This Morning

There is oatmeal on the stove, bubbling and burping in that slurpy and thickly kind of way. Oatmeal is a cold weather meal and though the sun is out, last night's rain has chilled the air. The wind doesn't help either. Still, the dog sits in his favorite spot on the back porch step, squinting against the sun and wind, his curly hair lifting in the breeze.

I have been fighting a cold and now the cold has won. It's not a wipe-me-out kind of cold, but it's enough of one to make me a tad bit cranky. This is one of the reasons I've chosen to make oatmeal. That and the fresh blueberries our friends brought us as a thank you gift for watching their dog while they hiked part of the Pacific Crest Trail. While they had a great time, they slept in rain and woke up to snow.

It is August 1 today and there is snowfall in the mountains.

Generally, this would be the time of the summer that I would lament my return to school. There would be only 2 weeks left before I'd have to gear up to get ready for the onslaught of meetings and preparations. Ann is starting the process now. She had a 3 hour meeting yesterday and moaned the whole time before she headed out the door.

"If it makes you feel any better," I shared, "It's kind of weird NOT to be getting ready for school."

I had an interview yesterday afternoon with REI. It went well, I think, but it's hard to know how others really perceive you while being perceived. The interviewer was a young man, handsome and maybe 30 years old. He was kind, soft-spoken and very comfortable with asking questions.

I saw him write "GREAT" with a funny exclamation point on three of the questions. I think that means I did a great job. He understood how "sales" was very much like teaching and laughed when I answered this question: Describe a time when you took initiative to complete something when no one asked you to complete it.

My response: That's my whole teaching career.

His response: Every teacher I interview answers that question the exact same way.

I hope he realizes that it is a truth for all teachers. I think he did.

If I get the job (I'm supposed to hear in the new few days...after the background check) I will be working in the Optics/Camping department. I will be helping people choose sunglasses and GPS systems, camp stoves and water filtration systems. The only downside at this point is that IF I get the job (I don't want to curse myself), we will have to cancel our weekend away in the San Juan Islands for that will be the weekend I'll learn to operate a cash register.

It's an all-day training. When did cash registers get to be so complicated?

Leah, the life coach I've been working with, will ask me if I really want this job and question my eagerness to get it as more a reflection of my need to feel that I have a job, not necessarily the job I want.

Yes, I want a job and while Optics/Camping is not my favorite, it sounds interesting and it gets me in (and out) the door. Once there, I can move about if other opportunities open up. An August paycheck from REI will be a nice addition to my last teaching paycheck.

I am rambling today, but that's the sort of day that it feels like...rambling.

Ann leaves for Wisconsin on Tuesday. This weekend we head out to the cabin in Wenatchee to spend time with our good friends and get away from the Seafair craziness -- Blue Angels will practice again today and the dog will shutter under the thunder of their engines as they pass over our rooftop. They are so close we can see the pilots' faces. The hydroplane races begin tomorrow, but we'll hear them practicing today. They are not as loud as the jets, but we'll hear their wasp-like buzzing for most of the day.

And the parking will be atrocious especially on Sunday when the Seafair-goers clash with the church-goers.

It's a good weekend to get away and IF I get the job, it will be our last summer vacation.

That's hard to swallow.

But my oatmeal went down smoothly and quickly, spooned in between sentences. I feel better because of it. The dog has come in from his morning sun bathing. He's now curled up under my desk. He's starting slow this morning, too.