Baker's Dozen

Somehow I've stumbled across that unlucky number 13 quite a lot recently. Last week was filled with 13 hour days. I'm not complaining. Let me state that now. I am tired. I am wasted, often, at the end of those days. But i'm enjoying my job right now and I'm enjoying having something to immerse myself in as the world continues to spiral out of control all around me.

I meet people. I like to meet new people. I like to see them smile and look them in the eyes and get a sense of them. I like the empathic nature of the first conversation you have with someone. The "feeling out" that occurs while you're bantering about this mundane thing and that mundane thing.

I feel successful after last week. I accomplished a great deal and survived to tell the tale. This week has started off at a similar pace. I have yet to completely dislike it. I'm sure my pay check will affirm that I do like it.

I like having this deadline. It gives me something, every week, to strive for. I get stressed about it. The part of me that is capable of observing from over my own shoulder laughs when I stress. It laughs because it knows that I enjoy the stress. I enjoy the challenge of doing something in a time frame. I didn't like having papers due on certain dates. That was mostly because of the topics. This is different. This is my deadline, for my work, for something that I enjoy doing. I don't love the content of the work. I love the concept of it.

I have a "cool" job. Funny, when I think about it that way I have to laugh. That's what I've always wanted. When people used to ask the "what do you want to be when you grow up?" question, i would always respond with something cool. Bartender, DJ, Actor, Editor (that's the one I have). I managed to find it. I managed to stave off the corporate jobs by being poor for most of a year. I'm slowly recuperating now. I'm realizing how much more responsible I need to be with my money.

13 hour days. Teach in the morning. Work until the evening. Teach in the evening. 4 days last week, that's what my schedule. It was exhausting. It was invigorating at times.

Then this Monday. Stress fell down on my head. I had a deadline and I met it. I worked with some students. I taught 2 classes. I had a fullfilling day.

Now my eyes are heavy and falling. I need sleep and dreams. I need to get ready for another day with my favorite number.