Thursday, July 31, 2008

Haunted at Night

All and all, since I've started working at the studio it's been a great experience. I've had some hard days, but during those days I just remind myself that my job is DANCING; at which point any negative thoughts promptly disappear, and I slap myself in the face. I mean a little over a month ago I was picking up after people and cleaning slosh buckets (and we all know nothing labeled as "slosh" can be pretty, right?), so seriously I should be nothing but grateful for this change in employment.

Not only am I free of slosh, I'm learning so much there too! It's just like being back in school: I have a dance session in the morning, then a meeting where I always fight to keep my eyes open, then lunch, then more training, usually an hour lecture on either the history of the dances or procedures and policies, and then I get ready for my classes that day (going over "patterns" aka combinations of steps) and then I have to teach everything I just learned with the confidence of the "professional ballroom dancer" that I am (oh and make lots of cheesy jokes and smile and get the student to enjoy their lesson...satisfaction guaranteed!). It's been a challenge and in some cases I've been pushing myself out of my comfort zone (teaching an intro class to a group of about 25 plus strangers).

All of these changes and challenges are welcomed, but there is one side of this job that is not welcomed and that I want out IMMEDIATELY.

Dreams. My waking hours have turned out to be less stressful than the time that I am at rest! What the hell is that about? All night long I dream about what I did that day, what I need to do the next day, and what I need to learn and haven't really gotten yet. There is so much stress in my sleep! Last night I would force myself awake and talk myself back into a sleep where dancing was no where to be seen....except it would creep back in before I knew it! I wish there was some kind of pill you could take for dreamless nights; all I want is for soothing, all encompassing darkness in my sleep...is that so much to ask?

I know I'm probably not alone in these stressful work related dreams, but what do I do about it? I mean ALL NIGHT LONG, come on people!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Wordle



Pretty cool right? Can't read the words? Click to make it bigger dummy! Jokes, you're no dummy...you're just slow. Speaking of slow people, it was really hard for me to get this on here for some reason....maybe because it's 9:32 in the MORNING and I've already coffeed and showered, go me! My plan is to wake up early on the weekdays so that I have some kind of a day before going into work at 1pm. Sounds nice right? Starting work at one in the afternoon? It kinda sucks honestly because I don't get home until like 9:30 at night! Which is why I forced myself up today even though I felt like I looked like this. And I pretty much did, but here I am awake! Now what to do? Suggestions?

Go to Wordle.com and try putting your own words into the nifty little java application (at least I think that's what it is?)...but yeah, go now!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Sneezes and Stresses

I do believe that in the past mmm five days or so, I have sneezed at least 250 times. No joke. For those of you who know me, you shouldn't be too surprised by that number, knowing that every "sneeze" contains about five sneezes total. But still, that is a lot of effing sneezing. After work today (it still feels very weird to call what I do "work") I went to the store to buy some Airborne, nervous that these frequent sneezes are an early sign of a sickness I do NOT want to catch.

I've been at the studio for exactly one week and two days and although I hardly know the first few steps of two or three ballroom dances, I will soon be teaching even the most advanced students. These students are FAR more educated in ballroom than I, and somehow I have to act teacher to them and pull off the look of knowing what I'm doing, when really I don't have the slightest idea. Kinda like a second grader teaching nuclear physics to a group of grad students.

Under normal circumstances I would have to have several training sessions, go in front of a panel of judges and receive my certification in order to teach these people. But these are not normal circumstances, seeing how our main instructor has either a cracked rib or pleurisy and can no longer teach. She's been sick since before I started working there and has passed it on to another instructor there at the studio, who came every day last week, oozing sickness from every one of his pores, but who was too ill today to come in. It must be bad.

Insert airborne purchase.

Some of the students she's been working with are her partners in various competitions and performances. So, not only do I have to teach these students, I have to learn their dances and either compete or perform in only a matter of a few weeks.

I'm a little stressed.

It's not too bad though, if I have all these lessons I will be making good money and hopefully I'll be able to cross "being dirt broke and owing money every which a way" off my list of stresses.

And this can just take it's place, it's a much better stress to have, so I'm happy.
(or at least that's what I keep telling myself)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Well, Hello there! How ya been?

So, I've kind-of totally slacked off from blogging since moving back to That Fun Little Town Where Everything Closes At Nine PM, Florida. I don't have internet at my house and although I can jump online at my mom's, it's not often I can jump on, without jumping off 2.5 minutes later. And oh it hurts so bad to not have one of my bffs (the internet) there whenever I need him, it hurts, it hurts!

Time has also been an issue; I've been busy and this is really a new concept for me, so having to readjust to not having eight hours (or 24, whatev) of free time a day is tricky. My motivation to write has dwindled too, but I'm trying to work on that and get back into exercising my brain a bit. Anyways, I'm hungry and I think there's a bagel somewhere around here looking for me, so it's time to leave. I'll try my best to be back soon, and to actually say something worth reading (no promises).