Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Not that I was living in complete luxury, but back when I had a full-time teaching job (with benefits! with a retirement plan! with summers off!), I spent my money. Often. I wasn't extravagant, but I took vacations, I bought nice jeans, and I handed over my credit card at the end of a dinner with friends.

Fast-forward to now.

My full-time preschool teaching job was recently cut to part-time and then even more recently cut to no-time. My boss "let me go" because I took a second part-time job to pay my rent. And nice jeans. I miss the kids and that's about it.

I now have the best job in the WORLD working in special ed at the best elementary school in the WORLD, but alas, it's only part-time. Which brings me to a fun game I like to call "Then and Now."  

Then: Beautiful townhouse in Seattle, two blocks from Gasworks, half a mile from Fremont, and dangerously close to many many boutiques.  
Now: Awesome condo in Redmond, far far away from my beloved Seattle, but closer to everything else important in my life.

Winner: Now

Then: Nordstrom card, Macy's card, GAP card (platinum level, might I add), Victoria's Secret card, two credit cards, one debit card, and ZERO credit card debt.  
Now: All these cards, hopelessly collecting dust in my wallet. Except my Tinkerbell Visa, which obviously is still used so I can collect Disney points!

Winner: Then

Then: Eating out at least three times a week, happy hours, coffee dates, ice cream dates, movie theater popcorn...
Now: I'm learning to cook. Surprisingly, I'm not a horrible cook. I'm learning to grocery shop without just tossing boxes of Pasta Roni into my cart. I also have a crock pot!

Winner: Now? (I still go to happy hour...cheap food...cheap drinks!)

Then: Blonde blonde blonde hair. Highlights. Lowlights. Deep conditioning treatments.  
Now: Inches-long roots.

Winner: THEN THEN THEN

Then: Frequency customer of Borders. Granted I DID have a teacher membership which I mostly certainly abused ("Of COURSE this copy of "Sex Lives of Cannibals" is for my first grade class.").  
Now: Library books. Right now I'm reading through the Narnia books, which are awesome, but I miss being able to fold down the edges of my books to save my place.

Winner: Then

Just think, when I finally get back into a classroom, I'll have my Masters plus two years plus about 15 credits. Which means I'll be able to afford someone to clean up after me when I cook, because seriously, this cooking thing isn't actually so bad!

Kickball

I played kickball this evening. You can all kindly pick your jaws up off the floor. I didn't suck.

My dear friend Jeff (who knows better) called this afternoon and said, in an overly excited tone, "What are you doing tonight?" Expecting an invitation to dinner or perhaps an offer to give me my blender back, I responded, "Nothing! What's up?" "Oh good, you're going to play kickball."

I panicked. I backpedaled. "Jeff, you know I'm not athletic AT ALL. You don't want me on your kickball team."  

"I know. This is how desperate I am." 

Upon arrival at the kickball field, I learned that my friend Erika was responsible for the phone call. Thanks Erika, off the Christmas card list. I pleaded with my friend Annie to come play, but as she is currently "injured," she was happy to sit on the sidelines and take pictures to prove to everyone that I actually own a pair of athletic shoes and that I can move quickly even when there's not a bee in the vicinity.

Attempting to keep me out of the outfield, Jeff suggested that I pitch, which was a genius decision on his part. I was so good. I barely had to run and I only had to throw the ball to first base four times.

I caught a pop-up, struck a girl out (which really meant that she kicked it foul two times, but still...), made it on base three times, and didn't look like a complete spaz when I ran. Erika scraped up her knees (karma?) and Annie supportively shivered in the dugout. HOWEVER. I do not appreciate the sarcastic comments from my friends.

Text from friend #1: WAIT. You played kickball?!!?
Phone call from friend #2: Did people see you run? And they still let you play?
Comment from my own mother: Like actual kickball? On purpose?

Best one - BBM from Jeff: Totally proud of you. You were really great.

Thanks. :)