Nerds in Love

the new job & the new place

by frank.

amazing transformation.

the job:

i’ll have my own office, a document camera, an LCD projector, a lap top, two desktops, three whiteboards. when the other history teacher told me i might want to switch the direction of my room, i asked her if i would just move the whiteboards and screens. she looked at me like i was nuts. apparently, teachers don’t do that kind of stuff at my new school. there’s a maintenance tech for that. when i told her all the things i had to do at my last school (assemble desks/tables, hang whiteboard, screen, take out the trash, etc.), she was incredulous.

i’ll be teaching two sections of pacific northwest history/pacific rim and two sections of world history. we actually have class sets of books, including sherman alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. i have a lot of freedom in developing and delivering curriculum.

the staff i’ve met so far is very friendly. since it’s a small school (under 180), the community is close knit.

i decided to teach high school history in 1992; clearly, i’ve taken a few detours and finding such a job has been challenging. i am so happy to be using my degree doing something i’m good at and enjoy.

the new place:

our new place, in the east lake neighborhood, is in a recently renovated vintage brick building with views of downtown seattle, the needle, queen anne, and lake union. it’s a block off the main road with its bus service, around the corner from several nice restaurants, and just a few blocks from lake union. it’s a short drive or a quick ride on the SLUT (South Lake Union Transit) to downtown and seattle center.

after searching hundreds and hundreds of housing ads, exploring dozens of seattle neighborhoods on google maps, and touring several buildings yesterday, we are relieved to have secured a place that meets our needs. it’s close to the freeway for my commute. it has a dishwasher and a washer/dryer. it has lots of charm. we can have the dog, and there are plenty of places to take him on walks. it has a nice neighborhood feel but is close to a lot of great places. oh, and it’s right behind Sandra’s brother’s apartment building.

the best part is that we found a two bedroom, not an easy or cheap thing to find in seattle. so when you come visit, you’ll have a place to stay!