Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Life's Whirlwind of Craziness

My life has been crazy; I know I always say this but it's been crazier than usual. I have a ton of posts to catch up on (mountain biking, Tour de Big Bear, training plan, etc.) but today's post is just a life update.

I've been going through a career change (read: unemployed). No, seriously though. After some soul searching, I decided to pursue a career in teaching. The goal? High school biology. I have been furiously trying to get teaching experience any way I can. Summer has been slow but I've managed to work for a tutoring company and have signed up to coach for Girls on the Run again this fall. This time, I get to be head coach for the Carlsbad group! Yippee!!! Meanwhile, I'm working on my teaching credential. I passed the CBEST, got fingerprinted for a substitute teaching permit, and am taking prerequisite classes to get into the program at SDSU. Now, I just need to land some sub teaching jobs!

Then, I got the notice that the house I was renting was being put on the market and that I had to move...STAT. Within 2 weeks, I had moved to a very cute apartment in Carlsbad. The landlord let me keep my dog and aquarium! It's been very hectic; I hate moving. I'm 99% in, including shopping at Target and hanging paintings (the fun part). The bunny, dog, frogs and aquarium are settling in well. I lost a fish and urchin due to the stress of moving but the aquarium is settling in well. Very soon, I hope to resume normal training.

I've also been crazily trying to market my animal art biz (www.rachelsanimalart.blogspot.com). Summer is in full swing so I've been manning a booth at several dog and art shows on the weekends. This weekend, I will be at the Cardiff Dog Days of Summer street fair on Saturday from 10-3 (off the 101). Be sure to stop by if you're in the hood! http://www.cardiffdogdaysofsummer.com
Finally, I've been volunteering at Hoofs 'n Woofs, a non-profit animal rescue organization in Valley Center that focuses on rehabilitating horses. I've been riding again! My "project" horse is Tonka, a recalcitrant Appaloosa, who needs a more experienced rider that knows when to push and when to back off. (Appy's are the Indian ponies with all the spots, known for being very hardy, tough and stubborn). Tonka and I are quickly bonding and having tons of fun on crazy trail rides.
Oh, and in between all those other things...I met someone (see below). He's been teaching me how to mountain bike. I knew that mountain bike I acquired years ago would come in handy someday! It's a ton of fun, although it can be a bit scary at times. So far, I learned that falling off on a mountain bike is par for the course (and usually not a big deal). Soon, I'll be learning how to kayak and stand-up paddle board as well!

Bambi (1942)

Flower: [about two birds fluttering around] Well! What's the matter with them?
Thumper: Why are they acting that way?
Friend Owl: Why, don't you know? They're twitterpated.
Flower, Bambi, Thumper: Twitterpated?
Friend Owl: Yes. Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example: You're walking along, minding your own business. You're looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of a sudden you run smack into a pretty face. Woo-woo! You begin to get weak in the knees. Your head's in a whirl. And then you feel light as a feather, and before you know it, you're walking on air. And then you know what? You're knocked for a loop, and you completely lose your head!
Thumper: Gosh, that's awful.
Flower: Gee whiz.
Bambi: Terrible!
Friend Owl: And that ain't all. It could happen to anyone, so you'd better be careful.
[points at Bambi]
Friend Owl: It could happen to you...
[points at Thumper]
Friend Owl: ... or you, or even...
[Flower looks at Owl shyly]
Friend Owl: Yes, it could even happen to you!
Thumper: Well, it's not gonna happen to me.
Bambi: Me neither.
Flower: Me neither.

3 comments:

Pschall said...

You are a busy woman! Good luck on finding a teaching job. And have fun mastering that mountain bike! :-)

Kate said...

I love MTB! And yay for twitterpation. And lastly, teaching sounds perfect for you. Your future students are lucky :)

teacherwoman said...

Yay for teaching! good luck with that! After moving myself, I am still looking for a job and there has been NOTHING opening in my area of experience. Keeping my fingers crossed tho!