Monday, October 31, 2005
I can tell by your charm
How very odd to have a Halloween without the carnival.That's okay, though. I had just about the most exciting Halloween I could possibly have. By the time I went to bed last night, I was feeling like I had marbles in my throat, and I don't think I slept for more than 20 min at a time until 4:30 this morning. So, since I didn't have to work today, I came home after I dropped Lourenzo off at school, and I spent the day in bed, until I had to get up to go pick him up.
Thrilling.
I would have loved to be a part of the costume parade in the Village, but there were a few things making that a non-possibility. 1) Lack of costume. 2) Lack of people to hang out with (although if everything else had worked out, I'm sure I could have found someone). 3) Lack of time--I picked L. up at a friend's house at 7:30, which is right about when it started. 4) My head feels like it's going to split in half. It's a little better now than it was earlier today, but it's still not pretty.
Of course, since I slept all day, now I'm not going to fall asleep until way too late. Maybe I'll see if Alexandra can take Lourenzo in the morning, and I'll see how my day goes from there.
This afternoon, before she left, Alexandra came into my room to see how I was feeling, and she felt my forehead and my glands. So weird. I haven't had someone feel my forehead in a very long time.
Okay. I'm going to bed. But first... Happy Birthday, Kim!!
Sunday, October 30, 2005
This holy ghost that rattles through the night
Old habits die hard, even when it's unintentional. Yesterday, I took Lourenzo to the Y to register him for his swimming lessons, and afterwards, we grabbed lunch at Quiznos. Today, after church, a bunch of us went out for lunch, and we went to... Quiznos. Add that to the fact that I had Starbucks both yesterday and today, and it looks like I'm susbsisting on Quiznos, Starbucks, and breakfast cereal again! Heh.After lunch, I was walking down to the Strand with Faith, a girl from church, and we were discussing the various aspects of the Forefront community.
What I didn't realize when I started going there was that not only is it a young church in terms of the congregation, but it's also a baby church in terms of its age. Put it this way: my first week there was Forefront's second week as an actual church with regular services. They'd been meeting once a week during the summer, but they had just started their weekly services the week before I started going. It's a church plant, supported by other churches (although I'm not sure what denomination its backed by, if any in particular), and so it's still so much in a formative stage.
For some reason, also, the church seems to attract a very new crowd. The pastoral staff has all moved to NYC within the past 8 months or so, and many of the people I've gotten to know have only lived in the city for less than 5 months, on average. I still don't know how every has gotten hooked up at Forefront, and I don't know how it is that it attracts this particular demographic, but it does, and it's kind of cool.
For one thing, it's nice to be in on the ground floor of something--to be, even inadvertently (as in my case) in the beginning of all this. Watching the community grow, and being a part of the initial thrust to see it go somewhere.
For another thing, it's nice to come into a group where you're not just "the newcomer." Yes, many people you meet in New York are from "somewhere else," but a lot of them have been here a lot longer than two months. It's kind of nice to be amongst other people who have no clue about the city, either, and who are still figuring it all out. We can all feel dumb together, and when someone discovers something or someplace new, we can all feel like it's new together.
In any case, for whatever reason, it seems to be a solid community that's being built. Maybe because there are so few pre-formed friendships, and everyone's coming into this with a blank slate, but it's coming. Slowly but surely.
On a side, but related, note, I have to say that I'm impressed with the level of organization and preparedness that this church seems to have, especially for one so new. I mean, I know that there have been things going on behind the scenes for a long time, and that they've been meeting and finding a core of people for a few months, but still--to have things this pulled together within such a short time is impressive.
Anyways. I'm going to go continue my stellar diet and get some cereal for supper. Yup, in a city of the finest cuisine in the world and a 24-hour deli on every corner, I'm going to eat breakfast cereal for dinner. Like I said, old habits die hard.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Go on and on... and on and on
I just saw a commercial for a special-edition dvd of Titanic, complete with alternate ending. How does that movie have an alternate ending? Surprise, everyone! The boat doesn't actually sink? Leonardo diCaprio doesn't die, and they live happily ever after, and the entire setup for the movie is suddenly irrelevent?And... the door is opened for all those sequels that everyone was joking about, way back in 1997.
Yeah, it made me laugh.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Make 'em all run
Hump Day is over. *sigh* I'm always amazed at how true that kind of thinking is. It really is like cresting a roller coaster--Wednesday always seems to be that magical day that makes the rest of the week seem like it'll be over quickly. Especially now that I'm in a slightly more "normal" weekly schedule. When my days off were Monday and Tuesday, or Tuesday and Friday, or Monday and Thursday, or something like that, it doesn't really matter what "hump day" was.Anyways. I'm waiting for last night's episode of Gilmore Girls to finish downloading so that I can watch it before I go to bed. The one disadvantage to having my small group on Tuesday night.
I think I'm going to do NaNo. For one thing, I've got to give Janna a run for her money! :o) For another, I've got to finish it, just because I'm stubborn. And really, if I think about it, I do have some time. Once Lourenzo goes to bed, I've got a couple of hours that I don't really have anything pressing to do with. I don't have such a hectic work schedule, and I'm not in school, so I don't have to worry about classes, studying, and assignments. There are a few things that might get in the way, but I'm going to give it a shot.
Still have no clue what I'm going to write about, but that seemed to be the tactic that worked best for me the only other time I've actually finished! I started in 2002 with a first sentence, and look where that went!
Happy Birthday, Laura!
If your birthday is an October birthday (or, in Jen's case, a September birthday) and you're wondering if I forgot... I didn't. I mailed a whole pile of cards and presents the other day. Unless, of course, you're Kat. Then... your present is still coming. And it won't be on time. But there will be other surprises. Mwahahahaha...
Okay, it's 10:00, and this show still isn't quite finished downloading. Maybe it'll just have to wait until tomorrow... Sad day, when my bedtime is well, well, well before midnight. It still always throws me for a loop when I show up for work at 10:00, and I've already been up and going for 4 hours. I'm used to being up and going for about an hour before work. Unless I've got a meeting beforehand. Or I'm staying at the farm.
I really need to stop typing before I completely stop making sense!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Baby, that's what you are
Heh. I'd taken some pictures of a few places that I hang out on a regular basis, like Lourenzo's school, and my B&N, but I guess I didn't upload them properly, since I can't seem to find them. I do, however, have pictures of the coolest coffee shop ever. Java Girl. Even though I get a discount at Starbucks, this place has a far cooler ambience, and I hang out here at least once a week. It's a block from L's school, so it's perfect for when I have some time to kill after dropping him off. And, if you come visit me (hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge), we will go. No question about it.
The whole place is pretty much like this--exposed brick walls, tiny cafe tables, lots of pillows, warm colors... it's quite small--there are only about 6 tables, but it's so worth it. The corner opposite this one is the best--there's a great armchair, and you can just disappear into this corner with a book, and forget that everyone and everything else exists for a while. Apparently this place is Zagat rated as "Best Place for a Non-Corporate Cup of Coffee and a Chat." Easy to see why--the minute you walk in the door, you can understand the appeal.It's just one of those places that's warm and friendly, and completely unexpected. It's my little Central Perk, for lack of a better analogy. Minus the big orange couch, five other coffee addicts there constantly with me, and an apartment in the building above it, that is.
Anyways, I'll try to post the other pictures later, but these will just have to do (and hopefully make you jealous enough to come visit me!) for now!
Monday, October 24, 2005
The talks are overrated
Hrmm, hrmm. I'm never sure whether Mondays give me too much or too little free time. I don't work, so I have basically all day to do... whatever... with, and, depending on the day, it either drags, or it goes way too quickly. I'm trying to make Mondays my work day, and once I have more in the way of homework/classes, that'll definitely be useful--I take my laptop and books, and I hole up in the library all day, and that pretty much takes care of it.Today, I had a few errands to run, so that helps, too--gave me something to do with my time, and more than just sitting at the same table in the library all day. Still, I know that once November comes, I'll have plenty of "library-work" kind of stuff to do (in addition to the business-related work that I'm already doing on Mondays), so I'll be thankful for the time.
Church yesterday... it was good. I really do enjoy Forefront, and I'm glad that I finally found something that's a fit. Not a perfect fit, but I don't think that any church is (any place is), right from the beginning. You kind of have to grow into a new place and a new establishment, and as everyone involved grows and changes, hopefully those changes are for the better. Anyways, I'm really looking forward to small group tomorrow night, and then on Saturday, they're having a "fall fair" church picnic type thing, which I'm going to try to take Lourenzo to. I don't know if Alexandra has other plans for the day, but if not, I think it would be fun.
What else? I found some classes that I'm planning to take--only one before Christmas (but between the "Bible as Literature" class, and the potential NaNo, I'll be busy enough as it is)--but hopefully I'll be able to do more after Christmas. It's pretty cool--NYU offers a Certificate in Arts Administration, so I'm going to take as many of the requirements for that as I can, and take it from there. It's definitely what I need to learn right now, and I haven't seen any programs like it in Calgary, so I'm glad I happened to be looking in the right place to find the information!
Anyways, I'm going to go grab some lunch, head to the post office--I'm on top of, if not ahead of, all these October birthdays--and then pick Lourenzo up. I'm still working on it, but I may have some pictures to post tonight. I still haven't taken the last few house pictures, but I'll get some other stuff up. I hope.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Through despair and hope
I'm tired. Lourenzo had a friend over today, which meant that I didn't have to watch them every minute, but the time that I did have to be with them, I had to expend at least twice the energy. Plus, my night off was last night, so instead of staying up late on Saturday night, when I get to sleep in on Sunday morning, I was up late on Friday night, and then found a small, wiggly body on top of me at 7 this morning.All that to say that I'm tired. I did, however, have a good chance to catch up on emails and stuff today--I got a lot of that kind of stuff done while Lourenzo and Julian were playing. Keeping an ear open, but being banished from whatever room they were in. :o) My inbox is now comfortably down to 3 emails, none of which need to be responded to.
Honestly, it's been a pretty uneventful week, except for my small-world incident on Tuesday night. Work, Lourenzo, and that's about it. I saw Elizabethtown last night, which, despite some of the reviews, I really loved. But, I've already dissected it thoroughly, and picked apart all the reasons why I liked it and didn't like it, so I'm not going to get into that again... short version; it was a movie that I loved for all the reasons that I love stories most, which made it an excellent choice.
Friday, October 21, 2005
How do you measure
Hmmm... A night off tonight instead of tomorrow. Which, actually, I'm kind of looking forward to. I'm planning to rent a couple of movies, and just hang out watching chick flicks after Lourenzo goes to bed. Which means that tonight, I satisfy the voice that tells me to be "artsy." Possibly a play; possibly a movie. I'm thinking either Shopgirl or Good Night and Good Luck. They're sufficiently "non-commercial," I think. Of course, my other option is Elizabethtown, which is sufficiently... big budget, I guess. Even though it, too, was a festival film.Naomi recommended GNGL, so I have that one on good authority, but we'll see. I might just head into Manhattan and decide when I get there.
But we'll see.
I think I had something else to write about, but I'm not sure what it was, so I'll have to try to remember it later.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Still hide all of me
Okay, highlight of my day? It's still a small world, even in New York. Explanation? Yes, please! Here we go:I've directed a couple of plays (Morbidman Meets His Maker and The Waiting Room) that were written by John Cosper, who also happens to be the founder and director of the Righteous Insanity theatre group. Over the years, we've been in touch about various different projects and productions--I've picked his brain for ideas; he's tried to come to Foothills on one of their tours--things like that.
Tonight, I was at my small group, and Ryan, the pastor who's leading the group, mentioned something about New Albany, which is, apparently, a small town that no one has ever heard of, so he tells people that he's from Louisville, which is the nearest city.
Now, these two cities/towns in conjunction with each other twigged something in my brain. Wait a minute, I've mailed stuff to New Albany. What?... Oh yeah, videos of John's shows!
"Ryan, do you happen to know John Cosper? Have you ever heard of Righteous Insanity?"
"What?!?! You know John?! What a small world!"
Yeah, I've still got it. I can move this far away, and still know someone who knows someone.
And, people, I've got comment capability on this thing for a reason! Talk to me! Pleeeeease?
The small group was good. I'm really looking forward to this. The study is on the various roles of Christ, and it's a study that could be done by new believers, or by people who have been in the church for a while... this group seems to be the latter. It seems to be a group that has a strong knowledge base, and a significant level of understanding what they're talking about. It was good--the conversation was centered around Christ as Teacher, and there were a lot of good points made, many of which were cross-referenced with other scripture, historical examples from Christendom and Biblical history, and theological points that were evidence of some teaching and learning. I think it'll be a good group to hang out with, and I think it'll be a good study, in general.
Anyways, no one seems to be online to talk to, and I've replied to all my emails and stuff, so I think I might actually get to bed at a decent hour tonight!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Just, you know, the world's biggest hick
I'm not sure why I didn't do this before.Usually, when I'm online, I have music, unless I'm watching a movie or something while I type. Anyways, I usually just have my playlist going, but today, I'm listening to Vibe 98.5, the radio station that I listened to most often in Calgary.
It's nice to hear Calgary commercials and weather and events and stuff like that.
I just miss having all my preset buttons so that I can flip through the stations when a song that I don't really enjoy comes on. :o) Ah well...
Now, let's see if I can win some contests from here!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Capture your senses in a smile
Christmas paraphernalia is starting to pop up all over the city. Sparkly snowmen and fuzzy Santa Clauses are sitting beside the Halloween candy and princess costume. The window displays are rife with red and silver and plaid and scarves, and are set up beside the new fall sweaters, just a few feet away from the clearance racks of tank tops and sundresses.This is the biggest evidence of my latest time warp. I have to remind myself that Christmas really is only two months away, and that before I know it, I'll be in the middle of snow and Christmas pageants and holiday cheer and general goodwill. I'm not sure why--maybe it's because I'm not doing anything Christmas-y yet. That's part of it--I'm not doing any sorts of shows or activities, so Christmas, which usually starts in September, hasn't started yet, and it's mid-October.
The weather has something to do with it, too. It's been unseasonably warm here, and it's only been in the past two weeks that it's started to feel like fall. The leaves are still green, and it just doesn't work to have green leaves and green wreathes at the same time.
I think, though, that the biggest part of it is that life hasn't been normal since August 31, and so that's where my frame of reference is stuck. I know, in my head, that today is October 16, and that Christmas is only 69 days away, but it feels like that strange limbo that happens when you're on vacation and away from home. Even though I'm not on vacation, and this is, for now, "home." I still feel like I'm waiting for Sept 1 to come.
But, despite what my ever-so-fallible internal calendar tells me, it really and truly is mid-October, which means that... Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat; won't you please put a penny in the old man's hat.
Some of it is transcendental
Janna, you'll appreciate this/be terrified by it more than anyone else who reads this!I had a dream the other night there was a Veggie Tales Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In my dream, they were singing "Benjamin Calypso," and Junior Asparagus was Benjamin.
Except that it was Junior Asparagus with Charles Arthur's face. And the choreography was terrifyingly similar to Cindy's choreography for the show.
Seriously, people. That show was 2 1/2 years ago. Why, why, why am I still dreaming about it?!
And why, pray tell, are all these RMC people suddenly morphing into vegetables?
Friday, October 14, 2005
Like I'm right beside you
It's funny. Sometimes, even though my days seem to adopt this "New York pace" of life, my evenings are so uneventful. It's in the evenings that I feel most like a babysitter. I mean, yes, I live here, but on the nights when I come home, make supper, get Lourenzo bathed and in bed... usually, I watch some TV, and then end up online until bedtime. Part of that is productivity of some sort, but a lot of it is simply the fact that the internet is my biggest link home.In any case, these are the hours when I feel most like a "babysitter" in the traditional sense of the word--hanging out, waiting for the parents to get home. It feels even more that way because I leave my computer in the TV room most of the time--my room is just 10 feet to far away from the modem to have a steady connection. It comes and goes, so it's fairly unstable, which is irritating. I would much rather have my computer at my desk, and be able to work in my room on all this, but that's not usually an option.
So, I use it downstairs. I used to carry it back upstairs with me just about every day, but these days, I leave it down here more often than not. It's just not worth the hassle. The only time I really take it upstairs is when I need to do some work/writing that I don't need to be online for.
What else? There were a few fairly inconsequential things that I was going to write about. Oh yeah. One thing that I'm discovering that I really don't like at work? Having to call a manager to override every little thing on till. Seriously. Why can't I cancel my own transaction? Why can't I reprint a receipt? I can understand needing an override to do a refund, or to log in or out, or something like that, but there are just too many little things that need to be manager-approved. It's kind of irritating. Very irritating. Partly because I think that some of it is just dumb security--there's just too much that can't be done without much hassle. Partly because I'm used to being the one who has the keys, the codes, the knowledge, whatever. When I was on till at Quiznos, I did all that on my own. I so rarely ever had to call someone to get my till out of a jam--in fact, I was usually the one that others called to fix it. It just bothers me to have to get someone else to do for me what I'm completely capable of doing for myself.
Anyways. It rained today. I got wet. I went to the library. I bought shampoo and other such exciting items at K-Mart. I prefer Target, but K-Mart was easier to get to, and for those things, it doesn't matter all that much.
I want to go to a play tomorrow night, but I don't know what yet. Maybe I'll see about rush tickets for a bigger show. That would be fun.
I'm looking for a messenger bag of some sort. I have a purse that I really love, but I want something that can carry a change of clothes for work, maybe a laptop (not necessarily at the same time), as well as my wallet and stuff (I don't want to carry my purse and the bag). I have a backpack and a briefcase-type-thing, but I'm looking for something a little more walking-friendly. I'm thinking that maybe one of those one-shoulder sling bags (the ones that velcro across your chest) might be good, especially for the clothes/lunch/work stuff, although I'm not sure how a laptop would fit.
I'm not 100% convinced that I need it yet--the other bags are in decent shape still (although the backpack that I have has served me well--it lasted me through 3 years of high school, 4 years of college, 1 year of working full-time, 2 months in Europe, 6 weeks in vans across North America, and many, many other trips--but the zippers are finally starting to give out), but I'm keeping an eye open. It's more about the convenience than what's in good/bad shape.
Ha. I'm so not interesting right now.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Little girl, hey, the door is that way
Curse me and my too-strong sense of obligation when it comes to work! Yesterday, I was scheduled to work from 10-6:30, my typical Tuesday schedule. Alexandra picks Lourenzo up, so I have my evening free, which means that I can work a longer day. Anyways, last night was the first night of Forefront's small groups, which I was actually pretty excited for.But, of course, someone called out at work, and they were short-staffed, and needed someone to stay until close, so I worked from 10-9:30, and missed the small group. Not the end of the world, but I have to remember that this isn't Becky, and I don't need to feel obligated!
I know what it feels like to be on the other end of it, though, and to be the one in the lurch because you're short, and I hate leaving people in that situation. I know it's not my responsibility to cover all the shifts--or even every shift that I can--and I probably should have said no last night, but whatever... it all worked out.
I just need someone to kick me if I start to consider it too often!
Other than that... it's sopping wet here. Think Calgary in June this year, and that's what New York is like right now. It's only been for 3 days, though, not a month, so thus far, it's not unmanageable. I think I've gotten more wet in those 3 days than I did in most of Calgary's wet month, though. Much more walking, much less driving. No driving. Much more time spent outside.
It's strange to me that I'll go for a whole year (almost) without driving. It's just such a daily thing at home--there are very few days when I don't drive somewhere--and here, it just doesn't happen. It's not uncommon for people to live their entire lives in this city and never get a drivers license.
What else? I signed up for a class on "The Bible as Literature," starting on Nov 1, for 4 weeks. It'll look at the different literary forms in the Bible--poetry, parable, story, letter--and it's taught by a professor at Wheaton College. It's actually offered online, as a correspondance course-type-thing, through Barnes &Noble--they offer all these different courses for free through their website. It's not for any credit or anything, but it sounds interesting, and it'll be a good chance to get my academic feet wet again.
I'm still looking for classes now, but it's looking like I won't actually take anything through an actual school until January--you know, those things they call semesters might have something to do with it! I may still start an acting class--some of the ones I've seen have ongoing registration--but in terms of an academic class, after Christmas, things will pick up.
Anyways, this will be an interesting diversion, and it should be an interesting subject. They offer some pretty diverse classes and reading discussion groups... of course, they want you to buy the books from them, but other than that, the classes are all free (and open to anyone--it's not just an employee thing), so if you've got some spare time that you're not going to fill with NaNoWriMo (which I still haven't decided if I'm going to tackle this year), you could take a look at it.
Okay, I'm trying to get caught up on emails and stuff tonight, so I should get back to that--but updating here was definitely on my list of things to do while online tonight! I was feeling like I was leaving people out of the loop by not updating since Sunday! Ah well... it's all up to date now, so rest easy. Heh.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Dirty canvases to call my own
I was riding the subway home this afternoon, reading The Madonnas of Leningrad (Side Note: Mom, Kim, and Lindsey--you'll really like this book. It's set to be released in March (oh, the joys of my advance copies!), but you should definitely keep an eye open for it). The book is basically about a woman who memorizes every painting in the Hermitage during the seige on Leningrad during WWII, and it speaks particularly about the many, many "Madonna With Child"s that were painted throughout history, by nearly every artist--known and unknown.The whole thing is a fascinating study of the juxtaposition between the deliberately godless society of Soviet Russia and the enduring value, beauty, and truth in the paintings, that were still so valuable and treasured, despite their content. The deliberate memory of the details of the paintings is what keeps the main character sane in the middle of all this suffering, and the art goes with her for years.
One stop before mine, four men got on the train and began singing, a black barbershop quartet of spirituals and gospel, and I got off the train with the descriptions of the Madonnas and the thought of the feat of memorizing each of them playing to a soundtrack of a black gospel song repeating, "Don't weep, Mary," all set against a background of the chapters in Lamentations, and the descriptions of the destruction of Jerusalem (which somehow seemed, in this moment, to be a parallel to the seige of Leningrad), that I had read earlier this afternoon.
A most bizarre, fascinating, and haunting melange of cultures, times, and art forms--the visual art against the music against the poetry--stating that Gospel Truth is timeless, and that art has the power to remind us of that in ways that few other media can.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Set our bodies down like offerings
Alexandra and Lourenzo are back from their week of camping, which was apparently wonderful and educational and beautiful, and today was a full-12-hours-of-Lourenzo day. Actually, it wasn't all that bad, because he had a friend come over for the afternoon, and honestly, it's easier to babysit two 5-year-boys than just one. When there are two, they entertain themselves, and I just have to check every 10 minutes to make sure no one's hanging from the ceiling. Monday will be more of the same, since there's no school, and then we're back into the normal routine.It feels much later than it is, though. And, I'm still heading out tonight. Naomi, a girl from work, and I are going to go see In Her Shoes--a late showing, since we were both busy in the earlier evening. The plan is to see a 10:30 show, but 11:30 and 12:30 are always options, too, if things get hung up and we can't get there until later. My point, though, is that it feels like I should be leaving now for a 10:30 show, but I still have almost an hour and a half before I need to leave the house.
Good thing I found some chocolate covered espresso beans in the kitchen, right? Heh. Actually, I'm looking forward to it. Not only do I really want to see this movie (I've read the book, and thought it was really good), but it'll be nice to just do something social with someone else. Just to hang out. As much as I do love exploring New York on my own, there are certain non-exploratory and just-experiential things that are better with another person. A friend, maybe? At any rate, someone with common interests and friendly conversation.
And then tomorrow, I'm going back to Forefront. It's funny--of the three churches that I seriously considered, I got the least personal-Sunday-morning attention at Forefront. I wasn't invited out for lunch; I didn't really meet anyone specific; I wasn't introduced to "instant friends," like I was at New Life and First Alliance. I don't think that's why I decided to go there over the other two--there were many other factors at work, and a kind of complicated decision-making process--but it was still an interesting observation.
Having said that, I signed up for one of their small groups, which starts on Tuesday, and I'm actually really excited for that--more excited than I was about the prospect of going to either of the other two small groups; the ones where I would have actually known (sort of) someone going in. Strange? Yeah, but what else would you expect from me?
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Priceless.
So, there are three new people at work, which means that I actually know more than someone. I may not know it all yet, but at least I'm moving up the food chain!The coffee shop that's only 6 blocks from my house? Not bad. It's more of a "cute little cafe tables" kind of place, rather than a "couches and comfy chairs for a 4-hour chat" kind of place, but it's better than nothing, right? Even though I work at a coffee shop. I need options, and I definitely need something close to home.
Um, I think I might go to a movie on Saturday night with Naomi, a girl from work. The prospect of having a social outing with a real person? Priceless. I sound like a MasterCard commercial.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Let me sing you a waltz
I almost have house pictures to put up. I actually took pictures of everything, but then I realized that there are a few that should be re-taken in the daylight, so one of these days, I'll take those last few pictures (mostly of the attic), and then I'll post it all. Finally.I can't believe it's been a month already. It feels like my routine here is so much more established, and yet it's flown by so fast, I can hardly believe it.
I'm watching Before Sunset for the bazillionth time. That is just such an amazing movie. Every time I watch it, I'm even more captivated by the writing and the acting. I think that it's because it's all so intertwined in this movie. It's all so organic, and I love the movie so much because I love the story of the process of making it. You know?
I think it's a good thing I touch-type, too, because I can be watching the TV while I type this.
Speaking of movies, Janna told me that she saw Reverb, the karaoke movie I was an extra in last spring. And, apparently, my scenes weren't all cut, and you can see me! In one scene, she tells me, you actually know that it's her and me (that was the grocery store scene, shot the night of my college grad ceremony--after dinner with the family, I didn't have anything else to do, so I went to the shooting!), and there's another scene that's just my back, for a split second. She said that she just knew it was me because she recognized the shirt and "because we spent 80-120 hours a week together." Pretty cool, hey? Hopefully I'll actually get to see it someday! :o)
I spent the evening getting more meals in the freezer--I made a lasagna and a big pot of stew, and they're currently cooling enough to be divvied up without melting the Tupperware. Three down, two to go. I'm not going to do anything tomorrow, I don't think, but Friday, I'll make something chicken and something fish (and neither one of them that resembles soup), and that'll get us through the next month, at least. I'm so not interesting. Heh. Here I am, just talking about what I'm cooking for dinner.
I took a different train home today, and on my way home, I walked past a little coffee shop in my neighborhood today. Get that? A coffee shop. In my neighborhood. I didn't think that existed! I think I may have to leave early enough tomorrow morning to stop in on my way to the subway and see what it's like! It's called "Bagels and High Tea," and it actually looks really cute. I'm sure I must have walked past it before--during the first week I was here, when Lourenzo and I were walking around our part of Brooklyn every day--but it must not have registered with me.
Sometimes, I'm amazed at how little there is around me. Wait. Let me rephrase. How little that I'm interested in that there is around me. There are businesses, but they're not the kind of thing that I'm probably going to spend a lot of time in. I spend most of my time in Manhattan, anyways, so I don't really have much need for the local stuff. Apparently, there are areas of Brooklyn that are a lot funkier and a lot more "gentrified" (as Alexandra would put it) than where we live, but I just don't spend a lot of time there, so I know very little of Brooklyn, except for my street, and that's about it. I keep meaning to rectify that, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I just hope the coffee shop is worth it!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
If you need me to be with you
Quickly, because Gilmore Girls is on in 15 minutes! I love Tuesdays! Oh, I am so addicted, it's not even funny. You know what else I'm addicted to? The Television Without Pity recaps. If you like a show and watch it enough to know all the nuances and inconsistencies, you have to read these. There's nothing like being hyper-critical with people who love it as much as you do! Anyways...I'm really liking this new layout. Especially the quote. It just seemed to fit. And, as a bonus, my mom pointed out that the font is slightly easier to read. I thought the other was fine, but I guess this is just spaced out a little differently. Anyways, I like. And I finally have my comments showing up in another window, instead of at the bottom of the entry, which is also nice--I like that format better. It took some playing and tweaking to get there, but I like it. I'm still getting used to Blogger's interface--I've been using Diaryland for the past 4 1/2 years, so I know how to use their layouts inside out, but I'm still getting used to the little intricacies of this. But still, I got where I wanted to be, finally.
I'm excited about Forefront--my mom pointed out that she didn't see a specific drama ministry on their website, but the thing is, I'm not necessarily looking for a place where I can find my own ministry niche. That's the weird thing about looking for a "short-term home church"--I'm looking for a place that will feed me, where I can find community, and where there may be opportunities to serve, but I'm not looking for something that has the potential for really long-term, or super-involved, ministry. They seem to be more video-focused, rather than stage-focused, so there's some level of theatrics and acting there, but it doesn't seem to be in the sense of putting on skits during church, or doing a Christmas show (although maybe I'll find that they do that), or something like that. For this year, though, that's okay.
It's a strange balance--finding a home away from home that's not really a home. My criteria are different than they would be if I was looking for someplace to be involved long-term.
Um, what else? I'm sure I'll think of more later, but right now, GG is about to start, so I'm going to go change into sweats and hunker down in the attic with my pillows, and enjoy the show!
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Miss your purple hair
It's almost that time of year again--time to decide whether or not I'm going to do NaNoWriMo again. I've done it for the past three years, but I only finished it the first year (come to think of it, Becky's had my copy of that for almost a year now! She tells me she's still working through it, but who knows how long it'll take... maybe by the time I get back, she'll have finished!). I have no idea what I'd write about; but then again, I had no idea the first time, and that was the most successful year for me! I guess we'll see, won't we?I think I may have found a church... I went to Forefront Church this morning, and I really enjoyed it. It's a younger demographic--a lot of 20- and 30-somethings, and quite arts focused. They have good small groups, it seems, and I really liked the style and vision of the church. So, I think I'm going to try that, and hopefully it'll stick. :o) The funny thing about it is that I really chose this church based on everything but the "personal contact" level. I wasn't really approached by anyone; I didn't go out for lunch with a young-adults group, like I did at FAC or NLF; I came and went, but even in all that, it was enough to make me want to go back.
Small groups start next week, and the nice thing about these is that they're studying a book (there are about 6 or 8 different groups, each studying a different book--Purpose Driven Life, Captivating, Reaching for the Invisible God, among others), and each group is only a 10-week commitment. That's nice, because as I'm looking into classes, I've been realizing that Tuesdays are my only evening for classes, small groups, whatever, and if I want to take something, it has to be on a Tuesday evening. I don't really want to get into a small group, and then have to pull out because I'm taking a class.
If it's only a 10-week class, though, it's not a commitment for the full time I'm here, and if I take a class at a local college or something after Christmas, I can reevaluate how/if a small group fits into that sort of schedule, but at least by then, I'll know a few people, and there will be some sort of connection made.
So, that was my day. Lourenzo and Alexandra are out of town this week--he has Tuesday and Wednesday off for Rosh Hashanah (gotta love this multiculturalism--they get every religious holiday for every religion off!), so they went camping in the Adirondacks for the week. Yay for not having to get up at 6! I still work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but I don't need to be out of the house until 9. Far cry from 7:30, that's for sure. I need to spend either tomorrow or Friday (or parts of both days) in the kitchen, making casseroles and other such dishes that I can freeze in Tupperware... there's just not enough time to actually cook supper when we get home, so this--while I've got the time this week--is my biggest job for the next couple of days.
Oh! I almost forgot. You know how I was talking about the piano yesterday? Well, yesterday afternoon, after I dropped Lourenzo off at a birthday party, I was walking around the neighborhood (while I was talking to Grandma), and discovered that L's school hosts a flea market/yard sale/antiques sale on Saturdays. I was browsing around a bit--not planning to buy anything, but just looking--and I found an old book of piano classics for $3. It's got all kinds of stuff--Beethoven, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Rubenstein... it'll keep me busy for a while, even if I just work on one or two pieces. I think, especially since there's a piano in the house, that I want to work on one or two the way I would if I was taking lessons--do some scales and work on some technique, and get a piece or two up to a good standard, just for the sake of doing it, and for the sake of the discipline. We'll see if it actually happens, but it's a thought, anyways.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
These boots were made for walking
I think that one of the things I love most about New York is how much I walk. Especially this time of year. Once winter hits, it may not be such a nice thing, but until then, I can easily walk 2 or 3 miles--or more--in a day, and it's nothing. Nothing except good exercise and a chance to explore the city, that is.Last night, I was leaving... well, it's a long and slightly convoluted story as to where I was, but the point is, I was at 68th Street and 2nd Avenue at around 8:00. My mom called as I was leaving, and I didn't really want to cut the conversation short to go into the subway and go home, so I decided to walk as far as I got while we were talking, and then catch the subway home from wherever I was. In an hour, I was at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, which I figure was about 3-ish miles. And that's in addition to the walking I did during the day. It's good, and it never feels like it's as long as it really is.
Bonus points: Alexandra has a piano in the house. I haven't lived in a house with a piano in it in... years, really. Not that I have any of my music with me, but I'm sure I can accumulate! :o) Yeah, that'll be my problem in June. I'll have "accumulated" so much that I'll never be able to get it all home!