PostSecret

Well, I'm not married and I definitely don't have children... But I hope for this all the time. <3 <3

To the stupid people of the world:

.... Particularly the Stupid Lady with her Stupid Little Kid at the Sumner Movie Theatre at the 7pm showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2...

You know who you are.

If your child needs the entire movie narrated to them to explain EVERY SINGLE THING that is going on CLEARLY your child is TOO YOUNG to be seeing this PG-13 MOVIE!

I am not sure you are aware of how close you came to creating an altercation in the movie theatre. Police probably would have been called.

This is the first time I've seen this movie and not been emotionally moved by the actions on screen BECAUSE I WAS SO MAD AND UPSET AT YOU FOR TALKING THROUGH THE MOVIE.

ESPECIALLY DURING THE SCENES WITH NO MUSIC AND NO DIALOGUE.

How stupid and discourteous can you get????

The movie cost $0.99. Spend the other $8 you would have paid at any other theatre and get a babysitter. Or don't go to the movies. It's as simple as that.

Also, why are you taking a child who is not old enough to understand what is going on, or have an awareness of why they should NOT TALK IN A MOVIE THEATRE to Harry Potter of ALL MOVIES???

I have many other nasty things to say, but I would not be surprised your child is already going to have nightmares. I hope you don't get any sleep.

To paraphrase the television show Firefly:

There's a special circle of **** reserved for people who talk in a theatre...

Wednesday is done. Check.

Well. Today's inservice was like a mini Band Banquet if you know what I mean. Blech.

In other news, I won $100 from Wal-Mart to spend on things for my music classroom! That actually *IS* exciting!

Also, it amuses me that since two of my friends from New Zealand have wished me Happy Birthday (think 17 hours ahead) on Facebook, which has prompted two other friends (who live in Iowa) wish me Happy Birthday too. LOL! A little early folks. Not til tomorrow.

Also, if you read this and live in Linn County, Iowa, VOTE! (In November.) Don't let Iowa go the way of Wisconsin. I really like having collective bargaining rights for my teaching contract. Among other things.

Soylent Green is People...

(Dan and I are discussing the recent and upcoming changes happening on Facebook. This is sort of the "abridged" version. Dan deleted his account yesterday. I am in the process of doing so - I'm working on transferring my photos.)

Me: It's hard convincing people that the world is not going to end if you don't have Facebook.

Dan: I know.

Me: It's the random-interval reward system that makes it so powerful. It's an endorphin release! People think the world revolves around them and will check the site to gossip, spy and engage in other attention-seeking behaviors. The world survived before Facebook. It's really just a World-Wide Backyard Fence, and people love to gossip. Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies don't really care about the people who use the site.

Dan: No, they don't. I believe you're right.

Me: Zuckerberg knows that people are addicted to Facebook and may gripe about the new changes, but will ultimately accept and put up with whatever changes he decides to implement. He could do anything.

Dan: What creeps me out is that Facebook is still privately traded. It's not a public company. They are able to do all these things that would not be accepted if they allowed the public to invest in their "company."

Me: It's true. Zuckerberg is counting on people thinking that the internet revolves around them. By subtly requiring people to share more and more personal information as time goes on, what's to stop Facebook from requiring a credit card number to "verify your account" 5 years down the road? Remember when they used to have that "security screen" that "required" you to put in your cellphone number for "security reasons?"

Dan: Oh, absolutely! I never put in my number, I always got out of it by clicking to another menu.

Me: Me too.

Dan: This is a really good explanation of what Facebook is: Think of Facebook like a store. YOU are actually not the "client." You are Facebook's inventory and the actual clients are the advertisers that you throughout the site. Facebook wants you to share as much as you possibly can because that inventory will interest more advertising clients and make them more money.

Me: You know, you could write a really creepy dystopian sci-fi novel about a future where people are addicted to social media, which is really being monitored by the government and the people who are not participating in the social media are shunned and ostracized.

Dan: They already have. It's called Nineteen Eighty-four.

Me: .............. Oh my gosh...

Dan: So yeah. Your idea is so good, that it's already been done, over 50 years ago.

Me: ... You're right. George Orwell predicted Facebook...

Dan: Yep. Facebook is Ingsoc, monitoring you through the telescreen of what you post online and share, whether you know what you're sharing or not.

Me: ................ Oh my gosh............. OH MY GOSH! FACEBOOK IS BIG BROTHER!

Dan: Yep.

Me: AHHH!!!! I AM REALLY CREEPED OUT RIGHT NOW!

Dan: I was too! That's why I deleted my account for a second time. The only reason I was holding on was because I liked seeing that I was in a relationship with you!

Me: Well, *I* still know I am dating you. And that's all that really matters... The idea of "Facebook Official" doesn't have the same weight as it did 6 years ago.

Dan: No, it really doesn't.

Me: And you know, if people want to know about my life, they can read my blog, or follow me Twitter or email me, or call. Facebook has lost my business.

Dan: Mine too.

Me: ..... I am still really creeped out........ Oh. My. Gosh....

Dan: I know. I know.

... Fo shizzle???

Student: Ms. S you should get a record that you don't like and be a DJ when we play freeze dance. *makes the scratching record "wahp-wahp" sound*
Me: I dunno. I don't know how to DJ. I'm not sure if I'm cool enough.
Student: Well, you're cool enough to be our music teacher! I think you would be a good DJ.
Me: *laughs* Okay, well, we'll have to see, but if you think so, then maybe.

While stargazing...

This past weekend Dan and I went to Galena, Il and had the opportunity to stargaze. Our B&B supplied each room with 1050 binoculars to look at the stars and had a really nice telescope which we used to view the moon and Jupiter.

Dan downloaded an app on his iPhone that was a dynamic star chart. You held it up to the sky and it showed you want stars, planets and constellations you were viewing.

Dan: Sarah, do you have the binoculars?

Me: Yeah, I'm looking for Pluto.

Dan: I told you before: Pluto is a ba-jillion million miles away! YOU CAN'T SEE IT WITH BINOCULARS!

Me: MAYBE I CAN! YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!

Dan: *laughs* No, I'M not, BUT PHYSICS IS!

Me: *laughs* That's going on my blog.

Today at school, during lunch...

Kindergartener: Ms. S-- why are you pretty?

Me: I don't know... Why are YOU pretty?

K: Well, it's school picture day! I wanted to look beautiful!

Me: Well, it's school picture day for the teachers too! And that's why I look pretty.

K: Oooooooooh. Okay.

Also, I wanted to ask, "Wait. You mean I'm not pretty all the time?" but I knew that sort of question was a little over this student's head. When I relayed this exchange to Dan he laughed and said, "No, that would be the sort of question you ask ME."

Sometimes, kindergarteners are adorable. :-) The student was basically asking me why I was wearing makeup.

On a poor choice of shoes...

Choosing to wear the pair of shoes that always give you blisters is like going back to an old, failed relationship. You fall into the trap of thinking "Well. Maybe this time will be different." But it turns out, it's not. In the end, they still both rub you the wrong way and you get hurt.

I promise there's no simile to my actual life here. I honestly just wore a really cute pair of shoes to school today and ended up using about 20 bandaids (they kept falling off!) throughout the day to try ease the blistering. My heels are raw. I ended up lining the back and inside of my shoes with masking tape to survive the rest of the day. :-P

BUT this saying just came to my brain and I had to share it. Sometimes I feel clever.

On being mostly German...

Me: Hey, Dan, want a gummi bear?

Dan: Sure! Hey, these are good!

Me: I know. It's the Haribo kind. They're the best.

Dan: It's true. Those Germans sure know how to make the good stuff.

Me: I know! Look at me!

Dan: *laughs* Well-played. I love you.

Me: I love you too.

Hair

Expectations:

Reality:

Stop the Bus. This is not the future I wanted.

I am taking a break from studying because I need a place to vent.

Why hello blog. It's been a while.

Currently, I am in the midst of taking 4 online classes from Drake to earn my Talented and Gifted endorsement. Tripoli has offered me a full-time position if I get this endorsement and begin teaching elementary TAG. These 4 classes amount to 7 credit hours and take up 80% of my time. (The rest --- 5% is sleeping, 5% is other activities like eating, running or seeing Dan. 10% is working - waitressing and my retail job.) I need 1 more credit to move over on the pay ladder and 12 credits total to achieve the full endorsement.

I'm frustrated for several reasons.

1. This isn't the summer I wanted. I am studying all day. I'm only a part-time student and I feel I had more free time when I was at Wartburg being a FULL-TIME student. I don't really understand why that is.

2. I am also studying for an endorsement that I do not plan to teach for the rest of my life. Don't get me wrong, I like what I'm studying! It's very interesting, and I'm excited to see what I can do with teaching TAG, but I also just need a full-time job. I'm tired of working two jobs so I can afford my bills. Barely.

3. I'm starting my 3rd year of teaching and I'm still not teaching in a classroom setting that I want. I want to teach band. 5-8, 5-12, 9-12 it doesn't matter. I feel like that dream is getting farther and farther away the more I teach elementary music. Granted, I am putting limits on myself in terms of location. I don't think it would be practical to apply for a band job too far away from Waterloo/Iowa City. Moving is expensive (and a pain) and I don't want a band job that I'm going to have for a year, get married, and then have to leave. All that doesn't mean I'm any less frustrated with my situation. I want to teach band, why is that so hard????

Also, money. Or lack thereof.

Right now I pay about $700 a month in student loans. That is minimum payments only and not counting any other bills. Just student loans. If I did not have those 2 other jobs I would be sunk. I don't have a savings account, I have nothing to "fall back on" if I encounter a sudden emergency expense. (Fact: I'm still paying off Watson's $700 vet bill from last September when his urinary tract became blocked. Even animal ER care is expensive.)

Real life sucks.

In short:

I'm in a teaching job where I do what I like 90% of the time and what I love 10%. (Big difference, although I always work to give 110%. My students and school district deserve nothing less.)

I have very little funds to do anything "extra." In fact, I just put a hold my Netflix account. I haven't had time to even use it this summer. I might just delete it.

My student loan debt is so overwhelming. Dan assures me that when he gets an actuary job we'll be able to pay off my loans without a problem. But that's like, 2 years from now. Maybe more. Also, what if he finds something else that he loves instead? I want him in a job that makes him happy, regardless of the paycheck. It's hard for me to put my debt worries aside while he is still in school and not sure what his future job will be.

What prompted all of this is an article I was reading about student loan debt. (Warning: Depressing)

One girl, who is $140,000 in debt wrote:

Like many, I had no idea what money meant when I was 17. My family is not wealthy. I simply didn't have the information or knowledge to know what it would be like now.

Granted, this is less than what I owe, and she racked up a lot of loans due to Hurricane Katrina, but her sentiment about not having a sense of money is absolutely true. My experiences at Wartburg have made me who I am and given me some very awesome friends. I certainly don't regret that. I wouldn't trade those things in for anything. But I do wish I had looked into finances a little more when I was applying for colleges. Or started a savings account specifically for college when I was in high school. Something.

My freshman year of college at Wartburg, tuition + room/board was $27,315.

My senior year it was $34,315.

This coming year (2011-2012) it will be $39,110.

That's crazy. And I will say that yes, I did have an academic scholarship and a music scholarship, but neither amounted to a full ride. My freshman year the difference between Wartburg and ISU was $4000. (Between Wartburg's scholarship $$$ and ISU's $0,) But tuition goes up. Scholarships do not.

This quote is from a guy who is $80,000 in debt. A figure closer to mine.

I take full responsibility for my decisions, and believe me, I'd like nothing more than to "grow up" and pay my debts, but the truth is -- I feel like I spent my loans on a future that I simply did not receive.

I absolutely feel this way. I understand I must repay my loans. I take responsibility for my actions and choice of education. But I also feel that I am repaying money for a future that I have not received.

This is my blog and I can be egocentric.

I feel cheated.

Do you hear that America, Iowa, Wartburg, the economy, and the various banks that hold my student loans?

I. Feel. Cheated.

I also feel that I am being set up for failure. Between the amount of debt I am trying to pay off, budget cuts, job layoffs, and me. How the heck am I supposed to succeed? How am I supposed to pay off my car? Afford an ice cream cone now and then? GET MARRIED?

How can I make it through when I run a deficit every month? A deficit that is made up of necessary bills, not pleasurable spending. How can I go out and do positive things for society, donate to charities and volunteer when all my time is taken up with studying so I can have a full-time job SO I CAN AFFORD TO LIVE and in the mean time, working 2 other jobs (3 total, but hey, it's summer) to make ends meet?

Really, when you look at it: a teacher's salary vs. the cost of earning an education degree is ridiculous. It is totally absurd!

America. You are asking me to sacrifice too much.

Stop the bus. This is not the future I wanted.

As per my usual...

It's that time of year again, folks....

TIME FOR A NEW HAIRCUT!

Yes, that is pink! :-D I wanted to do something fun and different for the summer. Since I don't have a show to do, I don't have to worry about drastically changing my appearance. I love it!

To do list:

-Finish applying to Drake for Grad School
-Register for classes for Gifted and Talented
-Figure out financial aid
-Go over budget for May
-Fill out form to get my standard teaching license
-Complete job applications
-Do laundry

Heart Containers for Japan

Below is a link made by a new friend of mine, Ted. Ted is the best friend of my boyfriend Dan. Both of them are huge video game fans and really enjoy the original 80s games. (I think it has something to do with them growing up with them, or something...) Ted is this brilliant artist (he recently had an art spread in the magazine Nintendo Power) and computer programmer. After the major disaster in Japan, Ted designed this site to help raise funds for disaster relief through the Americares Foundation.

Click the Link!

(Haha! I love nerdy jokes...)

The Master Sword from Ted Martens on Vimeo.

It's supported on both PCs and Macs! w00t!

Triforce for EVERYONE!!!

Public Service Announcement:

Dear readers,

I have just made, cooked and ate the most delicious meatball of all time. It was so good that I felt I must share what I did with you IMMEDIATELY.

1 lb of hamburger

Paprika

Italian Seasoning

Worcestershire Sauce

Dried onion

Minced Garlic

Parmesan Cheese

Cheese Cubes of your choice. I used Colby Jack.

(Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.)

In an appropriately sized bowl mix with your hands the hamburger and everything on this list EXCEPT the cheese cubes. Mix everything until you think "well, that looks like enough." Get a cake pan, or casserole dish... Something oven-friendly. Take the hamburger and the cheese cubes and form the meat into balls AROUND the cheese cubes. Put them in the pan cook in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

1 lb of hamburger makes about 6 meatballs.

IT IS SO DELICIOUS!

Maybe my brain is a little bit crazed on this Atkins Diet, but I was surprised and impressed at their amazing taste. :-) Yum!

Bon appetit!

~Sarah

Starting March 1...

I am going to try the Atkins Diet for one month, starting tomorrow. Libby and I are going to do it together for moral support. She wants to lose weight for her honeymoon in April. I don't want to buy new pants.

I've registered at Atkins.com (which is free) because I feel I need all the help I can get. (Mostly because I've never done this before.) I've spent time researching recipes, so I think I'm ready to start.

I'm not worried about my morning or evening meals. I like eggs and usually cook for myself for my evening meal. It's my lunch that's going to be tricky. Normally, I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... Which is full of carbs. So, I'm working on finding something else.

On this diet I also resolve to:

No

Do you remember brushing our teeth out the window in the snow?

Dear Rachel V.

I was reminising the other day... And missing you an awful, awful lot and this song came up on my iTunes...

... Do you remember when we both laid in our beds that one night, Freshmen year... And you said "Someday I hope to find a man who will love me like this..."

I miss you... A lot...

Wordsmithing...

Last Sunday I was over with Dan at his parent's house and we were playing Bananagrams and we were down to the last round. I just drew my last two letters and Dan, Carol (his mom) and I were all racing to figure out how to make our last word. (Bananagrams is kind of like playing Scrabble, but without the Scrabble board.)

Unfortunately, the last two letters I drew were both Qs. And guess what I did NOT have amid ALL of my other letters?

That's right. I had two Qs and absolutely no Us. I had every OTHER vowel, but not one U. I figured that there was absolutely no way I could possibly win. In fact, I didn't know ANY word that did not have a "qu" in it.

I asked Dan and Carol if I could puruse the dictionary while they faneggled their last letters. (Because I figured I wouldn't win

Mushy post? Oh, yes.

"I just spent $500 on books for school. I would have much rather spent that on diamonds for you... I'm sorry. Can I appease you with some ice cream?"

"Haha, it's okay. School books are important. Yes, you can take me out for ice cream. I haven't decided what cut I like yet, but lucky for you, the ring-styles that I like are on the less expensive side."

"Sarah, that doesn't even matter. You pick whatever you want. Just tell me."

*blushes* "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."