out of the mouths

Tonight was my last Thursday at my tutoring job. I've got this one little guy in grade 3, (let's call him "Cal") who comes in for reading practice, and who is totally unable to concentrate unless either I'm working exclusively with him, or if there is no conversation at the table whatsoever. He's a sweetheart, and very social, and just has to be a part of whatever's going on, jumping into other people's lessons, etc. Anyway, I'm trying to get this other student to practice speaking English out loud by rehashing introductions. I say, "Okay. For example, I'll introduce myself. Hi! My name's nosiren. I am an English tutor and a teacher. I have a mom, a dad, and a sister. My sister lives in Toronto, and my parents live in blahblahblah . . . " at which point Cal, his eyes all wide and looking up at me breaks in, "You mean you're all alone?" His mouth drops open. "That's so sad!"

Pitied by an 8-year-old.

fools rush in

Previously on Conversations with my Mexican boyfriend:

me: "No, really, on this trip, I don't want to do the whole tourist thing. No Japanese bus tours, we don't have to see everything in the city. It's Christmastime, it'll be a big rush. I just want to see where you grew up, hang out where you hung out, drink at the bars you drank at . . . you know, just *be* in Mexico City. And I'm really excited to meet your family."

---------------------
Tonight's episode:

him: "So, I think we're going on a bus tour with everyone."
me: "We're what?"
him: "Yeah, well you know, my aunt thought we should go on this bus tour, so I told her that what you really wanted to do was spend time my family, and that you weren't interested on going on a bus tour unless everyone went. That the whole family would have to come. So we're all [aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, this is Mexico, you get the idea] going."

--------------
Okay . . . let's try this again.

moral dilemma

Artsmonkey says I'm not really blogging anymore, so here goes.

I just got a job-- yay!-- teaching a language I haven't studied in 7 1/2 years. It's only part-time, I get every other day off to sub or prep. I also have a part-time evening job, that doesn't really pay that great. Basically, 1 day of subbing pays a week and a half of my night job. I committed to the evening job until Christmas, kind of . . . they more just said they wanted a commitment to Christmas, even though there's no contract. . . and I did say that if I got a contract I might have to cut back. I desperately need all the prep time I can get. I also need $. I also want to keep my promises. I also know that someone else just put in their 2 weeks notice this week to the evening job, so they'll be stressed if I leave and have to hire 2 people in the next 2 weeks. I also know that this next month is high season for subs, and I could actually pay for Christmas presents, rent, my overdue bills, and Visa payments if I got sub work every day.

What do I do?

holy crap i'm tired.

i have a job! i have a job! i have a job! i have a job!