california marches to the beat of its own multi-colored-tree-hugging-naked-y-tattooed-sporting-pimped-out-souped-up-hydrolysized drum.

i was blissfully unaware of this until i moved from los angeles to nyc a few years ago and got knocked upside the head with all things new york.

but this blog is about CA not NY.

((insert disclaimer here: the people i talk about below have hearts as big as the ocean: i am just making an observation about how californians roll))

take for example, california based religion:

californians lo-ooove making up their own rules and religions. there is a reason both kabbalah and the church of scientology have their headquarters in my hometown of los angeles. i have a friend training to be a high priestess who is currently knee-deep in writing her own bible doctrine, and my los angeles neighborhood yoga teacher/chiropractor/spiritual healer just made up a religion of his own too. dr. yogachirosprirhealer's working title is Practical Spirituality, and the circular logic is more or less thinking is doing is believing is achieving is thinking.

or what about a certain self proclaimed "conservative christian" near and dear to my heart who has a pot-farm in her back yard for "medical purposes". erm last time i checked----you ain't sick boo.

or politics. i loved my manhattan co-worker's dumbfounded look when i told her that action star arnold schwarzenegger ran against childhood and reality tv whore gary coleman and porn star mary carey. aaaaand won. or that los angeles politicos fail to see the irony in wanting to hire illegal immigrants to build a wall around the California-Mexico border…to keep illegal immigrants out.

or schooling. UC San Diego is connected to the beach. a nude beach. my college paraglide instructor gave me one suggestion and one suggestion only when flying, "if you look down, brace yourself for 800 pounds of ugly."

i could go on, but i am dangerously close to rambling as it is. my point, if i even have one is this: marching to the beat of your own drum, being different and all that jazz is all gravy baby, but just be aware, my golden-california-children-of-the-sunshine, that we are dangerously close to becoming THAT STATE. you know. the one that spawed paris hilton.

ok, self righteous rant over.


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

This morning the guy next to me in line to get an egg sandwich at Gray’s Papaya said calmly, “I am the Lord.” And the worker behind the counter did not blink an eye or raise his voice, he just responded completely unfazed, “Does the Lord want cheese on his egg sandwich?”


I love this city.


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

WHY COLLEGE STUDENTS SHOULD NEVER GRADUATE: A WARNING ((*or go to grad school--just dooon't grow up!)):::::



the first part of this IM was closed off but it had something to do w/ co-worker SB wondering if she is going through a quarter life crisis...and me telling her I went through one which is how I ended up in NYC—this was brought on by her being busy…haaaaard at work…watching the pilot episode of My So Called Life)
SB [5:15 PM]:
but im just like whoa, this should NOT resonate with me
EE [5:15 PM]:
b/c you are not a teenager?
SB [5:16 PM]:
its like high-school (EARLY high school) drama
EE [5:16 PM]:
My-so-called- life cuts deep
SB [5:16 PM]:
haha yeah
SB [5:16 PM]:
but its just the pilot episode
SB [5:16 PM]:
where she is just trying to figure out who she is
SB [5:16 PM]:
and its like... i know who i am, I’ve been through all that mess
EE [5:16 PM]:
but do we ever know who we truly are?
SB [5:16 PM]:
maybe its just the general angst-y-ness of it
SB [5:16 PM]:
hahaha
EE [5:16 PM]:
we are constantly changing and growing
EE [5:16 PM]:
(hopefully)
SB [5:16 PM]:
ok ms. philosophy
SB [5:17 PM]:
yeah thats true
SB [5:17 PM]:
if you would have told me in college that i would ever considerate myself an introvert i would have thought you were crazy
SB [5:17 PM]:
and now here i am preferring to spend the night with my cat and my computer than going out
EE [5:17 PM]:
if you would have told me in college i would have an office job i would have laughed in your face and then kicked you
EE [5:17 PM]:
maybe not in that order
SB [5:18 PM]:
hahahahahahah
SB [5:18 PM]:
oh i can just imagine
SB [5:18 PM]:
lets run off to spain together
EE [5:18 PM]:
or paris
SB [5:18 PM]:
ooh
SB [5:18 PM]:
or greece
EE [5:18 PM]:
eric can watch the cat
SB [5:18 PM]:
you could show me around
SB [5:18 PM]:
sounds good to me




email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

improv 201 class performance:
the UCB Theatre
307 West 26th Street

(between 8th and 9th Avenue)

When: Saturday, December 8th @ 04:00 PM
cost:
$5.00

we are also going to take over this bar after the show:

McManus
152 7th Ave. (@ 19th St)

hope to see you there!

xxoo,

elidia



email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

I am in Europe for 9 days celebrating my 27th birthday. C, a work friend who lives in London is putting me up and has been the most generous hostess ever. My trip so far have had some elements of ridiculousness---like trying to get a hotel in Paris but getting booked for a hotel in London,--my credit card trying to shut down my account due to European "fraud" (when I TOLD them I was going to Europe before I left), a currency exchange rate of 2.41 dollars per 1 pound plus processing fee--((((ha (ok one fast story before I leave)--yesterday C, her husband S and his friend N and I were trying to catch a really expensive tour (120 US dollars each) that we already paid for. So we leave at 7:15am (and my poor jet-lag PMS body thinks it 5 hours earlier) and end up going to the wrong location and...have only 10 minutes to find the right location before the tour leaves, so we flag a cab and AS SOON as we get to an intersection a parade of really really slow cars go by. ahhhhhh hahahaha, but we made it.))))

BUT really folks...a little perspective...

I have already been to Greenwich (where the world time is set and East meets West), the Docklands, Buckhingham Palace, Big Ben, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths..and it's only been two days. I have a free place to stay in London with the sweetest most accomadating couple ever. So, what am I really complaining about??

more later...

I need to go play!

Happy B-day to me!

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

i love my mom...but her email footer? not so much.

One saggy boob said to the other saggy boob:
"If we don't get some support soon, people will think we're nuts."




email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

When I heard that Argentina just elected their first (Democratically Elected) Female President I was so excited! TWO STEPS forward!

And then I saw the title of it’s accompanying article:


Argentina’s new Evita Peron tangoes her way to power


aaaannnnd three steps back.












email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

random e-mail((#2))from my boss:

“Dude has the hots for the site”



((that's it....that is all the e-mail said. How am I suppose to respond to that?))




email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

i am an auntie as of this morning!

don't know the name yet but::

6lbs 7 oz
19 inches
dark eyes, dirty blond hair

and very smiley...my mom says she is very attentive and looks at whomever is speking to her..which of course my mom equates with sheer genius...((my mom also swears she talks..erm..yes at one day old. what? no novel or screenplay yet? baby be slacking!))

=b

i got her a big soft brown bear and a bib that i put on the bear that says i love my auntie...but before you roll your eyes i was going to get her a shirt with my face on it and two thumbs up...

...she was born the day i came back to nyc from los angeles. booooooo.

anywhoo, baby girls are good additions to the world.

today is a =) day.




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Much to the great chagrin and utter dismay of my co-workers I have been talking like an 85 year-old menthol-smoking grandma for the whole freaking day...I cannot stop! I don’t know why!!! It’s an addiction that I just don’t know how to quit!

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Today is National Talk Like a Pirate Day. Is it weird that I am the only one in my office (corporate office on Madison Ave.)that does not give a crap?

click below for more info than you ever wanted and/or needed to know about this fabulous day::

Talk Like A Pirate!!



email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

east coast friendzies!!
What: my improv 101 class performance
Who: my improv 101 class (taught by ari voukydis)!
Where:
the UCB Theatre307 West 26th Street
(between 8th and 9th Avenue)
When: Saturday, September 29 @ 04:00 PM
Cost: $5.oo
Why: b/c you lo-ove me


Disclaimer:
the koh train asked what does he do if i am not funny. erm……you laugh anyway.
this will effectively eliminate any awkward moments afterwards when i stare at you
beseechingly with bambi eyes and asked if you laughed during the show. this is improv 101 folks. we are beginners performing something incredibly hard, so laugh regardless of whether we are funny or not!!...and nooooo throwing tomatos a la fonzie…BRIAN i am sooo talking to you.

that being said, we think we are pretty funny and have had a lot of fun acting a fool these past two months in class and i want to share what my class and i have been learning with you!!

hope to see you there!


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

I love cute crazy old people. There must be an old folks home near the UCB Theatre. I was waiting in line for AsssCat 3000 last night (which was awesome!) and there were a surplus of cute crazy old people.

The first was the little old lady about 75 or 80 approaching everyone in line about attending her improv show and passing out neon flyers to a show that I doubt she is connected to. She says she tried stand-up but found improv less intimating--

erm…

…caregiver come get your charge.

Then there was this cute little old man with dirty white clothes on and a large green parrot on his shoulder who decided to cut past the 50+ people in line and sit in the front of the line. He did not say a word, (nor did his parrot oddly enough) but just sat there…him and his parrot…just chillin’. Nobody said anything, probs because it was so surreal.

And then finally another little old man shuffled by a while later and asked me what the line was for. I said improv shows…and was like, cool. and shuffled to the end of the line.



cuuuuuuteNcraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy old people make the world go’round!!!





email me!


you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

My 85 year old security guard serenades me. Jealous? You should be. The other security guards apparently are. Because today another one started humming as I walked by.

The semi-retired security guards are fighting for my attention!!!

I have arrived.


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

The brakes on the bus were going out today which made my NYC bus ride to work today quite thrilling. The NJ driver kept on cussing, screeching on the brakes, and honking at other drivers to get out of the way…


I was sitting right behind the driver and all I heard the whole time was this:


Shit. Screeeeech HONK!! shiiit HOOONK!! sccccreeeeech. SHHHHIIIIITTTTTT screeeeech. HONKHONKHONK!!!!sccccreeeeech!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good times my friends….good times.



email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

IM Convo I had today will co-worker HR

HR [5:07 PM]:
Regardless, it's pretty odd everyone is leaving all of a sudden. M, S, S and now G

ME [5:07 PM]:
i have no idea who s is

HR [5:08 PM]:
The indian IT dude that manages our servers, specifically IIS stuff

ME [5:08 PM]:
oh. and everyone on the staff at my church is leaving too
ME [5:08 PM]:
hmmm it seems to be an epidemic!

HR [5:08 PM]:
oh and of course K, but that was to be expected

ME [5:08 PM]:
but none of these people were happy here either

HR [5:08 PM]:
true
HR [5:08 PM]:
E, I'll never leave you! hahaha

ME [5:09 PM]:
mr. rogers told me that too
ME [5:10 PM]:
but then he went and died on me
ME [5:10 PM]:
bastard

HR [5:10 PM]:
haha

ME [5:10 PM]:
LYING bastard

HR [5:11 PM]:
did i tell you the year after i graduated, the proceeding graduating class got mr. rogers to give their commencement speech, but he died on them and they were unable to find a suitable replacement in time

ME [5:11 PM]:
that is the worst story in the whole wide world.

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

There is this woman in my office. Nobody likes her because of her numerous annoying habits. I tried to be nice to her in the beginning, and give her the benefit of the doubt, but it’s really hard when ALL of my co-workers cannot stand her…plus they dooo sorta have a point...she can be pretty annoying. I don't try that hard anymore. (Which also kinda speaks to how I handle peer pressure.)

Anyway, when I first started working here, I would see her in the hallway or bathroom or on the streets and always waved and said hello. She always ignored me. So after months of being blatantly ignored I stopped saying hello whenever we crossed paths. This means, if we see each other walking down the street we basically pretend the other person does not exist.

Even though we work less than three feet away from each other.
A different co-worker thought this was funny.
This is more sad than funny to me.
New Yorkers are soo strange sometimes.
Now, don't get me wrong I lo-ove me some New York, but this type of normalcy--never acknowledging someone who works less than three feet away from me--makes me miss Southern California.


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Busy Mooooving…in what has to be the most ridiculously chaotic move ever in the history of all moves…venturing out deep into a questionable part of Brooklyn to return 4 cable boxes and a modem, people out of the country who needed to pay deposits, two and a half fully furnished aptartments squished into one for a few days, moving at midnight to fit a friend’s busy schedule, getting keys to people that need them 1.5 hours before I can physically get there and are waiting with movers who charge by the hour, lest not forget the bathtub incident in my current apt. that I wrote about on Friday…

There are more issues I am sure my brain is consciously blocking from memory as a self-protective measure.

Did I mention the one delusional moving company who quoted 1 grand to move a bed and desk 5.5 miles…”because we use pulleys!”

Screw your pulleys! My pulleys can beat up your pulleys!

=b


My other new roommates have embraced the chaos and I think I am succumbing to their non-dastardly ways.

Besides, there will be a super fun housewarming party that will be the balm to this move’s chapped lips...


...yeah, I have no idea where I was going with that analogy either.




((AND for what it’s worth, I am actually really really excited because my new roommates are nothing short of stupendous. STUPENDOUS I tell you!!))


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Seasonal beer:

I love Blue Moon Summer Ale.

Mmmm….Blue Moon Summer Ale.

So, you can imagine my great dismay when I found out they are no longer serving it because it’s “FALL” now…henceforth I am stuck with Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale.

Who wants pumpkin crap in their beer?

Stupid seasonal beer rule maker upers.

UPDATE:

I have had the Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale and it is really quite tasty.

Mmmm….Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale.

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Thoughts on the FREE JESUS manifesto?



email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

I went to bed at 3:30am and then, and then, subsequently up at 7:30am for work.

WHY?

Sooo GLAD you asked.

b/c I came home at 1:30am to a bathtub almost filled to the brim with water...the water knobs would not turn off, so the water was freely running, and the tub was not draining AT ALL...I had to get a big bowl and scoop water out and pour it down the sink numerous times so it would not overflow and cause serious water damage. Since it is not my apt, I did not have any management numbers and the super was not answering his door despite my frequent pounding and doorbell ringing (in all fairness, it WAS 1:30 in the morning). My friend S, who lived there until last Saturday and is one the lease (thus, would have the much needed management numbers) was not answering her phone. I woke the other roomie up...but she is subletting too so she had no numbers either. Her suggestion was to take turns continually scooping out water until the morning when we could get in contact with the management.

erm...noooo

I eventually got a hold of G who lived there in June, and got the number: the household management team was not in (DUH, 1:30 in the morning), but it did say, for tenants ER, press one, so I did, AND got another recording.

anywhoo, G and his AWESOME self came over at 2am and figured out a way to jerry-rig it so the water stopped running.

so, I am sitting here at work, un-showered, (does baby wiping count?) trying to figure out a way to sleep with my eyes open.

And S is like let's go daaaancing tonight in the meatpacking district!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ha.

ZZZZZZZ + ME = HAPPYHAPPYJOYJOY

is what I am doing tonight.


Oh, and when S called the Management company this morning to tell them what happened, their response was, “What do you want us to do about it?”


good times. good times.

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

“Full rubber lubricants. What do they do? Define your business!”

What my boss gleefully announced to whomever would listen as he entered the office this morning.

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Had dinner on the lower east side last night with friends whom I have not seen in a hot minute (can I pull that off? Saying hot minute? anywhoo):

A snippet of our conversation:


B: Yeah, I’m going to need the keys to your old apt, and the keys to your new apt.
Me: Ha.
R: Why?
S: Oh, and my uncle needs to know when he should come.
R: WHAT?
Me: Ok.
A: I might be a life coach on MTV’s Made!
R: What does S’s uncle have to do with anything?
C: guuuuys pay attention to my So. African slide show!


And it all made sense to me.

PS: love you GG!!

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

One of my best friends in high school was absolutely gorgeous, incredibly sweet, but really insecure. She always had to be in a relationship and pretty much morphed into whatever type of guy she was dating—for example, if the guy liked punk rock (‘scuse me, rawk) then she became punk, alternatively, if the guy was into classical music all of a sudden she would become sophisticated and her taste in music, wardrobe, attitude would all shift. Fast-forward to the present day…I have not spoken to her in years, we just kinda drifted apart after high school as we grew older and increasingly different.

Sooooo.

I just found her myspace…her latest boyfriend is erm…wait for it…a muscle-man. Yes, the whole shebang::: the orange ommpa-loompa tan, bleached veneers, huge honking muscles, and the nickname “Alpha-Male” to boot. So guess what my childhood friend is now? A muscle-woman. She has the orange tan, is super bulked up and competing in muscle competitions, with bleached white veneers as well. This would be hilarious if it was somebody else, ANYBODY else, but this is MY childhood friend, with the orange skin, fake florescent teeth, expanding muscles and empty eyes. MY friend that never believed it whenever I told her she was amazing, MY friend who compared her self-worth to how much the guy in her life paid attention to her.

no.

This is not funny at all.



email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

random e-mail ((#1)) from my pink shirt wearing Scottish boss::




"In the light of recent events, and as we looking to add a couple of people to teamXXXX, the thought occurred to me that we should have a “what does it take to be in teamXXXX?” type question.



Obviously a collective hatred for Scottish people in pink shirts goes without saying.



However, what defines the work environment? How do we all get on?



In a recent conversation with Project ManagerXXXX it occurred to me – Mike Judge’s Office Space. Mandatory viewing of this. An understanding of the dialogue:

Bob: Peter – describe a typical day for you

Peter: Well, I generally come in 15 minutes late, usually through the side door so that my boss doesn’t notice. I then turn on my computer and just kind of phase out.

Bob: What do you mean, phase out?

Peter: well, I just kind of stare at my computer screen. It gives the illusion I am working, but I am not actually doing anything. Then I go for lunch, come back late and head home early. So, in general, in any given day, I probably only do about 15 minutes actual work



This is not the exact wording, but the best I can do from memory.



So, questions for future candidates:

What kind of stapler is the bone of contention?

How does Peter increase his office space?

What is the track to beat up on a fax machine?

What is an “O” face?

How do you get the financing to eventually get funding to create a “Jump to conclusions mat”?

Is Jennifer Anniston tolerable in this movie?

What is the minimum amount of flare that should be worn?



Any other questions that you can think of would be greatly appreciated.



If you have not seen this film, you should. Then look up around you in Company XXXX. It is better even than “Waiting”, which as anyone that has been a waiter/waitress knows – never mess with someone that is delivering food that you will consume.



BossXXXX"


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

My friends think I am peculiar (well, more so than normal) for steering clear of building windows above me when moseying down the street. Peculiar? Hummmph. Lemme tell you a lil’ story….


…Last summer I was a Drama T.A. for 72 “at-risk” 2nd graders. Two of the precocious little darlings decided it would hilarious to pee out of the bathroom window. Now mind you, they were second graders, thus rather short…and the window was pretty high up...so they had to aim preetty darn carefully. And aim those little fellas did, right out of the window onto the construction workers below. How I was expected to punish them whilst keeping a straight face was beyond me.

Anywhoo, this is why I do not walk under windows…because on a hot summer day those air conditioners are dripping water like crazy onto the passer-bys below—and even though I know logically that it is water—there is a part of me that will now forever, subconsciously or not, associate liquid coming out of windows as pee—so I’ll just stick to walking on the opposite side of the sidewalk thank-you.

email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

I am taking an comedy improv class at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade…which is a theatre troop founded by veteran SNL cast members. Last night was my first night—it was three hours of sheer joy and laughing. Plus, doing things that were absolutely mortifying, such as singing all by myself with everyone watching….and we were not allowed to be goofy when we sang…we had to take it seriously…did I mention this was the very first exercise? Sheesh…welcome to improv…check your fear at the door.


So my teacher, Ari said some pretty profound things. He’s kinda deep for a funny man.

One was “improvement comes from demystifying failure.”

Word.


The other thing he talked about was not following our instincts 100% but only 50%. This is contrary to everything I have been taught. However, as he further explained, due to our own personal insecurity from being human, half of our instincts are negative. So he told us he wants us to avoid the instincts that are going to “drag you down and make you ordinary.”


Word.


email me! you know you wanna: heydreamergirl@yahoo.com

Melissa.



Melissa called me a lot.

She told me I was the only one who called her back.

Melissa loved Jesus.

Melissa was not well.

She was needy.

Sometimes she made no sense.

I could not handle Melissa.

I was in a sad space.

Melissa disappeared one day.

Left behind everything.

Went missing for three weeks.

Turns out she had amnesia.

Went to a hospital.

Family notified, going to make everything better.

Seasons went by.

Forgot about Melissa.

Well.

She was in the back of my head.

That's where I kept her.

In the back.

She called once.

Four months ago in April.

I was in a happy space.

I remember what I said.

But I don't remember what she said.

Things were ok.

I think that's what she said.

Things were ok.

Didn't she say that?

Then she stopped calling.

I thought about her two weeks ago.

She randomly popped into my head.

But I no longer had her info.

So I moved on.

Did not give it a second thought.

Then I thought about her again.

One week later.

Did not try to find her info.

Did not give it another passing thought.

One week after that I receive a call.

Melissa committed suicide





one week ago.





Melissa is in Jesus's arms now

checking my e-mail and below is the headline of the featured story on Yahoo today. What. The. CRAP.

me likes how they quote college students as experts.

someone needs to get fired imm. if not sooner. =p



::::

"Eat food off the floor?
College students say that food on the ground is safer for much longer than you think.
*'5-second rule' over?
*Do others use the '5-second rule'?
*Summertime food safety tips"

Ok, I have not written in this blog for eight months…but I realized today is my anniversary! I moved to NYC May 15, 2006 exactly one year ago today. I put the last post explaining why I am no longer a Teaching Fellow if you wanted to catch up a bit.. I wrote that in December 2006. It’s been a rough ride..and I feel like I am barely hanging on but DAMNIT! I made it one whole year here in NYC!!! And now it’s starting to come together.. I am moving to BK to a nice area, I have a temp to perm job at a media agency w/ nice co-workers (well today one did put a smelly fish in a cup on my desk as a joke, but we'll see who has the last laugh tomorrow when he leaves his computer and a love note mysteriously is sent from his e-mail account to our boss!!)a great boss who let me take lunch today with pay b/c the sun was shining (it's the little things my friends!)…granted things are not perfect, but life is not perfect…there are things I still wonder about like moving to Madrid or taking a chance and trying out for an improv show. Today I saw a man on the subway that I have seen once before…I was so upset b/c I missed my express train last week so I opted to take the local. Right in front of me was a man with a newborn and a 4/5 year old daughter. It was the sweetest thing ever because she was singing, the father was singing and it totally made my day. Today I saw the same man, with his two children and his wife in tow. Does that mean anything? Do I think too much about this crap? Yeah probably. All I know is that one year ago today I came here wide-eyed, a bit sad, and stubborn as all hell to make it here. A year later I have amazing friends, made peace with my past and still am stubborn as all hell to make it here. I refuse to let NYC eat me alive…NYC is going to fucking LOVE me and I refuse to have NYC kick me out. Everyone thought I was going to quit and run home every time things got bad, but NO, I am going to leave on MY own terms. Oooo I am so hard-core. Haha.

Why I quit NYC Teaching Fellows. (12/06)


I can put up with a lot of things.

I can put up with five teachers sharing one classroom.
I can put up with students cussing, disrespecting and hating me…I do not tolerate it but that is not a reason for me to quit.
I can put up with the principal giving me 10 bilingual classes when I do not speak a word of Spanish.
I can put up with the principal trying to give me a schedule with no breaks, which completely illegal so I got my union involved.
I can put up with doing coverages for other teachers on a daily basis but not knowing what or who I am teaching until five minutes before the class begins. Not once has a teacher thought to leave a lesson plan for the sub. Not once.
I can put up with teachers quitting on weekly basis.
I can put up with the scary stories of the school’s recent past:
Principals don’t just leave…they leave on stretchers.
One angry parent beat up a principal so bad he is now permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Another principal has brain damage because a student threw a chair at her head that spit her head wide open. Four principals in one year. Police escorts from the school to the subway for teachers and staff. Tires slashed, windows bashed. The gangs were running the school and my school was in the middle of a gang war zone.

Yes, now there are different students, but it’s the same parents, same older siblings, same gang area.

However, hearing about these violent events that took place less than three years ago still did not scare me away.

I was informed on Friday that the soil behind the school is toxic. A lot of teachers and students are sick. Two teachers have had miscarriages, and these toxins have been linked to miscarriages in animals. I don’t even want to think about what other health issues these toxins can or have caused. The construction company digging up the soil said it was fine, yes the soil is toxic but it does not affect the schools. But that shit is in the air, you can taste it on your tongue. In one of my classes yesterday the wind shifted and blew the soil and dust right in.

I informed the Fellows to see if I could be pulled out but it’s a process because I need proof which can take up to a couple of months. All the while I am breathing and working in an unsafe environment? This breaks my heart because I have the ability to leave but the students do not. We are working on getting their parents informed though.

I can and have put up with a lot of crap with this school but I need to draw the line somewhere.

So, I am done. I am not sure what my next step is, I am broke, jobless and living in NYC. However, I’ve had it worse and I always manage to land on my feet. Just keep me in your prayers and send happy thoughts, phone-calls and e-mails my way! I miss talking to everyone!