Too exhausted to think of a title

Hello! Let me tell you about Halloween.

In a word: it was great. Our school let us put on a haunted house for the students. They trusted us with their ELA time, ensuring every kid would get a chance to go through. It was a huge behavior initiative, and was wonderful because we got a chance to do something for these students that was just for their entertainment. It was just for them to have fun and be kids.

The haunted house was amazing. We used the extra City Year room, a normal classroom sized space, and turned it into a maze with the scariest things lurking around corners. We created floor to ceiling walls out of garbage bags, and hung danger signs. We dressed up (woah – City Year not in uniform! Too scary!) and put paint on our faces. We looked dead. It was all very slasher horror film.

The students arrived with their English classes. Lined up outside, we fed them a tale of mad scientists, experiments gone wrong, and abandoned hospitals.
Then we shoved six kids through the door, and watched as the rest of the class listened to their screams as they worked their way through the path.

I loved being inside. I joked that while screaming, I was letting out some of the anger I'd held from the beginning of City Year, in August. I was kidding, I promise.

Anyway, there are about 470 students at my beloved school, and most of them got a chance to go through. It was exhausting.

That took up my Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thursday I took a day off. It was wonderful. My team leader is big on mental health days, and two weeks ago I was needing one. (I'm a little annoyed about this, because a mental health day is great for a breakdown, but you can't really schedule a mental breakdown two weeks in advance) So ever the helpful TL, she filled out the form for me, helped me pick a day, and there it was. Am I prideful and stubborn? Yes. Did I totally love my day anyway? Yes. (Thanks TL! I owe you one.(many))

I started my day by sleeping in as much as possible. Unfortunately, my brain is really good at recognizing when I don't have to wake up early the next day, and then waking up 3 hours earlier than I needed to. So I was wide eyed and alert at 5:30. Hello? Brain, you bother. I stayed in bed reading until 7:30, and went to make breakfast. Bak choy and mushrooms, steamed with a sweet chili sauce. YUM. Who said I can't have lunch for breakfast?

I finished reading my book (Breakfast at Tiffany's, start to finish: 2 hours and 40 minutes. Yay for speed reading) and took the bus downtown to the Tower Theatre. A part of Sacramento history, the Tower Theatre has been around for almost 100 years and is really cool. I got there around 10:40, and because the theater doesn't open until 11, I crossed the street to an actual real movie store (you know, like before redbox, netflix, and even Itunes?) and bought some DVDs. I am convinced my maturity level can be discerned by the types of movies I buy. Enchanted, The Incredibles, and a documentary about the health care system in America as compared to the system in other countries. Ladies and gentlemen, draw your own conclusions.

The theater finally opened, and I bought my ticket for The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Kind of an amazing movie. I adored it.

After the movie, I walked south a few blocks to the Sacramento Zoo. That's right folks. Amy Barton has obviously not grown up yet. I spent 4 hours watching the graceful giraffes, beautiful parrots, and reptiles and amphibians that were both graceful and beautiful, in a freaky 'I'm never letting one in my home as a pet' way. I also spent a considerable amount of time being chased by flamingos and making faces at monkeys.

I loved it.

After taking the bus back to my apartment (I love the sound of that phrase. My apartment. I have an apartment. I pay rent every month so I can live in my apartment – ok, not so much that last one...) I took a nap and watched part of a movie.

Then I went shopping! Yay!

I know what you're thinking. Actually, I don't. But I know what i'm thinking, and that's “Amy, you went to the movies. You bought dvds, and then you went to the zoo, where you also bought lunch and souveniers. How much money have you spent?” My answer to my inner money manager? “Uh...too much. But it's my day off. It's Amy Day. And I'm not going to do it again.

So I didn't feel bad about going shopping to the Deseret Industries with new friends. The Deseret Industries are part of the welfare program of my church. Just compare it to Goodwill.

So, overall, it was a pretty great day.

News about church: My first day in the new branch was the 21^st. The next day, I was given the assignment to speak on the 28^th. They got on it fast.

I spoke about President Eyring's talk on the Pavilion that covers us from the Lord. You can find President Eyring's message here. I feel like I spoke well, but I don't know. Mormons don't really give feedback.

I went to choir practice today. It was wonderful. I loved it soooo much.

Best Moments: Watching as these tough kids walked in the haunted house, listening as they scream all the way through, and watching as they all fall out of the door on the opposite side, compose themselves, and stutter “that wasn't scary at all. That was lame”, as their eyes dart around and they jump at the slightest surprise.

Getting a hug from one of the students that I had a strained relationship with earlier in the year. It was sweet.

Guiding one of my students in my special education class through the haunted house. He was absolutely terrified, but I'm so proud of him. Same with some of my other students. They were honestly more than spooked, but were brave anyway. Sweethearts.

Accepting the fact that one of my teachers has accepted a teaching position at Sac State. Yes, I'll miss her, yes I'm upset, and yes, I'm concerned about her classroom. But I'm so excited for her! This is a great opportunity, and it's best for her.

Ok. I feel very sleepy and I think it's time to go to bed. Goodnight folks.