Explain Please

So, it was brought to my attention that perhaps I acted like a tease...well maybe just a bit. Of course I could also argue that I just needed a little processing time. The older I'm getting the more I value that "shut up and say nothing for just a minute" time. Whatever my reason (notice I did not say excuse!), I'm fully prepared to do the explaining that so many of you asked for.


I should warn that this could possibly be a long post.


The Car
In short...wrecked, totalled, absolute loan mess, new car...sigh! The details are boring, but frankly there was a huge delay with the loan process. I did what the bank asked me to do with having the dealership fax over the sales worksheet. They let it sit on the fax machine for a day (all they can offer by way of explanation is some fuzzy "We're sorry.") which pushed it back till after the weekend. Then once the loan was approved I needed to have some documents which if I'd kept them it would have been easy to get them faxed over to the bank. But, since I'm all for getting rid of "clutter" I'd tossed it out. Basically, after a week of "I don't believe it!" moments I finally got to go and pick up my car. It is a 2008 Kia Spectra that I lovingly call Spence. And, after all was said and signed on multiple dotted lines, I bought a car! It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be and that is directly because of some great advice/support/coaching from Josh (see...I told you I'd sing your praises) and lots of the same from my parents. Now, that is a lot to sigh about!


That Job Thing
A few weeks ago, my principal called me in and said that because of low numbers they were going to have to do some changing around. My heart nearly stopped. I thought I was being sent to another campus. Luckily for me, she just wanted to tell me that my AG (above grade learners) 2nd graders should begin learning third grade material so I'd have a section of AG 2nd and OG (on grade learners) 3rd. So, while I'm still teaching Language Arts and Social Studies I now teach 2nd and 3rd graders. It has been an adjustment, but I actually like the challenge. At first, a lot of the other teachers (let's just say there were many...many schedule changes to make this work) weren't very interested in this change. I can't blame them either...I hate change, but this time I went in with a positive attitude and it has been really...positive. Imagine that! So, yeah...I don't just teach 2nd grade anymore. I bet that is going to look so cool on a resume too!


I Finally Cracked...
For a while I've been having some pain in my foot. Okay, more than just a little pain...a lot of pain. It started months ago, but finally was bad enough to drive me to the doctor. I was pretty stunned when my family doctor thought it was a benign growth on a nerve and sent me immediately to an orthopedic surgeon. After several sets of x-rays and prodding around, it was determined that it was a much simpler affliction...a stress fracture across three metatarsals. I spent three weeks in the most unattractive and uncomfortable boot and now I've moved into the post operative shoe. Not a big improvement in the attractive footwear department, but much improved in the comfort one. I have to wear it for the next four weeks and then be re-evaluated. This truly has felt like the year of the medical mishap, but thankfully the year is almost over and this was the last one!


There have been a lot of little other things along the way, but those were the big things. I really should start blogging as things occur instead of trying to play catch up. Seriously.

Learn From Me

Today I was reminded of quote...You can't make all the mistakes yourself so learn from other's screw-ups.

Okay so maybe that's not it word for word, but it sure does fit my post. Remember the post about waiting so long to get started on my passport? Well, consider this part two of the whole debacle. At least I was fully clothed for this round - that's about the only good thing I can say.

I went to the downtown post office this morning (I should mention that it's practically on the opposite end of town than where I live) and waited in the passport line for about ten minutes. Then I heard the somewhat grumpy guy behind the counter ask for the guy in front of me's birth certificate. That's when I remembered that I didn't have mine with me. Oh I'd wagged it from home, but it was currently in a bag at my parents house. I grumbled and then left.

This afternoon I went back...armed with said birth certificate. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a different guy altogether at the counter. He was friendly and quite chatty. He saw that I lived in Huntsville and asked if I was married. Strange question, but I answered. Then he wanted to know if I was any one's pen pal or working on an escape plan for some guy who'd ended up in the pin for robbing a convenience store for a snickers and tank of gas. I assured him that wasn't the case. Things were moving along smoothly when he stapled my birth certificate to the passport pack. I asked if he could make a copy and that's when he realized that it wasn't an "official" copy of my birth certificate. He directed me to the county courthouse to purchase an "official" one for $23. Grumbling some more I left.

I made it over to the county courthouse and waited in line there. I guess there was a run on birth certificates today. Anyway, I step up and the lady informs me that they only take cash. By now my grumbling is starting to be vocalized and just a tad unlady like. I asked if there was an ATM and of course there wasn't. I mean come on...that wouldn't fit the theme of this whole passport thing! She did inform me that there were two banks where I could get cash from the ATM. So, I left and returned with the required cash. Finally I was able to get my "official" birth certificate. And just so you know, an "official" birth certificate is just a copy of the original one with a Texas seal punched into the corner.

I returned to the post office to discover that the friendly guy wasn't at the window any longer, but rather that by-now-really-grumpy guy was there. I handed over my "official" birth certificate and we started the process of finishing things up. I asked for expedited service and apparently this was just what ticked this guy off. He looked back to my anticipated departure from the country date and let me know in no uncertain terms that I'd be lucky if it reached me in time. Well, thanks a lot Mr. Grump...I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter. Anyway, I said thanks for the information and then we got to the big bucks part of the transaction. And when I say big bucks I mean it. Just to recap:

Practically naked passport photo $7.99
"Official" copy of birth certificate $23.00
Expedited passport paper work application $127.00
Post office processing fee $30.00
Expedited over night service to L.A. California $16.25
Expedited over night service of passport back to me $16.25

And there lies the lesson, friends. Get your passport crap together early! Do not wait until the last minute! I left the local post office this afternoon with a much lighter wallet and several new brain wrinkles when it comes to staying on top of things.

And I've also come to this decision...I will travel out of the country...a lot...in the next ten years to make this whole experience worth it!

I Need To See Your Passport Please

Just let me start this post by saying there are about a hundred other things I should be doing at the moment...namely packing. See, I'm leaving tomorrow (because I'm leaving for the summer and blah blah blah...) and I haven't packed a single thing. I have made a list (you know because I think lists are almost divine) of things to pack but as of right now not a single thing is in a suitcase. As a matter of fact the suitcase is still in the closet. Do you think there are support groups for people like me? Hello, my name is Steffany and I'm a procrastinator.

And speaking of procrastinating, I've been planning the upcoming cruise since November. You'd think someone who liked to make lists and make sure everything was planned down to the last minute would have had her passport in her hands months ago. And...you'd be wrong. I've been meaning to, but I haven't. I've checked with the cruise line and while it's not required that I have one it wouldn't hurt either. So I'm getting one. And paying for my procrastination to the tune of $60 to rush it...whatever rush means to the US Government.

Yesterday I went to get my passport picture taken. I'm going to stop right here and just say that a passport picture is like all other pictures needed for documents...they suck. It's not a horrible picture mind you, but I'd never want to willingly show it off. Anyway, not thinking about the dimensions of said picture yesterday I wore a super cute black off the shoulder top. I walked into Walgreens and asked to have a passport picture made. The lady told me where to stand and said okay on three. She said three and I smiled. Since it was only going to take five minutes or so I decided to wander around the store. I found myself in the greeting card aisle (surprise surprise) and up comes the lady with a goofy grin on her face. She told me that she'd like me to see the picture because it looked like I was naked. Yes, she said "It looks like you're naked!" very loudly in a semi crowded Walgreens. We walk back to the photo lab (the whole time with her repeating how funny it is because I look naked) to the screen where I'm 2" x 2" and yes I look very...unclothed in the picture. She's still going on about how I looked naked (still very loudly) and I quickly asked her if we could re-take the picture.

She took me back over to the background and we tried it again. I literally had to hold the sleeves up on my shoulders and when she said three let them go and smile. It's amazing that my hands actually weren't in the picture and I did have a smile...well one of those fake ones. This time I hung around the lab counter so if I still looked naked she couldn't yell it as far. Thankfully, this one came out much more...decent. So now I have the required pictures minus a little bit of my dignity.

The moral of this story...when you book a trip out of the country in November get your passport pictures taken in November. You'll most likely be wearing long sleeves and you'll dodge the "you're naked" bullet in a crowded store. See...I might not have my clothes packed, but I've just performed a huge public service!