George and I went to see "Rent" last weekend and the only thought that was running through my mind was- is this play still relevant? No offense to those groupies out ther (and in the theater with us on Saturday afternoon) but I found the issues raised in the play passe and contrived. The AIDS crisis has somewhat passed, with increased awareness and medicines available. I give the play TONS of credit for creating that awareness in the late 90s.
The one issue that I found facinating was regentrification. Call me a yuppie, but I had no problem with Benjamin's attempt to revitalize the neighborhood with a cyber studio- a business that is not past it's prime. He did see the tech. bubble expanding and thought in the long term it would be good for everyone.
The scariest thing about these characters is they are more or less in my age group- late 20-somethings trying to get meaning out of life and finding work that serves their passion. Unlike Roger and Mark, I do have a mortgage to pay so I don't have the luxury of pursing my dream full-time. Right now, it's more like a part-time gig 8 months a year...
Friday, September 05, 2008
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Frist Day of School, Year 23
Yes kids, I've been "going back to school" since 1985. I've sharpened my pencils, rustled up some school supplies from my vast collection and got going last evening. This year marks the 3rd year I've been BEHIND the desk. Only one more semester and I qualify for some super special perks at the community college where I adjunct 2 evenings and Saturday mornings for the next 16 weeks. These include: tuition wavers for courses I may wish to take to enrich my life AND a waiver to use the gym for free (not that I seriously see myself taking advantage of that).
Last evening, I taught on one of our sister campuses for the first time. It's in an urban neighborhood. The faculty lot is surrounded by barbed wire, that's how urban it is. The campus police are actually quite better than the ones on our main very suburban campus. The air conditioning wasn't working in our room but I kept plugging along anyhow and only lost one student who couldn't take the heat anymore. Everyone else made it until 9:35 and George called me exactly as the last student was leaving.
He's been so supportive of this part of my life. Luckily it doesn't take ANY time away from the little time we do have to date. I made it that way on purpose, mostly for my own sanity and also out of respect for his limited personal time.
This semester I'm focusing on being a better instructor. That means I planned my lessons differently and I'm using internet technology that I'm familiar with, mainly Facebook. I'm not a big fan of BlackBoard so I decided to build my own platform instead of using the (in my opinion) outdated virtual classroom software.
Let the grading begin... (at lunch and on the train of course!)
Last evening, I taught on one of our sister campuses for the first time. It's in an urban neighborhood. The faculty lot is surrounded by barbed wire, that's how urban it is. The campus police are actually quite better than the ones on our main very suburban campus. The air conditioning wasn't working in our room but I kept plugging along anyhow and only lost one student who couldn't take the heat anymore. Everyone else made it until 9:35 and George called me exactly as the last student was leaving.
He's been so supportive of this part of my life. Luckily it doesn't take ANY time away from the little time we do have to date. I made it that way on purpose, mostly for my own sanity and also out of respect for his limited personal time.
This semester I'm focusing on being a better instructor. That means I planned my lessons differently and I'm using internet technology that I'm familiar with, mainly Facebook. I'm not a big fan of BlackBoard so I decided to build my own platform instead of using the (in my opinion) outdated virtual classroom software.
Let the grading begin... (at lunch and on the train of course!)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
9021Uh Oh
This show (old and new) definitely did not define my life during my high school years. In fact, none of the TV shows about high school life produced thus far in my lifetime have not related to my experience.
As my ten year reunion has thus been recently announced for Thanksgiving Weekend at a bar in Hoboken (and George is NOT jumping up and down to escort me- with good reason), I ponder what exactly has changed in the last eighteen years since the Aaron Spelling drama originally aired on Fox.
Well, the show did not take into account any other part of the universe except the brightly lit stucco courtyard campus of West Beverley High and its fancy Rodeo Drive neighborhood. Anyone who's ever been to L.A. knows that outside of that 'hood, it's a ghetto that NO ONE with their daddy's credit card would venture out to.
As a life-long east coaster, I've recently been addicted to watching all sorts of shows set in Cali, mainly "the Hills"- now that truly presents a real picture of life on the West Coast. It's mostly ots of shopping and eating at beautiful restaurants and not a lot of working time. When my favorite peps, LC and Whitney, do venture to the big bad East Coast for work, they are ceremoniously eaten for a power lunch in the Fashion District of NYC.
Anyhow getting back to 90210, there are some tidbits from the new show I found particularly news-worthy. For the sake of keeping them straight, I shall laundry list them:
1. Laurie Louglin as "Mrs. Walsh"-mmm yeah we're actually suppose to believe she's grown up in Kansas... what do we look like Dorothy or something? In my mind, she's always that chicka who snagged Jessie in "Full House" and played cool pseudo mommy to the Olsen Twins. Watch out world if those two make a cameo in the new 90210.
2. Blow jobs before school in the student parking lot: mmm yeah, where are the rent a cops trolling the parking lots for those hygiene distasters in progress? I know my high school, probably a similar size, had those folks all over the place before, during and after school. The smart kids (i.e. seniors) went during 5-7th period lunch to their houses to get some snooky- I mean spooning.
3. Jeannie Garth as a guidance counselor- Sure she was always trying to deal with her odd up-bringing and getting assaulted more than once during her tenure on the original series. Now she's still solving everyone's problems by sticking her nose in their business. Her baby daddy is either Brandon Walsh or Dylan McKay, or maybe she's not sure. Either way, she's looking to help those who SHE thinks need it, whether they like it or not. Her baby sister, now a teenager, is especially prone to this TLC during her school days. Her character accepts it begrudgingly or maybe she's lapping it up because their mother has yet to win the PTA parent of the year award for all her -self-loathing...woe is I- bit.
4. Rob Estes as a principal- Okay maybe this dude's been getting a lot of TV work lately but he always plays a bad boy and NOW we're suppose to believe he's an upstanding principal who left LA for Dorthy-land because he was embarrassed that his mother made a fortune doing porn work time. Who on earth would recruit a principal in Kansas to work in LA unless he was born and bred there?: And oh yeah, he had a love child with this Wisteria Lane esque type Orange County housewife blondie.
That's all she wrote for now, kids... when's Gossip Girl gonna burn some Prada tracks over these California dreamers? All I can say is, as the Beach Boys said, "I wish they all could be California Girls" but then again they also said "The northern girls with the way they kiss, they keep their boyfriends warm at night".
Peace out!
As my ten year reunion has thus been recently announced for Thanksgiving Weekend at a bar in Hoboken (and George is NOT jumping up and down to escort me- with good reason), I ponder what exactly has changed in the last eighteen years since the Aaron Spelling drama originally aired on Fox.
Well, the show did not take into account any other part of the universe except the brightly lit stucco courtyard campus of West Beverley High and its fancy Rodeo Drive neighborhood. Anyone who's ever been to L.A. knows that outside of that 'hood, it's a ghetto that NO ONE with their daddy's credit card would venture out to.
As a life-long east coaster, I've recently been addicted to watching all sorts of shows set in Cali, mainly "the Hills"- now that truly presents a real picture of life on the West Coast. It's mostly ots of shopping and eating at beautiful restaurants and not a lot of working time. When my favorite peps, LC and Whitney, do venture to the big bad East Coast for work, they are ceremoniously eaten for a power lunch in the Fashion District of NYC.
Anyhow getting back to 90210, there are some tidbits from the new show I found particularly news-worthy. For the sake of keeping them straight, I shall laundry list them:
1. Laurie Louglin as "Mrs. Walsh"-mmm yeah we're actually suppose to believe she's grown up in Kansas... what do we look like Dorothy or something? In my mind, she's always that chicka who snagged Jessie in "Full House" and played cool pseudo mommy to the Olsen Twins. Watch out world if those two make a cameo in the new 90210.
2. Blow jobs before school in the student parking lot: mmm yeah, where are the rent a cops trolling the parking lots for those hygiene distasters in progress? I know my high school, probably a similar size, had those folks all over the place before, during and after school. The smart kids (i.e. seniors) went during 5-7th period lunch to their houses to get some snooky- I mean spooning.
3. Jeannie Garth as a guidance counselor- Sure she was always trying to deal with her odd up-bringing and getting assaulted more than once during her tenure on the original series. Now she's still solving everyone's problems by sticking her nose in their business. Her baby daddy is either Brandon Walsh or Dylan McKay, or maybe she's not sure. Either way, she's looking to help those who SHE thinks need it, whether they like it or not. Her baby sister, now a teenager, is especially prone to this TLC during her school days. Her character accepts it begrudgingly or maybe she's lapping it up because their mother has yet to win the PTA parent of the year award for all her -self-loathing...woe is I- bit.
4. Rob Estes as a principal- Okay maybe this dude's been getting a lot of TV work lately but he always plays a bad boy and NOW we're suppose to believe he's an upstanding principal who left LA for Dorthy-land because he was embarrassed that his mother made a fortune doing porn work time. Who on earth would recruit a principal in Kansas to work in LA unless he was born and bred there?: And oh yeah, he had a love child with this Wisteria Lane esque type Orange County housewife blondie.
That's all she wrote for now, kids... when's Gossip Girl gonna burn some Prada tracks over these California dreamers? All I can say is, as the Beach Boys said, "I wish they all could be California Girls" but then again they also said "The northern girls with the way they kiss, they keep their boyfriends warm at night".
Peace out!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Enough is Enough
I just said no when my old self would've said yes without thinking. My co-worker just asked if I'd like to do some overtime in the coming weeks. It was nice of her to ask me first but the work is something I loathe doing so I said "no thanks."
This is my new school year resolution. I will say "no" to things I don't like doing and "yes" to things that make me happy or enrich my life. I'm more determined than ever to balance my life in a way that de-stresses me and increases my joy in the every day.
Part of this is slowly making a career transition into education full-time. I think it's going to take about 2-3 years. The only sticking point is health insurance. I can get it for an exorbitant amount from the teacher's union, because I am not a tenured employee. Otherwise, I think cutting the expenses of commuting into the city AND keeping a car will work itself out.
This "just say no" attitude is also extended into my personal life. I spend my days doing other people's bidding for a living so when I'm not working it's nice to have someone take care of me. So I've resolved to not just plan dates with George but to just give him ideas and let him run with it (or not). We have a growing list of potential date ideas now that cooler weather's in our future.
There are two things I think he's looking forward to: dance and skiing lessons for me. I wonder how that's going to go but I'm going to put my best foot forward and give it a real try because it's two activities that are important to him and I have no idea how to do either activity well.
This is my new school year resolution. I will say "no" to things I don't like doing and "yes" to things that make me happy or enrich my life. I'm more determined than ever to balance my life in a way that de-stresses me and increases my joy in the every day.
Part of this is slowly making a career transition into education full-time. I think it's going to take about 2-3 years. The only sticking point is health insurance. I can get it for an exorbitant amount from the teacher's union, because I am not a tenured employee. Otherwise, I think cutting the expenses of commuting into the city AND keeping a car will work itself out.
This "just say no" attitude is also extended into my personal life. I spend my days doing other people's bidding for a living so when I'm not working it's nice to have someone take care of me. So I've resolved to not just plan dates with George but to just give him ideas and let him run with it (or not). We have a growing list of potential date ideas now that cooler weather's in our future.
There are two things I think he's looking forward to: dance and skiing lessons for me. I wonder how that's going to go but I'm going to put my best foot forward and give it a real try because it's two activities that are important to him and I have no idea how to do either activity well.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Say What You Need to Say & Home Improvement Dreams
I've needed more time to talk lately and just haven't been given the chance. Either it's too noisy where I'm at or the other person only has a few minutes as always to talk. Talking on the train either way is okay but only if the train is not jammed packed and the conductor's not barking at you about where to sit.
I feel like this resentment is building up inside of me for no good reason and I need to make it go away. I feel like what I do say is not always what I mean it's just what comes out. It's hard when it's a guy because they're not really phone people, most of the guys I know are face time people.
My girlfriends and I could talk for a whole hour on the phone or two hours in person and JUST scratch the surface of things. I had an amazing time with my friend Liz last Friday. She came to my house in the a.m. and we drove to the station together. Then we went to an event after so there was more driving to and fro. It's weird that the more someone gets to know you, the more they know exactly what's rolling around in your head. For example, she asked "So what's it like grocery shopping/ cooking for 1?" It's like she knew I've been struggling with that part of my living alone existence.
I spent a few weeks keeping things in the fridge and cupboards that I let rot because I didn't have time to make them. Almost every afternoon, I'm craving salad and wish I could go home and magically find greens in my produce drawer or have a garden stand nearby my place to pick some up. The one time I bought produce in the city, it was ruined the next day. If this is the only hang up I have about my new living situation, I can deal.
I was feeling really lonely last night after work so I started working on fixing my bathroom. Step one was removing the gunk around the tub and under the window. Step two is figuring out what to do with the boring walls. I've got blue/black subway tile so I'm planning on trying out a mint and pistachio color, brighter than "Springtime" that's in my living room. There's gotta be a way to make it look brighter and paint looks to be the answer. Hopefully when my new windows get put in this fall, I can take down the blind and bring more light in.
Since I have a small amount of girlfriend duty this weekend, I can really focus on my bathroom rehab and I'm so excited about it already and I haven't even picked up my supplies yet.
I feel like this resentment is building up inside of me for no good reason and I need to make it go away. I feel like what I do say is not always what I mean it's just what comes out. It's hard when it's a guy because they're not really phone people, most of the guys I know are face time people.
My girlfriends and I could talk for a whole hour on the phone or two hours in person and JUST scratch the surface of things. I had an amazing time with my friend Liz last Friday. She came to my house in the a.m. and we drove to the station together. Then we went to an event after so there was more driving to and fro. It's weird that the more someone gets to know you, the more they know exactly what's rolling around in your head. For example, she asked "So what's it like grocery shopping/ cooking for 1?" It's like she knew I've been struggling with that part of my living alone existence.
I spent a few weeks keeping things in the fridge and cupboards that I let rot because I didn't have time to make them. Almost every afternoon, I'm craving salad and wish I could go home and magically find greens in my produce drawer or have a garden stand nearby my place to pick some up. The one time I bought produce in the city, it was ruined the next day. If this is the only hang up I have about my new living situation, I can deal.
I was feeling really lonely last night after work so I started working on fixing my bathroom. Step one was removing the gunk around the tub and under the window. Step two is figuring out what to do with the boring walls. I've got blue/black subway tile so I'm planning on trying out a mint and pistachio color, brighter than "Springtime" that's in my living room. There's gotta be a way to make it look brighter and paint looks to be the answer. Hopefully when my new windows get put in this fall, I can take down the blind and bring more light in.
Since I have a small amount of girlfriend duty this weekend, I can really focus on my bathroom rehab and I'm so excited about it already and I haven't even picked up my supplies yet.
Monday, August 25, 2008
My Commitment Issues with The Church
I've been going to church since I was a wee little thing in my mommy's belly. That means one thing- I'm really traditional yet chafe at certain parts of that legacy.
The church in my local area has a plethora of denominational choices. With the exception of a church in N. Jersey, when I left my childhood church in 2001, the people who precipitated my leaving ended up in my new church. Now I feel like I'm on the lam from these parts of my past.
For example, yesterday I ran into someone who's known me my whole life, she's about 10 years older than me. She said "Oh my gosh Maggie! I had a dream about you last night that you were drop dead drunk." Now, I haven't actually talk to this lady in over 2years and her parents are very dear to me, so I tried to take this with a grain of salt. Her daughter's name is also Maggie but she was certain the girl in the dream was me!
I have no hard feelings towards the people who made church life as a child filled with dos and don'ts, gossip and rumors. But when they show up in a place it took you over 2 years to settled into, it's not a good thing. About 3 years ago, I moved from this NJ church to another one that my sister and her husband attend. I know how to play by the rules, service to God and membership. I wanted to be left alone and for the most part, I was. I was known as my sister's little sister and not as an individual simply because I never made an effort to define my own niche there. I was a member for about a year and recently resigned my service post to try once again to find my place in a church in NYC I've really enjoyed.
Now the latest struggle is getting there on Sundays. They offer services ALL DAY LONG but it means scheduling my entire day around a two hour block of time. I hardly have time to go pick up my laundry during the week so right now this attitude problem I have about giving up my time (wait it's Gods time but I'm being selfish) to get my butt to church.
I think the problem is I spent so many years going out of habit instead of a desire to worship God. I haven't asked God to give me that passion to fit into a church so no wonder I've been so unhappy for the past seven years. I don't know how to resolve this block Satan's put in my mind except to ask God to give me the heart to make time to worship him on Sunday. I've got the Sabbath rest part of Sunday down (aka I've spent most of the summer as a participant in the Church of the Holy Comforter). I've made excuses why I can't make it (I'm too tired, I just moved and haven't unpacked my stuff, I want to see George, etc.) but if God is not the primary focus of the beginning of my week, how else can I use His Strength to carry me to the next Sunday?
For now, I've decided that as much as going to church inspires the same feelings of dread that going to the gym does, I must have my heart changed to get siked for Sunday worship. I don't know if I have to keep church shopping, I frankly have no desire to continuously start all over and be anonymous anymore. Plus I told George it's important that we go somewhere together. If it means two weeks in NJ and two weeks in NYC, so be it.
The church in my local area has a plethora of denominational choices. With the exception of a church in N. Jersey, when I left my childhood church in 2001, the people who precipitated my leaving ended up in my new church. Now I feel like I'm on the lam from these parts of my past.
For example, yesterday I ran into someone who's known me my whole life, she's about 10 years older than me. She said "Oh my gosh Maggie! I had a dream about you last night that you were drop dead drunk." Now, I haven't actually talk to this lady in over 2years and her parents are very dear to me, so I tried to take this with a grain of salt. Her daughter's name is also Maggie but she was certain the girl in the dream was me!
I have no hard feelings towards the people who made church life as a child filled with dos and don'ts, gossip and rumors. But when they show up in a place it took you over 2 years to settled into, it's not a good thing. About 3 years ago, I moved from this NJ church to another one that my sister and her husband attend. I know how to play by the rules, service to God and membership. I wanted to be left alone and for the most part, I was. I was known as my sister's little sister and not as an individual simply because I never made an effort to define my own niche there. I was a member for about a year and recently resigned my service post to try once again to find my place in a church in NYC I've really enjoyed.
Now the latest struggle is getting there on Sundays. They offer services ALL DAY LONG but it means scheduling my entire day around a two hour block of time. I hardly have time to go pick up my laundry during the week so right now this attitude problem I have about giving up my time (wait it's Gods time but I'm being selfish) to get my butt to church.
I think the problem is I spent so many years going out of habit instead of a desire to worship God. I haven't asked God to give me that passion to fit into a church so no wonder I've been so unhappy for the past seven years. I don't know how to resolve this block Satan's put in my mind except to ask God to give me the heart to make time to worship him on Sunday. I've got the Sabbath rest part of Sunday down (aka I've spent most of the summer as a participant in the Church of the Holy Comforter). I've made excuses why I can't make it (I'm too tired, I just moved and haven't unpacked my stuff, I want to see George, etc.) but if God is not the primary focus of the beginning of my week, how else can I use His Strength to carry me to the next Sunday?
For now, I've decided that as much as going to church inspires the same feelings of dread that going to the gym does, I must have my heart changed to get siked for Sunday worship. I don't know if I have to keep church shopping, I frankly have no desire to continuously start all over and be anonymous anymore. Plus I told George it's important that we go somewhere together. If it means two weeks in NJ and two weeks in NYC, so be it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Things I Don't Like
Today I completely stopped being in denial that it was time to "balance" my checkbook and get some bills scheduled for payment. This is one of things I do not like to do, I love to have gobs of moula sitting nice and quiet in my account. Here is a list of other things I do not like:
1. Overpriced Rxs
>Really how much of a profit margin do you need pharmaceutical companies
2. My inability to hang anything straight
>>Last week it took me 4x's to place our monthly newsletter at work up on the member board
3. Green Peppers
>>They do not agree with me
4. My new intolerance to cow's milk
>>Goodbye ice cream, pizza, and cheesecake
5. People who think they can change the world (particularly Africa) by wearing a shirt from the Gap
>> I know first hand from missionaries serving on the continent that it's very rare that monies raised gets to the people who need it.
6. Being mis-understood
>> I cannot make myself clear enough sometimes
7. Time wasted on worrying and fretting
>> Aka half my lunch hour today
8. Failing
>> Had this problem since I was in Kindergarten, I'm a recovering perfectionist who took her driving test 3 times and failed 3 languages before she turned 20.
9. People who think I young and naive
>>I may look 18, but I've got the street smarts of a ninja- HA!
10. Faulkner, The History of the Novel seminars, Science Fiction with Aliens, and some other books, film genres, etc. that I should/will blog on separately some day.
1. Overpriced Rxs
>Really how much of a profit margin do you need pharmaceutical companies
2. My inability to hang anything straight
>>Last week it took me 4x's to place our monthly newsletter at work up on the member board
3. Green Peppers
>>They do not agree with me
4. My new intolerance to cow's milk
>>Goodbye ice cream, pizza, and cheesecake
5. People who think they can change the world (particularly Africa) by wearing a shirt from the Gap
>> I know first hand from missionaries serving on the continent that it's very rare that monies raised gets to the people who need it.
6. Being mis-understood
>> I cannot make myself clear enough sometimes
7. Time wasted on worrying and fretting
>> Aka half my lunch hour today
8. Failing
>> Had this problem since I was in Kindergarten, I'm a recovering perfectionist who took her driving test 3 times and failed 3 languages before she turned 20.
9. People who think I young and naive
>>I may look 18, but I've got the street smarts of a ninja- HA!
10. Faulkner, The History of the Novel seminars, Science Fiction with Aliens, and some other books, film genres, etc. that I should/will blog on separately some day.
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