June 2-3, 2003

Well, I am not sure it gets anymore incredible than this! I have a job. But it is more than that; it is how it all happened. I previously wrote about how Glendale Unified emailed Saturday and I sent my résumé on. But I knew they would have to call first thing and get me in or it would not work. It was my long shot. God likes long shots.

Terry and I went to North Hollywood to get my rental car and then on to the church. She was showing me where they envisioned building a dance studio. We came out of there and my cell phone had a call missed on it. Sure enough—Glendale. Well, they were hoping to get me in early but I said I had another interview at 3:15. The secretary was going to call right back and possibly have me go right then. When she did, she said 4—and I had to push it to 4:30 because my 3:15 was in the Studio City/North Hollywood area. So Terry took me to my interviews. We simply dropped the car off in Glendale so I would not be running late trying to figure out freeways. At the first one in LA Unified, I had to wait a while. I was not even seated. Finally the dept. head and asst. principal saw me—the dept. head basically had three minutes and then had an appointment. What I told him impressed him, he said, and that was good. The principal was running late and asked if I was in a hurry—there was another interviewee waiting too. She said she was not, but I said I was because I had another interview. He asked me later where that was and did not seem really happy I was heading toward Glendale. He seemed to like me and spoke of hiring me. He said I should go to my other interview first and gave me his card, but I even had to ask him if he wanted me to call him. He seemed rather scattered. It was an odd interview—but I think he would hire me. He talked about how he could get a waiver even though he was suppose to hire a minority and stuff. Wild. Finally I was free—and rather clueless. It was a good school, but it didn’t feel great. I decided I had to see Glendale first.

Arriving at Hebert Hoover High school was a much different experience. It seemed much more, well, professional. I was seated and even though I had to wait, it was fine. I read over school brochures and stuff. It seemed impressive. Glendale has a heavy Armenian population. The principal’s name was decidedly Armenian and so are many of the kids. They had a blanket with all the school organizations on it. One was the Islamic something-or-other council. I decided they needed a Bible club to make all sides equal! (of course I did). So finally this lady comes out to meet me, calling me “darling” and saying how she was so sorry to keep me waiting. But her “darling” was sincere—you could tell. She was a bit scattered with all the last minute stuff, but I had all my paperwork with me, so I gave her copies. She read some of it, but mostly we talked. She was very impressed with my background at Lee and the academies because they had sent people to Houston for the same program and so I understood that. Before that conversation was up, she was ready to hire me. She looked at me and with her very cool accent said “I like you.” I laughed and said that I liked her too. She said she was very serious, that she could tell after five minutes of she wanted to hire someone and she liked me—I had a “lovely personality.” Okay!

She was supposed to check my references first, of course. She asked if there were any skeletons in my closet. I laughed and told her, no, everything was going to check out fine.

So next she gets on the phone to the director of human resources for the district—this mysterious person to whom I have submitted my application and who sent out the email Saturday. She pretended I was not in the office and went on about how much she loved me and had to have me. I mean, it was hysterical. She pulled the woman out of a meeting at 5 p.m. to get her on the phone to make her offer me a job! So I talked to her for a while like we were old friends. The human resources person laughed and said that I better accept or the principal would have me in a body lock. The principal—who asked me to call her by her first name—how WEIRD for me!—Hasmik. But everyone does—told the human resources person that she thought LA Unified was going to offer me a job tomorrow—she asked me about that interview and told me, no I could not go over there! It was so funny. So the human resources person offered me a position.

The details were a pain. It was 5 p.m. and my plane was scheduled for 8:48 a.m. but I need to go do fingerprints before I can be officially hired. The state of CA requires $106 to get fingerprinted and so I was faced with that too. After a bunch of trying to figure it all out I decided to see if I could stay longer to do that because once they clear then when I return later in the month I can have my processing interview where I sign my contract.

So I came home and had DJ call Terry—she and Darrell were headed to Westwood to dinner. I had to ask if I could stay longer—of course that was fine, though she would not be around. I called the airline and learned that if I flew stand-by at any time later in the same day, as long as there was space, it would not cost me anything, and I had the rental car til noon. So I took my chance with stand-by because it is Burbank on a Tuesday.

The whole thing was BIZARRE. I do tend to interview well, but this was extreme. For example, the co-principal, Kevin—also first name, had lived in Texas a while but also New York—se he was doing accents and I was joking with him. Then The lady wanted to hear a Texas accent so I was standing there telling my favorite Texas accent story—with Hasmik and Kevin! She said he and I needed to do a skit in the faculty show and we needed to do something at the first faculty meeting. I figured that was the time to announce I did pirouettes in the classroom. So I told them if they walked by my room and saw me dancing, the kids were learning. She said “I love it.”

She wanted me to call the airline right then to see if I could change my flight, but I did not have my travel info along. So she gave me her home and cell number and asked me to call later and tell her. When I did, she was thrilled to hear from me.

As I was leaving, the male principal emerged from his adjoining office with a MEGAPHONE and bellowed “YOU DID GOOD!” to me. HELLO! It was like a bizarre movie. No joke—I have never experienced anything so wild.

And while the whole interview story is an animated tale of amusement as well as extreme favor of God, the bottom line is that was it. Glendale is a city I love. It is 10 minutes from the church, but such a pretty city that is set apart. It sits at the bottom of the Foothills—so it is surrounded by gorgeous mountains. Anybody following the mountain motif in this blog?!

I could barely process it all. I called Robin and Beverly, but it still was not kicking in. It hit when I went back to Glendale later that night and was driving down Glenoaks Blvd. I got very weepy and thankful. It started hitting me how unusual this all was and what a great job I had just been given. This is a good district with a nationally ranked school. It is new and pretty and I have great favor with my bosses already. If there was ever a doubt, it vanished.

Even little stuff fit. A couple days before Terry had gotten a continuing education flyer from Glendale Community College. They have dance classes and I found one I wanted to take—a couple actually—and was happy to have found that already here. The place where the classes are held is pretty much around the corner from the school. Glendale also has a nice community college if I want to teach adjunct classes. The city itself is nice and clean and very UN-Los Angeles. And it was the first place I said I wanted to live if given a choice. The pay is almost as high at LA, a small difference. The benefits are great. The rent is lower, and the area is nicer. Last night as I drove around, I felt at home finally. I knew that I knew that I knew. That was it. I could not wait to go home to my little apt. in Glendale and go to work at the school God is obviously placing me at and see what His assignment there is.

Terry came home and we ran to my room so I could tell her. She was in awe also. She was just praising God. Finally she grabbed my hand and said we just had to pray because it was so awesome. Then I told Darrell the story and he was pretty amazed. Terry had gone to bed and as Darrell was going too, he said good night. He joked “I would say ‘God bless you ‘but He already had.” It was so amazing.

This morning I emailed Hasmik. She wanted me to stay in touch. I told her I was going to get my prints done, would be back in a couple weeks and would move out in early August—she wants me to come some before school starts and is paying for that. She write back right away. Her letter began “:Hey Girl” and ended “Love, Hasmik.” Yeah, this is my boss! “Love, Hasmik”!

When I went to human resources today, the director came out to meet me after the whirlwind yesterday. She said Hasmik is just all over, and made hand motions much like people do to describe my free spiritedness. Maybe that is why. That and the favor of God on me. Any teacher will tell you that was an AMAZING and highly unlikely job interview. And might I add that this is CA where teachers were laid off this year! She had four English positions. I seemed to be the first she interviewed because the notice just went out Saturday night that they were open. She told me she had 25 people coming in to interview, but now she only had three positions. She is a precious lady too—wow—how amazing! And I can still do pirouettes in my classroom.

So today I went to human resources and the director’s secretary seemed like she had no clue who I was. I told her, yeah, it happened at 5 p.m. yesterday. So she went to see the director and came out saying, yes, she knew me and we would start my paperwork. Then I found out fingerprinting was only from 2:30-3:30 p.m. and the last flight to DFW was 2:15. I was disappointed because I knew that was the schedule city hall had for fingerprints. But we decided I would come the 16th and do that and then hopefully by the end of my week there the would clear and I could do my contract. Still, I was disappointed. So as I was leaving, I decided it never hurts to ask. I went to City Hall and found the office. I explained I had a flight leaving and could not come back and asked if there was any way they could do it now. He said sure, he would take me right away. So I got it done so I will be clear by when I come back! When I called the secretary to tell her to be watching for it, she seemed surprised I had been able to get it done! Go God!

Darrell prayed for me before I left too and it touched me so much to hear his faith and confidence in God for me. What an amazing work God has done in all of our relationships. And what awesome people Darrell and Terry are. I can’t believe these wonderful friends are also going to be my pastors. How blessed can I be?!

Yes, of course I got on my stand-by flight pretty much immediately. In fact, I am typing the rest of this on that flight—I am in the back and have TWO seats to myself. That is good since I am exhausted physically. I have barely slept in all my excitement! Not sure exactly the date I am coming back. Due to CA teaching requirements this is costing me lots more right now for all the paperwork—and now I have the credential application too! Hasmik offered to loan me the $106 for fingerprinting even! Of course I refused, but I was astounded. Anyway, I WANT to fly and rent a car for the few days I need one, but I am not sure I can afford to—I am already less than 14 days away, though Priceline could be good. And then a rental car also—I might have no choice but to drive. BLECH!!!!!!!!!! But when I come back out in mid-June it will be to do my processing interview—paperwork, contracts etc. I have most of it now to fill out and bring back. There is a W-4 in it—that makes it seem very real! I will also dance as scheduled June 22 at the church. And God is doing some neat stuff in that too, with some people and just in general. I think He is opening doors to a neat dance ministry. Terry and I laughed at how unlikely it was that it would come in with me of all people! Oh, if people could have only seen me in my black clothes, black lipstick, skeleton earrings and death poetry. I have changed so much. Still, at the car rental place, by my old neighborhood, the mailman was leaving and he stopped and stared. He was the mailman from the building my mom and I lived in. He recognized me! Terry was more shocked than I. He asked how I was and how my mom was. It has been NINE years and I don’t look the same, but he knew me, and was sorry to hear my mom had died. Absolutely incredible!

Anyway, I have about drained the battery on this laptop, and we are an hour from DFW. I got a 12:45 flight so I will be home, even with losing the two hours, by 7 or 8. I will be home a couple weeks, back to LA, then home the month of July. I plan to leave around August 6 or 7. But now that I know where I am going, it all seems okay. I can have confidence and faith the money, the apt. etc will all work out because this has been so amazing. And one more thing… when my mom and I first moved to Los Angeles, the very first place we went for a couple months was Glendale. So I am going back literally… and then going forward—surrounded by the mountains of God.