R.I.P. Playwright August Wilson (1945-2005): All ten plays in his cycle on the African American experience in America may not stand the test of time, but certainly some of them will. Some amazing actors starred in his plays – Charles S. Dutton, James Earl Jones, Brian Stokes Mitchell. I also heard a program on a local radio station about Mr. Wilson about a month or so ago when the news of his illness came out, that talked about how giving and helpful he was to young playwrights and writers. It is so tragic that he has died so young, but it must have put him at great peace to know that his goal was completed. (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/03/theater/newsandfeatures/03wilson.html)
Ramadan and High Holy Days: This is a very holy time of year for two major religions – Islam and Judaism. If you don’t know about what’s going on this time of year, do check out these sites for a bit of an overview.
(http://www.holidays.net/ramadan/)
(http://www.holidays.net/highholydays/)
Many blessings to all of my friends in these two faiths!
Yesterday’s poem seemed to strike a chord with everyone. Are we happy with the people we are now? What is it that we want to become that we aren’t already? You know, I actually do like the type of person I have turned out to be . . . I just want to put that energy toward something . . . more meaningful? Something that lasts outside of me and will endure? Something that adds to the amount of good done in the world? It can be argued that my ESL and non-profit work do that . . . is it a matter of scale? Unrealistic expectations?
Can I be alone with myself? For a while, I could not. I was distracted and needed distractions. Couldn’t sit still long enough to read more than a paragraph or two. Could stare at the TV for hours, glad for not having to be able to think. Now I am starting back reading a bit more, enjoying the quiet, able to concentrate again. Does this mean good things? Am I getting happier with being with myself? I don’t know . . .
Watched “Laguna Beach” last night. I caught up on the episode I missed last week. It is such fluff, and I feel so embarrassed watching it, but it is mindless fun. I don’t really like any of the girl characters . . . they just seem to use all of the guys (with the exception of Jason, who is also clued in on the using game) and not have any feelings for any of them . . . just sort of leading them on in a detached sort of “gee this is fun, but it doesn’t mean anything to me” kind of way. The previous sentence probably makes no sense unless you watch the show, and can tell what I’m trying to get at . . .
I promised a review of The Image, but didn’t finish it last night. It seems to be belaboring the same points over and over and over in the chapter I am on now. I’m just going to skip the rest and read the last chapters tonight. It was a great premise, it is just going on a little too long . . .
I am still trying to figure out how to take an unpaid leave of absence. I’m thinking this is going to be quite beneficial to me, but there is not time to do it, there is so much going on. I’m starting to get a kernel of clarity about things and could use a breather, otherwise, I’m just going to turn into another sobbing mess in the next few months.
Today, I’ll end with some Langston Hughes. My poetry selections come and go . . . sometimes I have the time and am able to find poems that fit or that I like, other times I either can’t find a poem or I don’t have time to even look. As we go through our separate bouts of reflection and changes, always remember that basically, life IS fine . . .
Life is Fine
by Langston Hughes
I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.
I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.
But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!
I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.
I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.
But it was High up there! It was high!
So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born
Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.
Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Monday, October 03, 2005
So the Week Begins . . .
Didn’t run in the Army Ten Miler this year – I had toyed with the idea of just starting and then seeing how much I could do, but I had a bout of insomnia Saturday night and didn’t fall asleep until after 2 AM – not enough sleep to run 10 miles on. Mr. Random did run though, and was involved with the big snafu this year . . . they rerouted the race an extra mile longer because of a suspicious package found under the DC 14th Street Bridge. Because the race was rerouted at the last minute, it became an “unofficial race” (considered a “recreational run”) and therefore they were not counting anyone’s completion times. Mr. Random didn’t mind – he just runs to run – but some folks who were competing for money or to register a personal best were quite upset about it. Mr. Random said that it was a small price to pay though, I mean, would you rather have been blown up on the bridge?
Reading of the week: Daniel J. Boorstin’s The Image: A Guide to Psuedo-Events in America. This book was written in 1961 and is incredibly contemporary. I started it on Sunday morning and am already halfway through. Explains how a lot of what we consider “news,” isn’t – rather it is stuff made up to seem important and fill space & time in newspapers and on newscasts. Makes some interesting points, although not all that I agree with, but it does get your mind working. I will give a full review when I am finished.
Went to Art on the Avenue on Saturday. Talked to several B&W photographers who had booths and whose work I was very interested in. All of them use film, have their own darkrooms at home, develop their own negatives and create their own prints. One guy was saying that the equipment is pretty cheap now that most people are moving to digital and getting rid of their darkroom stuff. I would LOVE to have my own darkroom at home, and when we were house hunting I was trying to find a place that would allow me to do so, but the only place I could have a darkroom is in the half bath, and the fan doesn’t work in there at this point. Maybe if I got it fixed I could set something up in there, but I think the room is still much too small to have an enlarger in there.
The art was really blah – more crafts than art, and yes I do make a distinction – and nothing stood out to me, besides the photos. However, a vintage clothing store on the Avenue was having a sidewalk sale and I think I fell in love with a few of the things in there. There was a black velvet cape with a hood which would have gone lovely with the black and white Audrey Hepburn-type 60’s dress I saw inside. There was also a velvet hat that would have gone lovely with the cape, too. Everything was very reasonably priced for the styles and condition they were in, but still a little too pricey for me right now . . . although I still have them on my mind. What are the odds that those items will still be there a month from now?
I also had about 5 cokes with lunch. I rarely do that, but the Mexican restaurant we went to didn’t have any of my alternatives, and I didn’t feel like water. The waiter refilled my glass a ton of times, and I just kept on drinking . . . so with all the caffeine and sugar, I was pretty wired for the rest of the day. And THEN we got frozen custard at the Dreamery. I was fairly spinning in a sugar haze that afternoon . . . but I did have a very good afternoon, overall!
There goes the neighborhood: This article caught my attention in the WP on Sunday - Chevy Chase's Conflict of Size and Sensibilities: 'Mansionization' Pits Old vs. New
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/01/AR2005100101470.html)
Now, I’m kind of torn about this type of thing. It always makes me very sad to see little bungalows torn down and made into those monstrosities, because (a) it means that the character of the neighborhood is changed (b) it means that someone else will not be able to buy what should be a starter size type home (c) it gets rid of an architectural type of housing that no one is building anymore, and that there IS a demand for . . . it’s just that those of us who would want those type of houses can’t quite afford them yet. However, I understand people wanting more space than these houses can provide, while still wanting to live in a really close in neighborhood . . .
That lady is blocking the sun of two of her neighbors, though. That’s kind of rude. There are ways to add on the space you want without towering over the entire neighborhood – you just have to work with the architect to get the desired result. To build something SO out of the character to the neighborhood takes a bit of ignorant willfulness on the homeowners part. I know enough about design, architecture and renovation to know that making updates and expansions to houses in the character of the present neighborhood has been successfully done in the past. Some people DO just want to show off their wealth . . .
Today’s Poem: Seems to fit so well, I just had to share.
To Waiting
by W. S. Merwin
You spend so much of your time
expecting to become
someone else
always someone
who will be different
someone to whom a moment
whatever moment it may be
at last has come
and who has been
met and transformed
into no longer being you
and so has forgotten you
meanwhile in your life
you hardly notice
the world around you
lights changing
sirens dying along the buildings
your eyes intent
on a sight you do not see yet
not yet there
as long as you
are only yourself
with whom as you
recall you were
never happy
to be left alone for long
Reading of the week: Daniel J. Boorstin’s The Image: A Guide to Psuedo-Events in America. This book was written in 1961 and is incredibly contemporary. I started it on Sunday morning and am already halfway through. Explains how a lot of what we consider “news,” isn’t – rather it is stuff made up to seem important and fill space & time in newspapers and on newscasts. Makes some interesting points, although not all that I agree with, but it does get your mind working. I will give a full review when I am finished.
Went to Art on the Avenue on Saturday. Talked to several B&W photographers who had booths and whose work I was very interested in. All of them use film, have their own darkrooms at home, develop their own negatives and create their own prints. One guy was saying that the equipment is pretty cheap now that most people are moving to digital and getting rid of their darkroom stuff. I would LOVE to have my own darkroom at home, and when we were house hunting I was trying to find a place that would allow me to do so, but the only place I could have a darkroom is in the half bath, and the fan doesn’t work in there at this point. Maybe if I got it fixed I could set something up in there, but I think the room is still much too small to have an enlarger in there.
The art was really blah – more crafts than art, and yes I do make a distinction – and nothing stood out to me, besides the photos. However, a vintage clothing store on the Avenue was having a sidewalk sale and I think I fell in love with a few of the things in there. There was a black velvet cape with a hood which would have gone lovely with the black and white Audrey Hepburn-type 60’s dress I saw inside. There was also a velvet hat that would have gone lovely with the cape, too. Everything was very reasonably priced for the styles and condition they were in, but still a little too pricey for me right now . . . although I still have them on my mind. What are the odds that those items will still be there a month from now?
I also had about 5 cokes with lunch. I rarely do that, but the Mexican restaurant we went to didn’t have any of my alternatives, and I didn’t feel like water. The waiter refilled my glass a ton of times, and I just kept on drinking . . . so with all the caffeine and sugar, I was pretty wired for the rest of the day. And THEN we got frozen custard at the Dreamery. I was fairly spinning in a sugar haze that afternoon . . . but I did have a very good afternoon, overall!
There goes the neighborhood: This article caught my attention in the WP on Sunday - Chevy Chase's Conflict of Size and Sensibilities: 'Mansionization' Pits Old vs. New
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/01/AR2005100101470.html)
Now, I’m kind of torn about this type of thing. It always makes me very sad to see little bungalows torn down and made into those monstrosities, because (a) it means that the character of the neighborhood is changed (b) it means that someone else will not be able to buy what should be a starter size type home (c) it gets rid of an architectural type of housing that no one is building anymore, and that there IS a demand for . . . it’s just that those of us who would want those type of houses can’t quite afford them yet. However, I understand people wanting more space than these houses can provide, while still wanting to live in a really close in neighborhood . . .
That lady is blocking the sun of two of her neighbors, though. That’s kind of rude. There are ways to add on the space you want without towering over the entire neighborhood – you just have to work with the architect to get the desired result. To build something SO out of the character to the neighborhood takes a bit of ignorant willfulness on the homeowners part. I know enough about design, architecture and renovation to know that making updates and expansions to houses in the character of the present neighborhood has been successfully done in the past. Some people DO just want to show off their wealth . . .
Today’s Poem: Seems to fit so well, I just had to share.
To Waiting
by W. S. Merwin
You spend so much of your time
expecting to become
someone else
always someone
who will be different
someone to whom a moment
whatever moment it may be
at last has come
and who has been
met and transformed
into no longer being you
and so has forgotten you
meanwhile in your life
you hardly notice
the world around you
lights changing
sirens dying along the buildings
your eyes intent
on a sight you do not see yet
not yet there
as long as you
are only yourself
with whom as you
recall you were
never happy
to be left alone for long
Saturday, October 01, 2005
A Family-Friendly, Heartwarming Film . . .
Today, as I was updating the links on my blog, I found these gems on "Making Light."
It seems that there was a competition where assistant movie editors "re-cut" old trailers for famous movies and try to make them seem like totally different movies. If you can watch movies on your computer I do say check these out . . .
Especially The Shining (A feel good family film) - (http://waxy.org/random/view.php?type=video&filename=shining_redux.mov)
West Side Story (as a zombie movie) - (http://www.ps260.com/Trailer/westsidestorytrailer_small.mov)
Full Story and more links here: (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006895.html#006895)
Have fun! Happy Saturday!
It seems that there was a competition where assistant movie editors "re-cut" old trailers for famous movies and try to make them seem like totally different movies. If you can watch movies on your computer I do say check these out . . .
Especially The Shining (A feel good family film) - (http://waxy.org/random/view.php?type=video&filename=shining_redux.mov)
West Side Story (as a zombie movie) - (http://www.ps260.com/Trailer/westsidestorytrailer_small.mov)
Full Story and more links here: (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/006895.html#006895)
Have fun! Happy Saturday!
Friday, September 30, 2005
Free Form Friday
*"Free Form Friday" . . . that sounds so classic rock station, doesn't it?
*Great news! They finally found a sub for my ESL class Thursday nights, starting next week. He will come by on Tuesday and I will introduce him to the class and show him where we are in the curriculum. I can breathe easier now. . .
*Class last night went well, although I think I either tried to cover too much material, or my class was just really antsy at this point in the week and just wanted to get out of there – I think a combination of the two. We didn’t get our books last night, so I passed out a lot of worksheets, which may have seemed overwhelming. Hopefully, next week will go better – I just need to finish teaching them simple present tense verbs, and then we can move on to the next chapter.
*Today is a beautiful day in Northern Virginia . . . not too hot, blue skies, sunny . . . the kind of day you want to be outside doing something, rather than stuck behind a desk doing monotonous stuff . . .
*Went to pick up t-shirts and bibs for the Army Ten Miler at lunchtime today. I am in NO shape to do this race at this point – I mean, I could probably do about 3 or 4 miles before I’d have to start walking, but I am temped to go and just be a part of the start of the race and feel the adrenaline rush of being part of the group, all ready and raring to go, all suited up in our various running togs and good luck talismans. Mr. Random is ready and nervous, since he is going to use this race to see if he would be ready to do the Marine Corps Marathon later this month.
*Donald’s Apprentice Note: I totally agreed with the decision to fire Chris (?) He was a TOTAL idiot . . . Trump was saying very clearly, “Don’t bring Marcus into the boardroom.” What did he need to do, spray paint it on the wall for him? Now, I think that Marcus needs to go – nice enough guy, but a disaster in this setting – but now was not the time to call him out. Chris should have brought the other guy in there too, the one who came up with the print ads. I also think it’s funny that on these car ad-type tasks, the guys always think that they have this task NAILED, and then they come up with the lousiest ads I’ve ever seen. The women’s ads were excellent . . . maybe because they didn’t have the cocky, testosterone-laden, “I know this market” attitude.
Hope to get time this weekend to put some more links on the side . . . so I can make this a one top shop for all of the blogs I read on a regular basis. However, I REALLY should be catching up on actual work that I have to do and keep putting off. Will I be a good girl and do my homework? We will see . . .
Have a great weekend everyone!
*Great news! They finally found a sub for my ESL class Thursday nights, starting next week. He will come by on Tuesday and I will introduce him to the class and show him where we are in the curriculum. I can breathe easier now. . .
*Class last night went well, although I think I either tried to cover too much material, or my class was just really antsy at this point in the week and just wanted to get out of there – I think a combination of the two. We didn’t get our books last night, so I passed out a lot of worksheets, which may have seemed overwhelming. Hopefully, next week will go better – I just need to finish teaching them simple present tense verbs, and then we can move on to the next chapter.
*Today is a beautiful day in Northern Virginia . . . not too hot, blue skies, sunny . . . the kind of day you want to be outside doing something, rather than stuck behind a desk doing monotonous stuff . . .
*Went to pick up t-shirts and bibs for the Army Ten Miler at lunchtime today. I am in NO shape to do this race at this point – I mean, I could probably do about 3 or 4 miles before I’d have to start walking, but I am temped to go and just be a part of the start of the race and feel the adrenaline rush of being part of the group, all ready and raring to go, all suited up in our various running togs and good luck talismans. Mr. Random is ready and nervous, since he is going to use this race to see if he would be ready to do the Marine Corps Marathon later this month.
*Donald’s Apprentice Note: I totally agreed with the decision to fire Chris (?) He was a TOTAL idiot . . . Trump was saying very clearly, “Don’t bring Marcus into the boardroom.” What did he need to do, spray paint it on the wall for him? Now, I think that Marcus needs to go – nice enough guy, but a disaster in this setting – but now was not the time to call him out. Chris should have brought the other guy in there too, the one who came up with the print ads. I also think it’s funny that on these car ad-type tasks, the guys always think that they have this task NAILED, and then they come up with the lousiest ads I’ve ever seen. The women’s ads were excellent . . . maybe because they didn’t have the cocky, testosterone-laden, “I know this market” attitude.
Hope to get time this weekend to put some more links on the side . . . so I can make this a one top shop for all of the blogs I read on a regular basis. However, I REALLY should be catching up on actual work that I have to do and keep putting off. Will I be a good girl and do my homework? We will see . . .
Have a great weekend everyone!
Thursday, September 29, 2005
The "Chuck Doesn't Fit In" Edition
*Martha’s Apprentice notes: I agree that Chuck should have been let go, but isn’t it obvious that Jim HAS to be fired? He is just pure evil. I was hoping that Martha would pull a Donald and just fire him on the spot. He was the biggest problem in this task – he just couldn’t shut his hole. I was just livid the whole time. I should probably stop watching, but I must like it or else I wouldn’t be so involved in it so far . . . it’s sucked me in!
*I’m hoping that the weather is nice enough on Saturday that I can take some B&W pictures at the Art show. I’m getting kind of rusty, and I really like taking crowd shots at these types of things.
*I would have put my pictures up by now, but they are all mostly in frames or mats, and it would be a pain to take them all out and then bring them to the office to get scanned in. (I work mostly in film.) I have some great shots that in took in the French Quarter of New Orleans in January 2004 that I would love to share with you all . . .
*There is a new blog that I’ve found called Politics, Theory and Photography (http://politicstheoryphotography.blogspot.com/) which seems really intriguing to me. I need to take some more time to delve into this gentleman’s arguments about “documentary” photography. I know quite a few people who work for newspapers in the photo departments as either photographers or editors, and I am in awe of what they do. A little teeny part of me would like to be the next Gordon Parks, and this blog may bring up some interesting viewpoints that had not even been on my radar screen.
*Another blog that I sometimes look at that is linked to a friend of mine’s blog today was kind of slagging off on the media as being politically biased, blah, blah, blah. You know, most journalists are just trying to do the best jobs they can, in the time restraints they are given. Because of deadlines, while they try to get every argument and side, sometimes people don’t call them back in time, editors cut out huge bits of the article due to space, etc., etc. Knowing how newsrooms work, and also how the companies that own the newspapers work (more worried about the bottom line than the content of their papers, and so they layoff people to keep the profits high,) being someone trying to report the news is a thankless, demoralizing job. Most people do not make the big bucks that some of the high profile people make, they do it because they love reporting what is going on, getting the rush of being there as things are happening. When people describe the media as a monolith, I always think of my friends and family and go, “What the Heck are these people talking about?” Oy! This is really a rant of mine to continue another time . . .
*Anthony Williams is not going to run again for mayor of DC. The guy was not a politician in the glad handing sense, but he did try his best with the mess he was given and I give him props for that. Large swaths of the city are in the process of being revitalized, which is a good thing, but many longtime residents are still left out of getting any of the benefits of this, which is a bad thing. Maybe the next mayor can figure that out, I don’t know . . . I don’t know of any big city that has truly figured out how to do both at the same time . . .
*I’ll end today with a poem, which I haven’t done for a while. If you like the poem you read here, do try to check out the poet’s other works . . . once, a poet I featured one day actually e-mailed me thanking me for finding her work. That was so awesome! (And I really need to write her back . . .) Always remember, these are folks like you and me, just trying to get their voices out there. I’m happy to help any way I can.
Something About the Stars
Keith Althaus
They are blind,
but you knew that.
All those years,
there,
not seeing,
but listening
to voices,
the way a satellite
overhears a conversation
in a car
miles below.
Do you remember saying . . . ?
But it's not like that,
what you said,
but how
it lives out there,
where heat and cold
are interchangeable
with light and dark,
where metallic hisses
and whistles die
in the dark
like numbers
divided by zero,
and we become
what we are
without the skin,
without the weight
of words to hold down
what we mean,
and something in us weeps,
and something in us sings.
*I’m hoping that the weather is nice enough on Saturday that I can take some B&W pictures at the Art show. I’m getting kind of rusty, and I really like taking crowd shots at these types of things.
*I would have put my pictures up by now, but they are all mostly in frames or mats, and it would be a pain to take them all out and then bring them to the office to get scanned in. (I work mostly in film.) I have some great shots that in took in the French Quarter of New Orleans in January 2004 that I would love to share with you all . . .
*There is a new blog that I’ve found called Politics, Theory and Photography (http://politicstheoryphotography.blogspot.com/) which seems really intriguing to me. I need to take some more time to delve into this gentleman’s arguments about “documentary” photography. I know quite a few people who work for newspapers in the photo departments as either photographers or editors, and I am in awe of what they do. A little teeny part of me would like to be the next Gordon Parks, and this blog may bring up some interesting viewpoints that had not even been on my radar screen.
*Another blog that I sometimes look at that is linked to a friend of mine’s blog today was kind of slagging off on the media as being politically biased, blah, blah, blah. You know, most journalists are just trying to do the best jobs they can, in the time restraints they are given. Because of deadlines, while they try to get every argument and side, sometimes people don’t call them back in time, editors cut out huge bits of the article due to space, etc., etc. Knowing how newsrooms work, and also how the companies that own the newspapers work (more worried about the bottom line than the content of their papers, and so they layoff people to keep the profits high,) being someone trying to report the news is a thankless, demoralizing job. Most people do not make the big bucks that some of the high profile people make, they do it because they love reporting what is going on, getting the rush of being there as things are happening. When people describe the media as a monolith, I always think of my friends and family and go, “What the Heck are these people talking about?” Oy! This is really a rant of mine to continue another time . . .
*Anthony Williams is not going to run again for mayor of DC. The guy was not a politician in the glad handing sense, but he did try his best with the mess he was given and I give him props for that. Large swaths of the city are in the process of being revitalized, which is a good thing, but many longtime residents are still left out of getting any of the benefits of this, which is a bad thing. Maybe the next mayor can figure that out, I don’t know . . . I don’t know of any big city that has truly figured out how to do both at the same time . . .
*I’ll end today with a poem, which I haven’t done for a while. If you like the poem you read here, do try to check out the poet’s other works . . . once, a poet I featured one day actually e-mailed me thanking me for finding her work. That was so awesome! (And I really need to write her back . . .) Always remember, these are folks like you and me, just trying to get their voices out there. I’m happy to help any way I can.
Something About the Stars
Keith Althaus
They are blind,
but you knew that.
All those years,
there,
not seeing,
but listening
to voices,
the way a satellite
overhears a conversation
in a car
miles below.
Do you remember saying . . . ?
But it's not like that,
what you said,
but how
it lives out there,
where heat and cold
are interchangeable
with light and dark,
where metallic hisses
and whistles die
in the dark
like numbers
divided by zero,
and we become
what we are
without the skin,
without the weight
of words to hold down
what we mean,
and something in us weeps,
and something in us sings.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Managing Chaos, Part 2
Had an interesting conversation last night with the Lead teacher at the ESL site that I volunteer teach at. It seems that the new person in charge of the program has no idea what she’s doing. Which is why we STILL don’t have completed rosters for our classes, or textbooks to pass out to our students. Now, I really hate using the textbook because it is rather hard to understand and I prefer to copy handouts and do more oral exercises with the class. The students prefer that too, since they get to work on their conversation and pronunciation skills. However, it does serve as a good lesson guideline for the students and gives them something at home to refer to, so not having the textbooks at this point is a huge pain-in-the-derriere. And also, not having completed rosters means that I have no idea who is really supposed to be in the class (and who has paid) and who is on the waiting list. I really don’t care, since I’m happy just to teach everyone who shows up and wants to learn, but it is bad for the organization in that they won’t have really good records when it comes time to report our monthly progress to the state offices.
I had actually thought about applying for the job of the coordinator of the whole ESL program when it was open, but figured that the pay would be beyond dreadful for the amount of hours you had to put in . . . and it turns out that I was correct about that. However, it sounds like the whole program is in upheaval at the moment, and I feel like someone needs to walk into the offices and knock some people around to get them to focus on what is needed right now.
So far, my ESL class this year is smaller than the one I taught in the summer, but 6-8 people is a very workable size for me to deal with. They still haven’t found a sub for me for Thursday nights, since I can’t do classes too nights a week for too long without burning out. I’ve given them a deadline of October 20 to find someone for that night – they HAVE to be able to find someone by then or else they are going to have one very unhappy long-term volunteer who may not re-up in the Spring . . . and they really can’t afford to lose any more volunteers or staff . . .
Sorry about the rant! I know, I need to be more Zen about this stuff . . .
. . . What other Random thoughts are there for today? . . .
Well, if you were a faithful watcher of Bravo’s Kathy Griffin show “on the D List,” it would have been no huge surprise to find out yesterday that she’s filed divorce from her husband of 4 years. He always seemed like he was just along for the ride anyway . . .
Just found out that my favorite local band, Eddie From Ohio (http://www.efohio.com/flash2.html), will be playing at the Birchmere (http://www.birchmere.com/index.cfm) for three dates in January. Yay! If you have not heard this band before, do give them a listen . . . they are kind of folk/rock with a fun twist. Also if you have never been to the Birchmere before, you must go at least ONCE . . . it is one of THE best places to see live music played in the DC area.
Promise to have better content tomorrow . . . I had quite a few meetings today . . .
I had actually thought about applying for the job of the coordinator of the whole ESL program when it was open, but figured that the pay would be beyond dreadful for the amount of hours you had to put in . . . and it turns out that I was correct about that. However, it sounds like the whole program is in upheaval at the moment, and I feel like someone needs to walk into the offices and knock some people around to get them to focus on what is needed right now.
So far, my ESL class this year is smaller than the one I taught in the summer, but 6-8 people is a very workable size for me to deal with. They still haven’t found a sub for me for Thursday nights, since I can’t do classes too nights a week for too long without burning out. I’ve given them a deadline of October 20 to find someone for that night – they HAVE to be able to find someone by then or else they are going to have one very unhappy long-term volunteer who may not re-up in the Spring . . . and they really can’t afford to lose any more volunteers or staff . . .
Sorry about the rant! I know, I need to be more Zen about this stuff . . .
. . . What other Random thoughts are there for today? . . .
Well, if you were a faithful watcher of Bravo’s Kathy Griffin show “on the D List,” it would have been no huge surprise to find out yesterday that she’s filed divorce from her husband of 4 years. He always seemed like he was just along for the ride anyway . . .
Just found out that my favorite local band, Eddie From Ohio (http://www.efohio.com/flash2.html), will be playing at the Birchmere (http://www.birchmere.com/index.cfm) for three dates in January. Yay! If you have not heard this band before, do give them a listen . . . they are kind of folk/rock with a fun twist. Also if you have never been to the Birchmere before, you must go at least ONCE . . . it is one of THE best places to see live music played in the DC area.
Promise to have better content tomorrow . . . I had quite a few meetings today . . .
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Tiny Rays Peeking Through the Clouds
I want to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes. And yes, I’m pretty sure I have some sort of depression that requires attention pretty soon. I am one of those people who likes to do for everyone else, BUT me. Trying to carve out the time I need for me is sometimes very difficult for me to do, but I must get better at it.
My first order of business should be to tell my friend, C, to take a flying leap. She has sent me about eight e-mails today, in various degrees of distress, asking for help with some freelancing assignments she’s received. Despite that fact that she is supposed to be this great writer/editor, she can’t use MS Word worth a darn, and wants me to help her figure out document formatting and stuff. I am politely saying a big NO. Besides, she is the one who told them she could do all this stuff, if I do it for her they might as well be paying me.
This weekend is the Del Ray arts festival, and I am so looking forward to going to that. If you can’t tell, I love art festivals . . . even though a lot of the time the actual art is pretty crappy, you get a sense of people’s talents and creativity. One day I should get a booth for myself and put out some of my photos . . .
I really have been enjoying my weekends lately . . . it is the weekdays that get me down.
Am teaching ESL tonight, even though I am kind of tired. Went out at lunch and got some chocolates for the students . . . whatever keeps them coming back!
I don’t have choir practice on Wednesday, which is both good and bad. Good, because it means I have a free evening, but bad, because the reason we are not having it is that our Music Director is going to have heart surgery to clear a blockage . . . and he’s only 38! I’m hoping that the surgery comes out well and that he has a speedy recovery . . . he is just the nicest person . . .
I just realized that I haven’t posted a “Website of the Week” or a “Poetry Selection” in a while . . . I need to rectify that soon.
The new season of “The Apprentice” has started . . . and yup, I’m there to watch. I did watch the 1st Martha “Apprentice,” but somehow they have found more annoying people than the Trump one this season. However, I feel the need to support Martha – the woman has me in awe, what can I say? I don’t care at all for her artsy-crafty stuff, but as a businesswoman and force of nature . . . Man!
A Moment of Silence for Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart in “Get Smart.” That was one of my favorite shows when I was little, I watched the reruns everyday after school. Don Adams was also a very underrated comedian, whose talents weren’t taken advantage of as much as they could have . . .
Again, thanks to everyone for your lovely concerns. I’ll try to keep you all posted on how I resolve this . . . it should be an interesting ride. Hugs back to everyone!
My first order of business should be to tell my friend, C, to take a flying leap. She has sent me about eight e-mails today, in various degrees of distress, asking for help with some freelancing assignments she’s received. Despite that fact that she is supposed to be this great writer/editor, she can’t use MS Word worth a darn, and wants me to help her figure out document formatting and stuff. I am politely saying a big NO. Besides, she is the one who told them she could do all this stuff, if I do it for her they might as well be paying me.
This weekend is the Del Ray arts festival, and I am so looking forward to going to that. If you can’t tell, I love art festivals . . . even though a lot of the time the actual art is pretty crappy, you get a sense of people’s talents and creativity. One day I should get a booth for myself and put out some of my photos . . .
I really have been enjoying my weekends lately . . . it is the weekdays that get me down.
Am teaching ESL tonight, even though I am kind of tired. Went out at lunch and got some chocolates for the students . . . whatever keeps them coming back!
I don’t have choir practice on Wednesday, which is both good and bad. Good, because it means I have a free evening, but bad, because the reason we are not having it is that our Music Director is going to have heart surgery to clear a blockage . . . and he’s only 38! I’m hoping that the surgery comes out well and that he has a speedy recovery . . . he is just the nicest person . . .
I just realized that I haven’t posted a “Website of the Week” or a “Poetry Selection” in a while . . . I need to rectify that soon.
The new season of “The Apprentice” has started . . . and yup, I’m there to watch. I did watch the 1st Martha “Apprentice,” but somehow they have found more annoying people than the Trump one this season. However, I feel the need to support Martha – the woman has me in awe, what can I say? I don’t care at all for her artsy-crafty stuff, but as a businesswoman and force of nature . . . Man!
A Moment of Silence for Don Adams, who played Maxwell Smart in “Get Smart.” That was one of my favorite shows when I was little, I watched the reruns everyday after school. Don Adams was also a very underrated comedian, whose talents weren’t taken advantage of as much as they could have . . .
Again, thanks to everyone for your lovely concerns. I’ll try to keep you all posted on how I resolve this . . . it should be an interesting ride. Hugs back to everyone!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Postcard From The Edge
I had a little mini-nervous breakdown on Saturday when I was hanging out with one of my friends.
I’d been kind of sick all week, actually stayed home a couple of days but didn’t actually get any rest, because I was trying to “work from home” so that I don’t use up too many more sick days. Which meant that I got little done, and the stuff I got done was rather crappy. But I made the attempt and I’m counting it. I’m really not thrilled with things at work, and have all this stuff coming up which I am dreading with a passion.
My father left a message for me at work while I was out, and when I called him back told me that my youngest sister had dropped out of college and didn’t let anyone know. I feel really bad for her, and know how she must feel. There has always been a lot of pressure to succeed in my family, and not in just any way, but in my father’s way. I went through the same thing, oh, 15 years ago, and am sad to see history repeat itself.
My Dad said that he has realized that he has had to “lower his expectations” for his daughters. I told him that that was a crappy thing to say. He said he didn’t mean it the way it came out. I know that, but it still is a sucky thing to say about your kid. It’s been on my mind ever since . . .
On Saturday I woke up at 6:30 AM . . . for no apparent reason, just couldn’t get back to sleep, but I still felt really tired and stuffy. We needed groceries, so we had a really light, but carb-laden breakfast, which made me really crabby.
Went to my friend’s house and hung out for a while, sorting through their books, because they are trying to get rid of a lot of them. I took a whole bunch for myself, not wanting some perfectly good books to go to waste. We went to get custard at the Del Ray Dreamery . . . a place I highly recommend, if you have not been there. Custard is much creamier than ice cream, and a large sugar cone is just heaven in your mouth. The Dreamery has puzzles on its tables, so we sat a while doing the huge jigsaw puzzle. It was all so very nice . . .
Then walking back to the house, I started feeling so tired and sad. And then after loading the books into the car, I just had to sit down. And then I started crying and I couldn’t stop. Thank goodness I have such great friends who are there for me . . . everything just sort of piled up and came out at once.
I’m a little better now . . . I slept most of Sunday and didn’t do much, but I’m still not feeling my best. I wish I could take some more time off . . . Mr. Random suggested it, but I’d have to take it without pay, and we really need the constant money coming in to keep the bills paid . . . but I am starting to seriously consider it.
I’m just at a loss for what to do at this point. And at a loss for what to say. But I’ll figure something out . . . I could just use a few hugs right now, cyber or real.
I’d been kind of sick all week, actually stayed home a couple of days but didn’t actually get any rest, because I was trying to “work from home” so that I don’t use up too many more sick days. Which meant that I got little done, and the stuff I got done was rather crappy. But I made the attempt and I’m counting it. I’m really not thrilled with things at work, and have all this stuff coming up which I am dreading with a passion.
My father left a message for me at work while I was out, and when I called him back told me that my youngest sister had dropped out of college and didn’t let anyone know. I feel really bad for her, and know how she must feel. There has always been a lot of pressure to succeed in my family, and not in just any way, but in my father’s way. I went through the same thing, oh, 15 years ago, and am sad to see history repeat itself.
My Dad said that he has realized that he has had to “lower his expectations” for his daughters. I told him that that was a crappy thing to say. He said he didn’t mean it the way it came out. I know that, but it still is a sucky thing to say about your kid. It’s been on my mind ever since . . .
On Saturday I woke up at 6:30 AM . . . for no apparent reason, just couldn’t get back to sleep, but I still felt really tired and stuffy. We needed groceries, so we had a really light, but carb-laden breakfast, which made me really crabby.
Went to my friend’s house and hung out for a while, sorting through their books, because they are trying to get rid of a lot of them. I took a whole bunch for myself, not wanting some perfectly good books to go to waste. We went to get custard at the Del Ray Dreamery . . . a place I highly recommend, if you have not been there. Custard is much creamier than ice cream, and a large sugar cone is just heaven in your mouth. The Dreamery has puzzles on its tables, so we sat a while doing the huge jigsaw puzzle. It was all so very nice . . .
Then walking back to the house, I started feeling so tired and sad. And then after loading the books into the car, I just had to sit down. And then I started crying and I couldn’t stop. Thank goodness I have such great friends who are there for me . . . everything just sort of piled up and came out at once.
I’m a little better now . . . I slept most of Sunday and didn’t do much, but I’m still not feeling my best. I wish I could take some more time off . . . Mr. Random suggested it, but I’d have to take it without pay, and we really need the constant money coming in to keep the bills paid . . . but I am starting to seriously consider it.
I’m just at a loss for what to do at this point. And at a loss for what to say. But I’ll figure something out . . . I could just use a few hugs right now, cyber or real.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Gearing up for another one . . .
My sister called me this afternoon and said that she was about to get deployed to help with the Hurricane Rita aftermath, whatever it may be. She was saying that folks are being super prepared this time, in terms of making sure there are enough people and supplies around to help.
Please send all the happy vibes you can her way, and also to all of the people in the way of the storm . . . some of whom were just get settled in after being evacuated from Katrina. I can't even imagine how emotionally difficult that would be . . .
Please send all the happy vibes you can her way, and also to all of the people in the way of the storm . . . some of whom were just get settled in after being evacuated from Katrina. I can't even imagine how emotionally difficult that would be . . .
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Managing Chaos
My ESL class started again last night. There is a new woman in charge of the entire program and things were quite unorganized when I showed up to teach. I usually try to get there a half hour early so that I can set up, get my thoughts together, and get the computer lab ready for my students. The lead teacher hadn’t yet arrived, and already there was a line of prospective students who were interested in adding into the classes late. We did not have any rosters of who was in what class, there was no waiting list set up for people to sign up on, and there was no one there with placement tests, so that we could place the prospective students into levels.
The lead teacher showed up a few minutes before class was supposed to start, clutching just one copy of the roster. There are three teachers at our site, for the three levels that we teach – Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. The roster was not sorted by placement test score, so you had to hunt around to figure out who belonged in which classes. Both the lead teacher and the other teacher were new to the site and were still unsure of which levels they were going to teach.
So, I guess I kinda had to take charge. Luckily I’ve been doing this for a full year and had a handle on what scores needed to go to what class. I had to write out the class lists (really quickly) for everyone. We took down the new folks’ names on the waiting lists, but let them go into whatever levels they wanted. There usually are a few no shows during the first week, so this wasn’t a huge problem for class size. The two other teachers finally decided what levels they wanted to each, and then I went and pointed everyone to the correct classes. I guess I just get agitated at such chaos, especially when there are a lot of other people who need help and have no clue either – SOMEBODY has to take charge and do something, if only to let the students know that we aren’t complete idiots.
Once classes started, I was very happy with my group of students. They seem to work well together, and are a pretty easy going group. Now I just have to see if there is going to be another teacher who can take over on Thursday nights . . . my original team teacher can’t do it this semester, and while I can do two nights a week for a while, any longer than two weeks and I am just going to go bonkers – teaching takes a lot of time and energy and even just doing it once a week, I’m pretty wiped out.
Cross your fingers that I get a sub for Thursday nights!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Ode to the Random Cat
We found you at the PetSmart on a Sunday in January 2002, one of those Rescue Shelter cats that the store likes to showcase. You were such a sweet, quiet looking kitty, with big soulful eyes. We almost got you that day, but we had to think about it some more. Two weeks passed by, and we couldn’t stop thinking about you. We doubted that you were still there, but when we went back, there you were.
The lady told us that you had been left at the shelter TWICE . . . both times, your previous owners said that they had allergies. She said that you would take a while to trust us, and also that you liked to be petted while you ate, since that’s what they did at the shelter.
We brought you home, not knowing what was in store. The quiet kitty developed a loud voice. You told us when you were hungry and when you wanted to be petted and complained when we didn’t move fast enough. I have never seen such a vocal cat, outside of a Siamese. We learned quickly not to give you any food with turkey in it, or else you would be filling the house with fragrant emissions. You didn’t like to be picked up, and you still don’t like to sit in people’s laps. No one could ever accuse you of being an overly affectionate cat . . .
But with all of your standoffishness, very slowly you wormed your way into our hearts . . . or rather into MY heart, since I did not like cats to begin with, and especially a cat that hated to be hugged and wanted nothing to do with me outside of being fed. But the little things she did got to me . . . her habit of coming to bed with me and falling asleep curled up near my legs . . . her greeting me everyday when I come home from work, by flopping down at my feet and wanting to be petted . . . hopping up on the back of the couch when I am watching TV and trying to groom my hair by nibbling at it . . . OK, I guess I like you for that. It took you three years to get to this point, because of your “trust issues,” but I’ll take what I can get.
So I’m writing this little note to you, Random Cat, just to say that for all of your quirks, and the fact that we also call you our “Foster Cat,” we are so glad to have you and we wouldn’t know what to do without you. You are like your owners in more ways than you know . . .
{I seem to be having technical difficulties, since I can't get the stupid picture of the cat to post! Oh, well . . .}
Friday, September 16, 2005
Constantly Waiting . . .
Ever have one of those days when you have a ton of things to do, but you can't actually proceed on some of them, or finish others, because you have to wait for someone else to finish their part?
Today was that day for me. Arrrgh!!!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. :-)
Today was that day for me. Arrrgh!!!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. :-)
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Random Question of the Week
Hey, Virginia Gal . . . it seems to be just you and me here on this blog. Even the spammers have taken their wares elsewhere. Oh, well . . .
Just for the fun of it, I pose a question:
If you could pick any handsome gentleman, famous or not, to spend a lovely (but chaste) dinner, dessert and late night chat with, who would that gentleman be?
If anyone else is reading and wants to play, please do. Just pop in the appropriate same/opposite sex and go for it.
I guess I should begin . . .
My first choice, of course, is (and should be) Mr. Random. Thus the whole marriage thing, you know. But I would want to do this in a city we have never stayed in, such as Chicago or London, and after a day of seeing and doing new things, for maximum discussion value. Of course, it would have to be in a heavenly, funky hotel with really comfy rooms. And it would have to involve pitchers of sangria . . . if done properly, it’s the nectar of the gods, I tell you . . .
Second choice would be and evening with my friend, J, because he is just darling and fun to talk to and we never have enough time to just hang out. Mr. Random would have nothing to worry about, but it would be fun to pick someone else’s brain for a whole evening.
Third choice . . . hmmm. See, the “chaste” part is the delimiter, because I really wouldn’t want to discuss world politics with Antonio Banderas . . . so I’m looking for smart and funny, too. I’d pick Hugh Grant, but he’d probably think I was a blithering idiot. See, it would have to be a person you think could relate to you on a normal level and could actual hold a conversation with . . . Man, this is hard! I have to think some more about this . . .
Discuss, people, discuss!
Just for the fun of it, I pose a question:
If you could pick any handsome gentleman, famous or not, to spend a lovely (but chaste) dinner, dessert and late night chat with, who would that gentleman be?
If anyone else is reading and wants to play, please do. Just pop in the appropriate same/opposite sex and go for it.
I guess I should begin . . .
My first choice, of course, is (and should be) Mr. Random. Thus the whole marriage thing, you know. But I would want to do this in a city we have never stayed in, such as Chicago or London, and after a day of seeing and doing new things, for maximum discussion value. Of course, it would have to be in a heavenly, funky hotel with really comfy rooms. And it would have to involve pitchers of sangria . . . if done properly, it’s the nectar of the gods, I tell you . . .
Second choice would be and evening with my friend, J, because he is just darling and fun to talk to and we never have enough time to just hang out. Mr. Random would have nothing to worry about, but it would be fun to pick someone else’s brain for a whole evening.
Third choice . . . hmmm. See, the “chaste” part is the delimiter, because I really wouldn’t want to discuss world politics with Antonio Banderas . . . so I’m looking for smart and funny, too. I’d pick Hugh Grant, but he’d probably think I was a blithering idiot. See, it would have to be a person you think could relate to you on a normal level and could actual hold a conversation with . . . Man, this is hard! I have to think some more about this . . .
Discuss, people, discuss!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Still Cloudy
I can’t write today, I’m not feeling much better than yesterday.
On the good news front, my friend, C’s, life is looking up. She got 2 freelance assignments today – not a lot of money, but at least it is SOME money. Her dog is still bad off, but may be able to get medication to help alleviate some of the symptoms. So yay for her!
So I should be feeling better, but I don’t. Now Mr. Random has insomnia, of which I may have contributed to, I don’t know.
Fumbling around for words today, I came upon these two poems by Jeffrey Skinner. They so fit my mindset the past few days . . . interpret as you will . . .
The Long Marriage
They could not believe their luck — sunlight all the way down, lighting rocks lodged in the sandy bottom as if from within. Each rock angled just so, by some immense but casual intelligence. Rock weed held out its dark green fingers, waving. How can the water be so clear, and full of salt? In between their visits someone had removed the used condoms and shattered beer glass from the concrete cubicles, the breakwater fronting the old factory. The olfactory, he said. She did not see the humor.
At the beach a group gathered around the harbor seal who had hauled herself a small way onto the shore, waving an aristocratic flipper in the sun. Can't a mammal have a bit of privacy? She knew the feeling. The vertebra he plucked from the sand and showed her proudly was smooth, and cleanest white. But she would not have it in the house. Be happy you are alive and moving, she said. Bones belong in sand, rocks on ocean floor, and mercy in the great, shadowy hands of the indifferent one.
The Singer
This morning I began with large ambition to write a love poem. Give me a sonnet, I prayed, that captures my longing for the beloved. After all, I do love, I'm sure of it. But as soon as I wrote one line I saw how instantly familiar it was: the words in an order they had known before, in someone else's life, from someone else's mouth. It wasn't mine. When I crossed that line out and tried to begin again, no words came. Instead, my mind filled with an image of Rosemary Clooney, singing "They Can't Take That Away from Me." I'd seen the clip on TV the night before, because Rosemary had just died, after a long and brilliant career that included — as they say in Hollywood — bouts of addiction and depression. Rosemary was huge, she looked like a circus tent with a head poking through the top. She was singing but, really, she was dead.
On the good news front, my friend, C’s, life is looking up. She got 2 freelance assignments today – not a lot of money, but at least it is SOME money. Her dog is still bad off, but may be able to get medication to help alleviate some of the symptoms. So yay for her!
So I should be feeling better, but I don’t. Now Mr. Random has insomnia, of which I may have contributed to, I don’t know.
Fumbling around for words today, I came upon these two poems by Jeffrey Skinner. They so fit my mindset the past few days . . . interpret as you will . . .
The Long Marriage
They could not believe their luck — sunlight all the way down, lighting rocks lodged in the sandy bottom as if from within. Each rock angled just so, by some immense but casual intelligence. Rock weed held out its dark green fingers, waving. How can the water be so clear, and full of salt? In between their visits someone had removed the used condoms and shattered beer glass from the concrete cubicles, the breakwater fronting the old factory. The olfactory, he said. She did not see the humor.
At the beach a group gathered around the harbor seal who had hauled herself a small way onto the shore, waving an aristocratic flipper in the sun. Can't a mammal have a bit of privacy? She knew the feeling. The vertebra he plucked from the sand and showed her proudly was smooth, and cleanest white. But she would not have it in the house. Be happy you are alive and moving, she said. Bones belong in sand, rocks on ocean floor, and mercy in the great, shadowy hands of the indifferent one.
The Singer
This morning I began with large ambition to write a love poem. Give me a sonnet, I prayed, that captures my longing for the beloved. After all, I do love, I'm sure of it. But as soon as I wrote one line I saw how instantly familiar it was: the words in an order they had known before, in someone else's life, from someone else's mouth. It wasn't mine. When I crossed that line out and tried to begin again, no words came. Instead, my mind filled with an image of Rosemary Clooney, singing "They Can't Take That Away from Me." I'd seen the clip on TV the night before, because Rosemary had just died, after a long and brilliant career that included — as they say in Hollywood — bouts of addiction and depression. Rosemary was huge, she looked like a circus tent with a head poking through the top. She was singing but, really, she was dead.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Asleep While Awake
I had a very lovely weekend that did not last long enough. . .
Went to Alexandria’s Festival of the Arts on Sunday. It was just as crowded this year as it was last, but the art works on display weren’t all that exciting this year. I was able to meet up with my favorite artist, but he told me that he wouldn’t be at the Bethesda Row show this year, which made me quite bummed, because when I do buy his work, it’s usually in October (early Christmas present.)
I slept better this weekend, but I am still quite tired . . . like I’m sleepwalking or something. I found out that we won’t be able to go to Philly in November again this year, although Mr. Random’s mom may be coming to visit that month. We haven’t been to Martha’s Vineyard for our anniversary vacation in 5 years. Our 7th anniversary is coming up and there doesn’t seem to be much to look forward to, fun wise. I know we just took that long vacation to the West Coast, but that wasn’t a REAL vacation! That was a couple of Tennessee Williams plays broken up by long train rides!
Married 7 years. It doesn’t seem that long really, although a lot has happened to and with us in that time. I’m guessing we are pretty well settled now: this is how it’s going to be until we have children or other circumstances change. There is a great amount of comfort in that, but sometimes you wish for the early days back again – when you were just getting to know each other and things hadn’t devolved into the daily routine and bill paying and laundry. That’s why . . . we need to go to London!
My friend C’s situation has gotten a bit worse over the weekend. She found out this morning that she didn’t get either of the jobs she interviewed for last week. C also has a 15 year old Maltese, Sir Walter, who this morning couldn’t walk and seems to be in a large amount of pain. She is taking him to the vet today, but it doesn’t look good. The dog is the main thing that has been keeping her active and getting up in the day, and if he needs to be put to sleep, I have no idea how she will deal with this latest blow, and I so worry about it . . .
Those are my random thoughts for today . . . not very exciting, huh?
Went to Alexandria’s Festival of the Arts on Sunday. It was just as crowded this year as it was last, but the art works on display weren’t all that exciting this year. I was able to meet up with my favorite artist, but he told me that he wouldn’t be at the Bethesda Row show this year, which made me quite bummed, because when I do buy his work, it’s usually in October (early Christmas present.)
I slept better this weekend, but I am still quite tired . . . like I’m sleepwalking or something. I found out that we won’t be able to go to Philly in November again this year, although Mr. Random’s mom may be coming to visit that month. We haven’t been to Martha’s Vineyard for our anniversary vacation in 5 years. Our 7th anniversary is coming up and there doesn’t seem to be much to look forward to, fun wise. I know we just took that long vacation to the West Coast, but that wasn’t a REAL vacation! That was a couple of Tennessee Williams plays broken up by long train rides!
Married 7 years. It doesn’t seem that long really, although a lot has happened to and with us in that time. I’m guessing we are pretty well settled now: this is how it’s going to be until we have children or other circumstances change. There is a great amount of comfort in that, but sometimes you wish for the early days back again – when you were just getting to know each other and things hadn’t devolved into the daily routine and bill paying and laundry. That’s why . . . we need to go to London!
My friend C’s situation has gotten a bit worse over the weekend. She found out this morning that she didn’t get either of the jobs she interviewed for last week. C also has a 15 year old Maltese, Sir Walter, who this morning couldn’t walk and seems to be in a large amount of pain. She is taking him to the vet today, but it doesn’t look good. The dog is the main thing that has been keeping her active and getting up in the day, and if he needs to be put to sleep, I have no idea how she will deal with this latest blow, and I so worry about it . . .
Those are my random thoughts for today . . . not very exciting, huh?
Friday, September 09, 2005
Nobody Here But Us Chickens . . .
It’s Friday, so I thought I would share a fun picture of me feeding the chickens in
Just so you know, I’ve turned on the word verification thing on my comments . . . I hope it works OK, but if you have any problems, just shoot me an e-mail. I’ll actually try to check that address a bit more frequently. Since it is not my main e-mail address, I tended to check it once in a blue moon, which isn’t good . . .
Virginia Gal asked if I am worried about something, which is keeping me from a proper night’s sleep. Well, I guess I do have quite a bit on my mind . . .
I worry about my sister, who may be deployed at any minute.
I worry about my friend, C, who has been unemployed for two years and is reaching bottom quickly. Everyone has been helping her like gangbusters, and she’s had many opportunities, but she manages to bumble every single advantage she gets. It gets so that I don’t want to help her anymore, or listen to her complaints. I’m not a cold, heartless person, but sometimes if you keep giving and making suggestions and trying to help to no avail, after a while it gets tiring. She refuses to temp, and somehow she has made it to 50-some years old without knowing how to use a computer properly, and won’t take any classes or anything, so Mr. Random and I are constantly helping her with the most simple tasks. We keep recommending that she at least temp somewhere – some money is better than NO money – but she doesn’t. She has maxed out all of her credit cards. We theorize that things will have to get pretty bad for her to finally start doing things, but we are afraid of what will happen to her when she gets to that point.
I worry about money . . . we didn’t get a cost of living raise this year . . . but we’re not going to be out on the street or anything. I’d just like some sort of cushion . . .
I worry about Mr. Random, and hope I’m not driving him crazy . . .
I worry about work . . . and the gazillion projects I have to do, and whether I want to stay there, and the thousands of annoying things that come up each day . . .
I worry about going back to school and taking out loans and whether I can work all day and still do well, because we need the money, but I know that if I am trying to do everything well I’ll have a nervous breakdown . . .
I worry about whether I should start trying to have a baby again after October. I don’t want to lose this one. I worry about whether I’d be a good mother at this point. I worry that the baby if it does come, that it won’t be healthy. I don’t know how to deal with all of the possibilities that may happen . . . I’m scared. I’m more scared than the first time, when I didn’t know any better . . .
I worry about what my place is in the world . . . what am I meant to do? Why am I here? Is there a larger purpose for me? Should I be doing something else? If so, do I know what that is? . . .
I worry about lots of things, more than I could list here. I can’t type that fast.
However . . .
I do know that I am very blessed with a wonderful husband, family and friends who care about me very much. We can pay our mortgage and most of our bills. We are relatively healthy. (Knock wood!) We can occasionally buy books and other toys and eat out a bit. We have a cat who we can shower affection on, even if she doesn’t care.
When I get a case of the “worries” I try to remember all that . . . but you know how that goes sometimes . . .
We'll end with this lovely poem by Robert Gregory today . . . enjoy your weekend, everyone!
With and Without
By Robert Gregory
I'm walking in the everyday (like everyday) and looking
around as I go the way I used to when I was a kid, gathering
things (with my eyes now only) to put in my now
metaphorical pockets and take them out later during
Tedium to examine and starlings (about a handful)
are scattered on a big smooth lawn as if tossed there now
by X (like a hand) that does that kind of thing for reasons
of its own and they, not minding it at all (the lack
of a theory or an explanation) begin as always
to go about their business at once: balancing, watching
with amused & fierce attention whatever there is
to be seen, seeing who can make the best high looney whistle
or fat and juicy chuckle or squeaking sound
and creaking sound like Count Dracula's door
coming open, meanwhile stabbing down into the tough
hard mesh of roots and grass, the stems crammed in
together by the dirt that's been so dry, stabbing down
so as to pluck a juicy squirming thing and let it drop
inside their black and boiling inner works... and then
all together and suddenly they rise into the air (as if
to some loud but inaudible clap or bang) and curve away
and vanish all together, taking everything with them.
I find myself staring at their absence the same way
I stare at the very last scene of a dream sometimes,
the only one I still have with me on waking, with
a sleepy inability to get it straight what all this is exactly
but feeling no distress at that, some kind of rightness
in fact. Then, after a breath, the ordinary grass
is back again, single-minded now (a thought without
starlings), less green, more dry, more uniform,
more silent, and then almost everything else is back also.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Peeling at the Yellow Wallpaper
We finally got DSL at the Random household last night. Mr. Random installed it on the computer, it worked great for him . . . then when it was my turn to try it . . . somehow, all of my Netscape bookmarks disappeared. Don’t ask me how it happened, I don’t know. All I know is that I opened my browser as usual, went to a usual website and then the thing froze up on me. Once we got out of the freeze, I could no longer get into my bookmarks. I had about 200 of them, all neatly categorized, amassed after years of use. I can recopy the ones I have at work, but it is still a pain. Mr. Random spent an hour trying to figure out what went wrong, and felt so bad that my account didn’t work. Why do things have to go wrong with MY stuff? Whine, whine . . .
. . . I have been having trouble reading anything longer than a cereal box for the last few months. I can’t even bring myself to finish looking through this month’s In Style. In Style! All you have to do is look at the pretty pictures, and I can’t even manage that! And that is the most non-literate magazine that I can think of . . . My concentration is shot to heck . . . I’m trying to figure out how to fix it , but I guess I don’t even know what the actual problem is. Actually, I was really getting into my book at the L.A. train station, but of course, I was not allowed to sit quietly and do so because of the antsy Randoms who wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace when waiting for the train . . .
. . . However, I have been going through crossword puzzles like crazy. I can’t concentrate enough to read, but I can do three or four New York Times type crosswords at a stretch. I’m also starting to do those Su Do Ku puzzles in the Wash Post every day . . . so my brain is good for something, but what does this mean?
. . . I’m having trouble sleeping lately, too. I wake up at 2 or 3 AM and can’t get back to sleep for at least an hour. Longer if I actually do get up and watch TV or read to get my mind off whatever. I’m soliciting recommendations on what I should do about this . . . otherwise, I’m going to become a snarky, holy terror to be around . . .
So, I have been in a most foul mood this week. I just want the weekend to get here. Many things to look forward to on the weekend. A nice lunch on Saturday, “Art on the Avenue” on Sunday. A busy weekend, but busy doing fun things that I enjoy doing. But come Monday, heaven help me . . .
(End with Jimmy Buffett’s “Come Monday” running through my head . . .)
Come Monday
It’ll be all right
Come Monday
I’ll be holding you tight
I’ve spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze
And I just want you back by my side . . .
(See, I told you the thoughts on this blog were random . . .)
. . . I have been having trouble reading anything longer than a cereal box for the last few months. I can’t even bring myself to finish looking through this month’s In Style. In Style! All you have to do is look at the pretty pictures, and I can’t even manage that! And that is the most non-literate magazine that I can think of . . . My concentration is shot to heck . . . I’m trying to figure out how to fix it , but I guess I don’t even know what the actual problem is. Actually, I was really getting into my book at the L.A. train station, but of course, I was not allowed to sit quietly and do so because of the antsy Randoms who wouldn’t give me a moment’s peace when waiting for the train . . .
. . . However, I have been going through crossword puzzles like crazy. I can’t concentrate enough to read, but I can do three or four New York Times type crosswords at a stretch. I’m also starting to do those Su Do Ku puzzles in the Wash Post every day . . . so my brain is good for something, but what does this mean?
. . . I’m having trouble sleeping lately, too. I wake up at 2 or 3 AM and can’t get back to sleep for at least an hour. Longer if I actually do get up and watch TV or read to get my mind off whatever. I’m soliciting recommendations on what I should do about this . . . otherwise, I’m going to become a snarky, holy terror to be around . . .
So, I have been in a most foul mood this week. I just want the weekend to get here. Many things to look forward to on the weekend. A nice lunch on Saturday, “Art on the Avenue” on Sunday. A busy weekend, but busy doing fun things that I enjoy doing. But come Monday, heaven help me . . .
(End with Jimmy Buffett’s “Come Monday” running through my head . . .)
Come Monday
It’ll be all right
Come Monday
I’ll be holding you tight
I’ve spent four lonely days in a brown L.A. haze
And I just want you back by my side . . .
(See, I told you the thoughts on this blog were random . . .)
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Summer Goals Revisited, Fall Goals Made
Let’s see how I did this summer, looking at the goals I set on June 14, 2005.
*Start running on a schedule: BWAAAH HA HA HA! [See Kath roll on the floor laughing hysterically.] Um, no. Well actually, I was doing pretty well, up until we returned from the trip. We ran a lot while we were on the coast, mostly because we HAD to get out of the house, but also we because had a lot more free time. Once we returned to our piles of work and mail, all semblance of schedule went out of the window. I am only a couple of weeks behind, but it was a tight schedule to get in shape for the Army Ten Miler and not much room for error. I may still do it, but with LOTS more walking than running!
*FINALLY apply for a Passport: The filled out app with photos . . . still on the desk. Was going to submit it the Thursday before we left on the trip, but time ran out. I still have until the 22nd to do this before summer officially runs out, so don’t write me off yet! (The delay now? Scraping the app fees together . . . money’s been a bit tight lately . . .)
(I can already see the disappointment on your virtual face, Virginia Gal, but knowing you are out there is why I haven’t given up on submitting it. Also, I have an overwhelming desire to go overseas on vacation somewhere by next summer.)
*Apply to go back to school in Spring 2006: Still deciding. I found that Penn State has an online degree program in the subject I want, and I am debating whether to go the online class route. Mr. Random is beyond supportive, as always, but I still have an anxiety attack when thinking of the money . . . I hate owing lots of money. I have until the end of October to decide this . . .
*Get a digital camera for our train trip to the West Coast in August: DONE! Now I just have to put the pics online so people can actually see them. That’s one of the drawbacks of a digital – no shiny pictures to hold in your hand, unless you pop for a photo printer.
*Work on redoing the kitchen (Stripping the hideous wallpaper, painting the walls and the cabinets): BWAAAH HA HA HA! Hopefully, this will be a FALL project, however our fridge, dishwasher and main bathroom toilet all sound as if they are going to die any second. I hate being a homeowner . . . I want to be able to complain to someone to fix this stuff for me. And heaven help us if Mr. Ransom decides that he is “handy” . . .
*Fix up the guest room for Fall guests: Well, it’s inhabitable at least. We had two guests stay there, and they didn’t complain. We do need a new bed in there, though. I’ve been spending more time in there since it’s been cleaned up, and I have just noticed that the mattress is horrible – you can feel every spring, and the bed isn’t level, due to the screwed up bed frame – the head of the bed leans lower than the foot. If Mr. Random’s mom comes to visit this fall, this must be remedied or else she’ll get a screwed up back and then we’ll never hear the end of it.
. . . So, how did I do? Progress has been made, but not enough to truly satisfy me. But the goals have been in my thoughts all summer, which is great! So, I’ll continue the goal setting and put down my goals for Fall:
Fall 2005 Goals
*Submit Passport and begin planning one international trip for next year.
*Apply for Spring 2005 classes somewhere. Make sure all paperwork in completed.
*Work on kitchen. At least strip that horrid wallpaper and paint the walls something more cheerful.
*Get new bed for the guest room. Make room a bit cozier for guests.
*Continue to exercise semi-regularly: Maybe take an exercise class involving some sort of dancing, or run at least twice a week.
*Put some pictures online so people can see them.
These are six pretty manageable goals . . . it will be fun to see how I do in December!
To end . . . This song was on the radio today . . . it is such a happy song, with happy memories for me. And it’s REM! With Kate Pierson from the B-52s!
Shiny Happy People
REM, Out of Time, 1991
Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd
People, people
Throw your love around
Love me, love me
Take it into town
Happy, happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine.
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing.
Everyone around
Love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it, take it
There's no time to cry
Happy, happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine.
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing.
[Did you know: from Songfacts (http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1518)
*The title and chorus are based on a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" is used ironically - the song was released in 1991, 2 years after the Tiananmen Square uprising when the Chinese government clamped down on student demonstrators, killing hundreds of them.]
*This was the second single from the album. A very light, happy song, it was a stark contrast to the very profound "Losing My Religion," which was released first.
*In 1999, R.E.M. performed this on Sesame Street as "Furry Happy Monsters." Kate Pierson's part was performed by a Muppet that looked like her, but she voiced it. Guitarist Peter Buck has 2 daughters who were big fans of the show.]
*Start running on a schedule: BWAAAH HA HA HA! [See Kath roll on the floor laughing hysterically.] Um, no. Well actually, I was doing pretty well, up until we returned from the trip. We ran a lot while we were on the coast, mostly because we HAD to get out of the house, but also we because had a lot more free time. Once we returned to our piles of work and mail, all semblance of schedule went out of the window. I am only a couple of weeks behind, but it was a tight schedule to get in shape for the Army Ten Miler and not much room for error. I may still do it, but with LOTS more walking than running!
*FINALLY apply for a Passport: The filled out app with photos . . . still on the desk. Was going to submit it the Thursday before we left on the trip, but time ran out. I still have until the 22nd to do this before summer officially runs out, so don’t write me off yet! (The delay now? Scraping the app fees together . . . money’s been a bit tight lately . . .)
(I can already see the disappointment on your virtual face, Virginia Gal, but knowing you are out there is why I haven’t given up on submitting it. Also, I have an overwhelming desire to go overseas on vacation somewhere by next summer.)
*Apply to go back to school in Spring 2006: Still deciding. I found that Penn State has an online degree program in the subject I want, and I am debating whether to go the online class route. Mr. Random is beyond supportive, as always, but I still have an anxiety attack when thinking of the money . . . I hate owing lots of money. I have until the end of October to decide this . . .
*Get a digital camera for our train trip to the West Coast in August: DONE! Now I just have to put the pics online so people can actually see them. That’s one of the drawbacks of a digital – no shiny pictures to hold in your hand, unless you pop for a photo printer.
*Work on redoing the kitchen (Stripping the hideous wallpaper, painting the walls and the cabinets): BWAAAH HA HA HA! Hopefully, this will be a FALL project, however our fridge, dishwasher and main bathroom toilet all sound as if they are going to die any second. I hate being a homeowner . . . I want to be able to complain to someone to fix this stuff for me. And heaven help us if Mr. Ransom decides that he is “handy” . . .
*Fix up the guest room for Fall guests: Well, it’s inhabitable at least. We had two guests stay there, and they didn’t complain. We do need a new bed in there, though. I’ve been spending more time in there since it’s been cleaned up, and I have just noticed that the mattress is horrible – you can feel every spring, and the bed isn’t level, due to the screwed up bed frame – the head of the bed leans lower than the foot. If Mr. Random’s mom comes to visit this fall, this must be remedied or else she’ll get a screwed up back and then we’ll never hear the end of it.
. . . So, how did I do? Progress has been made, but not enough to truly satisfy me. But the goals have been in my thoughts all summer, which is great! So, I’ll continue the goal setting and put down my goals for Fall:
Fall 2005 Goals
*Submit Passport and begin planning one international trip for next year.
*Apply for Spring 2005 classes somewhere. Make sure all paperwork in completed.
*Work on kitchen. At least strip that horrid wallpaper and paint the walls something more cheerful.
*Get new bed for the guest room. Make room a bit cozier for guests.
*Continue to exercise semi-regularly: Maybe take an exercise class involving some sort of dancing, or run at least twice a week.
*Put some pictures online so people can see them.
These are six pretty manageable goals . . . it will be fun to see how I do in December!
To end . . . This song was on the radio today . . . it is such a happy song, with happy memories for me. And it’s REM! With Kate Pierson from the B-52s!
Shiny Happy People
REM, Out of Time, 1991
Shiny happy people laughing
Meet me in the crowd
People, people
Throw your love around
Love me, love me
Take it into town
Happy, happy
Put it in the ground
Where the flowers grow
Gold and silver shine.
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing.
Everyone around
Love them, love them
Put it in your hands
Take it, take it
There's no time to cry
Happy, happy
Put it in your heart
Where tomorrow shines
Gold and silver shine.
Shiny happy people holding hands
Shiny happy people laughing.
[Did you know: from Songfacts (http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1518)
*The title and chorus are based on a Chinese propaganda poster. The slogan "Shiny happy people holding hands" is used ironically - the song was released in 1991, 2 years after the Tiananmen Square uprising when the Chinese government clamped down on student demonstrators, killing hundreds of them.]
*This was the second single from the album. A very light, happy song, it was a stark contrast to the very profound "Losing My Religion," which was released first.
*In 1999, R.E.M. performed this on Sesame Street as "Furry Happy Monsters." Kate Pierson's part was performed by a Muppet that looked like her, but she voiced it. Guitarist Peter Buck has 2 daughters who were big fans of the show.]
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Back to the Grind . . .
What a week. What a weekend. Now back to the grind . . . even if it is not “officially” Fall yet, it certainly is for all intents and purposes.
Over the weekend, Mr. Random and I went to a wedding held at a winery in Fauquier County, Virginia. Was a very lovely wedding, beautiful ceremony, lovely reception and dinner, most excellent dancing at the end.
As we were leaving to go home, you could look up into the clear night sky and see almost all of the stars in the universe . . . how big it is . . . how small we are.
I’m still pushing for everyone to send relief funds to Habitat for Humanity. (www.habitat.org) . . . All of the hurricane-displaced citizens of the region are now spread out all over the country. Some of them will eventually return home to Louisiana and Mississippi, others will try to stay in their new cities. All of them will need new, permanent homes. There has been an outpouring of funds and other donations and help to get folks through this incredibly tough “gotta-survive-and-figure-out-what-the-next-steps-are-gonna-be” period, but giving to Habitat will be beneficial in helping for the long term.
Not much more to write today . . . kind of emotionally drained. Have been working on hurricane-related issues at the Random Non-profit and am just . . . not very creative right now.
Hope to do better tomorrow. How was everyone’s weekend?
Over the weekend, Mr. Random and I went to a wedding held at a winery in Fauquier County, Virginia. Was a very lovely wedding, beautiful ceremony, lovely reception and dinner, most excellent dancing at the end.
As we were leaving to go home, you could look up into the clear night sky and see almost all of the stars in the universe . . . how big it is . . . how small we are.
I’m still pushing for everyone to send relief funds to Habitat for Humanity. (www.habitat.org) . . . All of the hurricane-displaced citizens of the region are now spread out all over the country. Some of them will eventually return home to Louisiana and Mississippi, others will try to stay in their new cities. All of them will need new, permanent homes. There has been an outpouring of funds and other donations and help to get folks through this incredibly tough “gotta-survive-and-figure-out-what-the-next-steps-are-gonna-be” period, but giving to Habitat will be beneficial in helping for the long term.
Not much more to write today . . . kind of emotionally drained. Have been working on hurricane-related issues at the Random Non-profit and am just . . . not very creative right now.
Hope to do better tomorrow. How was everyone’s weekend?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Passing the Hat . . .
If you haven’t given to a charity already, please do so. Now I’m sure that the, what, two or three faithful readers that I have are probably already on it, but maybe a stray surfer may come by here and see this. So I’ll share . . .
While I highly recommend giving to the Red Cross, I want to give my personal plug to Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org/). When all is said and done, the people of New Orleans are going to need permanent places to live. These people have lost everything, and the loss of their homes and communities are going to affect them most keenly. Your home is . . . your home. It is where you feel most comfortable, it is your base of operations, it is where most of your memories are created and stored. And many of these people, their homes were all they had . . . they had no money and nowhere to go, and no means to get there if they did, so they had to stay behind to protect the only thing they DID have to call their own . . . even if it was a rickety shack or a buckling trailer. And now it s all gone, washed away, turned to rubble, with nothing to go back to, nothing to start with.
I know that the people of New Orleans feel exactly like their hometown as the longtime residents of any other city feel about their hometowns. No matter what anyone else says, they will rebuild because it is their home, full of their history and tradition, and they want it to endure. I would not be surprised if there is a small-scaled Mardi Gras held there next year, just to say “We’re still here. And we’re still partying. So there!”
. . . And I hope to go back there to join them, if I can.
I’ve had this Sting song in my head since last night, and I just had to put it here.
Moon Over Bourbon Street
There's a moon over Bourbon Street tonight
I see faces as they pass beneath the pale lamplight
I've no choice but to follow that call
The bright lights, the people, and the moon and all
I pray everyday to be strong
For I know what I do must be wrong
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street
It was many years ago that I became what I am
I was trapped in this life like an innocent lamb
Now I can only show my face at noon
And you'll only see me walking by the light of the moon
The brim of my hat hides the eye of a beast
I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street
She walks everyday through the streets of New Orleans
She's innocent and young from a family of means
I have stood many times outside her window at night
To struggle with my instinct in the pale moon light
How could I be this way when I pray to God above
I must love what I destroy and destroy the thing I love
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street.
While I highly recommend giving to the Red Cross, I want to give my personal plug to Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org/). When all is said and done, the people of New Orleans are going to need permanent places to live. These people have lost everything, and the loss of their homes and communities are going to affect them most keenly. Your home is . . . your home. It is where you feel most comfortable, it is your base of operations, it is where most of your memories are created and stored. And many of these people, their homes were all they had . . . they had no money and nowhere to go, and no means to get there if they did, so they had to stay behind to protect the only thing they DID have to call their own . . . even if it was a rickety shack or a buckling trailer. And now it s all gone, washed away, turned to rubble, with nothing to go back to, nothing to start with.
I know that the people of New Orleans feel exactly like their hometown as the longtime residents of any other city feel about their hometowns. No matter what anyone else says, they will rebuild because it is their home, full of their history and tradition, and they want it to endure. I would not be surprised if there is a small-scaled Mardi Gras held there next year, just to say “We’re still here. And we’re still partying. So there!”
. . . And I hope to go back there to join them, if I can.
I’ve had this Sting song in my head since last night, and I just had to put it here.
Moon Over Bourbon Street
There's a moon over Bourbon Street tonight
I see faces as they pass beneath the pale lamplight
I've no choice but to follow that call
The bright lights, the people, and the moon and all
I pray everyday to be strong
For I know what I do must be wrong
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street
It was many years ago that I became what I am
I was trapped in this life like an innocent lamb
Now I can only show my face at noon
And you'll only see me walking by the light of the moon
The brim of my hat hides the eye of a beast
I've the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street
She walks everyday through the streets of New Orleans
She's innocent and young from a family of means
I have stood many times outside her window at night
To struggle with my instinct in the pale moon light
How could I be this way when I pray to God above
I must love what I destroy and destroy the thing I love
Oh you'll never see my shade or hear the sound of my feet
While there's a moon over Bourbon Street.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Today's Random MTV Musings
Didn’t see the whole Video Music Awards, but I am in awe of Shakira’s belly control skills. Maybe I should take up belly dancing? That seems to be the in thing now. Also, I think My Chemical Romance should have gotten at least one award. I had never heard of the band before I saw the “Helena” video a few months ago, and my eyes are always glued to the screen when it comes on. Yes, it’s over-the-top emotional, but it is well done. And I even kind of like the song . . . at least it is not the usual jiggling tarts that are showcased in every rap video . . .
I am now hooked on Laguna Beach. Isn’t that really sad? By the way, did you know that Orange County is, like, 40% Latino and 30% Asian . . . and yet you see none of either ethnic group on the show – what’s up with that? Also, these people don’t seem to go to any classes and have very little parental supervision. They are not poor. One girl last night said that for Valentine’s Day she bought $100 worth of candles and stuff. I remember when I was her age, it was a hassle just to pry $10 from my father . . .
I refuse to watch anymore My Super Sweet 16, because the people are just too . . . too. My parents would have killed me, or knocked me into next week, if I ever spoke to them the way these kids do. And the entitlement these kids feel! Oy!
Am I becoming a cranky old lady? I’m only 34 and I’m ranting about “kids these days” . . .
I am now hooked on Laguna Beach. Isn’t that really sad? By the way, did you know that Orange County is, like, 40% Latino and 30% Asian . . . and yet you see none of either ethnic group on the show – what’s up with that? Also, these people don’t seem to go to any classes and have very little parental supervision. They are not poor. One girl last night said that for Valentine’s Day she bought $100 worth of candles and stuff. I remember when I was her age, it was a hassle just to pry $10 from my father . . .
I refuse to watch anymore My Super Sweet 16, because the people are just too . . . too. My parents would have killed me, or knocked me into next week, if I ever spoke to them the way these kids do. And the entitlement these kids feel! Oy!
Am I becoming a cranky old lady? I’m only 34 and I’m ranting about “kids these days” . . .
Rockin' Top Songs Meme
First: Comment to Virginia Gal – Nope, can’t afford a Burberry scarf . . . my dad had a scarf with a similar pattern for years, which I co-opted several years ago. The plaid colors are the same though. . .
Second . . .
The rules: go over to Music Outfitters (http://www.musicoutfitters.com/resources.htm)
to find the list of the top 100 songs from the year you graduated from high school. Bold the ones you like(d), strikeout the ones you don't. The ones you've never heard of or can't remember anything about, leave alone. If you don’t have a blog, just throw the stuff in my comments – I trust you.
Now, I didn’t follow the rules . . . I bolded all of the songs that I associate with happy memories – whether it was dancing around in my room, or happy social moments and fun associations. It doesn’t mean that the song was any good, but it means that just thinking about the circumstances around the song brings a happy glow to my heart.
Bonus points if I can still sing some of the words . . . which I can do with most of them. Yes, I was totally into the Top 40 pop & R&B in those days . . . so sue me!
So without further ado, the top 100 songs of . . . 1987!
1. Walk Like An Egyptian, Bangles
2. Alone, Heart
3. Shake You Down, Gregory Abbott
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston (Was never really a fan)
5. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship
6. C'est La Vie, Robbie Nevil
7. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake (Gotta love the video - a hairband classic!)
8. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range (Was a resident of the town where I want to college and I actually saw him a few times . . . not met, but saw)
9. Shakedown, Bob Seger
10. Livin' On A Prayer, Bon Jovi (Can't diss Bon Jovi!)
11. La Bamba, Los Lobos
12. Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung
13. Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House
14. Always, Atlantic Starr
15. With Or Without You, U2
16. Looking For A New Love, Jody Watley
17. Head To Toe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
18. I Think We're Alone Now, Tiffany
19. Mony Mony, Billy Idol
20. At This Moment, Billy Vera and The Beaters (Remember the connection to Family Ties?)
21. Lady In Red, Chris De Burgh
22. Didn't We Almost Have It All, Whitney Houston
23. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2
24. I Want Your Sex, George Michael
25. Notorious, Duran Duran
26. Only In My Dreams, Debbie Gibson
27. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (Dirty Dancing! Movie of all time!)
28. The Next Time I Fall, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant (I admit it . . . I loved Peter Cetera. Yes, that's sad . . .)
29. Lean On Me, Club Nouveau
30. Open Your Heart, Madonna
31. Lost In Emotion, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
32. (I Just) Died In Your Arms, Cutting Crew
33. Heart And Soul, T'pau
34. You Keep Me Hangin' On, Kim Wilde
35. Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Georgia Satellites (This was/is the most simple rockin' song to me . . .)
36. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Aretha Franklin and George Michael
37. Control, Janet Jackson
38. Somewhere Out There, Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram (I got so sick of this song)
39. U Got The Look, Prince
40. Land Of Confusion, Genesis
41. Jacob's Ladder, Huey Lewis and The News
42. Who's That Girl, Madonna
43. You Got It All, Jets
44. Touch Me (I Want Your Body), Samantha Fox (Cheesy as heck, but fun!)
45. I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
46. Causing A Commotion, Madonna
47. In Too Deep, Genesis
48. Let's Wait Awhile, Janet Jackson
49. Hip To Be Square, Huey Lewis and the News
50. Will You Still Love Me?, Chicago
51. Little Lies, Fleetwood Mac
52. Luka, Suzanne Vega
53. I Heard A Rumour, Bananarama
54. Don't Mean Nothing, Richard Marx (One of the girls in my college dorm l*o*v*e*d this guy . . . posters everywhere, fan club membership, the works!)
55. Songbird, Kenny G
56. Carrie, Europe
57. Don't Disturb This Groove, System
58. La Isla Bonita, Madonna
59. Bad, Michael Jackson (Although, I enjoyed the Weird Al version, Fat, much better)
60. Sign 'O' The Times, Prince (Not his best work . . .)
61. Change Of Heart, Cyndi Lauper
62. Come Go With Me, Expose (Remember, I think they guested on an episode of Facts of Life . . . I can't remember if young George Clooney was in that episode or not . . .)
63. Can't We Try, Dan Hill (A local radio station would play this song until make people call up and answer a trivia question correctly to make it stop . . . it was amusing, you had to be there.)
64. To Be A Lover, Billy Idol
65. Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
66. Breakout, Swing Out Sister (They were actually a pretty good band, I got a couple of their albums)
67. Stand By Me, Ben E. King
68. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, Genesis
69. Someday, Glass Tiger
70. When Smokey Sings, ABC
71. Casanova, Levert
72. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
73. Rock Steady, Whispers
74. Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi
75. Big Time, Peter Gabriel
76. The Finer Things, Steve Winwood
77. Let Me Be The One, Expose
78. Is This Love, Survivor
79. Diamonds, Herb Alpert
80. Point Of No Return, Expose
81. Big Love, Fleetwood Mac
82. Midnight Blue, Lou Gramm
83. Something So Strong, Crowded House
84. Heat Of The Night, Bryan Adams
85. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You, Glenn Medeiros
86. Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen
87. Just To See Her, Smokey Robinson
88. Who Will You Run Too, Heart
89. Respect Yourself, Bruce Willis
90. Cross My Broken Heart, Jets
91. Victory, Kool and The Gang
92. Don't Get Me Wrong, Pretenders (My first exposure to them, became a fan.)
93. Doing It All For My Baby, Huey Lewis and The News
94. Right On Track, Breakfast Club
95. Ballerina Girl, Lionel Richie
96. Meet Me Half Way, Kenny Loggins (Top Gun-related!)
97. I've Been In Love Before, Cutting Crew
98. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party, Beastie Boys (Song all the rage the last few months of Senior year in high school . . .)
99. Funkytown, Pseudo Echo
100. Love You Down, Ready For The World
I hearby tag . . . whoever wants to do this. :-)
Second . . .
The rules: go over to Music Outfitters (http://www.musicoutfitters.com/resources.htm)
to find the list of the top 100 songs from the year you graduated from high school. Bold the ones you like(d), strikeout the ones you don't. The ones you've never heard of or can't remember anything about, leave alone. If you don’t have a blog, just throw the stuff in my comments – I trust you.
Now, I didn’t follow the rules . . . I bolded all of the songs that I associate with happy memories – whether it was dancing around in my room, or happy social moments and fun associations. It doesn’t mean that the song was any good, but it means that just thinking about the circumstances around the song brings a happy glow to my heart.
Bonus points if I can still sing some of the words . . . which I can do with most of them. Yes, I was totally into the Top 40 pop & R&B in those days . . . so sue me!
So without further ado, the top 100 songs of . . . 1987!
1. Walk Like An Egyptian, Bangles
2. Alone, Heart
3. Shake You Down, Gregory Abbott
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston (Was never really a fan)
5. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship
6. C'est La Vie, Robbie Nevil
7. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake (Gotta love the video - a hairband classic!)
8. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range (Was a resident of the town where I want to college and I actually saw him a few times . . . not met, but saw)
9. Shakedown, Bob Seger
10. Livin' On A Prayer, Bon Jovi (Can't diss Bon Jovi!)
11. La Bamba, Los Lobos
12. Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung
13. Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House
14. Always, Atlantic Starr
15. With Or Without You, U2
16. Looking For A New Love, Jody Watley
17. Head To Toe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
18. I Think We're Alone Now, Tiffany
19. Mony Mony, Billy Idol
20. At This Moment, Billy Vera and The Beaters (Remember the connection to Family Ties?)
21. Lady In Red, Chris De Burgh
22. Didn't We Almost Have It All, Whitney Houston
23. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2
24. I Want Your Sex, George Michael
25. Notorious, Duran Duran
26. Only In My Dreams, Debbie Gibson
27. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes (Dirty Dancing! Movie of all time!)
28. The Next Time I Fall, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant (I admit it . . . I loved Peter Cetera. Yes, that's sad . . .)
29. Lean On Me, Club Nouveau
30. Open Your Heart, Madonna
31. Lost In Emotion, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
32. (I Just) Died In Your Arms, Cutting Crew
33. Heart And Soul, T'pau
34. You Keep Me Hangin' On, Kim Wilde
35. Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Georgia Satellites (This was/is the most simple rockin' song to me . . .)
36. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Aretha Franklin and George Michael
37. Control, Janet Jackson
38. Somewhere Out There, Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram (I got so sick of this song)
39. U Got The Look, Prince
40. Land Of Confusion, Genesis
41. Jacob's Ladder, Huey Lewis and The News
42. Who's That Girl, Madonna
43. You Got It All, Jets
44. Touch Me (I Want Your Body), Samantha Fox (Cheesy as heck, but fun!)
45. I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
46. Causing A Commotion, Madonna
47. In Too Deep, Genesis
48. Let's Wait Awhile, Janet Jackson
49. Hip To Be Square, Huey Lewis and the News
50. Will You Still Love Me?, Chicago
51. Little Lies, Fleetwood Mac
52. Luka, Suzanne Vega
53. I Heard A Rumour, Bananarama
54. Don't Mean Nothing, Richard Marx (One of the girls in my college dorm l*o*v*e*d this guy . . . posters everywhere, fan club membership, the works!)
55. Songbird, Kenny G
56. Carrie, Europe
57. Don't Disturb This Groove, System
58. La Isla Bonita, Madonna
59. Bad, Michael Jackson (Although, I enjoyed the Weird Al version, Fat, much better)
60. Sign 'O' The Times, Prince (Not his best work . . .)
61. Change Of Heart, Cyndi Lauper
62. Come Go With Me, Expose (Remember, I think they guested on an episode of Facts of Life . . . I can't remember if young George Clooney was in that episode or not . . .)
63. Can't We Try, Dan Hill (A local radio station would play this song until make people call up and answer a trivia question correctly to make it stop . . . it was amusing, you had to be there.)
64. To Be A Lover, Billy Idol
65. Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
66. Breakout, Swing Out Sister (They were actually a pretty good band, I got a couple of their albums)
67. Stand By Me, Ben E. King
68. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, Genesis
69. Someday, Glass Tiger
70. When Smokey Sings, ABC
71. Casanova, Levert
72. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
73. Rock Steady, Whispers
74. Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi
75. Big Time, Peter Gabriel
76. The Finer Things, Steve Winwood
77. Let Me Be The One, Expose
78. Is This Love, Survivor
79. Diamonds, Herb Alpert
80. Point Of No Return, Expose
81. Big Love, Fleetwood Mac
82. Midnight Blue, Lou Gramm
83. Something So Strong, Crowded House
84. Heat Of The Night, Bryan Adams
85. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You, Glenn Medeiros
86. Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen
87. Just To See Her, Smokey Robinson
88. Who Will You Run Too, Heart
89. Respect Yourself, Bruce Willis
90. Cross My Broken Heart, Jets
91. Victory, Kool and The Gang
92. Don't Get Me Wrong, Pretenders (My first exposure to them, became a fan.)
93. Doing It All For My Baby, Huey Lewis and The News
94. Right On Track, Breakfast Club
95. Ballerina Girl, Lionel Richie
96. Meet Me Half Way, Kenny Loggins (Top Gun-related!)
97. I've Been In Love Before, Cutting Crew
98. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party, Beastie Boys (Song all the rage the last few months of Senior year in high school . . .)
99. Funkytown, Pseudo Echo
100. Love You Down, Ready For The World
I hearby tag . . . whoever wants to do this. :-)
Thoughts about the Big Easy
I just posted on Justrose’s blog some of my thoughts about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.
Now, New Orleans is nice place that I found to be excellent for taking photographs because there is just so much going on in the French Quarter, that just begged to be captured. It is a very poor city, though. You can see it and feel it when you are there. My thoughts are totally with the people down there right now . . . I can’t even fully wrap my head around the losses and the damage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000148.html
I do hope to be able to show you my pictures . . . I still have to scan them in sometime soon.
Now, New Orleans is nice place that I found to be excellent for taking photographs because there is just so much going on in the French Quarter, that just begged to be captured. It is a very poor city, though. You can see it and feel it when you are there. My thoughts are totally with the people down there right now . . . I can’t even fully wrap my head around the losses and the damage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083000148.html
I do hope to be able to show you my pictures . . . I still have to scan them in sometime soon.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
This is Your Humble Blogger . . .
Yup, this is pretty much what I look like . . . down to the hat and scarf. (As in, I have a scarf exactly like that and I would kill for the hat . . . I love hats!)See, new things are afoot on the blog . . . hopefully, I'll have time to make a few more changes.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Random Vacation Thoughts: Part 2 - It Gets Better
The Portland Area: We spent a week at Mr. Random’s Grandma’s house, the mother of Mom Random.
We have not seen Grandma Random in almost 7 years, since our wedding. However, we do send many cards and letters and gifts back and forth over the course of all of the years, so it’s not like we don’t keep in touch. I adore Grandma Random, and she adores me. And the fact that she adores me, well, really touches me, because before I met her I was really scared to meet her. I was scared to meet her because her family told me that she was really conservative, being brought up in rural areas and stuff, and really religious and the kind of lady who believes all of that black helicopters & militia kind of stuff. Being an African American female walking into this little white haired lady’s den freaked me out. But the first thing she did when she saw me 8 years ago? Gave me the biggest hug. Accepted me with open arms. And I learned to never try to ever judge a book by its cover again.
She was so happy to see us that Saturday evening when the train came in. Very tired, but beaming. She will turn 90 years old in January, and she has a lot of trouble getting up and walking due to pains and injuries she’s had since she was a little girl. The whole week we were there, she pushed herself to stay awake a little longer and do stuff with us. We tried to let her know that we were happy just to sit in the living room and watch TV with her, but she wanted to be active with us. Mr. Random and I made her dinner on Tuesday night – a simple herb salad in a bag, with some gorgonzola cheese and little cherry tomatoes, along with some cheesy breadsticks and one of my fave easy recipes, tortellini soup. She loved the salad and bread and had seconds, and liked the soup, but she had filled up on the other stuff and couldn’t eat much of it. Grandma was very pleased to not have another microwave dinner and to have someone make something for her. Yay!
Grandma Random lives alone in a cute little ranch house, around the corner from Aunt and Uncle Random, so they can check in on her and run errands for her. She has an awesome garden in the back yard with all types of flowers and pots of roses. We helped her out a bit and did some staking of flowers and Mr. Random cleaned out her birdbath and put fresh water inside. She loves to identify the birds in her yard, and they hadn’t been coming around for a while, but after the birdbath was cleaned out, the birds started showing up again.
One day, we went out to one of the Random cousin’s houses – she rents a house in a rural area by a river and keeps chickens in her yard . . . so I spent an afternoon feeding the chickens! (I have to post the picture for that – little old city girl, me!, feeding chickens.) They were cool though – came right up to me and pecked them right out of my hand. Later on, her friend, who is the caretaker to an estate, took us by the estate and gave us a tour of the grounds. So beautiful! And the estate has a place where they are growing vegetables, and so there are pictures of me holding huge stalks of rhubarb. We also picked some snap peas and cucumbers to take home to Grandma Random. To end the day, we had some homemade zucchini cake, which was just heavenly.
One day, we just sat at home and looked at old family pictures. Grandma Random actually has the photo albums very well captioned and pointed out the many cousins and aunts and uncles that even Mr. Random didn’t know much about. The last night we were there, she took us to dinner at a restaurant by the river which was one of her favorites.
The day we left, she made sure she took lots of pictures of us, and we all cried as she hugged us goodbye. She said she thought it might be the last time she saw us . . . Awwww! I promised her that it wasn’t, and during our train trip back Mr. Random and I promised that we would surprise her and fly back to Portland for her 90th birthday.
So, you can tell by all of this that this leg of the trip was a much better experience than the week before.
Train Portland to Chicago: We went through Washington and Idaho and Montana and North Dakota and Minnesota and Wisconsin to Illinois. I had never been through those states before, and watching the landscape go from mountains to trees to flat prairie always fascinates me. I was most excited going through Minneapolis-St. Paul because it looked like an actual city! Which made me excited because we were getting closer to home! We were so tired on this leg of the trip, we just slept most of the time or stared out of the window. So much had gone on, we just needed time to process it and try to decompress.
Train Chicago to DC: We were so tired of trains at this point . . . I just wanted to be home! Sleep in my own bed. Pet my own cat. Sit on my own couch. Got into DC at 12:30 on Monday afternoon, took a cab home and here we are. The much anticipated trip was over, thank goodness.
So . . . the trip was a mixed bag. But I am so glad we went to Portland, so glad we made Grandma Random so happy, and so all the stress and drama and aggravation was all worth it.
I just wish it had been an ACTUAL vacation. I could really use one now.
We have not seen Grandma Random in almost 7 years, since our wedding. However, we do send many cards and letters and gifts back and forth over the course of all of the years, so it’s not like we don’t keep in touch. I adore Grandma Random, and she adores me. And the fact that she adores me, well, really touches me, because before I met her I was really scared to meet her. I was scared to meet her because her family told me that she was really conservative, being brought up in rural areas and stuff, and really religious and the kind of lady who believes all of that black helicopters & militia kind of stuff. Being an African American female walking into this little white haired lady’s den freaked me out. But the first thing she did when she saw me 8 years ago? Gave me the biggest hug. Accepted me with open arms. And I learned to never try to ever judge a book by its cover again.
She was so happy to see us that Saturday evening when the train came in. Very tired, but beaming. She will turn 90 years old in January, and she has a lot of trouble getting up and walking due to pains and injuries she’s had since she was a little girl. The whole week we were there, she pushed herself to stay awake a little longer and do stuff with us. We tried to let her know that we were happy just to sit in the living room and watch TV with her, but she wanted to be active with us. Mr. Random and I made her dinner on Tuesday night – a simple herb salad in a bag, with some gorgonzola cheese and little cherry tomatoes, along with some cheesy breadsticks and one of my fave easy recipes, tortellini soup. She loved the salad and bread and had seconds, and liked the soup, but she had filled up on the other stuff and couldn’t eat much of it. Grandma was very pleased to not have another microwave dinner and to have someone make something for her. Yay!
Grandma Random lives alone in a cute little ranch house, around the corner from Aunt and Uncle Random, so they can check in on her and run errands for her. She has an awesome garden in the back yard with all types of flowers and pots of roses. We helped her out a bit and did some staking of flowers and Mr. Random cleaned out her birdbath and put fresh water inside. She loves to identify the birds in her yard, and they hadn’t been coming around for a while, but after the birdbath was cleaned out, the birds started showing up again.
One day, we went out to one of the Random cousin’s houses – she rents a house in a rural area by a river and keeps chickens in her yard . . . so I spent an afternoon feeding the chickens! (I have to post the picture for that – little old city girl, me!, feeding chickens.) They were cool though – came right up to me and pecked them right out of my hand. Later on, her friend, who is the caretaker to an estate, took us by the estate and gave us a tour of the grounds. So beautiful! And the estate has a place where they are growing vegetables, and so there are pictures of me holding huge stalks of rhubarb. We also picked some snap peas and cucumbers to take home to Grandma Random. To end the day, we had some homemade zucchini cake, which was just heavenly.
One day, we just sat at home and looked at old family pictures. Grandma Random actually has the photo albums very well captioned and pointed out the many cousins and aunts and uncles that even Mr. Random didn’t know much about. The last night we were there, she took us to dinner at a restaurant by the river which was one of her favorites.
The day we left, she made sure she took lots of pictures of us, and we all cried as she hugged us goodbye. She said she thought it might be the last time she saw us . . . Awwww! I promised her that it wasn’t, and during our train trip back Mr. Random and I promised that we would surprise her and fly back to Portland for her 90th birthday.
So, you can tell by all of this that this leg of the trip was a much better experience than the week before.
Train Portland to Chicago: We went through Washington and Idaho and Montana and North Dakota and Minnesota and Wisconsin to Illinois. I had never been through those states before, and watching the landscape go from mountains to trees to flat prairie always fascinates me. I was most excited going through Minneapolis-St. Paul because it looked like an actual city! Which made me excited because we were getting closer to home! We were so tired on this leg of the trip, we just slept most of the time or stared out of the window. So much had gone on, we just needed time to process it and try to decompress.
Train Chicago to DC: We were so tired of trains at this point . . . I just wanted to be home! Sleep in my own bed. Pet my own cat. Sit on my own couch. Got into DC at 12:30 on Monday afternoon, took a cab home and here we are. The much anticipated trip was over, thank goodness.
So . . . the trip was a mixed bag. But I am so glad we went to Portland, so glad we made Grandma Random so happy, and so all the stress and drama and aggravation was all worth it.
I just wish it had been an ACTUAL vacation. I could really use one now.
Random Vacation Thoughts: Part 1
I was trying to write some sort of huge 5 part posting talking about our whole trip across the U.S. and back, but have come to realize that if I go about it that way, it will NEVER, EVER be either completely written or posted . . . it will just sit inside my head and reside on bits of paper in fragments.
So without further ado, here are my random thoughts about our Random vacation:
I read the departure time on our ticket out of D.C. wrong, thinking that were leaving an hour later than we were supposed to. Luckily, I looked at the ticket again the night before and realized my error (I had mixed up the time with another departure ticket for later in the trip) but it still threw a huge monkey wrench into our schedule for the next day.
I hadn’t finished my newsletter for work until the morning of the trip. I was going to stay up all night and finish it, but I didn’t start packing until kind of late Wednesday night and then I was too tired and incoherent to do anything else. So I got up early on Thursday, buckled down and send it out to be edited . . . all before 10 AM.
J, our house-sitter, came over Wednesday night too, just so that we could get him settled in and answer any questions . . . and also so the Random Cat could get used to him with us still there. We ordered Pizza and watched lots of Comedy Central and Cartoon Network until midnight . . . when I started packing. Yes, that was bad, but we were having a grand old time . . .
Had to go to a going away lunch for our interns on Thursday, just a couple of hours before the cab was supposed to pick us up to go to Union Station. We showed up in shorts and sandals, looking pretty out of character for a work day, but the lunch was fun and our interns certainly were stars this summer, so I really wanted to be there.
We got home just in time to put the bags out and make sure we didn’t forget anything. Mr. Random still managed to forget his shampoo on the living room table, but otherwise, things went smoothly, although we felt really rushed and frantic.
Train to Chicago: Uneventful, but I was so tired I slept a lot. Got there Friday afternoon. We had a “layover” before the train to L.A., so we were walking around downtown Chicago and I was taking lots of photos with my B&W camera. Mr. Random forgot the digital camera in his bag at the station, for which I gave him heck because I wanted to take a ton of shots in color. I think I love Chicago . . . it has a great city vibe, without the ego and self-pretension of DC. We saw a café that just sells cereal all day. That’s right . . . nothing but cereal and related stuff. We didn’t go in, but I took pics of the outside because I thought the idea was so cool. When we got home this week, I found out they are a chain . . . wouldn’t mind seeing one here! Otherwise we just walked along the river and looked around at the buildings. There was even a lunchtime street festival with a band and everything. Very awesome!
Train to LA: Uneventful and got in on time. We’ve done this before so nothing to remarkable to report. However, one of the servers in the dining car remembered us from our trip two years ago. How random is that! Also, we were on the train with about 150 kids who were in a youth dance troupe who were on their way to Disneyland to perform. Had lunch with two of the chaperoning parents who were from the Norfolk area. Small world! Also, there were about 80 Boy Scouts on the train, on their way to go hiking in New Mexico. I’m so glad we were in the sleeper car . . . it would have been hell in Coach – trying to get some sleep with 200 middle-high school aged kids joking around, being kids. They were pretty well behaved otherwise though . . . it was the kids who weren’t with any group and who were being “watched” by their own parents who seemed to be acting the holy terrors.
Into The Glass Menagerie: Week at the home of Mr. Random’s Mom and Sister. Did you all read the Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie? or see the movie? Imagine if Tom, the brother, got married and brought his wife home to that situation. And I’m the wife. It was horrible, and Mr. Random felt horrible because it was horrible, and I felt horrible because it was horrible, but I tried to keep Mr. Random’s spirits up and remind him that there was a reason that he moved across the country and isn’t he doing fine now? The less said about this the better. However, I did get a lot of running done that week, because we really needed to get out of the house every day, and that was as good an excuse as any.
Train LA to Portland: Hell continues. Mom Random comes along with us on the train to Portland since she’s never done a sleeper car before and wants to experience it. She was going to share a room with Sister Random, but Sister Random backs out at the last minute, for reasons wrapped up in the whole Glass Menagerie scenario above that I don’t want to get into. The train is supposed to leave at 10:15 AM on Friday. Mom Random calls a shuttle which comes to pick us up at 5:45 AM – you know, because we will be hitting the hellacious commuter traffic to LA and we want to make sure we get to the train station in time. Well, of course, miracle! There is NO traffic and we get to the train station at 7 AM. Three whole hours to kill. Mr. Random is lousy at waiting anyway, but with his mom there, who also is spastic and can’t sit still, they both go into high fidgits. I’m just trying to be Zen and sit quietly at the station, drinking my iced mocha and reading my book, but nooooo – the other two are up-down-up-down-fidget-fidget-rustle newspaper-up-down the WHOLE time . . . until 10 AM, when we see that our train is going to be delayed. This freaks out Random Mom who is antsy to get going, because we have to be in Portland at a certain time tomorrow because folks are having a cookout for us that night, blah, blah, blah.
First of all, you don’t take the train if you want split second accuracy. Trains always get delayed due to the primacy of freight train traffic on the tracks, so you have to be kind of flexible about when you’ll get in. Secondly, on this route they specifically say on the tickets and when you buy the tickets that there is work being on the tracks, so trains are usually substantially delayed this summer. So you shouldn’t schedule anything around the arrival time and just go with the flow . . . we’re on VACATION, darn it!
But Mom Random has waited long enough and is now complaining to everyone about how crappy the trains are and how we’re going to be late and now we have to call Random Aunt and Uncle and tell them we’re going to be late and ruin their cookout and blah, blah. Hey, it’s not my fault we got here 3 hours early – chill out! So, it becomes 12 noon and the train isn’t there yet and Mom Random is still freaking and bringing Mr. Random with her. I suggest that they both go take a walk outside and have a nice lunch and leave me with the bags to read my book in peace. (Because they were both getting on my bloody nerves!) But no, she wouldn’t hear of it, and so we went to lunch in the station at a pretty nice restaurant (if way pricey), where she continued to complain. Mr. Random knew that I was on my last nerves and tried to keep me calm while at the same time trying to humor his mom.
So the train is finally ready at 1 PM. We hustle and hop on. Me and Mr. Random have a sleeper room in one car and Mom Random is in the other. Mr. Random goes back and forth to check on his mom. The train route is beautiful . . . it goes up the Pacific coast along the ocean though San Luis Obispo and then it goes inland through some lovely mountain areas. Such gorgeous views! Unfortunately, it was very foggy and overcast over the ocean, but still beautiful just the same. (Pictures will be forthcoming.) Mom Random gets out at all of the smoking stops (because smoking is not allowed on the train and she smokes, like, 2 packs a day. Despite her killer cough. And the fact she has been to the emergency room twice in the past month, including the first night we were at her house. But I digress . . .) We arrive in Portland seven hours late. More complaints commence.
I really felt bad for Mr. Random on this trip . . . It was very hard for him to deal with all of this stuff coming at him at once . . . and also stuff that’s been festering for a while. I was really hoping that time at his grandmother’s would go much better than the first part of the trip . . . it just HAD too, for both our sakes.
To be continued . . .
So without further ado, here are my random thoughts about our Random vacation:
I read the departure time on our ticket out of D.C. wrong, thinking that were leaving an hour later than we were supposed to. Luckily, I looked at the ticket again the night before and realized my error (I had mixed up the time with another departure ticket for later in the trip) but it still threw a huge monkey wrench into our schedule for the next day.
I hadn’t finished my newsletter for work until the morning of the trip. I was going to stay up all night and finish it, but I didn’t start packing until kind of late Wednesday night and then I was too tired and incoherent to do anything else. So I got up early on Thursday, buckled down and send it out to be edited . . . all before 10 AM.
J, our house-sitter, came over Wednesday night too, just so that we could get him settled in and answer any questions . . . and also so the Random Cat could get used to him with us still there. We ordered Pizza and watched lots of Comedy Central and Cartoon Network until midnight . . . when I started packing. Yes, that was bad, but we were having a grand old time . . .
Had to go to a going away lunch for our interns on Thursday, just a couple of hours before the cab was supposed to pick us up to go to Union Station. We showed up in shorts and sandals, looking pretty out of character for a work day, but the lunch was fun and our interns certainly were stars this summer, so I really wanted to be there.
We got home just in time to put the bags out and make sure we didn’t forget anything. Mr. Random still managed to forget his shampoo on the living room table, but otherwise, things went smoothly, although we felt really rushed and frantic.
Train to Chicago: Uneventful, but I was so tired I slept a lot. Got there Friday afternoon. We had a “layover” before the train to L.A., so we were walking around downtown Chicago and I was taking lots of photos with my B&W camera. Mr. Random forgot the digital camera in his bag at the station, for which I gave him heck because I wanted to take a ton of shots in color. I think I love Chicago . . . it has a great city vibe, without the ego and self-pretension of DC. We saw a café that just sells cereal all day. That’s right . . . nothing but cereal and related stuff. We didn’t go in, but I took pics of the outside because I thought the idea was so cool. When we got home this week, I found out they are a chain . . . wouldn’t mind seeing one here! Otherwise we just walked along the river and looked around at the buildings. There was even a lunchtime street festival with a band and everything. Very awesome!
Train to LA: Uneventful and got in on time. We’ve done this before so nothing to remarkable to report. However, one of the servers in the dining car remembered us from our trip two years ago. How random is that! Also, we were on the train with about 150 kids who were in a youth dance troupe who were on their way to Disneyland to perform. Had lunch with two of the chaperoning parents who were from the Norfolk area. Small world! Also, there were about 80 Boy Scouts on the train, on their way to go hiking in New Mexico. I’m so glad we were in the sleeper car . . . it would have been hell in Coach – trying to get some sleep with 200 middle-high school aged kids joking around, being kids. They were pretty well behaved otherwise though . . . it was the kids who weren’t with any group and who were being “watched” by their own parents who seemed to be acting the holy terrors.
Into The Glass Menagerie: Week at the home of Mr. Random’s Mom and Sister. Did you all read the Tennessee Williams play, The Glass Menagerie? or see the movie? Imagine if Tom, the brother, got married and brought his wife home to that situation. And I’m the wife. It was horrible, and Mr. Random felt horrible because it was horrible, and I felt horrible because it was horrible, but I tried to keep Mr. Random’s spirits up and remind him that there was a reason that he moved across the country and isn’t he doing fine now? The less said about this the better. However, I did get a lot of running done that week, because we really needed to get out of the house every day, and that was as good an excuse as any.
Train LA to Portland: Hell continues. Mom Random comes along with us on the train to Portland since she’s never done a sleeper car before and wants to experience it. She was going to share a room with Sister Random, but Sister Random backs out at the last minute, for reasons wrapped up in the whole Glass Menagerie scenario above that I don’t want to get into. The train is supposed to leave at 10:15 AM on Friday. Mom Random calls a shuttle which comes to pick us up at 5:45 AM – you know, because we will be hitting the hellacious commuter traffic to LA and we want to make sure we get to the train station in time. Well, of course, miracle! There is NO traffic and we get to the train station at 7 AM. Three whole hours to kill. Mr. Random is lousy at waiting anyway, but with his mom there, who also is spastic and can’t sit still, they both go into high fidgits. I’m just trying to be Zen and sit quietly at the station, drinking my iced mocha and reading my book, but nooooo – the other two are up-down-up-down-fidget-fidget-rustle newspaper-up-down the WHOLE time . . . until 10 AM, when we see that our train is going to be delayed. This freaks out Random Mom who is antsy to get going, because we have to be in Portland at a certain time tomorrow because folks are having a cookout for us that night, blah, blah, blah.
First of all, you don’t take the train if you want split second accuracy. Trains always get delayed due to the primacy of freight train traffic on the tracks, so you have to be kind of flexible about when you’ll get in. Secondly, on this route they specifically say on the tickets and when you buy the tickets that there is work being on the tracks, so trains are usually substantially delayed this summer. So you shouldn’t schedule anything around the arrival time and just go with the flow . . . we’re on VACATION, darn it!
But Mom Random has waited long enough and is now complaining to everyone about how crappy the trains are and how we’re going to be late and now we have to call Random Aunt and Uncle and tell them we’re going to be late and ruin their cookout and blah, blah. Hey, it’s not my fault we got here 3 hours early – chill out! So, it becomes 12 noon and the train isn’t there yet and Mom Random is still freaking and bringing Mr. Random with her. I suggest that they both go take a walk outside and have a nice lunch and leave me with the bags to read my book in peace. (Because they were both getting on my bloody nerves!) But no, she wouldn’t hear of it, and so we went to lunch in the station at a pretty nice restaurant (if way pricey), where she continued to complain. Mr. Random knew that I was on my last nerves and tried to keep me calm while at the same time trying to humor his mom.
So the train is finally ready at 1 PM. We hustle and hop on. Me and Mr. Random have a sleeper room in one car and Mom Random is in the other. Mr. Random goes back and forth to check on his mom. The train route is beautiful . . . it goes up the Pacific coast along the ocean though San Luis Obispo and then it goes inland through some lovely mountain areas. Such gorgeous views! Unfortunately, it was very foggy and overcast over the ocean, but still beautiful just the same. (Pictures will be forthcoming.) Mom Random gets out at all of the smoking stops (because smoking is not allowed on the train and she smokes, like, 2 packs a day. Despite her killer cough. And the fact she has been to the emergency room twice in the past month, including the first night we were at her house. But I digress . . .) We arrive in Portland seven hours late. More complaints commence.
I really felt bad for Mr. Random on this trip . . . It was very hard for him to deal with all of this stuff coming at him at once . . . and also stuff that’s been festering for a while. I was really hoping that time at his grandmother’s would go much better than the first part of the trip . . . it just HAD too, for both our sakes.
To be continued . . .
Thursday, August 25, 2005
It's Coming, I Swear . . .
The saga of the trip is coming . . . just plowed under by actual work to do.
I also have to figure out how to get my pictures and other goodies up here in a pleasing manner.
In the meanwhile, how has everyone's August been?
I also have to figure out how to get my pictures and other goodies up here in a pleasing manner.
In the meanwhile, how has everyone's August been?
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Hitting the Fan
Mr. Random and I returned to work at the Random Non-Profit today, looking forward to easing back into the workaday life . . . you know, read some e-mails, open some letters, take it slow. Little did I know how much manure would hit the fan today . . . otherwise I would have stayed in bed and taken another day off.
So I walk in and read my e-mails and find out that nothing that was supposed to happen while we were away actually happened. Things that were supposed to go out didn’t, things that were still in limbo, are still in limbo. We’ve been gone since August 4th, for crying out loud! What the heck did people do these past two weeks? Things have been passed on to me with very little exposition, and the people who sent them to me are gone on vacation until Labor Day.
Also, our uber-boss was fired yesterday. The CEO has been going around all day telling people not to freak out, everything is OK, no one else is getting laid off. So, of course, everyone IS freaked out.
I really try not to complain about work here, but I can’t write anything else until I get this off of my chest. WHEW! . . . Now I feel better. Back to being positive . . .
. . . Well, maybe not. That’s right – I still have to talk about the trip!
So I walk in and read my e-mails and find out that nothing that was supposed to happen while we were away actually happened. Things that were supposed to go out didn’t, things that were still in limbo, are still in limbo. We’ve been gone since August 4th, for crying out loud! What the heck did people do these past two weeks? Things have been passed on to me with very little exposition, and the people who sent them to me are gone on vacation until Labor Day.
Also, our uber-boss was fired yesterday. The CEO has been going around all day telling people not to freak out, everything is OK, no one else is getting laid off. So, of course, everyone IS freaked out.
I really try not to complain about work here, but I can’t write anything else until I get this off of my chest. WHEW! . . . Now I feel better. Back to being positive . . .
. . . Well, maybe not. That’s right – I still have to talk about the trip!
Monday, August 22, 2005
Hello? Anyone there?
Greetings, Faithful readers! (if you are still there . . .)
We are back from the long awaited vacation and it was . . . ina a word . . . horrible, with flashes of decent.
Full accounting when I get the chance . . . hopefully tomorrow.
I missed you all! I missed e-mail! I missed . . . real, decent newspapers with actual news!
I have pics, too! We finally did get the digital camera, and I hope to get some choice files up before the week's end.
Kisses of joy and relief to all!
We are back from the long awaited vacation and it was . . . ina a word . . . horrible, with flashes of decent.
Full accounting when I get the chance . . . hopefully tomorrow.
I missed you all! I missed e-mail! I missed . . . real, decent newspapers with actual news!
I have pics, too! We finally did get the digital camera, and I hope to get some choice files up before the week's end.
Kisses of joy and relief to all!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Always Feeling Fresh
Two posts in one day! It's rather rare, but I just saw this in my e-mail and I felt compelled to share . . .
In the “Only in the Advertising World” category, I was reading the NYT’s “In Advertising” e-Newsletter, and was rather amused by today’s Stuart Elliott article.
I’ll be loving you, Always?
A new campaign for a leading brand of feminine-hygiene products breaks ground in the category by unabashedly urging women to celebrate that time of the month. The unique approach of the campaign, for the Always brand of sanitary pads sold by Procter & Gamble, is typified by its frank theme, "Have a happy period." The campaign takes a warm, upbeat, comforting tone, with a just-between-us-girls kind of voice as typified by some of the headlines: "Queen for a week," "Take a cab home" and "The cookies in your desk aren't going to eat themselves."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/business/media/01inads_column.html?8seia&emc=seia
I do hope the link works, because there is an actual whole WEBSITE attached to this entire campaign. I may just have a sick sense of humor, but this was just too odd to let pass by . . .
In the “Only in the Advertising World” category, I was reading the NYT’s “In Advertising” e-Newsletter, and was rather amused by today’s Stuart Elliott article.
I’ll be loving you, Always?
A new campaign for a leading brand of feminine-hygiene products breaks ground in the category by unabashedly urging women to celebrate that time of the month. The unique approach of the campaign, for the Always brand of sanitary pads sold by Procter & Gamble, is typified by its frank theme, "Have a happy period." The campaign takes a warm, upbeat, comforting tone, with a just-between-us-girls kind of voice as typified by some of the headlines: "Queen for a week," "Take a cab home" and "The cookies in your desk aren't going to eat themselves."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/01/business/media/01inads_column.html?8seia&emc=seia
I do hope the link works, because there is an actual whole WEBSITE attached to this entire campaign. I may just have a sick sense of humor, but this was just too odd to let pass by . . .
Counting the Hours
Another busy weekend at the Random household . . .
Saturday morning, did 50 minutes of running – it went really well except that it was pretty muggy, even at 8:30 in the morning. I just walked in, checked my name off the list and went on a nice, steady-paced run. I was done at the exact same time that the speakers for the day were finished and I was SO glad that I did not stay to listen, otherwise I wouldn’t have finished running until after 11:00 AM.
Later, Mr. Random and I had lunch with my friend, C, and her friend, P, who was visiting from Tampa. We went to the Quarterdeck restaurant in Rosslyn which is a total dive that’s been around forever – it is tucked in an out of the way corner of Rossyln that not many folks know about – but it cooks the best hard-shell crabs outside of the Eastern Shore. P grew up on the Eastern Shore and I was quite pleased when he said that they were the best crabs he ever tasted . . . and Shore natives can be quite picky about their crabs.
Then we went to get a digital camera, which I haven’t has a chance to play with yet, but Mr. Random has. While I was out yesterday, he spent this time reading the instruction book and playing with the camera . . . he took a 1 minute short film of our cat eating in the kitchen, and several pictures of his hand. Oooooo, how thrilling. We need to get a memory stick for the camera in the next couple of days or our camera’s internal memory will be filled by Friday, with my husband taking pictures of random objects and of the cat sitting in her Buddha poses, just because he can.
Sunday morning, went to church sans Mr. Random who was not into getting up so early, so I had to leave him behind. It was just me and the music director for a while, practicing the songs for the service, and I was in a panic because I did not want to be the only person singing up front. About 2 minutes before the service started, two other choir folks showed up so I wasn’t stuck doing solos.
Then I went to lunch with my friend, J, the guy who is going to house/cat-sit for us while we are away. His knee is getting better – he went to the doctor on Friday and got his knee drained, along with a cortisone shot, so he no longer needs to use crutches, but he still has a bit of a limp until it heals. He went with me to pick out the birthday present for the 2 year old’s birthday party I had to go to later. The parents gave us the parameters, “S likes stars moons, keys and alligators.” Do you know how hard it is to find stuffed alligators? Dragons, yes. Dinosaurs, yes. Frogs, yes. Alligators, . . . not one. There are not many books on stars or moons geared to two year olds, besides the ever present, Goodnight, Moon, which he already had a copy of. However, after much searching I did find a set of cards with constellations cut out of them that you can use with a flashlight to beam the constellations onto a darkened ceiling. I thought the set was so cool! Even though the age on the package said “age 6 and up,” I am sure the parents will get a hoot out of showing off the stars on the ceiling . . . I know that I would. I forgot to ask J about the blog . . . he’s the one that I hoped would post while I’m gone . . . but his schedule seems a bit hectic. We’ll see.
So after lunch, I drive like a madwoman home . . . or as best I can, going down Route 50 and Route 7 on a Sunday afternoon . . . those roads are always horrible. I pick up Mr. Random and we head to the birthday party, which at this point is almost over. This is a good thing because there were tons of little kids and their parents there, but very few people that we actually knew, besides the birthday boy and his parents and one other couple with their little1 year old boy. We caught each other up on what’s been going on in various folks lives. They did not know that our friend, L, moved to Australia and that my friend, D, was expecting a little girl next month. We did not know that our friend, S, and his wife, M, had moved to Williamsburg because M got a job at a college near there. We also didn’t know that our old friend, A, had become a stay at home mom – she had just gotten married to an older man who had a young son.
So we stay a good 45 minutes, rave over how big the birthday boy has gotten, chitchat a bit with the old friends, and then are given a piece of cake to take home. This was just enough time for us to feel like we made a presence, and not so long that we start to feel like weirdos for being the only ones there who don’t have any little kids to compare notes about.
We then went home and I promptly took an allergy pill and took an hour nap, because I was totally exhausted. Didn’t really fully wake up for the rest of the night either, but I did manage to eat a couple of bites of dinner and some peach ice cream that Mr. Random had just bought at the store.
. . . Now I’m back at work, not thinking of work, but thinking of all the packing I have to do, and all of the cleaning that needs to be done so that J doesn’t think that we live in a pig sty. The good thing about having people over often is that you have to pick up stuff around the house on a regular basis, so things don’t get too bad. Because my sister just stayed with us, the guest room is rather neat and inviting, so that’s not a worry. Just have to scrub down the bathroom and kitchen and get all of the random piles of junk mail and newspapers out of the living room and den. I also have to write down instructions for feeding the cat and changing the litter box.
How much clothing should one bring for 3 weeks? I’m not that good at planning my wardrobe ahead that far . . . I tend to think of what I’m going to wear the night before, and then change my mind again in the morning. I know that there will be washers and dryers available, so I can bring stuff for just a week and then do a major wash, but I’m not sure what I’m going to feel like wearing once I’m in CA. Skirts & Sandals? Shorts and sneakers? T-shirts? Capris? Nice shoes? Nice Pants? Arrrgh!
Well, a traveling mood needs a traveling poem, and I found one to end with for today:
Traveling Alone
Billy Collins
At the hotel coffee shop that morning,
the waitress was wearing a pink uniform
with "Florence" written in script over her heart.
And the man who checked my bag
had a badge that said "Ben."
Behind him was a long row of royal palms.
On the plane, two women poured drinks
from a cart they rolled down the narrow aisle —
"Debbie" and "Lynn" according to their winged tags.
And such was my company
as I arced from coast to coast,
and so I seldom spoke, and then only
of the coffee, the bag, the tiny bottles of vodka.
I said little more than "Thank you"
and "Can you take this from me, please?"
Yet I began to sense that all of them
were ready to open up,
to get to know me better, perhaps begin a friendship.
Florence looked irritated
as she shuffled from table to table,
but was she just hiding her need
to know about my early years —
the ball I would toss and catch in my hands
the times I hid behind my mother's dress?
And was I so wrong in catching in Ben's eyes
a glimmer of interest in my theories
and habits — my view of the Enlightenment,
my love of cards, the hours I tended to keep?
And what about Debbie and Lynn?
Did they not look eager to ask about my writing process,
my way of composing in the morning
by a window, which I would have admitted
if they had just had the courage to ask.
And strangely enough — I would have continued,
as they stopped pouring drinks
and the other passengers turned to listen —
the only emotion I ever feel, Debbie and Lynn,
is what the beaver must feel,
as he bears each stick to his hidden construction,
which creates the tranquil pond
and gives the mallards somewhere to paddle,
the pair of swans a place to conceal their young.
(BTW, Virginia Gal, the plan is to submit the passport stuff on Thursday morning, since our train doesn't leave until late afternoon.)
Saturday morning, did 50 minutes of running – it went really well except that it was pretty muggy, even at 8:30 in the morning. I just walked in, checked my name off the list and went on a nice, steady-paced run. I was done at the exact same time that the speakers for the day were finished and I was SO glad that I did not stay to listen, otherwise I wouldn’t have finished running until after 11:00 AM.
Later, Mr. Random and I had lunch with my friend, C, and her friend, P, who was visiting from Tampa. We went to the Quarterdeck restaurant in Rosslyn which is a total dive that’s been around forever – it is tucked in an out of the way corner of Rossyln that not many folks know about – but it cooks the best hard-shell crabs outside of the Eastern Shore. P grew up on the Eastern Shore and I was quite pleased when he said that they were the best crabs he ever tasted . . . and Shore natives can be quite picky about their crabs.
Then we went to get a digital camera, which I haven’t has a chance to play with yet, but Mr. Random has. While I was out yesterday, he spent this time reading the instruction book and playing with the camera . . . he took a 1 minute short film of our cat eating in the kitchen, and several pictures of his hand. Oooooo, how thrilling. We need to get a memory stick for the camera in the next couple of days or our camera’s internal memory will be filled by Friday, with my husband taking pictures of random objects and of the cat sitting in her Buddha poses, just because he can.
Sunday morning, went to church sans Mr. Random who was not into getting up so early, so I had to leave him behind. It was just me and the music director for a while, practicing the songs for the service, and I was in a panic because I did not want to be the only person singing up front. About 2 minutes before the service started, two other choir folks showed up so I wasn’t stuck doing solos.
Then I went to lunch with my friend, J, the guy who is going to house/cat-sit for us while we are away. His knee is getting better – he went to the doctor on Friday and got his knee drained, along with a cortisone shot, so he no longer needs to use crutches, but he still has a bit of a limp until it heals. He went with me to pick out the birthday present for the 2 year old’s birthday party I had to go to later. The parents gave us the parameters, “S likes stars moons, keys and alligators.” Do you know how hard it is to find stuffed alligators? Dragons, yes. Dinosaurs, yes. Frogs, yes. Alligators, . . . not one. There are not many books on stars or moons geared to two year olds, besides the ever present, Goodnight, Moon, which he already had a copy of. However, after much searching I did find a set of cards with constellations cut out of them that you can use with a flashlight to beam the constellations onto a darkened ceiling. I thought the set was so cool! Even though the age on the package said “age 6 and up,” I am sure the parents will get a hoot out of showing off the stars on the ceiling . . . I know that I would. I forgot to ask J about the blog . . . he’s the one that I hoped would post while I’m gone . . . but his schedule seems a bit hectic. We’ll see.
So after lunch, I drive like a madwoman home . . . or as best I can, going down Route 50 and Route 7 on a Sunday afternoon . . . those roads are always horrible. I pick up Mr. Random and we head to the birthday party, which at this point is almost over. This is a good thing because there were tons of little kids and their parents there, but very few people that we actually knew, besides the birthday boy and his parents and one other couple with their little1 year old boy. We caught each other up on what’s been going on in various folks lives. They did not know that our friend, L, moved to Australia and that my friend, D, was expecting a little girl next month. We did not know that our friend, S, and his wife, M, had moved to Williamsburg because M got a job at a college near there. We also didn’t know that our old friend, A, had become a stay at home mom – she had just gotten married to an older man who had a young son.
So we stay a good 45 minutes, rave over how big the birthday boy has gotten, chitchat a bit with the old friends, and then are given a piece of cake to take home. This was just enough time for us to feel like we made a presence, and not so long that we start to feel like weirdos for being the only ones there who don’t have any little kids to compare notes about.
We then went home and I promptly took an allergy pill and took an hour nap, because I was totally exhausted. Didn’t really fully wake up for the rest of the night either, but I did manage to eat a couple of bites of dinner and some peach ice cream that Mr. Random had just bought at the store.
. . . Now I’m back at work, not thinking of work, but thinking of all the packing I have to do, and all of the cleaning that needs to be done so that J doesn’t think that we live in a pig sty. The good thing about having people over often is that you have to pick up stuff around the house on a regular basis, so things don’t get too bad. Because my sister just stayed with us, the guest room is rather neat and inviting, so that’s not a worry. Just have to scrub down the bathroom and kitchen and get all of the random piles of junk mail and newspapers out of the living room and den. I also have to write down instructions for feeding the cat and changing the litter box.
How much clothing should one bring for 3 weeks? I’m not that good at planning my wardrobe ahead that far . . . I tend to think of what I’m going to wear the night before, and then change my mind again in the morning. I know that there will be washers and dryers available, so I can bring stuff for just a week and then do a major wash, but I’m not sure what I’m going to feel like wearing once I’m in CA. Skirts & Sandals? Shorts and sneakers? T-shirts? Capris? Nice shoes? Nice Pants? Arrrgh!
Well, a traveling mood needs a traveling poem, and I found one to end with for today:
Traveling Alone
Billy Collins
At the hotel coffee shop that morning,
the waitress was wearing a pink uniform
with "Florence" written in script over her heart.
And the man who checked my bag
had a badge that said "Ben."
Behind him was a long row of royal palms.
On the plane, two women poured drinks
from a cart they rolled down the narrow aisle —
"Debbie" and "Lynn" according to their winged tags.
And such was my company
as I arced from coast to coast,
and so I seldom spoke, and then only
of the coffee, the bag, the tiny bottles of vodka.
I said little more than "Thank you"
and "Can you take this from me, please?"
Yet I began to sense that all of them
were ready to open up,
to get to know me better, perhaps begin a friendship.
Florence looked irritated
as she shuffled from table to table,
but was she just hiding her need
to know about my early years —
the ball I would toss and catch in my hands
the times I hid behind my mother's dress?
And was I so wrong in catching in Ben's eyes
a glimmer of interest in my theories
and habits — my view of the Enlightenment,
my love of cards, the hours I tended to keep?
And what about Debbie and Lynn?
Did they not look eager to ask about my writing process,
my way of composing in the morning
by a window, which I would have admitted
if they had just had the courage to ask.
And strangely enough — I would have continued,
as they stopped pouring drinks
and the other passengers turned to listen —
the only emotion I ever feel, Debbie and Lynn,
is what the beaver must feel,
as he bears each stick to his hidden construction,
which creates the tranquil pond
and gives the mallards somewhere to paddle,
the pair of swans a place to conceal their young.
(BTW, Virginia Gal, the plan is to submit the passport stuff on Thursday morning, since our train doesn't leave until late afternoon.)
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