I cannot remember the last time I spent both a Friday and Saturday night at home…even during the two and half months when I first moved to Austin and was unemployed, I managed to go out to the free events.
Yet, after work on Friday, I swam laps, came home, warmed up dinner and finished watching a movie that I’d started the night before.
Saturday morning, I took a capoeira class, came home to freshen up and eat lunch, then took two tango classes. That was particularly touching since I’d taken tango lessons for over a year before taking a three-month break. I stayed away long enough to miss it. Fortunately, I attended the second class and learned that one of our tangueras was returning to her native country, France. So, I got to say good bye to her.
Then, I dashed over to my favorite nail shop. Although it was a risk without an appointment during a holiday weekend, I was not disappointed. There were three guys and two women ahead of me. They were all friends and since we had to wait, some of them decided to make a drink run.
They returned with two bottles of champagne, a bottle of OJ, and a bottle of cranberry juice. And the best part, they shared! So, it was like being at happy hour in the nail shop. I sipped my chilled poinsettia (champagne and cranberry) while talking to them and thumbing through the magazine I’d brought. By the time I returned home, I felt that I’d already met my social quota and it was only 7pm.
Of course, one of the things that I love doing the most is just taking a few hours to read. I never know what will inspire me to add to the story that I’m writing or in a future lesson plan.
As a matter of fact, I think the reason I’m much happier in the classroom this year is because I’m back to writing all my lessons. The most I’ve used of someone else’s stuff is a quiz, which I still went through and modified some things. I’m so fortunate to teach upperclassmen and have an elective course with no official curriculum. That way, I have a creative challenge to keep me on my game. The way I see it, I’ll save myself a trip to mediocre-ville if I’m actively engaged in the fine art of lesson planning.
Tomorrow, I’m going to a BBQ, hosted by my capoeira teacher. I’d like to say that I instigated the whole thing although, truthfully, this group gets together on a regular basis. It’s just that I’ve had the idea of making a cheesecake and decorating it with fresh fruit in the shape of the Brazilian flag for a couple of months now. I baked the dessert today, but I’m waiting until tomorrow to put the fruit on it. I’ve never done that before and don’t exactly know how that’ll affect it…I could always research it, I guess.