This has been quite the weekend. Saturday's weather was delightful and perfect for a day spent on the Charles River Esplanade watching a concert of bands I haven't really thought much of since their heyday. It was great to be outside sitting on the banks of the river catching up with friends. The celebration was Earthfest and had the requisite pro-Earth freebies and giveaways. The most interesting ones were the free tomato or basil plants that Home Depot were giving away. It was very odd watching people roaming around holding basil plants. The best was when we finally wandered to Newbury Street to eat. It was really funny to see one of the basil plants on the table almost like we brought out own herbs to dinner.
Today started on the wrong foot as I went to bed with a raging headache and woke up with it still firmly in place. It abated enough for me to go my much needed yoga class. I find I get some much needed perspective upside down and dripping in sweat :-)
It is one of those weekends where you thought you knew all about a person or a situation and then all of a sudden everything has changed. I am no stranger to change and rather enjoy it. But I was distracted and am trying to put things in some sort of order. The weather today seemed to mirror my mood. We had sun, rain, lightning and thunder all throughout the afternoon and a frost warning tonight.
Luckily with the help of gravity (from more than a few Down Dogs), a pedicure and some good food I am getting myself sorted out and ready for an incredibly busy week.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Not Happy
It's been a busy week with me stuck in a 3 day training class and having to catch up with my work. It also was a week with two 90 degree days. It was a nice taste of early summer which I enjoyed. The cats, were not in agreement with me however. They were clearly not happy with the warmth. After the second day of this weather, Hobbes had clearly had enough. I walked back into the kitchen last night and found him just sprawled out on the tiles. As he saw me, he lifted his head, let out a pitiful meow and put his head back down. We had apparently reached the Molten Feline Level. I do have AC but with the windows open it was actually cooling off and quite pleasant. With cooler temps coming tomorrow, I know he will be much happier.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Nary A Tutu In Sight
Last week was such a busy one that I really looked forward to the events of Friday night. I was joining my friend for an evening at the Boston Ballet. It was the 100th anniversary of the Ballets Russes which seemed interesting. It was but the drama started with my arrival one minute before the curtain was set to go up. And there is no late seating. I made the mistake of taking the T one quick stop. It would be faster than the walk across the Common, or so I thought. It was not. We got halfway between the stops and we came to a stop. The announcement that followed was that we were stopped due to "a move". A move? That was all the detail given and it left me wondering were we moving a train, a body, performing a dance move, moving furniture? I do not know and as I sat looking at my watch I knew I was going to have to sprint to the theater. And sprint I did. I made it with no time to spare, but it was not the way I wanted to start the evening.
No sooner did we settle into our seats, the lights went down. We were getting ready for the curtain to raise when this older couple stood right in front of us, clearly looking for their seats. Of course the man was sitting right in front of my friend. He had this big shopping bag that he was trying to wedge into the row without success. He then sat down and put the bag over the railing into the aisle where it fell and dumped it's contents with a lot of clatter. It was full of empty cans and bottles. We were dying to know the back story of how this man came to be at the ballet with a bag full of redeemable bottles and cans.
The four dances we saw were quite varied. One did not so much resemble ballet but more, as my friend pointed out, indignant moving. We got more dancing with the last dance. There is something about seeing a troupe of dancers moving in unison and the sound of the toe shoes as they land.
No sooner did we settle into our seats, the lights went down. We were getting ready for the curtain to raise when this older couple stood right in front of us, clearly looking for their seats. Of course the man was sitting right in front of my friend. He had this big shopping bag that he was trying to wedge into the row without success. He then sat down and put the bag over the railing into the aisle where it fell and dumped it's contents with a lot of clatter. It was full of empty cans and bottles. We were dying to know the back story of how this man came to be at the ballet with a bag full of redeemable bottles and cans.
The four dances we saw were quite varied. One did not so much resemble ballet but more, as my friend pointed out, indignant moving. We got more dancing with the last dance. There is something about seeing a troupe of dancers moving in unison and the sound of the toe shoes as they land.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Still Life with Push Up Bra
After a tumultuous week where I had a delightful run in with my boss and his boss (who can only manage by yelling and being accusatory)for essentially doing my job, more work than I have hours in the day for, and two friends who rubbed me the wrong way, I was more than ready for the weekend.
Of course, that meant having to work late on Friday night as it was finally realized that the issue I brought up a month ago was indeed a problem and needed to be resolved. So while I can stop feeling like the database Cassandra, it would have been far less stressful to have been believed a month ago.
After the huge, full moon Friday night (which could explain some of the weirdness of the day), I decided I needed a Saturday to myself. Seeking some solace, I headed to the MFA to wander around a bit. It was also the School of the Museum of Fine Arts sidewalk sale so I got to see some rather creative pieces of art, including the sketch that gives this blog post a title. One rather creative artist took an assignment for a still life using every day objects, ignored the de rigueur fruit, and went with high heels and push up bras. It was a great piece and a funny depiction of the aftermath of a very fun evening.
Another artist was doing on the spot watercolors. I always admire artistic people and asked her if she only worked in watercolor. While she does acrylics and oils, for her it was clear watercolors were the thing. She said that watercolors "were like breathing" to her and showed me some of her brushes she had since she first started painting. It was great to talk to her and her enthusiasm was a bright spot in what started as a bad day.
It was threatening rain or sun and couldn't quite make up which direction to go. So I, being without an umbrella, chanced it and walked back to Cambridge via the Public Garden. It was challenging to navigate the crowds but it was a good bit of exercise, once I figured out a puzzling pedestrian detour.
Of course, that meant having to work late on Friday night as it was finally realized that the issue I brought up a month ago was indeed a problem and needed to be resolved. So while I can stop feeling like the database Cassandra, it would have been far less stressful to have been believed a month ago.
After the huge, full moon Friday night (which could explain some of the weirdness of the day), I decided I needed a Saturday to myself. Seeking some solace, I headed to the MFA to wander around a bit. It was also the School of the Museum of Fine Arts sidewalk sale so I got to see some rather creative pieces of art, including the sketch that gives this blog post a title. One rather creative artist took an assignment for a still life using every day objects, ignored the de rigueur fruit, and went with high heels and push up bras. It was a great piece and a funny depiction of the aftermath of a very fun evening.
Another artist was doing on the spot watercolors. I always admire artistic people and asked her if she only worked in watercolor. While she does acrylics and oils, for her it was clear watercolors were the thing. She said that watercolors "were like breathing" to her and showed me some of her brushes she had since she first started painting. It was great to talk to her and her enthusiasm was a bright spot in what started as a bad day.
It was threatening rain or sun and couldn't quite make up which direction to go. So I, being without an umbrella, chanced it and walked back to Cambridge via the Public Garden. It was challenging to navigate the crowds but it was a good bit of exercise, once I figured out a puzzling pedestrian detour.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Ballet Of Bats
While Austin has many charms to offer the best, in my humble opinion, are the bats. I refer to the colony of Mexican Free-tailed bats that call the Congress Avenue bridge their summer home. It seems to often we hear of humans destroying or making life difficult for our wild counterparts on this planet. It's nice to see something unintentionally beneficial.
Bats are so very cool (anything that eats mosquitoes is quite ok in my book). People are so very stupid. The questions and comments of my fellow bat watchers bordered on entertaining to downright stupid. My favorites were the woman who declared excitedly "look it's a bat!" Hmm, feathers, a beak. Nope that was a bird. Or her equally clueless boyfriend who inquired if the bats ate fruit. Sure thing and they're called fruit bats. Of which the bats in Austin are not.
And of course, this couple, who were perfectly matched in their ignorance, wondered if they were vampire bats. One could only hope they would for moment turn vampire and these two delightful people would be their first and only victims.
When the bats finally made their appearance they were spectacular!
The Lone Star State
My recent trip was indeed fun though it was once again rainy (I think every time I've been to Texas it's rained. For a state in a drought, it's really bad timing or I have become some sort of reverse human divining rod.) If I had been needing a boost in self esteem, this trip would have perked me right up.
Starting with the bus driver on the airport route who found my solo presence and conversational ability so utterly delightful he passed by three stops, with passengers waiting, to get me to my destination. I hadn't realized he had other stops to make but he was not in the least bit concerned. It was very funny and he made sure to drop me off right at the crosswalk so I didn't have to walk too far. It was very sweet.
Then there was the homeless man who stopped in his tracks and declared me the "most beautiful woman" he had ever seen. I appreciated the novel approach to panhandling and was happy to take the compliment. It didn't get him a donation from me but it made me smile.
The icing on the cake was the TSA agent standing on the opposite side of the metal detector. I had already performed the Tetris game of putting all your stuff in as few bins as possible and was padding to the other side in my stocking feet, boarding pass in hand. As I got through the metal detector the agent gave me my boarding pass back, grabbed my hand in his latex gloved hand (which I will admit freaked me out just a smidge) and declared that when he "sees perfection" he must "reach out and touch it". I will admit it took me a second to figure out what the heck he was talking about before I got that he meant me! While it was oddly flattering, I was getting worried watching my stuff make it's way down the conveyor belt.
The parts of my trip that occurred between these three interesting men were also enjoyable. I got to catch up with a friend I don't see as often as I'd like and got to make acquaintance of some new friends. I ate great food, saw a wonderful photography exhibit at the Austin Museum of Art , walked around and very much enjoyed a few days away.
Starting with the bus driver on the airport route who found my solo presence and conversational ability so utterly delightful he passed by three stops, with passengers waiting, to get me to my destination. I hadn't realized he had other stops to make but he was not in the least bit concerned. It was very funny and he made sure to drop me off right at the crosswalk so I didn't have to walk too far. It was very sweet.
Then there was the homeless man who stopped in his tracks and declared me the "most beautiful woman" he had ever seen. I appreciated the novel approach to panhandling and was happy to take the compliment. It didn't get him a donation from me but it made me smile.
The icing on the cake was the TSA agent standing on the opposite side of the metal detector. I had already performed the Tetris game of putting all your stuff in as few bins as possible and was padding to the other side in my stocking feet, boarding pass in hand. As I got through the metal detector the agent gave me my boarding pass back, grabbed my hand in his latex gloved hand (which I will admit freaked me out just a smidge) and declared that when he "sees perfection" he must "reach out and touch it". I will admit it took me a second to figure out what the heck he was talking about before I got that he meant me! While it was oddly flattering, I was getting worried watching my stuff make it's way down the conveyor belt.
The parts of my trip that occurred between these three interesting men were also enjoyable. I got to catch up with a friend I don't see as often as I'd like and got to make acquaintance of some new friends. I ate great food, saw a wonderful photography exhibit at the Austin Museum of Art , walked around and very much enjoyed a few days away.
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