Thanks to more activity on this blog, I got to review the stark difference between my two separate writing worlds. Tenacious Poodle very much represents my more serious side, the aspect of my personality that processes life in all its complexity, confusion and often, darkness. Bull Run Writings reminds me life is both Yin and Yang, that one cannot exist without the other, that fun, external stimuli has an amazing way of restoring the mind and heart. This is all to say I need to get out more.
Yesterday, we took a trip to Hershey Park. My inner child had a blast. I really wish we had the means of going away on weekends on a regular basis, but we don't yet. Time and money are finite, and even when I save the money, which I have been better at lately, there is a limit to our energy levels. David faces a full work-week come Mondays, and he needs his down time, which I understand completely. And I tend to work a little even on weekends. Actually, when I am marketing my books and grading, I tend to work quite a bit on weekends, which leaves me little reserve for the stress that comes my way Monday through Friday. All this leads me to thinking that I need to find a way to get some lazy fun in throughout the week, as well.
It will be a lot easier to relax more during the week when our community pool opens. I love laying (lying? Shit, I can't remember) in the sun, soaking up that Vitamin D, getting that tan health nuts disapprove of, wearing less makeup because I have color and fewer zits, zoning out to the sound of kids splashing, taking a dip if I feel like it, and if I don't, who cares? My nails and hair grow in the summer. My mood improves, not only because of the light, but because of the laziness I don't feel I have to justify. I don't know why this is, unless it's that I have been conditioned to believe summer is for fun, the rest of the year for brain-straining work. That's what happens when we give kids summers off from school. Sometimes I think shorter days throughout the year would be a lot better, providing everyone consistency and more time to chill during the chilly months.
I really don't understand the myth that vacation bulimia, binging then fasting, is healthy. We need to model Europe and other countries more. And let's not forget a good siesta. I am a firm believer in cots at the work place. Nothing better than an hour power-nap to improve productivity. Seriously, I really think I could write and grade more in the evenings if I had some recoup time off throughout the rest of the day. Appointments, though, are just killer. Not only can I barely keep track of them, I resent them. I have actually closed my eyes in waiting rooms if I haven't had a nap. I don't quite fall asleep, but I at least get into the zone that makes me feel a little more rested. I also try to get work done while I am in waiting mode. Then I don't have to do it later, and I can take the rest of the night off to watch stupid vampire movies with hubby as I do light exercise. If I teach during the day, I don't have to do quite so much exercise because my job requires pacing, walking, lifting and bending, and I stave off boredom and lethargy.
I can't forget my writing life, no matter what I decide to do. My morning brain barfs are important to me. My creative synthesis of thought is a crucial part of my intellectual and mental health. It's therapy, it's habit, it's a part of me that I will never abandon. It's a passion, one I love sharing with others not just through my own writing, but through encouraging theirs. When I motivate people to write, help them improve their writing and learn from their journeys and thought processes, I kind of get high. When I tell my students I love them, I mean it. They probably think I am a little weird, but I don't care because I AM a little weird. At least they know I am dedicated, and most of them find me amusing enough to want to show up for class. Being in a class with a sideshow is always appealing. I know I always appreciated it when I was in school. There's nothing worse than a boring class.
I try to make my classes fun, not only because I have fun when I do it (I say to my students, "It's about ME, not YOU" and they laugh), but because it has been proven that enjoying learning yields more learning. I'm a big fan of educational games. I am also a fan of boundaries, though, because you can't learn if your class is in chaos. Fortunately, I work with adults who mostly understand this. I am not stuck with the responsibility of keeping my students from eating crayons though, given my setting in a jail, I do have to watch what they leave class with, and that can be a challenge. Students are searched before they come to class, but it would be nice if they were searched as they are coming out, too. This is another topic, though, because the officers are already overworked. It's trying enough for them to get students safely from cells to classroom.
I have very little time now to get myself cleaned up for my writing group which I supposedly facilitate. Sometimes I dread it because it's a strain to keep people on task and give everyone floor time. We only have an hour or so. I might invest in an egg timer. I've lead the group for almost five years now (seriously? Holy shit!) and have considered handing the leadership off to someone else.
I've noticed I've started most of my paragraphs with "I" which is a no-no. Screw it. I am about to be late, and this blog entry is about ME, not you. Ha!
Yesterday, we took a trip to Hershey Park. My inner child had a blast. I really wish we had the means of going away on weekends on a regular basis, but we don't yet. Time and money are finite, and even when I save the money, which I have been better at lately, there is a limit to our energy levels. David faces a full work-week come Mondays, and he needs his down time, which I understand completely. And I tend to work a little even on weekends. Actually, when I am marketing my books and grading, I tend to work quite a bit on weekends, which leaves me little reserve for the stress that comes my way Monday through Friday. All this leads me to thinking that I need to find a way to get some lazy fun in throughout the week, as well.
It will be a lot easier to relax more during the week when our community pool opens. I love laying (lying? Shit, I can't remember) in the sun, soaking up that Vitamin D, getting that tan health nuts disapprove of, wearing less makeup because I have color and fewer zits, zoning out to the sound of kids splashing, taking a dip if I feel like it, and if I don't, who cares? My nails and hair grow in the summer. My mood improves, not only because of the light, but because of the laziness I don't feel I have to justify. I don't know why this is, unless it's that I have been conditioned to believe summer is for fun, the rest of the year for brain-straining work. That's what happens when we give kids summers off from school. Sometimes I think shorter days throughout the year would be a lot better, providing everyone consistency and more time to chill during the chilly months.
I really don't understand the myth that vacation bulimia, binging then fasting, is healthy. We need to model Europe and other countries more. And let's not forget a good siesta. I am a firm believer in cots at the work place. Nothing better than an hour power-nap to improve productivity. Seriously, I really think I could write and grade more in the evenings if I had some recoup time off throughout the rest of the day. Appointments, though, are just killer. Not only can I barely keep track of them, I resent them. I have actually closed my eyes in waiting rooms if I haven't had a nap. I don't quite fall asleep, but I at least get into the zone that makes me feel a little more rested. I also try to get work done while I am in waiting mode. Then I don't have to do it later, and I can take the rest of the night off to watch stupid vampire movies with hubby as I do light exercise. If I teach during the day, I don't have to do quite so much exercise because my job requires pacing, walking, lifting and bending, and I stave off boredom and lethargy.
I can't forget my writing life, no matter what I decide to do. My morning brain barfs are important to me. My creative synthesis of thought is a crucial part of my intellectual and mental health. It's therapy, it's habit, it's a part of me that I will never abandon. It's a passion, one I love sharing with others not just through my own writing, but through encouraging theirs. When I motivate people to write, help them improve their writing and learn from their journeys and thought processes, I kind of get high. When I tell my students I love them, I mean it. They probably think I am a little weird, but I don't care because I AM a little weird. At least they know I am dedicated, and most of them find me amusing enough to want to show up for class. Being in a class with a sideshow is always appealing. I know I always appreciated it when I was in school. There's nothing worse than a boring class.
I try to make my classes fun, not only because I have fun when I do it (I say to my students, "It's about ME, not YOU" and they laugh), but because it has been proven that enjoying learning yields more learning. I'm a big fan of educational games. I am also a fan of boundaries, though, because you can't learn if your class is in chaos. Fortunately, I work with adults who mostly understand this. I am not stuck with the responsibility of keeping my students from eating crayons though, given my setting in a jail, I do have to watch what they leave class with, and that can be a challenge. Students are searched before they come to class, but it would be nice if they were searched as they are coming out, too. This is another topic, though, because the officers are already overworked. It's trying enough for them to get students safely from cells to classroom.
I have very little time now to get myself cleaned up for my writing group which I supposedly facilitate. Sometimes I dread it because it's a strain to keep people on task and give everyone floor time. We only have an hour or so. I might invest in an egg timer. I've lead the group for almost five years now (seriously? Holy shit!) and have considered handing the leadership off to someone else.
I've noticed I've started most of my paragraphs with "I" which is a no-no. Screw it. I am about to be late, and this blog entry is about ME, not you. Ha!
