i must blog this because i must somehow spread my joy. i just printed a bunch of stuff off my new photo printer and i'm really really happy. =) for only 60 buckets i got myself a kick-ass printer. i just printed several photos only 4x6 glossy photo paper, and i can't stop looking at them because they look like regular photos. can't see the pixelated digital-ness, u just can't tell. i'm happy. =) yay for the epson photo 825. u can't go wrong for something like this for so cheap, even if it is refurbished. the coolest thing about my printer is that i don't even have it hooked up on my computer. it's just plugged in, and i pop in my compactflash memory card into the printer slot and use the index to choose what picture i want, in what size, in what layout... it's so dope!!! i sound like a sad sad commercial but i'm just tellin the truth. i so happy. =) time to sleep.

thank goodness for the time change. the extra hour is definitely helpful. and thanx to whomever came up with the mneumonic "fall back, spring forward," as i could never remember when we're supposed to move back or forward our clocks. now i'm tired. new week of school starts tomorrow... my classroom is in complete disarray. i need help cleaning it up. help. also, we're starting our new unit on work/jobs. if u can spare some time and come to my class to talk about what you do, that'd be soooper! =)

went a'shoppin today, and bought myself a $60 photo printer (msrp ~150). =) what a steal, huh? i don't have a problem with refurbished products. yay i'm happy with my purchase! i'ma be print happy now...

apparently i'm a property owner now. i guess with the chunk of my paycheck that i give to my parents every month, they've invested in a house under my name. some sort of really low interest rate for teachers. sooo... yeah. i had to sign and initial all this paperwork and provide hella photocopies of documents, including diplomas and stuff. i dunno about my bank statements though. the last two bank statements were for august and sept (before i deposited my first paycheck). for both, the ending statements were like $300-400. the loan dood is going to laugh at that. i still feel like a kid though. i don't know how to be a homeowner. yes, my parents will take care of everything legal for me, but still. it's weird. it's a 4-unit house or condo in carson. it's being rented out, so we'll generate income that way. i haven't even seen this place and it's the biggest purchase i've ever made (or that my parents have made for me). O_o i didn't want to own a house.. not yet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest dearest bestest buddy of almost 10 years now (!) HAYLEY! =) miss u lots, girl. wish u weren't so far away. i need to get my butt to visit nor cal soon... man. we gettin ooold~ (remember when we were trippin about how we were seniors graduating from high school?)... *sigh*

i'm disgusted by the backdoor politics that goes on at schools. all this bullshit!! yes, i am angry and bitter... at certain particular people who can so calmly and cooly bullshit straight to my face. in short, due to a series of lies, kissing ass, covering for yourself, being selfish, and more, i have been forced to move classrooms. no, it's not that big of a deal to actually do the move. just that in the short run it's a lot of work. i have major issues with the way things go down. basically, i have to be the first teacher to move out, so that the second teacher can move her things in, and the third teacher can move her things into the second teacher's classroom. well both the other teachers have half days because they're pre-K and K. i'm the 1st grade teacher with a full day of teaching. while i was teaching, all their ish started being hauled into my room. umm, hello? eventually about half my classroom was stocked full of boxes, furniture, what have u. then at the end of school, while i was explaining their homework, a particular teacher who is actually the main proponent of all this bullshit, was standing in my room talking to the plant manager. hi. i'm teaching my class. i asked her in a half-rude tone to please talk OUTSIDE my class cuz i'm still actually trying to teach. yes i'm bitter. but mostly, i'm terribly disappointed. worked on moving and organizing my classroom after school until 9pm. i'll be there all day today fixing it up...

what a lazy weekend. had my saturday UCLA class yesterday. hit up the borders 25% teacher discount afterwards, and got to chill with my fellow teacher buddies. =) i miss them. we only see each other once a week now during our wednesday classes. in the evening a bunch of us went out to a small theatre out on fairfax to watch a dope asian-american play. i miss going to plays. then i got to hang out with my old SD buddies and old roomies who were reunited once again in LA last nite. =) i miss them, too.

and today... man. today all i did was veg. i haven't played video games in so long, and yesterday and this morning i played puzzle fighter, and today i played mariokart for nearly 2 hours. argh. so bad! it was such a nice day i wish i had spent it outside. couldn't play basketball cuz my two fingers are still banged up. still can't bend them all the way.

DON'T shop at VONS, RALPHS, or ALBERTSON'S. try smart&final, trader joe's, small mom and pop type stores... what have u. the workers' strike probably won't go on for more than a week (cuz all their foods will spoil and expire, and they're gonna have to negotiate with the workers). we'll see, but i'ma do my part to shop elsewhere.

governator has won, 54 did not pass but it was too close for comfort. where is our state headed? kinda scary.

********
peace to our sister joy de la cruz. a beautiful woman, writer, poet, activist, and friend. to those who will be going up north to say goodbye, please travel safely. you will be missed, joy... i still can't believe you are no longer among us... the struggle continues.

my fifth week of teaching is down. after this week, i finally feel like i'm starting to get a real handle on things. starting to understand and get the flow of things, the paperwork, finding my style, deciding on a system that works for me... now i feel i can slowly turn more and more of my attention to my curriculum (and seriously getting organized). my class is more responsive to my management style now. i don't have to use my loud voice as much, and i don't feel like i'm as mean. my students do respect me though, and i always try to explain how i'm trying to be fair. the student who, for the last several weeks, would hurt and injure others has been slowly coming around. she's trying very very had to be a "good girl" she says. she sits in her chair for long periods of time, she hasn't crawled under the table, she did bite someone on tuesday... but she's very obviously trying. i love my students so much and i tell them everyday how much i want for them. things seem like they're beginning to fall into place... =) i also told my students for the first time today that this is my first time being a teacher. i got a lot of surprised reactions. =) hehe. so i said yeah, it's my first time. so u have to tell me if i'm not doing a good job explaining, etc. etc. they're my All-Stars... =)

only in urban schools, man. an interesting phase we're going through. i wonder how it'll turn out. i might have to move rooms. major shifts happening. i wonder what the politics are like behind all this...

i'm so tired. SD film festival is this weekend! dunno if i can make it though...

and since when did we all become jewish? apparently we have monday off for Yom Kippur. that's the first time i ever heard of having a school day off for a jewish holiday. the oddities.

********
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteres are at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a tatol mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.