I Love Stupid Plans

More on the title later. I just found that quote and I liked it.

Let’s start with the ballroom stuff. Currently, the studio seems to have gathered a fair number of unattached ladies who are in the beginnings of their dance lives. I don’t know how many will continue once DH leaves because I’m not sure how many OwnerGuy can take on.

So when group class rolled around, it was hustle and DH took advanced Bronze and OwnerGuy took beginning Bronze. The groups were unbalanced – more guys in the advanced and more ladies in the beginning. Since it was Hustle and that’s not one of the dances in my program, I jumped into the beginning level.

Let’s be honest – a group class is more fun if you are actually able to dance each rotation and not have to sit out. Plus it makes it easier for the instructors because they don’t have to worry as much about keeping the rotation balanced so someone isn’t sitting out for an extended period of time. Plus, I’m just a giver (HA). Well and the newcomers are fun to be around because I don’t get a lot of chances to socialize with them and they are all so new and this is all still SO MUCH FUN!. It is fun at the advanced stage but dance takes you through those highs and lows but the newbies tend to still be in that excited stage and I can kind of feed off that energy. (I know that sounded weird but just go with me on it)

Plus, since Hustle isn’t a part of my program, everything I’ve learned has been through group classes and routines. But is also means that I don’t know all the early Bronze variations so I was picking up some new stuff as well.

The theme for the party was video games and, while you could dress as a character, most of us opted for a t-shirt with a video game on it. Mine was Frogger because, back in the day, that was my game. DH saw my shirt and says “You’re going old school”. Well, no, I’m just old. I mean I was around for actual arcades where you could spend many hours and many quarters. There was one near an apartment I lived in during my college years and it was easy to go there and pass some time. As I said, Frogger was the game and I even got to a point where I got the high score a couple of times. And, yes, I certainly remember the episode of Seinfeld where George tried to save a Frogger game that held his high score only to have it smashed in the highway. I felt his pain.

The studio is doing a formation for Showcase in November. Originally, they said it was just going to be ladies only but, last night, they said they’d take anyone. The problem is that they are doing a Michael Jackson theme and I’m afraid of what they’d come up and what they’d ask us to do. Nothing worse than people trying to emulate something that can’t really be emulated. Yes, it would probably be big fun but I’m not really sure I want to be a part of it. So I haven’t yet signed up. I think I’ll wait and see if they have a need.

So I’m supposed to be putting together a resume in case I get motivated to find some other job but I’m not all that pumped about doing it. The more I get into the life of leisure, the more I’m liking it. Since we are full on into summer, I’ve been in shorts the last several weeks. Makes it hard to put on a pair of actual pants to go dancing but dance shoes and shorts isn’t a winning combination. You can get dress socks that are anklets but there is still that whole shorts with dress shoes that you have to get around. Yes, it would be more comfortable but you can’t sacrifice all style in the name of comfort.

When I took the guide to retirement course, the instructor was all about planning on how those who enjoy retirement the most are those who planned. Then, I saw an article in the paper that said similar things. There are times when the universe is trying to send you a message and there are times when you want the universe to just SHUT UP. What about just taking life as it comes and seeing what happens.

But my “career coach” talks about things like an “encore career” and other funny sounding stuff like that. I did take another webinar on career change and there were some good points there but there was a lot of stuff about networking and how it will be harder to convince people to take a look at you if you are transitioning. And how you have to pull examples from your life that fit what you want to do. (Of course, you have to know what you want to do first which is my problem). I don’t know. Maybe I’ve just never really thought about what I did as a “career”. I never had a plan or a goal to reach a certain position. I did what I did because I enjoyed the good parts and the people and I felt good about what we were putting out.

I suppose it would be even harder for me because I don’t want another full time job. That much I do know. I do love the freedom like taking the dog out this morning because he was antsy and it was nice and sunny. Why would I want to trade that for being locked in a cube (or some dreaded open concept place). Maybe I’m really just too picky about what I want to actually find anything.

I’m meeting a friend of mine for lunch today. Weird thing is I wasn’t a “lunch” kind of person when I was working but I do miss seeing people I used to work with so this should be fun.

After that, I have no plans!