Continuing Education (part 1?)

I'm very lucky. In this terrible horrible no good very bad economy, I have a solid job with a great boss, fun coworkers, and generally interesting tasks. How I feel about what I'm doing doesn't always reflect how I lucky I feel to be doing it. Does that make sense?

Anyway, over the last couple of weeks I've felt really motivated. I am considering auditioning for a show here in Boston (though it looks like the timing may not work out.) I'm writing more (and not just on the blog.)I have been cooking and cleaning and organizing more often the last two weeks than I did all summer. I'm sure some of it is the changing of seasons, a good deal of it is all the working-out, and maybe throw a little bit of the beautiful weather in there too.

All of this motivation in every-day life is bleeding over and becoming a strong desire to learn something new. I'm a student at heart. If I could afford it, I'd get 7 degrees. I'd take continuing ed classes every year. I'd live at the Boston Center for Adult Education. If I had my way, I would immediately - IMMEDIATELY - enroll in the following:

- Personal Training sessions
- A photography class
- Indian cooking class
- Spanish lessons
- Theology classes
- World history classes (Hubby's influence is rubbing off!)
- Sewing lessons
- Home Brewing workshop
- Jewelry making

Really. Those are just the things I can think of off the top of my head. What I spent my lunch break wondering if I could locate/pass/afford.

I'm guessing that I can pull off at least a few of these things. For instance, I don't actually *need* a home brewing workshop. I understand the brewing process and could pick up a kit and instructions for the house - from there, it's really just trial and error. I could probably grab an Indian cookbook and some equipment and again, figure it out as I go. Books and the internet make it easy to learn about world religions and history, and the fact that Hubs is a social studies teacher means I have access to a lot of resources. Still, there's something about being in a classroom or a workshop. Sitting at a desk surrounded by the other students and the materials, doodling in the notebook margins when there are breaks. Going home with your head full of new ideas, wondering what old, no-longer-useful information has been kicked out in favor of something more interesting, more relevant. But my work days tend to be long, and classes are expensive.

The good news is that my work days are long because I have a flex schedule. I work longer hours Monday through Wednesday and every other week I get a Thursday or Friday off (for instance, last week I had Friday off, I work 5 days this week, then next week I get Thursday off.) I think I need to start putting those Flex Days to better use. Usually I do a lot of cleaning and laundry on those days, but maybe I can also start using those days to try something new.

Of course, that means I'll have to find another time to do what I normally do on those days: watch "A Baby Story" and cry.