a much needed update

Hey guys! It’s been what, forever? Hey, if anybody ever feels so inclined, I update facebook much more frequently – http://www.facebook.com/rayviathae; just leave me a message with any friend add that says who you are on here. I’ve got most of you added on there anyway, I do believe. This isn’t to say that I’m leaving OD or anything – far from it! I love OD; I just don’t ever have the time to update it. I need to find time to do that…but then again, come November I’ll be engaging in NoJoMo, so you’ll be seeing my ugly mug every single day! Probably with a NaNoWriMo update…because that’s how I roll.

That said, how about I give you guys some updates? Since I know I made grandiose claims in the previus entry and then never followed up on them, even though it was pretty much Big News.

First and foremost, however – NaNoWriMo update! That’s right, because a month of writing stupid (and by that I mean, writing myself stupid with the idiotic idea that 50,000 words in one month is a good idea) is more important than getting an apartment, getting a job, and continuing my slow but steady pace through school. The NaNo website has relaunched; some things are still waiting to be put up, like the word count widgets. Like I said, you’ll be seeing my ugly mug every day in November. Do I have plans? Yeah, I have plans.

Panda and I are living together in this glorious apartment that is still in a general state of chaos and needs to finish getting unpacked (which will be done this weekend, hopefully), but come November our dining room table (which is sitting in the corner of the living room that we have designated, "The Dining Room") will be NaNo Central, complete with white boards, a tack board (made of bamboo…), a lot of sticky notes, a pot of coffee because fuck walking the ten steps to the tiny kitchen, and whatever snacks we need. Seriously. Also, I’m kind of thinking I’m going to aim for a 100,000 word novel? Just because…I DO NOT want to finish in 12 days again. Nothing is more boring than watching everybody nanoing around you while you’re sitting there twiddling your thumbs going, "I’m done…."

Yeah.

Do I have a plot? Maybe. This is my third idea, so we’ll see if I go with it. The one I told you about might be scrapped for now; the other one I was thinking about might be back burnered. The one I’m thinking about doing I actually came up with during week two of my third year of doing NaNo. I actually started it back then, but scrapped it and moved on to something else. I’ve played with the plot and it is now a very appealing story idea. ^_^

Okay – moving on. We have moved! We’re in the apartment now and you have no idea how much at home I feel here. I thought for certain that I was going to move out and I was just going to feel this ball of stress for the first few months about how I’m going to handle this, but all I feel is comfortable to be at home, and glad that I picked Panda to move out with. She and I get along really well. Which….we always have; we’re both pretty chill in the same ways.

I also started work, and while I was apprehensive at first and dreading the first day, I actually loved it. It was good to be back with kids again, even if it is at a different school. I have to tell you! So, I work with three groups of kids – I’m working with all of the second graders and being traded amongst the teachers as needed. So, for the first part of the days the kids stay with their teachers for the opening bit, then their teacher either does math, science, or social studies with them; during the second half of the day they go on a rotation to the other teachers, an hour and five minutes with each teacher, to get in the other two subjects. So, Thursday I had my first day – I was with one teacher for the first half of the day, and then after lunch I went to help out the woman doing the science. The first kids to come in were the kids I’d worked with already, but the second group that came in was new to me – except for one student, who walked up to me and said, "I know you."

Okay, so last year when I would go to Larrabee in the morning, there was a girl and her mother who would ride the bus to Carl Cozier; she was this adorable girl, and she was shy in the beginning of the year but as the year went on she would start smiling up at me and them smiling and waving and saying hi. Yeah. This was that girl. I loved seeing this girl every morning just because I love kids and I love getting to see them and talk with them and just…kids are fantastic. I always kind of wished that she went to Larrabee so I’d get a chance to work with her. Now, I’m over at Carl Cozier, and I get to work with her. Woot!

Man, it’s weird being there, I went to two elementary schools in this district – Happy Valley, and Larrabee. But currently working at Carl Cozier is Larrabee’s principal from last year – probably why I got the job so easy without having to come in and meet him, another teacher who worked at Larrabee last year and frequently saw me in the hallway working with Alex’s students (this would be the woman doing science), and my brother’s teacher from when we went to Larrabee when we were kids! Yeah. And this girl. So, needless to say – I’m quite excited to be where I am. I still wish I were over at Larrabee because let’s face it, working with Alex was amazing. He’s hilarious, easy going, trusts me and really makes sure to give me recognition and praise (trust me; you love going to work when your boss is always calling you and angel and saying things like, "What would I do without you?" and "You’re so good with the kids!"). Plus, he and I could reminisce about when I was younger and in his class, and catch up, and all that jazz. I will always miss working with him, and given half a chance I’d choose to go back to working with him in a heartbeat. But working at Carl Cozier won’t be so bad, and it’s a seven minute walk down the street from my apartment. And that’s just because I’m a slow walker, and Lakeway is a busy street.

Anyway, I’m going to keep gushing. Ah, ze kids…there are some really great characters there this year. I’m definitely happy to be back working with the kids. I have so missed it.

Classes are going okay. And by that I mean I’m behind and struggling and feeling overwhelmed and constantly trying to catch up, which leaves me exhausted and means that I end up missing things in class. But I will get caught up, and I do love my classes. They’re really great. I’ve just had a lot of crazy shit going on…the move and trying to get the apartment in order has cut down on the time I have to do my classwork, and starting work has also interfered with the time I would have had to get that stuff done. But I’m almost there – I’m almost caught up. I’m mostly behind in readings and that’s fine; I can skim. And I really do love these classes. ^_^

This week was a weird one. I’ll just drop this here since I haven’t really been telling anybody and I feel kind of bad about that…it just doesn’t seem worthy of telling on a mass scale. My Aunt Candy died on Tuesday. Biological aunt. My mother’s oldest sister. She had dementia, and I’m not too certain of the details but it was questionable whether it was really dementia or whether it was a special type of dementia that I gues

s you can…throw yourself into if you’re really depressed? I don’t know. I never did the research; I just know that for about half a year my mother and her siblings were working pretty hard to find out what was going on with Candy and how to make her get better, because it seemed like she didn’t actually have dementia. There was something else going on there. But they gave up because they figured she couldn’t really live a real life after having had dementia for so long so oh well. I don’t know; it was confusing. If people are curious as how what the hell I’m talking about then I’ll ask my mother, do some research, and write up a separate entry, but I doubt it’s something anybody cares about =P

Anyway, it’s been a bit weird. I didn’t really like the woman, but it really sucks that she died the way she did. I’m sure my mother’s wigging. I’ll have to call her up tomorrow to see how she’s doing.

Hm. What else was I going to say? I always feel like doing these shout-outs to certain people at the end of my long entries, if it’s been a while since I’ve updated. Just because I haven’t had a chance to say hello to them in a while. I have been reading everybody; I don’t tend to note because I have just been really worn out and can’t put thoughts together to form responses. Too many things on my head at once.

I will say one thing though: October is this amazing person that I know, and he’s getting married! So Tobey, you know that I wish you and Azie the best; and Azie, I don’t know you, but I know what Tobey says about you and how much he loves you, so I know you’re an amazing person. I hope everything goes smoothly for you both from here on out. You’re both so obviously brilliant people – you shine. Congratulations, and long life. <3

I suppose that’s it for now. Take care everybody!

Fuck it; I am doing a shout out – I love you John! You’re my favourite-est Ninja Writer Ever! And I love you Ninja Muse! Alex, I love your tattoo! It’s so cool!

Jamie doesn’t use this anymore so he won’t see this message, but my dear – you know you’re always loved ^_^

I have a lot of people in my life that I love. I’ve been pretty depressed lately, but I’m still happy. Shit’s going to keep on rolling. Things are going to get better and get worse, and the best response is to just go with the flow. Sometimes that’s easier than others, but it’s always good having people, and I definitely have people. And I love every last one of their ugly asses. ^_^ (Just kidding; they’re all gorgeous people, and they know it).

Tempeste – you’re brilliant, girl. I love you with all my heart. You are definitely my favourite sister. And since I have at least three biological sisters, you know you’re something special…because you beat out every one of them. Kisses and hugs my dear. Kisses and hugs galore.

GO HERE!

http://rayviathae.deviantart.com/art/NaNo-Calendar-2011-262792259

– VdS