Stop The Christmas Music

Friday October 31st, 2008 - Lake Villa, IL

Wow, Halloween already. The year is basically over and ‘09 is on the horizon. I was in three or four places today where there was Christmas music playing and I swallowed hard and braced myself for two months of that unmerciful torture. Can’t they shoot Rudolph?

The weather today was spectacular. It was sunny and clear and I was in a great mood for most of the day until I started hearing Christmas music in the late afternoon. It seemed so out of place on such a beautiful day and Pavlovian reflexes kicked in and those memories I try to bury came flooding back anew. Who’s ever had a ride in a one horse open sleigh?

How about roasting a chestnut? Wouldn’t it set off a smoke alarm if someone did it on an open fire? I’d rather grill a steak instead and Jack Frost can nip at someone else’s nose. I’d rather stay inside and watch Sports Center. And name ONE ‘hall decker‘. You can‘t.

It doesn’t matter because they’re not going to stop pounding the piss out of those ditties just because I don’t want to hear them anymore. It goes with the season and I’m stuck for months whether I like it or not. I don’t. Dear Santa - STOP THE CAROLS. Love, Dobie.

On a good note I took today to get all my copies made for comedy classes. It used to be a mad rush the day of classes to get them printed and sometimes it would boil down to the last hour. My ex business partner was responsible for handling all the administrative stuff and the printing too and he often would wait until the last second to get to it. It was tense.

Since I’m starting over again I can do it my way and my way involves a tension free and relaxed atmosphere. I want to have fun teaching and focus on giving my students as much as they can hold. I want these classes to be packed with more than anyone ever expected.

Having to wait in line at Kinko’s behind some halfwit trying to make a dozen copies of his ass to send out as party invitations doesn’t put me in a good mood ten minutes before class. Showing up prepared and relaxed and ready to go makes me feel a whole lot better.

I’ve got enough copies for 40 one day seminar students and 40 beginner class first week lesson plans. I will not need that many right now but that’s ok. They’ll be paid for and all set for next year when hopefully I’ll need every one of them. But for now this is the most prepared I’ve ever been this early for any class I’ve ever taught. I’m SO ready to do this.

This is probably the most excited anyone has gotten over making a big pile of copies for a long time but it’s a lot more than that. I’m creating something from nothing and that’s a thing that never bores me. This one is especially sweet because I’m building back up what that rat bastard thief and his two monkeys tried to take from me. They can’t steal passion.

I’m getting better but I still have a long way to go. I have no idea who if anyone will be showing up to classes this next week but even if nobody does I’ll keep trying and regroup until next year when I’ll come back and try it again. At least I won’t have to make copies.