A Busy WEek of Work

One of the vocab words that I'm discussing with my class this week is 'seek'.....I was looking for some images to use as an example of seeking and i came across this one. I really like this photo and Scripture. Such simple words, yet so complex....

It's been a busy week. This class has been keeping me extremely busy.  I have been getting a bit frustrated with my students and their attendance.  I have a small class already so when one or two students don't show up, it really makes things difficult. I have one student who has only been to class TWICE in three weeks. There's not a whole lot that I can do in the area of consequences. A couple of the students are only going to be here for another month or so and then will be heading back to their home countries.  The school only requires that they are in class 75% of the time, so the students take advantage of that "free" 25 percent. lol.

D and I had our second  Boys town interview on Monday.  They spent the first part of the interview trying to convince us that the job is too difficult. haha Then they asked us about ten questions, which weren't TOO difficult. They said that they would be interviewing more people and would then choose who goes on to the next round of interviews. I walked away feeling semi-confident.  I thought we did ok... Not the best maybe, but not bad. D on the other hand, was not feeling very confident at all.  I think he has pretty much been convinced that we have no chance of getting the job.  So he's been moping around the house ever since Monday.

But he was wrong..... they called us this afternoon and want to meet with us on Monday for a third interview. So we made it to the next round! I have mixed feelings about it all. While I'm excited, I'm also extremely anxious because I realize that it's a gigantic commitment and will be life changing. If we get the job, our lives will be so different for the next two years. It's scary, yet exciting. So we'll see how this next interview goes....

Other than work, not too much has been happening. I spent all Tuesday night working on laundry while D went golfing w/ his bros. I met a pretty cool senior down in the laundry room and we chatted between loads of laundry. haha A nice change from the usual crabby old ladies that I typically run in to down there :P I've also talked to Jennica for a LONG time two nights in a row. It was really nice! I feel like we can both be so busy sometimes that it's hard to stay in touch like we want to...

This week I've tried a couple new/different foods and have been trying to focus on healthy eating. (Well, except for that cheesecake I bought the other day.....)

Cold pasta salad that I made for the first time... whole wheat pasta w/ pesto sauce, mozzarella pieces, and cherry tomatoes.  Next time, I will probably add fresh basil. It seemed to be missing a little something, so I added some parm cheese and garlic salt and that seemed to help. It's pretty tasty!

I've been on a pita chip kick so I bought some hummus. I've been wanting to try it for awhile, but just never had. It's made from garbanzo beans (chick peas) which I ADORE, so I figured it must be pretty good. Fresh n' Easy was running a deal--2 for $5 so I bought two flavors-- pesto and roasted tomato.  My fave is the pesto...the other was ok. Maybe I'll try to make my own sometime...

Okay, well time to head to bed. Night everyone!

So i had a job interview....

Just checking in! Skyping with Jennica...have been listening to a helicopter that has been circling the block for the past 45 min. or so.  I had heard sirens right before that so I'm assuming they're looking for a fugitive? or just having fun wasting tax payer money.


5 hours later: 

That darn helicopter kept circling for about 2.5 hours. Never did find out what was going on...maybe it will be on the news.  It's now 10:21 pm. I just finished eating my tostadas w/ refried bean and avocados. Yum! I have towels in the dryer and some pumpkin bars cooling. Sitting here watching the latest episode of "Castle"...gotta love that show! :)

So I had an interview today @ the language college in Torrance.  As I was driving over, I realized that the gas light was on, but I was already on the freeway so I decided to just gas up when I got there. I got there about 30 min early so I drove around trying to find a gas station, but there weren't any in sight and my GPS wasn't working, so I was a little grouchy by the time I got back to the college for the interview.  So the interview SEEMED to go really, really well. If i were to get the job, I would be teaching three different classes: Conversation Skills, Reading, and Grammer/writing. The school has 5 different language levels and I think i would be teaching Level 2, 4, and 5.

I think I got along pretty well with the director. We sat there and chatted for a bit, I wasn't nervous at all, and I think I was pretty confident. The atmosphere seemed pretty laid back and relaxed. The school is actually located in an office building so it doesn't really look like a school. And it seems really small. The class sizes would be probably a min. of four and a max of 12. So it's sounds like a really, really great opportunity! She was interviewing one other person and said that she would let me know right away. She said perhaps even by the end of the day, but never heard from her. I think she will let me know either way, so I guess I'll find out tomorrow. Classes start on Wednesday morning, so if I DO get this job, then it will be a stressful couple days.

Sooooo...I've spent  the afternoon/evening waiting anxiously to hear something.....I hate waiting!!!!
Wow, I just had a moment of dejavu. I was thinking about the warehouse/business area that I was in for the interview today and it seemed familiar for a moment...like out of a dream that I had a few years ago. Weird!

Anyways, in other news. Here's what I did this past weekend:

Saturday:  

I skyped with Mom, Dad, and Jennica in the morning! :) 
Leonard came over to hang out for a bit...he rode over to the library with us in Rolling Hills Estates. (We had to take some library books back.)
We checked out the gift shop that they have there. They had some cute owl stuff!

I love these earrings!!!

When leaving the library, Diego headed the wrong way and we ran across this amazing view!

The pictures really don't do it justice! There was this really heavy mist and the mountains across the water looked like they were rising above the clouds...it was really beautiful!

It's difficult to see in this pictures, but there were a bunch of ships floating out in the watery mist.

Leonard showing off his purchase from the gift shop!

Me & Diego

We finally found our way back to San Pedro, just in time to meet up w/ D's family @ the Port O'calls Village @ an outdoor seafood restaurant. D's dad bought 7 pounds of shrimp!!! Now that's a lot of seafood! hehe

Just getting to the pier...they had already ordered the food!

Round 1!

The restaurant is right on the water! Super nice...

Next, are the drinks! A couple large pitchers of pop!

And here come the four huge boxes of shrimp w/ garlic bread!

Getting ready to chow down!

We sighted this adorable sea lion on one of the docks!

The mariachi band was going around from table to table...

At this point, everyone had their bellies full of seafood...well, except for me. I'm not a fan of shrimp, so I ate some garlic bread instead...

D's mom picking out the remaining shrimp...I think they had one large box left to take home...

Larry bought me a choc. covered strawberry!

A couple gigantic cruise ships drove past as we were sitting there...

There are quite a few cruise companies that are located in San Pedro so these are a common sight.

Although, I'd never seen one this close up before...

Me clutching my strawberry and gazing @ the monstrosity! haha As it was going past, all I could think of was the Titantic and how it sank. haha. I'm not a fan of cruise ships. D's Mom was saying that there is a cruise that goes from San pedro to Colima, Mexico ( her hometown). If I were to go on a vacation, I think I'd rather spend my time @ an actual location instead of being trapped on a huge boat. But that's just me....

D's parents were in a hurry to get back home, so they didn't stop by our apartment. But D's siblings came over for a bit.

It's not a big space, but we all fit in...

But then, not everyone was there...we were missing about 7 people..haha.

I was almost embarrassed to offer them the cupcakes I'd made because they looked so messy. I used the cream cheese frosting that I had leftover from the mango cake I'd made earlier in the week.  I tried to pipe it onto the cupcakes, but it was waaaay too runny, so ended up just spooning it on and adding some sprinkles. They didn't look the prettiest, but I always enjoy that chocolate cake recipe! They seemed to like them, so that's good. :)

Later on, we decided to go see a movie. We ended up going to see "Moneyball" , which I really enjoyed. It was a bit slow and boring in parts, but hey it's BASEBALL..a sport that, in my opinion, can be very long and tedious at times. :P But I think everyone enjoyed it. I was glad that we went. The story line was mainly about baseball, but also included some other topics...I think it was a great mix. I would give it a 7.5 out of 10. Here are a couple pics:

Waiting in line @ the theater...

People that went:  me, Diego, Larry, Alicia, Chicho, and Crystal

Well, I think that's all I'm going to share for tonight. I'll write some more tomorrow! I'll end with a couple more pictures...

All the yummy cupcakes before they were frosted...

I tried to add mango, but it didn't mix well with the cream cheese....

Oh, and this is a photo from today:

I got a surprise package in the mail today from Mom and Dad! And this is what was in it!!! Yay!!! I finally have some cooking utensils! And they are soooooo nice! I love, love, LOVE them! Mom bought pink for the fight against breast cancer! It's a pale pretty pink--gorgeous! And it's such high quality! I have never, ever had such a nice can opener! Yes, I am actually excited about a can opener! It's just that I have this thing--I always get crappy can openers. I started out buying the cheap ones and then moved on to the ones that were a little more expensive (i.e. $7) but they always end up being crappy. They don't work and it takes me forever to open those stupid cans and I usually end up with some sort of cut or scratch by the time I'm finished.  I could never bring myself to spend the money on a NICE one, but here it is! I used it tonight and it worked like a charm! It's amazing!!! ;) I LOVE it! Thanks Mom & Dad!!!!!!!

Well, that's it for now. I'm gonna hit the hay. Nighty night all!!!!

Two updates in one week! Is that a record? ;)

Diego didn't want yogurt, so he ate watermelon instead. It was pretty good watermelon too. Very sweet!

I just got back from Yogurtland! It's oh, so good! 10 oz. of yogurt and toppings for $3...not bad. I love to mix the flavors. I got mainly pistachio and mango, but also a dab of oatmeal cookie and red velvet cake. The first two are my faves, I didn't really like the last two that much. The best part was when i sprinkled graham cracker crumbs on top. yum!!! it gave everything a delicious flavor. I also added banana, kiwi, strawberry, sprinkles, a tiny bit of condensed milk, a dab of cheesecake and cookie dough...and i think that's it. It was divine! ;)

But enough about my yogurt....So yeah, Diego got his paycheck today and wanted to Harbor Freight Tools to buy some tools that he's been needing for work. So I rode along. We stopped by the yogurt place on our way back! ;)

some weird looking welding helmet that i saw...

haha i was bored so i was taking pictures of random things that stood out to me...

diego posing with a giant wrench.

For some reason, I really liked these key rings. Aren't they cute?

Today I had a job interview @ Sylvan Learning Center in Torrance ( about 15-20 min from here).  The interview seemed to go extremely well. Everyone was very, very friendly and they seemed extremely interested in me.  I think it helped that I was willing to tutor any age group.  Unfortunately, they wouldn't need me until later on...sometime around December or January probably, which is when they will begin their SAT tutoring. They did refer me to the sylvan center in Palos Verdes. They said that they would possibly hire me to help them with some elementary tutoring in October. So at least I have a lead. All of the tutoring is between 4 and 9pm so it could even if I ever do find a full time day job, this could be additional income and experience.

Oh, I got a voicemail from this place called Behavior Frontier. I had applied for a position as a behavior specialist--working with autistic children.  So I will be calling them tomorrow to get some info and hopefully schedule a job interview.  Special Ed has never been my forte and hasn't been a big interest of mine; however, if I can get a job, some experience and some benefits, then I'm all for it.  I really could use the experience and I think there would be a lot of training involved. I'm not sure if it would be a part time or full time position, but if it's full time I could get health benefits! yay! I won't get my hopes up yet though.

I'm also looking into some volunteer opportunities. I'm extremely interested in becoming a CASA volunteer ( court appointed advocate for foster children) and also an adult literacy tutor. They are both things that I've always been extremely interested in, plus they would be EXCELLENT things to put on my resume. The CASA position involves 30 hrs. worth of training and would probably be a great way to get my foot in the door of the nonprofit world.

So things are looking up. I'm definitely seeing more opportunities opening up. I've just got to wait for the right one. Praying that the right job will come my way!  :)

Anyways, so let's see...what's been going on over the past couple days...

On Monday evening, we showed Larry and alicia how to get to the trail by the Trump Golf course. We got there right at sunset, so we didn't really have much time to walk around. The moon was absolutely gorgeous that night! It was a full moon and it was so bright! So we drove over to Point Fermin Park to look @ it. Mom had texted me earlier and told me to look @ the moon and she was right, it was beautiful! After the park, we drove over to Port o'calls village. Alicia knew that I'd been wanting to check it out. It was almost closing so we didn't get to look around, but we did stop @ one of the seafood restaurants on the water.

1/2 pd. shrimp w/ potatoes and green peppers in some sort of sauce

I wish I liked seafood! Since we're on the coast, it's all about the seafood out here. Especially in San Pedro it seems.

On Tuesday, I went on a hike @ Trump, but didn't get to hike very long because I had to go pick D up. His truck wouldn't start and he needed to go get some sort of belt @ the vaccuum store. So I ran him over there.

Here are a couple pics that I snapped @ the trail before i left:

It was the first time I'd ever seen anyone golfing up on that little hill....

After that, I decided to check out this duck park that d's boss had told me about.  It was a cute little place.  There was a really big pond with lots of ducks, there were a lot of picnic areas, a walking path, and some pretty landscape. It would be a nice place for a cookout/picnic. Here are a few pics:

I liked the lighting in this picture...it looks so bright!

Don't you just love this hill?!

On Wednesday, I got a surprise package in the mail! Mom, Dad and Jennica mailed me some their delicious birthday/anniversary cake! It was so yummy! Thanks guys! It was so great that you thought of me! You made my day! Love you!

Other than that...have been trying to start working on party planning for Kristina's bridal shower. Can't post any details though. You'll have to wait until next spring to find out ;) I love planning things like this. It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun! Maybe i'll start a party planning/catering business some day. ;)

Here are a couple random photos from my shopping trip today:

Miniature appetizer silverware! how cute, huh?!

Here are a couple more random pics from the past week or two.

The raccoons @ Point Fermin Park

Pancakes i made for supper some night last week

My card from M&D!

That's cactus cooking on the left...it's a mexican thing....

haha i cracked up when i saw this machine @ a Subway. I would never see one of these back in the midwest. I could rarely even find horchata in the mexican restaurants back there...:P

Seaweed....Edgar and Rachel made me try it....it was nasty..

di

Diego sure liked it though! That's rachel's new bedframe and bedspread in the background. I was totally looking @ that bedspread @ target last month!

Giant mangoes that D's dad picked up @ the market

Love this book!

These are the books I got from the library...

This is a classic!

Sign that it's laundry time! haha

Chicken tostadas that i made Monday....

Well, that's all folks! I'm watching the end of "Gone in 60 Seconds" and then I'm heading to bed. Nighty night!