i teach in stepford

so i decided that i would get a blog, mostly because it's easier to update this once every few days then try to email everyone in my life and keep them updated on "my exciting life in Las Vegas."

Here is a list of oh-so-exciting things i've done this week:
1. learned to crochet
2. started crocheting a scarf
3. watched A LOT of alias reruns (before i got cable or internet)
4. watched a five-hour documentary on the history of hip hop in America on vh1
5. typed out 49 pages of stupid facts for a bulletin board at school
6. found pictures to go with said fun facts
7. fended off at least three nervous breakdowns about the fact that school starts on monday
8. read the employee handbook for my school
9. created seating charts for my classes
oh yes my friends, i do live life in the fast lane.

but seriously, school starts on monday and i'm terrified. before i left today i stopped to say goodbye to my department chair, who asked if i was ready for monday. i replied negatively, which he thought was appropriate. here's the extra fun part: i don't actually have my lesson plans done for next week!! I know what i'm going to do with my students, but i have to actually sit and write it out and put objectives with it and figure out which passages i'm going to use for my pretest and then make copies of it and then make a key and then type it all out. plus, i need to sketch out the first quarter so i know how much time to spend on everything. those of you who know me really well will understand that creating this blog and post are really a creative way to put off doing any work.

i've been in vegas two weeks now. my apartment is starting to get messy (must clean tomorrow), i still have not been to the strip (i figure i have several months to get there) and it's currently 104 degrees outside. it's supposed to be 106 on monday. but it's a dry heat. i like my apartment pretty well, though i wouldn't mind some nicer carpet. for all of you who are wondering if i've met any guys, i have, but most of them are married or have girlfriends. dammit. never fear though--wayne newton is still single.

my school is really nice, and it the area in which it's located (summerlin) really does remind me of stepford. if i start wearing lots of dresses a la mrs. cleaver, someone come out here and rescue me. the nice thing about the school is that it's one of the best in the state, in all areas--sports, band, choir, theatre, art, journalism, academics. the bad thing is that there's a loto f pressure to keep it that way. i volunteered to be the advisor for key club, which includes a trip to six flags magic mountain in november. i've arleady started having panic attacks about that idea--what if someone gets lost? injured? high? luckily, i get paid for the advising, which makes it a little better. everyone keeps telling me how much work it is, but i'm like "so what? what else am i going to do on the weekends besides sit in my apartment and watch old movies in tbs? its not like i have a husband or kids to think about, and for a while at least, i don't have many friends in this area to hang out with! i might as well do that stuff!!
so, that's that. i live in vegas. in the morning on the way to work, i watch the sun rise over the mountains. on the way home in the afternoon, i look at the hotels on the strip (and think about how hot it is). enough time wasted! must go work on lesson plans.

**huzzah! the temperature has dropped to 102 degrees!! where is my parka?