catching up!

I am still here! Last week got a little hectic at work with graduation on Friday, and since my home computer has quit on me, work is the only place I have to update. Graduation was nice--beautiful (if not hot) day on the football field, I got to catch up with some old friends who had siblings graduating and eat good food. That's the wonderful part of this job--I get invited to all the good parties, so I get all the good food.

Anyway, I also headed home this weekend. Really quiet and boring weekend there, but it was just what I needed. Good things happen when I go home--my dad takes my car for an oil change, a wash, and fills the gas tank. Dads are so useful!

Now I'm back at work. This weekend is my 5th reunion so lots of old friends are coming to town. I'm excited for it--excited to catch up and hear about everyone's adventures in life.

Here's my overdue Friday Shuffle:
NO APRON WRINGING!

1. i am what i am (broadway, my way)--linda eder
2. tripping the light fantastic (66 hoxsey street)--the nields
3. x-ray eyes (goldfly)--guster
4. ticket to ride (1)--the beatles
5. kittery tide (little star)--girlyman
6. walkaways (recovering the satellites)--counting crows
7. easy people (live from northampton)--the nields
8. one song glory (original broadway recording)--rent
9. for good (wicked)--wicked
10. arrival (the honesty room)--dar williams

Seen live: Linda Eder, The Nields, Guster, Girlyman, Rent, Dar Williams

Favorite Song: The standby is Easy People, of course. But I *love* I Am What I Am from La Cage Aux Folles. And in Linda Eder's voice, it just becomes magic. It's a great driving song.

Least Favorite Song: There really isn't a bad one on here, but I'll go with Walkaways because it isn't long enough, IMO.

Favorite Album: Tough one, but I'll say Goldfly. It's full of great memories and I love pretty much every song on it!

Memory Trigger: Rent songs always bring me back to the first time I saw it, sitting in the balcony of the Nederlander Theatre in NYC. I went with a few friends, one of whom had just lost a good friend to lupus. The first time you see Rent, it's a powerful experience, but I still love the songs just as much the zillionth time I hear them!

october tease

And, because I'm feeling nostalgic for Big Yellow, here's a preview of that story I'm saving for the October retreat!
********************
Araminta May Spooner's feet hit the floor before her eyes were even open. It was the first day of school and this year was going to be the best ever. Second grade was for big kids--instead of sharing a table with her classmates like she had in kindergarten and first grade, second grade meant a desk all her own. Last week, she'd taken her mother school supply shopping and picked out her own crayons, ruler, scissors and pencils--real pencils! She could get yellow skinny kind, not the fat, blue, baby pencils anymore.

"Mom! Mom! Are you awake?" she yelled as she ran down the hall towards her parents' room. "We can't be late! GEEEET UUUU--"

She had not been looking where she was going and ran straight into her father's long legs.

"What's this about a big day, Miss Minty May?" he asked, pulling on Minty's hair.

"Daddy! It's the first day of school," she said, laughing.

random tunes for a rainy friday

The good weather was too good to last. Back to rain in the drenched state of MA.

You know the drill, Kids. Set that iPod a-shufflin' and report back the first ten songs it spits out.Here are the goods:

1. stupid (afterglow)--sarah mclachlan
2. easy people (live from northampton)--the nields
3. photograph (all the right reasons)--nickelback
4. the saga begins (weird al live)--weird al yankovic
5. total eclipse of the heart (faster than the speed of night)--bonnie tyler
6. i'll cover you-reprise (original broadway soundtrack)--rent
7. just like that (remembering rachel)--dar williams
8. as cool as i am (mortal city)--dar williams
9. fallen (afterglow)--sarah mclachlan
10. santa fe (original broadway soundtrack)--rent

Bonus Track for KJ (11): thank god i'm a country boy (greatest hits)--john denver

General Thoughts: good mix. i really do like all of these when i'm in the mood for them.

Seen Live: the nields, dar, rent cast

Favorite Song: easy people is the easy and obvious answer, but i really love just like that. though it's a rachel bissex song, the first time i heard dar sing it at frff, i thought it had been written for her to sing. it's beautiful.

Least Favorite Song: santa fe is not my favorite on the rent soundtrack. though i love the staging of it in the movie version!

Memory Trigger: the saga begins (an american pie spoof on star wars...or a star wars spoof on american pie!) reminds me of the summers i spent working with teenagers in PA when i was in college. some of the greatest summers of my life.

almost the weekend

This has been a crazy week. HC is having an event in NYC this week, so I've spent the week trying to keep up with my boss and help her out. Lots of nametags and seating charts. The joy of it all ;) But I do feel like I'm learning...when we were looking at a few seating dilemmas, I made 2 suggestions and she went with both of them!

Last night, I got a little mushy and nostalgic about the whole teaching life last night. First, I headed to a meeting for a potential babysitting job. 3 kids (7,8,9)...dad was just shipped off to Iraq (he's 40...and has been in the reserves for 20 years--but we're running out of people to send!) and mom is an ER doc. She works 2 night shifts a week and needs someone to stay with the kids. The kids seem sweet and adorable...the 7 year old was rolling around with velcro darts on his socks, which cracked me up. Apparently, it sorta freaked out the last person...the mom was amazed that I wasn't phased. He was being 7! No trouble there--I had 35 7-year olds for 7 hours a day. This job requires me to play with the 3 kids for 2 hours before they go to bed...and mom gets home before they wake up! I think I'll be doing this job as often as I can.

Then I headed over to the Worcester Nativity school. All boys middle school...sweetest boys, so darn funny. I'm hoping to get involved over there in my "spare" time.

That's it from me for now.

friday shuffle: about to go home edition

You know the deal. Put your digital music players on shuffle and report back the first ten songs. No apron-wringing!
Here's the stuff:

1. Best Black Dress (Gotta Get Over Greta)--The Nields
2. Merry Christmas, Mr. Jones (Bob on the Ceiling)--The Nields
3. Only the Good Die Young (Essential Collection)--Billy Joel
4. When I Was a Boy (The Honesty Room)--Dar Williams
5. Backyard (Keep It Together)--Guster
6. Travel Onward (66 Hoxsey Street)--The Nields
7. Julia (not Julia) ('Mousse)--The Nields
8. If I Had My Way (Gold)--Linda Eder
9. Ticket to My House (Love and China)--Nerissa and Katryna Nields
10. Black Boys on Mopeds (Bob on the Ceiling)--The Nields

General Thoughts: My iPod has a serious crush on the Nields, apparently. But this is my favorite list so far...it covers the 6 people/groups/voices I love most. Not necessarily my favorite songs by each, but that's ok.

Song that Most Makes Me Laugh: Only the Good Die Young holds a lot of memories and is always good for a smile.

Song that Most Makes Me Cry: If I Had My Way was written for 9-11, and I remember the first few times I heard it (and the first time I saw her perform it live), I cried. if i had my way, things would be different, danger wouldn't come from a sky of blue...

i'm back

Hello all. Ya miss me?

I'm just catching up (physically and mentally) from my days away. Weekend kicked off well with a visit to Brighton to have dinner with AL and her bf. It was the bf's birthday, so we headed to a pub for dinner and beer. Much fun. The week had been crazy stressful leading up to my Board luncheon on Friday. It went well though--I thought I talked too fast (I am a NYer--born and in the blood), but I've gotten nothing but good feedback--esp. from the VP, so that's good!

At 5 am on Saturday, AL and her really-good-sport bf drove me to the airport. I got to L.A. around noon. Enterprise wouldn't have a compact car for about another hour, so would I mind taking the Chrysler convertible? Ugh...the thing is like 6 inches off the ground. I hated it. Drove over to my old roommate's house. BB and I headed to Huntington Beach (AFTER a trip to In n Out for lunch...I do miss that) for a few hours...wandered in and out of shops, ate Coldstone on the beach. BB wanted to see a movie, so I agreed. Then, she started looking up showtimes for United 93. LAST MOVIE on earth I wanted to see, but being me, I said nothing and went along with it. Objectively, I'll say that the movie was incredibly well done...so weird to realize and remember that people had no clue that day as to what was happening, as to how the world was changing. Incredibly powerful movie. However, it's just not what I wanted to ever see...memories from that day are still pretty raw for me and I didn't need to relive it. I actually ducked out to throw up, I was so disturbed by the whole thing. My own fault, though. Should have said something. I did get update calls from S and A on the newest resident of Big Yellow--so that was exciting!

Sunday morning, BB and I grabbed bagels for breakfast and I headed to CC's house for a quick visit. CC is getting married this Saturday and her whole Filipino family was in town. A little crazy in that house, but good to lay eyes on CC and spend a little time chatting. Then, it was time to head up to L.A. (man, I am so boring! I don't tell stories well!) I called my friend MB on my way up to double check that I could crash at her place Sunday and Monday nights.

Quick aside about MB...she was the asst. director of my teaching program when I moved to L.A. She and her kids quickly became like family to me (kids were 15, 12 and 10 at the time). MB went through an awful divorce while I was out there--her ex is a royal asshole. Anyway, kids are like my siblings (they actually started introducing me as their big sister while I lived out there) and I adore them. They've been roughed up by the whole divorce...to the point that the now 17 year old middle boy is now at a rehab school out in UT. But, they are my family, broken bits and all.

So, MB and I agreed to meet up after her massage and go shopping (a ritual of ours, though I hate to shop...but food is involved!). I slowly made my way to her place in order to avoid having to deal with her boyfriend (a guy I really don't like) until I was sure she'd be there too. The 2 of us hit Ross to shop and ate fish tacos at Wahoo's (so damn good!) She and her bf had 'date night' that night--bleh--so I headed to an internet cafe to catch up with my friend SR. We chatted while I ate dinner and then it was home to crash in MB's son's bed (as he was with his dad that night). The pet mouse was in my room, so I proceeded to have nightmares that my laundry was full of mice. Ew!

Monday was kind of a slow day, I had to replace my phone battery as it died during a call with BB. BB's sister had TRIPLETS on Monday, so she was calling to update me. Monday night got better though, as I had dinner with T! It was really nice to catch up and hear about Hawaii...I'm looking forward to a Big Yellow reunion at FRFF.

Tuesday, I headed down to my old school. Got there at recess and was immediately mobbed with about 30 kids. They are all getting so big! The 2nd recess was full of more reunions, then I toured the new pre-K/K building and saw some munchkins who were just babies when I taught there. I spent 45 minutes in the 2nd grade classroom helping with times tables. Hung out a bit more with kids--I really do miss them, but not L.A.!--before heading to lunch with SJ and JP. SJ and JP had a baby girl in January who is just the most beautiful creature! She was pretty much all smiles til she got REALLY hungry and REALLY mad towards the end of lunch. Big blue eyes and gorgeous reddish curls. I could have stared at her all day!

My flight back was fine, though really short (we had good wind pushing us, I guess) and I didn't get much sleep b/c of the drunken Bostonians popping can after can of beer next to me. I got to my car, which I'd left in Brighton at 5:30. Came home, showered, watched Tuesday night's GG finale, then went to work. Left work at 3:00 though, because my boss is the best and dozed on and off til about 9 when I went to bed.

Can I get any more boring?!

friday take-off

Packing for Los Angeles--check
Presentation before the Board--check
Caffeine consumption--check
Friday shuffle--check

You know the rules. Put your digital music player on shuffle and report back the first ten songs it spits out. No "apron wringing" allowed.

Here goes:
1. Kid (Cry Cry Cry)--Cry, Cry, Cry
2. Bitter Root (Become You)--Indigo Girls
3. As the River Runs (Linda Eder)--Linda Eder
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand (1)--The Beatles
5. All My Pretty Horses (Live from Baltimore)--Nerissa and Katryna Nields
6. Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy (Mix CD)--Big and Rich
7. What Was I Thinking? (Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best)--Christine Lavin
8. Leaving on a Jet Plane (The Very Best of PPM)--Peter, Paul and Mary
9. Traveling Again (The Honesty Room)--Dar Williams
10. I'll Cover You (Rent Soundtrack)--Original Broadway Cast

General Thoughts: Pretty eclectic list! Very few that I have strong feelings about this week.

Seen Live: Indigo Girls, Linda Eder, Nields, Dar, Rent

Particularly enjoying right now: The Rent Soundtrack is such fun. Esp. after getting the movie on DVD (which my boss has borrowed--need to remember to get that back!), I just love the music...I can sing along to it, dance to it and it's all so powerful.

Memory Trigger: Leaving on a Jet Plane is my mom and dad's song. So that makes me think of them.

I'll be back on Wednesday. Be good...and A, since I won't be on email, call me if you hear anything!

perfect

That's the one word I'd use to describe this weekend. I am in the greatest mood today and I can only attribute it to a weekend filled with people and a place I adore.

Friday night, I drove out to Noho and was hanging out in town a little before I headed to kj's--then my phone rang. A certain Philadelphian forgot her directions at home...so I swung by Big Yellow, then A and I both headed to kj's. It was more fun than I'd anticipated. kj and J were fantabulous hostesses and we talked almost non-stop for the better part of 3 hours. And their new hot tub is quite enjoyable under a canopy of stars and budding/blooming trees.

Saturday morning, I dropped A off at Yellow and did a little shopping. Met up with A, T and some other retreaters for lunch. I spent the afternoon feeling like a real Northampton-ite...I wandered town taking pictures of the churches and parks, lay out on the grassy islands in the middle of the sidewalk and did some writing (a NEW story, folks...I think I just might start to work on it for real at the October retreat, so you all better be there!). At about 5:15, I hopped in line at the Iron Horse for the Tracy Grammer show. Snatched a great table in the balcony for myself, A and 2 other retreatants. Brooks Williams played first and he's pretty darn great with a guitar...but I was there for TG and she did not disappoint! She played a good mix of older stuff and tracks off Flower of Avalon plus a couple of covers.

Speaking of covers, apparently Maureen McCormick (internationally famous as Marcia Brady) is now in a country band. And she is covering Crocodile Man. I can't even begin to tell the story as well as Tracy did (maybe A can help me!) but let's just say that Tracy has tried to contact Maureen, musician to musician and the response included information about how to get your very own 8x10 glossy signed by Maureen. Here's the website.

Sunday was another laid back morning, then a fabulous lunch and shopping excursion with the one and only A. All in all, a wonderful weekend...as close to a retreat without actually being on retreat. Can't wait for October though!!

OK, time to work.

what came before you is so tragic, lorraine, sweet lorraine--patty griffin (thanks, A!!)