Getting into the swing of things

So I've been working at my new school for about three weeks.  It's both better and worse than I expected.  The school itself is better - the kids are terrific and the staff is doing some really neat things, curriculum wise.  In this school I'll be able to work together with other teachers, which I wasn't able to do before.

Being by myself in the apartment completely stinks.  I am afraid of the dark so every night I have to sleep in a position that allows me to see the door and also see my nightlight.  I had to move the nightlight three times to get it in a place that lights the room without keeping me awake.  Every noise wakes me up, and sleeping alone is ... well, it's lonely.  I am so much more at peace with Bear around.  I worry constantly about whether my locks are locked and if someone is trying to look in my window.  I have no tv and no internet (internet comes on Thursday) so I have nothing to distract me from my neuroses.  I can dye fiber and yarn for the business, but there's only so much I can do in a day.  Hopefully once I have the web I can skype with Bear and my friends, but until then I'm just completely isolated.  It's not what I wanted, for sure.

It sounds like I'm having a miserable time and I'm really not - like I said, there are good things happening here.  But my emotions are up and down and all over the place because I miss Bear so much it hurts.  I live for the weekends, when I can go home and just hang out.  Just *be* there, next to him, where I feel most at home.

Is it summer yet?

ARgh!

One of the main reasons I'm leaving the school district I've been in for the last five years is because I was tired of being screwed over (and around). I had had enough of being told one thing and another thing happening. It was constant and it was draining. Exhausting, really.

I thought this new district would be different.

I received my contract in the mail on Wednesday. In it were two papers - one saying that I needed to return it by Thursday, the other saying that they misquoted my salary and they were sorry. The new amount? Almost two THOUSAND dollars less.

I emailed the HR lady (who is very nice) and asked that I be given until Friday to get the contract signed and returned, as I am teaching summer school and needed time to look it over. She agreed and this morning I took some time to look it over.

I ended up with four pretty big issues/questions about the contract. Not the least of which is that the pay scale in the contract is different from the single page pay scale they are using to quote me my salary. I'd like to THINK that this was just a mistake, but I'm worried that they are pulling an East Millinocket tactic - the old bait-and-switch.

I'm sick to my stomach that this place may in fact be no better than the last place. I'm trying to hard to keep from making any snap judgments, but I've got a bad feeling about this.

Sigh.

Getting On With It

This week and last I have been teaching summer school at my new district. I'm driving there and back each day (two hour drives both ways), but it's good money and good weather so I don't mind so much. The kids have actually been pretty excellent, with one exception. That exception broke her tailbone last weekend, so perhaps Karma helped me out a bit there.

Now that I'm down here every day, I've begun the search for living accommodations. I have a picture in my head of what life will be like down here and I'm hoping to find something that resembles that picture at least a little bit.

Ideally I'd like something in the actual town the school is in, thus making my commute short. The shorter the better, in my opinion. I don't want to be away from home AND have a big gas bill anyway. And since we're speaking of ideal, I'd like to rent a house instead of an apartment - I really like my quiet time.

I do, however, own a dog and have a husband, both of whom will be visiting me a couple of weekends a month. This is proving complicating since many of the places that are available say no pets. I'm hoping my wit and charm will grant me an exception.

I have all of August to myself as far as summer vacation goes. I'll be doing a lot of work for the fiber and yarn business so that I can give myself a couple of weeks to get situated down here. I will also be snorgling the hubs, cats, and dog to store up for the weeks I'll be away from home. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about how this situation will turn out. I'm hoping that it will be better than expected, rather than worse.

Wish me luck. I'll post pics of the place I'll be renting once I have them.