Wheeee!

Happy Birthday to my mommie dearest! Yayyyy!!!

In celebration, let me serenade her with this:

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Bearer-of-the-golden-womb-from-which-this-magnificent-creature-sprang-fooooooorrrrth
Happy Birthday toooo yooouuuu!!!

Hahahaha.

She is the greatest mother in the whole universe -- and I say this in great part because she has not once, in my 25 years of existence, thought of disowning me (at least, not in my knowledge anyway) -- even through my countless requests for *ahem* financial assistance (I call them "loans"; she laughs and plays along...) and, relatedly, my decision to become a musician. Although, in all fairness, she does not need to bemoan my decision to choose music as my lifeblood as I am proving to be quite competent in giving myself enough grief for that personal choice. In fact, if it were possible, I think I would go ahead and disown myself. Only kidding, folks.

In other news, I had my first day working with the clarinet kiddies over at Halls Middle School today. It was quite enjoyable, surprisingly enough. I still struggle every now and then with remembering that I am talking to really young children, some of whom have only been playing the clarinet for about a month, but I'm sure (I hope) I will get used to that at some point. It really is a shock going from teaching college students to 6th and 7th graders. The level of hyperactivity and potential chaos buzzing in a room full of these kids is quite...something. Let's just say that if I can get through these first several weeks without hurling one of the more attention-span-deficient children out of a nearby window, I will be very pleased with myself.

The best part? Being taller than (or at least the same height as.....ugh) most of the kids. Hurray! It was also funny being told by a little 7th grader that a) she liked my jeans, and b) it was nice to see a teacher that actually had a "sense of style." Ha! I also had my first private lesson with an 8th grader named Farrah who is blind. She is an awesome kid who you can tell has a wonderful attitude, so I'm excited about working with her. As long as she can get through these first few weeks of me getting into my teaching groove and bumbling my way through the first few lessons, I think we will work out wonderfully. So huzzah to that.

So I have something relevant to do with myself on Mondays now. Praise Jesus, Hallelujah!! Tomorrow I am going to drop by the Starbucks in the Hilton downtown to ask (plead, beg, etc.) for a job. As I was telling my mother earlier, this particular Starbucks seems to be the best of my options in town as a) it offers the least likely chance of me running into (and having to serve...blah) an ex-colleague or professor, and b) with the Hilton being one of the swankier hotels in town, I can use my charm (I have some in me somewhere, I swear...) to milk some good tips out of the inevitable wealthy businessman. ...Ah, nothing like unemployment to obliterate one's shame and/or dignity.

***

ps. The West Wing now airs on Sundays at 8pm, which has been the much-celebrated Simpsons time-slot for, like, ever. And because Scott is a West Wing nazi, this means that I have not been able to watch any of the new Simpsons' so far this season. Unacceptable, I say!!! Stupid West Wing. Anyway, how have the Simpsons eps been so far? At least I have my midnight reruns during the week. *sigh*