Just a thought....
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Wednesday, 13 October 2010

Whew!



One of *those* mornings! I did wake up at 4:30. I swear! Somehow, 4:30 morphed into 5:20. Did you know that panic acts as a spring? I vaulted from being horizontal in my bed to the kettle in the kitchen two rooms away in one fluid movement... far more fluid than I usually am before noon (or any other time, for that matter).

I made it to the bus stop 10 minutes late only to find the bus was late too. Thank goodness. The driver greeted me with a cheery smile, which was good, as the crowded bus forced me to stand close to him - or as close as the protective bars would allow anyway - for some distance.

At the end of the first run, I went to pay. I usually delay it to the end of that leg of the trip, so I can stretch my Bilhete Unico (a card that lets me take a certain number of buses and metros within a given time period). Panic ensued a second time, this time far worse. My bus card was missing! I paid cash, but that ends up more than doubling my transport costs. A frantic call to Jurgis had him searching at home. I had just charged the card on Friday with at least half a month's worth of transport value. If it was gone, I'd be in huge trouble. Bless the man - he found it at home. Huge "Whew!"

After that, the rest of the day had to be peachy, right? Ok, barring the metro-riders who collectively seemed to be out of sorts. Outside the bank where teach, I was delighted to find two boys playing with a spinning top.


Photo credit: Ratão Diniz in www.flickr.com

It's been years since I'd seen one of those. They were doing some pretty cool tricks with it too. I wonder if spinning tops are coming back into popularity again - life is full of surprises.

Speaking of surprises, I'm learning to give everything (and everyone) a chance - a slow lesson, mind you. You never know where you'll find a gem. I found some great music recently in a genre and artist type I usually wouldn't touch with a ten-foot barge pole. Even the bus driver this morning was one I usually avoid. He's the one who always goes at half the speed limit. Today, he went along at a decent pace and I got smiles. What more could I ask for? Hm... ok.... perhaps an air ticket or two? : )

I had more surprises in store for me today. My one constantly-cancelling student wanted to move her class to lunch time to see if she'd be more constant then. That left her very popular slot open in the early morning. My Friday morning student, a really nice guy, happily filled that slot. I got an email this afternoon from the parent of the teens. Apparently, the kids have decided they don't want English classes for now (guess who's the boss there) and they're going to give it a miss for a while and he's terribly sorry. Wheeeee! This meant that I could tell my other student that she could have the lunch times she was after. Ok, she's not as regular as I'd like and with her, I'll get 10 bucks less than I do with them, but, as I said to Jurgis, I'll put that 10 bucks down to spa/therapy time. The stress I'll be relieved of makes it so well worth it and I know that more will come in now.

Oops! Just saw the time. I'm nearly late for the next student. Seems today is not my most punctually-concious day *blush* I thought the photo I took in the bank offices to be appropriate. "Time" in Portuguese is actually 'team'. It fits though.

11 comments:

  1. So now you don't have to wake up at dawn's crack anymore??? I HATE early mornings. And every morning I feel less and less like trying to like it anymore. Must be old age. My days of vaulting anywhere are over !!

    I think tops are coming back. I just got Carlin a Spiderman spinning top. He said it was "cool". That word seems to have made a come-back too!

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  2. Seems like it's not such a bad day after all! Lots of good news in there, despite all the panics. :)

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  3. When my days start out that way I have to talk sternly to myself to make sure it doesn't snowball and continue. So it does look like Tint's day improved as she went along!!

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  4. (I talk to myself a lot)

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  5. *notes Kat talking to herself even now*

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  6. If I haveto get up really early I don't sleep at all and life is just dreadful for me :-( I am not good at all about that! I will even go to bed early and still toss and turn and check the alarm and all that all wake up every 15 minutes for 7 hours... or lay awake. It is not fun!
    Glad that all in all it was not the so terrible getting that little extra sleep!

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  7. I do not like when I realize that I'd better get out of bed NOW or I'm going to be terribly late. I'm not a springer!

    Your day had many good things in it :) Hopefully the bus driver's good mood will last. What a nice blessing the way the student's schedules have changed to suit each's desire, and you don't have that awful stress in your life.

    I like old fashioned toys, and am glad to see kids playing with those. Which reminds me, we saw a large box of marbles with game instructions at the store last night, at a steal for a price, so guess what a few of my kids are getting for Christmas! They already have them listed on their wish lists :)

    Here's to a tomorrow as pleasant as today, but without the late-for-the-bus stuff!

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  8. I hate morning springboard sensations... wooosh! Though still sounds like your day was overall pretty good so far! :oD

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  9. Cheers, Tint. That wasn't such a bad day after all, but rather one of those when one gets this 'bit out of place and time' shower of not so pleasant or of mixed feelings/ events.

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  10. oh those students..
    isnt everything coming back? my brother got games and toys which were already with me popular but they give a new paint and new name.. and here it goes!

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  11. I like coming along with you on your day, Tint. :)

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Tint~