Grave of the Fireflies

An animated movie from Japan (1988). Best in Japanese with subtitles (the voices and language are so beautiful). I'm still bawling here....

Sheesh - how very draining and beautiful and sad.

Same Same

MYA was over last night for dinner, and she banged her wrist on the side of the table and raised a small blister or welt. So I went and got her a band-aid - brought down a box in fact. And for some weird reason, I put a band-aid on my own wrist at the same time. It was a seemingly unconscious action.

Weird of me to do that. This morning while stretching, I realized the band aid was still on, and the realization came to me how meaningful that action was. Her wound is my wound. Same same.

TGIF?

It has been a long time since Friday was meaningful to me in the sense of "a long work week over, getting off the corporate treadmill, two days of rest and relaxation lie ahead" sense of the word. The last time I worked for corporate america directly was 1992. Not sure I could ever go back.....

You see, I really like my work. It's challenging, its enjoyable, its varied. I'll wander in today with a few things that I know I need / want to get done, and some new things will pop up via email or phone. I have a bunch of enjoyable background projects having to do with marketing or long term planning or infrastructure. I will get in early, take breaks for personal things and exercise, put in a long day. If I get curious about something or particularly enjoy something, I will pursue that, maybe put in extra hours. I'll leave at the end of the day feeling like I have more to do and eager for Monday. I may even sneak in to the office a bit over the weekend.

It's hard for me, outside of the corporate culture like this, to get into the rhythms of the work week. I know all over America they are gathering around cubicles on a given morning to talk about the Olympics or America Idol or the hot new TV show or major sporting event. I know all over America they look forward to long weekends, to vacations, to vacations. I know Monday feels different than Wednesday, and Fridays can be euphoric.

Do I pay a price for this? Sure - on lots of levels. But I know artists and activists and social workers who pay much bigger prices. Like a lot of stuff in my life, I try to dance along the borderline between corporation and artist.

Well I look up to the people who are less bought than I
You can show them what you're selling
And they'll only ask you why
And their paychecks don't have lots of zeros
They're my friends and they're my heroes
And the TV sets are angry 'cause they just can't make 'em pay
But I like the way these people read the signs and walk away

Dar Williams - Bought and Sold from "The End of the Summer"

Guess I am in Dar Mood.....time to stream Grassy Hill Radio from the office....where I am sure to hear a couple of Dar songs today....

Philadelphia?

I've been hedging about going to a conference in Philly next weekend; not sure if I can justify the cost, the hassle, the travel time. But a client called up today to see what my availability is to go to a site in greater Philly next week - which means the travel expenses will be picked up and the travel time reimbursed. Hmmmm....I sense a plan coming together....

A Nice Visit

Spent a good chunk of the day with MYA; she came to the office and helped me out with tax stuff (sorting receipts, recording check stubs) - which will help me to get my sorry rear end started with taxes. I'd love to have them all done by the end of the month....so having her come over was a good motivator to get me started.

While working, she listened to Boy George / Culture Club via DVD - and listened to the guy in the office next door yelling at his minions and underlings on the speakerphone.

After working, we came back to the house for dinner with her and Zippy's sister. Yum.

Now I'm messing around online and Zippy is doing her federal taxes.....happy happy joy joy...

New Quote

And February was so long that it lasted into March
(Dar Williams, February from Mortal City)

Lying really. February is zooming by this year; I've been busy with the new office and exercise and mentoring and stuff. No seasonal depression or affective disorder here.

But I've always loved this song. I heard Dar play it live before The Honesty Room came out, and I was disappointed that it was not on her first release. It hit me at a particularly lonely time, somewhere in between a separation and a divorce. The verse about planting, forgetting bulbs, forgetting plants and "What's a Crocus?" - so beautiful and so where I was back then.

But Dar.....glad you made it kid. We were pulling for you all these years....

Self-promotion

I'm in a self promoting kind of mode and mood. I (for the first time ever) got professionally printed brochures printed up (low quantity, just to see how they came out, they came out pretty great) and today I even hung one up under plexiglass outside my office so the other tenants can see what the woman in A102 does all day (besides drink about a gallon of water and run to the bathroom all day). I'll be tweaking the graphics somewhat and planning a bigger order the next time there is a special.

I also dug up a poster presentation I did for the 2003 PQ conference and hung that up on some empty wallspace in the office. Damn I give good presentation....

Part of this is being in the new office - I feel the need to drum up business to justify the expense of the office. But also, I've been pretty productive and have been knocking things off my to-do list pretty efficiently. One of my larger "churn out the busy work" clients has slowed down a bit, giving me time for other things, but my other long time client has been percolating up with lots of little and medium projects.

I also think its time to drop a brochure, card, and note to a lot of folks I have not heard from in a while - just to keep my name churning.

Hair of the dog.....

To hell with Advil, more hot yoga. I am a sicko.

On other fronts, I've been in business 10 years and FINALLY have a decent backup plan for my computer. I set it up today finally - with an external network drive and a comprehensive backup of my documents, email, settings, etc. twice a week, with alternating files. So I should have a couple of recent backups going from here on it. Need to confirm that the scheduling and overwite and stuff works right over the next week, but I think its set with a mimimum of tweaking.

Go me.

On other, other fronts, an old friend tracked down the new blog via blogger search and sent me an email. ::waving::

An Advil Kind of Day

If I were the type to take pain meds for body aches, this morning would be a good day for it. Yesterday brought both a hot yoga session and jazzercise, this morning I am just a wee bit sore are tired. A good thing really, it means I am working the edges in terms of my body's strength and endurance. I guess its good to get out of bed feeling in ones muscles and bones as if one had done something the day before.

As it is, the only pain meds I take are a small enteric dose of aspirin, prescribed based on family history, age, physiology, overall health. Stuff like tylenol, advil, nuprin are all potential liver beaters - so I avoid 'em (along with alcohol, except occasionally and in small doses). My drug of choice is caffeine by way of coffee, and I am increasingly aware that I need to cut back on that.

A hot shower this morning should work out some of the aches.

Togetherness

Zippy and I spent the day together. We hung out this morning, then went to the Dog Show in Hartford - did not stay long, but long enough to see the Heelers (Zippy made friends with the first place family, who had two male Red Heelers) and the Springer Spaniels (I miss my old dog Nipsy). There were a ton of Rhodesian Ridgebacks (Zippy's brother has one, named Elmo) as well as a ton of Dalmations. Flavors of the month, canine edition....

I did some work around the house, then we went to RAW to see Five Children and It a UK kids film that was pretty wonderful - Kenneth Branaugh was featured as well as Eddie Izzard as the voice of the Sand Fairy (think Robin William's genie in Aladdin, but with more subtlety and Britishness)

After that, dinner at Tapa's, philosophy with friends, and now relaxing, a bit more organizing and laundry, and then, to bed. Zippy will be watching Bleak House on PBS, I am sure...

Superballs

The television ad for the Sony Bravia features 300,000+ superballs bouncing down a hilly street in San Francisco. Enjoy.

As someone who has always enjoyed rolling ball sculptures or things rolling downhill or following a track or the like, its pretty cool.

Final Savasana

YogaBeat tonight, a WHY fundraiser (for OxFam International and Peter's Retreat). Long story why I got there - MYA and I were supposed to go to a pot luck but she ended up with her mom a day early, so I showed face at the pot luck and then made it to Yoga Beat. I sort of went into the day with the idea that if I was supposed to be at Yoga Beat, it would happen. Which it did. So I went.

Anyway, the practice was joyous and sweaty and fun with lots of movement and expression and music. But during savasana, I had a distinct insight - of lying in the grave. The final savasana. Which is not a particularly brilliant concept, Savasana being translated as the "Corpse Pose" but I'll file it in the left brain "knowing" vs whole body "KNOWING" category. However, along with that came the realization that everything from now until then is yoga. And it brought the challenge of living my life like I aspire to practice yoga - building strength, experience, flexibility, wisdom - working hard, sweating, finding the edge.

I love yoga. Both kinds.

A most delicious piece of truth....

Gracely and Missed Chances

First off, LOVED Grace Lee Project. MYA and I both went and had a good time. We also had fun coloring an R (me) and an S (her) for the illustrated alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein (apparently, Gersteins R + S painting has been sold) and playing with the interactive work by Camille Utterback. Go to REAL ART WAYS. Now.

Missed opportunities: John Gorka at Cheney Hall in Manchester. Kirtan at West Hartford Yoga. Vagina Monologues at Charter Oak Cultural Center. Probably a couple of other things.

YES DAMMIT THERE IS TOO MUCH TO DO IN HARTFORD CONNECTICUT THIS FRIDAY EVENING.

Who woulda thunk it?

Slipping and Sliding

It was a day that was hard to get any traction. I popped into work latish (7:30) and cranked out a report and some emails - then off to yoga. Then errands and home to change, then back to work for an hour or so. Then off to UConn Health Center to bail out a friend (broken ankle and surgery from XC skiing) - then to the drugstore to get him meds and some supplies, then to his home, where I cleaned up a bit so he could get around.

Then back home, cooked dinner, and now I am off to the pick up MYA to go see a movie (The Grace Lee Project) at Real Art Ways.

Tomorrow - Jazzercise in the morning and a pot luck in the evening and who knows what in between. Laundry. Or cleaning. Or something.

Sunday - ?????

Shady Character

My new office has a couple of windows that face south with a slight east tilt:


That, combined with fairly non-descript and translucent corporate curtains and an office layout that emphasized ergonomics for sunlight planning, and I was having issues with glare and sunlight. So I bought a couple of low cost window shades from Home Depot (cut to size) and velcro'd 'em into the corporate aluminum window shades. Pulled down halfway, they look pretty good from in here - I'll have to check them out from the outside.

I am feeling very "mistress of my environment" at the moment - and the sun should not be a negative factor from here on 'in.....

Hot Basil - New Park Road

For those in the funky industrial urban southeast corner of West Hartford, where one can dine well at a variety of noteworthy places (Tapa's, Corner Pug, East West Grill, Fuji, Elmwood, among others) there is new Thai place open. It's in the same building as the old Battiston's Cleaners*, it's called Hot Basil, and its excellent.

From the outside, it looks a little fast foodish (the signage, the name, the storefront, the location) - I've assumed it might be the kind of place you could grab a to-go order of Pad Thai and grab a couple of soda's from the cooler in the corner. However, the inside decor would put Martha Stewart to shame. It's just elegant, tasteful, and extremely well conceived. Great modern urban blocky colors, tasteful art, judicious use of candles and foliage. Hell, the ladies room had an impeccable planter in the corner and a pile of napkins on a shelf that hearken to the high end hotels and restaurants I occasionally get to sample through my corporate personna....

The food was excellent - and the appeal was not limited to the palate - the presentations were well above par. I had Tom Kha Gai (Chicken and Cocoanut Soup) and a Peanut Chicken Salad (Yam Gai), Zippy had one of the entree soups (Chiang Mai Curry Noodle), we were impressed by all. We were in a bit of a rush (U-Conn game, don't cha know) but we'll be back.

Not inexpensive (there are some lunch specials in the $9 range) but with a BYOB policy at present a dinner for 4 would not kill your wallet. This is definitely a date-worthy place.

The folks at East-West Grille are friends and we love that place for its funky ambience, friendly staff, and food, but they have some competition here. Hopefully the market for this sort of cuisine will be sufficient to fill both places and keep them both in business.

* - The cleaners is also under new ownership, and from the outside, it looks a lot nicer inside

Oh, and about the office.....

....its working out very well. I am a lot more focused, a lot more "work-oriented" during working hours. Not sure if its the office environment, the peer pressure of being in a space with other workers, or what, but I am really cranking it out.

Good move....so far.

Somewhere Down the Road

Hot Yoga last night. It is a singularly uncool and unyoga-ish thing to compare yourself to others, but there were a couple of young guys fairly unschooled in the yoga thing in class last night. And as I watched them struggle with the postures (one was behind me, so I ended up dristi'd in his direction a lot, especially in downdog), I was struck by how far I have come. It was a "wow - I really can do this" moment, as I moved through the sun salutations. I sort of felt myself being really rigorous in my postures, just because I figured the guys would be looking around the room for direction. Kind of interesting change of perspective from student to teacher, if only by example.

The young men seemed fit and strong and healthy - their struggles were in the twister-like "right foot here, left hand there" aspects of the postures, in the flexibility aspects, and in the general body-awareness involved in seeing a posture and getting your body into the same configuration. Downdog seemed to be just really hard for them to get, I kind of felt bad - their downdogs were more like push-ups - not a place of rest and reconnection, which it has become for me.

Must be a guy thing to jump into a hot yoga class. I skulked around the intro classes, the gentle classes, and the all levels classes for months before poking my nose into a hot class, and even then I sort of ratcheted up with the teachers I knew and was comfy with before stepping into the uber-hot-class where students end up looking like they have been soaked with a fire hose.

To her credit, my instructor rocked in terms of moving the class while spending some time with the new folks. It was one of her better hot classes, I really got some heat going. I did a few extra things during extended downdogs, but really, she worked us. Go her.

Again, great for them to be trying yoga. Mostly, just a realization for myself that this is something I can do, reasonably well. I feel a lot less like the newcomer in the room, all of a sudden.

Impressive Entrance, Impressive Exit

The snow came down fast and deep and piled up massively on Sunday.

Tuesday morning, and its melting has been just as amazing. The sidewalks and driveway were completely clear yesterday, with the snow pack receding from shoveled areas and losing depth visibly. Today and tomorrow are gonna be serious melting days, with temperatures teasing 50 F.

I Got a Rock

Referencing, of course, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", and not some unexpected giftage from Lux Bond, Green, and Stevens.

Valentine's Day is a singularly unheralded holiday around these parts. First off, its a polarized holiday, with the man expected to gift the woman. So there is less peer pressure when you are talking about dykes, neither of whom has a ton of expendable cash and neither of whom is particularly romantic. Second, its got christian roots (SAINT Valentine's Day, don't cha know) and we are always a wee bit resistant. Finally, even if it started off that way, its become an uber-commercial holiday, marketed by Hallmark and American Greetings and the candy and flower syndicates.

I still recall schooldays when small valentines (or the lack thereof) were both a sign of loserdom and friendlessness, as well as a threat when an unsought after paramour expressed some interest. At least most of the time kids gave out cards to all the other kids in the class. And making little mail boxes was kind of fun. But still....

Amusing - Paula at Jazzercise put out list for those interested in class tonight. No problem getting names. Either we're a fairly unattached bunch or a fairly cynical group.