"I like songs about drifters - books about the same. They both seem to make me feel a little less insane. Walked on off to another spot. I still haven't gotten anywhere that I want. Did I want love? Did I need to know? Why does it always feel like I'm caught in an undertow?
The moths beat themselves to death against the lights. Adding their breeze to the summer nights. Outside, water like air was great. I didn't know what I had that day. Walk a little farther to another plan. You said that you did, but you didn't understand.
I know that starting over is not what life's about. But my thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth. My thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth. My thoughts were so loud." ~modest mouse

Things are crazy at school right now. I was there for ten hours on Thursday and ten more hours today, going through professional development workshop stuff and then working on my classroom. I've spent more than five hours putting together my classroom library and it's still not completely finished yet. I spent hours just putting up my bulletin boards (not even decorating them, just covering them with paper and borders). I feel like there's so much I need to do before school starts, and I don't have any more time; school starts on Tuesday and I won't be going back to the school before then. Oh, and I'm teaching Social Studies as well (I just found out). They're having sixth grade ELA teachers teach their classes Social Studies as well. It seems like that should be something they tell you when they hire you, but apparently not. I'm actually really excited about it, though. I was a history minor in college; I love history. I think it'll be fun. The assistant principal, who's really nice, said she'll work with us on planning and stuff. I think the curriculum is centered around something like ancient civilizations and world cultures.
There are two other sixth grade ELA/Social Studies teachers. One of them is Victoria, the girl I met on my first day of new-teacher orientation at the school; she just graduated in May and moved to NYC this summer, and we get along very well. She was initially scheduled to teach seventh grade ELA, but she was moved to sixth grade. The other teacher is a great guy who taught sixth grade last year at this school and is going to be a wonderful resource for me; he's already started giving me lots of advice and has assured me and Victoria that we'll work together in planning. So far I'm very pleased with the support system that it seems like I'll have. That doesn't mean I'm not nervous, though. No matter how much support I have, I'll still be the one standing in the front of that classroom, responsible for those kids. And there's a lot of pressure to improve ELA scores this year. We got some data and all of my kids except for one are at a failing ELA level coming into the school year. I need to raise them up. Which will not be easy. But I'm going to work hard.

On Wednesday I got in line at the Public Theater at 6:30am and waited for Shakespeare in the Park tickets for Nic and I (which were given out at 1:00pm). I got third row seats for that night, directly in the center of the theater. We had a perfect view. The six-and-a-half hour wait was totally worth it. I've seen four or five different productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, but this was by far the best (of course that was expected, because it's the Public's Shakespeare in the Park). A Midsummer Night's Dream is now without a doubt my favorite Shakespeare play. It's the perfect play for a summer evening performance in Central Park. We also had the perfect night for it; there was a slight breeze, the moon was glowing, and the sky was clear. I thought the set was great; the centerpiece (pretty much the only set piece) was a huge, whimsical tree that contributed positively to the action and the atmosphere but didn't detract from what was going on. The costumes were Victorian and absolutely wonderful. I'm in agreement with the New York TImes review that the rude mechanicals (the actors putting on a play within the play) were the focus and the best part of the production. They had me in stitches; I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Jay O. Sanders plays one of them, and he's absolutely hilarious. He's such a good actor and this part is perfect for him. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is equally hilarious. They worked well together. Martha Plimpton (as Helena) was another standout performer. She's very funny. Nic said that although Martha Plimpton been in over 35 movies, she (Nic) will always think of The Goonies when she sees her (who could forget The Goonies?). I was able to see her completely as Helena and thought she fully inhabited the character. She was very feisty. This Shakespeare in the Park show doesn't have one single standout star like many of the organization's past shows, but it has a very strong ensemble consisting of many well-known actors (Jay O. Sanders, Martha Plimpton, Keith David, Jason Antoon, and more). I think it's a very good production. I especially loved the ending; Puck sings his final monologue to a simple yet moving melody that I couldn't get out of my head for the rest of the night. I needed a break from thinking about school, and this play provided me with the perfect escape.

"I mean, they don't even know what it is to be a fan, you know? To truly love some silly little piece of music or some band so much that it hurts." ~almost famous

I watched that movie for the thousandth time yesterday. I'm obsessed with it. Scroll down this page to see my picture with the movie's star Billy Crudup.

I'm trying to take advantage of what I think will be the last free time I'll have in a long time. On Friday Nic and I went to see The Last Town Chorus and Camera Obscura perform at the South Street Seaport. I wrote about the last time I saw The Last Town Chorus in concert here. At Friday's concert, Megan played the song "Wintering in Brooklyn" live for the first time ever. I looove that song, so I was excited. It was a really good setlist. I recorded the concert and the recording sounds pretty good, so maybe I'll post a couple mp3s later. We were in the second row so we were very close to a speaker and I thought that would screw it up, but it didn't really. If you haven't heard her version of the song "Modern Love," you must listen to it. It was featured on Grey's Anatomy, I think when Denny was having a heart attack (in the middle of the second season). Actually, I posted her music video of "Modern Love" in the post that I linked to above (click on the word 'here').

Today I went to Coney Island. It was a perfect day for it. I rode the world famous Cyclone (which was worth every penny, despite the fact that I had a headache for the rest of the afternoon because it was so bumpy) and walked around the boardwalk. Then I walked along the beach to Brighton Beach. The water felt so nice on my feet and legs. I think most New Yorkers forget that New York City is surrounded by water. We're used to traffic and skyscrapers crammed together and don't realize that the beach is just a short subway ride away. It felt good to get away and to see and smell and feel the ocean. I'll try to post pictures soon.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with two other new English teachers at my school and we're going to go shopping and then set up our classrooms together. I'm excited about that. I'm especially looking forward to setting up my classroom library. I love young adult books.

On Wednesday I'm getting up insanely early to wait in line for free Shakespeare in the Park tickets to A Midsummer Night's Dream (read The New York Time's review here). Wish me luck.

"We miss being ruffians, going wild and bright in the corners of front yards, getting in and out of cars. We miss being deviants. They'll find us here, here here in the guest room. Where we throw money at each other and cry, oh my. We can't stay here, we're starting to stay the same. We can't stay here, we can't stay this way." ~the national

The end of the summer snuck up on me. All of a sudden I now find myself in a week-long string of seemingly never-ending orientation days for new teachers (Monday and Wednesday with the DOE, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday with my school). Luckily they've been feeding us at each one. Today was an orientation for all new teachers in the city's public school system. There were over 3,000 of us. It's the country's largest school district, so it's not surprising that there are so many new teachers. It was surprisingly well-organized. They flooded us with so much information that I'm sure I'll be confused about once it starts to sink in or once it actually starts to apply to me. There were vendors there and they gave out tons of stuff. Here's some of what I got (everything on my bed except the computer):

Tomorrow at my school's orientation I should get my classroom key, and I'm excited about setting up my room.
Next week I have Monday through Wednesday off, and on Thursday and Friday I have more stuff with my school (the returning teachers will be there as well). Then there's Labor Day weekend, and on Tuesday school starts. That's really soon. I have no plans yet; I was just hired on Monday night. But, although I'm a little nervous, I'm excited. I love my school. My principal is very nice and funny, and she's especially focused on working with ELA teachers. She's going to meet with us once a week throughout the year and has already been giving the new teachers lots of helpful advice. The other new teachers are all very nice as well. There's one girl who just graduated in May and will be teaching seventh grade ELA; it's been great to talk to another new teacher who's the same age as me and in the same subject area. I already feel like I have people in the school to whom I can talk and worry and vent and ask for advice.

I student taught twelfth grade. I'll now be teaching sixth grade. There is a HUGE difference between those ages; it will be a completely different environment. I want to teach middle school, though. At first I was set on working with high schoolers, but this summer I've reconsidered. Especially because I'm teaching in New York City, I think working with younger students will be better for me as I'm just starting out. During my interview process I taught a demo lesson at this school to kids who just finished sixth grade, and I loved them. At this age they're generally still at the point where they want to do well in school and want to show off what they know. They're energetic and awkward and confused and eager to impress; they're challenging, but they're fun.

My school is in Washington Heights, at the very tip of Manhattan. Over 95% of the kids at my school are from the Dominican Republic. There are lots of recent immigrants. Nearly all of the students are Hispanic. Many of them are ESL students. I don't know Spanish, but someone at the school said that I'll learn quickly just by listening to the kids. The fact that I'll have kids at different levels of proficiency in English will make things difficult, but I'll learn to deal with it.
The school building is very nice and welcoming. The school is partnered with the Children's Aid Society, which runs after-school programs and a health clinic and dentist's office in the school. I think I'm going to like going to work there every day.

School hasn't been occupying all of my time. On Sunday night I braved the rain and sat outside in Central Park for three hours, listening to Rufus Wainwright. Nic and I shared a small umbrella and I think we each ended up soaking wet on one side of our body, but I didn't care. It was definitely worth getting wet. I loved the concert. He played my favorite song of his, "The Art Teacher," and brought his sister on stage to help him sing a heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of "Hallelujah." He has such a great voice. And he provided entertaining commentary between songs.

Last night Nic and I went to the Mets game. It was miraculously not cancelled because of rain; the rain mostly stopped before the game started and only a slight drizzle persisted (luckily we were sitting under cover, anyway). It was freezing, though. It was a very close game, but unfortunately the Mets came back in the bottom of the ninth and won. I was upset. I think it was the first time I've seen the Mets win at Shea Stadium (and I've been to my fair share of games). It was still fun to watch, though. A particularly entertaining moment was when a fan ran onto the field (how she got there is a mystery) and tried to hug Jose Reyes, who was on first base and started to run away from her. The security guards finally caught up to the girl and escorted her off the field, much to Reyes' relief. Here's Nic and I at the game (unfortunately I managed to cut the field out of the picture, but at least I got both of our heads. Note what a huge head I have):


Tonight I'm going to an advance screening of The Nanny Diaries. I'll post a review when I can. I'm afraid it won't be as good as the book (despite two of my favorite actresses, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Linney, being in the cast), but we'll see.

"Tiptoe through our shiny city, with our diamond slippers on. Do our gay ballet on ice, bluebirds on our shoulders. We’re half-awake in a fake empire. We’re half-awake in a fake empire." ~the national

I have no time to write, but I'm just posting a really quick update to say that I (FINALLY) GOT A JOB! I'll be teaching sixth grade ELA (English/language arts) at I.S. 218. I'm so excited. It's overwhelming, though; school starts two weeks from today. My first day of school as a teacher happens to be on my birthday. I have new teacher orientation all this week (it was very helpful today). I'll post more about the school and my position later. Right now I'm off to meet Nic; we're supposed to be going to the Mets game tonight (she got free tickets from her company because the cast of The Color Purple is singing the national anthem). Of course it's raining.

"Oh, we’re so disarming darling, everything we did believe is diving diving diving diving off the balcony. Tired and wired we ruin too easy. Sleep in our clothes and wait for winter to leave. Hold ourselves together with our arms around the stereo for hours, la la la la. While it sings to itself or whatever it does, when it sings to itself of its long lost loves. I’m getting tied, I’m forgetting why. Tired and wired we ruin too easy. Sleep in our clothes and wait for winter to leave. But I’ll be with you behind the couch when they come on a different day just like this one. We’ll stay inside 'til somebody finds us, do whatever the TV tells us, stay inside our rosy-minded fuzz for days. We’ll stay inside til somebody finds us, do whatever the TV tells us, stay inside our rosy-minded fuzz." ~the national

I think the best songs are ones that don't hit you right away. The first few times I listened to the song quoted above, "Apartment Story," I didn't think of it as anything special. I'm not sure when I first "got it" and realized how brilliant it really is. Now it's probably my favorite song on Boxer and one of my overall favorite songs. I have a recording of Friday night's concert and they played a good version of "Apartment Story" so I've been listening to that for the past couple of days; I just keep playing that song over and over.

What is it about me that makes people want to talk to me? I can't figure it out, but for some reason I seem to attract people who feel like telling me their life stories. I was just walking down the street to the garden of St. Marks in the Bowery where I am now (because I get wireless internet access here) and a man started walking alongside me and talking to me. At first I didn't realize he was even talking to me. He ended up telling me all about the battle of the street vendors for territory (he's a street vendor) and all about his brother and his new apartment and all kinds of little things about his life. He was a very nice guy. I walked with him to where his table of books was set up and he gave me his card and we parted ways. It was nice to talk to someone (well, I mostly listened), but it happens to me a lot and I wonder why. Maybe it's because I'm alone a lot. And I don't look very intimidating, so I'm approachable. Maybe most New Yorkers are just searching for company and reach out to whomever they can, even if that means a stranger walking down the street or sitting alone on a bench.

This morning I went to Redeemer Presbyterian Church for the first time. It's Tim Keller's church (he's a pretty famous minister) and he gave a good sermon today. I'm pretty sure I'll go back.

"We expected something, something better than before. We expected something more. Do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave? Do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave? Walk away now, and you’re gonna start a war." ~the national

Last night Nic and I went to see The National play a free concert at the South Street Seaport. There were tons of people there, even though it rained that evening and was just clearing up when they took the stage. They sold out 5 shows at the Bowery Ballroom in May, so I guess it's not surprising that they drew such a huge crowd.
I've been obsessed with The National ever since I was fortunate enough to see them open for The Arcade Fire in May. I haven't stopped listening to their album Boxer since then. It's amazing. Seriously. It's one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. It's gotten a lot of critical buzz, too. It's one of those albums that just keeps getting better and better as you listen to it over and over. It grows on me every time I hear it (and I listen to it a LOT). Those are the best kinds of records. Go buy it if you don't have it already.
The concert was good. They opened with "Start a War" and I almost went crazy with excitement; I love, love, love that song. Here's a setlist:
01 Start a War
02 Mistaken for Strangers
03 Secret Meeting
04 Brainy
05 Baby, We'll Be Fine
06 Slow Show
07 Abel
08 Squalor Victoria
09 Racing Like A Pro
10 Apartment Story
11 Daughters Of The Soho Riots
12 Fake Empire
13 Mr. November
Encores:
14 Murder Me Rachael
15 About Today
It wasn't a bad setlist. I wish they had played "Green Gloves," but that's pretty much my only complaint (and I didn't really even expect them to play it). Once it stopped raining it was a nice, cool night. So I was very glad to be able to go.
Nic and I are going to listen to Rufus Wainwright on Sunday, so I'll post a report of that concert.

"I've got nothing to say, I've got nothing to say, I've got nothing to say, I've got nothing to say." ~the strokes

Yesterday I went to the premiere of the new movie Dedication. I filled out an entry online for what I thought was just an advance screening, and I never looked at my admission ticket closely, so I was surprised when I showed up at the theater and found the red carpet rolled out and photographers everywhere. I didn't realize it was the movie premiere until I got there. Lots of the stars from the movie (Billy Crudup, Mandy Moore, Amy Sedaris, Bobby Cannavale) were there. There were other famous people as well (Lauren Graham, Josh Lucas...). It was pretty cool. I got to walk in on the red carpet (I felt special even though no one took my picture), and they gave out free popcorn and drinks. The director (Justin Theroux) introduced the movie to us. I really enjoyed it. I may be biased, though, because I'm a huge fan of everyone in the cast. I'm in love with Billy Crudup. I've written about him before and I'll write about him again because he's amazing and sweet and gorgeous and a terrific actor. In this movie he plays a character who is mean, depressed, neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, and just screwed up, yet Billy somehow manages to make him likable (to me at least). His performance is the best thing about the movie in my opinion. Mandy Moore is also very good. I'm a big fan of hers as well. Lately she's been in some duds (License to Wed, Because I Said So), but she really is a good actress (her performance in Saved! is a particularly good example). The music in the movie was great. I got so excited when I heard The Strokes' "Ask Me Anything" start to play; it perfectly fit the scene in which it was used and it's such a good song. The script had moments of brilliance. I had a few minor issues with it, but overall I really enjoyed the film. So go see it when it comes out.
I'll leave you with a photo of Mr. Crudup and I (after a performance of The Pillowman). If you look at his left hand on my shoulder, you'll notice that he's holding his motorcycle helmet. You gotta love a guy who rides a motorcycle.

"This Broadway's got, it's got a lot of songs to sing. If I knew the tunes I might join in. I'll go my way alone. Grow my own, my own seeds shall be sown in New York City. Subway's no way for a good man to go down. Rich man can ride, and the hobo he can drown. And I thank the Lord for the people I have found. I thank the Lord for the people I have found." ~elton john

I survived my first demo lesson today. I guess it went okay. It turned out to be for 3 teachers pretending to be students, which was slightly awkward. I used Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Eldorado." I think my biggest mistake was choosing to do a lesson on a poem that included the word "gaily." The teachers (pretending to be students) made gay jokes throughout the lesson and I wasn't entirely sure how to deal with that so, for the most part, I ignored it. I was also interviewed by the hiring committee, and that could have gone better; I started off strong but one question towards the end tripped me up. But overall it was okay. My demo lesson on Wednesday will be for actual students, and I'm having trouble planning that lesson. So I'm here at the library hoping that a bolt of inspiration will hit me. Wish me luck.

Ooh, I never wrote about the Braves game last week! It was amazing. The Braves won 7-6 in a nail-biter. Chipper (my favorite player) got a 3-run homer. I was ecstatic. And Willie Harris's catch in the ninth inning was the top play on Sports Center. It was such a fabulous moment. Everyone thought the ball was out of the park and the Mets had tied the game; the crowd was on their feet cheering (because they were all Mets fans). But Willie Harris leaped up, stretched his glove over the fence, and caught the ball. The crowd was furious. I, of course, was going crazy with joy. I had thought the ball was gone the minute it made contact with the bat. I love baseball. I love moments like that. We're going to another Mets/Braves game next month and I can't wait.

I saw Stardust again over the weekend (I paid for it this time, though). I didn't enjoy it as much as the first time because the crowd was tamer, bu it was still good and I picked up on a few things I missed upon first viewing.

"I never go to New York City these days. Something about the buildings in Chelsea just kills me. Maybe in a month or two, maybe when things are different for me, maybe when things are different for you. You know all of this shit, just sticks in my head..." ~counting crows

AD lives in NYC now, in my neighborhood (pretty close to Chelsea).

Have I mentioned that I'm sick of this whole job search thing? Yesterday I had another brilliantly organized placement fair (can you sense my sarcasm?), at which there were even more people than the previous fairs (which I didn't think could be possible). Here are some highlights:
~After I interviewed with a school and walked away from the table, a guy pulled me aside. He whispered in my ear, "I saw you interviewing for that school, "nodding towards the table I had just left. "I can't tell you my name," he continued whispering, "but I want to warn you. You don't want to teach there. I taught there last year. There's a reason that they have vacancies." And then he walked away. I felt like I was being brought into some mafia plot or something. It was bizarre. But funny.
~Best interview question: "Do you cry very easily?"
~A principal looked at my resume and muttered, "Oh, you're a Richmond grad. My dad would kill me if I didn't hire you. He went there." After the interview, though, I have a feeling that he might be facing his dad's wrath. I don't think I impressed him too much.
~I pretended to be familiar with balanced literacy when an interviewer mentioned it. I recognized the term, didn't know what it meant, but gave the impression that I knew something about it. Then she asked me to explain the concept. I wanted to kick myself. After a long "Um...." I tried to make something up, but she interrupted me and told me that I was describing differentiation (which is not the same thing). Whoops.

I had an interview this morning and now I have to do a demo lesson for that school next week. So I have 2 demo lessons next week. And I can't just use the same lesson plan for both, because they have to be geared towards completely different levels (the school at which I interviewed today is a middle school, so I'll be doing a lesson for 6th and 7th graders). I'm not looking forward to planning those. I might head home for the weekend, because I think it will be easier to get work done there.

For now I'm focusing on having fun tomorrow at the baseball game and the concert.

"Says she talks to angels, they call her out by her name. Oh yeah, she talks to angels, says they call her out by her name." ~the black crowes

My dad's company has a company box at Shea and Yankee Stadiums, so he signs up for free tickets to the games. We're going to Shea Stadium on Thursday to see the Mets play the Braves. I am obsessed with the Atlanta Braves. I go see them play the Mets and Yankees whenever I can. I go decked out in my Braves gear (hat, t-shirt, and Chipper Jones jersey) and get yucked at by New York fans. It's fabulous. I'm excited for Thursday. It'll be a good game; Tim Hudson is pitching for Atlanta and El Duke for New York.

On Thursday night Nic and I are going to listen to the Black Crowes play at Central Park Summerstage. I'm going to practice my recording skills again.

I've been going to lots of interviews lately. On Monday I have to teach a demo lesson, which I'm dreading. I have to plan a lesson given no guidelines whatsoever (except that "it has to be related to English"). I have no idea what I'm going to teach. Any suggestions are welcome!

"I see trees of green, red roses too. I see 'em bloom, for me and for you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world." ~louis armstrong

I went to Six Flags Great Adventure a couple of weeks ago with some friends, and I've been meaning to post this picture. Matt and I had to buy it because it was just too funny. Here's Katie, Matt, me, and Kim on Nitro. In case you can't tell, Kim's not a huge fan of roller coasters. I've added this picture to the list of things I tease her about (lovingly, of course).
ETA: so you can't really see Kim's facial expression all that clearly in this small version of the photo, but trust me when I say it's hilarious. She looks absolutely terrified. My mom looked at it and asked, "Is she crying??"


I went to my friends Chris and Heather's wedding today. It's so strange to think that one of my good friends, who just graduated from college with me, is now a husband. I'm so happy for them, though, and I know that they'll be incredibly happy together. They're perfect for each other. The wedding and reception were beautiful. There were lots of Richmond people there and it almost felt like we had never left college; it was so good to see them again. It made me wonder when I'll next be surrounded by so many college friends. I think it will be weird in September when I won't be going back to UR. Anyway, here's to Chris and Heather.

"New New York skyline. Wounds they heal in time. Don't crawl and don't despair, it's a new New York today." ~the cranberries

So. Stardust. Oh. My. Gosh. It was fabulous. I'll probably go back and see it again when it opens in theaters. It was magical and full of adventure and surprisingly hilarious. I've always loved fantasy movies, and this one reminded me why. Claire Danes was amazing, as always. Charlie Cox was great; I think he'll be a big name soon. Michelle Pfeiffer took years off from making movies, and now all of a sudden she's back with a vengeance. With this and Hairspray, she's proving to be quite the villain. She's very good at it. Robert DeNiro nearly steals the show, though. He alone is probably worth the price of admission. I don't want to give too much away so I won't say more. The audience probably contributed to my enjoyment of the film. It was a free advance screening, and for those things they always give out more tickets than seats so it's first-come, first-served. That way they can fill up the whole theater. Every single seat was taken (luckily I got a good one), so it was a very big crowd. Everyone was so into it. People clapped at various parts. They gasped and yelled and cheered, and it added to the fun. The woman behind me was hilarious. She kept muttering things under her breath to the characters. She was especially mean to Sienna Miller's character. So anyway, go see Stardust when it comes out.

"In fact I'm tired of 23d Street, strung out like some Christmas lights out there in the Chelsea night." ~ryan adams

Last night my mom and brother came into the city and I had dinner with my parents, brother, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. We ate at a great BBQ place on 23d Street called RUB. I loved spending time with my family. I always have fun with my cousin Bess. Hopefully I'll get to see her a lot more now that I'm living in the city. They (my aunt, uncle, and cousins) live on the UES right now but they're moving to Chelsea in October.

I got a letter from my Gran today. I've written about her before; I love her to death. She writes great letters updating me on her and my Grandad's lives. The letter she just sent me told me all about their new house and the meals they get at the club and her new friends. The letter ended with this: "Take care. Do you carry mace? If not, please get some for your purse. I love you!" For some reason I found that hilarious. It was a serious suggestion, and not a bad one either, but in the context of the letter it was so random.

I'm in love with Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line. It's dangerous; every time I walk past the Manhattan Mall, I have to stop at Steve & Barry's (the only place in Manhattan where they sell the clothing line). All the clothes in her collection are under $20 (that includes jeans, dresses...everything), and they're nice. I bought a pair of jeans today for under $15. Her fall line comes out this month; I better start saving my money now.