Moving across the country, away from my family, with no job in hand, and an expensive ass apartment to pay for.
Damn, what a good decision that was. :)
I never realized that when I caught a cold from one of the sick kids, that it would turn into an ear infection.
I never realized that it would turn into two ear infections.
I never realized what actually happened when an eardrum burst.
I never realized that it would happen to both ears.
Now I am sick in bed after missing a day of work, spending nearly 5 hours total at the doctors, and my ears are ringing and making very strange noises.
I never realized that working in a public library would make me so sick, but it makes sense.
Even still, I love my job and hope I sleep enough tonight and don't have too much of a fever to go into work tomorrow :) Also, it feels great to be insured again. It has been way too many years.
For instance, I am preparing for a party/book talk type of thing on the last Lemony Snicket book. I've been reading these books since Christmas (just finished book 3 out of 13 tonight) and now they're going to let me talk about it with the kids. I found a ton of ideas online tonight to go along with the theme, so as long as kids show up, I think it will be a great success. If they don't, I'll be bummed. haha.
Justin and I finally found a cool coffee shop to hang out at, so we're there now. Apparently in big cities, it is harder to find free wireless internet than in say, Lansing. Ah well.
Not much else is new. Work has been keeping me really busy, so I've been doing a lot of that and sleeping a lot.
It just worries me because I have yet to be presented to the board of trustees at the library where I accepted the position, and what if they deny me?!?! AHHHHH!
We also just ordered movies on netflix which will probably come the next day....
life is grand.
There is a lot of storage space. The house has a basement and also has a shed out back.
There is a nice back yard and great porches on both the front and back of the house.
e-mail me at jeniquey at g mail dot com if you are interested in learning more.
You would be able to move in as early as January 1st.
Also, I think I may start writing more in my journal. I'm sure once we move to Boston I will have plenty to say so that I don't bore everyone to tears, but I feel like writing more may be a good thing at this point in my life. Maybe that, or maybe I am just procrastinating my last 3 assignments ever. Just maybe.
Justin and I spent quite a bit of time out Christmas shopping. World Market was the answer this year, and we have nearly finished shopping for everyone. They had some really nice gifty things, along with a few things that were just good ideas for presents.
I have about 10 minutes left to sit around online before I take a bath. I am logged into a tutoring session and the kid didn't show, but I have to wait 1/2 hour and if he doesn't show by then I can leave. I have one more session tonight, and it seems as though about 50% of the students show up when they are supposed to. I get paid (but not as much) to wait around so I'm getting paid to write this entry :)
- Mood:
happy
The interview went really well. They want to meet me, so that is the plan for the day after we move. Or....maybe the day after that. We'll see how everything goes, and how long Justin's parents end up staying out there with us. I suppose it will probably be two days after we move. Ugh....I hope I get this job.
It will be exciting for me to be free of roommates, aside from Justin. The current roommate is great, but I am not a morning person and refuse to see him before he leaves for work..or really, before noon. It isn't even 7am yet and I am wide awake, but I want to sleep more and I am realizing it is only because of the fact that I don't want to deal with other people, and don't want him to know that I am in the least bit awake. I know its weird, but dude, morning sucks.
Our first two parties were a ton of fun. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and thanks to Raychel for being the second d.d. on short notice. The third party will be with my parents in the UP in just over a week. I am so not looking forward to saying goodbye to my parents...what a bummer that is going to be.
On that note, I am going to try to get more sleep.
I finally have an interview. It is one week from today, for a children's librarian position. I will be interviewing over the phone, and then they would like to meet me the day after we move if all goes well.
Justin and I are in the final stages of having an apartment lined up in East Boston. I've heard good and bad things about East Boston, but I'm glad we decided to look into this place, as we haven't found a single apartment since we started filling out the paperwork for the place. Its rather big (for a studio) and right across the street from the beach, so it can't be that bad! And really, I am hoping that the area is a step up from the ghetto Lansing streets that we live on now. I can only hope.
Justin signs up for classes on the 4th, and sent out resumes to work for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston yesterday. It would be the perfect place for him to work while getting his master's in archaeology at Harvard.
We have a few going away parties/congratulations on your master's degree parties going on.
One is tomorrow in Mt Pleasant at the Bird.
One is Dec. 8th at Crunchy's in East Lansing,
and one is Dec. 23rd with my parents and the rest of my extended at the Great Northern Buffet in Escanaba.
And now it is December 1st. Justin quits work in 17 days, I am done with going to classes in 4 (if I skip the last week, which I will), and we move in 26 days.
To top it all off, it is snowing. I love the snow.
At least we won't be paying December's rent, but what a bummer.
( Read more... )
It is awfully tiny, but in a great location (right in a neighborhood of Boston) and close to absolutely everything--
restaurants
bars
liquor stores
bubble tea
coffee shops
ice cream shops
bookstores
universities
grocery stores
canoe rental shops
the subway
and seriously, everything. All of these places are within walking distance. NEATO.
So, we just have to make sure our credit check goes through alright, and that they are OK with neither of us having a job lined up, then we'll give them all the money we have so we can live there until August. Weee!
( Read more... )
His piercing blue eyes could hold you speechless. He had the physical look of Jesus Christ. People commented on it all the time. I think he had that same wisdom and then some, because I knew him. I didn’t know Christ and I didn’t think that I was going to get a chance to meet him in this life….so Doug was the next best thing. Lucky for me.
Doug quickly fell in love with Anne Erickson (his beautiful wife of 38 years), an old flame of mine. How did I let her get away? We can’t be that old, can we, Annie? I was no match.
Doug had a quiet power that drew you in, he rarely got wild like us youngsters did in those days. But we talked and talked about poets, politics, art and philosophy for hours and hours on end in his basement apartment that winter on South 13th Street.
We were bodies of energy that reveled in discussion about anything and everything. We never solved anything, but we grew mentally by leaps and bounds. We were like everyone at that time; we were defining ourselves and savoring every moment. I think that is the lesson that the gang of us all learned that winter. Eat it up today. Live, let live, speak your peace, be you now, go out into the world and conquer not places, but yourself.
The last time I spoke to him was in 2001. I hadn’t spoken to him in probably 25 years. I was in Esky to see old friends for a 30-year class reunion. Another story, another hoot. I bounced in on him on a bright July day, hanging out in the kitchen, cleaning his Harley parts. We talked about the article in the New Yorker that one of his former students had written, Tom Bissell. We fell into a conversation like it was 1968 again and nothing had changed, except that we were much smarter now. We laughed and joked and talked about how wonderful life is no matter where you end up as long as you have some sense. He had plenty.
I think Doug was the quiet leader that helped shape us into thinking, feeling adults. He did that for the rest of his life as an English teacher at Escanaba Area High School. He imparted beauty, a sense of freedom, poetry, vision on a global scale, laughter, compassion, and common sense to all who came into his circle.
He made thousands of students realize that they should be citizens, have a work ethic, be moral, and follow your dreams to wherever they may lead you without judgment. He was a beautiful man who will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. He was a warrior of a different color who knew that the mind can take you anywhere you need to go, anytime, anywhere. We should all be so lucky.
Adios and peace from an old droog.
Michael O’Leary,
Emerald Hills, Calif.
ESCANABA — In a final farewell, family, friends, colleagues and former students of Doug Fix offered a last hurrah to him as they applauded, cheered and whistled at the conclusion of his memorial service Thursday.
“He would want no moment of silence,” said Bob Weismann of Skandia, Doug’s friend of 31 years. Weismann was the final speaker to address the full house in attendance at the Escanaba Middle School auditorium. “He would want a moment of applause, cheers and laughter.”
And that’s just what they gave him.
But it was evident that it was no match to what Doug had given them.
Escanaba native Doug Fix, 61, died Saturday of an apparent heart attack while participating in a run in Marquette. He left behind Ann, his wife of 38 years, and their two sons, David and Martin, and their families.
In addition to other family members including his father and siblings, Doug
also left behind several friends from near and far, and many former students and colleagues from the Escanaba School District where he taught for years.
“Words cannot describe how wonderful of a guy he was. He touched so many lives,” said Steve Howes of Escanaba, a friend of Doug’s, as he viewed a display of photos and mementoes. Howes did say that Doug was “very, very inspirational.”
Former Rock resident Dave Gasowski of Brooklyn, N.Y., a friend of Doug’s since 1974, said, “He was a really great family man and adventurous. He did more in his lifetime than most people can dream about...He was a good listener, too.”
Doug’s friend of 25 years, Steve “Satch” Miketinac of Escanaba, described Doug as “brilliant, inspiring, passionate...He was mad about life, never a dull moment, always reaching for something...He was a one-of-a-kind person.”
Miketinac said Doug inspired him to live life fuller and be a little bit better person. “I lost someone that was as close to me as a brother. I’ll miss him a great deal.”
Doug’s daughter-in-law, Rachel Fix, welcomed everyone to the memorial service, saying they were all there because they knew Doug as a family member, a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, a teacher or a runner. They were there because they loved him and were thankful for what he brought to their lives.
In his address to the crowd, friend and colleague Greg Potvin said, “Doug Fix ‘Fixrrr’ is a great man.” He went on to describe him as an awesome husband, father, grandfather, teacher, school board member and friend. He said Doug could be counted on and also called him a warrior.
“He gave his true possessions...his love and time...and devotion,” Potvin said, recalling memories of Doug like his classroom decorations of album covers, wild artifacts and student artwork. Potvin told stories of Doug and him packing 50 Snow Club kids in a bus to go skiing.
“Doug had an awesome attitude,” Potvin said. “He was scary and passionate at the same time in a fun, fun way...He was an amazing man who unselfishly gave his best...no person could fill his boots.”
Doug’s friend and former student, Justin Gluesing, spoke during the service. “He was a living example of being proficient at something and being brilliant at something, at being smart and being wise...He threw his heart into everything he did...He believed in not doing a job, but loving a job, not living life, but loving life...He made me feel I could do anything,” Gluesing said.
A video of Doug was presented with photographs of him fading into a background of blue sky and clouds.
Gerald Spalding Jr. then spoke. Doug was like a father to him. He said Doug had a rare quality, an “instant karma,” that drew people to him. “Shed tears not in grief but in praise of Doug Fix...and having been loved by such a great and shining star as Doug Fix.”
Dan O’Donnell, another friend, read excerpts from “The Testament to a Fisherman” by Robert Traver, telling about the love and joys of fishing and life.
Peter Ammel played an original composition on the piano in honor of Doug. Many people in the audience had their hands or fingers to their mouths as if they were in deep thought of their own memories of Doug. Ammel later performed with John Shepich in a vocal performance of “In My Life” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
The final speaker of the night was Weismann who said he called Doug Fix, “Dog Fox.” Weismann spoke of his lost friend in words that were often poetic.
“He was mostly alone, but sometimes he ran with the pack...He was constantly changing and re-inventing himself like a rock star...He never wanted to be predictable or caught,” Weismann said. He recalled how when his daughter was young, she thought Doug could fly.
Doug “carried the love” of people, his wife, his sons and his friends, Weismann said, reflecting how Doug also loved nature, camping and poetry.
“He was mostly simple but weirdly complex,” Weismann added.
Weismann said Doug would be the first one to tell his students, “Death sucks” but there’s nothing you can do about it.
“He will be in our dreams,” Weismann said before encouraging Doug’s friends and family to applause, cheer and laugh for him.
Doug received a standing ovation.
C. Douglas Fix, age 61, a much loved husband, father, Papa, friend, and teacher passed away Saturday, September 23, 2006 of an apparent heart attack while participating in the Lake Superior Shore Run "Race Against Tobacco" in Marquette, Michigan.
Doug was born on June 24, 1945 in Escanaba to Herbert and Audrey (Thilbeault) Fix. He attended school in Escanaba and graduated from Escanaba High School in 1963. Following high school, Doug served four years in the U.S. Army, which included two tours in Vietnam and service to the Army Security Agency. After his honorable discharge, Doug enrolled at Michigan State University and graduated High Honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971.
On August 10, 1968, Doug married Ann (Ericksen) at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Escanaba. Doug and Ann resided in Rock for ten years before moving to Lake Shore Drive in Escanaba.
Doug began teaching at Escanaba Area High School in 1971. In his early years at EAHS, Doug encouraged journalism students and supervised "The Escanaban" and the school yearbook. He founded the student publication " The Glass Hammer," contributed to "Pegasus Anthology of Student Writing and Art," and was instrumental in the district wide "Poetry Slam." Doug also advised and chaperoned for the Escanaba Snow Club. He received the "Golden Apple" award in 1995 for excellence in teaching. Doug used Harley Davidson Motorcycles to metaphorically provide symbols of freedom, life, and adventure for all of his students.
An active member of the community, Doug coached in the UP Boxing Association and was a Golden Glove fighter; coached for the Rock Women's Softball League; participated in bodybuilding and Tough Man contests; skied with the Thursday Night Ski League at Marquette Mountain; and contributed life and running stories to "Running Amuck," a publication of the UP Road Runners Club.
Hunting season for Doug included his brother-in-law Sandy, a canvas tent, and snowdrifts in Big Bay. He also took pleasure in nourishing seeds during the spring months for his organic garden. For the past eighteen years, Doug, his brother-in-law Sandy, and sons Martin and David traveled to Quetico Provincial Park in Canada for an annual fishing adventure.
During his 50th birthday year, Doug celebrated by rock climbing in Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming with his son Martin, enjoyed a Cubs game at Wrigley Field from the bleachers with his son David, and ran his first ever marathon, the LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon.
Doug's passion for running drove him to eventually qualify for the Boston Marathon, a task which took him "60 years, 3 months, 21 days, 13 hours, 54 minutes, and 41.8 seconds." Doug finished the 2006 Boston Marathon in 4:12:05.
Doug is survived by the love of his life, Ann; sons David (Rachel) Fix and Martin (Erika) Fix, both of Escanaba; granddaughters Emily, Sadie, Olivia, and Ava Fix; father Herbert Fix of Escanaba; brother Lee (Vicky) Fix of Bark River; sisters Vicki (Sandy) Schultz of Brampton, and Tina (Mark) Whitney of Escanaba; many nieces and nephews. Special friends include Bob and Barbara Weismann of Skandia, David and Jackie Gasowski of Brooklyn, New York, Satch Miketinac of Escanaba, and Mike Segorski or Escanaba.
A memorial service celebrating the life of C. Douglas Fix will be held Thursday, September 28, 2006 at the Escanaba Middle School Auditorium. Feel free to visit with family and friends from 6:00 -7:00pm; the memorial service will begin at 7:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the C. Douglas Fix Memorial Scholarship Fund.
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