(There, and) Back Again

I've been doing some thinking. I'm not sure I could ever not be doing thinking, but I've been doing it. And a little math, too.

What with the recession and all, this sub gig might have dried up more or less for good. I am starting to get the feeling that they have cracked down on the teachers, saying "no more sick days unless you are dying," or, they are skimping on subs and having regular teachers cover classes during their planning periods. Either that, or I'm totally blacklisted from district work.

My last 'big' check arrived today, its size owing to the fact that I get more per day in a long-term assignment, not to mention the more-days inherent in that term. My last full week of Latin-subbing has come to its eventual result.

It's quite possible that I have done what I needed to do within this substitute thing and it is receding as quickly and strangely as it appeared. But if it's really gone, I'm not sure the Kaplan KC thing is going to be enough.

So I've been seriously thinking about going back to Zig's and asking for my job back. It makes me feel good that the last time I was there, several waitresses asked when I was coming back. Not having the heart (nor the certainty) to say never, I said once I stopped making enough money at subbing. Well, that day might be quickly on its way. In April, I'll be doing a GRE class with Kaplan here in town, but I'm still not sure that'll make it up.

I have felt a bit sentimental at times, and I have missed the restaurant stuff now and then. I suppose it wouldn't be so terrible to go back and work a bit less hard for a lot less dollars. I may go up there tomorrow and talk to the manager I still know (they replaced the GM just after I left, and I don't know him basically at all, but the kitchen manager thinks I am pretty cool).

I'm still piecing together the cosmic implications of the idea that I had a specific task to complete, for myself and in service to the universe, and that it was maybe these several weeks of Latin teaching (+ learning I am not meant to teach first grade + kind of liking the idea of English teaching), and now I'm done with this piece of it. Wrapping up is strange. I have my very last day in that classroom on March 30th, when their real teacher is in Nashville (of course!) with the Greek class.

I used to count my work weeks in terms of hours, not dollars. Even when I scan my schedule like that, though, I could be doing more. I don't mean that like it sounds. But already, even knowing I 'worked' today, and even though it took much longer than it should have because I locked my keys in the car and had to make my poor roommate drive all the way to KC to bring the spare... I've still got most of the day to just hang out. Not that this is a bad thing, and not that I shouldn't be prepping my ACT lesson for Friday (and yes, I do get paid for prep time also, just not quite as much).

Perhaps it's time to effect a return! Someone tell me, was I stressed out at the restaurant job because I had no other change of scenery, and no other friends, then?