In case you haven’t noticed, I took a break from my blog. I’ve had plenty to write about, though. This last month, I: a) Finished my two-year CTE Teacher Preparation Program; b) Finished my first year of teaching; c) Cleaned out my classroom and office, turned in the keys, and said my good-byes to Lakewood High School (my contract was not renewed due to budget cuts); d) Came home from my last day of work and found a voice mail from the school district offering me a contract next year for half the hours (.4 FTE); e) Declined the reduced offer since it would be only 16 hours a week and involves a commute (and won’t cover my bills, especially increased college tuition for the kid); f) Applied for unemployment (still waiting to hear if I’ll get the benefits); g) Applied for nine jobs to meet the unemployment requirements (three employer contacts per week); h) Celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by getting married in the Orthodox Church!