On my first day last week, I was officially crowned Mr. B, so there ya go. That's what the kids call me :)

This morning was my 2nd day of helping out at the school. I felt so much better this time around about how I was able to assist the kids.

The day starts out with the students reading on their own. They each have a bag of books from which to choose that are at their reading level. There are 4 or 5 students that I assist during this portion of the day and today I saw some real improvement! To see how it positively affected them and their demeanor when they saw their improvement too, is priceless. It's such an incredible feeling to know that I was a little part of that. One little girl in particular speaks nothing but Spanish at home, so when she's at school she has a bit of a time switching back to English mode during school, but today she did very well. I think I'm beginning to get the hang of how to effectively encourage the kids as well. Especially when they get shy and sink into their chair when they don't know a word. Little by little, I'm also learning.

The second activity today (which had me sharpening pencils part of the time) was Miss M., the teacher, reading a book to the class. Afterward, the kids were to recall parts of the story in regards to one of the characters and write down things about them on half of a sort of circle graph. On the other part they were to write down things about themselves. I worked with 2 students on this and was able to keep their attention quite well which was a little difficult for me last week. 1 little guy in particular seems easily distracted but today was much better and I was pleased with how he was more at ease in his interaction with me. A couple of the kids I work with are on the shy side but I can totally see that they're warming up to me. A lot like how I work, really, when I meet new people :p

I let Miss M. know that I'm able to commit to a full day in class on Mondays and she was rather excited to hear that. Honestly, I don't know how teachers do it! Working with all of these little people who need so much attention and help with something as vital as their education, it's mind boggling. I'm so happy to offer a tiny bit of my time in support of something so important.

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After being laid off of my job of 13 years back in Fresno, I was forced to think about what I wanted to do for work and more than that, what sort of career if any I wanted to pursue. A career? That just wasn't something I ever really thought about. With no educational background and a job that was comfortable and paid the bills, I let myself remain stagnant. I'll be the first to admit that change can sometimes be difficult for me and well, all I can truly say is that I was comfortable in where I was. I'm not a big fan of rocking the boat. Fear of water and all :)

I was fortunate enough to move to Bellingham with a number of really inspiring and amazing individuals in my network of friends. Listening to their experiences as well as a few other friends back home that also work with kids got my mind thinking and I soon began to think about a career in the education field. The idea of helping a little one with various skills in school which would in turn boost their self-esteem is work that I do believe would be rewarding for them as well as for me. More than anything, I want to do work that makes a positive impact on the world around us. In the past, working with children and anything education/ development related was not something I ever saw myself doing, but is something I find myself thoroughly excited about. I really have my friends to thank for that! There's so much positive energy in them, I can't help but be influenced.

Through some great connections with the Washington ReadingCorps program (namely, gishfish) I was able to connect with a few VISTA's at elementary schools here in Bellingham. I've been wanting to volunteer some time in town and gain some experience working with kids and I was able to set myself up with a great opportunity.

I met with a wonderful AmeriCorps VISTA today at a school just a few miles from where I live to go over paperwork and get myself familiar with school grounds. Met a few of the school staff, a couple of students and was told how volunteering with reading tutoring generally worked. It's a pretty small school with about 20 classes and I'll probably be set up with 1st or 3rd grade students.

I start next week so watch this space for updates on how it goes!

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I ride my bikes here in Bellingham more than I ever did in Fresno. It's a nicer place for such activities, for sure. You can spot a large number of people doing it for recreation, but there are also a lot of people that obviously use their bikes for utility which I find very exciting. Wetter and colder weather is just over the horizon so I'm curious to see who else will be out there with me (foolishly or bravely?) sticking it out and hauling our cold, tired asses up these streets.

Speaking of the streets, they're a bitch sometimes. (Oh! Now I feel like putting on Stevie Nicks, 'Sometimes It's a Bitch'.... but anyway) I'd been told a few times that relying almost entirely on a bike around here is no small task and I'd be inclined to agree. (A fella at a bus stop once called me Superman as I was cresting a steep road. Gave me a good chuckle.) Fresno was unexciting in terms of the terrain. Flat. Flat, and more flat. Here in Bellingham there isn't anywhere I go that doesn't have some type of incline or rolling street. The street I live on alone has a 15% grade at it's peak. Hauling a weeks worth of groceries and/ or toiletries up it is at once a fun challenge and demoralizing when my stems want to give out.

Currently, my knees are giving me a bit of discomfort from all of the bike time lately so I've put off any long road rides that I'd been planning until they're feeling better. I really miss getting out on a good stretch of pavement and just riding for a few hours by myself. Watching the sun rise on my usual early morning jaunts is a calming experience and a hell of a way to start the day. It's too bad all of the utility riding I do is cutting into my favored hobby, but I hope to get the right balance of each at some point.

It's been what, a few months since my move out here to Bellingham?

The chill is definitely on the way. I rode home after being out for a friends birthday at 3 a.m. the other morning and had forgotten my gloves. Stupid! The digits were numb. (No to mention any skin left without shield from the elements.) The seasons make themselves known here in Bellingham. Fresno more or less slides from summer into winter and vice versa and there isn't much notice of a change in seasons in between.

So many things here are a big change from Fresno but that shouldn't be misread as a complaint. When I decided to finally move out of that town I wanted it to be far enough away that wherever I ended up was nothing like it. Pretty much..... yeah. It's been amazing so far.

Not that there isn't still some more adjustment time needed for me. Still trying to find my way, a place where I feel like I fit. (Seems like that's what my life is, but maybe that isn't too uncommon?) The job search is difficult and there isn't any indication that that will change anytime soon. My living situation, while good, isn't ideal. I'm still partially living out of boxes so I just haven't felt settled and like it's my place.

For about the last week or so I've had a bit of a time dealing with the situation so far coupled with the fact that I miss my family and friends back home. I've met and continue to meet some very worthwhile and wonderful people here, but I left a lot of history with others back in Fresno. Obviously, it's going to take some time to make a place here where memories and experiences are concerned. Patience, patience. It's happening every minute of every day.

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