N is for Networking

Being a teacher means spending the spring and summer searching for a job for the following school year (that is until you find a permanent position that offers professional status).

With the job search comes stress, paper cuts, cover letters, resumes, more paper cuts, more stress, and the most awful part of it all...networking. 

Now I am not a natural networker. I prefer not to bother others and ask for favors and make small talk and be chummy. Actually, I prefer not to interact with adults at all if I can help it. THERE IS A REASON I SPEND MY DAYS WITH TINY HUMANS. 

But today, I sucked it up and emailed an old graduate school professor. See...there is this job that I want A LOT. Like more than anything. Like it's probably the most perfect job for me ever. So I tried to put my general awkwardness aside and network like a grownup.

I may or may not have called my mom and Googled "how to network to get a job" before sending the email. <---I did.

   

There Are No Words...

Okay...there are some words. I'm at my favorite car dealership getting a tune up and an overdue (oops!) state inspection.  No friendly dogs this time. Actually there is no one here at all...but they still told me it would be an hour and a half wait. So naturally, I'm amusing myself by taking pictures.

Boredom inevitably leads to public embarrassment!

Sometimes I am Awkwardly Inappropriate*

Earlier this evening via text (prior to learning of Whitney Houston's passing):

Friend: Whitney Houston!

Me: Haha what?

Friend: Someone just told me she died!

Me: Whoa! I thought you just wanted to dance with somebody. (Investigates and texts this photo to friend)

Friend: Whoa! Can't believe it! Also, I do want to dance with somebody. V-Day is comping up but I'm having ladies valentine's so my changes aren't looking so hot.

Me: Hmmm...never say never. Justin Bieber taught me that.

Friend: Ha. True. This is our year after all (note: because we are grownups now). But Biebs better watch out. It hasn't been a good month for the music industry.

Sadly, I am not terribly surprised by the news. As was the case with Amy Winehouse, I always assumed things would end this way which is sad because Whitney Houston was incredibly talented. I can't count the number of times I've pretended that I could sing like her (mostly alone in the car) only to end up with a sore throat a defeatist attitude. And I've had many a pants-less dance party to I Want To Dance With Somebody.

Whitney will live forever on my iPod.

* And use humor as a coping mechanism.