Now officially high toned!

Got back from Florida last night. Had a great time. I’ll post pictures later. Spent two days at the pool and hot tub, getting tanned, smokin’ good cigars and drinkin’ Yuengling off the tap. Sweet!

Picked up the new AC-DC and Metallica CDs at Wal Mart (these Brits LOVE to wander through Wally World), and the new “directors cut” AC-DC DVD. Watched the DVD with Denise’s brother’s in-laws, who are both head bangers from way back. We had a blast with it. They also told me about a few bands I hadn’t heard of before, so I’ve got some new stuff to look up.

The San Saba thing has been postponed for a week. The email came out Friday, while I was in Florida. Clicked on it when we got home last night and found out. They’re taking the place off lock-down today, but they’re gonna use this week to finish the semester that was interrupted when the cell phone drama erupted. So I’ll start my classes next Monday, and then I’ll have to show up there on a few Fridays to make up this week we’ll miss. No sweat. The semester will still end at the same time, so the holidays won’t be screwed up.

Even so, as the title of this post says, today is the day I officially become a full-time teacher with the college. I’ve been working towards this for 18 years, since March of 1990, so it means something to me. I’m now officially high toned, paid promptly every two weeks, no matter what. My first fat check should hit the bank the middle of next month. Plan is to use it to buy a HUGE new gun safe.

Part-timers don’t get paid if they’re not workin’, so I used to have to go 6 to 8 weeks now and then between paydays. Over extended holidays, like Christmas, I’d have to teach a mini term in order to keep the checks comin’. Otherwise I’d have to cash a credit card check to make a mortgage payment, or pay the light bill. In the last few years I got in the habit of blowing off the summer mini term in August so I could take these road trips and see folks. It cost me, but ya gotta have priorities. Now it’s no longer an issue. Feels good. Really good.

Having to deal with those issues, I used to cuss the full-time guys when they’d teach those mini terms and take money out of the pocket of some part-timer when they really didn’t need to. I usually didn’t have to worry about it. They didn’t take classes away from me. I was always in demand. It was the principle of the thing that pissed me off. They didn’t need the money, but there were other folks who did.

I was on the schedule to teach another Mini term this December, before I got this new job. Last week, when the secretary asked me if I was still interested in teaching this Christmas, I told her no. I told her to let some part-time dude have it. I don’t need it any more. The extra money would be nice, but ya gotta walk the walk. Anyway, as I see it, one of the best perks of the job is not HAVING to teach on holidays. I've got a choice now. Why not enjoy it?

So, I’ll have the pictures from Florida in a while. Maybe later today. You’ll like them. Cool yer jets until then. Cheers!