Reflections of January
Sometimes I wonder if one day this journal is going to up and vanish. I can say for certain I would be saddened to see it missing, it holds a lot of archived memories of mine. I should probably invest the time in making a backup of some kind. That would be the smart thing to do, right? Well, for now it's still here, and I suppose it's been some months since my last "snapshot" of life, so here goes the next one.
I am teaching a record number of students at Jammin' Kids these days. Not sure where they all came from, but getting a spot with "Danny" is a treat and a privilege these days. Or you have to bend over backwards to get the ONE slot that happens to be open...and if you don't take it now, it'll be filled by tomorrow. It's a good thing, the paychecks reflect it, I keep busy, I have a fairly constant schedule and all. The trouble is, sometimes I'm just not in the mood to teach small children who haven't been practicing their music. And I have to do it 6-8 hours a day. Worse ways to make a living, I suppose...but it does start to wear thin over time. Goodness knows, I need a vacation...
We have a new "assistant-hired-for-free-but-suddenly-becomes-manager-and-financial-advisor" working at Jammin' Kids. Liz is a unique character. Her fine points include making sure EVERYONE knows her qualifications in management training, making sure EVERYONE knows that she's a fine cook who loves to cook and brings in her home cooking so you have to eat it, and making sure EVERYONE knows who is the boss at Jammin' Kids. To be honest, I can see her doing a lot to turn around the dismal financial situation Jammin' Kids has been in since as far back as I can remember. She IS qualified (she mentioned it in passing...) and she IS working to fix this money leak that is inexplicably cutting into Jammin' Kids' otherwise sterling cash flow. However, since she overnight became the manager, you start to notice where she rubs you the wrong way.
Our lessons start and end on the 1/2 hours (10:00, 10:30, etc). If it is 10:31, she walks past your room and raps her knuckles on the window. Now, I'm fairly punctual with my lessons. The only deviations being if I'm late to work (rare) and I have to accomodate a bit of extra time so the parent gets their money's worth, and starting early with a student who arrived early so we end a few minutes early. I very rarely lose track of time and linger on in lessons (some teachers do, I'm aware...). But I swear, if she raps her knuckles on the window at 10:00:30 seconds one more time, I may physically lift the baby grand piano in my room and bash her face in. It's rude, it's distracting, and it's oddly demeaning. Like we need a mommy to let us know when to finish our lessons on time. Listen, lady, I haven't heard a single complaint in my time as manager, or under any subsequent managers, from parents saying teachers are keeping their children too long. Occasionally a teacher will lose track of time, but it's freaking music lessons. It's a good lose track of time. The next customer always understands, and their lesson end time is adjusted by a few minutes accordingly.
She pokes her nose into EVERYONE'S business, wonders about that email you're writing, feels obligated to inject herself into a conversation between you and a students' parent (she is not musically trained, mind you...). She hands out lollipops to children BEFORE their lessons (who knew I'd get so annoyed at something so innocuous...but we HAVE asked her to stop. How is my 6 year old supposed to take a voice lesson with a Fruit Punch DumDum hanging off her lower lip!? They are REWARDS for good lessons. Not pre-lesson treats.
She also loves to manipulate situations. I got a phone call from her about a weirdly large number of cancelled lessons on a Friday (a 4-day weekend for schools, Friday teacher work day, Monday federal holiday). I had been aware many of my own students were going out of town that day, so of course they rescheduled their lessons. Most other teachers' students did too, last student was at 6PM. The "manager" (I was not aware Liz had taken over that title...) Jules had blocked off the rest of the day so she could enjoy a long weekend herself after all the teachers were gone. Liz spent 1/2 hour on the phone trying to get me to admit that Jules was stealing company "time", costing them "profits", had intentionally asked students to reschedule, and was "overstepping her bounds without consulting authority."
I took it for a bit, actually throwing my opinions in with Jules, but saying I had no knowledge about the reschedules. But when she overtly asked me "So, you think what Jules is doing isn't proper, right?" I got angry. I told her she needed to stop trying to build a case against somebody through secondhand opinion, why hadn't she talked to Jules about it? She immediately backed down and turned up the charm. "Oh, nono, not trying to do that, was just making conversation, blah blah."
Lady, I'm not sure if you're aware, that shit doesn't work on me. I think way too much about stuff to let that schmoozy stuff get to me. I know she does it 'cause it gets results with most people - same reason she is so authoritarian, same reason she flashed around her qualifications for all to see. Newsflash - I actually looked up what her qualifications even meant and wasn't overly impressed. At best, her "Scrum Management Practices" that she lauds sounds to me little more than a catchy, edgy name applied to a corporate morale booster strategy. I read articles on it, definitely morale booster material. I have no doubt employees are motivated by it and are temporarily more productive - but I don't see any long term benefits once people realize, it's a rewording and catchy presentation of what they were already doing all along. Anyway...I take it you gather I don't like her much :)
We are currently entering our third season of the Tribes: Ascend 5v5 Mixer Tournament. Despite a few setbacks and naysayers, it has been generally accepted as a success. Most people seem to be having a good time with it and respect the time and effort I've put forth to administrate it. There are a few people, however, that just refuse to be satisfied. I know, the larger groups of people you deal with, the greater chance the ill-wishers will be more outspoken. Nothing to be done but to soldier on, trying to do what's best for the tournament so everyone else can have a good time.
Popped back into RaiderZ randomly, gained a few levels, same broken crap sadly. The combat system is so innovative and fun, but the game is NOT polished in the least. So many problems, including Gold Spammers absolutely wrecking the game with chat spam. People have VOLUNTEERED to simply sit in the game and ban them as they show up, yet nothing is ever done. There are only FOUR servers, Perfect World Entertainment. It's not like you have to police hundreds, yet weirdly, SWTOR didn't seem to have this issue... Annoying, but I am fairly determined to get to level 35 (cap) before I call it total quits.
Trying to get Luiggi to come with me to the Kennedy Space Center before the shuttle Atlantis is put someplace else. It's in the VAB right now, and I'd love to see it there, just to snap a few photos. $25 for the extended tour, not so bad :)
Until next time, then :)
I am teaching a record number of students at Jammin' Kids these days. Not sure where they all came from, but getting a spot with "Danny" is a treat and a privilege these days. Or you have to bend over backwards to get the ONE slot that happens to be open...and if you don't take it now, it'll be filled by tomorrow. It's a good thing, the paychecks reflect it, I keep busy, I have a fairly constant schedule and all. The trouble is, sometimes I'm just not in the mood to teach small children who haven't been practicing their music. And I have to do it 6-8 hours a day. Worse ways to make a living, I suppose...but it does start to wear thin over time. Goodness knows, I need a vacation...
We have a new "assistant-hired-for-free-but-suddenly-becomes-manager-and-financial-advisor" working at Jammin' Kids. Liz is a unique character. Her fine points include making sure EVERYONE knows her qualifications in management training, making sure EVERYONE knows that she's a fine cook who loves to cook and brings in her home cooking so you have to eat it, and making sure EVERYONE knows who is the boss at Jammin' Kids. To be honest, I can see her doing a lot to turn around the dismal financial situation Jammin' Kids has been in since as far back as I can remember. She IS qualified (she mentioned it in passing...) and she IS working to fix this money leak that is inexplicably cutting into Jammin' Kids' otherwise sterling cash flow. However, since she overnight became the manager, you start to notice where she rubs you the wrong way.
Our lessons start and end on the 1/2 hours (10:00, 10:30, etc). If it is 10:31, she walks past your room and raps her knuckles on the window. Now, I'm fairly punctual with my lessons. The only deviations being if I'm late to work (rare) and I have to accomodate a bit of extra time so the parent gets their money's worth, and starting early with a student who arrived early so we end a few minutes early. I very rarely lose track of time and linger on in lessons (some teachers do, I'm aware...). But I swear, if she raps her knuckles on the window at 10:00:30 seconds one more time, I may physically lift the baby grand piano in my room and bash her face in. It's rude, it's distracting, and it's oddly demeaning. Like we need a mommy to let us know when to finish our lessons on time. Listen, lady, I haven't heard a single complaint in my time as manager, or under any subsequent managers, from parents saying teachers are keeping their children too long. Occasionally a teacher will lose track of time, but it's freaking music lessons. It's a good lose track of time. The next customer always understands, and their lesson end time is adjusted by a few minutes accordingly.
She pokes her nose into EVERYONE'S business, wonders about that email you're writing, feels obligated to inject herself into a conversation between you and a students' parent (she is not musically trained, mind you...). She hands out lollipops to children BEFORE their lessons (who knew I'd get so annoyed at something so innocuous...but we HAVE asked her to stop. How is my 6 year old supposed to take a voice lesson with a Fruit Punch DumDum hanging off her lower lip!? They are REWARDS for good lessons. Not pre-lesson treats.
She also loves to manipulate situations. I got a phone call from her about a weirdly large number of cancelled lessons on a Friday (a 4-day weekend for schools, Friday teacher work day, Monday federal holiday). I had been aware many of my own students were going out of town that day, so of course they rescheduled their lessons. Most other teachers' students did too, last student was at 6PM. The "manager" (I was not aware Liz had taken over that title...) Jules had blocked off the rest of the day so she could enjoy a long weekend herself after all the teachers were gone. Liz spent 1/2 hour on the phone trying to get me to admit that Jules was stealing company "time", costing them "profits", had intentionally asked students to reschedule, and was "overstepping her bounds without consulting authority."
I took it for a bit, actually throwing my opinions in with Jules, but saying I had no knowledge about the reschedules. But when she overtly asked me "So, you think what Jules is doing isn't proper, right?" I got angry. I told her she needed to stop trying to build a case against somebody through secondhand opinion, why hadn't she talked to Jules about it? She immediately backed down and turned up the charm. "Oh, nono, not trying to do that, was just making conversation, blah blah."
Lady, I'm not sure if you're aware, that shit doesn't work on me. I think way too much about stuff to let that schmoozy stuff get to me. I know she does it 'cause it gets results with most people - same reason she is so authoritarian, same reason she flashed around her qualifications for all to see. Newsflash - I actually looked up what her qualifications even meant and wasn't overly impressed. At best, her "Scrum Management Practices" that she lauds sounds to me little more than a catchy, edgy name applied to a corporate morale booster strategy. I read articles on it, definitely morale booster material. I have no doubt employees are motivated by it and are temporarily more productive - but I don't see any long term benefits once people realize, it's a rewording and catchy presentation of what they were already doing all along. Anyway...I take it you gather I don't like her much :)
We are currently entering our third season of the Tribes: Ascend 5v5 Mixer Tournament. Despite a few setbacks and naysayers, it has been generally accepted as a success. Most people seem to be having a good time with it and respect the time and effort I've put forth to administrate it. There are a few people, however, that just refuse to be satisfied. I know, the larger groups of people you deal with, the greater chance the ill-wishers will be more outspoken. Nothing to be done but to soldier on, trying to do what's best for the tournament so everyone else can have a good time.
Popped back into RaiderZ randomly, gained a few levels, same broken crap sadly. The combat system is so innovative and fun, but the game is NOT polished in the least. So many problems, including Gold Spammers absolutely wrecking the game with chat spam. People have VOLUNTEERED to simply sit in the game and ban them as they show up, yet nothing is ever done. There are only FOUR servers, Perfect World Entertainment. It's not like you have to police hundreds, yet weirdly, SWTOR didn't seem to have this issue... Annoying, but I am fairly determined to get to level 35 (cap) before I call it total quits.
Trying to get Luiggi to come with me to the Kennedy Space Center before the shuttle Atlantis is put someplace else. It's in the VAB right now, and I'd love to see it there, just to snap a few photos. $25 for the extended tour, not so bad :)
Until next time, then :)