OPTIMISTIC

Tomorrow brings a bunch of change to the Steiner household. I've mentioned bits and pieces of what's been going on but I thought I'd cover things a little more clearly.

I received a promotion a few weeks ago and am now the supervisor of all swimming lessons at the YMCA. I will still be teaching all the classes I have been during the daytime and then will come back at around 4:00 Monday through Thursday evenings for a few hours to make sure things are running smoothly, as well as Saturday mornings. If people don't show up, I'll jump in and teach. If a teacher needs some guidance or extra help, I'll jump in. The idea is for me to not only make sure our lesson quality is high overall but to have a sense of where all the kids in the program are and communicate with they and their parents. I will be doing some administrative duties. I have also just been recertified as a lifeguard after about 18 years; that's not a position I'd ever thought I'd be in again but I am commited to doing the job and feel comfortable that I could rescue someone from the water. I will be on call certain nights of the week and on some weekends and it's necessary that I can fill in when the need arises (we also have a new supervisor for all lifeguards); additionally, we are short-staffed at certain times and I have a lifeguard shift to cover for an hour or so before I teach on Tuesday and Thursdays. Of course, it all means more money and more hours and more responsibilities. I'm not saying it will be easy but I am looking forward to the challenge and plan on doing the best job I can.

Jill is currently in rehearsals after school; they are doing a murder mystery this fall. This means Grant will have to come to the Y many evenings, a definite change for him. He also starts Spell Bowl practice this week and has to be at school at 7:45 on Mondays and Fridays and stay after school on Wednesdays. We're also planning on getting him back into guitar lessons with Graham.

Another change is in how we are spending money. We are in a period where we are trying to reign in our spending, especially in the entertainment and food areas. To that end, I got a library card a few weeks ago and am currently reading the third book I've checked out of the library in about 15 years, maybe more. It's weird going back to reading books other people have handled, an anal retentive quality I've developed over that same time period. On the other hand, it's freeing to think that I can read as much of the new stuff as I can since I was never able to afford all the books I wanted anyway (and don't have space to keep them either).

I'm still not sure how I'm going to handle comics. I want to stay current but with most books at $3 a pop, it's going to be really hard. My way of dealing with it so far has been to stay away from the comics shop for three weeks but I know that's not an option. I love comics and I have to keep my hand in somehow. I'll get it worked out. For now, though, "Catching Up With Countdown" is no longer active. Someday, perhaps.

So, time and money are going to be factors in my consumption of pop culture but I know I need to keep myself involved. It's what I love and is a good stress relief. I'm going to intake as much as I can. I still want to work on my music and get out to play open mics and shows. I still need to follow through on goals I set out for myself last year, in regards to creative writing. And I still need to do this blog. I don't know how often I'll post but I'm commited to it. Maybe the tighter schedule will help me all around.

It's an exciting time right now and I'm optimistic that these will be good days for the Steiner family.