Whirlwind

My mom gave Jack some Disney DVDs for Christmas. The first few months he watched old Chip-n-Dale cartoons, but lately he's been a fan of old Mickey Mouse cartoons. His favorite is "The Little Whirlwind" where Mickey's attempts to win Minnie Mouse's favor is thwrarted by a small yet cleverly annoying tornado. This cartoon is a very early Disney cartoon where the leaves get up and march reminiscent to the broomsticks in Fantasia. While I have many issues with the Disneyfication of America, I grew up on early Disney and don't mind that Jack likes the cartoons- particularly because he's more interested in acting out the cartoon (blankie is the notorious whirlwind) about 10 times for every 1 time he watches the show.

Whirlwind is the best way to describe this summer. And, the last two years in Boston. If I ever stay at the same job for more than a year AND live in the same place at THE SAME TIME I'm living in the same place, I'm not sure what I will do with all that time on my hands.

The community college I interviewed with back in early June (well, it was really only two weeks ago, but waiting time is like dog years) is flying me back for a second interview mid-July. They called Monday and since then we've been trying to figure out the logistics of our pending move. We need to move out of this place by the end of July, but because I won't know until just about then WHAT TOWN we'll be moving to, we're not sure how to navigate. The current plan is to find a place to sublet for the first one or two weeks in August so that once we know if I got the job, we can look for a place in Seattle, buy plane tickets for me & Jack, and Ed's brother, Steve, can head out for the long drive back. If I didn't get the job, we'll have those two weeks to find a place here in Boston.

If I did live in Disneyworld and needed to make a wish on a star, it would not necessarily be that I got the job in Seattle, but that what I wanted was absolutely clear. The last two years has taught me to take in life and make it what I need it to be -- not wait to be happy based on outside events. The strange side-effect is a dulled sense of what external events would make me most happy. I've become accustomed to Pollyanna-ing everything (freelance: GREAT- more time at home even if I don't know when/what the next job will be or how much it will pay; teach fulltime: EVEN BETTER: get paid more for teaching than I ever have even if the load is 5 classes at a time and I work at one of the most dysfunctional places that exists). So much so that the idea of moving back is a careful low rumble of relief. When the thunderstorms strike (as they have the last two days), I revel in the extreme weather knowing the grey humdrum of the Northwest might be replacing New England fall colors. July will be hot and humid. I won't revel in the hazy heat, but I bet I'll have more patience for everyone's sticky skin.