world class

Another hot and humid day. This week, I asked teachers from Virginia and surrounding states if fall ever happens here. They laughed and said, "Oh, sure. Sometime near end of October, November." But, then again, most of them acted as if Michigan was a frozen tundra year-round. I'm sure we'll get used to it. Plus, it'll be really nice to not have piles upon piles of snow for a good chunk of the year. I guess when it snows down here (well, if it flurries, rains and freezes a little, or accumulates the tiniest bit of snow), EVERYTHING closes down. David said someone in his program told him that it was because people can't drive down here, so they do it as a protection.
Driving down here is different: there are a lot more accidents, people are completely reckless and you see bad driving you wouldn't even see in the Detroit/Chicago area. I'm stunned they have to have so many traffic reports just to let you know where the accidents are. There are usually 2-3 at any given time. Holy crap! Oh, and when it rains, even if it's just a sprinkle, people freak out and slow down! Traffic about stops on the highway. I am totally stunned. David and I were having a good laugh imagining what driver's ed is like down here because it seems that no one knows how to drive! But, then again, we all make mistakes and everyone has their driving style.
So, the week is over. I finished up New Teacher Orientation and feel pretty confident (still a little nervous) aobut starting the school year. I got to see the curriculum for 10th graders and I love it. I love the school I'll be working in, the people I'll be working with, the English work room with its huge windows. Basically, it's perfect and, even though everyone else thinks I'm crazy for driving to Norfolk, I'm glad I chose NPS to work in. It does make the drive worth it and the drive isn't even that bad. This is one of the best districts in the country and is exactly what I was looking for. So, I'm happy.
On Thursday, there was a little event for David's program at a bar in New Town. New Town is this strange place. It's like a huge strip mall, but not. I have conflicted feelings about it. I love it because it's within walking distance of our apartment (two blocks. Downtown Williamsburg is close by bike, but walking would take 30-45 minutes and is kind of dangerous in parts) and they are using a smart technique to keep it feeling like a neighborhood/downtown area and keep land usage down. But, at the same time, it's got this ritzy, overpriced strip mall kind of feel. For example: the apartments there are totally overpriced (but really fancy and nice!). There is a Barnes and Noble being built (there are only two used book stores in town, the only independent bookstores I've found so far. Both are kind of far away) and an Old Navy right next to it. There is a movie theatre, places to eat, shop and whatnot. It is really nice because it feels like you're walking around a little city. They are seriously building a "New Town". So, I guess it's okay. If they would add in a little market so we could walk and get groceries, that would be perfect. So far, we have a Food Lion up Monticello (it's like Kroger or Harding's) and a Ukrop's the other way up Monticello (almost as big as Meijer, but only food... kind of like a big D&W). Both we'd have to get to by bike or car. Oh well.
Anyway, This event we went to. We had food, free pool, and I got to meet some of his professors, the head of his department and some of the other guys in his program (and their girlfriends/fiances). Everyone was super nice and we played two games of pool. I was totally nervous during the first one, but the second one I actually did pretty well.
Yesterday started my weekend. I got to sleep in! I slept until 10:30, got up, made some tea and sat on our porch and read before it got to hot to sit outside (plus, our porch is in the sun for the afternoon/evening). When David got home, we started our productive weekend: we set up our bank account, bought David's books (Over $500!! Holy crap!), cleaned the hampster cage, and vaccuumed a little. We also got to watch some of the Netflix movies we've had since before the move: Howl's Moving Castle, Hustle and Flow and Match Point. Match Point was the only one I wasn't too hot on. Today we cleaned the rest of the apartment, kind of starting a project: Don't live like we did on Davis Street. haha. We still have to put up decorations and pictures, but we still have time. We both have a lot of reading, preparing and whatnot to do for the next week (or for me: the next year).
And now, for the funniest/strangest moment of this week. I met Carly, a math teacher on my academy. We're pretty close in age and have a similar sense of humor. Basically, she's awesome. On Monday, during the meeting for the HS, we had to introduce ourselves. Basic stuff: our name, what we're teaching, where we're from and our worst job. After we were done and waiting for our lunch to arrive, she asked me: "So, you're from Kalamazoo, right? Do you own a moped?" I kind of laughed and asked her, "What do you know about Kalamazoo and mopeds?" She explained that she knew someone in the Mosquito Fleet. What a strange, small world.