Mainstream Class Instruction Complete!

Last Saturday afternoon, Kent & I finished off the full mainstream list with our newbie dancers. With spin the top, fold, dixie style to a wave, tag the line, half-tag, scoot back and eight chain thru completed, there are no more calls left. Dayle, Kent and myself will all be calling at the next and final class session, drilling through the Mainstream list and workshopping & reviewing any calls which seem to be causing issues or requested by the dancers.

All that I have heard is indeed true for square dancing as it is for other activities: one learns a lot more about the nitty-gritty details by teaching than one might by performing. This is the first time I've been participating in the teaching of a square dance class as other than an angel and I'm relatively certain I'd do it again when/if the situation arises.

The most difficult part of this past class series wasn't the teaching or the calling: it was giving up weekends to make it possible. There were some instances when I'd have rather have gone to the trailer, out with friends or to other square dance workshops where I could spend some time polishing my own dancing, but these were let go because of the teaching commitment. As a dancer, I like the idea of a handful of weekends rather than 25+ weeks on weeknights, but as a caller who jealously protects his private time, I'm inclined to go with weeknights. New dancers are so hard to come by these days, I will have to accept that their scheduling requirements will typically trump mine, all else being equal. It sucks to be a responsible adult sometimes. Even a facsimile of one.

Now we need to work intensely on the Harper's Ferry Hoedown, Nov. 11-13.

Mainstream Class Instruction Complete!

Last Saturday afternoon, Kent & I finished off the full mainstream list with our newbie dancers. With spin the top, fold, dixie style to a wave, tag the line, half-tag, scoot back and eight chain thru completed, there are no more calls left. Dayle, Kent and myself will all be calling at the next and final class session, drilling through the Mainstream list and workshopping & reviewing any calls which seem to be causing issues or requested by the dancers.

All that I have heard is indeed true for square dancing as it is for other activities: one learns a lot more about the nitty-gritty details by teaching than one might by performing. This is the first time I've been participating in the teaching of a square dance class as other than an angel and I'm relatively certain I'd do it again when/if the situation arises.

The most difficult part of this past class series wasn't the teaching or the calling: it was giving up weekends to make it possible. There were some instances when I'd have rather have gone to the trailer, out with friends or to other square dance workshops where I could spend some time polishing my own dancing, but these were let go because of the teaching commitment. As a dancer, I like the idea of a handful of weekends rather than 25+ weeks on weeknights, but as a caller who jealously protects his private time, I'm inclined to go with weeknights. New dancers are so hard to come by these days, I will have to accept that their scheduling requirements will typically trump mine, all else being equal. It sucks to be a responsible adult sometimes. Even a facsimile of one.

Now we need to work intensely on the Harper's Ferry Hoedown, Nov. 11-13.

Family returns to Canada

Sunday morning, my sister Irene, her hubby Ted, Ted's mother Kathy and the kids Daniel & Ashley headed back to the greater Toronto area. I can't believe I got out of bed at 6 AM to pose for a few photos, assist loading them & their luggage into the car and see them off to the airport... I typically don't get up that early when people are paying me to do so.

Of course I returned to bed as soon as possible and slept for another four hours.

It was nice having them around for a few days and it was the first time I had to spend any significant time with Daniel (age 4), as well as meet Ashley (7 months). Both are adorable kids, and I kinda wish we lived closer to them. However, having them for a week was an abrupt reminder of how much of my current life is made possible by not having children. Little things like sleeping through the night uninterrupted. Not having to be constantly aware of where there public washrooms in case the little ones decide they need to go. Not having to carry a suitcase of baby paraphernalia everywhere. Not having to worry about nap times, babysitters, day care, schools, car seats, immunizations, a new wardrobe every time they grow an inch, picky food likes/dislikes, and so much more.

Kent & I are named official guardians for these two, as well as a couple more. Having had extensive experience caring for my four younger sisters, I feel I've already done most of the parental schtick, and am ready to do it again if the need arises through tragedy, but I have a refreshed appreciation again for the level of responsibility required. Oddly enough, I'm beginning to think my own mother must be a freakin' saint.

Family returns to Canada

Sunday morning, my sister Irene, her hubby Ted, Ted's mother Kathy and the kids Daniel & Ashley headed back to the greater Toronto area. I can't believe I got out of bed at 6 AM to pose for a few photos, assist loading them & their luggage into the car and see them off to the airport... I typically don't get up that early when people are paying me to do so.

Of course I returned to bed as soon as possible and slept for another four hours.

It was nice having them around for a few days and it was the first time I had to spend any significant time with Daniel (age 4), as well as meet Ashley (7 months). Both are adorable kids, and I kinda wish we lived closer to them. However, having them for a week was an abrupt reminder of how much of my current life is made possible by not having children. Little things like sleeping through the night uninterrupted. Not having to be constantly aware of where there public washrooms in case the little ones decide they need to go. Not having to carry a suitcase of baby paraphernalia everywhere. Not having to worry about nap times, babysitters, day care, schools, car seats, immunizations, a new wardrobe every time they grow an inch, picky food likes/dislikes, and so much more.

Kent & I are named official guardians for these two, as well as a couple more. Having had extensive experience caring for my four younger sisters, I feel I've already done most of the parental schtick, and am ready to do it again if the need arises through tragedy, but I have a refreshed appreciation again for the level of responsibility required. Oddly enough, I'm beginning to think my own mother must be a freakin' saint.

Benefits enrollment

Open enrollment has for 2006 has started at my workplace so I'm looking over the benefits which must be manually renewed, as opposed to those which automatically renew. One of the manual renewals is the amount of money to put into a medical savings account (MSA).

( MSA musings follow... )

Benefits enrollment

Open enrollment has for 2006 has started at my workplace so I'm looking over the benefits which must be manually renewed, as opposed to those which automatically renew. One of the manual renewals is the amount of money to put into a medical savings account (MSA).

( MSA musings follow... )

Halloween Overload

A few days ago, Kent agreed we should arm ourselves appropriately with candy should the neighbourhood kids come trick-or-treating. What harm could it do?

When I was out shopping on Sunday, I bought a couple of bags of little Kit-Kat bars as they're something I always looked forward to when I was a kid. And I tossed in some M&Ms for variety. And then some Three Musketeers as Kent likes them. And things kinda got out of hand from there.

I was a good boy: I didn't touch the stash before Halloween. Not much, anyway.

And not a soul came to our door. Nada. We have 15 lbs of freakin' Halloween mini candy bars to give away and not a kid approached our house. Now I have to eat the entire basket of goodies myself.

BURN IN HELL YOU LITTLE TWERPS!

Halloween Overload

A few days ago, Kent agreed we should arm ourselves appropriately with candy should the neighbourhood kids come trick-or-treating. What harm could it do?

When I was out shopping on Sunday, I bought a couple of bags of little Kit-Kat bars as they're something I always looked forward to when I was a kid. And I tossed in some M&Ms for variety. And then some Three Musketeers as Kent likes them. And things kinda got out of hand from there.

I was a good boy: I didn't touch the stash before Halloween. Not much, anyway.

And not a soul came to our door. Nada. We have 15 lbs of freakin' Halloween mini candy bars to give away and not a kid approached our house. Now I have to eat the entire basket of goodies myself.

BURN IN HELL YOU LITTLE TWERPS!