(09/27/99)["Improv party at the school."] I am a new teacher at a school and am shown to my office. I look around and see some things left by the previous teacher. I am organizing my material. I am trying to grind up some small rocks in a small square container. It won't grind them. I repeatedly take them out, look at them, and then try again. Finally I understand that the battery is dead. I decide to go to the school supply office. It is right next door, conveniently. I go in there. The two secretaries are busy. It is a regular admissions office, but there are gift like items for sale. Red glass vases, filmy scarves, hair things, and Christmas decorations. I am waiting and looking around. Sarafina comes over and I hand her my pile of things, requesting a return of some films, a new battery and a few other things I came for. Some other teachers come in and now its a party. Entertainment and jokes as I watch the room fill up all around me. A woman is doing her skit and I decide to join in the fun. I sit on the secretary (Sarafina's) chair and I touch her desk, from behind the counter. Everyone is shocked and the woman is very upset with me. I say opps. I made a mistake. Sarafina will be furious. Then I see a silly act at the door. William Shatner and someone else is outside the door and a tiny baby elephant is placed on the open transom. The door opens and I see William and the woman piled one on top of the other and they look up and see the baby elephant step down on William's back. They made silly faces as they all crunch down flat on the ground and roll into the room. I am in the corner by the door on the floor watching and I get all mixed up with them. William and the woman get up and walk away and the baby elephant rolls off me and I get up. It was very funny. Now the party is raucous and out of control. I leave and go back to my office, everyone is mad at me and as I open the office door I see they are in my room. I feel invaded and upset because they don't like me. The snotty woman is there who is mad at me. I tiredly explain to her that what I did helped them. The party had been boring. Not because it wasn't good, I hasten to reassure her, but because it had been done many times. It wasn't new. I improv'd and the energy opened up and now everyone had more fun. They started realizing I was right. Now they are beginning to like me.