First I want to give an update from my last blog. I got power back in the bathroom the other day. I had to go upstairs to the Osborne's and I told them about my problem and I had two guys come to my rescue. The looked around for the fuse box and couldn't find it, so they went to the basement. They didn't find it down there, but they did see it right behind the door to the 4th floor in the stairwell. Larry flipped the switch and my lights came back on!
Something else I still can't figure out is these bites I keep getting. I haven't seen any bug or mosquito in a couple days, but I got about 6 bites since yesterday.
In other news, I bought a tv yesterday! Since I have a place of my own to put a tv, I went ahead and spent my graduation money on a new tv before it went to rent or food. I also bought a dvd player and a couple movies. I am loving it, but I am looking forward to getting cable so I can enjoy high def!
Today I went to see The Lion King on Broadway. The boy who plays Simba was in some of our programs this summer, so we have been trying to go see him for a couple weeks. It was so fun to know the star of the show. I felt like a proud mom and I hardly know the kid. After the show, he took us on our own private tour of the stage. :) Oh, the perks of my job...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Fall, Mosquitoes, and Orange Juice
I have a few random things I felt like blogging about the past couple days, so here we go...
1) It is officially fall and I have noticed something about the wardrobes of a lot of people. As soon as it gets the slightest bit chilly, everyone is busting out in their snow boots, scarves, hats, and coats. It usually isn't all together, but it is definitely more than I think is necessary. People in Texas do this sort of thing all the time, because it doesn't get below 80 very often, so people get excited about wearing their winter clothes. But New Yorkers have 7 months or something of cold weather. You would think they would get tired of wearing winter clothes.
2) Another thing that has confused me recently is that I have killed mosquitoes in the past couple days. Last week I noticed some bites on me and I didn't know where they came from. Then the past couple days I have seen mosquitoes flying around. I saw them at Graffiti 2 and last night I opened my window to enjoy fall and one flew into my apartment. I think I solved the bug bite mystery. I also killed it by catching it in mid air. I know, I have many talents... Now I am a little paranoid about having my window open. I may look for a screen or something. I thought mosquitoes didn't like it up here. I never saw them in the summer. And I feel like it is too cold for them.
3) Today when I got back to my apartment I heard a smoke alarm beep. I heard it again a minute or so later and realized it was the one in my apartment. I had a quick flashback to Friends where Phoebe can't get her smoke alarm to stop beeping, and then I tried to figure it out. I successfully got it off the wall and took the battery out without setting off any alarms. Now I am living on the edge in an apartment without a smoke detector.
4) For dinner tonight, I made sloppy joes (and yes, I was singing the sloppy joe song from Saturday Night Live in my head while cooking). I do not have many beverage choices right now, so I chose orange juice to go with my sloppy joes. As I was enjoying my dinner, I couldn't help but think about how disgusting sloppy joes and orange juice was together.
5) I had another apartment issue tonight. I was drying my hair in the bathroom and I was just about done when the lights went out and my dryer turned off. I walked out and saw that the living room light was still on, but the bedroom light was off. I guess I blew a fuse somewhere, so I started to look around for a box. Half of the apartment had lights, but I had to use my phone in the other half of the apartment. I couldn't find a fuse box in the apartment, so I will hopefully be able to figure it out in the morning when I can see more. I'm really hoping it will magically come back and I won't have to mess with it. I don't like having to deal with all these apartment things by myself.
1) It is officially fall and I have noticed something about the wardrobes of a lot of people. As soon as it gets the slightest bit chilly, everyone is busting out in their snow boots, scarves, hats, and coats. It usually isn't all together, but it is definitely more than I think is necessary. People in Texas do this sort of thing all the time, because it doesn't get below 80 very often, so people get excited about wearing their winter clothes. But New Yorkers have 7 months or something of cold weather. You would think they would get tired of wearing winter clothes.
2) Another thing that has confused me recently is that I have killed mosquitoes in the past couple days. Last week I noticed some bites on me and I didn't know where they came from. Then the past couple days I have seen mosquitoes flying around. I saw them at Graffiti 2 and last night I opened my window to enjoy fall and one flew into my apartment. I think I solved the bug bite mystery. I also killed it by catching it in mid air. I know, I have many talents... Now I am a little paranoid about having my window open. I may look for a screen or something. I thought mosquitoes didn't like it up here. I never saw them in the summer. And I feel like it is too cold for them.
3) Today when I got back to my apartment I heard a smoke alarm beep. I heard it again a minute or so later and realized it was the one in my apartment. I had a quick flashback to Friends where Phoebe can't get her smoke alarm to stop beeping, and then I tried to figure it out. I successfully got it off the wall and took the battery out without setting off any alarms. Now I am living on the edge in an apartment without a smoke detector.
4) For dinner tonight, I made sloppy joes (and yes, I was singing the sloppy joe song from Saturday Night Live in my head while cooking). I do not have many beverage choices right now, so I chose orange juice to go with my sloppy joes. As I was enjoying my dinner, I couldn't help but think about how disgusting sloppy joes and orange juice was together.
5) I had another apartment issue tonight. I was drying my hair in the bathroom and I was just about done when the lights went out and my dryer turned off. I walked out and saw that the living room light was still on, but the bedroom light was off. I guess I blew a fuse somewhere, so I started to look around for a box. Half of the apartment had lights, but I had to use my phone in the other half of the apartment. I couldn't find a fuse box in the apartment, so I will hopefully be able to figure it out in the morning when I can see more. I'm really hoping it will magically come back and I won't have to mess with it. I don't like having to deal with all these apartment things by myself.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
I feel like a lot has happened in the past few days. First I have to start by saying I had a great first 2 days of after school program. Then Wednesday came and I had my first (and probably not last) rough day. Long story short, I had a difficult kid that I should have sent home, but didn't which caused stress to build up until I had a complete emotional breakdown. I was so discouraged for the next 24 hours until I had an opportunity to replace that experience with a better one. Thursday went very well, but Wednesday still left a bitter taste in the week as a whole.
Friday I didn't do much at all. It was a beautiful day and I thought about going to the park, but I was lazy and just sat next to the open window instead. I ordered some groceries from fresh direct. It is basically an online grocery store and they deliver to you. It is one of my favorite things about Manhattan now. Once I finally had food in the apartment, I decided I was going to actually cook. I realized there were a couple small things I needed to complete the meals I had in mind, so I ended up getting out of the house for the first time Friday evening to go to the store. I came back and made pigs in a blanket for dinner and they were delicious. The apartment is furnished, but it doesn't have a completely furnished kitchen. I made it work and I am now starting a list of things I will gradually buy.
Saturday I got up early and went to the Bronx. We were meeting a small group of 7th and 8th graders to take them to the high school fair in Brooklyn. High schools are so different here and the process is insane. This high school fair was an opportunity for students to come get information about every high school in the city. They all have a table with information and people to talk to you about their school. Going in there I started wondering if I looked like I was an 8th grader. Apparently I do look like it to come people. I was talking with one of the teenagers and we were keeping track of how many people asked me if I wanted to know about their school, or handed me some information. I didn't count everyone who gave me something, because some were giving things out to everyone who walked by, but there were still quite a few that were trying to recruit me. I'm sure I will appreciate that one day.
Saturday night I did more cooking! I made some pasta I learned from Megan. It was tricky and took awhile because I couldn't multitask as much. I don't have enough pots and pans, so I would do one thing, wash it, and then go on to the next.
Today was church at Graffiti 2 and it went really well. I really liked the service as a whole today. I'm not sure what it was but I enjoyed it! After church, I went with a couple of teenage boys that Andrew was taking shopping. We went to Manhattan Mall, which was a new experience for me. I was glad I went because I have found some more shopping options. :) We went to lunch near the mall and ended up trying Korean food. It was quite the experience. We didn't know what to order, so after asking a couple of people, we finally ordered a variety of dishes. Right after we sat down, we were flooded with plates and bowls and didn't know what any of it was. We figured out what it all was and how we were supposed to eat it all and started enjoying it. This restaurant was authentic because they didn't even have forks as an option. I can now say that I semi-successfully completed a meal using chopsticks. :) Tonight I continued my cooking streak and got ahead of the game. By the way, I also made pancakes this morning. For dinner I made my own variation of the veggie special sandwich from the OB. First I cooked some zucchini and squash and then added the pesto. I went ahead and made a lot and I put the rest in the freezer. Now I have so many left overs and I should be good for the rest of the week. I am so proud of myself. :)
The weather the past couple of days has been A-MAZING! Today it was a little warm, but it will be cool again tomorrow. I absolutely love fall weather and I am excited that I will experience a lot of it! Some other things I am excited about are my new pomegranate cider candle, fall clothes, the fact that I painted my toenails a dark color for fall, the idea of dying my hair darker brown soon, flag football next week, sitting in my living room with the window open, college football, and the start of the NBA season in a few weeks.
Friday I didn't do much at all. It was a beautiful day and I thought about going to the park, but I was lazy and just sat next to the open window instead. I ordered some groceries from fresh direct. It is basically an online grocery store and they deliver to you. It is one of my favorite things about Manhattan now. Once I finally had food in the apartment, I decided I was going to actually cook. I realized there were a couple small things I needed to complete the meals I had in mind, so I ended up getting out of the house for the first time Friday evening to go to the store. I came back and made pigs in a blanket for dinner and they were delicious. The apartment is furnished, but it doesn't have a completely furnished kitchen. I made it work and I am now starting a list of things I will gradually buy.
Saturday I got up early and went to the Bronx. We were meeting a small group of 7th and 8th graders to take them to the high school fair in Brooklyn. High schools are so different here and the process is insane. This high school fair was an opportunity for students to come get information about every high school in the city. They all have a table with information and people to talk to you about their school. Going in there I started wondering if I looked like I was an 8th grader. Apparently I do look like it to come people. I was talking with one of the teenagers and we were keeping track of how many people asked me if I wanted to know about their school, or handed me some information. I didn't count everyone who gave me something, because some were giving things out to everyone who walked by, but there were still quite a few that were trying to recruit me. I'm sure I will appreciate that one day.
Saturday night I did more cooking! I made some pasta I learned from Megan. It was tricky and took awhile because I couldn't multitask as much. I don't have enough pots and pans, so I would do one thing, wash it, and then go on to the next.
Today was church at Graffiti 2 and it went really well. I really liked the service as a whole today. I'm not sure what it was but I enjoyed it! After church, I went with a couple of teenage boys that Andrew was taking shopping. We went to Manhattan Mall, which was a new experience for me. I was glad I went because I have found some more shopping options. :) We went to lunch near the mall and ended up trying Korean food. It was quite the experience. We didn't know what to order, so after asking a couple of people, we finally ordered a variety of dishes. Right after we sat down, we were flooded with plates and bowls and didn't know what any of it was. We figured out what it all was and how we were supposed to eat it all and started enjoying it. This restaurant was authentic because they didn't even have forks as an option. I can now say that I semi-successfully completed a meal using chopsticks. :) Tonight I continued my cooking streak and got ahead of the game. By the way, I also made pancakes this morning. For dinner I made my own variation of the veggie special sandwich from the OB. First I cooked some zucchini and squash and then added the pesto. I went ahead and made a lot and I put the rest in the freezer. Now I have so many left overs and I should be good for the rest of the week. I am so proud of myself. :)
The weather the past couple of days has been A-MAZING! Today it was a little warm, but it will be cool again tomorrow. I absolutely love fall weather and I am excited that I will experience a lot of it! Some other things I am excited about are my new pomegranate cider candle, fall clothes, the fact that I painted my toenails a dark color for fall, the idea of dying my hair darker brown soon, flag football next week, sitting in my living room with the window open, college football, and the start of the NBA season in a few weeks.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
First day in charge
Yesterday we started our after school programs. I have the 1st-3rd graders and Andrew has 3rd-5th graders. We split the 3rd graders in half, and we have 15 kids enrolled in each program. I was feeling a range of emotions yesterday. None were bad though. I wasn't ever nervous, it just felt so surreal. Even though I had known I would be running a second after school program for months now, it hadn't sunken in until yesterday. Part of me felt like a teacher as I was deciding on how to set up the room and where to hang decorations. It feels weird being in charge of an after school program. I don't feel like I am old enough to be doing something like this. I also never pictured myself doing something like this. Even with all those emotions running through me, I was excited about yesterday. We went to pick up the kids from school and once we rounded everyone up, we headed back to our new site. The kids had some free time first while we waited for a couple other kids to show up. My only struggle for the day came when one of the kids came from another school. As soon as he came in he decided that he didn't want to be there. He tried to leave, so I was holding onto his arm for awhile. This went on for awhile, and he even tried to bite, hit, and step on my feet. I immediately had flashbacks from Talitha Koum, but it wasn't nearly that bad. :) Andrew happened to come by and check on things as he started screaming for juice. I was trying to transition into bible study with the rest of the group, so it was great timing. Andrew took him to the other program and I kept on going. The rest of the day went really well. We didn't get as much time for homework, but the kids worked well in the time they had.
Other exciting news is that we had our first official Graffiti 2 church service on Sunday. We met at a church at the end of the block (where we also have the other after school program) and everything went well. We had 2 guys leading in worship for us which was great! I am looking forward to seeing us grow over the next few weeks and months!
Even more exciting news...(you thought the rest was exciting enough)...I moved out of the Osborne's living room! Last week was a very rough and frustrating week with apartment things. I found out that I did have the option of moving to the 4th floor of the association building (that I was already in, just on the 6th floor). I went back and forth and couldn't make a decision until Saturday when I called and got a key. Within a couple of hours I was all moved in into my own one bedroom apartment. It was such a relief to finally have a place of my own. I have a big closet and HUGE bathroom! I am enjoying it, even though I still want to find a place in the Bronx.
I think that is the complete update on my life right now. It is very exciting and I am loving life!
Other exciting news is that we had our first official Graffiti 2 church service on Sunday. We met at a church at the end of the block (where we also have the other after school program) and everything went well. We had 2 guys leading in worship for us which was great! I am looking forward to seeing us grow over the next few weeks and months!
Even more exciting news...(you thought the rest was exciting enough)...I moved out of the Osborne's living room! Last week was a very rough and frustrating week with apartment things. I found out that I did have the option of moving to the 4th floor of the association building (that I was already in, just on the 6th floor). I went back and forth and couldn't make a decision until Saturday when I called and got a key. Within a couple of hours I was all moved in into my own one bedroom apartment. It was such a relief to finally have a place of my own. I have a big closet and HUGE bathroom! I am enjoying it, even though I still want to find a place in the Bronx.
I think that is the complete update on my life right now. It is very exciting and I am loving life!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Back to school, back to school...
But not for me!!! :) Today was the first day of school for kids and teenagers in the Bronx. I was so excited this morning about today. I was walking down the street, on my way to Graffiti 2 and I really had to keep myself from smiling really big (and looking creepy!) I was excited about seeing kids and teenagers I hadn't seen in weeks. We also were going over to the school to pass out flyers and pencils advertising for the school supply sale, so I got to see a lot more kids there.
After we finished with that, we started getting ready for the school supply sale. The mission team cleaned Graffiti 2 and we stayed busy until about 8:30. I drank a Dr Pepper for lunch and kept working. We had the school supply sale from 2-5:30 and then switched gears to get ready for the information meeting for teenagers who want to work with us this year. The next couple days will be full of prep work for the after school program and church. We will have teenagers come in for interviews and we have to decide which 20 teenagers will work with us out of the 25 or so who came to the meeting tonight. We also registered kids for the after school program today. We filled our 30 spots and have a waiting list that is 8 kids long. We got so busy today that I didn't even get a chance to look at all the kids we had sign up. I know we have a lot of new faces this year which is exciting!
After 2 long days and with another early morning ahead of me, I am off to bed!
After we finished with that, we started getting ready for the school supply sale. The mission team cleaned Graffiti 2 and we stayed busy until about 8:30. I drank a Dr Pepper for lunch and kept working. We had the school supply sale from 2-5:30 and then switched gears to get ready for the information meeting for teenagers who want to work with us this year. The next couple days will be full of prep work for the after school program and church. We will have teenagers come in for interviews and we have to decide which 20 teenagers will work with us out of the 25 or so who came to the meeting tonight. We also registered kids for the after school program today. We filled our 30 spots and have a waiting list that is 8 kids long. We got so busy today that I didn't even get a chance to look at all the kids we had sign up. I know we have a lot of new faces this year which is exciting!
After 2 long days and with another early morning ahead of me, I am off to bed!
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