Really?

Through my recent change in job titles at the school I have had the opportunity to go out into the community several times a week. My student has a job-site where he learns to perform necessary tasks, develop a good work ethic, and get an idea about what it takes to work for a living. In this case the job-site in question is a very popular shoe store. It's not always the most interesting work but I have seen some sights, and come to some conclusions about societies' shopping habits that I've found a bit alarming.

Before I started teaching I worked some retail jobs and I also served some time, many years in the hospitality industry. So I guess I shouldn't have been shocked today but I was. People ransacked that store! We're out on the floor and some areas looked like a tornado had blown through! Is it really necessary to try on multiple sets of shoes, and then leave everything out on the floor. Is it acceptable to not clean up after yourselves even just a little bit? Really? Shoes were out of boxes, and mix-matched. Boxes were strewn across the floor, crumpled papers flung in ever direction, and shoe boxes carried to the opposite side of the store and abandoned by shoe gremlins!

I felt horrible for the workers. 1 of the employees told me, after I'd apologized for all of humanity, that she remembered and everyone joked about this 1 woman and her 2 teenage daughters who made such a mess it took the staff 2 hours to clean up after them. That's ridiculous! Are people that self-involved? I would be embarrassed to leave such a huge mess after me and walk out the door.

I also noticed that people don't have any respect for personal space when shopping for shoes. There was an old Russian couple whom appeared to be going out of their way to interfere with our student workers. They were constantly backing us into corners, brushing by us as we worked, or hovering over us. A woman on a blue-tooth practically growled into her phone when she couldn't get down the crowded aisle, and shot our students a salty look as she pushed by. Aisles would become instantly clogged as our students worked to straighten up, and we would find ourselves trapped against a wall or in a corner and people were just oblivious to our situation.

The job sites are supposed to help our students experience different work environments and possible employment opportunities. I wonder if they also walk away wondering what's wrong with some people.

Cheerio Adam!

Just got off the phone with my best friend. He's sitting at the airport waiting to board his flight to England. He's never enjoyed flying or been out of the country, as far as I know. He's heading over for a classic automobile race or something, and is anxious to drive on the 'wrong side of the road'.

I am so jealous.

Again?

Yet another high school friend of mine has announced on Facebook that they are soon to be a grandparent. I AM 35 YEARS OLD! Grandparents by the mid 30's? What is this the medieval times? Are we experiencing the dark ages all over again? Unbelievable.

Oh yeah, that reminds me. We're trying to plan a trip to the Renaissance Fair.

How I Wonder...

...About the huge dude sitting on the Orange Line Metro with a sweaty lip, Hawaiian shirt, and girly arm tats. Badly inked playboy bunnies, and naked ladies adorn each of his beefy forearms. His breathing is labored. His belly overwhelms his belt. He wears slip on loafers and his big calves are criss-crossed with spider veins. He does not seem healthy or happy. I wonder where he was in his life when he had the tattoos inked. What is his story?

The Week In Review

The cracked radiator was replaced by yours truly, and Adam, this past Sunday. We decided this was a repair we might be able to do on our own. (We've made that mistake before.) In this case it proved to be true. We bought the radiator, and did all of the labor ourselves essentially saving hundreds of dollars. The car seems to be running fine, and made it through the 1st week of my commute for the 2010-2011 school year without even the slightest twinge on the temperature gauge.

The school year has officially started and I have been relocated. Sort of. I'm still at the same school but because of staffing needs I have been traded to a different program. I am now working as a one to one for an older student who will be transitioning out of the school in the next few years. It is an interesting change of pace. My work day now has the added features of job sites 3 times a week, and more of a focus on independent living skills then on academics. I am excited to see how this year goes.

I was called in for a sudden audition at a local theatre company here in Annapolis. They were having a hard time casting their current show and my name had been thrown out there as some local talent worth checking out. I wasn't really interested in the beginning. [Since I've been in Maryland I have been really choosing my productions carefully. Gone are the days of auditioning left and right for numerous productions, and just crossing my fingers to work on a show, any show because I wanted to be on stage. Now I only audition when it's something I really want to work on.] I decided to audition for a few reasons.

1) It would've been an equity show. Union. Paid acting work.
2) Rehearsals would not have interfered with my other 2 jobs.
3) The director works for a professional theatre in the area Sara and I are hoping to relocate to soon.

So I auditioned not having read the script, and showing up without a headshot and a resume because I wasn't planning on auditioning 20 minutes prior to showing up. I had a pretty good audition. I didn't get it. They needed me to be available earlier in the day that was possible for me. I was strongly complimented, asked to audition in the future, and sent on my way.

Wednesday was a big old mess. The hostage situation in Silver Spring screwed up traffic patterns all around DC and it took me over 3 hours to get home from work that day. Fortunately, I now drive a coworker to work most days so his presence helps keep me relatively sane when I'm sitting in bumper to bumper traffic all damn afternoon. I know that I am coming across extremely self-absorbed to minimize the tragic events at the Discovery Channel building down to messing up my commute but that's what happened. Yes, several people were held hostage for many hours, and a man died but I was more upset by my personal inconvenience at the time. So what?

The rest of the week was fine. Hurricane Earl didn't affect us at all after all of the hubbub. 3 day weekend is here and Sara and I are sitting out on our porch drinking coffee and reading a book. We'll get to hang out with some family this weekend, enjoy the cooler weather, and maybe even see a free concert.