Packing Slacking

I should be packing right now. But, instead I'm blogging about packing and listening to my cat snore. I will get up off my butt and pack at some point today, I'm sure. Today I will tackle packing up my desk and the kitchen. Yesterday was pretty eventful so I don't feel so bad about being lazy this morning. I cleaned out my storage unit with my mom, went to Goodwill, got more boxes and packing paper, went to UPS center to get my tent (weeee! I have a tent now!) and I got some of those vacuum bags for packing clothes (I don't really know how well they work, but I figured it would be worth it to get them because they might save some space).

Anyway. I promise the entries will get more exciting! I know they have been mostly about this box and that box and blah blah, but I know that once we get on the road and in Madison the reading shall become more riveting. And, I will also post more pictures!

Door to Door Delivers!

I got my door to door moving containers this morning! The guy came to my apartment at like 9:00am. It was super hard to get out of bed because I'm sick with a head cold and was up late at me and Mark's Goodbye party at Gabi's house, which was really fun and a little crazy. But anyhow, Mark and I meet the guy outside and we were able to get the containers right on the main street upfront of my apartment. It's amazing that there were no cars parked in that spot! on a Saturday morning I would expect my street to be full, but there was space and it all worked out. The door on one of the containers is a little busted though (I think this trip should be this containers last) Really, it's seen better days I think. But it will do and it will hold my stuff, so it's fine.

I'm glad the containers are here, but am too sick to pack tonight. Instead I am just chilling at home, messing around on my computer, and having some alone time.

First Box Packed

I packed my first boxes last evening! I was having a hard time doing it alone so I invited my good friend Chelsey over to help motivate me and give me moral support. She was happy to do so, and it was really fun to pack that first box. After that box was done I had this sigh of relief, and was excited to do another. So, we packed up my books, 4 boxes in all! Not bad for the first night. I think baby steeps are good for me right now, just a little at a time.

It felt very pivotal to pack those first boxes. Somehow, it was like this big transitional moment in which I have actually begun the process of moving. It feels different then just making plans and getting rid of stuff. It's like it's really begun now. and it also felt very different from my moves in the past (I have moved 8 times in the past 9 years). In years past I would just toss things in boxes and move with ease and without much stuff. Now, I'm being more delicate with my crap and I have way more of it to move, even though I have tried to down size.

Yes, I'm glad those first few boxes are done. That's a start.

This weekend we party! One with friends and one with family :) It will be a blast.

Second Job Interview

I now have two job interviews set up in Madison, WI. I'm glad that all my hard work payed off (looking for places to work, calling the business, talking with the person who has the power to hire me about who I am and what I do, e-mailing them my cover letter and resume, and then calling again or e-mailing again to see if there are job openings) The entire process took two months, so far I have gotten two job interviews from the effort. I have to say that it's such a relief to have these interviews set up. To think, that I might have a teaching job after only being in Madison for a week! That would be great, I welcome the new experience.

So this second interview is with a Preschool called The Creative Learning Preschool. Here is a little snippet I got from their website:
"Creative Learning Preschool is a culturally diverse child care center with a preschool program based upon the High/Scope Philosophy. This philosophy is directed toward the use of a child-directed/initiated curriculum and age appropriate play activities."
This preschool also sounds like a good fit for my teaching style. I am applying to be a teachers assistant, same as the other job, which I think it a great opportunity to see if I really like working at the school. If everything goes well it's possible that one of these teacher assistant jobs could turn into a sub job or a full time lead teaching job. It's nice to know that I could "go up" in the work place and not just stay in the same job like I have been as a theater teaching artist. I love being a teaching artist, but it really doesn't go anywhere. It's very hard to climb in the field and it take a lot of time. I have done what I can, but I can see it's time for a change and I think teaching in a preschool is a good option for me.

One Week Until Pod Delivery

Yes, in one week both of my door to door pods will be placed on the street in front of my apartment building. I can't believe it's all happening so fast! It felt like yesterday when Mark and I decided we wanted to move together, and now we are going to be packing next week. Time flies:)

Here is an update on what I've gotten done in the past few days:

• I went downtown to the municipal court building to get a 31B Permit. You have to have this to place your moving pods on the street otherwise they give you a 500.00 citation and you have to go to court! yeah, for real!!! (I asked) For two pods it really wasn't too expensive.
• I got a bunch of boxes from my dad. Thanks dad! He also gave me packing tape.
• I tried to take my name off my current cable/Internet subscription. I talked with some dude from Comcast over the phone and he said that Rylin (housemate) and I have to go to a Comcast store and change the billing information in person. "We can't do it over the phone?" I asked him. "No" he said "You have to come in because Comcast is lame and we have bad costumer service." Well...... maybe he didn't say that last part, but that's what I deduced from that conversation.
• Also, Mark and I are going to get a tent from REI on Saturday. Super cool! I've never been a tent owner but I'm happy to say that I want to do a lot of camping now that we will have one. Also, on our road trip to Madison we might stay at a camping site or two (we haven't really gotten to to road trip planning part yet) and a tent will come in handy for that.
• Mark and I got an Areobed to sleep on because my bed will be in a moving pod for about 2 weeks and his bed will be.... umm.... somewhere. Either sold or something. But either way, we don't want to sleep on the floor for like 3 weeks, OK?
• I got long johns to go under my pants. Yeah, I know it's summer! But, I'm mentally preparing for winter. Can you blame me? I'm sure that they have mountants of long johns on the midwest, but it just seemed like a good idea at the time.

That's all for now.

Ba Kitty

Ohhhh I love my cat. I'm glad that he's coming to Madison :) He's going to travel in the live animal compartment of an airplane, in his little crate. I don't think he'll enjoy the experience very much. But, alternatively, I was going to put Ba Kitty in my car and drive him across the country. But, that would've stressed me out way to much. He could run away en route, or not be able to stay in a hotel because of a pet policy, or really hate the car and be stuck in it for four days (which is how long the trip will take) I have thought about the best way to travel with my cat for months. You know, I'm responsible for his well being and don't want him to be traumatized when he gets to Madison. So, after talking with my vet, pet owners, my sister, friends, and pet shop clerks, I think flying my furry friend is best.

Anyway, Ba Kitty is going on a plane, it's better for my blood pressure and for him. You would be amazed at all of the airlines that fly pets in a safe secure fashion. I have done a lot of research up to this point and have learned a ton. The best airline to move your pet is Continental. They have a pet transportation department! I was very impressed with the information I received from the person I spoke with over the phone and with their website and what they offer.

And here is a neat fact I found on a website:

"According to the Air Transport Association, over 500,000 animals are shipped via the air every year. Approximately 1% of the shipments encounter problems including transport in unapproved kennels, missed flights, lost pets, and animals' death. "

Also, this website is the most helpful one I have found on how to move your pet: http://www.mahalo.com/How_to_Fly_With_Pets

So, I hope my cat appreciates all this effort I'm expending to keep him safe and happy. Next I have to book the flight and tempt my sister to drive little Ba Kitty to the airport and check him in. The rest will be up to the competence of the airline and its employees. Then when he touches down in Chi-town I will be waiting for him. Then he gets to go to his new home :)

Yay Ba Kitty!

Interview & The Pods

More big news... I got my first job interview in Madison! I'm super excited because it's with a Preschool that I would love to work for, even though I've never been to the Preschool to see it. It's called The Preschool of the Arts and it runs under the Reggio Philosophy. For those of you who don't know, the Reggio Philosophy uses emergent curricula that focuses on the interests of the children. Children are also encouraged to form their own hypotheses and answer their own questions (basically, to be self analytical and self monitoring) , with the guidance of compassionate and understanding teachers. Children are also encouraged to do art and science based activities and to cultivate collaborative relationships. If you want to learn more about the Reggio Philosophy you can go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach You can also learn about Reggio Philosophy on The Preschool of the Arts Website.

So, I'm excited about this interview because I think my teaching style and experience would fit well in this schools environment. Not to mention, I love being an arts educator and working with Pre-K and Kindergarten age children. And how nice would it be to have this job after only being in Madison for a week? Booya. But, I know I can't get my expectations too high, because I might not get the job, so it's still very important that I keep looking. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, as they say. I am used to this process, because as a teaching artist I always seem to be scrambling to find work or make ends meet. I think that experience is useful in a time like this because I have grown accustomed to the process of marketing my self and being resourceful.


In other news: Mark just made reservations for our Door to Door moving pods to be delivered to our respective apartments. Weeeeeeee! The process consisted of juggling dates, getting quotes, measuring furniture, and investigative work. But, it's done. It's booked and I am sooooo glad that we are not driving one of these....

Yeah, originally it was our plan to pack up one of these puppies and drive it across the country. A very romantic notion, but it soon proved to be an inconvenient option. I mean, would you want to drive this thing across the country? and pay for all the gas? and pack it and un-pack it? NO? well, we didn't so we are putting our stuff in pods, which we think will be better. The next thing I need to do is start packing and go downtown to get a street usage permit for my pods. Yeah, you have to have this permit, otherwise they give you a ticket for having your pod on the street. The ticket is probably around the same price as the permit it self, go figure :)