Tidbits by Thomas: Thomas? Working? What?

I apologize for my hiatus…There wasn’t much to report on…but the rumor mill has started up again…

Yes, the rumors are true! Thomas is again officially part time employed! I will be a contracted tutor at an inner city parochial grade school in Minneapolis. I will be tutoring kid ranging from 2^nd grade to 8^th grade in reading and math. Though it’s only four hours a day in the afternoon, I will be making enough to pay my bills and still have enough for food and gas at the end of the month. I was offered the job at the end of last week and started today. Today I had mainly middle school kids; the interesting part will be the 2nd graders and other grade school kids later in the week (groups have anywhere from 1-5 kid(s); and are either 30 mins to an hour long). While I’m used to teenager, I’ve never really worked with younger kids. Thankfully the company has good resources and pre-made lesson plans.

I’ll still be active at the high school though. I’ll still be on the tutoring list there for morning jobs, and still plan on attending sporting events, theater events, and campus ministry events to keep involved at the community there and keep supporting the kids there. I told them they won’t be able to get rid of me that easily.

Minnesota has been experiencing abnormally high temperatures the past few weeks; we are on track from the second warmest October on record. Just a couple weeks ago, we were in the mid-80s! (Last year at the same time, we had already had a few inches of snow!) Saw the forecast for the next week on the news, and looks like we will be around 60 here for highs. But at nights we can definitely notice cooler temperatures…Yes, I’m dreading what is to come….

So here are some more MN state fair pictures from last month…

Minnesota version of Hot-Dog-On-A-Stick is "Ponto Pup." I think had one of those on each of my three visits to the Fair.

I think I posted a picture of this two years ago...Oodles of Noodles. "Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner On a Stick" and "S'mores on a Stick." (No, I didnt get to try it.)

Yes, the one on the left center says "Teriyaki Ostrich"

One aisle of the PACKED food building!

My friend Chris, who took theology classes at St. Thomas with me. St. Thomas has a booth in the education building. They hand out bags each year, that are coveted and so only handed out at certain times.

Chris and I with the Spam guy. (You can see my coveted purple St. Thomas bag in my hand.)(Yes, I picked up international Spam again for musubi)

You can even find Snoopy and Woodstock at the fair!

The mascot of the MN Fair. (The equivalent of the golden bear mascot for the CA fair)

Corn on the cob is a VERY popular food at the fair. There's a booth that sells ONLY corn on the cob. It comes slightly buttered; throw on on salt and pepper and it taste wonderful.