Light at the End of the Tunnel

Our struggling in Santa Fe may be nearing an end.

After trying to avoid returning to the school systems, that's exactly what we're in the process of doing.  Cameron took up substituting in the city schools a few months before the school year ended.  During that time, he received training for a summer school science program.  After meeting with the director of the program, the first day, he was reassigned to work with him to compose a soundtrack for a commercial instructional video, featuring the director.  If you have ever seen Bill Nigh The Science Guy, it is along those lines.  It was an intense 2 weeks of solid composing and meetings with the director, but the end product was fantastic.

He has been watching for a music teaching position in the area, but so far, nothing has opened up.  So he will return to substitute teaching when school starts.  I guess I have been digging my heels in, more than he.  When the whole "No Child Left Behind" fiasco was enacted, it messed up the education system more than ever.  It kind of soured me on teaching, then after obtaining my master's in school counseling, I found there were few positions in the Bakersfield area school system.  In much of the country, counselors were not able to use the majority of the skills they had learned, focusing on scheduling, and other such duties.  That added a new frustration.

There is a national movement among the National School Counselors Association, affecting school systems throughout the US, that utilizes more of school counselors' skills and moves more of the clerical duties to other personnel.  With that bright spot, I am in the process of jumping through the multitude of hoops that New Mexico has in place, in order to obtain a reciprocal school counselor license for this state.  I've gotten everything in order and will be submitting my application this week.  At this point, I don't see any openings with the city schools, especially since it is so close to school starting, but there may be more as the year progresses.  In the meantime, I will be substitute teaching, as well.

Working at OfficeMax has been a royal pain, literally, and I just cannot do it anymore.  The varying hours, the low pay, and pain I have after every shift isn't worth it.  So, off we both go, back into the schools.  Cameron already has a 6 month temporary position as a kindergarten teacher, yes, you read it correctly.  Scenes from Kindergarten Cop come to mind, but we'll not go there.

On another note, the weather has been much different this year than last.  I'm told that El Nino years are much drier than other years, like last year.  It's been a windier, drier, warmer year and I'm not so sure I like it, but loved last year.  Longer residents say it varies from year to year so I guess we'll see what materializes in the next one.  I still love the 4 seasons, but greatly miss the ocean.  Cameron and I frequently reminisce about our past motorcycle rides up to Big Sur or Morro Bay; the ocean breeze and rocky cliffs.

My daughter, Madeline, is getting married in November.  I haven't seen my family in a couple of years and it will be good to see them.  It sounds like they'll be staying in Bakersfield for a while as they are talking about buying a house.  They sure grow up fast.  I see little kids daily and each reminds me of times when she was their age.  I find myself reminiscing about her a lot lately, bragging to those who will listen.  I guess it's all part of the process of life, but it's taking me awhile to be comfortable with it.  I turned 50 this year.  Wow, seeing it in writing is a little scary.  Madeline turned 21 and is getting married.  All are milestones and have come faster than expected.  I think seeing everything from the outside changes the perspective.  Since I'm no longer physically close to family, I don't see/experience the gradual changes taking place over time.  I don't know how it will be to pay a visit for the wedding.  There will be people attending that I haven't seen in years. I'll be a visitor to the place I once called home.

I will post more when there is anything new.