Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. VII (In Brief)

I realized it's been SEVERAL days since I updated last.

The kids have arrived. The classes have started. And with that, chaos has ensued.

Things I've done in the last few days:
Sent 681 students off to their courses three times Monday and three times Tuesday;
Safety checked six classes around campus
Led a class I did not plan for an instructor that was not here;
Sweat through two tshirts in the horrible humidity;
Sat in a hammock for three hours on my first night off;
Spent four hours on duty in the curriculum office, where I cleaned rooms, tore tape off signs, had a spontaneous dance party, and listened to Pandora;
Had three hours of professional development and then the afternoon off, wherein I ran to Walgreens, did my laundry, watched the Bachelorette, and took a nap.

Now, off to birthday do-over.

This time, I'm armed with proper hydration.

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. VI (Mostly I'm Sweaty)

I don't even remember when I posted last. It feels like weeks...

OK, it was Thursday.

What's happened since then?

Friday, we had our final day of training and then the Staff Talent Show.

Now, last year, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do that would feel right. So I read my books post. The reception it got was so warm and generous, and when I told people I wanted to read something again this year, I got nothing but totally excited responses.

It's pretty amazing to be in a place where 100% of the people you talk to are curious and interested in what you write.

Not to mention who you are.

Anyway, I read this and got another amazing response.

The night was chockful of ridiculous talent.

I finally went out with the staff Friday night and stayed up super late, chatting and confessing as you can only do at camp, with some other staff members.

Yesterday, we had a short morning of prepping for the kids' arrival and then we traveled to the beach as a staff for the afternoon.

I haven't been to a beach in YEARS, and I even managed to avoid getting sunburned. Dipped my feet in the ocean, napped in the shade, and ended up singing in a large group until it was time to head back to campus. Went out to dinner with some of my colleagues, sat in a hammock with others until not too late.

It was a pretty lovely day.

The kids arrived this afternoon, and after stuffing envelopes for their registration, I stood in a lecture hall to help photograph them for their IDs.

It's amazing how even the cushiest jobs here start feeling laborious after 4 1/2 hours. My legs started cramping, I lost my words after saying the same thing to over 400 kids...

And then, my day ended with the absurd task of transferring a ROOM full of linen packets across campus to another room. We probably did ten runs of six wheelbarrows full.

And now my body hurts in a way it hasn't in a year.

And, honestly, I don't even really mind.

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. V (27 and a Day)

It feels like years since I wrote last.

Yesterday was the curriculum training day for the other instructors, which meant my team and I spent the day:
Introducing ourselves with a song;
Leading panel discussions with returning faculty and new faculty about teaching strategies;
Running a sample lesson with our faculty advisees;
Distributing course materials and noting materials and classroom grievances;
Meeting with each of our individual advisees to talk about the first week.

It was a 12-hour day where I did not stop and began to notice late in the day that I wasn't feeling well. Had a sore throat and body aches.

Still, I was determined to enjoy my birthday, ran home to change and meet my friends who were going to come out with me, and started to feel like I was going to pass out. I couldn't figure out if it was because I needed food or water or rest or all three.

By the time we got to the bar, I wasn't sure how long I'd last, and I pounded three glasses of water and signed up to sing one song at karaoke, hoping for the best.

By 10:30, I was so queasy, I knew I wouldn't make it. One friend ran out to buy me granola bars. Everyone rallied around to see if I was OK, and by the time I figured I should just go home, a couple insisted on walking me there.

My birthday party continued without me, and apparently, was pretty amazing.

Back at the dorm, somehow, I got out of my clothes and ready for bed, but ended up puking twice that night.

My diagnosis: total dehydration. It had been an insane, hot, busy day. And I just didn't pay attention to how much water I was drinking.

Bad Annie.

I woke up today, exhausted but feeling generally OK. And had a very productive day.

In which I drank more than 4 bottles of water.

Considering I've already been to the nurse to deal with a huge welt given to me by some insect, I'm hoping this isn't the Summer of the Infirmary.

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. IV (Work, Work, Work)

Currently, I am checking Facebook, setting up my new phone, and eating dinner.

That is just how life goes here.

This was the third and final day of curriculum orientation; all-staff orientation begins tomorrow morning.

This is my to-do list for the evening and next two days:
Plan Wednesday's meetings with my instructors;
Plan Wednesday's lesson for my instructors;
Finish Course Diagnostic forms (I only have four left);
Set-up my new phone;
Plan/write the Curriculum Office intro, for all-staff.

This last point I volunteered to do after we ran out of time in our staff training today because we were planning our weekly schedules of instructor observations and feedback sessions.

I'm sure this doesn't make any sense to any of you.

I'm still alive, just very busy.

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. III (It's Begun)

Time here is so weird.

I remember noting that last year too. The saying goes that a day here feels both like a minute and a week.

I slept about 9 hours last night, so felt much better-equipped to face the first day of curriculum training. And, now, I suddenly have 11 new friends.

How does it happen so fast here?

Oh, right.

Maybe because we spent 10 hours together today, working, chatting, answering questions, talking about teaching, and putting our heads together, seriously hitting the ground running.

I can't believe I just introduced myself to these people THIS MORNING.

It's amazing how a group can be brought together by having a passion for teaching in common.

After a dinner out, we all scurried back to our dorms because we have a ton of preliminary work to do.

But I took a break to write this post and assure you all that I'm not as cranky as I was yesterday.

Thank you for your concern. And I made it through day 1!

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. II (Travel)

What a long, strange couple of days it's been.

And, can I just mention again, what a pain in the ass it is to travel alone with two gigantic bags full of 8 weeks of luggage?

I am running on about 5 hours of sleep after 7th Annual Birthday Extravaganza, which involved mind-blowing renditions of such varied classics as "Like a Prayer," "Love is a Battlefield," "That Don't Impress Me Much," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," and "Always Be My Baby," among many, many others. It was a pretty epic night of karaoke, if I do say so myself.

I had much-needed and much-appreciated help, from S and her bf, with my bags to the train station this afternoon. Our strange cabdriver, whose name was Luckmann Lalanne (I shit you not) and who wore what looked like a three-piece suit, took a convoluted way to the station and dropped us off a block away.

The train to CT was PACKED. So much so that I struggled and whined to the other passengers to help me get my bag away and above the aisle and then plopped down in a four-seat area, only to be bombarded by three young people who pressed their knees against mine, sitting across from me.

Turns out they were on their way to a Phish concert. They even brought their own Miller Lites, which they drank indiscreetly. (Joy.)

So, instead of getting to nap, I overheard the drama about the two girls and their older, totally hot, male friend, who was married but still, apparently, ferociously made out with one of the girls one night. The two girls talked about him when he went to get more beer and when he came back, he asked, too-innocently, "What are you guys talking about?"

Drama.

I got to campus in one piece and unpacked in no time, starving and sweaty and exhausted.

Met my neighbors in the dorms and reunited with a few peeps from last year. (This year, I'm living in much fancier digs and away from campus where the kiddoes will be.) Got some dinner. Did some work that I wasn't able to do this week. (I still have a BUNCH more to do...but, instead, I plan to go to sleep momentarily because training starts at 9 tomorrow.)

What have I gotten myself into again?

Pray for me.

Summer Job, 2nd edition, vol. I (the Night Before)

Here we go again!

I leave my house tomorrow for 7 1/2 weeks. First, to celebrate the 7th Annual Birthday Extravaganza and then off to Summer Job, 2nd edition.

I have two gigantic suitcases that I know will feel like the bane of my existence tomorrow afternoon. Maybe this time I'll ask for help BEFORE getting on the train, unlike last year, when I found myself struggling into a dining car and then had to turn around and NOBODY HELPED ME.

I'll try to sleep a lot tonight, wake up, finish packing, clean my room, and then I'm off.

I can't remember how apprehensive I felt last year, but I'm experiencing a slight sense of dread right now.

I recently read through my posts from last year and thought, GOD, I WAS EXHAUSTED! WHY AM I DOING THIS AGAIN?

The truth is, I still don't quite know what to expect because I'll have a different job than I did last year, and I'm just as nervous as I was last year about feeling old and disconnected...

Frankly, I think it will be hard to be away from my house and my routine for so long.

And, then, I'll come back to REALLY being unemployed.

So, in some ways, this is my last night of vacation.

Ever.