Check 1 thing off my 2010 to do list. I started my new job today with the Community Action Partnership of Utah. Seriously, Seriously so excited and happy about this job. More info to come.
However, this is the first time in a month that I have gotten out of bed at 6:00 a.m. and was awake and productive through the whole day, and now at 9:55 p.m. I am exhausted. A good exhausted.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Library
In concept, I love the idea of a public library. A large building with many, many, many books and cd's and magazines. All free for you to check-out and use at your own will. Books. Music. Free.
I like all of these words.
However, the actuality of a library doesn't work for me. Why? Possession. If a book is worth my time to read, I want to possess it. I don't want to borrow it and give it back. I want to put my notes in it, catalog it and put it on the shelf in my living room where I can pull it out occasionally and flip through it's pages again.
A week ago I checked out a book titled Cowgirls: Women of the American West. I'm not sure what the impetus was writing this book, but it speaks to me. It's not extremely well written and is more of a transcript for the lives of women the book is about, but it has engrossed me. It speaks to me. Insert verdant hills and sheep for the dusty mountains and horses, and the expressed feelings and experiences could be me.
The book is due back at the library on the 25th. That's a lousy birthday present to myself: return fantastic book back to the library.
I will. But I'm also ordering a copy off of amazon. so much for free reading.
I like all of these words.
However, the actuality of a library doesn't work for me. Why? Possession. If a book is worth my time to read, I want to possess it. I don't want to borrow it and give it back. I want to put my notes in it, catalog it and put it on the shelf in my living room where I can pull it out occasionally and flip through it's pages again.
A week ago I checked out a book titled Cowgirls: Women of the American West. I'm not sure what the impetus was writing this book, but it speaks to me. It's not extremely well written and is more of a transcript for the lives of women the book is about, but it has engrossed me. It speaks to me. Insert verdant hills and sheep for the dusty mountains and horses, and the expressed feelings and experiences could be me.
The book is due back at the library on the 25th. That's a lousy birthday present to myself: return fantastic book back to the library.
I will. But I'm also ordering a copy off of amazon. so much for free reading.
Monday, January 11, 2010
All dressed up and no place to go
This time one month ago today I was sitting behind my wheel, exhausted but trying to press on to the first stop, on what was to be a four day drive.
No earth shattering anything has happened in the past month since arriving. It's gone by fast, but peacefully. It's been a good feeling.
I did have a bit of disappointment Saturday evening. Once I decided to move back to UT, I excitedly updated my calendar with one special event per month. One of the things I hated most about D.C. was the inability to go to concerts and plays. Sure, D.C. has plenty of events, but they cost an arm, leg and at least 100 hairs off your head. As an example, the only thing I went to was West Side Story. It cost $75 for nose-bleed seats, took an hour to commute via bus/subway connection and then coming home $25 for subway/taxi connection. $100 for bad seating and no food. It was actually easier and cheaper for me to take the Chinatown bus to NYC and catch shows that way. (This I did do several times.)
So, needless to say, I was very excited at the prospects of a 15 minute drive and $20 dollar seating for really good quality performances.
This past Saturday I had planned to attend the Utah Symphony performing Rachmaninoff symphony #2. I really struggled with myself about if it was the most prudent thing to do as I don't yet have a job. I decided that for $20 (and this included parking) I could afford to attend. (and then I fretted over parking which turned out to be wasted anxiety. This isn't Boston. There is no traffic downtown and ton of easy and cheap parking!)
I walked in to the ticket counter, and shock of shocks, they did not have one single $16 dollar seat. The ticket agent claimed the only seats they had left were $40 dollar tickets which are at the top of the price range for Abravenell Hall. I've been so used to Boston and NYC where a) people pay for the better seats so there are always cheap seats available and b) there are so many venues for patrons to attend that there are always seats available. I'm not used to UT where there may be one symphony, and one play, and maybe one dance production in a weekend.
I had struggled, but rationalized $20 for a ticket. There was no way I could part with $40. That's grocery's for a week. Not to mention that I find it statistically improbable that they would not have ONE cheaper seat available...
So I drove over to Charles and Peter's and watched a little old Star Trek with the family.
So I guess it wasn't a total lost, but all that make-up, hair and jewelry was kind of a waste.
No earth shattering anything has happened in the past month since arriving. It's gone by fast, but peacefully. It's been a good feeling.
I did have a bit of disappointment Saturday evening. Once I decided to move back to UT, I excitedly updated my calendar with one special event per month. One of the things I hated most about D.C. was the inability to go to concerts and plays. Sure, D.C. has plenty of events, but they cost an arm, leg and at least 100 hairs off your head. As an example, the only thing I went to was West Side Story. It cost $75 for nose-bleed seats, took an hour to commute via bus/subway connection and then coming home $25 for subway/taxi connection. $100 for bad seating and no food. It was actually easier and cheaper for me to take the Chinatown bus to NYC and catch shows that way. (This I did do several times.)
So, needless to say, I was very excited at the prospects of a 15 minute drive and $20 dollar seating for really good quality performances.
This past Saturday I had planned to attend the Utah Symphony performing Rachmaninoff symphony #2. I really struggled with myself about if it was the most prudent thing to do as I don't yet have a job. I decided that for $20 (and this included parking) I could afford to attend. (and then I fretted over parking which turned out to be wasted anxiety. This isn't Boston. There is no traffic downtown and ton of easy and cheap parking!)
I walked in to the ticket counter, and shock of shocks, they did not have one single $16 dollar seat. The ticket agent claimed the only seats they had left were $40 dollar tickets which are at the top of the price range for Abravenell Hall. I've been so used to Boston and NYC where a) people pay for the better seats so there are always cheap seats available and b) there are so many venues for patrons to attend that there are always seats available. I'm not used to UT where there may be one symphony, and one play, and maybe one dance production in a weekend.
I had struggled, but rationalized $20 for a ticket. There was no way I could part with $40. That's grocery's for a week. Not to mention that I find it statistically improbable that they would not have ONE cheaper seat available...
So I drove over to Charles and Peter's and watched a little old Star Trek with the family.
So I guess it wasn't a total lost, but all that make-up, hair and jewelry was kind of a waste.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Five Year Plan
I love making Five Year Plans. Some of the things I have planned have happened, some have not. I find that having direction gives me stability for deviation. Lack of direction leaves me as a lump on the couch and afraid of chaos. As the new year approaches, and as I have had a slight deviation in my plans, I thought it might be good to update my Five Year Plan.
2010:
Get a job
Complete and publish mystery novel
Begin MBA dissertation
Marry Richard Armitage
Join community band
2011:
Complete MBA
Application for PhD/DBA programme
Complete 2nd novel have been working on
2012-2014
Complete PhD
Have Richard Armitage's babies
Attempt extended genealogy for grandfather (Francis Casmir Ziolkwoski)
2015
Work one year for African Development Bank Group
Begin application for teaching position
Start a small sheep farm
Grow to higher quality community orchestra
So this is a rough outline and I know it looks a little vague. Trust me, my private Excel version of the plan is much more detailed. Between the lines will be things like half-marathons, triathlons, spending time with friends, serving in the community, etc. This updated plan feels ambitious but achievable, and satisfies my core person. It incorporates my love of knowledge, arts, and helping people. I really like the direction of this plan.
Especially the Richard Armitage part...:)
2010:
Get a job
Complete and publish mystery novel
Begin MBA dissertation
Marry Richard Armitage
Join community band
2011:
Complete MBA
Application for PhD/DBA programme
Complete 2nd novel have been working on
2012-2014
Complete PhD
Have Richard Armitage's babies
Attempt extended genealogy for grandfather (Francis Casmir Ziolkwoski)
2015
Work one year for African Development Bank Group
Begin application for teaching position
Start a small sheep farm
Grow to higher quality community orchestra
So this is a rough outline and I know it looks a little vague. Trust me, my private Excel version of the plan is much more detailed. Between the lines will be things like half-marathons, triathlons, spending time with friends, serving in the community, etc. This updated plan feels ambitious but achievable, and satisfies my core person. It incorporates my love of knowledge, arts, and helping people. I really like the direction of this plan.
Especially the Richard Armitage part...:)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Good Gifts
The greatest gift this Christmas season was the Christmas Spirit. It has been a few years since I've really looked forward to Christmas and I was afraid that I had outgrown the magic of the season. But I think it was hibernating through heartbreak of the past few years.
Second great gift is being back in Salt Lake and being surrounded by good friends whom I love. I was able to spend the day with Charles and Peter and their family.
The best tangible gift was the Christmas tree Holly and Shawn put into the apartment before I moved here.
Then I was thinking about some of the other fun gifts I've been given in recent years. I don't really get a lot of gifts. My opinion on gifts is give one if the item really speaks to you about that person. Otherwise just give treats or time instead.
But here is a collage of some of my favorite gifts in the past few years. (one special gift is missing from below. It's a wooden frog with a huge mouth. Melyn gave it to me the year I went to visit my step-day while he was ill. Don't worry Melyn, I still have it, but it's packed away with my frog things. I still need one more bookshelf to unpack everything. ) (yes. I have frog things.)
I think you can all recognize Grover. Kelly gave him to me when we were roommates on Dana St. Love him. He does live under the bed during most of the year, and then comes out during Christmas time.
The brown thing is, at best guess a Hippo. I've had him since 2000. Right before I moved to Boston. He was given to me at work during our Secret Santa exchange. Everyone at work had already been given there gifts and the days were ticking buy. I tried to be a mature adult, but I was really sad that my person had forgotten me. The Friday before vacation, the gift appeared. I stepped away from my desk and when I came back, the hippo was there! It's sooooo soft.
The little heart-shaped pillow is from Becky. Must have been about 5 or 6 years ago. It's so simple, but I like it. Anytime I move, it's one of the first things to get hung on a door knob.
The blanket is from Melyn. Maybe 2 years ago? (and it could have also been a b-day gift...but for the sake of this blog, we'll call it a Christmas gift. :) ) It's a simple fleece blanket that has music bars on it. It's well used. (not for playing music. but for snuggling up with a book.)
The three books and plastic grasshopper and snake are from Angie. The same year I got Grover from Kelly. She used the grasshopper and snake as bows and ribbons. I thought it was very clever and fitting for me. (there was a spider as well, but the cats decided it would make a great toy and they ripped all of it's legs off.)
And last, but not least, the whirly-pop. Best gift ever! Misty and Jessica gave this to me. Also the year I got the wooden frog, right before I left to visit Raymond in the hospital. I know that things like whirly-pops and hotchocolate mugs and soap baskets are given to people as gifts because other people can't think of what to give. But Jessica and Misty knew the whirly-pop was THE perfect gift for me. I have used it almost every day since I got it. I don't know many gifts that are as well used and appreciated as my whirly-pop!
Christma Eve Eve
On the 23rd Salt Lake received a timely little snow fall. I was so excited to shovel the walk! Having lived in Boston for 7 years, I've grown accustom to having to shovel the minute one little wet icy snowflake hit the earth. I probably went a little overkill on the powdery snow of Utah. The neighbors probably think I'm a fanatic.
It was so beautiful and peaceful with the snow and all the Christmas lights, so after my second clearing around 9:00 p.m. I decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood and take photo's of the lights. (I wish I had a great camera that did night shots well.) In no particular order, here are some of my favorite shots of the day:
The entire yard of this house was lit up! I particularly liked the row of colored lights along the fence. I think this style of light is my favorite outdoor light.
This lamp post is in my neighbors yard. And I was very much in their yard when I was taking the photo. I did invade quite a few yards that night. And I'm a tall bulkish person with a heavy coat and hat on. I'm lucky no one called the cops on me.
I do love this photo. It was still snowing when I took this one. I have another shot where you can see the fat snowflakes coming down, but the post didn't convey well.
Poor flamingos. They should be taken into the garage for the winter.
This was earlier in the day, after the first shovel run. This is a row of little evergreens along our drive.
This is what I see across the street from me. It's a pretty colorful house during the day. It's big and blue and purple. The Christmas lights definitely match the house. As you can see, the cats also like to look out. (the cat is inside. It's a large picture window at the front of the house.)
It was so beautiful and peaceful with the snow and all the Christmas lights, so after my second clearing around 9:00 p.m. I decided to take a little walk around the neighborhood and take photo's of the lights. (I wish I had a great camera that did night shots well.) In no particular order, here are some of my favorite shots of the day:
The entire yard of this house was lit up! I particularly liked the row of colored lights along the fence. I think this style of light is my favorite outdoor light.
This lamp post is in my neighbors yard. And I was very much in their yard when I was taking the photo. I did invade quite a few yards that night. And I'm a tall bulkish person with a heavy coat and hat on. I'm lucky no one called the cops on me.
I do love this photo. It was still snowing when I took this one. I have another shot where you can see the fat snowflakes coming down, but the post didn't convey well.
Poor flamingos. They should be taken into the garage for the winter.
This was earlier in the day, after the first shovel run. This is a row of little evergreens along our drive.
This is what I see across the street from me. It's a pretty colorful house during the day. It's big and blue and purple. The Christmas lights definitely match the house. As you can see, the cats also like to look out. (the cat is inside. It's a large picture window at the front of the house.)
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