Wednesday I got a text from my Dance Instructor asking if I wanted to see a movie or do something on Thursday night 'cuz his plans fell through. We've done a couple of movie nights on Thursdays and it's a good time; mellow, but good. So I said yeah, and then found out that there was going to be dancing at the casino again that night. The last time I tried to invite him he was reorganizing his home office, but I thought I'd try again. He agreed.
This is the gig that OG and J do together with another couple. I admit that I wanted to bring DI so that I could show off a little bit. I'm sick of feeling like J doesn't respect me as a dancer because he doesn't ask me to perform with him. I figured it'd be a fun night w/ OG and DI and I'd be okay with J.
Then before I start getting ready I get two texts and a voicemail. One text is from B: she's in town and wants to go out. The message was asking me if I was going to the casino to dance because OG told her about it. The other text was from a girl that had been on our team (Yet Another Girl), but quit in the summer obstensibly because of the time commitment, but in reality because she had reached a level where "she was getting anymore out of it." This is the girl who joined the team for the free private lessons, said she had terrible stage fright, and never once smiled during a performance. I made the mistake last weekend when I was out of town and J called desperate for a partner for the saturday (because all of his regulars including OG were out of town) of giving him YAG's number. I was being nice and for once I should have been selfish and said "gee J, I know all the people you do." But I didn't I was nice and I tried to help.
I'm such a moron. Because now he's given her dates for working on the weekends and invited her out to the casino night. When YAG was on the team I got told off by SOG for having an attitude, because I put up a stink about her having a ton of cool moves and being the new girl on the block. So, there was already some jealousy there. I also know now that J is pretty much out to get every girl he can into bed, so I'm sure that has alot to do with his asking her. Which frustrates me even more, because I have advanced a ton in the last few months, and it doesn't mean shit, because I've already slept with him.
I was a little afraid that I'd go out last night and have a miserable time, or end up making DI have a miserable time due to the drama. There was a little drama at one point. YAG forgot to bring shoes and borrowed a pair of mine, which didn't fit and after an hour wanted to get OG's spare pair. J had the keys and instead of giving them to YAG he went with her. They were gone for more than half an hour. And this was when he should have been working. OG was pissed off because he had fucked off and left her there to work alone. OG, B and I made comments about what "picking up a pair of shoes" really meant. So apparently B is catching on about J's proclivities. But for the most part it was a fun night.
Lots of people gave me and DI complements on our dancing. We even did a really slow number where people were lined up at the edge of the dance floor watching us and applauding. It was awesome. I danced one song with J, but we didn't really have the room and for the most part I wanted to be dancing with DI because he's so much better, and yeah then I could show off a little more.
And at the end of the night DI said he had had a great time. I think we are going to make it a monthly night out.
The downside to the whole night, was driving home. Construction made the 20 min trip getting back to my car w/ DI a 45 minute trip. And then as I was driving home I got an agitated call from OG because the ramps to her highway were closed and she was lost. Since I couldn't get straight answer from her about where she was I told her to hang up and call J, he knows the area. I called again in 10 minutes. He had given her directions, but she missed a sign and was in hysterics because she didn't know where she was, she was driving on top streets in an unfamiliar urban area and at one point she had to tell a teenage prostitute that no s/he wasn't getting a ride. At that point, I was pissed, because the conclusion I came to was that obviously J had given her half-assed directions. (It was easy to be mad at him after the YAG drama). I told her to lock her doors, roll up the window and I'd talk to her soon, hung up and called J.
He answered the phone after 4 rings all groggy sounding, but I knew he'd been on the phone with OG a few minutes before. And I said, "do you know that I have OG on the other line, crying her eyes out, w/ homeless people at her window because she's lost in the city. She hasn't slept since yesterday and she's driving on a spare tire," He did say he had just given her directions, but that he'd call her again. I was close to home, but stopped off to fill up my tank, figuring that if I had to I'd go all the way back and find her if I had to. But when I called her again she was on the correct freeway.
Other than that fiasco it was a good night.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
When it Rains
It's odd, but now that I am busier than I have been in a whole year, now when I have no time to introduce new things or people into my life, now is when I have exactly that.
I have two dates this weekend. Two dates, two guys.
OG's birthday was last month and when we went out for a "quiet night" at a martini bar we both ended up getting plastered and dancing at multiple bars. The reason for that--these guys we met at said martini bar. We had noticed one of the guys in the group when he went by us to the bathroom because he was very attractive. Eventually the whole group moved over to a table near OG and I. One was trying to get our attention, but we wanted a quiet night so we ignored him and danced together instead. Mistake, because he was from Puerto Rico and immediately had something in common w/ the latin dancing. Turned out the attractive guy had no personality, but his friend (not the PR) who is not my type in the least (skinny nerdy red head), was so funny and interesting that now I have a date with him.
The second guy is a dancer who I know from about a year and a half ago, but he had a girlfriend and then he stopped dancing for awhile. Well he came back a few months ago, dancing, but with out the girlfriend. Now he's dancing with me non-stop, inviting me out, giving me back rubs, texting me, facebook messaging me and everything else to tell me how much he likes me. Finally over the weekend he came out and asked me to dinner.
So Friday I have a date with the Martini Man, and Sunday with Yet Another Dancer.
I have two dates this weekend. Two dates, two guys.
OG's birthday was last month and when we went out for a "quiet night" at a martini bar we both ended up getting plastered and dancing at multiple bars. The reason for that--these guys we met at said martini bar. We had noticed one of the guys in the group when he went by us to the bathroom because he was very attractive. Eventually the whole group moved over to a table near OG and I. One was trying to get our attention, but we wanted a quiet night so we ignored him and danced together instead. Mistake, because he was from Puerto Rico and immediately had something in common w/ the latin dancing. Turned out the attractive guy had no personality, but his friend (not the PR) who is not my type in the least (skinny nerdy red head), was so funny and interesting that now I have a date with him.
The second guy is a dancer who I know from about a year and a half ago, but he had a girlfriend and then he stopped dancing for awhile. Well he came back a few months ago, dancing, but with out the girlfriend. Now he's dancing with me non-stop, inviting me out, giving me back rubs, texting me, facebook messaging me and everything else to tell me how much he likes me. Finally over the weekend he came out and asked me to dinner.
So Friday I have a date with the Martini Man, and Sunday with Yet Another Dancer.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Long Time
I realized that it has been a really long time since I've posted anything. I have a back log of drafts that I started and didn't get to finish before posting. I will try to fill those in sometime soon.
The biggest change is that I'm working again. I had about an 8 month vacation, but I also got to the point where my credit card balance was larger than my bank account. Besides the dance instruction job that I took over from J which is only two hours a week, I took the first job I was offered. An adjunct instructor position at my local community college. I have two master degrees and one is good enough to teach at a community college. I had put my resume in with a different department, but when they became desperate for English instructors my info was forwarded and I got an email.
I started on September 3 teaching two different composition courses. With in a couple of weeks I was also offered a position in my preferred profession, the one I left and was wondering if I'd go back to. I am glad that I took the position. I am glad to be back. I realized it was a mistake to go into the public realm and since returning to academics I'm much happier. It is at a different school than the one I'm currently teaching at. But in someways it's very similar. Instead of a community college it is called a "right to try" college. So they'll take anyone with a high school diploma or the equivalent.
It turns out that the English teaching was a huge mistake also. I don't think that I have gotten a full night's sleep since I started. First it's two different classes so that is twice the preparation time. And since I've never taught these before it takes a long time to prepare. It's Composition I and II. So I have to cover some pretty basic things, grammar, writing well, thesis, intro, conclusion etc. And my Comp I is mostly freshmen. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to comma patients. Honestly, they say they get it, but really they're not listening, not paying attention, not caring and their performance shows it. I've gotten to the point where I'm starting to not care also. Maybe 1/4 of my students are actually trying. They are the same kids that sit up front and try to answer every question. The funny thing is that I don't dislike them as people, just as students.
I've come to realize that I take my intelligence for granted. I don't need to be told three times that a paper needs to be double spaced and still hand it in single spaced. Or take a homework assignment and attempt to do it with out reading the directions. Or just not do an assignment because I don't understand it because I haven't read the directions, or I didn't listen to the instructor explain the directions.
I have a huge stack papers that need to be graded and I just can't make myself get to it. They were turned in last week Wednesday, but I was busy getting ready for a weekend dance trip (3 days and nights of dancing and workshops!) and trying to clean my house for my mother's return home.
I've begun grinding my teeth at night and dreaming about problem students. I am more stressed than I can ever remember being. I was supposed to choose my winter semester classes by today and I just couldn't to it.
My schedule right now is: Mon/Wed 9am to 9:30pm, Tues/Thurs 8:30am to 7:30pm, and Friday 8:30a - 3pm. That doesn't include commuting there and back 1/2 an hour to an hour each way. On top of that I still have dance team practice on thursdays and sundays, my private lessons I do after work on Fridays, group classes on Saturday. I'm drowning in work and my personal goals are suffering.
I was supposed to decide by today what classes I wanted to teach for next semester. I told the chair of my department that none fit my schedule. I just can't take this again in the winter. Instead I'm refocusing on my dancing and I'm going to take two classes instead. It's time to get selfish again for 2009.
The biggest change is that I'm working again. I had about an 8 month vacation, but I also got to the point where my credit card balance was larger than my bank account. Besides the dance instruction job that I took over from J which is only two hours a week, I took the first job I was offered. An adjunct instructor position at my local community college. I have two master degrees and one is good enough to teach at a community college. I had put my resume in with a different department, but when they became desperate for English instructors my info was forwarded and I got an email.
I started on September 3 teaching two different composition courses. With in a couple of weeks I was also offered a position in my preferred profession, the one I left and was wondering if I'd go back to. I am glad that I took the position. I am glad to be back. I realized it was a mistake to go into the public realm and since returning to academics I'm much happier. It is at a different school than the one I'm currently teaching at. But in someways it's very similar. Instead of a community college it is called a "right to try" college. So they'll take anyone with a high school diploma or the equivalent.
It turns out that the English teaching was a huge mistake also. I don't think that I have gotten a full night's sleep since I started. First it's two different classes so that is twice the preparation time. And since I've never taught these before it takes a long time to prepare. It's Composition I and II. So I have to cover some pretty basic things, grammar, writing well, thesis, intro, conclusion etc. And my Comp I is mostly freshmen. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to comma patients. Honestly, they say they get it, but really they're not listening, not paying attention, not caring and their performance shows it. I've gotten to the point where I'm starting to not care also. Maybe 1/4 of my students are actually trying. They are the same kids that sit up front and try to answer every question. The funny thing is that I don't dislike them as people, just as students.
I've come to realize that I take my intelligence for granted. I don't need to be told three times that a paper needs to be double spaced and still hand it in single spaced. Or take a homework assignment and attempt to do it with out reading the directions. Or just not do an assignment because I don't understand it because I haven't read the directions, or I didn't listen to the instructor explain the directions.
I have a huge stack papers that need to be graded and I just can't make myself get to it. They were turned in last week Wednesday, but I was busy getting ready for a weekend dance trip (3 days and nights of dancing and workshops!) and trying to clean my house for my mother's return home.
I've begun grinding my teeth at night and dreaming about problem students. I am more stressed than I can ever remember being. I was supposed to choose my winter semester classes by today and I just couldn't to it.
My schedule right now is: Mon/Wed 9am to 9:30pm, Tues/Thurs 8:30am to 7:30pm, and Friday 8:30a - 3pm. That doesn't include commuting there and back 1/2 an hour to an hour each way. On top of that I still have dance team practice on thursdays and sundays, my private lessons I do after work on Fridays, group classes on Saturday. I'm drowning in work and my personal goals are suffering.
I was supposed to decide by today what classes I wanted to teach for next semester. I told the chair of my department that none fit my schedule. I just can't take this again in the winter. Instead I'm refocusing on my dancing and I'm going to take two classes instead. It's time to get selfish again for 2009.
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