caffeine-addiction restarts... yesterday

Yesterday was a pretty long day. After babysitting some kids last minute in a hotel the night before that, I tried to sleep... and failed. Woke up and went to the gym. Upon my return from the body temple, I had a voicemail from the mom... I had taken their hotel key. Woops! She was very cool about it and asked that I leave it at a nearby restaurant in an envelope with her name on it, as she had reservations there later that night. I apologetically obliged and then hopped on my usual Sunday train to the Brooklyn JCH to volunteer with kids with autism for a few hours, where I lead a double life as a is-she/isn't-she Jewess... They aren't sure if I'm Jewish - some think I am, some probably don't, some probably don't care... for instance, the following conversation snippet.

Mike: Whoa, you have blue eyes?!

Me: Yeah...

Mike: Sick! (he said this enthusiastically, in that male way that actually means something positive)

I worked with little Jamie again, which was fun, as she has no behavioural problems at all, and I felt like we actually made a connection as she climbed on the ballet bars in front of the mirrors in the dance room and we stared at our reflections. She mimicked my facial expressions and we danced to the music and did all kinds of acrobatics. It was great. If only my fellow workers were as friendly... Not that they're unfriendly, just cliquey.

Anyway after that was done, I got to leave in the snow and go to dinner with my two favourite Southern ladies, Bit and Suzanne. After some dinner and gossip, brought to you from India and North Carolina... and California, of course, we enjoyed a giant slice of carrot cake.

Today, I awoke at the very early hour of 6:45 and returned to Brooklyn, this time to meet a boy named Christopher, his current babysitter, Estera, and his mom, Janice, to see what it would be like to be his babysitter two afternoons a week... and I'm gonna do it. Christopher is going to be ten in March and has autism. He loves trains. He was a sweetheart.

Carolyn and her friend Aubrie will be at my apartment for a few days starting this afternoon. I hope it stops snowing so that I can take them outside and do some touristy shit. The rest of this week (and my life), I'm going to be too busy to do anything like that and will just be sending them out into the world, saying, "Have fun! Come back when it gets dark!"

I am going to be so tired this semester. My two jobs and classes are going to kick the shit out of me. But I think I will be happy. That is the goal.