Life and Stuff

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I suppose it is time again for an update on life, rather than a commentary on current affairs... Hm... I'm not even sure when I last made a post like this... Maybe I should check... Wow... looks like it was June or so. Okay, I really need to break my addiction to the ellipsis, but it is such a handy bit of punctuation!

Gretch is in her last semester at Parkland! Huzzah! If all goes according to plan, she'll be getting her AAS in Graphic Design in December or thereabouts. Right now she is taking two classes, one required, the other merely so that she can get in as a full-time student (or maybe it is just a 3/4 student, and learn something vaguely related to her profession)

The first, Illustration II, appears to be a repeat of Illustration I, except the assignments are different. She has realised that she hates doing illustration for design projects. Fortunately, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I will only have to help her through a few more existential crises before it is all over! (Apparently, my suggestion that she thumb her nose at the requirements and do whatever she wants is less-than-satisfactory, though.)

The second, 2-D Animation, has resulted in her acquiring more hardware and more software for her computer and is allowing her to pursue all sorts of silly projects (such as making a stop-motion video of Sammy Jo getting attacked by rubber duckies). Fortunately, the hardware, a Wacom tablet, is something she has wanted for some time, so this class gave her the awesome justification to finally buy one. (Thank you, school grants!)

I continue to work for Champaign Unit 4 as a substitute teacher. However, it seems that they changed things around a bit and, as a result, I have only been called in when I have been requested. And, as of the end of September, the only teachers to request me have been my mother-in-law and her friends/colleagues at her school. I am hoping that some other teachers who know me will think of my name when they need a substitute, as well. I am also hoping that, when Mary ditches 5th grade to teach a Montessori-style 1st grade class with Randy, then I can swoop in and claim her current position. The subtle campaign has already begun. (The campaign is also underway if Mary's neighbour, Heather, moves away.)

Gretch and I are running Simply Spotless. It has been a great blessing to our lives, as well as a wonderful job. I am finding that I love this work as much as I love teaching, and, hopefully, I'll be able to find a way to do both. The company is doing surprisingly well, considering the state of the economy, and I expect it to continue to doing well. Our employees are, for the most part, very dedicated, very diligent workers, and I am sad that we'll have a couple of them leaving in December to go to school out in Utah/Idaho.

We are still teaching the Valiant 11 class in the Mahomet Ward, which is great fun. We have about nine kids in our class and while they can be a handful at times, they are really great kids and we love teaching them. I'm also the Executive Secretary for our ward, so I get to go to all the meetings the Bishopric have in the morning, which is a rather neat experience.

When we aren't at work, school, or church, we can most likely be found at home, watching a movie (either on TV or from the library), watching stupid people appearing on televised court programs, or at the Ruggieris' or Whitakers'. And that's about all that's going on in our lives!

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