6:26am It's 6:25am, I'm leaving for Disneyland in about 30 minutes, and I'm doing work? Geez - it's been a busy last couple of wks in June.
7:30am On the way 2 disneyland - forgot phone so had 2 go back. Luckily only 1 block from home.
7:44am Finally up to ticket booth
8:06am Indy not open yet.
8:08am Splash not open either.
8:10am Theres like less 10 people on haunted.
9:43am I like the old small world boats better. [1]
9:56am Est 45 wait on Space Mountain. And Sis wants 2 wait. Uh...
10:26am Turned out only 21 mins,
10:37am Hopefully the wait will b shorter. [Astro Blaster 2]
11:20am Soarin - wait time 30 min. [3]
12:04pm Grizzly Rapids River Run down.
12:18pm Toy story wait - 40 min.
12:54pm Getting close 2 the front of Toy Story [4]
1:07pm CA Screamin - 30 min standby but we have fps.
1:12pm Still a bit of a wait.
1:40pm Waiting 4 Aladdin show.
1:46pm Sitting in the balcony.
1:56pm Still waiting.
2:48pm Tower of Terror standby time 25 min.
3:08pm Up to TOT hotel entrance now.
3:13pm Waiting 4 the elevator.
3:24pm Getting onto elevator at TOT.
3:46pm Im confused - is there a parade or not?
4:02pm Splash wait 70 min or return at 9:50. Right.
4:08pm Indy 55 min or come back past 9. Luckily we have Fast Passes.
4:17pm Almost boarding Indy.
4:55pm Grizz river run was down and is back.
4:57pm Back down again - was abt 2 board, literally - on loading dock.
4:59pm Success! (Boarded Grizz river run)
6:08pm Eating a burger - waiting for Fantasmic. For 3 hrs.
6:08pm $7.59 cheeseburger [5]
10:10pm Leaving Disneyland (through Downtown Disney). [6]
I just noticed that on the Google calendar widget underneath, it says Mar 4. Lol. Duh.
I love going back and reading emails from like 3 years ago. It's funny to see what I thought was so uber-important back then and how trivial it all seems now.
My then-coworker asked me to help her peruse resumes for an assistant. Here are some of my comments that I gave her:
- On resume, states that she has excellent writing and editing ability - but there are several grammar and punctuation errors in the email...
- May be used to doing things her way (she's a teacher, after all, and teachers usually are in command of the classroom).
- Low GPA (probably shouldn't have listed it on the resume).
- Her interests include browsing the internet and chatting on AIM? (I don't think I'd list that on my resume).**
- probably would be more interested in teaching Spanish.
- no college coursework, too liberal
- too liberal. "IM" is not a skill.
- only average writing skills.
- tree-hugger type. Would be more interested in research than in clerical work.
- A bit arrogant.
Obviously, you can't tell what a person is like from paper but I think you can tell a lot about what a person writes/includes.
** This candidate was the one that my coworker decided to hire... and eventually fire (after a couple of months). See what I mean?
I half-volunteered to do some extra work at work. I say "half-volunteered" because I never come right out and say "oh, I'll do that". Some people already think I'm too helpful, so I just casually say "if you want me to help..."
There are a few reasons why I offered:
1. Some of the stuff in this paperwork mountain has been sitting out there since 2005 - it's not that difficult to clear. Time-consuming, yes (esp when you have to wait for people to fax you stuff), but not really difficult. Doesn't it bother people to have stuff just sit out there?
2. I have a superiority complex - I think I can do basically anything I set my mind to. Stuff that I "can't" do is more or less because I haven't yet tried. I know - delusions of grandeur :) But given #1, anyone could clear out the list if they would just do it. (Nike, don't sue me for using your trademark!).
3. I have some free time - or I did, when some of my people were out of the office last week. Some are back so things might get busy again, but for a while, I was just filing paperwork and waiting for something to do.
4. Given the current economic climate, wouldn't you want to do whatever you can to make yourself invaluable? I certainly think so.
5. I'm a sucker for praise - if I can make real progress on this mountain of paperwork, maybe people will tell me how amazing I am :)
I've only started working on this mountain but already there are a couple that were easily matched up to other stuff - you just had to know where to look. I guess people don't bother - they just look at the first page. I know - people are busy, they don't have time to be a detective, but I am a curious person so I'll always follow the trail.
One of my fellow dancers had asked me if I thought the 6 to 10 classes per week requirement (for the advanced levels) was too high. At first, I said yes but then I thought back to when I was 13:
I was taking (I think) 9 classes a week.
Mon & Wed: Ballet
Tues & Thurs: Ballet, Jazz
Fri: Ballet (private lesson)
Sat: Ballet, Modern (and a pas de deux class, but I don't really count those because it's an easy class).
In high school, I was taking 6 ballet classes and a modern class a week. I took class every day, without fail.
So I have to change my answer to no, it is not too many classes. However, I don't think this requirement at the studio produces the desired effect. These dancers sometimes will take 2 or 3 classes a day (lower level classes) but then not come the next day. It's more effective to take class every day, then multiple classes every other day.
Plus, how much are you working in class if you can take 3 classes in a row and not be tired? One good class should wipe you out. I'd rather work at 100% for one class and go home.
-----------------
After about age 11, I've been in the top level at whatever studio I was at. I wasn't a prodigy, there just wasn't dancers in a higher level (the one exception was when I was 13 - there were adult/semi-pro dancers that were obviously better dancers, but they don't count because they weren't in the school levels). Anyway, so I never got the thrill of "moving up" and thus, kind of pooh-pooh how the studio handles promotions. The director will pretend to make it a hush-hush thing, which of course makes more of a spectacle than if you just promote the student outright.
However, by that same token, I have also never danced roles where I was just standing in the background as scenery. My first performance on pointe was a solo variation. So though I never got to experience getting promoted, I also never had to endure mundane roles. I guess it's a win-win situation :)
So tomorrow (Sunday) is my last day (ever) in ballet! Just one more class (should be an easy class since it's a warm-up class) and one more performance, and that's it...
I'm not particularly sad about leaving this particular studio - though it hasn't been completely miserable over these 14 or so years, but it hasn't been super wonderful terrific either. Especially lately.
It does feel weird that something that's been part of my life for so long is soon not going to be. I'm going to box up all my leotards, tights, and shoes and put it away in my closet or garage. Wow. I'm not going to go absolutely crazy and throw everything away, but still. No more checking rehearsal schedules, no more figuring out what day of the week it is by what class I have to take, no more taping my toes, no more sewing ribbons and elastic, no more pinning my hair up in a bun.
No more using ballet as an excuse why I can't go to parties, either. Drat!
People have asked me why I'm quitting (retiring?) - I just don't really have that much of a passion for ballet. I like it because I'm relatively good at it. If I wasn't, I would have quit a heck of a long time ago. And it made me unique, made me more than just average. Ahhh, I'll miss that.
But whatever - nothing lasts forever. If I don't retire this year, it'll be next year or the year after. Why try to avoid the inevitable?
