I'm Back For Good - I Hope!

Once again it's been awhile since I have been blogging.

My search for a new full-time job may be almost over. I had an interview with Pine Tree ISD to be their new 9th Grade Algebra teacher. Considering I barely pulled off C averages in Algebra in High School, I have come a long way. I thought the interview went well & I was told not to take another job until the Principal calls me back, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

I took the test to become certified to teach 4-8th Grade Math a week ago Saturday. I am waiting on my score to come back. I plan on taking the test to get certified to teach 8-12th Grade Math before the end of the year (August at the earliest!). It is my lack of knowledge in the fields of upper-level Trigonometry and Calculus that I'm worried about on the 8th-12th Math test. I am going to have to study hard and take some teacher help classes at the local Education Service Center to get ready for that bad boy.

My Texas Rangers fell out of first place since I last blogged. Maybe it's the stress about their owner, Tom Hicks, who is trying to sell his majority interest in the club. I am still routing for my team and hope they can pull it back together soon and pull off a playoff spot.

In the meantime, I am still working part-time at Mardel and trying not to get to addicted to Facebook's Mafia Wars.

I am glad to be back...I missed my few blogger friends I follow and who occasionally follow me as well.

June Update

It has been a busy time around the English household recently. 

Still looking for full time-work. I am taking a test to get certified to teach 4-8th Grade Math on the 27th of this month. Wish me luck. 

In the mean time, my family and I went to see the Texas Rangers take on the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday (the 13th). We were watching a great pitching duel until a bank of lights failed to turn on and the game was delayed for an hour and a half. We left the game and went back to the hotel and watched the rest of the game on television. The Rangers lost 3-1.  

The next day, Jamie and I took the kids to Abilene for ACU Summer Camps, specifically - MPULSE. We are going back to Abilene tonight so we can watch the closing activities Friday, then we are bringing them home (sort of). Actually, we are dropping them off at my sister-in-law's house so they can spend a week with their cousins. We will actually bring them home sometime late next week. 

In the meantime, Jamie and I are spending some quality time together. After dropping the kids off at ACU camps, we spent the night at a motel in Dallas and then went to visit the Dallas Holocaust Museum. It very informative, yet a little depressing. It is hard to believe that humans can treat other humans in such terrible ways. This visit was part of my early Father's Day present. We have also been trying, (I have been trying, Jamie is doing a great job), to eat more healthy. We visited a couple of Whole Foods Markets to try and buy some healthy alternative snacks and foods for the family to eat. It is a great store; to bad there is not one in our area. 

Not much else going on and when I do find time to blog, I end up spending it either reading or playing Mafia Wars on Facebook. One day things will go back to some sort of normal and I can blog some deeper thoughts. In the meantime, I have not disappeared, I have just been busy. 

I've Been So Busy I Haven't Been Able to Blog

It's been a crazy month of May for my family and me. 

I am still looking for full-time work after budget cuts cost me my former full-time job, back in April. I am working near full-time at Mardel Christian Stores; however, at just over minimum wage, it is just under half of what I was making per month at my last job. 

I have signed up to take an additional Teaching Certification in Math. I took a practice test today and only got 3 out of 30 correct. Oh yea, forgot to tell you I signed up to take a Math 8-12 Grade test. I didn't even understand the question on the questions concerning upper level Trigonometry and Calculus. Because of my poor showing I changed the test I am taking from Math 8-12 to Math 4-8. This only covers levels up to Algebra and Geometry with a hint of basic Trigonometry. I take the test in late June. Wish me luck. 

I have filled out applications for three school districts; Kilgore College, and at least 4 other places that are not education institutions. So far no takers except I do need to write an official letter of interest for the Kilgore Collge job and mail it to them. I will do that as soon as I finish this blog. 

My kids start their last week of the school year next week. They only go three days (not counting Monday -- Memorial Day) then it's Summer fun. Next year Caleb will be a Freshman in High School (is he really that old?) and Rachel will be a 7th Grader. We have already been given the speech about how we should join the Band Booster Club and support our Band students. The fun is just starting. 

I have also been feeling sick and puny a lot recently. I missed Monday because of an upset stomach and general aches and pains. Today, I went to work only to throw up in the customer bathroom. I hope it is not the Swine Flu. Today's illness I am going to blame on some bad food. I hope I am feeling better and back to work on Monday. I have tomorrow off anyway. 

I also need to make some major life-style changes. I have been watching my beautiful bride, Jamie, do a total nutritional/diet change over the past few weeks. She is healthier, and loosing some excess pounds she has been wanting to get rid of. I too need to take charge of my food addiction and change my life-style. Getting older is not easier and I need to take care of myself before my blood-pressure and cholesterol take care of me for good. 

Out of my recently posted list of movies I want to watch, I did watch Star Trek. It was good. I am interested to see what they do with the new time-line they established. Oops, did I ruin the plot?

There Goes My Social Security & Medicaid

Hmmmm! It seems that Social Security and Medicaid will run out of money during my lifetime. This is hardly a surprise. I wonder where all the money has gone? Can you spell government bail-out and other misuse of our tax money over the years? When you spend our hard earned tax dollars on crappy programs and give it away to failing companies or individuals who don't deserve it, what do you think is going to happen. I wish I could tell the government not to take Social Security or Medicaid taxes out of my pay checks. If they are not going to spend my tax dollars correctly then they don't deserve to have it. 

Happy Mother's Day - 2009

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful and beautiful bride, Jamie!

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD." - ESV

Thank you for being a great mother to our two terrific kids! I love you, Always! 

May Day Update

As most of you know I have been working part-time at  Mardel Christian & Education Stores for about two weeks now. 

We were supposed to open this coming Monday, but due to God's blessings 

and hard work, we actually opened on Friday at 4 p.m. In the 4 hours we were open

we made over $3,000. Wow!

I am still looking for full-time work and am hoping to get back into the public 

schools if possible.

I am still waiting to see if my former student, and Dallas Cowboy draft pick,

Manuel Johnson, was injured or not in the recent collapse of the Cowboys

training facility.

Around the house, not much else is going on with English family. If I had a

little more time, I might actually write something of profound thought and

meaning; alas, time escapes me.