Just Whistle While You Work...

You may recall that a few posts ago I mentioned that I was still awaiting employment for the year. I may have said that I don't dwell on it; that I just wait for the roulette wheel to stop spinning and take advantage of the free time.

Perhaps I lied.

I must confess that yesterday I was a little stressed. Yesterday was the day that the school district was expected to have reviewed any requests by administrators for additional classes based on increased enrollment. I had it on good authority that I was VERY high on the recall list (maybe as high as second) so once those classes were approved I was pretty much a shoe-in for getting my pick of jobs. So while I waited for the phone to ring I did what I do when I am stressed or have nervous energy to expend.....I cleaned.

Odd, I know. I don't binge eat. I don't pace. I don't bite my nails. I clean.

This is an especially odd habit as I do not profess to be the world's best housekeeper. With two long-haired animals living in the house I have given up the battle against pet hair. I vacuum once - perhaps twice - a week and try to ignore the loose clumps of hair lying around the rest of the time.

So yesterday I attacked the build up of dust, dirt, hair and clutter with a vengeance. You kow those knick knacks that reside above your cupboards? I cleaned all those with Lysol wipes and dusted the tops of the cupboards with my Swiffer duster. I pledged my wood cupboard doors. I removed everything from my kitchen counters, wiped everything off and disinfected the counters before returning everything to its place. My kitchen sparkled. It would have been an excellent night to come for dinner.

Next I tackled the bathroom. Ugly job but when you live alone there's no one to delegate it to. I tried delegating it to Tucker once. Instead of cleaning the toilet bowl he just drank from it.

So, donning my rubber gloves, I removed everything from the windowsill and counter, wiped them off just as I did with the kitchen clutter, disinfected the counter and returned everything to its rightful place. I even sorted through my jewelry and organized it in the beautiful wooden jewelry box I never use. It now has a place of honour and maybe I'll get into the habit of wearing some of the nioce pieces I own (not likely but I tend to be an optimist).

So a few hours later I had a sparkling kitchen and a sanitary bathroom....but the phone had not rung. All was not lost. I still had a mountain of laundry to fold. That would keep me busy for another hour if need be.

At 5:15 the phone finally rang. I don't know if my feet even touched the ground as I raced to answer it. As expected it was the staffing officer for elementary schools. I'm sure I was beaming. A job! At long last...a job! What would be? I could hardly wait the curiouslity was eating at me.

She offered me a grade 4/5 class (full-time) and mentioned that there were also two 1/2 Kindergarten classes available. I would still have to apply to be in the class permanently but I didn't care....I was going to be teaching!

I accepted the grade 4/5 position. I had been hoping for something younger (grade 2 or 3) but anything below grade 6 was bearable. I could hardly wait to get into the class and set it up and start planning.

That was when she broke the not-so-great news to me.

There were only the two full-time jobs and I was THIRD in line. I had been offered the position temporarily until it was filled because she hadn't been able to get through to one of the people ahead of me. Two jobs....third in line. I wasn't liking the math.

Ever the optimist I am choosing to believe that a) another even BETTER job will surface in the next week that I will be the successful candidate for or b) One of the people ahead of me will choose not to apply for some reason.

In the meantime, I have a very clean kitchen and bathroom and at least a week of full-time work.

Definitely could be worse :-)

All Creatures Great and Small

Being an animal lover is a very big part of my identity. There have ALWAYS been inimals in the house. The first pet I have memories of is Fluffy. Original name, I know. Fortunately I can't take credit. I was just a toddler when we got him.

Fluffy was a multi-coloured, long-haired, mixed-breed cat. I adored him. The first thing I would do when I would come home was look for him. He was generally easy to find. He was a bit on the lazy side and didn't wander far from the Lazy-boy recliner he was usually curled up on. He must have been very patient and tolerant because I'm sure I carried him around the house constantly.

I still remember the day Fluffy passed away. I was in grade one. Death was something I hadn't personally experienced yet. It was a very abstract concept.

I came gome from school and immediately began my search for Fluffy. I checked his usual retreat on the recliner and when he wasn't there I found my Dad and asked him if he knew where Fluffy was.

I'm sure my Dad had been dreading that moment. The moment when he had to try to explain to his baby girl that her beloved pet was gone forever. Apparantly he decided that the simple truth would be best. He matter-of-factly told me, "I'm sorry. Fluffy is dead."

Death at that point meant nothing to me. I simply responded, "No he's not. Where is he?" My Dad calmly repeated that Fluffy had been sick and he died.

Still unconvinced I searched the house. I distinctly remember checking the furnace room. That must have been another of Fluffy's favourite spots although aside from that particular day I don't remember looking for him there.

I am not sure how long I searched for Fluffy, refusing to accept that he could possibly be gone for my world. I'm sure it broke my Dad'd heart, watching his girl search in vain for the friend he knew was gone for good. He let me keep searching, somehow knowing that until I had looked everywhere I wouldn't be able to accept that Fluffy was gone.

I don't remember the tears, although I am sure I became inconsolable once the reality set in. I have had many pets since Fluffy. I have had cats, dogs, hamsters and fish (which my Mom says I should just flush right down the toilet rather than bother putting them in the tank because I kill them so fast) I have loved them all and grieved for them when their time has come.

So this posting is in loving memory of all the animals who have enriched my life: Fluffy, Penny, Wrecks, Betelguese, Zazzy, Missy and Dooftac (Catfood spelled backwards.....he was my first fish). Thanks for teaching me about loyalty, unconditional love and the fact that the bond of friendship lasts far beyond our existence in this world.

The Grass Is Always Greener

Yesterday I had a very interesting phone call with my best friend. I love my best friend. She is one of the most intelligent, competent, hardworking, and compassionate people I know. I admire her greatly. She has proven to be a true friend these past couple of years.

It's not often that my friend catches me by surprise. Part of the reason our friendship is so strong is that we are alike in so many ways. This day, however, I was surprised.

Both of us have crazy busy lives. It's next to impossible for us to schedule face-to-face visits. I normally leave it to her to phone or arrange a get-together so the timing is convenient for her. This particular day we were discussing the possibility of signing up for yoga together. I heard her sigh, obviously frustrated with how difficult it was for her to schedule any time for herself. She finally said, "I wish I had all your free time."

Free time? I had never thought of myself as having an abundance of free time. I worked full-time as a teacher and also worked Saturdays (and some evenings and Sundays) at a second part-time job. Routinely working six or sometimes seven days a week meant days off were rare. Sadly, these days were usually occupied with glamourous tasks such as vacuuming, washing floors, and dealing with the pile of laundry that rivaled Everest in its height.

In all honesty, I had often envied her the time off that she had. While I work in excess of full-time and have no one to share the burden of household chores or finances, she works 3 or 4 days outside the home and then has the remainder of the week to devote herself to the important task of raising two children and running a household. I often dreamed of having 3 or 4 days a week to get stuff done around the house and spend with loved ones. To top it off, while I worked three to 5 days a week during the summer she had all ten weeks off. Ten weeks to spend playing with her kids, taking off to Vancouver for the weekend with her husband, taking the kids on an overnight adventure on the train to Victoria, escaping to Vernon for a few days to catch up with some old girlfriends, and even flying to Ontario to visit relatives for a couple weeks. I was lucky to get to the PNE in Vancouver and Butchart Gardens in Victria!

It got me thinking about the old saying, "The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side of the Fence." I always understood that my best friend was busy and that raising a family was a time-consuming endeavour. That was why I tried not to take it personally when we weren't able to get together as often as I liked. I never dreamed she envied me my non-existent free-time! I suppose when you share a house with a husband and two kids under five, living by yourself with only a dog demanding your attention might have its appeal.....even if you are seldom home to enjoy the solitude.

So I vow to not take for granted the peace and quiet that I will likely one day long for. In return I ask those of you who are fortunate enough to only work part-time and have a partner to assist with household chores and finances....don't take for granted the time you have with your family or the fact that you don't have to do everything all alone.

Introducing......

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chantelle. I am 37 and single. I am also an animal lover, professional, devoted friend, proud daughter and athlete. Let's be honest, though. When you get to be my age, the only two labels that matter are the first two.

Before you start feeling sorry for me (or begin to think I'm feeling sorry for myself) let me tell you that I have a GREAT life. I have two jobs that I love, a fantastic family, friends that have been known to drop everything at a moment's notice to be there when I have needed them.

I also have the world's WORST dog. You don't believe me? Keep reading this blog and you soon will.

Let me start by saying that I love my dog. Most days that's all that saves him. He took ten VERY long months to housebreak. At one point I thought I had him trained. Then, one day that will forever live in infamy, I caught him using the cold air intake vent as a urinal. Amazing how one can be disgusted and impressed all at the same time.

I also have a fourteen year-old long-haired cat. Is it wrong to refer to a pet as a parasite? I love her to pieces but have yet to discover what she contributes to my household. It is most definitely not her mousing abilities as I have witnessed her walk right over a live mouse. This is preferable, however, to my other cat's habit of waiting until a trap I have set catches some prey which she then delivers - trap and all - to my bedroom.

Today is Labour Day and while parents and children everywhere rejoice (or weep) at the prospect of the school year resuming, I wait with baited breath for the phone to ring to offer me a teaching position. It's the annual waiting game. I liken it to watching the roulette wheel spin. You watch as the little black ball goes around, and around, and around, and you cross your fingers that it will land on the right spot. It's a gamble. Will I get the grade I want? Will I like the school? Will I get to stay there for more than a year? It's all up in the air at this point.

Rather than get stressed I choose to look at it as an adventure. It's kind of like a spontaneous road trip where you pull out a map, close your eyes, and point blindky to a spot on the map which becomes your destination. And while most teachers are going crazy that first week of school, I generally get to visit local coffee shops and drink specialty hot chocolates or go for a day trip somewhere exotic.....like Parksville.

Today I plan to relax, watch some DVDs, go for a walk and maybe......just maybe.....do some housework.

And remember....let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy, rainy day :-)