A Wonderful Saturday

Since I'll be heading to Tennessee in just a bit over a week, Matt and I decided that we had to have fun beachy times over in Sarasota yesterday. It was terrific, and I wouldn't change a thing about how we spent one of our last Saturdays together for a while.

We dawdled around the house until a bit after lunchtime. That's one of the things that I love about living with Matt. How we spend our time is loosely organized. It is completely ok for him if we have a leisurely morning and get around to the rest of our day whenever it suits us.

So, we drove over to St. Armand's Key and had a delicious lunch at The Columbia Restaurant. We enjoyed a pitcher of sangria made with champagne instead of red wine. So yummy! Matt had one of their signature salads, thoughtfully transferring the olives to me for consumption. I ordered, and shared, a Mediterranean paella. It was very good, but a lot more salty than I expected. I finished over half of my dinner before turning it over to Matt to complete. I had to save room for dessert, of course! Our waitress, who provided excellent service, also was very obliging when Matt snapped photos of her caramelizing the top of my creme brulee dessert. When we left, I was so full, I thought I might burst.

We popped into a couple of shops nearby, and I spied the cutest little baby outfit, so we purchased it for a gift. I was pleased that we came across that store, because we had planned to drive across town to the Babies 'R' Us store to purchase a shower gift later in the day. Yay for saving gas and time!

Next we headed to our fave beach, Siesta Key! I love it there for several reasons. First, the sand is so soft and white, it feels a little luxurious to stroll across it barefoot. Second, the water is always so pretty and clean. And last, but not least by any means, is the fact that Matt and I got married on that very beach! Suffice it to say, there will never be another beach that can compare with Siesta Key for us.

On our way to the beach, Matt decided to call his buddy, Jason. We haven't seen him in quite some time, because Jason keeps a social schedule (and work schedule, for that matter) that is ever-changing and unpredictable. Matt talked him into meeting us at the beach for an early-evening swim. Jason arrived just after the sunset, and the three of us enjoyed some beers and conversation, just before the bugs started devouring us alive. It had gotten dark, and against my better judgement, we all decided to go swimming in the ocean. I was a bit apprehensive, as visibility is obviously poorer at night. However, a few minutes into our moonlight swim, I made an incredible discovery.

Have you ever heard about stuff that can be in the ocean that is luminous in the dark? I had heard vague descriptions of it before, but never paid any attention. I was startled to notice as I was swimming around that the movements of my hands produced a sparkling effect. Any disturbance of the water resulted in this shimmering light that seemed magical. I pointed it out to the boys, and the three of us spent the next hour or so in rapturous enjoyment of this phenomenon. It was like I was Tinkerbell with fairy dust, ha ha! I don't know if it is some type of algae or what. All I know is that it was incredibly beautiful, and I'm so thankful that we did decide to have that moonlight dip in the Gulf.

And as if that wasn't cool enough, we were surprised to see bats erratically swooping and fluttering around us in the night air! I would never have expected that; I suppose I've always bought into the notion that bats only hang out in caves. They were devouring the very bugs that were trying to eat us, so I have to say that I'm a big fan of bats. And it was extremely cool to watch them in action.

And our adventures don't end there. I had gone back to shore to dry off, as I found myself getting a bit chilly in the water. Matt and Jason remained out in the water, and I tried to be patient while they enjoyed themselves. I was really pretty ready to go home, as it was getting quite late. Anyway, I finally walked to the edge of the water and called them to come in. (I felt quite mom-ish doing that, FYI.) Matt came in first and asked me if I minded him going back out to swim a bit longer. I told him that was fine with me. (Feeling mom-ish again, might I add.) As he splashed back out to join Jason, I heard him say, "You lost your glasses?!"

Jason, like many of us, needs corrective lenses for his vision. Unlike most of us, he opted to wear his glasses into the ocean. Apparently, while they were out there swimming, Jason was telling Matt all about how he doesn't believe in Christianity, or even in God. A few minutes later, he lost his glasses into the ocean. They both came back to shore, and I grabbed my penlight and we all trudged back into the water to search for his spectacles. Now, I didn't think there was a snowball's chance that we'd find them. I mean, it was the ocean, and the high tide was working its way in. To the amazement of all of us, after ten minutes or so of searching, Jason reached out his hands to scour the moving sands of the ocean floor and gripped his glasses! If that's not a sign from God, I don't know what is!

As a side note, Matt also lost his glasses last night, although it was not in the ocean. Somewhere on the beach, some glasses that look like they belong to an independent film producer are abandoned. Ironic, isn't it, that glasses lost in the moving, surging ocean are recovered, but some that are carelessly left on the beach are gone forever?

After a lengthy search for Matt's glasses, we called it a night and headed back home. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday.

Now I can Relax...

This might be the first day I've been relaxed in quite some time. Today's agenda holds nothing but fun. How often does a girl get to say that?

The whole prospect of moving back to Tennessee to finish school has been a little bit stressful. Sure, I'm psyched about getting back in classes and moving toward my goal. However, it's rough to think about leaving Matt here in Florida when I go. We'll be fine, but it's still nerve wracking.

And then, on Thursday, I received word that the local high school has posted a position for a marketing teacher for this upcoming school year. It gave me a bit of pause in considering my plans to go back to school. However, after giving it quite a bit of thought and consulting with several people whose opinions we value, Matt and I have decided to proceed with the Tennessee move.

Even though this job at the high school is what I would eventually want, it seems like a better move to go ahead and secure my degree, because then there is no question about my qualifications. Plus, I think I would be nervous to get up and try to teach for the first time without having had that valuable experience of student teaching and being critiqued and provided with helpful feedback and suggestions. Plus, I know that it's easier now to obtain my master's degree with no children and no full-time job than it would be going to school at night after work each day.

This decision was easy in some ways but hard in others. My first reaction was, "I don't want to change my plans to return to school." My second reaction was, "But this seems like too much of a sign for me to pass it up." Upon reflection of both of these reactions, I discovered that the first resonated within me. I am more calm in contemplating my future with more education and experience behind me than I am in thinking I could have a teaching job within a month but feel uncertain as to how well I would perform. Anyway, we've decided: It's back to school with me, no matter what!

So, today is the relaxing day after agonizing decision-making. I'm enjoying a cup of coffee, and I intend to give myself a mini-pedicure here in a bit. A bit later, we're headed into Sarasota to pick up a baby gift for a friend, catch a movie, and spend a little time at our favorite beach, Siesta Key.

Changes.

I don't have a ton of time to post, so I'll make the story nice and short.

My last post was about the out-of-state tuition dilemma, and I called today to try and get it worked out for me to get in-state tuition. Suffice it to say, I don't have a snowball's chance of that happening.

My only option to not have to pay almost $11,000 extra to attend school this year is to get a G.A. or T.S. position. And I haven't had much luck on that front, primarily, I think, because I've not been able to pursue it in person.

So, I turned in my two-week notice today at work. I was a little panicked at the thought of doing so. I'm a worrier, you know.

I'm just standing in faith that God will provide a way for this to work out. And my last day at the Y is next Friday. Shortly thereafter, I will be trekking to Tennessee to get everything squared away. More updates later.

STRESS!!!

I seem to have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle. I posted on here a short time ago that I am most likely going to return to Tennessee to finish the M.A.T. program I began about two years ago. There is a bit of a kink in the plans...

See, although I was familiar with the policy that I have six years total to complete my program of graduate studies, I didn't read the fine print that stated that if a student is inactive for a year, they must apply for re-admission. It has been about fourteen months since my last class...

As I am in Florida, it's not like I can just bop up to the admissions office and find out what paperwork I have to complete to do this. So, I looked online and although I didn't see an option to apply for re-admission, I did find where I could apply online for admission into grad school. Which I did. Anyway, $25 dollars later, I am unsure as to whether I filled out the correct forms online....

To make matters worse, because Matt and I filed our income taxes jointly, listing our home address here in Florida, when I filled out the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), I listed the same address as we had put on our taxes. It didn't even occur to me that that would cause ETSU to consider me an out-of-state student. But, according to my student account, their records indicate that my cost of attending grad school for the upcoming year will be over $33,000! Holy schmack! I've got to call them tomorrow and explain that although I've been out of state for the last year, I have always retained my Tennessee address and always had the intention of merely taking one year off from school...Lord, I hope that they are able to change my status back to in-state.

If not, the pressure will REALLY be on to get a G.A. position, so that I won't have to pony up the out-of-state tuition. That's another thing that is stressing me...I have left messages and sent emails to the lady that assigned me my position as a T.S. my first year of grad school, and can't get a response from her. If I were in Tennessee right now, I could go camp out at her office until she tells me a solid "yes" or "no." Obviously, being a thirteen hour drive away, I don't have that option.

I'm freaking out a little bit right now. Please say a prayer for me that this all gets worked out.

Business as Usual

After much fretting and assistance from friends, things are back to business as usual at La Casa del Hollomans.

We have a brand new hot water heater installed, and I have mopped the floors and put furniture back to its usual location. I even obeyed the urge to sort through the mountains of magazines and mail that we have allowed to accumulate.

Yesterday, while I was at the Home Depot, I picked up a suction plug for the bathtub. This is significant, because last week I was furious at my husband for not notifying me that the switch thingy on the bathtub drain didn't actually work to allow one to take a bath instead of a shower. I have been dreaming of luxuriating in a hot bath whilst enjoying a glass of wine....

Now, since we have a new plug for the tub and the hot water is functioning again, I was able to live out that fantasy...

Since the repairs and cleaning have been finished, it's back to business as usual here....enjoying each other's company.

Courting Disaster...

Well, actually, disaster appears to be courting me. Right now, I'm at home waiting for some help with heavy lifting.

What am I needing lifted, you ask? The water heater that blew yesterday evening and sent gallons of water all over our laundry room, kitchen, dining, and living rooms. Suffice it to say that I was not thrilled to arrive home to have to rescue our new furniture from the destructive water. We had to use bricks to elevate the sofas, tables, and chairs above the flood. If I weren't so upset about this event, I would have laughed at how our belongings are up on blocks, reminiscent of abandoned cars in a redneck's yard.

Luckily, we have some friends who knew what needed to be done and called them straightaway. They lent us their expertise, labor, and shop vac to get the water out of our house, and even assisted with taking out the old water heater. Thank the Lord for them, or we wouldn't have known where to start!

Unfortunately, this disaster has caused me to have to call in to work today. I feel pretty guilty about it, but we wouldn't be able to have hot water until this gets resolved. The positive thing about this is that the water heater is under warranty, and when I called GE, they advised us to take it back to Home Depot, where we will be issued a new one. A small victory. So, soon I will have help loading it into Matt's parents' truck, drive over to Port Charlotte, and exchange the faulty tank for a functioning one. Then, we will be able to have it installed, and I hope to be able to take a shower by 5pm....although it may be postponed a bit longer than that.

There is a great deal of cleaning to do, and moving items back to their original places. (We had moved everything that wasn't too big/heavy out of the water destruction zone.) I would start moving things back now and cleaning, but I'm not sure if the installation of the new water heater might result in more water leaks...Hey, I'm a rooky at this, and simply don't want to have to clean the same thing twice.

Oh, and I almost forgot about the battle with the ants this morning! As Matt was leaving for work, I heard a thumping noise from outside. I checked to see what was the source of this noise, and it was Matt, angrily stamping ants on our porch. They seemed poised to sneak inside the house through any opening or crack they might find. There were a lot of them, so I grabbed some shoes and began to help. A short while later, I checked to see if they were all gone, and there were more, lots more. I promptly grabbed my keys and drove to Winn Dixie, where I purchased the biggest can of ant spray I could find. By the time I arrived back at the house, there were even more of them! As in thousands! This is war, I grimly decided and began to spray everything that moved. It was a mass genocide of ants. About ten minutes later, my front porch was littered with the bodies of my enemies, so I grabbed a broom and sent them to a mass grave in the yard. A warning to my insect foes: Do not try to come into my house. I may not have hot water, but I do have bug spray.

I hope that the bugs stay away and that we have hot water and a clean house before the day is out.

What all the "Kool Kids" are Doing

So I attended a meeting today. Blah blah blah. I was jolted out of my dreamy, trance-like state when I heard a much-admired savvy co-worker state during a discussion of communication and marketing trends that myspace is on the way out. Out!?

Holy Schmack! I'd just gotten used to being "in."

Apparently, the kool kids are doing "social bookmarking" on del.icio.us.com and going on photo scavenger hunts on flickr and following and being followed on twitter...

Of course, I don't want to be an outsider or behind in the times, so I spent the better part of this evening checking out all of these sites.

And I've gotta say it: I still like myspace the best, followed closely by dlisted, blogger, and my plain old antiquated yahoo email.

But, I'm gonna give twitter a try....

And if I get no followers, I'll be really sad and bitter, ha ha.