4/24/11
He is Risen
Taylor took a live sound gig this Easter morning, so we will be going to an evening service tonight. Despite not being in church this morning, it has been a very worshipful day for me. I felt it as I got an iced coffee from the corner bodega, then went to the dog park and watched the utter joy with which dogs approach life. Then I cam home and sewed a button on a jacket to the tunes of Indelible Grace. God met me in these mundane tasks, and in the simple pleasure of one of the first warm days of the year. What a good God that he doesn't require us to be in a pew to feel his Presence and Joy, especially on the day on which death was defeated and Life came to meet us.
4/16/11
sleep in
I like to sleep with the blinds open but the curtains drawn, because I like the soft morning light to wake me. I like to know when the new day has started. On the weekends, we let Grover and Hammy sleep with us (Grover normally sleeps on the floor and Hammy on the couch because we shut him out of our room - because otherwise he'll try to convince us to feed him all night - because he's a freak). When the sun has risen, Saturday morning usually finds Grover curling up on my pillow, his head right by mine. And yes, I know, if any of you read whatever article about pets carrying diseases that could kill you, so don't let them into your bed, well, we like to walk on the wild side, okay? Anyways, today, my shoulder was his pillow and the feeling of his little puffs of breath on my skin caused me to drift back to sleep. Now, I'm sitting at our desk, sipping chai tea, and thinking, "I love Saturday mornings."
3/31/11
Hi.
I know, I know. It's been forever - or, several months since my last post. After three years of living in the dark ages, we got home internet. We used to just glom off of free networks in our building or neighborhood. But now, we've got regular, reliable internet and I'm glad to be back on the blog.
I'm reading a book about fiction writing right now, and it is absolutely revolutionizing my life. For the first time in a long time, my passion for writing and being a writer (one day) has come into the forefront of my mind. Normally, I'm just too busy for anything but working, sleeping, eating, and Starbucks. (Yes, I have kept my priorities in line, Starbucks is still on the list.) My ultimate dream is still to be a published fiction writer. And as skeptical as I am about the internet and its implications on books, music, etc., I am realizing that I can use this small platform as a way to get my writing read, even if only by family and friends. So, I won't promise it, because my track record on here isn't exactly stellar, but I am hoping to share some of my writing with you. So, stay tuned.
In the meantime, just an update on us...we are happily living year-to-year, seeing what life holds for us and being open to the future. We still love New York, with all its glories and expenses, but if Spring doesn't come here soon, we will be needing a therapist.
I'm reading a book about fiction writing right now, and it is absolutely revolutionizing my life. For the first time in a long time, my passion for writing and being a writer (one day) has come into the forefront of my mind. Normally, I'm just too busy for anything but working, sleeping, eating, and Starbucks. (Yes, I have kept my priorities in line, Starbucks is still on the list.) My ultimate dream is still to be a published fiction writer. And as skeptical as I am about the internet and its implications on books, music, etc., I am realizing that I can use this small platform as a way to get my writing read, even if only by family and friends. So, I won't promise it, because my track record on here isn't exactly stellar, but I am hoping to share some of my writing with you. So, stay tuned.
In the meantime, just an update on us...we are happily living year-to-year, seeing what life holds for us and being open to the future. We still love New York, with all its glories and expenses, but if Spring doesn't come here soon, we will be needing a therapist.
11/2/10
This little boy....
Took a lot of time and effort to bring home...
Lights up every room he's in....
Brings joy to everyone who meets him...
Was the answer to his parents' prayers...
Has a highly evolved sense of humor for a 15-month-old...
Eats and plays and lives with gusto...
Has made it very hard for me to go 30 minutes without picturing his little face...and laugh...and walk...
Lights up every room he's in....
Brings joy to everyone who meets him...
Was the answer to his parents' prayers...
Has a highly evolved sense of humor for a 15-month-old...
Eats and plays and lives with gusto...
Has made it very hard for me to go 30 minutes without picturing his little face...and laugh...and walk...
10/17/10
8/19/10
Nervous energy
I should be headed to bed (ummm...an hour ago...) but I can't shake all of this nervous energy I feel balled up inside of me. I can usually run it off, and I ran hard and long tonight, but to no avail. You see, there have been two fairly significant occurrences in the last two days that I can't seem to shake.
The First:
Last night at 2:30am, we are awakened by Grover going absolutely ballistic - barking, pacing - and then we heard thunderous footsteps overhead. We got out of bed to investigate and immediately smelled smoke and burning material. We shoved Hammy in a bag, grabbed Grover, and bolted for the sidewalk, where we found most of our other neighbors huddled and clutching their own pets. So the story goes, our upstairs neighbor introduced an unfortunate combination of a cigarette and a plant, and while no one was injured and the building damage was minor, there was the realization that this fire broke out INCHES away from a propane grill on his balcony.
The Second:
I leave work today and walk right into a crowd of people staring across the street, and I see a SWAT team surrounding a building from the sidewalk, and on the roof as well. I kept walking because I didn't want to see something terrible, but as I made my way through the onlookers, I overhead people saying that someone had or was about to commit suicide off of this 6 story building. This added to the black cloud (no pun intended) of the fire from the night before, which hung over me all the way home.
This is when I hit the pavement running, and felt almost like a panic attack might set in, so I just kept running and running, hoping to overcome the feeling. I did, somewhat, when I took Grover to the dog park and was able to observe the innocent joy of dogs interacting with one another. But now, as I should get in bed, I feel the feeling again.
I guess I've just been reminded - slapped in the face repeatedly is more like it - that life is so fragile and so unpredictable. It also (thankfully) makes me cling to what is NOT fragile and unpredictable, and wonder how people can cope with these gritty realities when they don't believe there is any guiding purpose or stronger being than oneself.
The peace that passes all understanding.....I'm really squeezing tight to that tonight.
Amen.
The First:
Last night at 2:30am, we are awakened by Grover going absolutely ballistic - barking, pacing - and then we heard thunderous footsteps overhead. We got out of bed to investigate and immediately smelled smoke and burning material. We shoved Hammy in a bag, grabbed Grover, and bolted for the sidewalk, where we found most of our other neighbors huddled and clutching their own pets. So the story goes, our upstairs neighbor introduced an unfortunate combination of a cigarette and a plant, and while no one was injured and the building damage was minor, there was the realization that this fire broke out INCHES away from a propane grill on his balcony.
The Second:
I leave work today and walk right into a crowd of people staring across the street, and I see a SWAT team surrounding a building from the sidewalk, and on the roof as well. I kept walking because I didn't want to see something terrible, but as I made my way through the onlookers, I overhead people saying that someone had or was about to commit suicide off of this 6 story building. This added to the black cloud (no pun intended) of the fire from the night before, which hung over me all the way home.
This is when I hit the pavement running, and felt almost like a panic attack might set in, so I just kept running and running, hoping to overcome the feeling. I did, somewhat, when I took Grover to the dog park and was able to observe the innocent joy of dogs interacting with one another. But now, as I should get in bed, I feel the feeling again.
I guess I've just been reminded - slapped in the face repeatedly is more like it - that life is so fragile and so unpredictable. It also (thankfully) makes me cling to what is NOT fragile and unpredictable, and wonder how people can cope with these gritty realities when they don't believe there is any guiding purpose or stronger being than oneself.
The peace that passes all understanding.....I'm really squeezing tight to that tonight.
Amen.
7/10/10
Living room
The room where we do much of our living has gotten a little makeover with the addition of some items from storage. I'm so pleased with the space, and apparently, Hammy is too!
7/5/10
This guy...
is going to be an audio engineer! He's finished with his program, and here we are dressed to party!
In hindsight, I do realize the pose we're doing is slightly insinuating, but let me assure you there is no bun in that oven. :)
In hindsight, I do realize the pose we're doing is slightly insinuating, but let me assure you there is no bun in that oven. :)
6/13/10
Some catch-up photos
Since we haven't posted photos (or anything, or that matter) in quite a while, I thought I'd take some free time on this muggy Sunday afternoon to post some catch-up photos. Enjoy!
5/24/10
After sleeping on it, I know how I feel about the LOST finale.
Foreword: If you do not want to have the finale spoiled for you, or if you could care less about LOST, you might wanna skip this one...
I'm mad. I'm steamin'. Why? Instead of a beautiful and mysterious ending to a beautiful and mysterious show, the LOST writers gave us a relativistic (EVERY religious symbol plastered all over the chapel walls? Really???) and pseudo-catholic ending dripping in cheap nostalgia and hokeyness. I've begun to think that Abrams has a problem writing a good ending (was anyone a fan of the three ridiculous time travel episodes that wrapped up Felicity?). I've been fairly displeased this whole last season because I hated the concept of the "sidways flash" all along, and I felt that it was pure, 100% filler. I still feel that way after an ending that was based completely on explaining and justifying the sideways world. Here's what I think should have happened:
When Jack puts the cork back into the light source at the heart of the island, he should've become the smoke monster and spewed back out of the cave, landing surprised on his feet. The last scene of the show should've been Hurley and Jack sitting side-by-side on the beach. As they watch the plane carrying Kate, Miles, Lapidas and Sawyer home, they should have gotten teary-eyed and had a brief, nostaligic, music-filled mental flashback over all the relationships and occurrences during their time on the island (as opposed to every. single. character. having their own flashbacks when they encountered each other in sideways reality. That got old for me and I felt it was another cheap trick to keep you engaged in a ridiculously long finale.) After they've taken that moment to bring the audience to tears of remembrance, Jack and Hurley should've looked at each other, and begun playing that game that Jacob and the Man in Black always played, signifiying that they had accepted their new roles on the island.
I was actually surprised by how MUCH they tied up the show. If they're all dead, where does that leave any room for the mystery that the show has done so well? It seems to me the only "open end" they left was where they are all going next, once they've seated in the chapel together...but that's not even a very interesting mystery to me. Had the writers done an ending similar to mine, you'd be left wondering what happened to those who got off the island, but you'd be satisfied because they finally got off, and the ones who didn't have a specific purpose to stay.
But the two biggest problems I had with the finale were:
1. Christian Shepherd's undeservedly prominent role, especially as some kind of afterlife "guide". He was a dispicable character, and he played that role well. But his place on the show was minor enough that I found it strange that he would be the one explaining the ending to Jack.
2. THE LAST SCENE SHOULD'VE TAKEN PLACE ON THE ISLAND. For Pete's sake, the show began there, it should've ended there, not in that ridiculous Universalist chapel with so much religious memorabllia on the walls that I could barely focus on the characters.
I should clarify that I really enjoyed the episode up until those last few minutes. There were a number of scenes that were nothing short of epic, and the scene where Jack and John clash on the cliff was one of the most incredible TV moments I've ever witnessed. But as far as how the show actually concluded, I'm miffed. I feel like it deserved better.
Okay, LOST nerds, chime in please.
I'm mad. I'm steamin'. Why? Instead of a beautiful and mysterious ending to a beautiful and mysterious show, the LOST writers gave us a relativistic (EVERY religious symbol plastered all over the chapel walls? Really???) and pseudo-catholic ending dripping in cheap nostalgia and hokeyness. I've begun to think that Abrams has a problem writing a good ending (was anyone a fan of the three ridiculous time travel episodes that wrapped up Felicity?). I've been fairly displeased this whole last season because I hated the concept of the "sidways flash" all along, and I felt that it was pure, 100% filler. I still feel that way after an ending that was based completely on explaining and justifying the sideways world. Here's what I think should have happened:
When Jack puts the cork back into the light source at the heart of the island, he should've become the smoke monster and spewed back out of the cave, landing surprised on his feet. The last scene of the show should've been Hurley and Jack sitting side-by-side on the beach. As they watch the plane carrying Kate, Miles, Lapidas and Sawyer home, they should have gotten teary-eyed and had a brief, nostaligic, music-filled mental flashback over all the relationships and occurrences during their time on the island (as opposed to every. single. character. having their own flashbacks when they encountered each other in sideways reality. That got old for me and I felt it was another cheap trick to keep you engaged in a ridiculously long finale.) After they've taken that moment to bring the audience to tears of remembrance, Jack and Hurley should've looked at each other, and begun playing that game that Jacob and the Man in Black always played, signifiying that they had accepted their new roles on the island.
I was actually surprised by how MUCH they tied up the show. If they're all dead, where does that leave any room for the mystery that the show has done so well? It seems to me the only "open end" they left was where they are all going next, once they've seated in the chapel together...but that's not even a very interesting mystery to me. Had the writers done an ending similar to mine, you'd be left wondering what happened to those who got off the island, but you'd be satisfied because they finally got off, and the ones who didn't have a specific purpose to stay.
But the two biggest problems I had with the finale were:
1. Christian Shepherd's undeservedly prominent role, especially as some kind of afterlife "guide". He was a dispicable character, and he played that role well. But his place on the show was minor enough that I found it strange that he would be the one explaining the ending to Jack.
2. THE LAST SCENE SHOULD'VE TAKEN PLACE ON THE ISLAND. For Pete's sake, the show began there, it should've ended there, not in that ridiculous Universalist chapel with so much religious memorabllia on the walls that I could barely focus on the characters.
I should clarify that I really enjoyed the episode up until those last few minutes. There were a number of scenes that were nothing short of epic, and the scene where Jack and John clash on the cliff was one of the most incredible TV moments I've ever witnessed. But as far as how the show actually concluded, I'm miffed. I feel like it deserved better.
Okay, LOST nerds, chime in please.
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