came, the beach weekend came, it was spectacular!  By NC beaches L boo hoo.  Then Sunday came, I drove back home, bid adieu to my friends and mom and dad drove my cranky little tail to the airport.  Stress makes me cranky.  I was stressed because my REAL official okay was reliant upon my meeting with the Superintendent.  Ugh. 

Monday came; sissy drove me the 2 hours over to Stephenville, Texas in search of a pet friendly apartment.  We had two options.  TWO.  They were very similar.  Same rent.  Same deposit, same exuberant pet fees.  One had no fitness center or pool.  The other had two pools, an enormous fitness center and two racquetball quarts!  TWO RACQUETBALL COURTS!  What apartments have those?  Well, simple to say, the decision was made for me. 

Now that the apartment dilemma was finished, we drove around Dublin, instagram-ed, and saw what there was to see around town (not much).  Now, it was time to check the face, get out-the-car and walk up to the school to meet with the band director and the (dun-dun-dun) Superintendent.  After I met with the band director, toured the immense grounds of the school (not so much) and met the principal face to face, it was time to meet with the big man. 

It was very BUSINESS and went well.  That evening, the school board was supposed to vote on me.  I HAD TO WAIT FOR AN ANSWER AGAIN!  So, I went back to Dallas with my sister, with much less edge, tried to unwind and head to bed early because we had a seven o’clock flight the next morning.  Much to my surprise, as I tried to set my alarm on my phone on my way to sleep, there was a missed call.  Crap.  I texted it back because it was after ten at night.  Then.  Ring, ring.  Hello?  And then, I heard the official CONGRATULATIONS!  Woot.  I still have to sign my contract but you are now reading the blog of an employed music educator. 

I now live in a little town outside of Dublin, Texas, population 3,887.  I can see my sister every weekend, even on a week-night if I really wanted to!  J  I paid rent on my first apartment for the first time yesterday and I’m up to three and a half pieces of furniture: a bathroom over-the-toilet shelf, an ironing board and an air mattress.  Tink and I are doing well. 

Have you been to the heat that is Texas?  Well, it is like standing behind a car’s exhaust…all the time.  But I’m so excited to be nearly 3 months out of college with a constant state of employment, from SpecComm straight into Dublin Independent School District.

Look out for many exciting posts to come, including (probably) apartment décor pic’s and such.

All my love to you all.

You are most welcome for the teensy-weensy size of this post in observance of your extremely busy lives.

;p