Yesterday Sucks, and Today isn't turning out much better

Yesterday Sucked.

And today hasn't started out much better. My second day of teaching was yesterday, and my first problem class. I couldn't get them to pay attention, sit down between songs, stop goofing off, sing and not shout, and the teacher didn't step in to run herd on them until right at the end. Then I ran back to work and sorted merchandise for three hours. Then rehearsal -- a travesty. We were supposed to be off book Act I. I was last week, but we've been running Act II since I came back from Texas with Act I down. The night before last I ran until late evening, still had an alteration to finish for someone who needed their clothes for a conference this weekend, and was so tired I went to bed near midnight without running lines first. I guess I don't have to tell you how rehearsal went. It. Was. AWEFUL. I sat onstage for scene one and went completely blank. I couldn't tell you what the scene was about. Anything. And matters didn't improve. In the third scene, where we're supposed to be a little bit tipsy, I had neglected that part in the last rehearsal, but trying to add two elements at once (tipsy and line memory) proved to be my undoing. I could have cried. I've never been so glad to see the painful end of an act before.

I think I'm tired.

After rehearsal I kidnapped Denise and she watched me shovel food down my gullet. I remembered that I'd only eaten a Carnation instant breakfast and a pepsi and 1/4 of a barbecue chicken breast that day. All I could grab after school. Pizza tasted really good. Then we went to Inklings until they closed. I went home and watched tv -- Nancy had on two episodes of Lost. Good show. Merry was in it. And then I ran lines until I crashed at one. I should have run more lines as I was lying awake from 5am-6. Then of course I overslept, and forgot I'm the only one running the store this morning. And to cap it off, I opened the door to put out the sign on the sidewalk and the door locked itself behind me. So I stood outside for half an hour waiting for Mom to let me in. And that brings us up to now.

I'm having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Teaching

I began teaching today. I survived. I didn't realize "I'm in the Lord's Army" could cause a controversy because of the "gun" thing. But the principal ok'd it. And adding the wart to the frog n the bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea led to quite an interesting discussion of someone's brother's best friend who has warts.

I'm a genius!

Your IQ Is 125

Your Logical Intelligence is Exceptional Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

I didn't know which countries were allies in World War 2. Didn't Italy switch sides a few times, or was that WWI. Wait, China must have been because it's a founding member of the UN.

All a Dither

Pleasant Meandering, the rest all a Dither

Thank God for a few days off. This week has been insane. Yesterday I worked an extra hour after we closed, and today I spent another 2 1/2 hours trying to get materials donated so we could put back up a rack of clothes that had pulled out of the wall. Thank God again for the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store which donates us parts when we need them. Last time they gave us several brackets and a couple of coat closet shelves for our linen room. This time they gave us primer, wall brackets, and several planks of 1X12s. They are so kind to us in our endless spending freeze. Lights are burning out all over the shop and we can't afford to replace them. The end of summer vacations should have also corresponded with renewed interest in donations, but of course Katrina has changed that. Rightfully so. They have more pressing and urgent need. But things are very difficult here for the time being, and may be for some time to come.

I went for a walk today in a little circle around downtown. I had a library book to return, then window shopped a bit. And I went into a bookshop I've been meaning to visit. It's a lovely used bookstore. And by lovely I mean chock-full of books floor to ceiling with a great ginger cat in the window. Of course the place reeks of Cat, but I'm inured. I didn't see any Dorothy Sayers in the mysteries -- my new collection, but there was a Mary Martin book of Needlepoint that I'd like to acquire. The Mary Martin of Sound of Music, Peter Pan, etc.

I like walking around. That narrative in Sabrina about walking around Paris, stopping for coffee and pastries at your favorite cafe, then strolling to your bridge to journal always gets me. I strolled this evening then sat on my back fire escape with Letters to An American Lady by Lewis.

On a personal note, I'm in a slump and have been for some time. I think I traced it to the end of tour, but it may have started around mid tour when I was struggling so much with the complete inability to do even the littlest thing I knew I ought to. First tour was a learning experience, a chance to learn things about yourself, to correct bad habits, and to be forced out of your comfort zones. Second tour I think I rode the wave of success from the first, until mid spring. My devotions are almost non-existent, praying is a slap-dash affair, more based in guilt and scruples than an actual desire to talk to God. (And the fact that I still thing of it as to instead of with seems and indicator of the state of things) I find myself completely disgusted by the "Positive Life" radio station, mad at Christian fiction (because really, being religious is no excuse for bad writing)-except Lewis and the rest of the Inklings - and cringing at anyone trying to tell me "what God is doing in their lives." At Thursday morning prayer breakfast I stare at the table during the sermon. And I don't disagree with what he's saying, I'm just in no position to hear it, or draw anything from it. The people around me have very real needs and a very real dependence on God for every meal and every item of clothing. But it doesn't feel real. And I'm in a place to represent not just one, but three ministries. The homeless shelter, the Dinner Theater, and the Catholic School. And all I really want to do is have a Godiva Hot Chocolate and sit in bed and read paperback fiction. And I wonder, am I really a Christian, or merely "religious" by habit and inclined towards "do good" projects. I may have a beautifully underlined (quite colorful too) and personally cross referenced Bible, but aside from one time six years ago, I can't say I've felt God. I'm very aware that he answers prayer -- Good Heavens he sent me here with point for point matching -- but it's all I can do to pray more than a sentence. I'm sure I'm where I'm s'posed to be, and I'm even doing what I like most of the time but I'm so flat. I don't feel depressed, really, not like those horrid years. Some days I'd call what I am contented, but really it borders more on resigned. And resignation is horrible. Resigned to what? I don't know. I'm not even unhappy. Just drifting.

Really, this should be in my journal, but somehow this post ran away from me.

Deck the Halls

Decking the Halls with boughs of...various tree parts...

I am in the middle of putting up our first Christmas tree at the store. The process would go much faster if I could find a single solitary strand of white lights that worked. The WHOLE strand. I have plenty of half strands. I need to learn how to splice them. I could cover three trees floor to ceiling in half strands of white lights. Then I got the whole thing up to discover -- there was no topper in the box. I was not taking the whole thing back down, so we found a treeless topper downstairs, and now I just have to find enough lights for the whole tree. Heh.

Katrina Relief

Katrina Relief

Alright bloggers, we've been commended in the past for having a great networking system for disaster relief. Here's one way you can help:

Please ship your used eyeglasses or new disposable contact lenses in a padded envelope to:

The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity

Attn: Katrina Relief

2065 Half Day Road

Bannockburn, IL 60015

Those in Yakima, I will be sending a package in the next day or two, so if you have old glasses or unused soft contacts, please coordinate with me soon.

Courtesy of Intellectuelle.

Roverandum

Roverandum

One costume piece and bit of prop at a time I am building up my wardrobe for the show. Usually I come into rehearsal with an armload, leaving with one article. Repeat. So far, for sure, I have one pair of over/undersized grey sweats, on blue chenile bathrobe, one black dress, one pair fuzzy leopard print slippers, one pink and greeen swirl beaded shoulder bag, one pair of dilapidated UGGS, one quilted headscarf, one key on a chain. Nary a full scene anywhere. Well, I suppose the bathrobe counts as a whole costume.

Today at work we hung up a bejillion clothes previously sorted by Nancy (and myself and my mom) into black trash bags. Now the racks are completely stuffed just in time for our impromptu 50% off sale happening Thursday through Saturday. Those in the area might consider stopping by. Denise.

I heard from a very sleepy Jeff this evening who is in training with Alaska Airlines and working horrid hours. Eventually he gets all the flights he wants, so it all makes up for it. He may even fly in for a show. And he mentions a possible trip to New York. Lucky.

On a completely unrelated sidenote, we Americans need to be more careful what trashy shows we're airing abroad. A foreign exchange student came to our country with most of her knowledge derived from MTV and Oprah. Now she's having to buy all new clothes for school because she thought everyone here dresses like Paris Hilton. Not the case, I can assure her, but far too many.

I'm in the throws of preparing to teach. I can play anything on the guitar as long as it's in one key (D) and doesn't require more than three chords (I, IV, V). I can even play "The Wheels on the Bus" and hold onto the guitar as I go "up and down." Allie humored me the other evening as I had her help me practice singing all the kiddie songs I know. Tomorrow I need to go to school, touch base with the teachers, and find their classrooms ahead of time.

Exciting Day

Exciting Day!

We got milk in that HASN'T EVEN EXPIRED! Hurrah! Huzzah! And rice-a-roni packets. My favorite!

Last night's misadventure

Last Night's Misadventur

So, I locked myself out of my room just before the alarm set itself. Not out of the building, just into the hallway. And the alarm is motion sensored. So I dashed around trying to turn off the alarm before I set it off. I called my parents, but they didn't answer the phone the first several times. So when they did call me back I was sitting in the hallway trying to alternatly pick a lock and break the door down. Neither was succesful. Finally Dad remembered a set of keys in the store. Maybe one of those keys would work. What do you know? One did.

Long night.

Sorting the Motherload

Sorting the Motherload

I'm getting very tired of having to invent post titles so that my whole post font style won't be screwy. Anyway.

Nancy has been all week in the "cage" sorting about 500 black plastic trash sacks of clothes. In theory, all clothes are sorted at the Warehouse and then sent to us. But we've been looking at the clothes that are on the racks, and the selection is primarily polyester. Blech. So, rather than continue the trend, she decided to sort all future loads herself. And what did we find? Lovely things. Lots of polyester, which we threw into the bins to be baled and sent to poor countries, but plenty of lovely things made of natural fibers, and quite a bit of vintage. Where has that all been going?

Our guess is that the error is happening here. We have a wonderful woman who sorts and hangs up our clothing, but she is an older lady. She wouldn't know a brand-name if it wore neon lights, and polyester double knit would appear to be...nice. *Shudder*

Henceforth, all clothes shall be pre-sorted by Nancy, Me, or my mother. Period. No more doubleknit. We've declared war.