23 January 2006

Break Dancing

Yeah, another day at the great old community college. I still feel like I'm trapped in a high school, but since I can't change that I have to make the best of it. I had jazz dance first. We did a name game where each person said their name and did a movement. We went around the circle and had to repeat the movements until everyone was done. Then we did it to music. We also did so exercises, stretching and floor movements. Our teacher even made us do break dancing moves across the floor to music. It was actually rather fun, and I realized that I am not quite as much of a klutz as I thought I was. I will still be bruised tomorrow because she made us do all sorts of normal stuff, such as walking, skipping, hopping, running, rolling, falling-all in a jazz style. My knees are going to pay for this.

I had abnormal psychology next. Another day of people misunderstanding illnesses, including my professor. I guess it is just that they have never seen anyone that actually had a problem before. People are always trying to relate medical illnesses to the class and I have to contain myself so that I don't burst and try to explain why they are wrong. I just need to keep it to myself and keep my definitions straight-not allowing their interpretations to interfere with what I know. Whatever.

I had an hour long break and I was back for more dance. Ballet was next. This class was also quite fun. I have the same teacher for this one as I do for my jazz class. We did many of the same exercises and we went to a stage with more floor space to do warm up and floor exercises. One thing I did realize is that I need to get tights and a leotard. Yeah...me in a leotard??? You have got to be kidding. Oh well. Hopefully I won't look too stupid because we are allowed to wear shorts over it. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

I had my English class at 1900. It is off to a weird start. My instructor went off on tons of tangents. We talked about history dating back practically to the start of mankind and then back to the present. We talked about Easter and why it doesn't make sense, the lunar calendar, zodiac signs, the sun, mythology about "the Lion King" and a bunch of other stuff that I had no idea about. I tend to keep my mouth shut in classes like these. I like things that are concrete and things that I know to be true before I speak out about them. I need facts. I don't like expressing opinions-especially ones that I am forced to create. Some of the things I am just not interested in, or I don't really care about, and therefore I have no opinion on. I am also clueless about nearly all history. For example, the last history class I took, I remember stating that the Boston Tea Party started World War II. Of course this was many years ago, but you get the point. If it doesn't have bearing on what I am doing right now, and I can't change it, I'm not especially interested in it. I am trying to change that by taking a history class this semester (yuck!).

Anyways, people were rambling the entire class period about dates and names and places like they knew every detail about they history of the world since day one. We shall see if this class gets any better. It is just so up in the air right now. It is very unstructured-which I don't care for. I like having a day to day syllabus so I can read prior to class and plan ahead. This class doesn't really allow for that. If it continues to be so "out there" I just might have Monday nights free again.

I'm back at the firehouse tonight. Hopefully we will get some calls. So far I haven't had any luck. Usually if we don't get one between 2200 and 2300, I am shit out of luck until 0300. If we get one then it is usually a true alarm ARA at a local motel that is always (I'm starting to get complacent) false, and everyone stumbles back off the engine 15 minutes later and heads back toward the bunks. Unfortunately I have been a "box rat" for my past several shifts, so I literally have seen nothing but the walls of the bunk room. I get this term from another fire department in the area that told my best friend when he tried to put the stretcher in the ambulance, "hey box rat...get back in your box." At his department the engine crew does all the lifting and when you get the patient into the rig you go in through the side and stay in your "box." You don't carry anything or do anything physical but walk. Not quite so here, but it feels like it sometimes. I am a "box rat" tonight (and the past few nights too) because I am a new firefighter and I am a somewhat seasoned medic. The only other medic that is working is an officer, so he will go on the engine and I will be stuck in my box. :( At least I know when I work daycrew I can usually jump on the engine without a fight. There aren't enough people at the station to cover both during the day, so whatever the call, I get to go (most of the time).

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