Teaching Swimming Lessons

I finally mustered up the strength to tell my boss I don’t want to teach swim lessons anymore.  (I work at the YMCA life guarding/teaching swim lessons)  

After I said goodbye to my last class on Thursday and sat in the hot tub to relax for a few minutes, the sunset’s orange glow illuminated the natatorium and the aqua-aerobics class was playing some kind of Enya song or something.  I began to meditate on what my last day to teach meant.  

No more ritualistically soaking myself in chlorine for 4 hours every Tuesday and Thursday.  (You don’t get used to it.)  No more stressing about how some of my little swimmers like Angel, Seung-Ha, Yuturo, Savannah or Kathleen just aren’t meant to be in the water.  

The smile of a parent who’s just seen their child swim for the first time is probably the only thing I’ll miss but to me, these don’t outweigh how bad it feels when a few students simply don’t have the multi-tasking skills to stay above the surface.  

"Trick or Treat I'm 30"

Exactly what is the age cut off for trick-or-treating?  

This year, I decided I’d join my neighbors in giving candy to the neighborhood children… and their older siblings… and their much older siblings… and their parents?  I’m pretty sure I gave candy to a woman with a newborn in a baby carriage.  I’m not so sure Halloween candy is good for an infant’s development.  That child’s going to be wired for life now and now I’m one to blame.  I should have called them both out for not having a costume.  

She reminded me of that person who goes to big events where they give away free snacks and ends up taking home a giant box full of everything they can grab.  I’ll go ahead and say don’t trick-or-treat if you are over 11 or under 1.  

Enjoy the candy while you can, lady.  Next year you will be denied.

What is John McCain's stance on the right to bear arms?

John McCain doesn't mind short sleeves.

ha ha ha

House of Torment

Walking through the first rooms, wave after wave of ghouls spring out from each room’s one dark corner. More startling than scary, even when you know it’s coming. After the initial “boo”, some of them think it might be scarier if they get in your face and stay there for a while. Really, this is so you can get a closer look at how much time they spent working on their makeup that afternoon. Of course, you don’t want to hang out and count their nose hairs. You want to push on because the proximity is beginning to highlight the B.O. these guys have understandably developed from such a high energy night job. Their role is to jump out, be loud and quickly get back in their shaded corner. It starts to get old.

The best performances seem to come from the ones walking around outside the haunted house. For them, it’s not about speed and vocal volume, but rather maintaining a creepy demeanor and firmly approaching the people who have opted out of the full experience. Oddly, these scares are free.

Marc Sherman is annoyed.

If your facebook status is going to be something no one cares about, don't update it.  I'm gonna let you in on a secret - I am truly aggravated every time I see:

1. A facebook status thats just an intentionally vague song lyric...  Listen, "Just because no one understands you, doesn't mean you're an artist" - bumper sticker. 

2.  Someone complaining about their love life via facebook status.  "Jane Doe is wishing she had you back."  Keep it to yourself, I don't feel sorry for you.  

3.  A grammatically incorrect status...  "Mike Smith is wants to eat something"  Look Mike, facebook made it so you don't have to use the is anymore because you just couldn't express yourself with that is... Now that the option is there, you are either too lazy or too stupid to produce proper English.  I hate you. 

Bad Spoon Pictures

Spoon @ The Parish 10/13/08

Last night was my first visit to "the Parish" but surely not my last.  This is my new favorite place to see live music in Austin.  Tucked upstairs in this charming bar is a modestly sized ballroom.  The decor is tasteful - 10'x10' wooden paintings fill the wall space.  There is something very comfortable about the place.

Announced only 2 weeks ago, Spoon performed as a "Benefit for Texas Democrats."  Some man with a funny mustache said a few words before they got going about how glad he was to have us all voting Democrat.  Like many there, I came for Spoon.  I just happen to like Obama.  Even though the show was sold out, I was able to make my way to the bar and back... more times than I should probably admit but my spot in the very front was always waiting for me.  None of that pushing and shoving I've grown to expect at shows.

This was probably the 5th time I'd seen Spoon and definitely my favorite set.  A few songs I'd never heard before (band is about to get back in the studio to finish their new album).  The sound was good other than a few microphone glitches, which went away after the sound guy received a couple stink-eyes.  They even brought those trumpets, trombones, and sax that are so popular in "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" out for older songs like "Stay Don't Go."

Thanks to the intimacy of The Parish, Britt Daniel took a few seconds to point at me and mutter something like "alright" when he wasn't busy popping his neck veins at the microphone.  I even got a sweaty hug after the encore and bought him a beer.