Hello, World

My work calendar has been a little light.

Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. Through various decisions and their consequences, all of both well beyond my control--everything from idiot grandbosses to global economic catastrophe--I am bored as hell and I can't take it anymore. I haven't had an opportunity to do productive, useful, significant work--at work--since about August.

No, it isn't as cool as it sounds. The first couple of weeks, sure. I've caught up on TV shows I might have cared about the first time around if I'd had time, and I've seen movies I probably never would have sat down for. Many of these experiences have broadened my horizons. But pleasure reading somehow isn't, if I'm sitting at a desk designated for work.

Enough. If I had time, I'd learn Spanish. And speed-reading. And how to draw. And I'd improve my handwriting. And I'd get in shape. And. And. And.

And, there's that whole global economic catastrophe thing, so I'm out of my current job in the next <insert finite time frame here>. Assuming I understand the company policies, I'm in good shape compared to a lot of folks: I'll have about 2 months at my current employer to find a new job within the company. When that doesn't happen--my "good faith" will be "amazingly good faith" in my attempts, but the economy isn't going to be gentle to me--I'll have about 7 months where I'm still paid with benefits. All said and done, I foresee a stable income for the next 12 months from this moment. Then I'm fucked like everyone else.

I suspect it's time for a career change. IT has been rewarding, of course, and it's mostly been a good home for my geeky worldview, but I am sick and tired of being on the cost center side of the house. I just want to get away from the mindset that thinks quarterly shortfalls can be made up for by cutting staff and office supplies from the support organization. I'd much rather be on the (equally confused) side where there are new leather chairs and free beer to celebrate the gross revenues.

For that matter, I'm not sure I'm willng to ever again be a "resource", nominally human or otherwise.

So, career change. I always wanted to teach high school math, and my experience as a band booster tells me my age-group inclinations are right. IOW, my sense is that elementary school kids aren't yet fully human and middle schoolers are vile piles of hormones, but high schoolers are actually capable (sometimes with some prodding) of rational thought. My "sense" is flawed, of course, as any good elementary- or middle-school teacher will tell you.

So, career change. I love to cook. I've even taken a couple of introductory classes at the local community college. But the hands-on knife skills and commercial equipment usage and brigade approach and all of that is stuff I haven't been able to take classes for around a full-time job. With close to nine months of what would amount to paid leave, I could get in the basic cooking (and maybe baking) classes that would allow me to progress. While I don't need another Associates degree, I'd learn stuff I want along the way.

Anyway, the purpose of this post, this blog, etc. I'm going back to school. Home school. Extreme home school, because I'm the teacher.

Curriculum candidates--most or all of which are "if I had time" things--currently include:

Spanish - I think my subject knowledge is finally to the point I can begin reading YA novels to build vocabulary. I am convinced that the "Me llamo Phrits" sort of nonsense actually slows down many adult learners. I am no longer interested, for example, in "where's the library?" and would rather be able to ask "have you eaten here before and is it as good as last time?" Relevance is interest.

Drawing - on the Right Side of the Brain, actually. I had astounding results with the first lessons from the book many years ago, but I didn't follow through. Enough years have passed by to start over.

Penmanship - Why the hell not? If I need to write on a board... Besides, it's sad to be unable to take notes I can read a month later.

US History - Sneaky, but volume two of Taylor Branch's history of the Civil Rights movement has been hard to get into. I blame circumstance rather than the author. Make it part of the curriculum, and he gets at least a few minutes a day.

Math - I still have my Calculus book, which happened to be the same author for both high school and college. Most of it will be review--the parts I've been through anyway--but probably less than I expect. If I can make myself work some of the problems, my algebra and arithmetic skills might come back to life.

Music - I have a could-have-been-written-for-me book on Music Theory (nothing exotic) to work through so that I am no longer intimidated by phrases such as diatonic triad nor still too ignorant or intimidated to identify a diminished chord.

PE - I'm running a 5K in May. I'm already easily walking it on the treadmill, so getting to the real thing from here is at least visible.

I also have an extracurricular project I'll announce in the next couple of weeks (if I pass my test this weekend). My curriculum is lacking in science, but if this goes as it should, it will cover that and pick up some other cool things too.

So, way too long-winded, but it's a first post. Then again, others will likely also be long-winded. Welcome aboard.