A New Chapter

This is a big weekend for The Peaches.

Today is our very first College football game in town where football is a pretty big deal and, although I don't generally give a crap about football, I'm pretty stinkin' excited.  I love making fun memories with Mr. Peaches and our first game should be a great one.

Tomorrow we are going to pick up my engagement ring.  More about that later.

And, speaking of exciting changes, Friday I officially become one of the elite insured people in America.  Medical, Dental, and Vision, oh my!  I'm irked that I had to work for nearly two full months before I became insured (all while paying for insurance), but I do know that most people do not become insured on their hire date.  Baby steps.

Anyway, thanks to the whole being insured thing, I am setting up all kinds of doctor appointments for the month of October.  The idea is to visit a doctor from each specialty area that applies to me, and take my insurance for all I can get.  I plan on seeing my first chiropractor, a dentist, getting my eyes checked, primary care, maybe a shrink just for fun, and more.  I might even make an appointment with a pediatrician.  I want to make up for all 25 uninsured months in October.

Also, we're still broke and weddings are expensive.

And, I love my job.  Woot!

Happy Saturday, Dear Reader.

Today.

Today I loved my sixth graders.  I was teaching them some Spanish at the chalkboard when I watched a kid in the front row- a kid who, I must confess, often annoys me with his constant chattering- play with his pencil.  He was fiddling and fiddling until I watched as he poked himself in the eye with his little blue detachable eraser pencil topper.

And boy did I find that hilarious.

So hilarious that I had to turn my back to the students and face the chalkboard while I laughed.  Except after a few seconds, a student said, "She's laughing!" as though I never do such a ridiculous thing.  This made me laugh harder.  Which made them laugh harder.   And round and round we went, until I was wiping tears from my eyes and wistfully remembering that- yep, I'm getting paid for this.

Love my job.

And the Verdict is?

She said YES!

The Saga of the Wedding Planner

A wedding planner.

Few wedding choices are more controversial than whether or not wedding planners are worth the money, particularly if the couple is on a tight budget.

Mr. Peaches and I, due to a wide variety of factors, have decided it is important to us to have someone to hold our hands through the planning process in case we need anything, and show up on our wedding day to handle any mishaps so we do not have to stress out.  This service is typically called Day-of Coordination.

Mr. Peaches and I fell in love with the very first DOC (Day-of Coordinator) we met, but she cost $1800 for the minimum Coordination package and we just couldn't do it.  We wanted to spend around $800, or at most $1000 for someone to show up and handle what is surely to be a messy day.  She offered to temper her cost in exchange for some Spanish lessons, but still- too much money.  That was six weeks ago.

This afternoon I sent our very favorite DOC an email, which I am reproducing for you, Dear Reader, so that you will elope.

DOC,

I realize that what I am about to do may be impolitic in the World of Wedding Planning, but since meeting you, Mr. Peaches and I have dealt with the most ridiculous wedding planning saga and I just cannot handle another minute of it.  In other words, I don't particularly care if it's impolitic.

So, you know that The Peaches totally adored you, but you were just too far outside of our budget.  That's when we met with Super Cheap Planner-in-Training, who was only $450.  I knew this was a mistake since we didn't get along with her well, but- hello, budget-friendly!  Unfortunately, as I am sure anyone could have predicted she was completely irresponsible, took days and multiple prompts to even send a contract, and seemed quite offended when I asked her about her price point.  We never signed with her.

Cue Wedding Consultant Number Three.  Still no Favorite DOC, she was prompt, responsible, and we got along well.  Her price was $1050 and we decided the extra $600 for someone we can get along with and trust was more than worthwhile.  Unfortunately, she doesn't take weddings the weekend of ours, and her business partner would be doing our wedding.  Except we never heard from the business partner.  When we inquired Planner Number Three about this, she promptly asked the partner why she had not contacted us.  The partner then quit.  QUIT.  Doesn't want to work in the Wedding Industry any longer.  (This, of course is terrible for us, but I can't imagine how horrifying it is for Planner Number Three.)

Three referred us to Wedding Planner Number Four who only works with "Judeo-Christian" couples who mention God in their ceremony.  I cannot put in writing how I feel about this for fear it will someday come back to haunt me.

Three then referred us to Wedding Planner Number Five, who we met this morning.  We enjoy her, but she is $1400 and understandably cannot come down in price.

Can you see where I am going with this?

For $1400 she is going to do sporadic phone calls/emails about vendors, an upfront two-hour brainstorming session about colors and designs, and all Day-of services, with an intern or two.

All of this is to ask you, Favorite DOC, are you available on our date?  

With Spanish lessons, house cleaning, babysitting, and occasional batches of cookies, can you come anywhere close to (or below??) this number for the same services?

We were fools.

We Miss You.

The Peaches

Buy me a coke?

"I thought my eighth graders would have eaten my alive already.  I must be doing something right because today- the seventh day of school- I had an amazing day.  Even with two classes of eighth graders and a super teary-eyed seventh grader."
                                    --Señorita Peaches, 1 September, 2010

Spoken like a true first-year teacher.

Never jinx yourself like that.  Ever.

Yesterday was teh suck.

Also, you can add that a student told me her mom beat her up to the list of crap I don't feel competent enough to handle.

Exhaustion and Recap

I'm tired.

Today was my sixth day of school and I'm tired.

I missed the fourth day of school.

On the fifth day one of my students told me she was going to kill herself.  She wasn't hyperbolizing.  She told me how she would do it when I gently inquired.  I had to get someone to cover my class so I could take her to the counselor.  Luckily I have a good colleague in the Band teacher, and a great 8th period class I can leave alone.

I was also observed yesterday, which went well.  It was a jam-packed return to from my three-day weekend.

I thought my eighth graders would have eaten my alive already.  I must be doing something right because today- the seventh day of school- I had an amazing day.  Even with two classes of eighth graders and a super teary-eyed seventh grader.

Today, at the end of the day, I looked at my empty, messy, unorganized classroom with papers everywhere and disheveled desks and through my exhaustion thought about how much I love my job.

Can you call it a job if you haven't gotten paid yet?  I think I'll love it more when I get my first paycheck in nine days.