GoddessEllie.com

John Barrowman in talks to play Captain America

The good news: I got the uncomfortable mole removed this morning.
The bad news: Since it was a mole, and not a skin tag, the doctor had to order a biopsy.

The good news: The doctor was sympathetic to my plight as an uninsured recent divorcée and gave me a huge discount.
The bad news: Even with the discount, it was more than I can afford right now.

The good news: I had met the receptionist once four years ago, and she remembered me (embarrassingly, I didn't remember her). She told the doctor that I'm good for the money.
The bad news: This is going to cut into the money I was hoping to save for an apartment.

The good news: The apartment I viewed today had advertised a recently remodeled kitchen.
The bad news: Said kitchen has no oven.

The good news: My dad, my aunts, and my kid sister are all in town this weekend.
The bad news: No one can seem to nail down a time or a place for us all to get together.

I'm going to take a look at a one-bedroom apartment today in Logan Square.

It's funny how I never realized how negatively my relationship with Ed was impacting me. It's been a huge drain on me, emotionally and mentally, having to constantly take care of him, always trying to make sure that he wasn't spiralling into another out-of-control depression. I devoted so much attention to him that I was seriously neglecting me. Now I feel like I can finally breathe. I didn't realize at the time just how smothered I was. I can be happy now.

Oh, I almost forgot. Today on my lunch hour I visited the Marilyn Monroe exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center. Damn, she was breathtakingly gorgeous. The exhibit is worth seeing, especially if you're a fan.

I found a dermatologist who's going to cut me a deal on the whole mole-removal thing. I'll be getting rid of this ugly thing tomorrow morning before work. (Such a shame it's not my old dermatologist, Dr. McRAWR! but I just can't afford him now that I have no insurance.)

The female security guard at 1 North State Street recognized me today. She smiled and gave me a huge hug. I was suprised she remembered me after three years, but she was genuinely happy to see me. We used to fight and scream at each other when I was a student, but I promised her that I've mellowed a bit since then. I think we're friends now. :')

Well, apparently I have people sneaking into my classes. Yesterday during my Multimedia I class, I was lecturing about Flash. There was a student there whom I did not recognize; he asked me for some feedback on his Flash project. We got to talking, and when I mentioned that he was not on my roster, he admitted to me that he's not in my class (he graduated last month) but wanted to brush up on his Flash skills. Funny, I've never heard of someone sneaking into a class before...

When I was an undergraduate student at IADT, I became known as the girl with the knee-high Doc Marten boots. People associated my boots with me; I even used a small photo of my boots next to my byline in the school magazine, the way some authors use a portrait.

Today was the first day I wore my boots since I began teaching at IADT. One of the program directors stopped me in the break room and exclaimed, "Now I recognize you! You weren't wearing the boots before!" Which really made me laugh. I had no idea that my boots made me so recognizable. :)

On the subject of teaching... I sent Westwood College an E-mail stating that I'd decided not to accept the third adjunct teaching position over there. It wasn't an easy decision, but I feel good about it.

I'd never seen this one before: Ator Tarot. I kinda like it.

This Monday I start my second teaching position at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. I had to go in on Tuesday to fill out my new hire paperwork. Do you guys remember John Balester Jenkins, who used to be the President of IADT when I was a student there? Well, he's the President of ILIA now, and when he saw me walking down the hall he lept up from his desk and gave be the biggest bear hug ever! He then told everyone about my adventures as the editor of the student magazine at IADT. I was so flattered that he even remembered me. He's a really great guy.

Thursday was my new faculty orientation at ILIA. Now, one of the two classes I teach at IADT I am team-teaching with an interior design instructor, Rujanee Mahakanjana, and she had been telling me about her friend Chris Wood at Westwood College. So I was quite surprised to see the same Chris Wood at ILIA new faculty orientation the very next day! I went right up to him and introduced myself (as I am often in the habit of doing). He wasn't terribly responsive. I figured he's just shy.

For those of you who don't know, ILIA has The International Culinary School on the eighth floor. The students up there make food every day and want the faculty to try their creations. On Thursday, someone had made bowtie pasta with marinara sauce and chicken. My new boss took Chris and me upstairs and we loaded up our plates and headed back down to the second floor. On the trip back down, I was standing in front of Chris with my back turned to him. Suddenly my back was wet. WTH? Apparently Chris had cut into his pasta with a fork, and he must have hit it just right, because water and parmesan cheese squirted out and onto my shoulder and back. The poor guy was so embarrassed, but I could not stop laughing. It was a hell of an ice breaker. He finally seemed comfortable talking with me after that. I suspect he and I are going to be fast friends.

Divorce court went well... except for the fact that someone pulled the fire alarm in the middle of the hearing, so the entire floor had to be evacuated. It was pretty funny, actually. You never hear about shit like that happening to other people. Sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in a sitcom.

Tonight I went to the Chicago IxDA Pecha Kucha event. (Apparently it's pronounced like this.) Ran into my friend Sunni there. Then Joe and I went to Menard's. Yep... that's how I spent my first night of freedom. Pretty wild, huh?

Today was my first day teaching my first class (Multimedia I). I have a good group of students, and they all seem really bright. I might just have to adjust my syllabus to make the class a bit more challenging for them. Oh, I got to see a bunch of my old teachers, who were really surprised to see me. (Especially Don Heide!)

I've been offered a third adjunct teaching position, at Westwood College. I'd be teaching Video Production classes three nights a week. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to accept the position, but I'm leaning towards "yes."

I just received this E-mail from Landlocked Film Festival:

I am pleased to tell you that "Birds Watching" is an official festival selection!

You'll get a more official email very soon, with lots of details about attending the fest and that sort of thing.

Thanks for entering!

My divorce hearing is Wednesday, July 9th.

Today we received a letter from the landlord stating: "You not let me show my unit for rent or sale." How have we refused to allow him to show the unit when he's never even asked to show it? He also claims we have refused to allow him to inspect the unit, which is also not true. The last time he sent someone to inspect was July 23rd, 2007. He hasn't asked since then. So how are we refusing to allow him his right to inspection?

He says we will owe him for an additional day if we give him the keys July 1st. But the lease clearly says it ends July 1st, so why would we owe him for another day? What a nut.

I just got my IADT E-mail address, so I guess that means I'm officially an instructor. :) I'll be teaching Multimedia I and Computer Graphics for Interior Design. Now, what to wear....

... stressed, overwhelmed, withdrawn, and weepy. There seems like so much that needs to be done before Sunday, and of course Ed isn't bothering to help (except for taking the strings of purple lights down from the ceiling—ooh, big job there).

Specifically ymasen and whip_hand, but if anyone else knows... was the bay laurel plant known to the ancient Egyptians? And if so, what was their name for it? All my books are packed, so I can't look it up.

Something big is going to happen at the Vatican around the end of October. I think we may be seeing the end of Pope Benedict XVI's reign.

Ed is insistent that we have to go buy new light bulbs to replace the burnt-out ones in the apartment before we move out. "Because light bulbs are part of the property," he says, "and we have to leave the place in the same condition that we moved into."

Is he packing? No. Does he have a truck to move out his stuff? No. Is he worried about finding a place to live? Hardly. So what is he concerned about? Fucking light bulbs.

(I guess I should be thankful that he's showing any motivation at all.)