Ok then, it's not just me, Angelspun!  Book stores and rain are some of the best things in the world

Well, I'm excited about my new position, just hoping the paperwork goes through soon so I know my start date. (Although it's a school and that has a specific start date, my employment will be starting as a long-term sub, and then moving up, so I don't know my whole schedule yet.) I'm trying not to be too antsy about it. I have a tendency to get nervous about these new things, when as DH pointed out, I should at this point just be purely excited that I have a job. And, I don't have to send out another resume for a while. Yippee!

I've realized that I need to relax in a lot of areas of my life. For a while there, I totally dropped all my hobbies, which made me kind of a timebomb of anxiety. No wonder my friends were so eager for me to get back to work after grad school. I loved grad school, having time to read, wander around great libraries, and study something of real interest to me. But there was a lot of down time, when not at work or studying, and for some reason in there- I stopped doing watercolor, sketching, and plunking around on the piano. The only hobbies I maintained were reading occasionally and yoga (just barely).

Now I'm realizing that these are all key parts of who I am and how I function, so I really want to make time for them. They also make me a nicer person to be around, I'm sure, which my students and DH will appreciate. Hee, hee. 

In other hair-related news, I know it's growing little-by-little, because it's blowing in my face more as I drive. It's been so short in the past, that it's been a while since I've had that happen! I also stopped to think about how in the past three years I had permed and colored it, and chopped it all off. Now that it's back to my own color and texture (since the short cut took off all the damage) I'm realizing my hair is a pretty gutsy little thing-growing back after all that abuse. Now I promise, hair, I will take care of you! No color, sprays, perms, curling irons, or blow fryers. I wonder: are bobby pins okay?

Alright, well it's Saturday morning and my green tea is brewing. Yeah! Day two of the no-coffee, just tea scenario. I'm not even grouchy! (yet     
-rtg

By the way, my first goal...don't think I've mentioned this, is going to be shoulder length. Since I'm growing out layers, I don't know how long this will take. Right now I'm at 8 inches in the longest parts. Sigh. 
After shoulder length, then BSL, then waist length, then the world! MWWAHHHAAAHHHA (evil laughter.)
Now I just have to wait, and condition a lot.

You should try Snowy's Deep Moisturizing treatment using the conditioner... ooooo....! [/quote]

Oooohhhh. What's snowy's deep moisturizing treatment?
Thanks, NF!

Sounds as if you're making real progress, RTG! Keep up the good work!

Bobby pins are usually pretty safe - I use them often. As long as they don't have sharp edges or pull any hair out.

It's so nice to have a reading, sketching, piano-playing, long-hair-admiring kindred spirit here! 

Ahh, Saturdays are wonderful. Chatted with a friend this morning for a while, then I sat around and watched cartoons and drank my coffee. As an elementary school teacher, watching cartoons is more socially acceptable-it counts as field research! 
Anyway, here I am all set to graduate in December with my masters with clinical work in education and suddenly I'm wondering if I should stick around another year and crank out a thesis. That would make my degree a masters of arts in education instead of the clinical degree. Ugg. I don't really feel like doing one, but then everyone says "what's the point of putting time and money into grad school if you don't write a thesis?" Hmm. Good point. I'm already very much in debt with student loans. I need to decide in the next week or two, so  I can change my course load before my final class.
My new job (teaching) should start next week or so. I'll be subbing until mid-Sept, and then be long-term subbing in the same class for a few months which will be nicer. In the meantime, I'm getting a bit stir crazy with just my summer class, house work, and waiting to hear when I start. I don't want to start other big projects because I may get the call and need to start work Monday, or it could be in another week. Oh, well. I'll just enjoy my last days of summer, and read a book. Oh, poor me, right? I have days off! Still, until I start getting a paycheck again, days off feel less like vacation and more like -unemployment! Also, dh and all my friends in the area are working all the time, so they can't hang out much.

On the hair front, it's growing slowly-I guess. Since mine is still too short for a pony tail, it's in all sorts of oddly pinned-up arrangements. Some days it manages to look chic, or at least presentable. Other days the sides fall out of the pins, and only the top tufts stay up-then I look like Pebbles from the Flintstones. Word of advice-never ever cut your hair this short! Growing it out is wretched! Ok, I'm over that. I know it will grow, and now I have a chance to keep it healthy from a short length as it grows out. Yeah!
I still love my BB shampoo. Smells so good I want to eat it.
Ok-better go seize the day-before it's gone. Looks like it will rain today, which makes me happy. I love rainy weather. bye, all. -rtg

Angelspun, thanks for the advice. I do appreciate it. I'm praying and thinking about it all right now.  Also, I'm waiting to hear back from the advisor about which course route I'm eligible for. I'll let you know if I start the thesis-believe me, you'll hear about it. (Groan)

Wow. DH got my birthday present early- very early (my b-day is not til next month), but he already assembled it because it's too big for him to hide it in the apartment.
It's a gorgeous drawing table with adjustable legs, a paint brush tray and an adjustable light. I got it two days ago and already I've been using every spare minute at it (waking up at night to paint), and getting ideas for drawings while I'm eating breakfast. I'm so excited about it!  Painting and drawing are so relaxing for me. Now our kitchen table won't be covered in art supplies every time we sit down to eat!

You were in MN and didn't stop in to say Hi??!!    LOL, yes, the woods and lakes are wonderful up here.  You must return when the fall colors are at their best!  Our maple is already starting to show signs of turning.