Let me explain. About a month ago, I got an email from TFA saying I was going to have a phone interview for a charter school in LA. After going through an interview prep call, I found out what school I would be interviewing with and promptly read their entire website. It looked good. Too good. It’s a brand new school. It’s vision reads like a paper I wrote in my Politics of Education class about how I thought schools should run. The staff seems young, energetic, and super smart. I got nervous…and excited. But mostly nervous. I’d never get the job. It would just be there taunting me while I worked in my crumbling building with an unsupportive staff. A few days after I read the website, I had a phone interview with the principal. She told me after hour 30 minute conversation, and I quote, “frankly, you blow most of the candidates I’ve talked to out of the water.” Then I got a little more excited. She asked me to tape myself giving a 10-15 minute lesson. I had to give it to my parents. It was….awkward. But good. I think. I sent that to her and waited. After a week of hearing nothing, I thought that was it. To the TFA hiring fair! Then she finally emailed to tell me I’d be getting called by another teacher at the school. I talked to her. It, again, went freakishly well. I could see myself working with these people. Then I got more nervous. She told me I’d have to talk to ANOTHER teacher – apparently they had a big hiring symposium where people talked to the faculty, staff, AND parents of the new school, so I think maybe I was getting off kind of easy. Soon, I talked to that last teacher, and again, had a ridiculously good conversation. Then I waited and waited and waited some more, happy that I knew I couldn’t have done any better, but worried because after three conversations and one fake lesson given to my parents in my dad’s office, I was invested. I really really really wanted this job. Then the executive director of the school called me. And he offered me the job. And I jumped up and down a bit. 

So….that’s good. I’m moving to LA with a job, a job I’m excited about and feel qualified for and ready to tackle. 

Then, in case you haven’t heard, I’m going to VEGAS this weekend! It’s going to be relaxing and exciting and fun and SUNNY and even though it’s making packing a bitch, I’m stoked to put real faces to names and voices and make some new friends. 

Then after two weeks in LA gallivanting with my friends AND my high school BFF Kaitlin, I’ll be starting TFA training, which will be intense, BUT what’s getting me through are my newly purchased tickets to see American Idols Live (because, apparently, I’m 12 and obsessed with a married guy and his gay best friend) with my sister in San Diego. I’m so excited I’m thinking of making a countdown to hang in my room at Institute, just so the smartest do-gooders in America can know I’m a fan-girl crazy person, judge me, and move on quickly. We also may be wearing self-made t-shirts. Yep. 

So that is where I’m at right now. Packing for Vegas and My Life, which is slowly starting to come into focus in a very positive way, all the while geeking out over Kris and Adam. I think I’m OK with that. Well, I think I’m more than OK with it.

1. Ira Glass – Last Thursday night, I dragged my mother to go with me to see “This American Life LIVE“, an event put on by the brilliant and addictive Public Radio show “This American Life” in which they do a live broadcast of their show in New York and beam it out to movie theaters around the country like freakin’ Star Trek! I was beyond excited for it, as my love for “This American Life” knows no bounds, PLUS the fact that actally watching Ira Glass, the freakishly amazing host, talk could entertain me for hours, as I’m so used to hearing him as this omnipresent voice on my walks to and from class rather than a noise actually coming out of a human face. When we got to the theater, we were one of two groups of people there, and my mother laughed at the lack of NPR listeners in the area – 10 minutes later the theater was almost full. Suck it, Mom! (Just kidding, I love you! And Happy Birthday!) I instantly wanted to befriend everyone there, as liking TAL (especially enough to drop $20 to see TAL LIfe) is one of my cool people indicators (you know you have them too). My love was even further solidified by the fact that they had word puzzels playing on the screen as the pre-show entertainment! It was like writing geek heaven. The show itself was great, as the radio show most always is. I cried at two stories and cracked up at all of them. My favorite comedian, Mike Birbiglia, told a story about a car crash in which he was wrongly found at fault (the other guy was drunk, so this was a pretty big slap in the face), and it was alterntately hilarious, infuriating, and touching, like every awesome story should be. (And because I haven’t mentioned it here before, I saw Mike’s off-Broadway show in March and it’s amazing! If you haven’t listened to his CD’s or seen is show, I strongly suggest doing so.) Basically, it was $20 well spent. I reccomend listening to the radio broadcast of the show next week, which you can do on their website.(It’s the episode titled “Return to the Scene of the Crime”)

2. Gregory House – Am I the only one who has noticed that there are only about 3 hours in the day when House is not playing on the USA Network? Take a minute, and check it right now. I’ll be you $20 bucks it’s on. Go ahead. I’ll wait…….As someone who has always thought I should watch House, because it’s a quality show and I am a lover of quality shows, it’s been nice to be able to watch some episodes here and there, but it’s becoming ridiculous. I watch one because it’s the only thing on, then I can’t change the channel in time before the next episodes starts and BOOM someone collapses with a siezure or heart failure that is TOTALLY UNEXPLAINABLE and OMGIHAVETOKNOWWHATTHEYHAVE!! Suddenly it’s three hours later, I still don’t exactly understand what was wrong with the patient, and I’m dreaming in medical jargon. Luckily, House’s witty dialogue and curmudgeonly attidute make it all worth while.

3. Flickr – This site is like photography crack. I get on to upload a few pictures then BOOM, I see someone made a comment on one of my pictures. “Join our group! It will be fun! Everyone’s doing it!” I click on the link to check out the group then suddenly I’ve lost ANOTHER three hours I thought I’d use to do something productive after breaking free of House, but instead I go from photostream to photostream with my mouth hanging open wondering how in the hell someone took this picture. It’s a problem. (Speaking of photos, have you checked out my new photoblog? Have you? Again, I’ll wait…../end shameless self-promotion)

4. Work – It’s slowly sucking out my soul. I don’t do well dealing with the public. At all. Especially when I have to work to please them and live with the mantra that somehow, despite how stupid and ridiculous and clearly WRONG they are, they are right. It hurs my soul. It really does.

And that is what has been taking up my time. Clearly, these are life-altering things I’m devoting myself to. I mean, I’ve got all major medium covered – radio, TV, internet. My life is crawling with excitement. Soon, though, that sarcastic statement could be true! Thursday, I’m headed to Boston for two days, then I’m back for a week, then it’s off to Boston AGAIN for senior week, then home for two weeks to pack up my life, then it’s off to Vegas, Baby (!!) for a little meet-up you may have heard about, then I’m flying to San Diego to pick up  my car and see the family, AND THEN I’m driving to LA and hanging out with my high school BFF and you know, starting my new life. So…yeah…this  may be the end of me complaining about how bored I am. Thank god.

To cheer myself up, I will leave you with (yes another) amazing video. I present to you: Night School Musical.

And with that…good night!

Tonight, however, Keith Olberman said everything I’ve been thinking, but can’t articulate without getting ridiculously angry, about Prop 8. Please watch this and think about what he’s saying. Pass it on if you feel the same.

Not that I haven’t enjoyed the election at times.

See, even though I don’t post about it much here, as it would turn into a million word rant that would be sure to offend many and make me look like a raving lunatic, I am a very politically opinionated person. Thus, I’ve been following this election very carefully. And while I’m a registered Democrat, I did, with much nudging from my father, investigate McCain’s positions. (With lots of help from extensive commentaries by guests on “Fresh Air” and “It’s All Politics.” Thanks NPR!) I try to watch and/or read the news daily. I always watch “The Daily Show.” (That counts as something, right? Right?) What I’m trying to say is, I’ve stayed informed. I’ve researched the issues, and the only political message I’m going to spew here is that I hope you’ve done the same.

Truly, no matter who you vote (or voted) for, just do it knowing what you are actually voting for. Know where candidates stand on everything that’s important to you, not just the stuff the pundits chose to talk about. I know it’s too late now to actually be giving this message, but I still feel like putting it out there, because I think it’s the single biggest problem with our democratic process. (And a note to my mom: You can tell me who you decided to vote for! I won’t yell at you like that time you told me you kind of liked Sarah Palin. I promise!) 

Now, onto the fun stuff. TV Coverage! Sadly, I have to be at my TV show taping until 9, but I’m sure we’ll be following the returns in the control room…or at least, I’ll be shoving people out of the way to get to a computer to watch the returns. When I get home, I think I’m going to start with a little buffet of news channels, just to see what everyone’s got to offer. I mean, how can I decide now if I’ll be in the mood for America’s Election HQ: Election Night (Fox News) or Decision 2008: Election Night (NBC) - Election Night in America (CNN) or You Decide 2008 (FOX). They all sounds so enticingly news filled. Although, I’m sure if I see Anderson Cooper’s face, I’ll be sticking with CNN. Then, of course, I’m tuning into The Daily Show/Colbert Report Fake News Live Extravaganza…or whatever they decided to call it. 

So, there you have it. Go forth and vote! And I’m sure I’ll be back (hopefully early-ish) with a happy post about the outcome. Fingers crossed! Go America!

But, as I said, I’m not upset. In fact, today was excellent, as I got invited to have a phone interview for Teach for America! (Quick side note: I decided to apply for the first deadline, instead of the third, as I will now know if I am accepted in November as opposed to March, thus allowing me to bypass those pesky grad school applications if I accept a TFA position. Smart, right?) At this point, I’m feeling like I’d much rather move forward with the TFA thing, rather than working the same job I’ve been working for the past two years, just with slightly more responsibilities. Plus, now, I most likely get to chill in LA for a week when I get back from Australia, because HEY! I’ll have nothing else to do. Hello, future unemployment!

(Cut to January when upon arrival home from said week in LA, I’m crying about unemployment and boredom. I’ll be sure to link back to this post.)

Whatevs. Today, I’m feeling positive. I’m heading home tomorrow with my friend Lauren (ROAD TRIP!) to then head to NYC with my parents on Saturday to visit my sister and celebrate her birthday slash my parents’ anniversary, which just so happen to be one day apart. (Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad slash Happy [early] Birthday, Stephanie!)

Right now, I’m off to enjoy the second half of my wonderful TV night. (Yet another side note: The Office is officially back! That episode was comedic [and a little romantic] gold! Ryan coming back! Kelly fainting!A talking head from within a computer! “I don’t think I ever really processed 9/11.” Phyllis and Dwight! Poor Andy The rotting fruit! JIM AND PAM!!! Ok…I’m breathing again. Sadly, I doubt Grey’s will get me this excited, but you never know…)

My friend Jenn posted this on my facebook wall, and I was simultaneously surprised by how accurately this describes my life and by how I’ve never really addressed my TV addiction here. I guess I’ve been too busy talking about how I no longer want to work in TV, but that has not changed the fact that I watch a lot of TV…A LOT of TV. It’s a hard obsession to explain to people (without them judging you) and few understand.  

If you saw me last night, though, sitting on the edge of my seat, screaming at the TV, constantly texting my sister, and basically getting super angry about awards that have no direct bearing on my life, you might begin to understand my television obsession. (And btdubs, Jean Smart? Jeremy Piven AGAIN!? Cutting Neil Patrick Harris and Kristen Chenowith banter for more Howie Mandel TV time? Not cool Emmy’s. Not cool…..but, I mean, way to go Tina Fey!)

If you saw me, at 3:00AM on Thursday night, crying at the latest episode of Greek, you might understand it a little more.

If you saw the various post-its I have up on my desk, alerting me to the fact that OMG THE OFFICE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, AND GREY’S COME BACK ON THIS WEEK XZMN!*N*(!!!!!! you might almost fully understand my TV obbsession.

If you saw the MOUNTAINS of television DVD’s I have stacked in my living room, got me started talking about who my favorite character actually is on Arrrested Development or about my anger and disappointment with the last season of Gilmore Girls or the fact that Friday Night Lights has never been nominated for an Emmy or why on earth NBC would wait until OCTOBER 30 (!!!!) to premier 30 Rock, you would be annoyed by my TV obsession (quickly). 

If you were one of my friends whom I have single handedly convinced to watch Arrested Development, Gilmore GIrls, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, How I Met Your Mother or Mad Men, you would thank my TV obbsession.

And if you were me, you would feel frightened about the lack of time your TV obbsession is going to leave you for the mountains of things that are already taking up your time…but I guess homework can wait when Jim and Pam’s romance is on the line. 

I guess my obsession boils down to this: TV is escapism. It’s entertainment you can share with millions of people. It’s characters you feel like you know and wish you could know. It’s people going through things you’ve been through or will be through, but with better hair and wittier banter. It’s relaxing. It’s stimulating. If it’s good it will make you think and stick with you for years. It’s something two strangers can have in common and talk about for hours. It brings people together.

I feel bad for people who say they don’t have time for television, and I take offense when people say there’s nothing good to watch. If you think that’s so, you aren’t looking hard enough or at all. I think we are living in a new golden age of television. Have shows ever been this gripping? This intense? This intricate and this compelling? This funny and original? If you don’t believe me, watch an episode of Mad Men or Friday Night Lights. If you think comedy is dead, just turn on 30 Rock for five minutes. If you aren’t laughing, you don’t have a soul. 

Maybe this is why I can’t work in TV. I love it too much to see the guy pulling the strings behind the curtain. It would ruin everything.

Because I like to make comments about the Olympics, and no one is here to hear them, I will now post them for the world to read. 

• We start out with a Messianic piece about Michael Phelps, with many MANY gratuitous lower body shots. I’m certainly not complaining. 
• The piece contained the quote, “To win 8 olympic medals would be the greatest sports achievement ever,” and of course, earlier in the day, I heard Phelps referred to as “the greatest swimmer, probably, ever.” Well, at least we aren’t getting carried away. 
• A thought: What if Michael Phelps just lost everything? I think Bob Costas would explode. 
• Men’s gymnastics! Not as cool as women’s, but I’ll take it. 
• The necessary build up: “In the prelims, if you mess up, your Olympic dreams end, before they even really start. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been practicing, this is it.” Well, at least things are in perspective now. 
• Up first: Rings! I can’t get the image of Vince Vaughn on the rings in Old School out of my head. 
• I think I don’t like Men’s as much as Women’s because it’s less fun floor routines and more holding ridiculously painful looking poses. I’m not so into that. 
• Remember when these people used to look old, and now I suddenly feel like a failure who can no longer dream of ever going to the Olympics because at 21, I am almost elderly by comparison? (Not that I ever really  had Olympic aspirations, unless tap dancing suddenly became an Olympic sport, which now that I think about it, would be TOTALLY awesome.) 
• And now we take a Inspirational Story break: This one is about an Indian American gymnast, Raj, who, after not making the Olympic team in ’04, took up…philosophy! A natural choice. 
• “After four years of waiting for a second chance, and armed with his new philosophy, he was back in ’08 to try again.” Raj: “Never, ever give up!” But he wasn’t picked again, his olympic dreams shattered. *picture of him looking pissed.* 
• Then Paul Hamm…OUT! Raj IN! “A dream has already come true.” And NBC hopes a single tear is now running down your face. 
• Aw, he went to Ohio State. Now I like him a little better, kind of. 
• USA has “no room for error.” Isn’t that kind of understood? It’s the freakin’ Olympics. 
• I love when the male gymnasts slap each other like football players, trying to build up some manliness. 
• Uh oh. USA Gymnast #3 took a small step! “That didn’t look like it needed to happen.” I don’t even know how to respond to these commentators. 
• Kevin Tan also took a big step! “He’s going to be dreaming about that…and it might be nightmares.” My nightmare would be NOT taking the step and cracking my bones from the force. I really feel that is the worse fate, but hey, I’m not an Olympian. 
• Watching the bar routines makes me super nervous. I don’t like to see face planting from high heights…and the commentators talking about the contestants being nervous does NOT help. I just flash back to that little American gymnast who slapped her face against the balance beam a few Olympics ago. Horrifying. 
• And a lovely reminder from NBC that you can sign up for Michael Phelps news/text alerts for 24/7 Michael Phelps news! Finally! 
• Ok, gymnasts’ faces in slow motion are in no way attractive. 
• “Yikes!” is not appropriate commentary. Not that any of the commentary is extremely insightful, but that’s just bordering on laziness. 
• I love when the goal is to just make it through the routine. Let’s keep the expectations where we can meet them. 
• “He swings with such aggression.” I don’t know, but that phrase does not sound right to me. 
• Sweet Jesus, Alexander Artemev’s pommel horse routine was insanity. ”That was a routine that almost never made it out the US.” (He was an alternate, originally.) And that is why the Olympics are awesome. 
• I think that ice packs saran wrapped to your body does not do anything for your figure. Thanks for the fashion lesson, men’s gymnastics Olympic team. 
• “This was a FLYIN’ high bar set.” Oh puns, you don’t make enough appearances at the Olympics. 
• “I’ve been rockin’ that routine since we got to China!” And that is when you remember that these athletes are regular teenagers. 
• Up next: the Gymnastic trifecta of Japan, China, and Russia! But first, a break. 
• Bob Costas! How I’ve missed you and your amazingly youthful face. (Along with an unknown, mildly hostile – in a funny way – commentator.) 
• “What have you been doing, Chris?” “Well, Bob, I’ve been actually watching the Olympics. You should try it!” These guys might have better banter than Bob and Matt Lauer. 
• Dara Torres’ innovative swim training involves being massaged by feet? If that is what is involved with good swimming, I never want to be near a pool again. 
• Michael Phelps! Only one hour! I’m shaking with excitement. 

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I followed the Hood blimp all the way home, as I live a block away from Fenway Park. I feel guilty for never going to games. I should look into this. I don’t love baseball, but baseball games are a summer past time. Maybe going would lift my mood. I think it would. 

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I had my first pilates class tonight. For a class that takes place almost entirely on your back or in a sitting position, I feel ridiculously tired. I hope this speaks more to the difficulty of the class than to my fitness level. 

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After eating sweet potatoes fries for the third time in a week tonight at Sunset Cantina (the previous two times were frozen from Trader Joe’s), I’ve decided I could live on nothing else. Forever. 

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This is my third post today. New Record!

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I think Jon and Kate Plus 8 makes normal people never want to have children, but for some reason, it makes me want to. Aiden and Leah are just so damn cute! (see below) Little glasses win me over every time. (This thought was more thought while watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 after arriving home.)

I think the television is too accurately capturing my current emotions, and it’s freaking me out. Especially when all this love and suicide comes on the heels of a conversation with my mom about my deepening summer depression. Thanks, television. You were supposed to be my escape. 

And so this isn’t too depressing, I’ll post a picture that has made me laugh way to many times this past week:

I don’t know why it’s so funny….

And now a picture that I think sums of my life of late: