Why why why why

Why why why why why why why

We’ve been working for a swing scene here in Des Moines for 9 or 10 years now. I am not overestimating my own importance when I say that any scene we have here – classes, dances, people who know how to dance, etc. – is because of Randy’s and my hard work.

And we’ve wanted four pretty lofty goals.

– Regular dances and classes, which are profitable (achieved)

– Return to weekly dances, also profitable or better yet, sponsored by a local business

– Local colleges with dance clubs

– Ability to support annual workshop with national teachers

Now, at the time in our lives when we can least afford (time-wise) to invest even more, we have the opportunity to move forward with the weekly dances (sponsored by a local business) and to help a local college start up a club.

A local establishment has contacted us wanting to start a weekly swing night, on Thursdays. They want us to DJ and help make sure it’s a success. 9pm until 1am. 1 am. Are there people still out at bars at 1 am on school nights?? Man. I’m so old.

But this would mean that on Thursdays, Randy would get up at 5 to go to kickboxing, then go to work all day, meet us at the school for our thursday class, then head over to the local establishment to start up their night, and come home after 1:00. Yikes.

Wally and I would probably go along for the first part of the evening, then head home.

Now, they’re going to pay us, and we could use the money, and Randy loves to DJ, and this is exciting. It is. But I’m ready to pull back. I feel like whatshisbutt in The Godfather. “Just when I thought that I was out they pull me back in”

Budget, Fertility

1. Budget

As some of you know, Randy took a new job a number of months ago. Same job, really, just different group (or team). It’s a long story, but the company screwed things up and they got only a very very few leads. So we had a serious dip in income for several months there.

Then he had an opportunity to move to another new group, selling commercial lines. Jury’s still out, but the training pay is not fantastic, and he’s been in training since early August. We’re working on month 6 or 7 of crappy pay and it’s starting to take its toll.

So we’ve outlawed any nonessential spending. Like, if we don’t need it to survive, we don’t get it. We’re trying to eat just the food we already own, etc.

But the GILMORE GIRLS 6th season comes out on the 19th. Sigh. I’m trying to decide if that’s essential to living, lol.

2. Fertility

It’s so wierd being fertile. I mean, before I was pregnant with Wally, I was fertile obviously, but I was charting and always knew when I was fertile and I knew right away (well, in 14 days) whether I was pregnant. And we were actively avoiding pregnancy, so I was always fairly certain that I wasn’t. Then when we decided to have a baby (which sounds so pompous now), we got pregnant immediately. Then I was infertile for 3 years (pregnant, breastfeeding). Now I am fertile, but not charting. And every month, there’s the possibility that I could get/be pregnant. It’s a strange thing every month. I’m trusting God for His wisdom on the matter, and am really quite comfortable with that. It’s a nice place to be. But still a little wierd.

Children’s Movie Reviews: Crocodile Hunter Collision Course

The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

What I like: The fabulous plot! OK, not really. I love Steve Irwin and Terri Irwin and everything Crocodile Hunter because he’s just crazy and funny and she’s a good sport.

What I don’t like: The plot is a bit of a stretch, and the movie at times forgets it has a plot.

Willing Suspension of Disbelief Becomes Challenging: The answer to this one is that it’s never a challenge, or it’s a challenge throughout the whole movie.

What Wally could learn: Respect for animals, animal facts.

What Wally probably is learning: Reckless and dangerous stunts.

Crunchy Cons, post #5

page 59 brings this gem.

When we bought our meat from the neighborhood butcher…we were personalizing commercial transactions, and, at the risk of sounding like a goony theorist, we were nurturing the economy of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, the little patch of the planet where we lived, and over which we had been given responsibility because of our having chosen to be there.

We have responsibility over the places where we live, because we have voluntarily chosen to be there.

I like that. Perhaps I just like it because I have always felt compelled – and perhaps overly so at times – to make the world around me a better place. I’m never content to just leave well enough alone.

And maybe this explains why buying a whole hog from a local farmer now nearly a year ago (yikes, and we still have about half a hog left in the freezer!) was so satisfying, and why I so enjoy the CSA to which we belong. It’s personalizing our transactions, and it feels good to make someone’s life better – a person, not a business.

Kung Fu

We have been watching Kung Fu (old TV show from the 70s). One of the pearls of wisdom in this evening’s episode was “Accept the ways of others. Respect first, your own.”

Caine was in a bar, asking for a glass of water, and a local ruffian ordered him a shot of whiskey, which he refused. Shaolin priests do not drink alcohol. The ruffian made a big deal out of how rude Caine was being, and that it is American custom that you are honor-bound to drink a drink that is offered to you. Caine remembered the teaching of his master, Po, “Accept the ways of others. Respect first, your own.”

Though he was under great pressure and threat of physical violence, he did not accept the offered drink. He had too much respect for his own ways.

Not a bad philosophy.