Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008: The Year that Was

January: Continued working at a computer service company full-time and at camp part-time. Worked 8:30am to 8pm every weekday.
February: Went to Buffalo, NY for the weekend with a couple of friends to go shopping. Finished my teacher's college application at the end of the month.
March: Went to Florida for the first time, on a "real" vacation. Drove through the Everglades.
April: Bought a computer for the first time. Getting a laptop was fantastic, and a big upgrade from the free desktops I always seemed to inherit from upgraders. Am still enjoying my Dell Vostro 1400... which has already been discontinued. Went for my teacher's college interview.
May: Turned 30. Joanne and Rachelle teamed together to throw me a fun surprise party. Got in to teacher's college. My car started having issues. Went to a wedding in Muskoka of a dear friend.
June: Contemplated not going to teacher's college due to $ and car issues. Eventually handed in my quitting notice to the computer company. Got called in to the big cheese's office to find out what was up, and told I could continue working part-time while going to school. Whirlwind of a summer began.
July: Worked my last full-time day at the computer place (and my last twelve hour workday), worked evenings for camp, and started teacher's college July 8th. Was in class 8am-4pm, then at camp in the evenings and on Sundays all summer.
August: Wonderfully had the first week of August off from school, flew to Manitoba to spend some time with my Gramma who was beginning to decline in health. Enjoyed a few days at her farm where I always spent part of my childhood summers at, loved visiting. Camp continued and ended. Went to meet the teacher I would be doing my first teaching placement with. Emceed a wedding of two good friends.
September: Started my first teaching placement with grade 7 and 8 students, teaching art, geography, literacy, and math. Spent a full week with them, then started classes 3 days a week, one day of placement a week, and a day of working at camp. Started back at the computer company two evenings a week.
October: Canadian Thanksgiving came and went. My four housemates and I started taking turns cooking supper... what a fantastic idea. Finally got my original car issue fixed... several trips to two mechanics, and $1700 later and all it needed was a $40 part. The next week it started making a new noise. Terminal transmission problem. Will drive it until it dies.
November: Finished up classes and headed into five weeks at my placement full-time. Went back to Florida for 4 days on business for a camp convention. We had a sixth housemate move in.
December: Finished the last three weeks of my teaching placement, the kids threw me a nice little surprise going away party. :) Borrowed a car to drive up and spend Christmas in Sudbury with relatives. My car is still ticking but not reliable for an 800km drive.

2 comments:

Neely said...

Wow, what a busy year for you! I can't believe you worked crazy hours like that but I'm really glad that you're now teaching :) Have a happy new year Michelle!

natasha said...

Aren't you just the little poster! Yay, I hope your New Year's resolution was to post more often.

I am amazed that you remember so many details from your year. 2008 seems like a blur of art and teaching for me, i would have a hard time making a list like that. I may try though.

There is a letter slowly making it's way to you in a postman's bag.