2009

Bye '09

This year I learned about babies being born (well, I knew about that before, but there was one significant, delicious new one), experienced on-time airline travel, I learned about the history of Philadelphia, saw some great art, spent real quality time with my parents, re-connected with old friends, visited the new Shea (I won't call it you-know-what), went to 2 amusement parks, saw WWE smackdown (again!), celebrated birthdays, mourned deaths, got a couch, learned about co-op buying in NYC, saw my brother, got amazing new staff, had some professional successes, saw a lot of movies, slept through even more movies than I saw, made people laugh, made people cry, started writing again, and on and on!

I learned about more about oncology than I ever wanted to know, walked away from an accident, and kept standing back up even when I needed help doing so.

2009 was a year of kindness and grace. Overwhelming kindness. From friends, colleagues, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, neighbors, and strangers. Its funny - who and what makes up your personal bedrock. People like MNH, HA-N, NC, DPS, I guess are kinda "expected" to be on the list. But REW and JG literally kept breath in my body. I would have given up without them.

"What good's a place to stand up, without a place to fall"

And here is a bit of the year in pics. I am leaving a lot out, part out of privacy, part because I don't actually own a camera.

2010, here I come!!!!!!!

Not Really Feeling It

Thankful and Grateful.
Thankful and Grateful.
Thankful and Grateful.
Thankful and Grateful.
I'm trying.......

Family

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

Outdone

I thought the card I received the other day was remarkable. Ha! Here is the outside of the card I received yesterday:

That's nice, right? Benign. Neutral. Apparently not...


Does that say "Love, Dr. T and Staff"? Yes it does. My doctor and his staff LOVE me. Alright! Maybe I should send them some brownies...

We're Almost There

Do You Know What Today Is?

Its the WINTER SOLSTICE. The shortest day of the year, folks. From now on, more sunlight!

The Strangest Holiday Card Ever

Thanks, Google Images and "kitathena"

I received this greeting card from a lovely, sweet, competent individuals who provides me with professional services (think someone like your accountant or car mechanic.)

First, you see an animated tree, which seems to either have a heartbeat or is being shocked with a cattle prod. Then, beautiful images of single parents with their children flash across the screen. Is she telling me, "Hey, El, you missed the boat. See, even though you couldn't keep a relationship alive you could have been a happy single mom, but instead you'll have to become a crazy cat lady"? Or is she telling me, "Sorry, only fabulous parents will have a happy holiday"?

Whatever happened to sending out a card with a holiday dragon on it? Or an apocryphal depiction of the end of time? Something bright and uplifting like that?

Now There's a Source of Pride

This was taken from my car (AT A RED LIGHT) in the rain. "Home of the Bull Bag." Ideas, anyone? I don't even want to hazard a guess...

Evacuate. Infected. Killing me.

When you see these words, what do you think of? Horror movie? Devastating pandemic? Calling 911?



Oh. It's just a pop song. Ew.

iT waS cOLd OUt!

Even though it is hideously expensive, we went to MoMA to see the Tim Burton exhibit. He is so crazy talented. For the record, I love hanging out with Laurie, Jonathan, and Sarah.

Brilliant.

The purpose of art is to reduce the distance between people

- Nadeem Aslam

Last Pages

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was coming to an end...



These are the last 2 pages of the most recent altered book.

What is the Sound of Two Garbage Trucks Crashing?

Find out at Prophecy night club!  I went last night, and although I did have a good time, the dj was awwwfffuuullll.

Take this for example:


That is "Quisiera Ser" by Extreme. A pretty little bachata. Now superimpose this over it (just play them both at the same time - it'll work. And your ears will bleed.):



Now take two tylenol and wait for the ringing in your ears to subside...

Morning Moon

Every morning I go out for a run and every morning I am awed by the moon. I'm like a goldfish with a 3-second memory.

Say My Name

I run the unfriendly streets each morning just as the sky is shows its first hint of light. I painted my hat to remind the deer and opossum who I am!

Try Again Tomorrow

I collect. Pictures, objects, letters, photos, tidbits, quotes. And every so often I am moved to use them in a collage or altered book. These are the first four pages of my current project.

The pic above has been sitting in a file folder for I-don't-know-how-many-years.

The pic above hung on my wall when I worked for Housing Authority in 1985

The pic of Martha Graham was from Sharon Schanzer from 1980.

Frida came from a wall calendar - not that long ago, maybe 2003.

Its not the "What", its the the "Why"

What is this, you ask? That's easy - its my lunch - eggs with mushrooms and zucchini and a roll, and they are cooking on my office space heater.

Why? Because a co-worker (whom I really, really like) STANKED UP the microwave with a dead fish. Did I say "STANKED UP the microwave?" I meant STENCHIFIED THE ENTIRE 3 FLOORS OF THE BUILDING. And maybe the birdbath outside. And likely the hospital across the street.

But, since necessity is the madre of invention, MC pointed out that I never have to leave my office again! (Since there's no toilet paper today, she just happens to be right!)

More Work Love

This is the bathroom sink at work. The bathroom never has the necessary trifecta - tp, soap, paper towels. But guessing games are fun...unless you guess wrong. Anyway, I spy with my little eye...an olive? a grape? rabbit poo? Of course I wouldn't touch it so I ran the water (I know, very not green of me - but this was in the name of science) to make the object roll around. I have determined that it is a grape. MaryCatherine suggests that it will be in the sink long enough for it to ferment and make wine. Bets, anyone?

UPDATE! UPDATE! The grape is gone and MC suspects that someone ATE IT. In this place, I wouldn't doubt it.

This Is What I Miss

Thanks, Google Images for the Sunnyside Arch

I took the ones above and below on Sunday from the 7 train...my beloved 7 train.

Hold the door - I'm on my way!

COLD

Why is the mammography lab so cold? As you can see, they did a very thorough job.

(And yes, I do have nipples, i just put them away discreetly for this pic)

Does Whatever a One-Legged Spider Can

Found on today's run.

There's a Moon in the Sky Called The Moon

Why do other planets have named moons? Mars has Phobos and Deimos. Jupiter has a zillion moons, like Io, Himalia, Sinope... Uranus (insert giggling - go ahead) has a bunch including Sycorax and Trinculo.

I am going to call President Obama and ask that we name our moon. Here are my picks. Please add to the list so we have a good working document to send to the President.

Lucky, the Three-Legged Dog
Juan Carlos
Fig (I really like this one)
Phalanges
Candelabra

Who Am I?

Happy Halloween and Feliz Dia de los Muertos. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and I spent Halloween together at the Amnesty International Noche de Las Mujeres de Juarez. Apparently, I represent very different people in Yonkers as compared to Queens and Manhattan. In Yonkers I was Chita Rivera, Carmen Miranda, a dirty florist, and "uhhhh." In NYC I was...Frida!

Cowabunga, Dude

I asked the clerk at the post office if she had any cool stamps.

She said "no, only these" and tossed me.....



Shut up, brain, or I'll stab you with a Q-tip!

I have feelings too - like ''My stomach hurts'' or ''I'm going crazy!'

Marge, I agree with you -- in theory. In theory, communism works. In theory.

Marge, you being a cop makes you the man! Which makes me the woman - and I have no interest in that, besides occasionally wearing the underwear, which as we discussed, is strictly a comfort thing.

Yes, honey...Just squeeze your rage up into a bitter little ball and release it at an appropriate time, like that day I hit the referee with the whiskey bottle.

Don't worry. Being eaten by a crocodile is just like going to sleep. In a giant blender.

When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces...I just know they're about to jab me with something.

You Know its Bad

I watched an older woman take a break from her chemotherapy to go smoke a cigarette. Ouch.

No, Really, I Love My Job

There is an udder of soap on the kitchen sink of my job.

I Love My Job

As you probably know (again - there are 3 of you who read this...) I work as an administrator in a non-profit organization (take that "non-profit" categorization very, very literally.) I love my job. Here is an email that recently went to staff:

How is Thursday the 29th at 2pm for viewing B's autopsy film?

Muzak

On hold for a reaaalllly long time with the cheesy muzak interpretation of the theme from Titanic. It makes me want to jumo into the icy waters...

Uno

Thanks, google images

Is it ok to be #1? It is, right?

Good Morning

By 7:15 the morning is over and the day begins. The bus stop gets crowded, a throng of day laborers assembles, the birds settle down, and, as I leave the laundromat, others start walking in.

Productive

It is a documented fact that I have an atypical circadian rythym. But in the many sunless hours before dawn, I am productive. Today I made flowerpots.......

This one is about 9" in diameter. There are others, to be sure!

Lessons At Work

Today at a workshop on active listening, three people fell asleep. Really. Including the big boss. Yay!

There are People Who Love You, People Who Will tell You the Truth, and People Who Love You *and* Tell You the Truth!

Thank goodness for people who can be both kind and honest, because it can be hard to pull off successfully.

A recent conversation between me and my boss, who despite his best efforts to make people believe he is a hard-ass, is actually a really nice guy:

Me: Yeah, I don't even have time to go to the gym.

Him: You should. You should go to the gym

Me: I'm starting to gain some weight, I think

Him: You know, it's noticible. I can tell. You should just go to the gym.

The last time I got fat I woke up a size 16 (which is just not a good look on me. For some people they look juicy and curvaceous. I just looked bloated.) and wondered, "why didn't anyone tell me?" So now someone has! And I appreciate it.

But then, a day later, my co-worker D came by. She is the most adorable, funny, focused bean. I love her. As we were chatting she suddently said, "wait! don't move." She approached me and slooowly reached out her hand towards my face. "You have one of those really long hairs." And she plucked it off my face. What? That is love, right there. That is the milk of human kindness.

How Much More?

Thanks to Mary Katherine

Lets parse this: More. Than. Dance. Education. I think the emphasis is on "dance." Here is a list of the types of activities for which children today might need more education:

Jousting
Whirling
Homelessness
Self-diagnosis and healing
Synchronized swimming
How to interrupt celebrities and politicians

Contrary to popular belief, cat hearding cannot be taught. It is an innate ability.

Here is a question for Nach: do you think they teach full body contact competitive ballroom dance?

The 16th of September

Today isn't September 16th, I know. But I really want to honor and appreciate Heidi, whose b'day was the 16th. Our friendship has lasted (ready)....ok, nevermind...many decades.

Heidi is smart, funny, beautiful, creative, successful, loyal, true, and honest. She has created funny lemonade out of all the lemons; she weathers the storms with grace. She has produced (with some help from Nach) 3 beautiful, yummy kids.

Heidi is forgiving, which is really helpful since I can be a real douche.

I love her [Hey Heid - I love you!!!] very much and my life is much improved because she is in it. Those of us who know her are lucky indeed and those of you who don't, go visit her blog; its a treat!

The Scrabble Gods are Against Me

I have 2 games going on Facebook. Look at my letters........

I have offended the Scrabble gods and now I must make a sacrifice at their altar. Vanna White, por favor, preparate.