Terminal

It's funny how the act of putting my ipod headphones in can change an annoying experience into a movie montage. All of a sudden I don't hear the chattering children sitting right behind me (wasting a perfectly good television on Scooby Doo when it could be used to watch football) or the men complaining because their flight has been delayed again. Now it's just me watching planes take off...and land and writing about it while my ipod randomly chooses the soundtrack.

It's overcast in Chicago, the Bears just lost and I still have another hour in Terminal B before I board my flight home. I am just soaking up the final hours of my fall break before I'm faced with reality tomorrow. Before you start to feel sorry for me, know that I am feeling refreshed and motivated. I've been in complete survival mode over the last month or so and I've decided to take control. My first step was skipping Elton John's "Sad Songs". The next steps will be to get my life in order so I can stay ahead of the storm instead of struggling to keep my head above water.

Anyway, Southwest is trying to get somebody to volunteer to take a later flight (later meaning tomorrow morning) to Indy...from Chicago. My two hour layover is annoying enough because I could have driven to Indianapolis from here by the time I'll get there on my airplane...spending a night here would be ludicrous. Now, if I didn't have to teach in the morning I would consider taking it get a ride home. I'm holding out for more cash, though. They offer a $500 voucher and I'll consider it. Now the old couple sitting across from me are arguing about it while Norah Jones sings to me. The guy next to me just updated his facebook status...something about sitting in the airport. Very original. I wonder how many people sat down and the first thing they did was update their status. Like their friends really need to know that they're waiting on a plane. At least they could put some thought into it and write a blog. You all are so lucky that I'm your friend. Sounds like we're still overbooked....I hope I'm not the last one on.

I think that's all I have for now, but look for a Philly blog soon.

Autumn

We're fast-forwarding quite a bit here so pretend that the screen cut from August heat to falling leaves with AUTUMN in all caps floating across the bottom. The last nine weeks have passed by in a blur. A blur of early mornings and late nights. Imagine a New York City skyline replaced with morning joggers' headlights on Kessler and Arby's drive-thru's on Keystone. Throw in bus rides and concession stands and don't leave out the crazy kids and you have a decent picture of my life. So anyway, I already feel like I'm being too dramatic. I've been struggling a little bit with the dramatic changes my life has taken in the last 6 months. So much is different and in a lot of ways I miss my old life, but I don't want to sound ungrateful because I'm not. I have been given some amazing opportunities and only hope I don't let people down. That might be my biggest fear. I'm a salesman. I can sell myself, but I don't always deliver. For example, Ball State admitted me with distinction in 2000 and gave me a computer because they had high hopes for me. Well, I hate to publish my graduating GPA and shatter the illusion that some of you may still have, but I'm thinking BSU would have taken that cute, red iMac back if they had the chance. Back to now...For the first time in my life, I have a job that's not just a job. Which is exactly what I wanted, but it's more work than I thought it would be and I am selfishly missing all of my free time. I'm behind on everything, and my body has been in a constant state of anaphylaxis (I thought I might have made that word up, but I just looked it up and I didn't). I'm allergic to everything so I can't seem to pinpoint what's causing this. I've just been eating Benadryl like candy and hoping that once I get a break (this week is Fall Break!!) I will be able to recover.

The objective of this post was not to make you all feel sorry for me. Not that I think it worked if that was the goal. A little bit I need to give myself a slap in the face so I can get back out there tomorrow and do it again, but do it better. And I miss writing (I miss having time to write) and I have plenty of stories to tell so I need to make time. I know you all are just dying to hear my annoying teacher stories. Maybe I'll write tomorrow to let you know how successful we were at kicking out half of our students for not having their immunization records up to date. It should be exciting. Get excited.