On the Sixth Day of Christmas . . .

It’s been a busy and wonderful week.

It is sad that the vacation is almost over, since it has taken me all this time to FINALLY feel relaxed and content. Only a few more days and then it’s back to the grind . . .

Mr. Random got a video iPod for Christmas from my parents (my “elves”) and he has been happily fiddling with it ever since. I also got him the remastered Beatles “Love” CD, and it has been getting quite a bit of play here at the Random Household.

On Boxing Day, we had a couple of good friends over for lunch and a couple of games of Scrabble. It was a very fun and low key day . . .

Wednesday was a lazy day –Mr. Random is still sick and I was very tired, so not much happened besides sleeping and reading.

Thursday, we made a brave trek out to Tysons Corner Center mall, where we found that the Asian restaurant we enjoyed there had folded – I don’t even think it lasted a year! We had driven all the way out there in anticipation of a yummy soup and sushi meal and had to settle for TGIFriday’s – very disappointing. After lunch, we walked around a bit and spent our gift cards on books and jigsaw puzzles. Mr. Random also bought new shoes (much needed!) and a new watch (also much needed!).

Yesterday, my sister came to visit and we all went out for Ethiopian food at Zed’s in Georgetown. She had never had Ethiopian food before and seemed to be enjoying the experience. After the huge meal, we went walking up and down M Street, looking in all of the store windows while my sister marveled at the crowds of people on the streets – the streets don’t get anywhere near that crowded in the West Texas town in which she’s stationed.

I’ll post later about the wonderful things I received . . . I just was feeling bad that I hadn’t updated the blog all week, but you all were thought about often . . .

Christmas Time is Here . . .

I’m getting ready for Christmas here at the Random Household.

I’m going to pick up my sister, L, at the airport in a couple of hours and take her down to my parents’ house, where she’ll stay for the next two weeks. We are trying to plan many fun activities while she is here – including a dinner at one of the local Ethiopian restaurants . . .

I’ve been baking sugar cookies all afternoon, while wrapping Mr. Random’s presents. Since he is still a 10 year old boy at heart, I usually give him a number of little presents, including the obligatory socks and underwear. Can’t he buy his own socks and underwear the rest of the year? Yes, but what’s the fun in that? Besides, it’s easier just to get him a bunch at Christmas and on his birthday – it’s just what we do . . .

Christmas Eve will be spent wrapping the presents for my family, making the usual sweet potato cheesecake, putting the ornaments on the tree, having a nice dinner of baked pork chops and red potatoes, then going to Christmas Eve services at our church, where the choir has 12 – yes, 12! – songs to sing. Then we’ll come home and listen to Christmas CDs (Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Charlie Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and the fabulous “Ultimate Christmas Cocktails” jazzy 3 CD set) and have cookies and egg nog for a while. Before bed, Mr. Random and I will each open one present, usually from Mr. Random’s Mom.

When we wake up early on Christmas morning (because we are still 10 at heart) we’ll tear open our presents, ooh and aah, and then start playing with them for a while. Then I’ll make French Toast and Sausages and newspapers will be read. Then we’ll get dressed and make our way to my parents’ house where, with my two sisters and my parents, we’ll open more presents, hang out and talk and eat for the rest of the day and evening.

That’s the usual Christmas for the Randoms . . .

Faithful readers, I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, and just Happy Being You!

Fave Foto Friday: Ra-Pum-Pa-Pum-Pum

I took this picture in early 2004. Mr. Random and I had gone to dinner up the street and this gentleman was giving quite a performance in front of the Dupont Metro station in Downtown DC. I thought this one had a definite "Little Drummer Boy" vibe . . .

After I took his picture several times, I put a dollar in the bucket. I always feel a bit queasy taking photos of people in public, even though they are the pictures I love the best. I do have to get better at that . . .

I had Mr. Random scan in a lot of my pictures to share with our family and friends, and sometimes odd shadows appear on the sides, (because he scanned them still in the mats) but you get the idea . . .

How Great Our Joy

Just announced! The title of the last Harry Potter book will be:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/AR2006122100790.html]

I’m sure that Mr. Random and I will be reserving a copy at B&N as soon as humanly possible. Yes, we’ve fallen for the hype. No, we’re not twelve. So? I don’t follow the pop culture crowd as much as I used to, but this is harmless fun and the books are really engaging . . .

All is Calm, All is Bright

Mr. Random is home sick today. He came into my office around 3:45 yesterday afternoon and almost passed out on top of my desk, admitting that he didn’t feel well and that he needed me to drive him home. There are very few times that I’ve seen him that pale and drawn, and he rarely gets very sick, so I was beside myself with worry. When I told my boss I was leaving, she told me that I should go home too (one of the perks of having your husband work there – everyone understands when one has to leave for the other . . .)

I drove home and he promptly fell onto our bed. I had to coax him into taking off his clothes and taking some medicine – his voice sounded horrible and his coughs were so guttural. He had a quite a fever going, so I opened our bedroom window wide. Mr. Random fell right to sleep and slept for a good 3 hours. During that quiet time, I thought it was a good time to pull out the Christmas wreath to put on our door and find the Christmas lights to put on the tree. I didn’t really feel all that eager to do much more decorating, since I was rather exhausted from the day myself. When Mr. Random finally woke up, I made him some homemade pasta and bean soup for dinner, along with many, many cups of Earl Grey tea.

There are days I feel that I have fully satisfied the nurturing gene inside of me, and yesterday was one of them. For once I felt as if the hustle and bustle was stripped down, if only for a few hours, and there was time to be at peace and let the inner Martha Stewart come out.

I do wish it didn’t take someone being sick, or having to be on vacation for a week, to get to that place inside where I feel comfortable enough to be wife-y/motherly. Each day is always so jam packed with things to do, and Mr. Random hardly ever sits still himself (which is part of the reason he got so sick), that the mood never presents itself when I get home at night or on the weekends.

I think a goal for the new year is that I try to carve out a little more of my life so that I can have these moments a little more often, and not wait until an outside event forces me to do so . . .

With Angelic Host Proclaim . . .

The Random digital camera’s battery ran out on Sunday morning, much to my great dismay, so I did not get pictures of all of the wonderful, uplifting events that I participated in yesterday. I just feel the need to prove that I am NOT a cranky, gloomy Gus all of the time . . .

Yesterday morning, our church held its first annual children’s Christmas pageant, which was of course incredibly adorable with the under 5’s all decked out as angels in white pillowcases and glittered gold halos with paper wings. The only under 5 boy was decked out in a pretty authentic-looking shepherd costume. The older children served as the Wise Men, and various parents served as Joseph, Mary and King Herod (with a doll as the baby in the manger.) How can anyone’s heart not melt at the sight of little kids that you are watching grow up practically before your eyes, decked out in cute little costumes and trying to sing and dance in unison. I dare you not to go “Awwwwwww.”

After church, Mr. Random and I went to Target to get gifts for a 10 year old boy. The Random Non-Profit has had a long relationship with an elementary school in our area that has a large low income population, and each year we buy gifts for many children at the school who would not otherwise get anything. Mr. Random and I went a little wacky buying stuff for our kid, but it was so much fun to pick clothes and toys out. We don’t get any names for the kids - just how old they are, their sizes, and what type of topics they are interested in (like books, sports, etc). I hope some little kid is super-happy on Christmas day . . .

Then we had lunch and we went on to the National Cathedral Choir concert. Our cheap seats were in the back off to the side, so we did not hear or see as well as those people sitting in the main hall or up in the balconies. Mental note for next year: get tickets earlier and set aside enough money to buy decent seats. The organ music was all I had hoped it would be though – hearing a rendition of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” bouncing off of the high ceilings and the amazing stained glass windows, was just as heavenly as music can get . . .

Afterwards, we stopped by the Politics and Prose bookstore to get some gifts for my parents and Mr. Random’s Mom. We then tried to go to Café Deluxe or 2Amys for dinner, but at 2Amys there was just a crowd waiting outside to get in, and at Café Deluxe the wait was 45 minutes. We weren’t that eager to eat there, so we ended up at a restaurant in Shirlington eating salads and sweet potato fries . . .

When we got home, it was 9 PM, so I searched the closet for the wrapping paper and worked on wrapping all of the presents we bought for the little boy. After then giving a cursory glance at the Sunday papers, I went to bed totally exhausted. Mr. Random stayed up watching the Cartoon Network, as usual . . .

Volunteers from the school came by the office today to pick up all of the toys. The packages were collected in my office since I was right by the door, and I helped the volunteer lady and her little girl load all of the boxes and bags into her mini-van. It felt so wonderful that we were able to provide so may gifts and donations to the school – I’m just on a happy buzz of giving: I LOVE doing cool stuff like this that will make people happy . . . I only wish I had the money to do more, but I know that every little bit helps . . .

This is the whole point of the Holiday season, I think . . . which is why I love this time of year best of all, since so many more people join in to give to others . . .

I Wonder as I Wander Out Under the Sky . . .

I had my first performance review on Thursday with my new-ish boss. It was a rather glowing review – she’d like to see me do a bit more speaking and presenting and doing a lot less “support-role” type stuff . . .

All in all, she was rather pleased with me, and it was more than I could have asked for. No raises forthcoming though, since the Random Non-profit is not having a stellar financial year, but I am going to get a bit more vacation time next year.

So, why was I so despondent afterwards?

Well, I didn’t find out that I was having my evaluation until about 2 hours beforehand. I had a meeting in between, so I didn’t have much time to think about it and prepare for it mentally. She also asked me a lot of questions about things that I might be interested in and what I might want to do that I wasn’t quite prepared to answer – I was a bit thrown off guard, and I needed time to think through what was being asked of me. And the whole evaluation was rather rushed, since other than the time I was being asked questions, I really didn’t get to have any other input or state my own impressions of things, and have a bit of a dialogue about what’s happened in our department in the past year. I felt like I was being ambushed in a way . . .

So when I came home that night, and actually had time to sit down and think things through, I was not very happy at all with the situation. I came to the realization that I don’t like my job that much at all, and that if I had my druthers I’d find a new job in the new year.

However, several things are holding me back from doing so. One thing is the benefits, which are rather generous for any sort of workplace – for profit or non-profit. If Mr. Random and I decide to try to have a child next year, those benefits will come in terribly handy. Second thing is the flexibility – if I do get pregnant, I would be able to negotiate a very sweet part time arrangement once the child is here. Both Mr. Random’s longevity and my own would help us be able to take off when we needed to, no questions asked, since they know we are committed to getting our jobs done no matter what.

These are not frivolous reasons for staying. I know my own sanity should take priority, but we have many bills to pay, and grad school to deal with, and introducing another unsettling element (in finding a new job, and the adjustments that may need to be made there, along with the loss of flexibility) is not an attractive or wanted option right now. Mr. Random has another year and a half to go in his program. I just need to figure out how to cope with what I have now until then . . .

I have probably talked about this before, but it keeps coming back, and keeps sitting in my head with everything else stuffed up there. Please forgive me if it is tedious to listen to again . . .

So many things to think about over the Christmas break . . .

Do You Hear What I Hear . . .

Say hello to Gertrude.

She is the “new” camera I bought on Sunday at a flea market. She was the object of my drooling last week and, as it turned out that she was available for an incredibly cheap price, I snatched her up as quick as I could.

She is a Kodak Duaflex IV, vintage 1950’s. She takes 620 film, which is slightly smaller than 120 film and a bit more expensive. However, the film is still being made, which means that I will still be able to use her to take pictures, but not very often.

Her lenses are in fantastic condition – I just need to take some lens cleaner and a cotton-tip and do some detailing work to clean it up a bit. The really cool part is the viewfinder on the top of the camera, which you can’t see because the little hatch is down.

Even if I don’t use her she is still a great find, and I will gladly display her – she has such a great old-time vibe about her. I love old, film cameras . . . maybe sometime soon, I’ll get a brownie and a pinhole to complete the collection . . .

In other news, Mr. Random is all freaked out about his final assignments for class that are due on Saturday. We have some other stuff going on at the Random Non-Profit that is adding to his workload, and which is not helping his stress at all. I’m doing what I can, being as much moral support as I can be, but also staying out of the way as he needs to get stuff done. I have plenty of my own work to occupy me, so I just stress out in my own little corner . . .

Happy news! Mr. Random and I finally did get tickets to a concert at the National Cathedral this weekend, and I am extremely excited. I can’t wait to hear the acoustics in that building . . .

Major boos to the Washington, DC radio market! The much beloved WGMS classical radio station is going off the air soon, despite that fact that it was a very highly rated station (which is rare). Mr. Random and I actually listen to that station both before going to bed and getting up in the morning, and I listen quite a bit at work. I’m fairly ticked off that a quality station is getting the boot so that they can put on more sports talk and ‘Skins games. It sucks that there is nothing we can do about it – and it annoys me that we are always told to go on the internet or get satellite radio. First off, I don’t want to sit in front of the computer, or have the computer on, all freaking day. Second, I don’t want to have to cough up more bucks just to listen to the radio. . .

Yes, I know . . . I’m a total anachronism. I love old cameras and books and print newspapers and black and white films and classical music. I always hoped to share some of these things with my future children, the way my family shared them with me.

I remember being a little girl in Philly and on Sunday afternoons my parents listened to a radio station that played Big Band music and old standards most of the day. My parents were way into the Disco and the R&B and the Top 40, but they also exposed my sister and I to other music like that through the radio, since we couldn’t afford to go to any concerts and stuff. (We also watched a lot of Lawrence Welk and Hee Haw – yes, we were weird kids . . .) I was exposed to classical music through being in choir and concert band and school field trips (oh, and Bugs Bunny cartoons . . .), and then finding music on the radio expanded my knowledge a bit more.

Yes, I know you can find all of this stuff on the computer now – but it’s not the same. Everything is so fragmented now, so “you have to pay extra” to get something different or hunt through a bunch of stuff to find what you like. I know things were never simple, but they just seem to be made so much harder now . . .

. . . wait . . . I’m not saying this right . . . what am I saying? It’s hard for me to say what’s in my heart sometimes . . .

Yes, there are more choices out there. Yes, you can find whatever kind of music you want now, all you have to do is search for it on the internet. But you have to know what you are looking for first . . . and sometimes, you don’t know what that is . . .

Wait. That doesn’t make sense either. What am I trying to say? . . .

Maybe I’m just raging against the dying of the light. Maybe I feel like a lot of things that have given me comfort are being taken away, or changing too quickly for me to deal with. So much is happening – so much change in our own lifetimes – I just want some things to stay constant, that I can count on to be there tomorrow, next week, next year . . .

It’s more than just some stupid radio station . . . I think it just makes me more aware that I am getting older, and time will not stop for me. That I will become one of those old people railing about the loss of traditions, of those things that they enjoyed and clung to in the prime of their lives. A new generation is here who totally doesn’t care – the future is cool and bright and now . . .

I care. And I guess I am being left behind too . . .

Follow Me in Merry Measure

Well, I don't know what went wacky with Friday's post . . . That's what I get, I guess, for not waiting to post until I got home . . .

I'll have to try to remember to post my photos on Thursday night, when I'll have more time to play around and make sure everything is uploaded properly.

It's really sad that the week hasn't even started yet and I already want Friday to be over. Part of the reason is that we get paid on Friday, which means that I can start Christmas shopping in earnest then. I will probably get the bulk of shopping for Mr. Random done next Monday. We won't be able to start decorating until Saturday night, since Mr. Random didn't have time to try to pry the tree box out of our overstuffed closet this weekend.

I am cautiously optimistic about this week, since Friday is the Random Non-profit's Holiday party, which means that the work year is SO CLOSE to being over for me. Just a few more projects to finish up, although those projects are quite a bear.

Does anyone have cool plans for the holidays?

Favorite Foto Friday

Pax Romano's Blog participates in Fave Foto Friday, and I think it's a wonderful idea. I'll try to put up my own favorites that I've taken when I can . . .

This picture I took when I was in New Orleans in January 2004 - it is one those pictures that has a great Big Easy vibe for me. Plus, black and white film has such a great documentary feel, I think. One of the guys seems to have been cut off a bit, but I think he got chopped in the scanning process . . .

If the picture is too small, do click on it to see a bigger version. Enjoy!

Tidings of Discomfort and Ennui

I was playing around with some of the Blogger features last night and added the little random Flickr panel on the left. I’m still not sure if I like everything, but at least I’m trying to keep things a little fresh for my faithful readers!

I probably won’t keep the post labels since I won’t be able to remember what they are from one day to the next. Maybe I should just say “Random Labels” and be done with it – many more comic possibilities that way . . .

I’ve been thinking a lot more about what I want to do in the coming year. I need to focus on just two things and not try to do everything that I’m interested in at the moment. That’s always been my main problem – I try to focus on everything and then wear myself out with over scheduling and stress.

As much as I would like to do the middle school tutoring one night a week, I can’t focus on that AND teach ESL one night a week AND do Choir AND do photography AND do other random volunteering AND work full-time AND have some sort of social life that I would enjoy. I mean, it is not impossible, but it would mean more training, a different curriculum to finesse, and another organization to deal with. If I’m going to do more photography, I have to spend time and focus on it – I have to stop being such a poseur, and DO something . . .

My mood is still at an all time low. I’m tired and cranky. My energy is starting to flag. My greatest desire is to stay at home and sleep and read all day. The Random Non-profit has been a ghost town so far this week and will get worse as the weeks go on toward the end of December. I am drinking a lot more water and tea these days, if only to keep myself from eating all of the candy that’s lying around. The air has also been very dry with heaters going full blast everywhere . . . yes, I know – whine, whine, whine . . .

I had hoped to get tickets to a choir concert at the National Cathedral for next weekend, but they fell through. I had really looked forward to going and absorbing the immense wonderfulness of the place, but it was not to be . . .

Mr. Random continues to be extremely busy with his reporting class. On Saturday, he had to go cover an event in DC where he had an opportunity to speak with the DC new female Police Chief, which was very cool. He had to go to the event, write an article and submit it by the 5 PM deadline, which is much harder than it sounds. He’s been working so, so hard that I really want to get him something nice for Christmas . . .

So I am making arrangements with some “elves” to make sure that Mr. Random will get the electronic toy that he wants this Christmas – the local Santa (me) can’t quite swing the bucks for it this time. My drooling over the twin-lens reflex camera was just a crazy dream – I need to just suck up and be happy with what I’ve got for now. You can’t shop your way to happiness, even though I’d really like to try it sometime . . .

I was reading a blog where they talked about driving down a street where everyone had inflatable Santas on their lawn. Most of the comments chided in on how incredibly tacky that was . . . I hope to never live in a neighborhood where people think that inflatable Santas, snow globes, snowmen, or whatever are considered tacky. Just because they aren’t my cup of tea, I can see the seasonal humor factor in them – I’m all for people getting into the spirit, even if I don’t have the same strength of feeling. Maybe it was growing up in Philly, where neighborhood colored light displays are a high art form. Whenever I see a house outlined in oh-so-tasteful white lights, horrible as I feel to admit it, the first thought that pops into my head is “how snooty!” I’m a “colored lights” girl from way back . . . HAVE to have them on the tree. Not fond of blinking lights too much, it’s a little too neon sign-like for me, but I can see the attraction of the twinkling . . .

Wait . . . was that a little too Andy Rooney for today? Let’s try again later . . . I hope to be cheerier next time . . .

An ACTUAL Snapshot

I called this blog "Snapshots" because, at the time, I loved taking pictures. I still do, but I don't get to practice as much as I had in the past. Also, when I do take pics, they are usually for work, or uploaded to the other Random computer.

But now that I know how to upload pics ALL BY MYSELF (and it IS way easier than I thought), you guys might see a few more ACTUAL snapshots from me . . .

Tonight, let's start with this picture of the much slimmed down Random Cat stealing a hunk of bread from Panera. Unfortunately, that's the real color of our condo rug . . . I positively hate it . . . and please don't mind the old loafers in the background . . . and the fringe is from the table runner on the coffee table . . .

Random Cat is insufferable now. She is sufficiently slimmed down that now she can jump on counters - she could not before, which I thought was the best thing about her! She is also starving. all. the. time. so you if you are sitting on the couch or on the floor having a snack or a sandwich, she suddenly gets friendly and climbs all over you, trying to steal your food out of your mouth or off of your plate. She also now feels free to walk all over laptop keyboards, especially when very busy typing . . .

In short, she is now exhibiting true cat-like behavior, which is probably healthier all around, but I am ashamed to say that I rather liked it better when she was fat and lazy and lethargic . . .

Nowhere Near The Target, But Still Happy

NaNoWriMo is now over and I only wrote less than 5,000 words out of 50,000 for the month of November. Actually, that’s pretty good news, since it was the most writing I have ever been able to finish in a month, outside of this blog. In fact, I will credit the blog for helping me a great deal with this year’s project, since now I am at least posting once or twice a week. While I cannot put a winner sticker on my blog, I am proud to have the participant icon and seeing it will mean a great deal to me now. Let’s aim for at least 10,000 words in 2007!

I am in L-U-V . . . When Mr. Random and I went out to lunch on Sunday after church, we happened by an open-air antiques market. We stopped in - because we are pack-rats who love old things, even if we don’t have the money to buy any of it. At the market, we happened by a table of a man who was selling old cameras – all old film cameras, all in very good condition. He had several old Kodak Brownies in large black leather-ish cases, several old 30’s and 40’s type cameras that have the big flash bulbs that you pop out (just like you would see in an old movie where the press is taking a picture of some event), but my eyes immediately went to the absolutely gorgeous twin-lens reflex camera he had on the table. See (http://www.ozcamera.com/4_camera_types.html) and go to #3 to see what I’m talking about – it wasn’t that brand, but very similar. I have been doing nothing but thinking about that camera since yesterday and it is killing me. The gentleman let me hold it and look through it and I loved the simplicity and the design and the heft. You have to hold the camera almost to waist level and look down into the viewfinder to see what is going through the lens. The film that you would have to use is 120mm, which is the same as for a Holga (which reminds me that I need to get that film developed at some point from the pictures I took at National Cathedral – oy!) I’m not sure how much it cost (I’m SO hoping that it is reasonable), but I must go back next weekend to see if it is still there – if it is, it was meant to be mine . . .

Should I really be buying another camera right now, even though I’m hoping for a Digital DLR for Christmas? And that I have a bunch of other cameras that I need to get film developed for (the Holga 120mm B&W, the Canon A-1 35mm B&W, and the Canon AE-1 Program 35mm Color)? What if I said that I was going to become a collector, would that make it sound better?

Actually, my problem is that I hate having to get film developed – it costs actual money and takes actual time, especially since I use Professional films that you can’t just take over to CVS or Target to get developed. It was much more fun when I had access to the school’s darkroom and I could just play in the chemicals to my heart’s content. That’s why I want a digital – I can print the pictures myself, at home, without having to go through anyone else. Any mistakes I make will be mine alone . . .

Another busy week ahead, some of which may actually be pleasant. Volunteer pot-luck party tomorrow night, marathon choir practice Wednesday night, the return of Brat Night on Thursday, some sort of outing on Saturday. Mr. Random and I have to start taking out the Christmas decorations this week, too. We’ll probably put up the tree on Sunday. I miss having real trees . . . I miss that awesome evergreen smell. Hopefully, we can pick up some nice branches that we can place around the house as a substitute . . .

Do you know that I may actually be considering doing another evening of teaching in January? Not for the org that I’m teaching for now, but tutoring a small group middle school students in Literature? No, I’m not crazy – it’s just that I’ve always wanted to try to give back to younger people and nurture them in ways that I found helpful being nurtured when I was that age. I want to encourage kids to study hard and make the most of their opportunities, which is something that my parents really impressed upon me. Not everyone has such psycho . . . er, um, I meant has such committed parents working in their lives, wanting them to succeed.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I seem to have a pattern of the first post of the week just being a random mind dump, so the next one should be more coherent . . .