Heh. My first drawing class is tonight. I'm very excited. Yesterday I got a call saying it had been cancelled because of low enrollment, then I got another call five minutes later saying, 'never mind, go ahead and come to class.'

The class description didn't say to bring any supplies, which is odd. The last time I took a drawing class, we had to bring our own pencils and paper. Granted, that was 20 years ago, but supplies haven't gotten cheaper in the last two decades, so it seems odd that they'd be supplying them for a night class, you know? We're supposed to be covering basic drawing, pastels, pen-and-ink, and maybe oil crayons, I'm not quite certain. If I wind up having to buy all of that stuff, that's going to run into money.

I did pack my favorite pencil and a pad of paper this morning, not the least because I have two hours between getting off work and the time my class starts. Since the class is being held in this neighborhood, it seems silly to spend 40 minutes driving home, and then 40 minutes driving back half an hour later, you know? Especially with gasoline at $3.10/gallon and morons inhabiting the White H.... (Sorry. Wrong blog.)

Anyhoo, I figured I'd pop out, find some supper, and then dawdle at the office, limbering up my drawing muscles (such as they are) before tonight's class.

Yesterday I was doodling in a meeting and produced a Recognizable Tree. That is to say, it wasn't recognizable as any particular kind of tree, but in general it was tree-shaped and recognizable. I consider this to be a Major Triumph of determination over lack of ability. Human hands remain an obstacle but not as big an obstacle as Masses Of Foliage. I also drew a bat. (Okay, I drew a six year-old's version of a mouse and put wings on it, but any kindergartner in the country would see a bat.)

It's fun to have a hobby that you're not only not good at, but for which you feel no particular pressure to rival Rembrandt. (I wonder if this is how all those masses of crappy fanfic authors feel?)

The class is being held over by the Red Cross building. I figure that after I get a chance to drop in and introduce myself there, I can go over and help out for an hour or two between work and class time from now on. (I had volunteered to help with phone duty, but the voicemail I got in return mentioned that they need help with other things, which I assume means packing and readying supplies for shipment down south, so I'm planning to do that.)

At least, I can for as long as I'm still employed in this neck of the woods. No word yet from Coco. Not since she dropped me a note last week saying her boss wanted to meet with me this week, after their Big Launch, which seems to keep getting postponed, a thing that doesn't inspire confidence.

98% of my brain is already gone from this job. One client called me twice yesterday for some assistance and I never did get around to calling her back. (I called her this morning and scheduled a tech & training session for 11:00.)

I'm not tense or anything though, at the idea of being unemployed again. Nope. Not a bit. Not at all. (Bleah.) And I'm not panicking at the thought that I'll be back on the job market, at my age and with a set of skills that don't really match any identifiable job category. (Ick.)

Don't think that the situation has given me renewed interest in excavating my work ethic or anything, though. I'm not certain I actually did any work at all yesterday. I have no memory of having worked yesterday.

I need to get a new job before my brain completely vegetates.

If things remain calm, expect to see a lengthy essay appear before the end of the workday, mocking the line-up of new, fall shows.