Yes I'm stalling

I know I promised a story about Charlotte, and the inimitable Jill Dineen Band. I'm stalling. Waiting for Marianne to hook me up with the sweet pictures she took. In the meantime have a look at how gorgeous my girl is, courtesy of the band's Facebook page:

I don't know who owns this image, but if it's you please claim it in the comments! I'm all about crediting artists for their work.

I bought some peaches at the farmer's market this weekend, and I have big plans for those. I'm stalling. Waiting for them to get a little more ripe. Because friends? A sour-ass under-ripe peach will make your cheeks suck in like a bite of black hole.

I hinted at another project I've been working on. I'm busting to tell y'all some really good news, but, you guessed it. I'm stalling. Waiting for final confirmation before I go shouting to the world.

Actually, you know what? Screw it.

I got a job. Awesome, right? Or at least, I got an offer. Cue the celebrations...

Check that. Instead, brace yourself for an avalanche of qualifying statements. Barring catastrophe, I'll be teaching and coaching speech at a local college. (I'm still working on a clever synonym to wall off this blog from their Google keywords.) If all goes well I start with a schedule of public speaking and business communication come fall. As long as nothing crazy happens, my team will be small and my travel schedule light. Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll see some of y'all at the Alabama tournament in October. I'm stretching now for qualifying statements. You get the drift though, yeah?

This is a brilliant opportunity. In fact, it's kind of a too-good-to-be-true opportunity. And my crazy can't cope. Instead of celebrating and looking forward, I'm seized with anxiety. It's been a bumpy couple of years for the old career after all. And a commensurate bumpy couple of years for the ego. I'm sorta waiting for a meteor to streak down out of the sky and smack me in the face. Perhaps metaphorically.

I do let myself get excited sometimes. Especially about my team. It seems they are young and small and virtually unheard of, which means we got no place to go but up. Aaand then I get paranoid, nervous that my insanely competitive nature will alienate rather than inspire. I got big ideas for this little program. I'm not sure how to present them in a way that won't turn off the rest of the staff. I don't want to come off like some Yankee know-it-all who's too big for her britches. Even if that's marginally true.

And now we come to the inevitable question for commenters. Any ideas about how to proceed? Seriously, your advice is welcome -- nay -- desperately yearned for.

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