Well, that was... flail.

Today was the first day of my "More than Just the Zombie Apocalypse" week-long class at the Loft as part of their Summer Youth Writing Program.  It was... yeah, it could have gone better.

Several factors were working against me, however.  First of all, I could *not* find a copy of my syllabus anywhere. It took me forever to remember that I had a copy stored on Google Drive.  I got that transferred to a usb drive and then had to make a dash to Kinko's/FedEx in order to print it out and make enough copies.  The only thing working in my favor was that I guesstimated that I'd have 10 students and I was exactly right.  (Last head count was seven and I always plan for a few extra.)

So, I already started out a bit frazzled and feeling like I was running behind.  The frustration was added to by the fact that there was a woman at Kinko's who insisted she was still on the copy machine when all she was doing was collating her things on the table nearby.  Finally, she gave into my frantic hovering and muttering about how I had class in less than a half hour and NO SYLLABUS if I couldn't get to the copy machine.

My copies done, I busted out and hit the highway only to discover... no parking spaces.  I ended up parking in a very weird "services" parking lot for an apartment building and, as I left, I thought, "No, this isn't right.   I'm going to get towed."  So, when I found the Loft education coordinator I asked her about it and she graciously allowed me to park in the Loft Staff spot, but that meant I had to rush back out, move my car, and get to my third floor class all within about ten minutes.

So, I came to class feeling flustered and out of sorts, and then... it occurred to me:

I'D FORGOTTEN TO EAT.

Not, just "oh, crap, no time for lunch," but a full-blown, "oh, sh*t, I forgot breakfast as well as lunch."  So I was literally running on empty the entire class.  It's probably a miracle that I didn't faint dead away an hour into my hour and a half class.  But, that's extroversion for you.  I got the energy I needed from being in front of people and being expected to perform.

And there was a lot of dancing monkey and flailing, let me tell you.

A lot of flail.

All I can hope is that the students will be forgiving and all show up tomorrow.  I tell myself they've paid and probably have nowhere else better to be.  Also, the first class is usually just introduction at any rate, and I did manage that (though they must be all thinking instructor = moron.)  I also introduced the ideas of the wiggly definitions of science fiction and fantasy and how we'd probably end up covering both since: wiggly-wobbily define-y whine-y thing.

Oy.