Holy crap it's been over a month since my last post! I'm so sorry. I have no excuse. I am completely excuse-free.

The semester has been rolling along nicely. I have a great screenwriting class, and the tutoring gig is okaaaayyy but I'm seeing far more of the Icky Ucky Slimy Underbelly of Academia than I really care to. Budgets got slashed this year (thank you Governor Paterson), numbers are up, and staff/faculty numbers go down. Awesome. Let's not overload a system that was already at the breaking point! Let's not require the support staff to do more with less for more students. That would be a damn shame if we did that. That would mean the students wouldn't get the support they need, and it would mean that good-meaning folk like myself would get burned out and quit before they can be laid off.

Oh yeah, that's a Happy Fun Ball of Fun, that one.

I digress...

The last month has also seen great strides in a couple of my writing projects, and also the beginnings of a proper job search in Beantown and environs. I'm getting a feel for what's out there, applying for things, and also trying at long last to listen to my intuition and my VOICES FROM THE GREAT BEYOND in case someone's trying to show me a really great job I should apply for.

In all seriousness, I'm not sure if I should continue down the path of academia (which isn't all that easy since I don't have a PhD and the MFA only seems to matter in art skool, but I don't have enough produced work to matter to art skools)...or...get me a 9-to-fiver that will bring in a 401k and a decent paycheck while I write the Great American Space:1999 novel and sell a screenplay or two.

We shall see what the Universe in all its perversity presents me with. For now, it's time to gear up for Halloween and the last derby bout of the season.

Let Autum begin its crisp march down the corridors of Winter's Palace of Frozen Feet and Runny Noses. It's about to get real up in here.

It's that time again...

For the Olympic Games fever to strike. I am a complete sucker for the Olympics, especially the Winter Games. I've been watching the pre-opening ceremonies show and experiencing pangs of sadness at not being able to watch with my Mom. Growing up, I always watched the Games with Mom. It was a thing that we always did together, and even after we didn't live together, we'd watch on the phone and the Games always dominated our discussions.

But yes, I am jazzed! I want to see Apolo Ohno become the American Olympian athlete with the most Gold medals ever. I'm looking forward to the men's figure skating, which will be intense with Russian god Plushenko. I'd love to see Shen and Zhao bring China a gold medal in pairs. And so much more... it's just day after day of awesomeness.

Sadly, the tone of the Games is dampened by the death of the Georgian luger. I think that track is a little off the charts. 90 mph? Jeeezus. Kind of irresponsible, and they've had doubts that as to its safety all along, especially for the lesser experienced athletes, just like the 21-year old who died this morning.

The Georgian team looked absolutely miserable as they entered the Olympic arena during the opening ceremonies tonight. I felt very bad for them.

The Opening Ceremonies themselves have been fun. The native peoples are the focal point of the presentation, which is really great, and very appropriate. And so far, my favorite costume is the Mongolion flag bearer's. I need a hat like that.

Two weeks, three weekends of awesome winter sports. How odd, considering I do none of them and pretty much despise winter. Hmmm...maybe I don't despise it as much as I think I do?

In honor of the Winter Olympics, a new header, the photo taken in our "back yard" last November.

Let it snow, let it snow, come on baby, light my fire.

It's snowing. Which means the sky has been gray since before the sun came up (or did it?), and I woke up with a distinct lack of zip this morning. This is what happens, people. This is what happens to Ms. Bizarro when winter sets in, the sun doesn't shine, and the outside walls of the apartment are approximately the temperature of a penguin's tittie.

I look around me as I sit at my desk - my Wild Republic monkey watching sightlessly with his endless winter ennui, my palm tree magnets mocking me on the white board, the very last month of 2009 on the calendar reminding me that Hawaii is made of lava, the Barrel Man gazing out the window as appalled as I am, and of course, my Rod Serling Foundation card proclaiming my membership-in-good standing - and I am reminded that I have a lot of writing to do (as well as grading, of course, it being end of the semester). I know that I really shouldn't watch those last 3 episodes of TikiBar TV. I know that I need to take charge of my winter blues and also do some laundry because I am down to the little white socks I only wear in the summer with sneakers.

And so, on December 5, the birthday of my grand-niece Erin Dorothy, and my close, personal friend Racheeee Schmiff, winter has finally begun. I feel the cold, clammy weight of it, and I say, it's time to light a fire in the fireplace (as opposed to the futon) and drink a hot toddy out of a Tiki Mug.

Winter Onset

It snowed last night. Supposed to snow all day. And night. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. We're talking light dusting at this point. But it's definitely Winter coming around the corner. I love how it's technically still "Autumn" until Dec. 21st. Maybe in the lands of the Celts, but here in Upstate New York it is freaking Winter on our back doorstep, and he's about to dominate.

Mom update: She's being moved to the rehabilitation center tomorrow afternoon. I had arranged to take off work to help her with the SSI interview at 11 a.m. but now I have to extend that time off so I can help get her to the rehab place. My boss will just have to deal. I'm out of sick and vaca time, though, so at this point the time is eating into my paycheck, which sux. Oh well - not that worried. I am here to help Mom and that's the main thing.

I wrote a short script this past weekend. Based on a true story that my brother's first wife told me over drinks when we went out a few weeks ago in Boston. I also slogged through edits on my sci fi. I've come to the conclusion that I need a writing group. I've seen first hand in the class I teach this semester that having writing partners and group critique is essential for some people, and I think I may be one of them. So here's to finding some like-minded souls in this tiny corner of Frigidaria.

Time to get ready for work at the Chorch.

Mercury in Retrograde

I can tell Mercury is in retrograde because everything SUX right now. Mom's back in the hospital, my cell phone's on the blink, I sprained my OTHER ankle last week, my freaking COUNSELOR gave me grief about canceling two appointments this month (oh, yeah, just what I need, another freaking obligation to add to the pile of stress), and the temps are dropping which means I have to plastic up the apartment and keep out all the cold air which happens to be fresh air, which I can't live without.

WAH.

Imbolc

This pretty much sums up January '08 in the health and fitness department:


moar funny pictures


February 2 is a pagan/Celtic day for ritual, known as Imbolc. It heralds the impending return of spring. Deep within the earth, things are a-stirring and change is a-coming. Even though it's shitty and icy and slushy out there right now, believe it or not, Spring is around the corner. I'm sure there's more to the holiday than that, but as a Buddhist that's pretty much all I care about. Back when I was a paganish person, I'd do up all the quarter and cross-quarter days (Equinoxes, Solstices, and the ones in between, such as Imbolc). These days Imbolc is more of a ritual for sanity than anything else - to know that winter is finite and the days of sun are indeed returning.

Indeed.

Oh yeah, Go Pats. I'm from Boston so I have to say that, even though I don't give a hoot about football.

Picking up the pieces

I'm back home after the last few days at Momazoo's. I am utterly exhausted in every way. And I have a shitload of stuff to do here - take down the xmas tree, do piles of laundry, and get some exercise in.

Mom is doing okay; she thanked us a dozen times for being there and helping her through the worst of the shock and grief. My mom tends to hold in her anxiety and unhappy feelings, but I encouraged her not to do that, that it wasn't healthy to repress all that stuff. I reminded her how close we are and that all she needs to do is pick up the phone if she's feeling really down. Today she went to church as per usual and will have her "ladies" over for coffee and cake in the afternoon as she normally does on Sunday. I think the routine and company will be good for her. Yesterday I drove her and one of her friends who lives in the same building over to their beauty salon to get their hair done. I think it was good for her to get out of the house and be around other people.

And of course, as Salty Miss Jill has reminded me, I need to take care of myself, too. I'm not sure how to do that. I have crap to get done that has piled up over the last 4 days, and I gotta get it done. But I will feel good when I get the boring stuff done today and can start logging my Korea video tomorrow. I will have 2 full days of writing retreat before I'll have to leave for the funeral, and then another 2.5 days of retreat after that. So that's something (and remember folks, there's a jacuzzi tub at the retreat house!). Nothing better come in the way of me and that retreat, or there will be HELL TO PAY!

And can I just say that we have had grey skies for 4 days straight and there is no sun in the forecast for the next few days? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? I hate living in this god-forsaken sun-less place. I need to be able to spend winters in some lovely warm place and come back in spring. How can I make that happen? If you have any suggestions, please leave them here.

Okay, now I have to get to all the crap that awaits me. I am going to open my shrine and meditate before I get started.

Snow

I drove in it. Big time. This morning to Out of Town University. Coming home was treacherous. Thank Gawd I only have one more day of this drive!

Now must grade... hot cocoa and popcorn... a little Jack in m cocoa...

Warmishness

Well today the high temp is supposed to actually get above the freezing mark for the first time in weeks. I am very excited. I can hear snow melting and dripping off the roof. Of course, there are no gutters on my building so the water comes straight down into a pool of slush outside our windows.

Yesterday was productive, but I still don't feel like I got anything done. Funny how that happens. I still have a bunch of my students' papers to read, and I haven't done any writing since the weekend. That is the #1 priority for today. I've already done the busy-work for the morning, so I'll be able to focus on the screenplay for a good chunk of time.

I have my Korean lesson at 3:30 today so I also need to review before I go to that.

I have just about completed my demo reel to send to the Korean recruiter. I had a helluva time getting all the source material on a usable format, and then of course a transformer blew and knocked the power out while I was in the middle of an editing session on Sunday. I found out that iMovie saves footage into the trash when that happens, so all I had to do was move it out of the trash back into the clip bin. I'm only using iMovie because I need this done quickly. One of my next projects is to teach myself Final Cut, which shouldn't be too difficult because I've used other editing programs like Media 100 and Avid. But it has been awhile. Anyway, I need to finalize the demo today and burn the DVD so I can send it off to Korea. Exciting, eh?

I realized yesterday that I've been feeling really antsy about this summer because I don't know yet when or for what program I am going to Korea. I know I'll get there one way or another, but I've never been good with limbo. I have to remain focused on what I can accomplish right now and not worry about June and July just yet.

Speaking of limbo, I haven't heard a peep about that full time job I applied for. Not even a postcard in the mail saying "Thanks for your stuff; don't call us, we'll call you." Maybe I'll give them a call on Thursday or Friday to follow up. It's been well over two weeks since I sent in all my application materials. That's enough time, right?

Snow It Up

That was the subject line in an email from PMP last night.

This morning I awoke to find we'd already got about a foot of snow last night and it hasn't let up. I also awoke to find we had no coffee. Imagine the horror! Bizarro swears he told me yesterday morning that we had run out, but I must have been half-asleep with my earplugs still in because I had no idea. If I HAD known, I would certainly have made a point to stop at the store yesterday. I think I'll walk down to the Ithaca Coffee Company and pick up some beans and a hot cuppa. Maybe hang out there and read in their little cafe. Oh yeah, the reason I can do this is that I.C. closed down. I don't think Big Red did, although Bizarro would have to go anyway as he's considered "essential personnel." Lucky him. Poor guy didn't even have any coffee this morning!

I watched the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica this morning while I was waiting for the internet to be up again (I swear it's down more than it's up). It was a nice character piece.

Well I think I'm going to bundle up and head to the coffee shop pretty soon. Hope everyone's keeping warm.

Winter Images

I took these pictures about a week and a half ago.