100 Things about me- Wouldn't know by looking at me.(Part 1)

100. I had a serious crush on Alan Alda when I was nine.

99.  I have a soft spot for anyone or anything from New Jersey. (Hence some of my taste in music.)

98. I used to subscribe to Ms. Magazine.

97. I was thin for two weeks when I was 15.

96. My first car was a 1967 Ford Mustang that I bought with the money I made working one summer when I was 16.

95. Didn't get my license until I was 21.

94. Got in a car accident less than a week later that almost killed me.

93. I was engaged to a man I did not love. (This was before my husband went from being my friend to being my fiance in the matter of one letter followed by one phone call.)

92. When I took the LSATs my senior year of college I blew them on purpose.

91. My favorite is purple.

90. I have changed many adult diapers and catheter bags but never a baby's diaper.

89. I am supposed to wear glasses, but I don't.

88.  I like to write on walls.

87. I am a third generation Mets fan.

86. I once worked as a waitress in a honky tonk outside Charlottesville.

85. As a child, I had trichotillomania so bad that I have scars in my scalp, including my widow's peak. I don't do it anymore.

84. I have an extremely active dream life.

83. Before C., I used to cry hysterically at baptisms and Mother's Day services. Never at weddings. Not even moist.

82. I eloped with my husband four days before our church wedding.

81. I want to be thought of as hip, sexy and cool. Instead, I am squishy and bland. Kind of like white bread-  that I don't eat.

80. I don't eat grape jelly. Not even on my pbj.

 

 

 

 

Four!

Four places I have worked are:
Rowan University

John Fenwick School

Social Security Administration

Intuit Financial Supplies

Four movies I would watch over and over again: (or is that HAVE watched over and over?

 

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

The Philadelphia Story

Goldfinger

Ferris Bueller's Day Off


Four places I have lived:
Salem, NJ

East Brunswick, NJ

Fredericksburg, VA

Novato, CA

Four TV shows I love to watch:

Rescue Me
Top Chef

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Law and Order SVU

Four places I have been on vacation:
Out of the country (Just a sample):

Spain

France

England

Greece

In the US:
Louisville, KY

Greenbrier, AR

Stuart, FL

Boston, MA

Four websites I visit daily:

www.deviathan.livejournal.com

www.philly.com

http://emergingwriters.typepad.com/emerging_writers_network/

http://www.stephanieklein.blogs.com/

(and only about 50 more for me !)

Four of my favorite foods (just four?):

 

Soft shell crabs

Lobster Salad

Chicken Pomodoro

Tuscan Chicken Sandwich at Panera's

Four places I would rather be right now:

Eastbourne or anywhere in England

Paris or anywhere in France

Lake Como

Vermont


Four Friends that have been tagged that I think MIGHT respond:

Kathryn

Kellie

Jaimie

Helen

Crossing the Big Muddy

        Driving across the Commodore Barry on my way to work this morning, I kept looking down at the Delaware River as it churned its way southward, chocolate brown turgid water pulling along debris from my Northern neighbours. It reminded of a bloated and angry drunk raging against the injustices and injuries of an inescapable past. May be it was what I put in the mailbox this morning that the Delaware was my own personal Rubicon- "Alea iacta est !" or "Les jeux son faits !"
         What was I doing driving from PA back to NJ? I had two job interviews yesterday. One job I find myself wanting very much even though I  know there will be challenges. The other has detrimental factors that outweigh any potential benefits. I had been struggling with the idea of giving up on trying to find teaching job, and once again changing a career after a career had abandoned me. Now I have two possible teaching jobs, But I have already chosen which one I preferred and it was to them I sent carefully written thank you notes for yesterday afternoon's interview.  I drove to Wilmington this morning so they would have my letters in their hands as early as today. By actively pursuing this position, I placing my future in the hands of the teaching profession. I making a commitment.

Some things I just don't understand

 I have four things on the horizon as far the job front goes. I have two interviews scheduled for Wednesday at two different schools in Delaware. One is the creative arts charter school. The other is an alternative school for students who couldn't hack public school. I also received an email from the paralegal position with the DOJ  that I am on the BQ list and my info has been sent to the hiring authority, who may be calling for an interview.

I applied online today for three positions that were available at another charter school in New Castle. Ten minutes later J called that they had called the house wanting to talk to me. They called on my cell and they did the preliminnary interview which I passed. Okay? So when do I move to the next level? July 20th! The principal is at a conference and is going on vacation and won't be back until then. Fine. But why the rush to contact me and get me through the first cut?

I don't know who's going to feel it more.

    Last week was the week for doctor's appointments. With the upcoming inspection by Department of Licensing, everybody, including the cats, had to be checked out. (It must be Jersey Logic to issue a three year license and then have to be inspected every year.) Because Hazmat is out of the picture, we were able to take C to the specialist to check out his bathroom problem.

    The upshot of it is  C will have to have surgery to fix it. What makes me mad about it is that his problems are further evidence of her neglect of even his most basic needs the eight months she had him. Allowing him to sit in pee soaked diapers for hours when he was a newborn caused scarring on his urethra that now needs to be surgically repaired and his botched circumcision completed.

  The doctor's office is calling tomorrow to schedule the surgery. They tell me that nine percent of little boys have to go through this, but if she had provided proper care (Like changing him when he was wet.) it could have been prevented. We were the first foster parents to even notice that he had a problem and wasn't being defiant when he misfired. Thank heaven for pediatric urologists, but I wish C didn't have to see one. I read online the details on the surgery and I felt sick that my son will have to go through this. It needs to be done, but don't ask me to like it.

Juicing the Muse

When I am not working at Rowan this summer or writing articles for Down Jersey Magazine  or looking for a teaching position for the fall, I am working on my creative thesis, which is also my first novel, at least the first novel that is going anywhere.

I am and have always been extremely right-brained which gets me into trouble more often than not. When I visualize my muse, I always come up with the same person and famous Jersey girl- Meryl Streep. Don't ask me why. I am not a big fan of hers. I prefer Bette Davis or Katherine Hepburn. She is an extremely talented actress, and even she is from New Jersey, so are  many other famous people. Do I total lack imagination?

Allergic to Virginia

      We had celebrated the six month anniversary a day early after J's last softball game of the season. Too hot, too tired to cook, the three of us headed for Mama Mia's  for air conditioning and comfort food that I didn't have to make myself. Six months means that we should be moving forward with the adoption, but we are not. We are stuck in appeal limbo. We know that Hazmat has filed an appeal but we don't know when it will be over.

     We were leaving for Virginia on Friday morning, and by Wednesday my hands had broken out in contact dermatitis, leaving my palms a mess of vesicles oozing lymph.  I had been going  back and forth with the CW to get a new foster parent letter as the one we had was to expire Thursday as if C would turn into a pumpkin. She said she would drop it in our mailbox, and when it didn't show up there Wednesday I called her office. She was out and her supervisor was out on two month's leave. No letter. No visit to my mother who is recovering from botched hip surgery that needs to be redone in July. My skin on my hands kept bubbling. Spoke to the covering supervisor who said she mailed it and hung up on me. J called her back and got her to fax a copy. Why do men get results and women get frustrated?

     In Virginia, the hotel room was nice but my body, already overly sensitized didn't like it. My nose filled and I developed a cough that made my ribs hurt. I am sure C enjoyed having time with his grandma, but I wish I didn't have to suffer for it. I had a haircut while I was there, not because I wanted one ( I am usually loyal to my hairdresser here in Jersey.)

    Mom had said straight up that she hated my hair and that I needed a haircut. I got snippy with her and said sure if YOU pay for it. She drove me to her hairdresser and did just that, but my hair was cut my way to her chagrin. My hair is still shoulder length with bangs. I still got the woman my age speech from her which translates into why do want to wear your hair like your stepmonster speech, but I still left two pounds of medium golden brown on the floor after the beautician thinned it. This was before I got so sick on Sunday. I swear I was coughing up pieces of my brain.

    I took Claritin that didn't touch it. Then two hours later I took two Benadryl and slept the whole four hour drive home. Worked Monday, but by the time I got home the back of my mouth was raw. I couldn't talk. It hurt to breathe. Stayed home from work Tuesday, and woke up this morning with a bloody nose. I feel like I am falling apart.