Thrift Store Finds

Went to the thrift store this morning with my grandpa.  Thrift stores are always an either/or proposition for me.  Either I find a bunch of cool stuff, or I find nothing at all.  This morning I found a bunch.  The original VHS release of the first Star Wars trilogy - and they don't look like they're ever been watched.  A framed New Kids on the Block poster.  Some itty-bitty frames for my itty-bitty cross-stitches.  All for less than ten bucks.

Then we drove down to a Mexican bakery and restaurant one of my co-workers had told me about, and got far too many Mexican sweet breads and a big ol' thing of tamales.  I shall dine well tonight!

(I should get to do at least one thing well at work today - they're moving our cubicles to a different part of the building, so I'm without my computer and it's pretty much a nachtmare.  I don't really even have anywhere to sit down!)

OMG you guys, so.  I got to witness our first PERMANENTLY BANNED PATRON today.  It was hilar.  I guess she comes into the computer lab every day.  To get on a computer, you MUST have your card.  And she is constantly "losing" and replacing her card, and then trying to use her kid's card or one of her old declared-lost cards, and getting snippy with the lab workers (of which one is Laura).

So today she tried to use her kid's card, and the lab worker at the time (not Laura) wouldn't let her get on, and she was rude to him and he was a little rude right back.  She comes around to get a new card - and she had her ID and paid the dollar replacement charge, so we did it - and wants to complain to a supervisor about the lab worker.  We let the supervisor know, and the patron explains the situation as though he was rude to her for no reason.  The supervisor goes back to talk to him and he tells her the full story.  The supervisor calls down the branch manager to talk to the patron.  The patron is told that she needs to be respectful to the staff, and that if they tell her she cannot use someone else's card, then that is the rule, and she has to abide by it.

And she GOES OFF.

Otherwise the library is pretty quiet.  All of a sudden we hear, "GO TO HELL!"  The branch manager, the circulation supervisor, and the patron come around the corner, and she is just absolutely freaking out.  "I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU, YOU BITCH.  AND YOU, YOU'RE A BITCH, TOO.  YOU CAN'T BAN ME.  I WILL BE COMING BACK.  I BOUGHT A NEW CARD."  And so on and so forth. 

If she comes back, we get to call the police.  Fun!

So I finally, officially start work on the 16th.  Today I turned in my time sheet and formally resigned as a substitute (in that I went, "Um, I won't be subbing anymore, JSYK.") - and that felt really good, let me tell you.  I'm going to try in lots of writing in the next week, because soon I will be working the good ol' 9-5 and won't be able to just chill at Starbucks every afternoon.

The weather has been positively scrumptious round these parts; today it got up to 77!  On November 9th!  So I went over to Gamps today, and mulched some leaves, and then we just sat outside in the sun, and it was v. nice.

New website: Damn you, autocorrect!

I subbed for kindergarten today, which is not my favorite. They're very sweet kids, and there's nothing more quick to warm the cold, dank corners of my heart than when a child spontaneously hugs me, but I think, in the long run, I prefer high schoolers. They generally don't pick their noses and sing songs about poop sandwiches.

Today, I was called the following: Miss P, Miss Peestock, Mrs. Pondstock, Mrs. Pasta, and my personal favorite, Mrs. Nonsense. Honest to God, Mrs. Nonsense.

So, it's been a long two weeks. Just as I was finishing up my script, I started to come down with a sinus infection. Which turned out to be the worst of my life, I think. I had to call in for a sub for two days (a sub for a sub; I'm sure they were pleased), and it made the revision and printing off of my scripts really, really fun. I found out after school that Thursday that the next day would be my last as the language arts maternity sub (since I'm uncertified, I can only sub 30 cumulative days for the same teacher, according to the state; whatever); last week I was back to general subbing, which is easier and yet not. Easier because I don't have to make lesson plans or really teach, for the most part; harder because I've lost what thin veneer of authority I was able to work up.

Since then, my sinus infection has turned into this awful rattling chest cough, and my dad wants me to go to the doctor, but I will not. I will ride this out! I am young and hale! I don't have health insurance!

Oh, Friday's BSG was so good, it kind of hurt, knowing it's the last season. I really hate SciFi for not just committing to a fifth season, which made the EPs decide to finish up in four and know that they were going to end on their terms; I feel like we're rushing, a bit, and skipping broad story and character progressions to get to the endgame, but this last episode clicked in a very strong way. I can't believe we're already more than halfway through the front ten; I'm almost glad SciFi is splitting the season up, just to make it last longer.

I just passed page 100! Although the script is running long, which is difficult, because the urge comes to edit as you write, which is never good, but I can't help but do the mental calculations on how many pages I have "left" versus how much I have left to write. I'm trying to finish and polish it by next Wednesday (one week!) to mail it in for the Nichols Fellowship, which is crazy, as this is a first draft, but I'm feeling really good about it. I mean, it really has come together in a way that's very surprising, and I know a lot of that is working with pre-existing source material, but still. It's heartening.

Would anyone be interested, if I finish in the next few days, in giving it a look? Just because my workshop group still hasn't gotten me notes back from two weeks ago, and I'm worried about sending something out without any critique. If you don't have the time or inclination, don't worry about it; I just thought I'd put it out there.

I have so much grading to do. I can't complain, though; I was the one that assigned the work. Still. :(

My last hour will be done in eight minutes! Yay! Today we worked on interjections, which are ridiculously easy; I'm so glad we're done with prepositions, which are apparently very difficult if you don't know what verbs are. Understandable.

I found five screenwriting faculty positions open today during a search. Will apply this week. I'm not necessarily getting my hopes up, as I know that in writing especially, they like professors who have published/sold material, and I haven't, but I can't get hired if I don't apply. And one of the positions is at UT, which would at least be an environment with which I'm familiar.

Halfway done with Lizzie Borden! I'm really happy with it thus far; obviously it needs more work and a polish, but it's very tight for a first draft. Probably because so much of the story already existed, which is new for me.

My background check finally cleared, my emergency substitute certificate finally came in, so I finally interview on Monday. I can has employment yay!