Inside This Mind.

03.23.2007 * 5:09 p.m.
mooo.

I don't think it is terribly intelligent to update any sort of web journal or blog from one's workplace. I've heard several stories about people getting fired over things that they wrote on their personal space on the internet. Since I work at a school, I know that our firewall restricts us from accessing a lot of websites and I wouldn't be surprised if the powers that be keep track of what sites we visit as well. To reduce the risk of anyone at work ever finding this little corner of cyber space, I absolutely will not update from work... directly. See, I am writing this at work right now, but I'm emailing it to myself. There's nothing bizarre about sending emails, so I think I'm safe. I should be grading spelling tests, but no big deal, I'll tackle those later.

Anyway, the point of this entry is to tell you how it smells out here today. While growing up, my friends and I used to talk about how L-more was a cow town. Compared to many other cities in the bay area, it really is a bit of a hick town. However, compared to almost every location in the Central Valley, we are urban. I currently work in a new town that is essentially suburbia popped up in the middle of farm land. It can be really windy out here, with cold, gusty winds pouring over the hills from the west. There was one day when the breeze was blowing from the east and carrying the smell of livestock with it, but the air was moving so the smell was fresh and inviting. Today the air is still and quiet, and the smell is stronger than ever. I walked outside this morning and it smelled like cows. The air blowing through the vents in my classroom has a sour, cowish scent to it. I wouldn't be surprised if I smell like a cow by the end of the day. I usually like that outdoor, fresh grass, farmy smell, but thats not exactly the aroma in the air today. Today it's more like driving by Harris Ranch on highway 5 when you roll your windows up in a hurry and put the air on recirculate before the stank makes it into your vehicle. Yeah, that's almost the smell today.
Awesome.

Irrelevant information:
This morning I woke up at 1:30 to use the bathroom. My brother stood outside the door waiting, and when I passed him in the hall he said, "Soup, huh? You peed like a freaking race horse."

03.22.2007 * 5:45 p.m.
Fancy word for frog-voice.

I have laryngitis.
(I've been wanting to use that word.)
No, really, I do. My voice is almost entirely gone, and when I can speak it sounds pathetically raspy. This happens to me often, probably yearly. I don't know if I am prone to catching colds or what, but I seem to catch at least one a year that attacks my vocal cords and transforms my voice into that of a 90 year old smoker. It's hot. I should record myself singing and post it on the internet.

Imagine being in a room with 17 nine year olds who are all chattering like birds at dawn. Now imagine that you try to get their attention and realize that you cannot raise your voice above the volume of a mouse's squeak. I got them to listen by clapping. One time I whistled. Actually, I was very impressed with how good they were at keepig quiet for me today. Still, I had to use my voice quite a bit which made it get worse and worse as the day progressed. I'm taking the evening off from talking so that I can rest my throat enough to be able to speak a little tomorrow. That would probably be good.

In other news, if all continues to go as planned I will be a 2nd grade teacher at the new school next year. Hopefully that works out because I need a job and I like this district a lot. Plus, I really don't want to search for a job, apply, and interview again. With the amount of sweating I did at this first interview, I don't know if my body could take another one...

My parents are going to bring home hot and sour soup for me. Mmmm Chinese food.