Saturday, January 13, 2007
Extinguished
The little spark of hope last week was quickly extinguished this week. Came so close (three interviews) to a very cool job at a very cool tech company here in Pittsburgh, only to find out I'd lost out. And then an opportunity that would have helped me follow a dream fell through on Thursday. I was 100% sure I had the later. 100%. And it fell through. I am having a very hard time getting over this and back into career search mode. And this blog may end up a casualty. I don't much feel like doing anything at all.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Something Different Happened Today
After days of only getting out of bed to give the cat her medicine I decided to do something constructive today and mail out a few more cover letters and resumés. I haven't been sick. I've just been feeling defeated and hopeless. When 2006 ended, I had three decent interviews under my belt and I really thought 2 January 2007 would bring at least one job offer, if not a choice. Oh, how disappointed I was when the phone didn't ring on Tuesday or Wednesday. I knew the companies would be making those calls at the very first opportunity because the positions needed to be filled quickly. I went to bed Tuesday afternoon in a blue funk, and by Wednesday afternoon the funk had become full-blown depression. Didn't get out of bed at all on Wednesday. Thursday morning the phone did ring. A request to come in for a 3rd interview at a technology company I'd love to work for over on the Southside. But, the interview was amazingly short and didn't feel so great. I don't hold out much hope on that one. Never did, even though I've had three interviews. Just doesn't seem like I'm a good fit. Anyway, I went to bed when I got home and this morning I woke up thinking I'd give the cat her medicine, and maybe spend some time reading in bed, since I wasn't really sleepy. Reading is at least productive.
But, instead, I decided to apply for a couple of jobs that aren't exciting or very interesting, but might get me back in the career search mode. Don't know why I changed my plans. Maybe it was an email from a dear friend in the UK who usually manages to make me smile when I'm down. Maybe it was G's gentle hug and kiss this morning when he left for work this morning. It has been an incredibly rough week for him, and he really has put his own pain aside to comfort me. Maybe it was just that damned Protestant work ethic (minus the "being saved" part) I've always had, kicking me out of the bed. Whatever it was, I am very glad for it. Something different happened today.
I stopped at a local Starbucks for a latte, a treat to myself for getting out of bed (maybe it isn't that work ethic after all...), and decided to drink it at one of the tables, from a real mug, rather than take it to-go and risk spilling it or having it get cold while I waiting in the post office queue. As usual, I had a book, The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago (a true delight), and I had a couple of postcards I had not yet written. So I took a seat by the window, read a few chapters, wrote the postcards, and started to get ready to head out. It was a dismal, rainy, grey, bleak day and the café was crowded with people who looked to be wanting a bit of warmth. One woman, in particular, looked like she really needed warmth. All sorts of warmth. She was putting sugar into her coffee-to-go and a man who had been sitting nearby walked up and quietly struck up a conversation. I was sitting right next to the condiment bar, so I overheard them talking.
He asked if she was from around here. She answered that she wasn't and told him where she lived, which I didn't catch as I really wasn't eavesdropping, just sort of caught in their conversation by my location. She asked where he lived and again I didn't catch the name of the town, but it did seem like it was local because she commented that it is very pretty around here. He agreed, and added "But you don't see many black folk," and laughed quietly. She also laughed, and agreed. They were the only two black people in that Starbucks. And both of them stood out from the well-dressed majority, myself included.
She had on jeans and a long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt. Bright red. It had seen better days, and the cuffs looked like she had been using them as mitts. All stretched out and hanging over her hands. She held the coffee cup tight to her chest, as if it would warm her soul. She seemed so out-of-place, and not because of her color. Just out of place in life. She asked the man about the bus to the city and he told her where it stopped, but said she might have to wait a long time because city buses don't run all that often up here in the northern suburbs. She didn't seemed worried, just resigned.
By now I had returned my cup and was ready to walk out the door. Something stopped me and instead I went over and asked her if she wanted a ride into the city. She accepted immediately, thanking me over and over. We walked out the door together and over to my car, and she told me she had had a terrible day, but didn't offer details. She settled in, not putting her seatbelt on, and I thought I should ask her to do so, but, totally unlike me, I didn't. She offered me some of her cookie, but I declined. As I headed out of the parking lot, I caught sight of someone running up to me in my sideview mirror. A police officer.
I had seen two police cars in the parking lot when I was sitting inside. I didn't think anything of them. Police cars and coffeeshops go together. Seeing the policeman running up to my moving car really scared me. Did I do something wrong taking this stranger in my car? Was she supposed to be with him? With a line of traffic behind me, I stopped and opened my window. He asked if I knew my passenger, where I was taking her, and my name and telephone number. I asked him if something was wrong. He assured me there wasn't, but he wanted to make sure everything was okay. I told him everything was fine and I just didn't want to see the woman standing out in the miserable weather for an indefinite period of time waiting for a bus. He wrote down the telephone number to the barracks and told me to call it as soon as I got home and leave him a message that I was fine. He also wrote the number down for my passenger, and told her to put on her seatbelt. Then he told me to wait while he took down my plate. As he walked off to his car, I called "It's Slovak for "ice cream" (my vanity plate), and he called back, "I know...I'm Polish!" and shouted a Polish goodbye which I can't recall how to spell, or pronounce. I don't even know Slovak... just a few words.... enough to be polite, and sometimes get me in trouble.
Perhaps I should have been nervous at this point. But I wasn't. Not even a little bit. Perhaps the officer thought I was some sort of Good Samaritan and did stuff like this all the time without giving thought to the dangers that might be involved. But, I wasn't giving this woman a ride out of any sense of goodness. I don't normally take strangers in my car. I just did it because there wasn't anything else I was doing and she needed to be warm. It was kindness, but I don't think any sort of out of the way kindness. I wasn't frightened. I didn't consider she could be directing me to drop her off somewhere I wouldn't be safe. I didn't consider she might try to get me to help her in other ways. I just wanted to make sure she got to where she was going without having to stand in cold rain.
As we got on the highway, she told me the same officer had given her a ride from a rural area further north. She said she had trusted someone who had left her stranded up there, with no money. She told me the officer gave her $20 and a ride to the Starbucks. He said he would have liked to have driven her home, but couldn't do that. Then she and I just started talking about our kids (she has four, ages 2-15, and she is 29), our dreams, Pittsburgh, and just general chit-chat you would have with a friend over coffee. The trip to the city went by very fast, even in the driving rain.
She directed me through an area of the city called the North Side. Along the way she pointed out Max's and said it was a great place for dinner. She asked if I like jazz. When I said I did, she pointed out the James Street Tavern and said she knew a guy who "played the horn" there and I should really go and listen. The place looks to be under renovation right now. She asked if I had been to the Aviary, and I said I had. She said it was one of her favorite places. And she asked if I had been to the Observatory, and I haven't. "Oh," she said, "it is the best place to go. I don't know what I am looking at or understand any of it, but I love it."
She spoke as if she had been giving tours of the North Side all her life. She brought everything alive and was so very excited about the area. But then she said she wishes she could leave. Move somewhere different. I told her I had done just that when I moved to Pittsburgh from Boston nearly three years ago. She said it was a brave thing to do. I said it was a crazy thing to do, but it was a necessary thing to do. When I pulled over to let her out, I reached over and hugged her. I am not a touchy-feeling sort of person. I don't even hug friends and relatives all that much. But I wanted to hug Melee (may-LEE). She walked away, not looking back, her bright red sweatshirt like a beacon in the grey rain. I hope she is well right now. I hope she finds whatever she needs in life, and gets a whole lot more warmth and kindness. When I got home I did leave a message with the barracks letting Officer M know I was fine. I am more than fine. I am ready to find my dream.
But, instead, I decided to apply for a couple of jobs that aren't exciting or very interesting, but might get me back in the career search mode. Don't know why I changed my plans. Maybe it was an email from a dear friend in the UK who usually manages to make me smile when I'm down. Maybe it was G's gentle hug and kiss this morning when he left for work this morning. It has been an incredibly rough week for him, and he really has put his own pain aside to comfort me. Maybe it was just that damned Protestant work ethic (minus the "being saved" part) I've always had, kicking me out of the bed. Whatever it was, I am very glad for it. Something different happened today.
I stopped at a local Starbucks for a latte, a treat to myself for getting out of bed (maybe it isn't that work ethic after all...), and decided to drink it at one of the tables, from a real mug, rather than take it to-go and risk spilling it or having it get cold while I waiting in the post office queue. As usual, I had a book, The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago (a true delight), and I had a couple of postcards I had not yet written. So I took a seat by the window, read a few chapters, wrote the postcards, and started to get ready to head out. It was a dismal, rainy, grey, bleak day and the café was crowded with people who looked to be wanting a bit of warmth. One woman, in particular, looked like she really needed warmth. All sorts of warmth. She was putting sugar into her coffee-to-go and a man who had been sitting nearby walked up and quietly struck up a conversation. I was sitting right next to the condiment bar, so I overheard them talking.
He asked if she was from around here. She answered that she wasn't and told him where she lived, which I didn't catch as I really wasn't eavesdropping, just sort of caught in their conversation by my location. She asked where he lived and again I didn't catch the name of the town, but it did seem like it was local because she commented that it is very pretty around here. He agreed, and added "But you don't see many black folk," and laughed quietly. She also laughed, and agreed. They were the only two black people in that Starbucks. And both of them stood out from the well-dressed majority, myself included.
She had on jeans and a long-sleeved hooded sweatshirt. Bright red. It had seen better days, and the cuffs looked like she had been using them as mitts. All stretched out and hanging over her hands. She held the coffee cup tight to her chest, as if it would warm her soul. She seemed so out-of-place, and not because of her color. Just out of place in life. She asked the man about the bus to the city and he told her where it stopped, but said she might have to wait a long time because city buses don't run all that often up here in the northern suburbs. She didn't seemed worried, just resigned.
By now I had returned my cup and was ready to walk out the door. Something stopped me and instead I went over and asked her if she wanted a ride into the city. She accepted immediately, thanking me over and over. We walked out the door together and over to my car, and she told me she had had a terrible day, but didn't offer details. She settled in, not putting her seatbelt on, and I thought I should ask her to do so, but, totally unlike me, I didn't. She offered me some of her cookie, but I declined. As I headed out of the parking lot, I caught sight of someone running up to me in my sideview mirror. A police officer.
I had seen two police cars in the parking lot when I was sitting inside. I didn't think anything of them. Police cars and coffeeshops go together. Seeing the policeman running up to my moving car really scared me. Did I do something wrong taking this stranger in my car? Was she supposed to be with him? With a line of traffic behind me, I stopped and opened my window. He asked if I knew my passenger, where I was taking her, and my name and telephone number. I asked him if something was wrong. He assured me there wasn't, but he wanted to make sure everything was okay. I told him everything was fine and I just didn't want to see the woman standing out in the miserable weather for an indefinite period of time waiting for a bus. He wrote down the telephone number to the barracks and told me to call it as soon as I got home and leave him a message that I was fine. He also wrote the number down for my passenger, and told her to put on her seatbelt. Then he told me to wait while he took down my plate. As he walked off to his car, I called "It's Slovak for "ice cream" (my vanity plate), and he called back, "I know...I'm Polish!" and shouted a Polish goodbye which I can't recall how to spell, or pronounce. I don't even know Slovak... just a few words.... enough to be polite, and sometimes get me in trouble.
Perhaps I should have been nervous at this point. But I wasn't. Not even a little bit. Perhaps the officer thought I was some sort of Good Samaritan and did stuff like this all the time without giving thought to the dangers that might be involved. But, I wasn't giving this woman a ride out of any sense of goodness. I don't normally take strangers in my car. I just did it because there wasn't anything else I was doing and she needed to be warm. It was kindness, but I don't think any sort of out of the way kindness. I wasn't frightened. I didn't consider she could be directing me to drop her off somewhere I wouldn't be safe. I didn't consider she might try to get me to help her in other ways. I just wanted to make sure she got to where she was going without having to stand in cold rain.
As we got on the highway, she told me the same officer had given her a ride from a rural area further north. She said she had trusted someone who had left her stranded up there, with no money. She told me the officer gave her $20 and a ride to the Starbucks. He said he would have liked to have driven her home, but couldn't do that. Then she and I just started talking about our kids (she has four, ages 2-15, and she is 29), our dreams, Pittsburgh, and just general chit-chat you would have with a friend over coffee. The trip to the city went by very fast, even in the driving rain.
She directed me through an area of the city called the North Side. Along the way she pointed out Max's and said it was a great place for dinner. She asked if I like jazz. When I said I did, she pointed out the James Street Tavern and said she knew a guy who "played the horn" there and I should really go and listen. The place looks to be under renovation right now. She asked if I had been to the Aviary, and I said I had. She said it was one of her favorite places. And she asked if I had been to the Observatory, and I haven't. "Oh," she said, "it is the best place to go. I don't know what I am looking at or understand any of it, but I love it."
She spoke as if she had been giving tours of the North Side all her life. She brought everything alive and was so very excited about the area. But then she said she wishes she could leave. Move somewhere different. I told her I had done just that when I moved to Pittsburgh from Boston nearly three years ago. She said it was a brave thing to do. I said it was a crazy thing to do, but it was a necessary thing to do. When I pulled over to let her out, I reached over and hugged her. I am not a touchy-feeling sort of person. I don't even hug friends and relatives all that much. But I wanted to hug Melee (may-LEE). She walked away, not looking back, her bright red sweatshirt like a beacon in the grey rain. I hope she is well right now. I hope she finds whatever she needs in life, and gets a whole lot more warmth and kindness. When I got home I did leave a message with the barracks letting Officer M know I was fine. I am more than fine. I am ready to find my dream.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Postcards, Postcards, Postcards
PostCrossing brings so much fun to my post office box. Yesterday I got this fabulous addition to my UNESCO World Heritage collection from a man in UK. The site, Giant's Causeway is on the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland. On the back of the postcard is a real message. Yes, a nice long, by postcard standards, message. This is becoming a rare treat on postcards. Sure, the typical brief "wish you were here" message is mostly expected on a holiday postcard from family and friends, but on postcards sent to strangers I always think there should be a bit more communication. Why bother with postage and writing if you are just going to say "here is a postcard of X," which is quite obvious from the start? Or sometimes just "this is the postcard I promised you from X forum." Yeah... and? Did you visit the place? Does the image mean something to you? What did you have for breakfast today? Something! Tell me something other than the obvious!On the back of this postcard there is a really nice descriptive caption provided by the publishing company, but the sender used the writing space to give me so much more. Details about the folklore that resulted in these odd rock formations (two giants battling it out), a nice summary of how Britain is divided into four nations, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England. And a bit about the languages in those places. There is even a Welsh greeting, bore da (good morning), to start the message. All this makes this postcard a valuable addition to my collection. It isn't just a picture to add to the book. I have a teeny sense of the person behind the postcard, too. Communication, however small, with a stranger in another land. This is the reason I started collecting postcards so many years ago. Even if I never hear from this sender again, I have made a connection that is more than the obvious.
For many years I traded postcards on Yahoo groups. At first it was great fun because the organized swaps usually had themes and it was like a treasure hunt trying to find postcards to match the theme. The swaps would be to 5 to 20 or more people, so sometimes it would be a real challenge to get the postcards picked out, written, and mailed before the deadline. I enjoyed it, though. But, after a while, I got discouraged because people became oh so fussy about the "quality" of the postcard, the size of the postcard, the postage stamps used, the condition in which the postcard arrived (like the sender has any control over that!). The message became secondary to the image. And the messages were too often just the "this is the card for XYZ swap" and a signature. I started trading less and less, and then Yahoo really made me mad (a whole other kettle of fish), and I just abruptly dropped the groups and stopped trading for a while.
Then PostCrossing came along. I read about it at the forum on BookCrossing and joined up immediately. Random postcards to and from strangers instead of organized swaps. And with each postcard request I am sent, there is a bit of information about the recipient... their interests, likes, philosophy, history. Sometimes the information is thin, but it is rare that there isn't something. Writing postcards became interesting again. And I was receiving postcards with lots of wonderful tidbits, including what the sender had for breakfast since I ask that question in my own profile. But, lately things have been going a bit downhill.
As the PostCrossing project matures, some long-standing members seem to have lost the initial wonderment of the whole thing. I get more postcards with just "hope you enjoy this view of X," the ID number and sign-off. And when I get those sort of "messages," I am almost always correct in assuming the sender has sent 100 or more postcards. The folk who are just getting started with the project are almost always more verbose. I am not disillusioned, like with Yahoo groups, because it is still not common to get the mundane. Usually the message is fun or interesting or informative or all of that. And then I will get a card like the one pictured here, and I forget all the dull ones.
Thank you to all those who send postcards with a bit of themselves attached. You make my world more interesting and exciting.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Grrrrr... wtf!
I discover a page about Literary Landmarks at Friends of Libraries USA and got all excited because it presents me with another idea for a postcard collecting theme. But, the list is broken out into years, not as one complete list! How dumb is that!? The person who designed this page needs to get a lesson in web design. First rule... don't make me think (thank you Steve Krug).
Anyway, I plan to post more about the sites once I click through all the lists and compile them into my own complete list.
Anyway, I plan to post more about the sites once I click through all the lists and compile them into my own complete list.
Postcard Treasure Hunt
I love postcards. I love finding, or making, postcards that fit someone's particular preferences (and the more particular, the better!). So, I joined a new swap at Swap-Bot that will send me out on a treasure hunt for 8 postcards to send to strangers around the world. You do have to join the site to play, but it is free. So join! And then sign up for postcard with a picture you want swap #2. Maybe we will end up partners... you never know who you will get.
Careerwise Thursday Thirteen
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1. A desk that I can personalize 2. Regular 9-5, M-F, work hours 3. Work at home option 4. Time off requests treated with respect 5. Enough pay that I can afford fun work clothing 6. Bus pass 7. Incentives to take advantage of the city's cultural and historic activities 8. Generous vacation time 9. A goal that is more than just making a living 10. Co-workers who love to read 11. Work that challenges my technology skills 12. Good coffee 13. A cat on-site would be the best thing of all Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Gadgety Thursday Thirteen
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I'm pretty hopeless in the kitchen. I am vegetarian and I'm usually happy just stir-frying a bunch of veggies until they are merely warm, tossing in some spice and/or soy sauce, and serving over wild rice or soba noodles with a side of seasoned tofu. But, since moving to Pittsburgh I've tried to vary things and I am starting to enjoy cooking.... just a little bit. It helps that G is willing to try whatever I cook, and often does his own experimenting in the kitchen. These are some of our favorite gadgets. 1. Rev 'n Chef Herb Chopper. I use this for herbs, but also to make quick work of dicing up small bits of onions and peppers. 2. Silicone Pinch Cups. I like having everything all measured out and ready to use before I start cooking. 3. Stainless steel hanging baskets... the old fashion kind that don't seem to be in many kitchens anymore. I keep my garlic and other non-refrigerated produce in them. 4. Glass jars, on the shelf over the sink, where I store my grains. I use lots of whole grains and like to have the out so I know exactly how much I have left with just a glance. I also store my most often used spices (cumin, curry, chili, turmeric) in small glass jars on the same shelf. 5. Silicone cooking utensils. I love these. I am getting rid of all the ugly plastic ones and getting all silicone. 6. Cooking utensil holder. I have a vintage looking container on the counter to hold all my utensils. For the first 30 years of cookinghood I had them in drawers. So much easier to have them out and ready for use. 7. Nut chopper. I like chopped nuts in my salads and this little gadget is perfect to pull out and chop a few nuts. Rinses out easy and back into the drawer. 8. Pampered Chef Wine Bottle Opener. Love how the little foil cutter takes the top off so neatly. I collect those little cut off tops. And the cork remover is pretty cool, too. 9. SiliconeZone Lid. Covers my biggest pot and skillet. Very cool for letting me see what's cooking. Just have to be careful of escaping steam and hot water when lifting lid. 10. Recipe book holder. I have a plain, stainless, no-frills holder that folds up small to slip beside the cookbook rack. Cooked for 30 years without one and now I can't imagine why. So much easier to have the book, or magazine, held open and upright in front of me! 11. Perfect Tear Paper Towel Holder. Mine is a bit different than the linked one... brushed not shiny and a nicer top. I love how the towel comes off with just a one-hand tug. 12. Hershey silicone bakeware. I don't have these, but I want them. We saw them a while back, but since we don't eat sweets and I don't ever bake, I didn't buy them. But I do want them. I don't know why, I just do. 13. Lastly, a bit more than a gadget, but indispensable, my Keurig Coffee Maker. I love the perfect cup of coffee I get and I can use my own coffee in the resusable K-cup filter assembly that I bought separately. Lately we have been finding it very hard to stay out of shops like Sur la Table. But, we don't really buy many gadgets because we have a tiny kitchen with not very much storage space. But someday.... Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. WestOfMars 2. Writing Aspirations 3. zzz |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
'rents, you gotta love 'em
It ain't easy being a parent. We all know that. Kids can be mean as hell. We can be as mean as hell. And then there are the other times. Most of the time, if you are lucky (and I am). I've received two cards in the last couple days that make me think about being a parent.
The first is from a woman in Massachusetts whose daughter got one of my random postcardx postcards. The woman wrote that her daughter always loved receiving cards, and then that her daughter had died in September. I did a quick bit of research and found the obit... 33 years old, "peacefully in her sleep," the only child. The mother's husband died a while back. I don't know if she is alone now... I hope not.
And then today I got a card from parents in Pennsylvania whose daughter had posted to postcardx that she had been "causing them a lot of grief lately." I sent a pretty snowflake postcard with something simple written on it (I don't remember what) and ended by saying "Julia loves you." I am guessing that Julia does love them, because why else would she post their names and address to a public website and ask for "beautiful things" to be sent to them? Anyway, the card I got today is signed by Julia's mother and she says she has read and reread my postcard and will keep it. She ends by saying I'm "very fine." It made my day.
The first is from a woman in Massachusetts whose daughter got one of my random postcardx postcards. The woman wrote that her daughter always loved receiving cards, and then that her daughter had died in September. I did a quick bit of research and found the obit... 33 years old, "peacefully in her sleep," the only child. The mother's husband died a while back. I don't know if she is alone now... I hope not.
And then today I got a card from parents in Pennsylvania whose daughter had posted to postcardx that she had been "causing them a lot of grief lately." I sent a pretty snowflake postcard with something simple written on it (I don't remember what) and ended by saying "Julia loves you." I am guessing that Julia does love them, because why else would she post their names and address to a public website and ask for "beautiful things" to be sent to them? Anyway, the card I got today is signed by Julia's mother and she says she has read and reread my postcard and will keep it. She ends by saying I'm "very fine." It made my day.
Giftmas
Every year about this time I get to wondering how to explain the sort of celebration I observe come the 25th of December. I do like to give and get presents on Christmas, but I am not christian and don't think of the holiday as a religious celebration. I like the crazy shopping. I like the wrapping. I like the decorations. I have a Christmas tree. It is purple with white lights and is decorated with snowpeople and snowflakes. But, I don't like to say I celebrate Christmas. I celebrate Giftmas.
I don't like the nasty required gift giving that may come with the holiday, those gifts to people you barely know just because you can't go empty-handed to a gathering of more than two at this time of year. I don't like buying gifts for people who expect something perfect. I don't like buying gifts for office parties. But, I do like buying gifts for family and friends. I usually have no trouble at all finding gifts I want to give. And that's how I shop for gifts. I think of what would make me happy to give a particular person and it usually results in the recipient getting something that makes them very happy. Although, I have to say, it hasn't been quite the case with G. I don't have a great track rating with giving him gifts that work, though I am getting better.
Anyway, this year, because I am unemployed, I am not observing Giftmas. Instead, my daughters and I will take a road trip next spring, out to Ohio to ride coasters and maybe to Hershey, PA, to ride coasters and eat bad chocolate. I would love to buy Greg something wonderful, but I can't. Once I am employed, there will be gifts, though. I know just what to get him, and this time I am not going to be wrong. Christmas weekend we will go to visit his parents in West Virginia. They aren't so into the holiday, so any gift giving will be limited to books and bags of good coffee. But, I did go up north, to New York, last month for a family gathering where we celebrated every end of the year birthday (there are lots) and a sort of Giftmas.
We had agreed that there were to be no gift exchanges between adults. Just the kids would get gifts. There are three boys, my nephews, ages 9, 10 and 11. I spent the $150 worth of Borders Rewards money (one good reason to quit working at Borders... I spent too much money there!) and my last monthly employee $30 gift card on the boys. They didn't get as much from me as in the past, but I find some good buys and I am sure they are happy with what they got. The rest of my family went nuts. It was a gift orgy. We did make the boys open presents one at a time, and made sure they acknowledged the gifter, but even so, it was a crazy scene, which I can't really capture with this image, but I don't like to have photos of people other than myself on my blog.
I don't really like the gift orgy thing so much. I would have preferred something a little less frantic, but I guess with three boys that young, frantic can't be avoided. I don't know what we will do next year, but I kind of hope there won't be any gifts at all. I'd rather do something like take a family holiday somewhere warm, or go to a show in the NYC and stay at a nice hotel. We can send gifts to the boys to open when they open all their other presents. When frantic happens and I am not in the room to observe it, then it really hasn't happened.
I don't like the nasty required gift giving that may come with the holiday, those gifts to people you barely know just because you can't go empty-handed to a gathering of more than two at this time of year. I don't like buying gifts for people who expect something perfect. I don't like buying gifts for office parties. But, I do like buying gifts for family and friends. I usually have no trouble at all finding gifts I want to give. And that's how I shop for gifts. I think of what would make me happy to give a particular person and it usually results in the recipient getting something that makes them very happy. Although, I have to say, it hasn't been quite the case with G. I don't have a great track rating with giving him gifts that work, though I am getting better.
Anyway, this year, because I am unemployed, I am not observing Giftmas. Instead, my daughters and I will take a road trip next spring, out to Ohio to ride coasters and maybe to Hershey, PA, to ride coasters and eat bad chocolate. I would love to buy Greg something wonderful, but I can't. Once I am employed, there will be gifts, though. I know just what to get him, and this time I am not going to be wrong. Christmas weekend we will go to visit his parents in West Virginia. They aren't so into the holiday, so any gift giving will be limited to books and bags of good coffee. But, I did go up north, to New York, last month for a family gathering where we celebrated every end of the year birthday (there are lots) and a sort of Giftmas.
We had agreed that there were to be no gift exchanges between adults. Just the kids would get gifts. There are three boys, my nephews, ages 9, 10 and 11. I spent the $150 worth of Borders Rewards money (one good reason to quit working at Borders... I spent too much money there!) and my last monthly employee $30 gift card on the boys. They didn't get as much from me as in the past, but I find some good buys and I am sure they are happy with what they got. The rest of my family went nuts. It was a gift orgy. We did make the boys open presents one at a time, and made sure they acknowledged the gifter, but even so, it was a crazy scene, which I can't really capture with this image, but I don't like to have photos of people other than myself on my blog.
I don't really like the gift orgy thing so much. I would have preferred something a little less frantic, but I guess with three boys that young, frantic can't be avoided. I don't know what we will do next year, but I kind of hope there won't be any gifts at all. I'd rather do something like take a family holiday somewhere warm, or go to a show in the NYC and stay at a nice hotel. We can send gifts to the boys to open when they open all their other presents. When frantic happens and I am not in the room to observe it, then it really hasn't happened.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Strange Sister Cult of Tom Robbins
I have three sisters, all younger. One is 12 years younger, the other two are 3 and 4 years younger. We rarely agree on anything, but years ago we discovered a common denominator, Tom Robbins. It was a surprise to learn that my sisters enjoy his books as much as I do, although my youngest sister seems to have navigated away from the cult in recent years (well, his stuff hasn't been nearly as engaging, so maybe I can't blame her... maybe). I have an idea for a book, fiction, about four sisters who read Tom Robbins, but it is still just a rough idea of a rough idea.
Anyway, years ago I bought Tom Robbins: A Critical Companion by Catherine Hoyser and Lorena Laura Stookey because I found it used somewhere (list price is too rich for my blood!). I didn't really enjoy the analysis all that much, but it did add some detail to the books, so I mentioned it to sister #2 (the second to youngest). Joyce wanted to borrow it, but knowing Joyce, I figured I'd never get it back since she moves around lots and is quite the pack rat. So, I bought it for her... new. She was thrilled, and I figured "well, at least there are two people in the world with the book."
At this year's family gathering to celebrate every end of the year holiday and birthday (we don't "do" Christmas, but we like to have a tree, or two, and give gifts) Joyce gave sister #1 (the second to oldest) a copy of the very same book (it was bought used, but in great condition). Jeannette also got the trade paperback edition of all of Tom's books, which she has been lusting after for years. I'd rather have old beat-up hardcovers. I have a hardcover Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates that is signed by Tom, to Pete. I don't know who Pete is, but the book ended up at Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, WV and I bought it for $6. But, Jeannette is equally thrilled to have her paperback collection, and the coveted critical companion.
It's good to know there are three people now who own the critical companion.
Anyway, years ago I bought Tom Robbins: A Critical Companion by Catherine Hoyser and Lorena Laura Stookey because I found it used somewhere (list price is too rich for my blood!). I didn't really enjoy the analysis all that much, but it did add some detail to the books, so I mentioned it to sister #2 (the second to youngest). Joyce wanted to borrow it, but knowing Joyce, I figured I'd never get it back since she moves around lots and is quite the pack rat. So, I bought it for her... new. She was thrilled, and I figured "well, at least there are two people in the world with the book."
At this year's family gathering to celebrate every end of the year holiday and birthday (we don't "do" Christmas, but we like to have a tree, or two, and give gifts) Joyce gave sister #1 (the second to oldest) a copy of the very same book (it was bought used, but in great condition). Jeannette also got the trade paperback edition of all of Tom's books, which she has been lusting after for years. I'd rather have old beat-up hardcovers. I have a hardcover Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates that is signed by Tom, to Pete. I don't know who Pete is, but the book ended up at Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, WV and I bought it for $6. But, Jeannette is equally thrilled to have her paperback collection, and the coveted critical companion.It's good to know there are three people now who own the critical companion.
Maiden Thursday Thirteen
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1. A Fistful of Beads To Aid Battered Women 2. Reading Legacy Trumps Hell 3. Gift Orgy 4. Quilted Love 5. Now Three People Own It 6. These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things 7. I Miss Stone Walls 8. No Smoking 9. Over the Bridge 10. Vienna in Pittsburgh 11. Is This The Little Girl I Carried 12. I Am Cat, Hear Me Roar 13. Another One Off the List! The above are captions to the most recent 13 photos in my digital camera. I plan to go back and link each list item to its photo and perhaps a separate future post. That's the plan... Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. WestOfMars 2. Writing Aspirations |
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Thursday Thirteen
I have seen this "meme" on other blogs, but never did one myself. I don't think it will become a weekly event, but I am going to give it a try this week because of a list at The Scratching Post. It may take me the rest of the day, but it will go up.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Alternative Gifts
Got someone on your gift-giving list who loves to read, but has a ton of "TBR" (to be read) piled in little mountains all over the house? Bet they would love a gift that provided a literacy instructor for teaching adults to read in Haiti. Maybe your 80 year old grandmother has enough shawls and knickknacks and would love to be part of a program in Peru that aids old women in passing their stories and wisdom to others. Give a goat to your boss. Or just donate a where help is needed most. I've bought lots of gift through Alternative Gifts International. I like that I can pick the project so I know what organization is getting the money. There isn't a barrage of mail from the AltGifts, either... just the one catalog a year. Give something different this year.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Pittsburgh Plus
Pittsburgh Plus is up. Now I just have to make sure I post to it as often as possible.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Buy A Friend A Book
When I first saw the above link on WestOfMars, I thought, "Yeah... nothing new with doing that. I do it all the time." Follow the link and discover there is a bit more to it than just buying a book. Lots of rules, though not too difficult to follow. Not sure I'll get involved since finances are thin (this starving artist thing is not fun), but I like the idea. Susan (WestOfMars author) did a contest to find a new friend for the next gifting spree. Cool idea.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
WrapSack!
Oh my goodness! I was shopping at Whole Foods today and at the checkout they had these cute little cloth bags to use for wrapping, an idea I have loved for a long time since they can be used again and again, however these come with a tracking number so you can send a gift, the receiver logs it at the site, then they use the bag to send a gift to another person, and so on. Like BookCrossing and Postcrossing. I bought one to send off to a random person through postcardx and plan to buy lots more. This will be fun!
Friday, December 01, 2006
Reminder of Things To Edit in Template
1. Must get rid of the big white space and line between date and title.
2. Must figure out how to edit link widget so I can annotate each link.
3. Must find a photo to put somewhere.
4. Would like to add the List widget with an activism theme
will add more as I think of them.
Thought of something else, but I think it will need its own blog. My wishlist/gift journal....
I get tons of catalogs because I shop almost exclusively online. All through the year I cut out the stuff in the catalogs that appeal to me (for myself or others) and paste them into a journal with annotations about why I like them, or who would like them, or why I hate them if I want to spend a bit of time ranting. Makes for a creative way to capture my thoughts. And when I want to buy a gift, I just look at the name index in the front of the journal and find the pages with stuff for that person that I've found throughout the year.
I also use a smaller journal to make notes about websites that have interesting stuff. I don't like buying from Amazon but I sometimes browse the stuff there for ideas.
And, when I do go out shopping, I go to the small indy stores in my city. Much more fun and I usually find lots of unusual gifts. That is what I think I should make a different blog about, indy shopping in Pittsburgh.
2. Must figure out how to edit link widget so I can annotate each link.
3. Must find a photo to put somewhere.
4. Would like to add the List widget with an activism theme
will add more as I think of them.
Thought of something else, but I think it will need its own blog. My wishlist/gift journal....
I get tons of catalogs because I shop almost exclusively online. All through the year I cut out the stuff in the catalogs that appeal to me (for myself or others) and paste them into a journal with annotations about why I like them, or who would like them, or why I hate them if I want to spend a bit of time ranting. Makes for a creative way to capture my thoughts. And when I want to buy a gift, I just look at the name index in the front of the journal and find the pages with stuff for that person that I've found throughout the year.
I also use a smaller journal to make notes about websites that have interesting stuff. I don't like buying from Amazon but I sometimes browse the stuff there for ideas.
And, when I do go out shopping, I go to the small indy stores in my city. Much more fun and I usually find lots of unusual gifts. That is what I think I should make a different blog about, indy shopping in Pittsburgh.
I Manifest My Bufflehead
This morning's batch of spam brought the above subject line, and made me giggle. That will be my mantra for the day. The second best subject line is "I Atlas to Centerpiece." Both spams are about (love Gmail's preview space!) "bestest" replica watches.
Also in my inbox is a newsletter from Giant Microbes announcing their newest cute germs, toxins and pests; Malaria, Lyme Disease, Red Tide, Krill, Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence), House Fly, Mosquito, Heartworm, Mange, and Rabies. I've already got 4 Giant Microbes (Kissing Disease, Bookworm, Sleeping Sickness and Bed Bug), but I'd love to add a few more. They are quite dear decorating my bookshelves.
Also in my inbox is a newsletter from Giant Microbes announcing their newest cute germs, toxins and pests; Malaria, Lyme Disease, Red Tide, Krill, Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence), House Fly, Mosquito, Heartworm, Mange, and Rabies. I've already got 4 Giant Microbes (Kissing Disease, Bookworm, Sleeping Sickness and Bed Bug), but I'd love to add a few more. They are quite dear decorating my bookshelves.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Saturday, August 10, 2002
To Abandon or Not To Abandon?
Been a very long time. I am not sure what to do with this now. I will have www.beautifulnonsense.com up very soon so this will just be another abandoned site on the Internet.
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