The following are two of the best ideas ever. One of these ideas is currently in action, the other one is not but I am not sure how to institute it.
Grilled Cheese 24/7- So Saturday after going out we walked back to our neighborhood and as always is the case at 2:30 in the morning we were hungry. In Boston there would be no options, in DC we have tons, but the best option was Grilled Cheese and mashed potatoes. There was a line at the Diner which is open 24/7 but hey if I can get grilled cheese at 3am I will. I am convinced that being able to get homemade grilled cheese at 3am with fresh mashed potatoes is the best thing in the world. Have I mentioned that I love grilled cheese!
Restrooms On The Metro- Ok so this is just the best idea in the world because I always need to go to the bathroom on my walk home. And I am sure that logistically it would be a very big problem, but when I am on the train for an hour and a half i need a place to go. Nobdoy wants me to go behind a seat now do they.
Anyway those are just two great ideas. I am sure I will have others. Not sure that any will top grilled cheese at 3am... and that wasn't even mine!
A Scare on the Escalator
I have had to deal with many escalators in my stores but nothing compares to the escalator at the Dupont Circle Metro Stop. This escalator is one of the most impressive things I have seen. If you look down it when you are on the way down you will feel like you are going to plummet into the center of the earth and when you look up on the way up you get dizzy. The best bet is to look straight ahead if you are walking up or down so you don't notice the size of this monster.
I am not sure of the specifics on this escalator but it is at least five flights and its not like it is five consecutive escalators in a row, nope it is one big long escalator. There are rules in DC about riding on an escalator. You need to walk on one side and stand on the other. Seems simple right, well the problem is when a tourist is not aware of this rule and they get in your way, or better yet try to kill you by knocking you over in the middle of the escalator.
Yes you guess it, a woman tried to kill me the other day with her suitcase as I was being lifted through the earths crust to street level. I got on the escalator on my way home after a long day, I was walking up the side as instructed by the laws of the escalator when all of a sudden a woman pops out of the standing side with her huge red suitcase and bumps into me. I am scared that i am going to plunge into the molten core of the earth but manage to regain my balance as this woman stops moving in front of me. People start bumping into me behind and and after a subtle push and excuse me she gets back into the standing lane although we all need to climb over her suitcase.
If people only obeyed the rules things would be so much easier. And also, if the escalator wasn't 12 miles long!
I am not sure of the specifics on this escalator but it is at least five flights and its not like it is five consecutive escalators in a row, nope it is one big long escalator. There are rules in DC about riding on an escalator. You need to walk on one side and stand on the other. Seems simple right, well the problem is when a tourist is not aware of this rule and they get in your way, or better yet try to kill you by knocking you over in the middle of the escalator.
Yes you guess it, a woman tried to kill me the other day with her suitcase as I was being lifted through the earths crust to street level. I got on the escalator on my way home after a long day, I was walking up the side as instructed by the laws of the escalator when all of a sudden a woman pops out of the standing side with her huge red suitcase and bumps into me. I am scared that i am going to plunge into the molten core of the earth but manage to regain my balance as this woman stops moving in front of me. People start bumping into me behind and and after a subtle push and excuse me she gets back into the standing lane although we all need to climb over her suitcase.
If people only obeyed the rules things would be so much easier. And also, if the escalator wasn't 12 miles long!
On A Happier Note
Well, with the additional time I am on the train each day I am going to be flying (at least compared to my usual pace) through books. I took a week off from reading while I was unpacking the house and preparing for my visit from my parents. But so far this week I have read 240 pages of Waiter Rant. As a matter of fact I should finish reading it tomorrow on my way into work and I will need to start reading another book.
I love Waiter Rant as a blog and I even prefer his book. His book makes me want to become a better writer and tell better stories. In his book he mentions how telling and reading stories allows the reader/writer to live and experience things (I am horribly misquoting the quote he used in the book.) But that line struck me and the struggle and experience he went through in writing the book has struck me as well. It is also amazing the how in tune with humanity he was/ is as a waiter and I was astounded by some of his observations and theories. Not necessarily because they were ground breaking but because they were spot on. I wish I was as connected as he is to the nature of humanity. I guess the fact that he studied psychology and worked in a nursing home helped him with that.
And yes I have stories, and I love writing but my I am not a great writer. I am a manager- but I writer I am not. I am a reader- but once again not a writer. But what his book inspired me to do was continue to write, and continue to share my stories with the few people who log on and read them. If I continue to write then I will continue to learn and experience things and I will allow others to learn and experience things as well. It will help me in many different ways and I hope that some of my stories have the ability to enlighten and inform readers and if not I hope that they at least brighten somebodies day and maybe even make them laugh. I don't ever expect to publish a book, I am sure that I will never have the pop culture fame one needs to get recognized. But that doesn't mean I should stop writing- actually I think that it is an even better reason to continue writing and improving. What I am struggling for here is to entertain, but also to enjoy. I am writing for myself and my few readers.
I love writing this blog and "The Waiter" has inspired me to continue writing and experiencing things.
See I told you it was a happier note! I am trying here but the lack of sleep is tough to write through!
I love Waiter Rant as a blog and I even prefer his book. His book makes me want to become a better writer and tell better stories. In his book he mentions how telling and reading stories allows the reader/writer to live and experience things (I am horribly misquoting the quote he used in the book.) But that line struck me and the struggle and experience he went through in writing the book has struck me as well. It is also amazing the how in tune with humanity he was/ is as a waiter and I was astounded by some of his observations and theories. Not necessarily because they were ground breaking but because they were spot on. I wish I was as connected as he is to the nature of humanity. I guess the fact that he studied psychology and worked in a nursing home helped him with that.
And yes I have stories, and I love writing but my I am not a great writer. I am a manager- but I writer I am not. I am a reader- but once again not a writer. But what his book inspired me to do was continue to write, and continue to share my stories with the few people who log on and read them. If I continue to write then I will continue to learn and experience things and I will allow others to learn and experience things as well. It will help me in many different ways and I hope that some of my stories have the ability to enlighten and inform readers and if not I hope that they at least brighten somebodies day and maybe even make them laugh. I don't ever expect to publish a book, I am sure that I will never have the pop culture fame one needs to get recognized. But that doesn't mean I should stop writing- actually I think that it is an even better reason to continue writing and improving. What I am struggling for here is to entertain, but also to enjoy. I am writing for myself and my few readers.
I love writing this blog and "The Waiter" has inspired me to continue writing and experiencing things.
See I told you it was a happier note! I am trying here but the lack of sleep is tough to write through!
Therapy Part II
A while back I mentioned that my blog was like therapy but cheaper. Well I need therapy after what has happened over the past month and a half but I haven't found the right fit. In that time I have also strayed from writing regularly on my blog, that's not good because I haven't been able to get my emotions out. This has lead to a lot of crying and that's just not good. So here are some things that I need to process.
1) I am scared- I go to sleep scared and I wake up scared- that is when I actually sleep. I am scared that I will never get my life back. I am scared being in a new city, and I am scared just to be alone in the simplest sense. I walk to the train to go to work and I am worried that some creep is going to come up behind me and hit me in the head. I am scared of change. Obviously, most people are slightly nervous of what the future may bring, but all of these changes at once have been hard to digest. I guess all of these changes are hard to digest for everybody but when you throw in an attack that lead to you being hospitalized a number of times and not being able to force your body to deal with the trauma. I haven't had a good night sleep since the attack and that scares me and they have tried putting me on any number of medications but to no avail.
I woke up last night at 2:30 in the morning punching the headboard and screaming. That is damn scary. The psychiatrist response was "funny... I can't think of why that would happen." Needless to say I am never seeing him again and I have discontinued the pill he put me on to help me sleep... cause it doesn't work.
2) I feel alone- I am not alone but coming from a city where you spent ten years of your life it is inevitable that when you move to a new place you will feel like you are just a needle in a haystack. I knew it would happen but I wasn't prepared for how it would make me feel. It feels very empty and I feel like I am lost. It doesn't help that I have so little energy because I am not sleeping and because the commute to Fairfax that was supposed to take 45 minutes each direction is taking a minimum of an hour and a half.
Feeling alone and feeling scared are not the two things I wanted when I moved to DC. I wanted to start a new life and e happy. I wanted things to change. It was after all an opportunity to start my life again and change things. And DC still provides me with that chance and all that's happened will make me a stronger person and allow me to continue to take the risks that brought me here to DC. I just need to figure out a way to get my feet back under my body and my head screwed on straight. I just want to be my old bitchy happy self but a better bitchy happy self. Is that really too much to ask for?
1) I am scared- I go to sleep scared and I wake up scared- that is when I actually sleep. I am scared that I will never get my life back. I am scared being in a new city, and I am scared just to be alone in the simplest sense. I walk to the train to go to work and I am worried that some creep is going to come up behind me and hit me in the head. I am scared of change. Obviously, most people are slightly nervous of what the future may bring, but all of these changes at once have been hard to digest. I guess all of these changes are hard to digest for everybody but when you throw in an attack that lead to you being hospitalized a number of times and not being able to force your body to deal with the trauma. I haven't had a good night sleep since the attack and that scares me and they have tried putting me on any number of medications but to no avail.
I woke up last night at 2:30 in the morning punching the headboard and screaming. That is damn scary. The psychiatrist response was "funny... I can't think of why that would happen." Needless to say I am never seeing him again and I have discontinued the pill he put me on to help me sleep... cause it doesn't work.
2) I feel alone- I am not alone but coming from a city where you spent ten years of your life it is inevitable that when you move to a new place you will feel like you are just a needle in a haystack. I knew it would happen but I wasn't prepared for how it would make me feel. It feels very empty and I feel like I am lost. It doesn't help that I have so little energy because I am not sleeping and because the commute to Fairfax that was supposed to take 45 minutes each direction is taking a minimum of an hour and a half.
Feeling alone and feeling scared are not the two things I wanted when I moved to DC. I wanted to start a new life and e happy. I wanted things to change. It was after all an opportunity to start my life again and change things. And DC still provides me with that chance and all that's happened will make me a stronger person and allow me to continue to take the risks that brought me here to DC. I just need to figure out a way to get my feet back under my body and my head screwed on straight. I just want to be my old bitchy happy self but a better bitchy happy self. Is that really too much to ask for?
Getting Settled! Progress?
Well I am in DC now and I am off all week. Since my parents are coming down this weekend the goal is to get our new house looking like it is livable at the very least. We are getting settled and you can move around the house. The doctor was even able to make dinner last night. I feel like we have a place for most things (at least big pieces of furniture) but there are a lot of little things that need to be done and put away.
Yesterday my focus was the desk and dining area, today I am focusing on the bedroom. I just want to be able to see visible progress each day so that on Friday night I am not running around house shoving boxes under beds and the couch etc etc.
Ah yes and on top of all of the stuff we have 4 cats and a dog. Let me tell you while they are basically getting along there are going to be some turf wars. And poor Tipsy is so she she barely leaves the bed.
Anyway, I wanted to write and give ya'll a quick update. I am going to take a quick lunch now, and then continue unpacking.
Yesterday my focus was the desk and dining area, today I am focusing on the bedroom. I just want to be able to see visible progress each day so that on Friday night I am not running around house shoving boxes under beds and the couch etc etc.
Ah yes and on top of all of the stuff we have 4 cats and a dog. Let me tell you while they are basically getting along there are going to be some turf wars. And poor Tipsy is so she she barely leaves the bed.
Anyway, I wanted to write and give ya'll a quick update. I am going to take a quick lunch now, and then continue unpacking.
Should I Be Worried
JCH's Current Facebook Status: JCH is preparing to kidnap a certain gnome-like friend so he can't move to DC tonight.
My Current Facebook Status: JRH is going to call the police because he is afraid he might be kidnapped by JCH! Not sure why... maybe his facebook status!
My Current Facebook Status: JRH is going to call the police because he is afraid he might be kidnapped by JCH! Not sure why... maybe his facebook status!
What Are You Reading??
I noticed today that most of my posts have been kind of sad and depressing. I don't want to be sad and depressing it has just been a rough month. So I decided to post a funny story. Ok, so the funny story happened while I was in the hospital having my back sliced into but it was still a funny story!
On Saturday night I had to be rushed to the hospital again becase the grossness that was my back had lost it's wick (because my back was apparently a candle that could not be lit). This was fairly major, however, because a wick is what pulls and drains the infection from the cyst. So on the way out the door I made sure I packed my medicine and my book and all three sets of discharge papers from my previous visit. I knew I was going to be waiting a long time and I knew I wasn't going to remember everything I had been told.
After waiting for two hours in mild pain but general calmness I was called into the rooms to have my back looked at and to officially become a patient for the fourth time that week. This is when the panic attack begins and I go from being a mildly rational human being to being a blubbering sobbing mess who is petrified of needles and needs to run screaming from the hospital. The change is immediate and obvious and as the doctor presses on the cyst to expell puss and other grossness I scream in pain and curse the doctor and almost kick him in the head. My sister is tring to calm me down and asks if I want her to read some of my book to me. I grunt in pain so she opens up to the page I have marked and begins to read...
"... surprise to those of us who find it so convivial to our well-being, but that is only because we have evolved to exploit it. To other things it is a terror. It is what turns butter rancid and makes iron rust. Even we can tolerate it only up to a point. The oxygen level in our cells is only about a tenth the level found in the atmosphere..."
At this point my sister stops reading and looks at me with tears welling out of my eyes and asks, "What the F*** are you reading?" I couldn't help but giggle in between tears as the doctor finished what he was doing on my back and said he would return. I tried to explain to her that I was reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by one of my favorite travel writers and that I knew it would be a challenge because it is about science but that I was loving it.
She looked at me like I was crazy, and all was right in the world because I am crazy and I had my sister there to tell me that and I felt better for a moment (at least until the doctor returned).
On Saturday night I had to be rushed to the hospital again becase the grossness that was my back had lost it's wick (because my back was apparently a candle that could not be lit). This was fairly major, however, because a wick is what pulls and drains the infection from the cyst. So on the way out the door I made sure I packed my medicine and my book and all three sets of discharge papers from my previous visit. I knew I was going to be waiting a long time and I knew I wasn't going to remember everything I had been told.
After waiting for two hours in mild pain but general calmness I was called into the rooms to have my back looked at and to officially become a patient for the fourth time that week. This is when the panic attack begins and I go from being a mildly rational human being to being a blubbering sobbing mess who is petrified of needles and needs to run screaming from the hospital. The change is immediate and obvious and as the doctor presses on the cyst to expell puss and other grossness I scream in pain and curse the doctor and almost kick him in the head. My sister is tring to calm me down and asks if I want her to read some of my book to me. I grunt in pain so she opens up to the page I have marked and begins to read...
"... surprise to those of us who find it so convivial to our well-being, but that is only because we have evolved to exploit it. To other things it is a terror. It is what turns butter rancid and makes iron rust. Even we can tolerate it only up to a point. The oxygen level in our cells is only about a tenth the level found in the atmosphere..."
At this point my sister stops reading and looks at me with tears welling out of my eyes and asks, "What the F*** are you reading?" I couldn't help but giggle in between tears as the doctor finished what he was doing on my back and said he would return. I tried to explain to her that I was reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by one of my favorite travel writers and that I knew it would be a challenge because it is about science but that I was loving it.
She looked at me like I was crazy, and all was right in the world because I am crazy and I had my sister there to tell me that and I felt better for a moment (at least until the doctor returned).
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye to Boston is and has been an interesting and difficult experience. I was expecting to have a few weeks to slowly say goodbye to friends, family, co-workers, my home but instead I got kicked in the head and quickly said goodbye to my sanity and now I have relegated saying goodbye to friends to just a couple of days. I have been moved out of my house for three weeks now- the first house I owned is now occupied by a very nice woman and her child- but I never did say goodbye.
Boston has been my HOME for ten years. When I was crying in the hospital as they were sticking things in my back when I said I wanted to go home I meant my house in JP. It has been my worst month on record, but it has also been my last month in Boston. (By the way I had two more visits to the ER and one more to the surgeon this weekend). But beyond my home I am scared about saying goodbye to my friends.
Last night I had dinner with a couple friends and while it was nice to see them and dinner seemed normal enough as I was driving home I was struck by the fact that I probably wouldn't see one of my friends again. Yeah sure I would come up to Boston and we would talk but it wouldn't be the same. And tonight... I have to say goodbye to S. S has been a part of my life for a long time and while he abandoned me and moved to NYC to be happy (bastard) I still feel like he is part of Boston. And JCH is going to make me cry- hell he made me cry 4 weeks ago before we were attacked when he said he looked up to me and that he worried about me. Damn I am tearing up right now! Man I am going to miss going out for drinks after work with NS and LE and what am I going to do without HW who followed me here from New Haven (I still think her and J should follow me to DC).
People is really what makes a place a home and I have been lucky enough to surround myself with some really great people. People who love me and people who care. That is the one positive things that has come out of this whole attack experience. All of my friends who truly care have been by my side and helped me deal with it and its going to be hard to say goodbye to all of them.
All of this does not mean that I am not excited about the move to DC and moving in with the Doctor it is just a little nostalgia. It is and always will be hard to change you life and leave a place you call home but with a move comes new adventures and new fun and hopefully a lot less drama then I have had this month!
Boston has been my HOME for ten years. When I was crying in the hospital as they were sticking things in my back when I said I wanted to go home I meant my house in JP. It has been my worst month on record, but it has also been my last month in Boston. (By the way I had two more visits to the ER and one more to the surgeon this weekend). But beyond my home I am scared about saying goodbye to my friends.
Last night I had dinner with a couple friends and while it was nice to see them and dinner seemed normal enough as I was driving home I was struck by the fact that I probably wouldn't see one of my friends again. Yeah sure I would come up to Boston and we would talk but it wouldn't be the same. And tonight... I have to say goodbye to S. S has been a part of my life for a long time and while he abandoned me and moved to NYC to be happy (bastard) I still feel like he is part of Boston. And JCH is going to make me cry- hell he made me cry 4 weeks ago before we were attacked when he said he looked up to me and that he worried about me. Damn I am tearing up right now! Man I am going to miss going out for drinks after work with NS and LE and what am I going to do without HW who followed me here from New Haven (I still think her and J should follow me to DC).
People is really what makes a place a home and I have been lucky enough to surround myself with some really great people. People who love me and people who care. That is the one positive things that has come out of this whole attack experience. All of my friends who truly care have been by my side and helped me deal with it and its going to be hard to say goodbye to all of them.
All of this does not mean that I am not excited about the move to DC and moving in with the Doctor it is just a little nostalgia. It is and always will be hard to change you life and leave a place you call home but with a move comes new adventures and new fun and hopefully a lot less drama then I have had this month!
Links and Thanks
Once again thank you to everybody who has showed your support in all the ways that you have. I appreciate all of your kind words.
Also, some have asked for details in what happened. As I do not remember here are some of the articles that explain it. Most of them I find hard to read but they do include the details as well as the ass arrested.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&id=79561
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/08/possible_south.html
http://www.innewsweekly.com/innews/index.php/?class_code=Ne&article_code=5998
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=79871
http://wbz.com/pages/2869920.php?
http://www.universalhub.com/node/16247
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1116612&srvc=home&position=emailed
Also, some have asked for details in what happened. As I do not remember here are some of the articles that explain it. Most of them I find hard to read but they do include the details as well as the ass arrested.
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&id=79561
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/08/possible_south.html
http://www.innewsweekly.com/innews/index.php/?class_code=Ne&article_code=5998
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=79871
http://wbz.com/pages/2869920.php?
http://www.universalhub.com/node/16247
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1116612&srvc=home&position=emailed
UPDATES
Yes, I have been MIA since I posted about the violent attack, but as many of you know I have been going through a lot of things and the violence just added another layer of stuff that I needed to deal with on top of back to school and moving.
UPDATE ON ATTACK: I am still doing well and I am starting to sleep a little bit better. I have my moments when I freak out. I have my moments when I am close to breaking down. But overall I am doing well. SC, JCH, and JC are doing better as well. Even the Doctor who had the joy of speeding back to Boston to find his friends in the hospital is doing better. We are all moving on with our lives, with this event still in our mind but not controlling us.
They have caught one of the suspects and charged him with four civil rights violations and a few counts of assault. He is out on $10,000 bail but he is restricted and has a curfew. I believe that his next court date is October 10. This has been a big media story in the Boston area so I am hearing a lot of updates from the local news and papers. I am happy with the fact that they caught one of these people but I am still concerned that the other 2 or 3 are out there. The first time I saw my attackers face was when they showed it on the news. It was weird to see, and now I see his face in my dreams. Yes, sleep still really eludes me but we are working on that.
UPDATE ON MOVE: Last weekend in the midst of nausea and concussion and some crying we moved. Thank god that my company is paying the best movers in the world to move me because overall the move was pain free except for the drive down to DC. I left work at 2:00pm last Friday and met up with the Doctor, we loaded his car and we were on the way with 4 cats and a dog between us to DC. I was concerned about my dizziness which had subsided for the most part but reared its ugly head at the most inopportune times. The drive took close to 12 hours with labor day traffic and dog walking stops. We got to DC around 2:30 in the morning unpacked our cars and the five animals. Threw a blanket and some pillows on the floor and passed out for a couple hours because my movers were set to arrive at 8:00am. My movers arrived on time and had the house full of boxes in less than two hours. The Doctor's movers were late and rude and were the exact opposite of my movers (awful) but by mid afternoon Saturday everything was in the house and now we just had to unpack and make things at home. The kitchen took two days, I had to leave to come back to Boston but the rest of the house is going to take forever!
UPDATE ON MY BACK: On Friday before I left I thought I was getting a pimple on my back, not really unexpected I am stressed and it happens but man it hurt. On Saturday after sleeping on the floor of our new apartment and driving 12 hours my back was sore but I didn't think anything of it but the bump was getting bigger. Maybe it was an ingrown hair. On Sunday night I drove back to NY on my way to Boston to work for two weeks for Rush. My back was killing me I was starting to think that maybe it was a spider bite. Some Tylenol and I went to bed to wake up the next morning to a gross looking back. I decided I would go to the hospital after work on Monday if it didn't start looking better. Monday after work I call JCH and see if he will go with me to the hospital since I am afraid of going back there. We go and sit for a while a nice nurse comes in and looks at me and explains that it looks like I have an infected cyst on my back that the doctor will need to look at. The Doctor come in and says he is going to cut open... (and then he sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher). All I know is I am face down on the bed after them having given me two Valium and two pain killers screaming in pain with my heart beating so fast I am worried it is going to pop out of my chest. When the procedure is done the doctor (not mine another doctor) says its amazing that the Valium didn't seem to calm me down/
On Wednesday I go for my followup alone, thinking they were going to change the bandage and say good job and send me on my way. No such luck. It appears that the infection has spread towards my shoulder and they needed to lance again and drain. Even with Oxycontin this hurts like a mother and I am lying face down on the bed screaming and crying in pain. Six hours later I am bandaged up and on my way to my sister only to wake up and go to work.
UPDATE ON RUSH: Rush (back to school) and moving was easy I have done hundreds of Rushes in the 10 years I have worked for my company so why not throw in a violent attack and back surgery and for good measure put me on Oxycontin so all i feel is my slices in my back and my ever changing emotions. Man this week was fun.
You know what they say... "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I ain't dead yet bitch so bring it! On second thought... maybe I have had enough fun for one month!
UPDATE ON ATTACK: I am still doing well and I am starting to sleep a little bit better. I have my moments when I freak out. I have my moments when I am close to breaking down. But overall I am doing well. SC, JCH, and JC are doing better as well. Even the Doctor who had the joy of speeding back to Boston to find his friends in the hospital is doing better. We are all moving on with our lives, with this event still in our mind but not controlling us.
They have caught one of the suspects and charged him with four civil rights violations and a few counts of assault. He is out on $10,000 bail but he is restricted and has a curfew. I believe that his next court date is October 10. This has been a big media story in the Boston area so I am hearing a lot of updates from the local news and papers. I am happy with the fact that they caught one of these people but I am still concerned that the other 2 or 3 are out there. The first time I saw my attackers face was when they showed it on the news. It was weird to see, and now I see his face in my dreams. Yes, sleep still really eludes me but we are working on that.
UPDATE ON MOVE: Last weekend in the midst of nausea and concussion and some crying we moved. Thank god that my company is paying the best movers in the world to move me because overall the move was pain free except for the drive down to DC. I left work at 2:00pm last Friday and met up with the Doctor, we loaded his car and we were on the way with 4 cats and a dog between us to DC. I was concerned about my dizziness which had subsided for the most part but reared its ugly head at the most inopportune times. The drive took close to 12 hours with labor day traffic and dog walking stops. We got to DC around 2:30 in the morning unpacked our cars and the five animals. Threw a blanket and some pillows on the floor and passed out for a couple hours because my movers were set to arrive at 8:00am. My movers arrived on time and had the house full of boxes in less than two hours. The Doctor's movers were late and rude and were the exact opposite of my movers (awful) but by mid afternoon Saturday everything was in the house and now we just had to unpack and make things at home. The kitchen took two days, I had to leave to come back to Boston but the rest of the house is going to take forever!
UPDATE ON MY BACK: On Friday before I left I thought I was getting a pimple on my back, not really unexpected I am stressed and it happens but man it hurt. On Saturday after sleeping on the floor of our new apartment and driving 12 hours my back was sore but I didn't think anything of it but the bump was getting bigger. Maybe it was an ingrown hair. On Sunday night I drove back to NY on my way to Boston to work for two weeks for Rush. My back was killing me I was starting to think that maybe it was a spider bite. Some Tylenol and I went to bed to wake up the next morning to a gross looking back. I decided I would go to the hospital after work on Monday if it didn't start looking better. Monday after work I call JCH and see if he will go with me to the hospital since I am afraid of going back there. We go and sit for a while a nice nurse comes in and looks at me and explains that it looks like I have an infected cyst on my back that the doctor will need to look at. The Doctor come in and says he is going to cut open... (and then he sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher). All I know is I am face down on the bed after them having given me two Valium and two pain killers screaming in pain with my heart beating so fast I am worried it is going to pop out of my chest. When the procedure is done the doctor (not mine another doctor) says its amazing that the Valium didn't seem to calm me down/
On Wednesday I go for my followup alone, thinking they were going to change the bandage and say good job and send me on my way. No such luck. It appears that the infection has spread towards my shoulder and they needed to lance again and drain. Even with Oxycontin this hurts like a mother and I am lying face down on the bed screaming and crying in pain. Six hours later I am bandaged up and on my way to my sister only to wake up and go to work.
UPDATE ON RUSH: Rush (back to school) and moving was easy I have done hundreds of Rushes in the 10 years I have worked for my company so why not throw in a violent attack and back surgery and for good measure put me on Oxycontin so all i feel is my slices in my back and my ever changing emotions. Man this week was fun.
You know what they say... "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I ain't dead yet bitch so bring it! On second thought... maybe I have had enough fun for one month!
Crime on Columbus Ave Early Sunday Morning
This is not a laughing matter, this is actually a serious blog for me. I have been writing this post over the past few days and nights to deal with what happened to me on Saturday night when I was walking home with my friends from a fun night out as part of my goodbye to the city.
Many of you have read some of my blogs and heard me joke that violence is the answer, and while I was joking I feel bad saying those things now. I was the victim of violence. Violence that shook me to the core.
Some of you have read the stories in the media today and know about what happened on Saturday night. It is weird that the full stories printed in the media are the best recollection I have. Quite honestly I am fuzzy from moments before the attack all the way through Sunday.
I don't remember the attack... I don't remember the people who attacked me... I remember the bruises I woke up with... I remember hearing my friend scream in the hospital.... I remember looking over and seeing my friend with an IV in his arm and blood gushing from his forehead. I remember the stories I was told. I remember feeling dizzy and wanting to puke.
I remember when I used to feel safe in Boston, not the invincible kind of safe but the "Hey let me go move my car and I'll be right back" kind of safety. Now I sat in my car for 10 minutes on Tuesday thinking about getting out.
I was lucky, a few bruises a few kicks to the head and maybe thirty minutes of being out and not knowing what is going on is kind of lucky all things considered. A concussion is not being dead. All of my friends being alive is a blessing. But it is still hard for me to think about being beaten down and kick in the head because of who I am.
I am lucky because I have family who loves me, I am lucky because I have friends who love me and want me to be OK. I am lucky because I am alive.
I am mad because the people who did this to me and my friends are still out there, I am mad because I cry at night because I am scared, I am sad because a place I considered my home has been ruined by senseless violence.
I am not sure how this attack will shape my life, I will get back to normal, I will survive and all of us will. We are luck, we are strong, and we are proud of who we are! That will never change and if everybody felt that way then maybe just maybe we could put an end to all of the senseless violence in the world.
And now I vow that I am not going to cry anymore, I am not going to let this affect my life in a negative way. I am going to live my life safely but I am going to be myself.
I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE!
Much love to everybody out there and all of you who have sent me warm and positive wishes. I love you all
Many of you have read some of my blogs and heard me joke that violence is the answer, and while I was joking I feel bad saying those things now. I was the victim of violence. Violence that shook me to the core.
Some of you have read the stories in the media today and know about what happened on Saturday night. It is weird that the full stories printed in the media are the best recollection I have. Quite honestly I am fuzzy from moments before the attack all the way through Sunday.
I don't remember the attack... I don't remember the people who attacked me... I remember the bruises I woke up with... I remember hearing my friend scream in the hospital.... I remember looking over and seeing my friend with an IV in his arm and blood gushing from his forehead. I remember the stories I was told. I remember feeling dizzy and wanting to puke.
I remember when I used to feel safe in Boston, not the invincible kind of safe but the "Hey let me go move my car and I'll be right back" kind of safety. Now I sat in my car for 10 minutes on Tuesday thinking about getting out.
I was lucky, a few bruises a few kicks to the head and maybe thirty minutes of being out and not knowing what is going on is kind of lucky all things considered. A concussion is not being dead. All of my friends being alive is a blessing. But it is still hard for me to think about being beaten down and kick in the head because of who I am.
I am lucky because I have family who loves me, I am lucky because I have friends who love me and want me to be OK. I am lucky because I am alive.
I am mad because the people who did this to me and my friends are still out there, I am mad because I cry at night because I am scared, I am sad because a place I considered my home has been ruined by senseless violence.
I am not sure how this attack will shape my life, I will get back to normal, I will survive and all of us will. We are luck, we are strong, and we are proud of who we are! That will never change and if everybody felt that way then maybe just maybe we could put an end to all of the senseless violence in the world.
And now I vow that I am not going to cry anymore, I am not going to let this affect my life in a negative way. I am going to live my life safely but I am going to be myself.
I AM GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE!
Much love to everybody out there and all of you who have sent me warm and positive wishes. I love you all
Compromise...Couches...Olives
For the last 6 years I have lived by myself. My house was my house, my style was prevalent throughout, and I was able to do what I wanted to do. I have always been strong minded to put it lightly (although others might call it stubborn and still others may call me a pain in the ass) and my general rule is that I am always right. In three weeks I move in with somebody who is equally strong minded, but has a different style and aesthetic than I do. I love modern, he loves traditional, love lofts he loves divided space, I love blues and greys, he loves greens and tans. Needless to say joining our stuff and figuring out where things are going to go has been a bit rough going and we are not even in the new place yet.
Our first compromise was a rough one that almost lead to bloodshed. I liked the loft he liked the traditional home and we ended up with a loft inspired two bedroom with an open living space but two bedrooms. This compromise was not really one we worked up but one we were forced into by a friend in DC and the overall price of the place. It was bitter and ugly and while we are both happy with our decision now we were both not thrilled at first.
Our second compromise was the one that was the most bitter and lead to the most fights and finally a discussion on how we are going to live in the space together. The second compromise/ decision involved the paint color in the bathroom. Yes, I am serious, this was a fiercely contended battle with my blues and greys going up against his greens and tans and all of the colors of the rainbow were considered. I am not joking when I say that we honestly considered over 200 colors for the bathroom and his mother called us crazy when we were excited to get the number down to 35. The 35 colors consisted of 17.5 colors I liked and 17.5 colors he liked and fights erupted over the elimination of a single color. We finally needed to step back and look at the absurdity of this and openly discuss how we were going to live together. We recognized that we were both stubborn and needed to be more flexible in order for this to work. Not only do we need to have our own space but we need to be flexible in our likes and dislikes and make things work together. Finally, after three weeks of discussion we narrowed the paint colors to four that we both liked (with these new attitudes in play) and I let him select the final paint color for both the bathrooms (silver strand) and the guest room/my room is going to be painted a pretty blue and we set aside a nice green for the master bedroom should we choose to paint it at a later date.
Now onto the couch... going into this move I immediately said that his couch did not fit the style of the house and that mine would be the better choice. He loves his couch (I hate the way it looks) I love my couch (he hates the way it feels). Again that traditional vs. modern debate and obviously according to him modern is uncomfortable. We finally came to the decision that he would sell his couch, I would store my couch and we would buy a new couch. We even decided that our compromise would be a nice small brown leather sectional. We knew exactly what we wanted, we had agreed on it, now all we needed to do was find it. By the way we decided on leather because we will have five animals and my cats hate to cuddle on leather and we can keep his dog from licking the leather and even if she does she won't leave a stain.
The quest for said couch took over two weeks. We knew exactly what we wanted but we could not find it in any furniture store. The options we did find lead to more debate. I thought this one was too big, he didn't like the color of that one, I hated the stitching on this one, the arms on that one were not comfortable enough. The problem here was we had set our mind on something and after several furniture stores we couldn't find it.
Flash forward to this past weekend, tax free weekend here in Massachusetts. Sunday was decision day, if we were going to get a new couch we needed to do it today. We set out for brunch with an agenda. We would eat brunch and then convince our friends to come to five furniture stores with us so that we had a second and third opinion and people that could also witness how crazy we were. After brunch we hop in the car and we are off to the suburbs (ick). Stop one Cardis... speed shopping... purple, no, curved, no, floral, no, fabric, no... thirty minutes in and we had ruled out a majority of the showroom, met some very nice sales associates and left the store with pictures of three options that weren't quite right. Two of them were not even sectionals. Next stop Bernie and Phyls... drive past the address twice and then notice that the store is closed. Next stop... Jordans, four floors set up like a maze, with movie theatres and screaming children. Again, speed shopping, yellow, no, fluffy, no, vomit, no. I run out of the store screaming that this place is my nightmare, no options and nothing even close to what we are looking for. At this point we are over two hours into shopping and utterly exhausted and drained. Stop 3... we find the new location for Bernie and Phyls and I send the doctor in ahead of me as I park the truck. He speed shops finds two bad options, I follow him in speed shop and find the same two bad options. One of them is across from a couch that looks like it is straight out of a Star Trek movie (ick). We sit and contemplate... the associate kicks us out of the store telling us if we are not going to buy anything we have to go (fine bitch see you later).
Back to Cardis (after I drive off the wrong exit). We walk in at 6:00pm with two hours until they close. Two amazing sales associates help us weigh our options. They sit down with us on our couches and explain the differences. They tell us that if we move a piece out of the harsh showroom lights we will notice that the color isn't that bad. They tell us that we do not want composite leather with the animals because they will cut into the polyurethane where as with Italian leather the damage will be almost invisible. They give us time to think. The Doctor is making this purchase so I obviously allow him the final decision. After an hour of honest and open help which included life stories trips to Vegas and Louis bags and the associate saying, "If I was your mother I would tell you to get this piece..." the decision was made. We ended up with a beautiful classic brown Italian leather sofa with a matching brown Italian leather club chair and ottoman. Not quite what we set out to get but damn it was comfortable and a nice piece that could be delivered and was discounted because of a sale. Even our guest judges (fellow friends) liked the one we ended up with the best.
After hours of grueling shopping we needed food, JCH hadn't eaten and was going nuts. We wanted food and we wanted it now. It had to be heavy in carbs and bad for us. We stopped at Olive Garden... it was the worst service you could have imagined. I always leave at least a 20% tip and I left 10% for this service. It was awful, but we had a couch and we had compromised.
I am sure we will have many more lessons to learn and that living with another person will be difficult for both of us but at least we are making the first steps towards being successful with just a little bit of compromise.
Our first compromise was a rough one that almost lead to bloodshed. I liked the loft he liked the traditional home and we ended up with a loft inspired two bedroom with an open living space but two bedrooms. This compromise was not really one we worked up but one we were forced into by a friend in DC and the overall price of the place. It was bitter and ugly and while we are both happy with our decision now we were both not thrilled at first.
Our second compromise was the one that was the most bitter and lead to the most fights and finally a discussion on how we are going to live in the space together. The second compromise/ decision involved the paint color in the bathroom. Yes, I am serious, this was a fiercely contended battle with my blues and greys going up against his greens and tans and all of the colors of the rainbow were considered. I am not joking when I say that we honestly considered over 200 colors for the bathroom and his mother called us crazy when we were excited to get the number down to 35. The 35 colors consisted of 17.5 colors I liked and 17.5 colors he liked and fights erupted over the elimination of a single color. We finally needed to step back and look at the absurdity of this and openly discuss how we were going to live together. We recognized that we were both stubborn and needed to be more flexible in order for this to work. Not only do we need to have our own space but we need to be flexible in our likes and dislikes and make things work together. Finally, after three weeks of discussion we narrowed the paint colors to four that we both liked (with these new attitudes in play) and I let him select the final paint color for both the bathrooms (silver strand) and the guest room/my room is going to be painted a pretty blue and we set aside a nice green for the master bedroom should we choose to paint it at a later date.
Now onto the couch... going into this move I immediately said that his couch did not fit the style of the house and that mine would be the better choice. He loves his couch (I hate the way it looks) I love my couch (he hates the way it feels). Again that traditional vs. modern debate and obviously according to him modern is uncomfortable. We finally came to the decision that he would sell his couch, I would store my couch and we would buy a new couch. We even decided that our compromise would be a nice small brown leather sectional. We knew exactly what we wanted, we had agreed on it, now all we needed to do was find it. By the way we decided on leather because we will have five animals and my cats hate to cuddle on leather and we can keep his dog from licking the leather and even if she does she won't leave a stain.
The quest for said couch took over two weeks. We knew exactly what we wanted but we could not find it in any furniture store. The options we did find lead to more debate. I thought this one was too big, he didn't like the color of that one, I hated the stitching on this one, the arms on that one were not comfortable enough. The problem here was we had set our mind on something and after several furniture stores we couldn't find it.
Flash forward to this past weekend, tax free weekend here in Massachusetts. Sunday was decision day, if we were going to get a new couch we needed to do it today. We set out for brunch with an agenda. We would eat brunch and then convince our friends to come to five furniture stores with us so that we had a second and third opinion and people that could also witness how crazy we were. After brunch we hop in the car and we are off to the suburbs (ick). Stop one Cardis... speed shopping... purple, no, curved, no, floral, no, fabric, no... thirty minutes in and we had ruled out a majority of the showroom, met some very nice sales associates and left the store with pictures of three options that weren't quite right. Two of them were not even sectionals. Next stop Bernie and Phyls... drive past the address twice and then notice that the store is closed. Next stop... Jordans, four floors set up like a maze, with movie theatres and screaming children. Again, speed shopping, yellow, no, fluffy, no, vomit, no. I run out of the store screaming that this place is my nightmare, no options and nothing even close to what we are looking for. At this point we are over two hours into shopping and utterly exhausted and drained. Stop 3... we find the new location for Bernie and Phyls and I send the doctor in ahead of me as I park the truck. He speed shops finds two bad options, I follow him in speed shop and find the same two bad options. One of them is across from a couch that looks like it is straight out of a Star Trek movie (ick). We sit and contemplate... the associate kicks us out of the store telling us if we are not going to buy anything we have to go (fine bitch see you later).
Back to Cardis (after I drive off the wrong exit). We walk in at 6:00pm with two hours until they close. Two amazing sales associates help us weigh our options. They sit down with us on our couches and explain the differences. They tell us that if we move a piece out of the harsh showroom lights we will notice that the color isn't that bad. They tell us that we do not want composite leather with the animals because they will cut into the polyurethane where as with Italian leather the damage will be almost invisible. They give us time to think. The Doctor is making this purchase so I obviously allow him the final decision. After an hour of honest and open help which included life stories trips to Vegas and Louis bags and the associate saying, "If I was your mother I would tell you to get this piece..." the decision was made. We ended up with a beautiful classic brown Italian leather sofa with a matching brown Italian leather club chair and ottoman. Not quite what we set out to get but damn it was comfortable and a nice piece that could be delivered and was discounted because of a sale. Even our guest judges (fellow friends) liked the one we ended up with the best.
After hours of grueling shopping we needed food, JCH hadn't eaten and was going nuts. We wanted food and we wanted it now. It had to be heavy in carbs and bad for us. We stopped at Olive Garden... it was the worst service you could have imagined. I always leave at least a 20% tip and I left 10% for this service. It was awful, but we had a couch and we had compromised.
I am sure we will have many more lessons to learn and that living with another person will be difficult for both of us but at least we are making the first steps towards being successful with just a little bit of compromise.
I Am Not Making This Up
The book I am currently reading is A Short History of Nearly Everything, I was oddly excited to tackle this Bryson book because as most of you know, I love Bill Bryson. I knew this title was going to be a challenge mainly because its a science book that covers topics like physics and astronomy. But Bryson has a way of making topics that are generally out of my reach (such as Shakespeare) oddly attainable. I knew this book was going to take me a few weeks to get through but today the time it is going to take for me to read this book increased.
I was reading it on the train home, I am about 65 pages in. I get on the orange line, find a seat and sit down. I have my BlackBerry out and I am checking facebook and sending a text message because I can multitask (or I am ADHD). About three stops from home the man next to me asks me what book I am reading, I tell him and he seems to express some interest so I show him.
We approach the next stop and the door opens, the man next to me grabs my book and runs out the door of the train! I sit there shocked for a second, and by the time I react it is too late for me to get my book back.
I immediately send the Doctor a text message... "I know what I am blogging about tonight."
I was reading it on the train home, I am about 65 pages in. I get on the orange line, find a seat and sit down. I have my BlackBerry out and I am checking facebook and sending a text message because I can multitask (or I am ADHD). About three stops from home the man next to me asks me what book I am reading, I tell him and he seems to express some interest so I show him.
We approach the next stop and the door opens, the man next to me grabs my book and runs out the door of the train! I sit there shocked for a second, and by the time I react it is too late for me to get my book back.
I immediately send the Doctor a text message... "I know what I am blogging about tonight."
Our Man In Havana
I went into Our Man in Havana with very few expectations, however, I came out of reading Our Man in Havana completely surprised.
I had never read any Greene before I tackled this short "entertainment" but as a good bookseller I knew a bit about him, yet I wasn't sure that he would be for me. I was under the vague impression that it was a thriller of sorts and I was a bit surprised when I started reading the book and found out that it was a comedy. I was delighted by the writing and the clean and understated (yet obvious if that makes sense) satire.
The book starts with a British secret agent, looking to increase his community of contacts, so he arranges for an ordinary vacuum cleaner salesman to file reports of any unusual activity in the area. The merchant, Wormold, reluctantly agrees to this arrangement for no reason other than the lure of extra money; he has a teenage daughter with very expensive tastes. To keep himself employable, Wormold constructs a whole world of intrigue to literally write home about. All of the "inventions" and stories Wormold writes home about are funny and any reader will giggle as they read. Of course will all of these inventions complications arise. He is sent reinforcements from London and he has to scramble to keep them in the dark. And then his inventions seem to take on life as his characters begin to die, and people are suddenly convinced that he is a spy. Despite the comic portions of the plot, the characters themselves are allowed to retain a certain dignity.
One particular scene stood out as a wonderful piece of writing. Placing two main characters inside a dark, dingy saloon, Greene describes the other inhabitants as looking like paratroopers about to parachute out of an airplane. Their quick glances at the door and their hushed demeanor are all beautifully described. Our Man In Havana is a relatively short novel; it makes for a quick read, but not a throwaway one. The neat cuts of satire make this a hilarious and whimsical tale.
Overall a great read, pick it up I think you will enjoy it. And for those of you who are faster readers than I am, I am sure you can finish it in a day or two.
I had never read any Greene before I tackled this short "entertainment" but as a good bookseller I knew a bit about him, yet I wasn't sure that he would be for me. I was under the vague impression that it was a thriller of sorts and I was a bit surprised when I started reading the book and found out that it was a comedy. I was delighted by the writing and the clean and understated (yet obvious if that makes sense) satire.
The book starts with a British secret agent, looking to increase his community of contacts, so he arranges for an ordinary vacuum cleaner salesman to file reports of any unusual activity in the area. The merchant, Wormold, reluctantly agrees to this arrangement for no reason other than the lure of extra money; he has a teenage daughter with very expensive tastes. To keep himself employable, Wormold constructs a whole world of intrigue to literally write home about. All of the "inventions" and stories Wormold writes home about are funny and any reader will giggle as they read. Of course will all of these inventions complications arise. He is sent reinforcements from London and he has to scramble to keep them in the dark. And then his inventions seem to take on life as his characters begin to die, and people are suddenly convinced that he is a spy. Despite the comic portions of the plot, the characters themselves are allowed to retain a certain dignity.
One particular scene stood out as a wonderful piece of writing. Placing two main characters inside a dark, dingy saloon, Greene describes the other inhabitants as looking like paratroopers about to parachute out of an airplane. Their quick glances at the door and their hushed demeanor are all beautifully described. Our Man In Havana is a relatively short novel; it makes for a quick read, but not a throwaway one. The neat cuts of satire make this a hilarious and whimsical tale.
Overall a great read, pick it up I think you will enjoy it. And for those of you who are faster readers than I am, I am sure you can finish it in a day or two.
Olympic Fever
The Olympics haven't even been on yet for more than a few days and it has become all consuming at a time when I can't really afford for it to be all consuming. I DVR the Olympics which means there is like 12 hours of coverage to watch a day.
Cut to me sitting on the couch with the Doctor instead of packing with a glass of red wine watching the men's 4x100 relay against those snooty French.
Cut to me jumping up and down rooting the men on as they catch up to the French in the final leg of the race then jumping out of my seat when they touch the wall first.
I am out of breath from yelling and jumping and the Doctor looks at me like I am crazy!
I AM! But what a race!
Cut to me sitting on the couch with the Doctor instead of packing with a glass of red wine watching the men's 4x100 relay against those snooty French.
Cut to me jumping up and down rooting the men on as they catch up to the French in the final leg of the race then jumping out of my seat when they touch the wall first.
I am out of breath from yelling and jumping and the Doctor looks at me like I am crazy!
I AM! But what a race!
Here is the News
So over the past month I have been MIA when it comes to blogging and there is a good chance that I will continue to be MIA for a while, at least through mid-September. That's right once I am done with back to school rush I am moving to Washington DC with the Doctor, where he will be working for a university and I will be working for my current company at a store in Virginia.
It is a very exciting new phase in my life but it is also a very stressful move. Myself and the doctor will be living together in Adams Morgan in a great two bedroom apartment that has TVs in the bathrooms. I am serious it is really cool. Everything is happening very quickly and I need to pack and rent my condo and do any number of things including finish back to school rush at my current store.
After 10 years in Boston (with a brief interlude in New Haven CT) it is also going to be hard to leave my new home behind. I have grown accustomed to the way of life in Boston and have made many friends that I am going to miss them when I move but it was an opportunity to move on in my life, face new challenges, and to grow. I am nervous and excited and i know that i am going to love DC, and all of my friends out there better come and visit me!
I will keep you all posted on what is going on and where I am in the moving process. If anybody is moving to Boston on September 1 please let me know and I will rent you my condo!
It is a very exciting new phase in my life but it is also a very stressful move. Myself and the doctor will be living together in Adams Morgan in a great two bedroom apartment that has TVs in the bathrooms. I am serious it is really cool. Everything is happening very quickly and I need to pack and rent my condo and do any number of things including finish back to school rush at my current store.
After 10 years in Boston (with a brief interlude in New Haven CT) it is also going to be hard to leave my new home behind. I have grown accustomed to the way of life in Boston and have made many friends that I am going to miss them when I move but it was an opportunity to move on in my life, face new challenges, and to grow. I am nervous and excited and i know that i am going to love DC, and all of my friends out there better come and visit me!
I will keep you all posted on what is going on and where I am in the moving process. If anybody is moving to Boston on September 1 please let me know and I will rent you my condo!
My Sister is in Thailand
My sister is in Thailand for most of the month. This is a great opportunity for her to experience life in a different culture etc etc! I wish I had a full summer off as a teacher so that I could do things like this.
For those of you who would like to follow her adventures here is her blog address...
http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/TEENA-1/
Enjoy!
For those of you who would like to follow her adventures here is her blog address...
http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/TEENA-1/
Enjoy!
August 1
When did this happen? How is summer over already? Many of you out there think I am crazy, but in my business I have already had a Holiday Planning Meeting (as in Christmas) and our focus now is Back to School which is happening all around us. This morning when I held our pre-opening meeting I looked down at the clock and it said August 1, 2008! I almost screamed out in horror realizing that I have less than a month until the students start arriving in my store (and less than a month until the Doctor moves to DC).
I guess being away the entire month of July helps move the summer along really quickly but I can't believe it is over already. I guess I better try to enjoy the few weekends that I have remaining before student madness begins. Although, this may be hard with all of the other things going on in my life right now!
Ugh, I hope you all enjoy the last month of the summer even if I can't!
I guess being away the entire month of July helps move the summer along really quickly but I can't believe it is over already. I guess I better try to enjoy the few weekends that I have remaining before student madness begins. Although, this may be hard with all of the other things going on in my life right now!
Ugh, I hope you all enjoy the last month of the summer even if I can't!
Back-ish
Wow, July is already gone and it has been a long rough month. I was traveling for work for 2 weeks and in between that I had to travel for other things. In the past 5 weeks I have been in...
Chicago
P-Town
Boston (5 days)
Rochester NY (2 times)
Washington DC
and Wappingers Falls NY
I was going to go to NYC as well but I figured that may be too much. I have no idea how people travel this much. I was exhausted and I have never been so happy to be in my house.
I have a lot of things going on in my life as well, most of them I can't share quite yet on this blog but needless to say some changes are coming. Change- while I should be used to it, scares the ever living shit out of me. As soon as I know what is going to happen and I can share things I will.
Other things going on... yeah I really don't know what else is going on, well I guess I do but I can't formulate sentences at this point. I have tons of open positions in my store, if you want to work in a bookstore in the Boston area please let me know!
While I was doing all of this traveling I finished a couple books
1) I Was Told There'd Be Cake- it was freaking funny, she is the same age as me and I related to a lot of her stories and her cultural references
2) Candy Everybody Wants- It was good but nowhere near as good as I'm Not Myself These Days. But it was good trash to keep me entertained while I was busy and traveling. Which reminds me- holy plane delays Batman- I spend about 20 hours this month stuck in airports because of delays. Flying home from both DC and Rochester was a nightmare (stupid US Airways).
3) I am about 80 pages into Our Man in Havana- it is quite good I am enjoying it.
I will try to keep you all involved in what is happening and I will try to post more regularly but right now I am not making any promises, but I will try!
Chicago
P-Town
Boston (5 days)
Rochester NY (2 times)
Washington DC
and Wappingers Falls NY
I was going to go to NYC as well but I figured that may be too much. I have no idea how people travel this much. I was exhausted and I have never been so happy to be in my house.
I have a lot of things going on in my life as well, most of them I can't share quite yet on this blog but needless to say some changes are coming. Change- while I should be used to it, scares the ever living shit out of me. As soon as I know what is going to happen and I can share things I will.
Other things going on... yeah I really don't know what else is going on, well I guess I do but I can't formulate sentences at this point. I have tons of open positions in my store, if you want to work in a bookstore in the Boston area please let me know!
While I was doing all of this traveling I finished a couple books
1) I Was Told There'd Be Cake- it was freaking funny, she is the same age as me and I related to a lot of her stories and her cultural references
2) Candy Everybody Wants- It was good but nowhere near as good as I'm Not Myself These Days. But it was good trash to keep me entertained while I was busy and traveling. Which reminds me- holy plane delays Batman- I spend about 20 hours this month stuck in airports because of delays. Flying home from both DC and Rochester was a nightmare (stupid US Airways).
3) I am about 80 pages into Our Man in Havana- it is quite good I am enjoying it.
I will try to keep you all involved in what is happening and I will try to post more regularly but right now I am not making any promises, but I will try!
A DC Wedding
No, I didn't get married in DC, but somebody did!
But first, here is some back story- I have been away for work, as a matter of fact I was away all last week, and then I flew to DC to help the Doctor with some things, and now I am sitting in an airport on my way back to lovely Rochester for a store opening. Basically, I have been home about 24 hours in the last 10 days. While in DC, which is the hottest place on earth, I am now convinced of it, we stayed in a hotel on the South West side, not a nice hotel, a really cheap hotel that was found through priceline.com. It was a Best Western, I hate to admit it! And for those of you unfamiliar with DC, the SW side is not the nicest area. We spent most of our day away from the hotel conducting the business that had to be done.
When we got back to the hotel on Friday evening we were burning up, covered in sweat, and in immediate need of some form of refreshment. We look out our bedroom window which overlooks a somewhat grungy pool, but it looked amazing. We quickly change into bathing suits, pulling our sweat laden clothing off and practically run to the elevator. In the elevator we run into a group of people who are all dressed up for the evening, we assumed they were going out for a fancy night on the town, or a wedding in the district. They must have been stuck in this crappy hotel by those evil people at priceline as well. As we get into the luke warm pool we feel slightly refreshed, its kind of like taking a warm bath in dirty bath water. We wade around in the pool for a bit and notice out of the corner of our eye that there is a photographer taking pictures of a woman in a pink dress holding a bouquet of flowers. The backdrop for these pictures is a lovely blue and white concrete wall around this grungy pool. I wish I had taken a picture of this so you could appreciate how beautiful this picture must look.
The doctor and I look at each other and slowly swim down to the other end of the pool so that the woman and photographer can't hear us. "Is she really getting married here?" "Are they really taking pictures in front of that?" We are totally confused as we go grab our towels and head back up to our room. We look down at the pool later and sure enough an entire wedding party of ladies in bright pink and men with bright pink ties are taking pictures in front of that pretty wall.
We head out for the evening for dinner and drinks with a few of the doctor's friends and when we return in the late evening the party seems to have died down but when we get off the elevator on the third floor we find this...
No, I am not kidding you, we get back to the hotel, ride the elevator up to the third floor, and what do our surprise and chagrin is there... ah yes rose pedals leading the room 311 at the Best Western Skyline in Washington DC. I couldn't help but laugh. I know its mean, and maybe this is the nicest place they could afford, I just think that it is weird that two people got married and spent their wedding night at this grungy hotel. I mean if you can't afford a fancy wedding go to city hall, or get married on a beach, or in your backyard.
Maybe it's not funny to them but I just found this picture absolutely hilarious. It made my night. I know I am a mean person, I get it, and I am stuck up. I just wish I had the wedding pictures to post here as well... what its funny I swear!
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