Raccoon Eyes (in a not good way) and Limbo

Saturday I graduated. I grant you permission to now call me "Master Cady." I have my Master of Arts in English (with an emphasis on Rhetoric and Composition) from the University of Idaho. It's also looking like I may graduate with a 4.0. Whoduvthunk? Trust me, my GPA in my undergrad wasn't that great, but I'll take it!

So on Saturday it was abnormally hot (this year) during our outdoor commencement and I wound up looking like a raccoon. I was happy I had remembered to bring my sunglasses, but there's a price to pay for protecting your retinas. The raccoon burn (see exhibit to the left) is baffling since this morning, apparently, it snowed in Moscow. Hrmpf. Go figure.

It was wonderful seeing my parents, friends and past students graduate, and members of the amazing UI faculty that helped me get this blasted diploma. Now, if I can only find a job. Yep, I'm unemployed and (as of July) am homeless too. I've officially located limbo, but don't want to put it down as my permanent place of residence.

So what am I doing now? Well, other than applying any and everywhere, it looks like I'm headed south to Idaho Falls for awhile to help my sister prepare her house to move. Otherwise? I don't know. Will I come back to Moscow? I'd love to, but no one who is hiring has given me an offer I can't refuse (i.e. a job offer).

Right now, I'm paring down, packing up, and preparing for a move to...whoknowswhere.

Time will tell -- and I'll keep you in the loop!

I think my computer hates me...

I honestly don't know what happened to my last post. You know, the one with the cute photo of the drawing on the shoes? Yeah. No idea. It's been deleted from my blog and I can't find it.

I think my computer is finally turning on me...but on the bright side...I'm done with writing papers, so it's not that big a deal!

Now I can slow down and breathe...

I saw this pic and it made me smile. It's called "Romeo and Juliet." >cute<

But enough about them, let's talk about me!

Finally, after months of stress, late nights/early mornings, rewrites, revisions, re-dunculous amounts of reading, and general internal mayhem, I feel like I can stop and breathe.

As of yesterday, my thesis, and all the corresponding hoops  paperwork, were accepted by the College of Graduate Studies. That means I'm officially going to graduate this semester! Yay! I was worried I had defended too late, but I must've squeaked in.

Had drinks (me soda pop, everyone else beer) with a professor and some classmates last night and turned in my final assignment.
I only have one more class this afternoon (which I've done all the work for and presented...I'm just an extra body in the classroom now) and I'm done with my classes! Admittedly I still have to grade my student's final papers, but that's not a big deal. I have until Tuesday to grade them and submit their final grades.

Now? Well, now I'm at a crossroads. What do I do? Well, I'm hustling trying to find work...any work! I'm wondering if I should just spend another year in school and get my teaching certificate or move some place and get a job. Nothing seems to be panning out in the Moscow area, even though I love it  here! C'mon, there's a reason why I came back to this neck of the woods, but every place I've applied to I've either interviewed and gotten the cold shoulder or just hasn't responded in any way.

Maybe I'm just impatient (which is a definite possibility), but I'd like to know one way or the other. Even a polite "thanks, but no thanks" is fine with me. At least I would know where I stand. -sigh- There are a couple more jobs I'm going to apply to in the next week, and then after that, I'm willing to cut my losses and move.

Okay, this has been a bit of a "Debbie Downer" post, but I guess I'm  just frustrated. On an up note...

...I. AM. GRADUATING!!!!!

You're welcome.  :-)

Avoidance at its Best!

There's nothing like updating a blog to avoid doing what you know you're supposed to be doing. Take me, for example. I have final papers for my class to grade, but have I started grading them? Um, no. I have one last assignment for two of my classes to complete, but have I finished them? Um, no.

So what do I spend my time doing, you might ask? Um...nothing. Rather, nothing of importance. I spend way too much time playing Sudoku online, reading books that are just mind candy and that I have read before (so they take even less thought), and...nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. I'm applying for jobs like crazy.

I heard back from one community college teaching job in Bellevue, WA that was a polite "thanks, but no thanks," but I haven't heard back from any others. With less than a week until I'm unemployed, I'm starting to freak out a bit. Honestly, I'm not normally a worrier, but upon graduation on Saturday, I'll pretty much have completed my five-year goal. Then what? Yeah. That's where it gets a little shaky.

Ideally, I'd just like to know either way for ANY of the jobs I've applied to. I'm normally an optimistic person, but this is pushing it to the limits. So help me, if I don't hear anything this coming weak I may have to do something drastic. Don't ask me what...just drastic.

Even if I get a teaching job for the fall, I still have to figure out what to do for the summer. I've applied at some jobs, had one interview, but nothing. I'm getting a bit sick of the "what are you going to do now" question because I don't know.

What I do know is that I have to trust something will happen. Preferably something good. I have to trust that I'll be able to pay my bills, feed my dog and myself, and afford to keep a roof over my head. Right now? Well, it's not looking too good. I've saved as much money as possible, but please remember I've been a college student for five years. There's not a lot of opportunity for depositing into the "rainy day" fund. But trust. Be still and trust...

...but if anyone has any great ideas...I'm all ears!