What the ???

I REALLY don't want to go into the details, but just want to mention that lately my first thought upon waking in the morning is, "What the hell happened to my life?!?" For now I'd rather focus on some positives so that they are recorded for posterity (or at least as long as this blog survives).

First, DS1 has two classes left - tomorrow and Thursday - and then he will have finished the rather protracted journey to a teaching credential. For posterity: K-12 education, check. First semester of college was a semester in Nepal with the local community college. Second semester at a different community college, neither having even a half-way decent instrumental music performance program. Second year entailed moving to Santa Barbara (45 miles away) and living there to attend their community college for their excellent jazz program. Year two completed and he utters the words I will never forget, "Mom, you won't believe this but I want to change instruments." Mind, his big band teacher once commented that DS1 was "the best bass player I've had in years" and now he wanted to learn to play the piano. Hence, years three and four spent at yet a fourth community college in Fullerton (70 miles away but with an even better jazz program and awesome piano teacher). Rents a room in the neighboring state university's international students' housing where he meets his now wife. FINALLY, piano skills in hand, he transfers to NYC to finish his BFA in the New School University, Mannes School of Music, Jazz and Contemporary Music program. Survives 9/11 (still won't talk about it). On way home is interviewing over the phone with an English language school in Japan for a job starting in September (fiance's student visa had run out and she had gone home). Thinks he has the job, but at the last minute the school's owner decides to hire someone else. Takes multiple part-time jobs (at the same time) and lives at home, playing x-box to fight depression. After a year takes a part-time job teaching keyboards to little kids at an elementary school in a neighboring town. Decides he LIKES teaching and is good at it. Decides to enroll in local university's teacher credential program. Is told he may start in September if he crams in two prerequisites in the summer, which he does, only to learn in September that these classes are no longer prerequisites and he didn't have to take them after all. Survives one year in this program fighting multiple requirement changes, incompetent professors and anti-male bias. Quits for a year to earn money substitute teaching. Marries in January, 2006. Changes universities to finish teaching credential. Completes student teaching last month and is now finishing last two classes. WHEW! He has been attending job fairs and sending out applications. Had a promising interview last Saturday with an encouraging - but weird - call back on Monday. The school is perfect for him, he is perfect for the school. Just trying not to get too optimistic and is still attending job fairs and sending out applications. He's been here before.

This is the weird part, though. During the interview they asked him what kind of elective he could put together as part of an elective program at this school (brand new, opening in September.) He described the keyboard program he did at the elementary school. When they called back on Monday they said two things: first, they had begun work on a grant application to buy keyboards for a keyboard elective; second, they were "hopeful" that they would be able to make him an offer. Huh? None of us quite know what to make of that. Like I said, it sounds promising, but...

After graduating from UCSB (BA in Anthropology) DS2 spent last summer applying and testing for a job with the post office. It was a protracted process but he was eventually placed as a rural sub in our town. He worked every day for a couple of weeks, then had a disagreement with the scheduler. The scheduler retaliated by leaving him off the schedule for more than a month. Long story short, he is now subbing the city routes, working nearly every day. They love him and compliment him and appreciate him. He and his best friend were able to get an apartment across town. He seems really happy with life at the moment. He is the first to admit that this is a job for a few years as he gets over 19 years in school and decides if there is something he'd like to do when he grows up (a few years in anthro ed getting his degree taught him he wanted nothing to do with the anthro community.) He worked his last two years as a programmer (we used to call them disc jockeys) and music director at the university radio station and I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up in radio somehow. He has a nice girlfriend and the Dodgers to root, root, root for. For now I'm just delighted that he seems so happy with his life.