It's not all bad.

Even though I'm feeling stressed and paranoid right now, I had a good day overall. I actually meant to post about it earlier today but didn't have time. I guess I should have instead of having to talk about good things in hindsight while I am in a less than optimal mood. I'm hoping it will change as we go.

1) Thank you guys for all the support you've been giving me in everything. In big things like the divorce... and little things like the comments. I had way too much fun leaving a gazillion comments in a number of different blogs today. Don't you just love it when you and your fellow bloggies are all on at the same time?

2) Last Saturday, I went to the mall to buy some groceries and stopped by the music school to buy books for Ray (I teach him piano). The owner of the school (I don't know if you call them owners but it is a franchise) was there (of course, I didn't know it then) and was helping me find the type of books I had in mind. She asked me if I was new to the field (of teaching, I guess) and I had a short conversation with her about my past teaching expreience. Well, it so happened that they were looking for teachers and I ended up getting a quick job interview for piano-teaching. Wow, I thought.

The interview went really well. It was really informal and I guess one of my strengths is that I'm friendly and talkative. I've always done really well in interviews (too well. Sometimes I oversell myself). Unfortunately, there was one hangup. Not that I don't have teacher certification, or my diploma in music nor that my college education and the bigger part of my working experience has little to do with a career in music, or that I don't teach on Sundays (because it's the Sabbath) or that I really only teach ONE person now (my brother, Ray). It was that I couldn't give them any sort of commitment because of my own confusion as to how long I'm going to be here for. Teaching is a long term deal, ya know. I was disappointed, but it wasn't unexpected. I went into that interview rather reluctantly because I knew that I couldn't tell them what they needed to hear.

We did exchange numbers and I told her that if she needed a teacher to fill in for someone to let me know. That's how I taught piano before, I substituted my old violin teacher for 3 months while she was on maternity leave.

Well, I got a phonecall today at work - they need a teacher! WHOAH! They have a teacher who is a student and has to attend this course for 3 months. They were so desperate they asked me to teach TODAY and tomorrow. I'm like uh - this weekend is just REALLY bad. You read my list! She asked if I could cancel... I guess technically I could, but it just wouldn't be right. I apologized but promised to clear my schedule for the weeks to come.

They will be needing me from 4.30pm-9.30pm Friday, and 9.30am - 6.30pm Saturday. Bye-bye weekend. I have to give up babysitting for this too. That's the most painful. I feel like a total traitor. *sigh* I'm also going to miss out on alot of activities with my buds from now on. The things we do for money.

I don't know how much they are going to pay me yet, but for just 1.5 days worth of work (and FUN work too, it's going to be mostly little kids) it'll be alot more than I make now. Maybe I will be able to buy the digital camera I want after all (maybe pay my Dad for his... hmmm). The laptop will still be out of the question. Sheesh, not even one day on the job yet and all I can think about is how to spend the extra cash.

I'm REALLY excited about this. I love teaching. This also helps me continue to push myself as far as music goes, now that my formal lessons are over.

It's really amazing how all this worked out. It's really a huge consolation for being held back from college. More than that even. It's what I'm afraid of: that I will get so caught up with the money-making (oh, it's so lucrative!) that I will postpone my college education by choice.

Fortunately for me, the education goes along with my social life (and to some extent the hope of ever getting married) so that will always be my priority.

3) My teeth are straightening out, FINALLY! I've had braces since I was 16 - that's nearly FOUR years now! Granted, I didn't go to the orthodontist for 6 months while at college because I didn't want to have to come up with the $100 per month. But it's still a freaking long time. Rightly so though, my mouth was just a mess.

My orthodontist uses colored elastic bands but sometimes forgets to ask me what color I want. Most people rather have them clear so she assumes that I prefer that too - HECK NO! Colored bands are what makes braces so fun. It's really very frustrating sometimes - in a funny way. Instead of asking me what color I'd like, she'd ask "Clear ok?" only it comes out as more of a statement than a question. Somehow she plans it so that I have the suction thingy in my mouth or something to keep my mouth open and unable to talk so I usually just nod my head or something because it's easier than disagreeing and trying to tell her what I would REALLY like.

Sometimes, she doesn't even ask and the assistant picks the color for me and just hands it to her. I have now learned to wear a shirt in the color I want my bands to be to every appointment. Hehehe. I forgot today, but I lucked out and got offered blue - which is a nice color. I should remember to just tell her what color I'd like. They've never done anything cool with it like mix colors or anything. That's no way to live!

The bad news is that (if I understood what she said correctly - she mutters and that mask doesn't help) my wisdom teeth are coming out or something and I will need to get them surgically removed soon. I'm terrified at the thought. I haven't experienced too much physical pain before, being the sissy kid, I've never had stitches and the worst injury I've had was a hairline fracture on a knuckle.

I like to think that I deal with pain pretty good when forced to. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I really haven't experienced alot of pain or that I just don't remember experiencing alot of pain. I have a very short-term memory when it comes to pain. Physical or emotional. That's why I keep screwing up over and over. Hard to learn from mistakes that way, ya know?

Maybe sometime I'll write about all the things I find amusing about a visit to the dentist. But today, I'll just say that it's pretty weird when you can hear your orthodontist's stomach growling right by your ear.