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Saturday, November 16, 2002
new megaphone
What happens when you take the last train home.
03:08
Friday, November 15, 2002
oh yeah? me too!
People's reactions to finding out that I'm from the Buffalo area:
1) Oh. Lotta snow up there.
2) Oh? Lotta snow up there?
3) Oh yeah? Me too!
I'm researching my office's options for buying a new copy machine. One company that I spoke with invited me to their copy machine forum. Yes, a forum. It was held at a swanky hotel, with a full catered lunch. And the entire purpose was to look at their copy machines. Free food? For looking at some copy machines? I couldn't wait to go. So I went. I petted the copiers. And then I hit the buffet. I didn't have anyone to sit with, so I just asked another solitary woman if I could join her. "Sure," she said. We didn't have a lot to say to each other, especially since she's about 30 years older than I am. I thought our only commonality was that we were both shopping for copy machines. I was wrong. "Where are you from?" she asked casually. "Buffalo, NY," I said. "Oh yeah? Me too!" she said. I was shocked. But somehow not surprised. I found out that her brother owns a pizza place I used to go to all the time. And then I found out the she grew up on the West Side of Buffalo, where my dad grew up. After a few more questions, she realized she knew my family. She's a DiRosa. I'm a Muscato. It's that old Italian connection. In fact, she used to baby-sit for my dad's cousins when she was 15 years old.
Life amazes me.
22:32
veterans day
On Monday, Anna, Meredith and I all felt some strange desire to celebrate Veterans Day. Why? I don't know. But we decided to make it a real holiday and actually do something to commemorate it. Unfortunately, we decided this at about 5 pm, an hour before Meredith had to be somewhere. So we speed-walked down to the Vietnam Memorial, stopping only to take pictures of the blazing sunset. Apparently there'd been quite the crowd at the monuments that day, and a lot of people were still milling around. I noticed at least two twenty-somethings randomly chatting with older vets, getting an in-person history lesson. The wall was an amazing thing to see.... it was the first time I'd ever been there. Part of the experience definitely is walking along it as it slopes higher and higher. Suddenly you're in over your head, looking up at a seemingly endless stream of names.
22:16
wondering
I was washing dishes this evening and wondered... will there ever be any new innovations in utensiles? Will the fork and spoon ever go high-tech? Or is the spork as good as it will ever get?
22:09
happiness
We just moved into a big, new office. I spent the day packing boxes, moving boxes, and trying to unearth random items from already-packed boxes. I never knew how vital a phone book could be until we needed one to order pizza and couldn't find one. ....This new office means lots of good things... We can control the thermostat! We have a kitchen! It's the little things. The guy who installed our phone system took a shine to me for some reason and told me all about the voicemail system. I am now the office's voicemail goddess. I also spoke the greeting on our brand-new automated phone system! Can you see all the exclamation points in this post? Can you see how excited I am? I'm a dork, what can I say?
19:42
realization
All right. So I've figured out why I was in such a crisis mode yesterday. (See below.) Usually when I'm feeling like I don't know what I'm doing, I allow the aaaaidon'tknowwhati'mdoing! feeling to prevail, cutting off any intuitions or ideas about how to better the situation. Confidence, friends. It's all about confidence. And when I first come into a new situation, I usually have very little confidence. But, I've been here two months now. Time to trust myself. Easier said than done. But hey. Isn't everything?
18:55
Thursday, November 14, 2002
after-hours music
Lately I've been feeling like an idiot for the majority of the day. There's so much to do, so much I don't know how to do, and so much that I screw up. Last night I stayed late at the office... we're moving to a new office, so we've got a million boxes to pack. Alone, I sorted stuff into boxes and cranked up an old Soul Asylum CD that I found in the back of the supplies cabinet. Reminded me of the days when it was okay to be down on yourself.
22:01
quote
"Runaway train never going back... Wrong way on a one way track... Seems like I should be getting somewhere... Somehow I'm neither here nor there..." --Soul Asylum
21:57
Monday, November 11, 2002
a walk
Last night was about 70 degrees, no wind, really perfect. Meredith and I had just gone for dinner and were headed to a party, but instead of taking the Metro we decided to walk. We walked really slowly, like I do when I'm not thinking about where I have to be. The shuffling-along kind of slow that frustrates anyone trying to get somewhere. We walked for almost an hour, cutting a little diagonal path to our destination, stopping at anything that caught our attention.Like the intricate gold mosaic, looking like it belonged in an Orthodox church, tucked in an arch above a parking garage. Or the majestic ceiling of an office building, carved into little curlicues and scallops. The office of the Houston Chronicle's Washington bureau. The dome of a cathedral, ghost-lit by spotlights. We always paused for a second whenever we saw anyone homeless. Meredith had just come off of an Urban Plunge. She'd spent the last two nights on the street, with just two garbage bags full of stuff and no money at all. So she'd just gained a personal insight into what it's like to sleep on a cold sidewalk or a wooden bench. Or not sleep. She naturally slowed down and glanced over whenever we saw anyone sleeping on a bench or anything. I instinctively pulled away. We talked about the complexities of homelessness as an issue, and as a way to live. I'd mention some, but I really don't know what I'm talking about. Hopefully I'll keep learning.
12:41
weird thing
Last night I dreamed I'd made a huge bowl of salad with Italian dressing and was serving it to people in Union Station.
11:54
Sunday, November 10, 2002
to read
Bridesmaids' stuff for Amanda's wedding is kicking into gear... we're ordering dresses and thinking about shoes. Let us all be eternally grateful that the wedding will be nothing like this woman's: "I will try to find a choreographer to help with the Bridal Dance -- but each person can please do his or her part by learning to waltz correctly in three-quarter time."
16:00
word
salad days, noun: A time of youthful inexperience, innocence or indiscretion
13:50
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