wildcane's Xanga Site

A few minutes ago, my car thermometer read 107. 107! I’ve never before seen a number that big for a temperature where I lived, but I know it is accurate. When I walked outside today at noon, it was like I walked into a wall. I experienced lots of hot, humid days growing up in southern Ohio (90+ degrees and 90% humidity), and I felt lots of tropical heat during the eight years I lived in Miami, but this was quite different. Does 10 degrees make that much difference? Is it because I’m in the “dry heat” of the southwest desert?
Hmmmm. This is day two of four or so of predicted extreme heat. At least I didn’t have to work yesterday or today. Needless to say, my unpacking has been curtailed considerably. I did start reading a book yesterday for the first time since I moved to LA last October. Slowly, life is settling back into “normalcy.” I trust the weather will follow soon.

I have been working two jobs and getting ready to move again. No time to blog–sorry to all who came by. I hope to get keys to my new place tonight and get moved by next weekend. Still lots to do….

I am posting poetry again, but it will all be protected. To see it, you will have to ask me to add you to my protected list or join the AAH blogring. If you are currently in the AAH blogring, you should already be on my protected list. I have also added several long-time Xanga friends. If you can see the poem I posted today, you are on my protected list.
I was playing with the new themes, but I got lost in cyberspace. I’m out of time for Xanga for today, so the old format will have to stay a while longer. I did finally manage to get my old custom module back and changed the color scheme. For me, that constitutes progress.

I nearly killed myself cramming in all the required hours of tutoring by 5/31 only to be told I had to make up the one hour from the last week that one of my students missed when her mom forgot our appointment. Ridiculous. I am now officially done with tutoring for the summer, if you don’t count waiting for last month’s pay check, which was held over the disputed hour that I had no time to make up before 5/31 and which was not my fault.
Meanwhile, I am still freelance editing for the same tutoring company, a short-term job that may end within 4-5 weeks. It is not a great situation, but then that is not surprising. I pretty much go all the time right now, but I will be off from my day job first week of July. If I have any energy or motivation left, I may look for a better living arrangement and a new part-time job for fall. Or I may crawl to a shady spot on some beach and make like a beached whale. Tough call right now.
Today, I cleared my desk at work for the first time in about four months. It’s sad how good that made me feel…

My tutoring ends Thursday, at least for the summer. I’ll be relieved for my schedule, at least. We’ll see about next fall when it gets here.
Meanwhile, the company I’ve been tutoring for is redoing all their manuals over the summer. I have been hired to do that, pending the outcome of my first assignment, which I started yesterday and will finish today. The guy who interviewed me on the phone sounded about 22, full of himself, and generally clueless about editing. AFTER I explained my editorial/ghost writing work at a large research university, where I helped medical doctors get research articles published in professional journals, he asked me again “but how are you at taking complex ideas and breaking them down into terms people can understand?” I wanted to reach through the phone and smack him a few times. Is there some magnetic scanner I can walk through to destroy whatever it is in me that attracts this kind of nonsense? Call me crazy, but I think a certified teacher who has written and edited medical journal articles for five years can polish up a few tutor training manuals. Grrrr.
I’m taking Friday off to entertain friends who are visiting from Kentucky. Then I hope to take a week off in July. To quote the Terminator, “I need a vacation.” Pressing on…

Last week, the third grader I tutor brought me a rose from her garden. She and her five siblings have to ration food, but her joy is boundless. She’s been one of the few consistently bright spots in my life lately. I can’t even describe what her simple gesture meant to me or why. I’m just grateful. All three kids that I tutor are improving, but I’m running out of time. Two weeks and counting…

Have any of you ever started over in a completely different place with almost nothing? It ain’t easy.

I see I can now join up to 30 blogrings. My only question is…why?
My roommate just ordered cable after giving up on satellite TV. The world is conspiring to keep me from writing, but I’m fighting back!
I’m writing again–elsewhere these days, i.e., privately–but I promise to re-emerge or re-invent myself here in honor of my xangaversary this month. Five years? I think. Lemme check. More later. Have a great week all.

Two of my roommates moved out this week; another new one is due any day. He will be my sixth roommate since I moved to LA in September. I guess I have to start reminding myself that stability is just an illusion.
It looks like I’m approved for tutoring, but I can’t get into training for a couple of weeks. Plus, I need to get a TB test or get my former dr. in Miami to fax results from the last one I had. If they don’t send me to teach English to East LA gangs, it could really help my finances and spirits. I always have enjoyed tutoring, and this pays $16-20/hour. I hope to do it after my current day job and on Saturdays, 15 hours or so per week. One of the target communities is close to the town where I work, which seems ideal. If it works out, I’ll finally be able to relax a bit and enjoy southern california. I bought a national parks pass at Thanksgiving to enter the Grand Canyon, and I’d like to get some more use out of that piece of plastic. I hear there are giant redwoods and other interesting sites out here…
Oh, and my roommate/landlord finally got another car this week, so things are sliding back towards “normal” at home. Hoping to get back to writing later today–after sleep, laundry, and grocery shopping. Exciting, I know. See you around the xangaverse…

wildcane