Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Crazy, I tell you....

 So, I am crazy...

I must be--  

Tomorrow morning, I go to a daycare center to work with one year olds.   

I have worked with kids all my life from babysitting to volunteer tutoring to working with severely mentally and physically handicapped children (and adults), which I loved.      

Go figure that I'm getting a job to get away from the house (and Grace, somewhat) and end up in a daycare center!  Ah, well, that's how things in my life usually work.  At least they are only a year old--- all 14 of them..... I must be nuts  :)  

Tomorrow, I'm going so they can see how the kids react to me and vice versa....  only for about 2 hours.  I hope they don't think the kids will all be running up to me like I'm their mommas or something.....   

I mean, how would one expect a 12-month-old kid to react to a new person?  Yeah, I'm thinking scream their heads off, too  :)  But I'll do what I can, after all it is a job.....  

If the kids like me, (I guess) I'll get the job.   It's only Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am until 6pm, maybe picking up a Tuesday or Thursday here and there.  That's not so bad......  

We didn't even broach the subject of salary, but after discovering that Borders only starts at $6.25 (which I haven't made since I was 16.... 20 years ago), nothing would shock me.....  

I think the woman was real impressed with my teaching sign language to kids too young to speak.  We talked about that more than anything.  She asked me which signs I used for Gracie and I told her I used the basic ones--eat, drink, more, mom, dad, and hurt-- at first, then progressed until Grace could use her voice (I still should've kept doing it, though).  

So, hopefully all goes well....  

On another note--  

Could someone from California (LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills area) please tell me what the heck you guys are thinking? 

On my long train excursion across the country, I stayed in this part of CA for a little while.  I visited the houses that are built on the side of Hollywood Hills... are you guys just insane or do you actually prefer living on the edge (ha ha, pun intended)?  

I saw the tennis courts and swimming pools built up on supports taller than my house....  and I don't get it.  Sure, its Hollywood and there's a lot that goes on, but unless you're directly involved in the industry--its a pretty dirty place to be honest.  

So why do people insist on building their houses on a hill of dirt?  I get not all the houses fall down in the mudslides, but why risk it in the first place?  Do insurance companies actually pay claims for houses built on sides of hills?  Ridiculous if they do....  No wonder rates can be sky high.   

And if you're house does happen to fall down the hill and take out 3 or 4 more in the process, are you liable for those homes your house destroyed? 

Finally, would you rebuild on the same lot?    For the amount of money it costs to live in CA, and for what you go through (traffic, quakes, slides) to live there, this country girl still prefers flat lands and mountains of rock, not dirt hills......  

Cat

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so excited for you Cat!!  Can I come work there too?  :)  Personally...I think you will have a great time, and you will really enjoy it.  
I am with you on the Cal. thing...who in their right mind would build on a hill knowing what could happen?  
Have a great night and good luck with the new job!!!  :)
*hugs*

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new job, dear. You'll do exceptionally well, I'm sure. Look at all of your past & present experience. They certainly were fortunate in acquiring you.

I experienced a revelation when I read this entry, Cat. All of this time, I've been thinking that some of our fellow journalists were remorseless fascists, when in reality, they simply haven't understood, what it is that I've been trying to convey to them.

... How does one portray 'free speech' & 'forgiveness', in "sign language", to one-year old mentalities?

I'll take my residence in another location too, please. Perhaps somewhere flat in nearby Oakland... I can burn a fattie and cruise over to watch mud-surfing houses, for entertainment.

... I come up with the best ideas. [:P]

~Hang ten 'B'

http://journals.aol.com/thelovetrain/Drift/

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Anonymous said...

I saw the mud slides in CA on the news today.  And a community that got hit is looking into suing the city.  I'm sorry that their houses were destroyed...but if you build at the base of a hill, and landslides are a natural disaster that happens in the area...  I don't think you should be allowed to sue the city because it happens.  ~Sie

Anonymous said...

That's funny...I've often wondered myself about Cali, everyone says I'd love it but honestly it scares me!  Earthquakes (well now we have those in VA) and 'landslides'...not for me ;)

I taught Peyton sign language as a 'baby' also...it really helped when she knew what she wanted but couldn't think of the word.  I'm amazed at how many people I find that do it now.  When Pey was in daycare another mom was learning to be an interpretor and she taught her son sign language also...we asked the daycare provider to do it there, but I guess it was a bit too much to ask.  Pey still uses some of the signs, like cookie and up.  She even makes the arm motions for her bath still.  

Wishing you lots of luck and sanity ;)
xoxo~B