Category: Golightly Living

It’s sunny out, but now I can’t find the camera to take pictures of the beautiful socks I won from Dave, or of the yarn I won for donating to Craftlit, or of the sweater I’ve been knitting. 

I feel as though I’ve had nothing to post but complaints of my frustrations of late.  I’m in the midst of a crisis of confidence with my school work and comprehensive exam, but it’s nothing I want to go into here.  I’m going to sign off from blogging for a week or so, or at least until I have something productive to say.  Or maybe even pictures.  Not one of my lovely readers needs to be subjected to my weepiness right now.

Enjoy the week, and I’ll catch you all at Rhinebeck!

Just a quick post before my Internet connection disappears on me.  WTF?  I’m using Godzilla Foxfire, which is much better than when I tried it a year or so ago, but isn’t solving my problem.  Up until last week, the Internet and I had a swimmingly delightful relationship.  Now?  Now I’m about ready to chuck the whole idea of using the web.  I can’t take the frustration of having to refresh nearly every page I want to visit.  I’m thinking that the issue is the virus protection software or that my firewall is just too damn sturdy, but I’m too irritated to do anything about it right now or even to figure it all out. Of course I’m kicking myself for the stressful, quick purchase of this computer.  If only I’d been able to wait a couple of days, I could have bought a Mac as I’d hoped to this time around.  Are you sick of my computer/Internet ennui?  I am.

Yesterday we were supposed to visit the pup, but the woman who had him couldn’t bring him to work.  We went back and forth about what to do, but during that time, he found a new home.  I’m glad for the little guy, and Blog-free Kim will attest to the thought that went into whether getting a pup right now was the best option for me.  Lord knows, she listened to endless prattle from me about it.  I feel sad not to have a new guy around, but I think our plan to wait until May, when school is done, is a better one.  I’ll be able to spend the summer with a pup, to really ensure that he’s well acclimated and trained. 

Still. 

I’m almost caught up on grading, and then my next trick is to catch up on revision.  I’m lagging on the dissertation because of my job, and this week will be a time to re-focus for me.

If the sun peeps out, I’ll snap some pictures.  I got a package from Dave last week that really needs some showing off.  Spec. Tac. U. Lar.  That’s what I’m talking about.

Miss Cranky-at-the-Internet signing off now.

Woes first.  My internet service is wonky.  I keep getting messages about IE being unable to display pages.  This weekend, I’ll investigate.  I know I’ll be told by some readers to use Foxfire or Mozilla or whatever, but I’m used to IE, and dang it, I just want it to work the way it used to, before, say, last week.

This frustration with my internet means that I’m not getting back to e-mails, and I’m also not posting pictures of things that beg posting.  I’m hoping that will change by Monday, but hang in there with me, ok?

I’m taking a break from grading.  I just finished one class’s set of papers (except those turned in late.  They can wait longer.) and am about to embark on another class’s papers.  I figure if I focus, really focus, I should be able to get this other class’s done in three hours.  If I don’t get distracted by thinking about Georgie.

Or Gilligan.  Neal came home from work yesterday saying that he thought that would be a good name for the puppy.  Then I hit on Ricky (you know, Lucy’s husband).  I want my boy to have the name of the most dashing Latino I can think of, and right now, that’s Ricky.  Any other ideas? 

Of course, we haven’t agreed to adopt Georgie-Gilligan-Ricky.  He may be claimed by a sad owner (Neal keeps telling me that he is somebody’s dog.  Yeah.  Mine.) sometime in the next week.  In any event, we’re going to visit him on Monday.  My new baby boy.  Well, maybe.

BTW, if he’s named Gilligan, I’m casting on for a blue and white striped shirt for him.  He’ll need something warm, and won’t a nautical shirt look adorable with the beret Sarey suggested?

I was pleased this summer when one of the professors who runs the writing program where I teach called to see if I’d cover for her maternity leave.  I jumped on the chance for a few reasons:  I’d get to use her materials, which is always fun and illuminating for a teacher; I’d show my willingness to step up, which might be a good thing if there’s an opportunity ever to go full time here; I’d get paid for two more credits, and those funds will go right into my account for the "big trip" to Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway.

The baby was born on Friday, and this week is the start of my new schedule.  It. Is. Exhausting.  I’m in the midst of grading papers for my own classes, and I collected papers from the new class on Monday.  I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, but I know I can manage it all.  I’ve kept far busier schedules than this in the past.  Hectic, fast-paced New York schedules.  This should be cake for me.

But maybe that’s the wrong attitude.  Maybe it would be better for my mental health if I admitted that this is a challenge.  I’m a few years older than I was when I worked full-time and taught two classes and commuted all over Westchester and wrote and put together applications for graduate school and dealt with divorce and learned to manage a household on my own.  These next two semesters are really important in my life.  I’m in the process of revising my novella/short story collection in order to defend in the spring so that I can start selling myself on the full-time market as well as in the publication market.  It’s ok that I’m going to bed before 10:00 most nights, right?

I don’t want this to seem like a complaint.  I don’t feel complain-y.  Instead I feel like I’m trying to talk myself into being more understanding of what I’m doing and the amount of work that is entailed.  It’s ok to go to bed early.  It’s ok to ask Neal to pick up pizza when I can’t face trying to be creative in the kitchen.  Or even just being in the kitchen.

But is it ok to beg for the chihuahua that we heard about last night from our friends Isa and Pascal?  He’s a pup that might need a home if no one claims him.  As soon as I heard about him (he’s named Georgie in my mind already), the weight of all I’m doing lifted from me.  I felt excited and happy and hopeful.  I’m trying to persuade Neal to feel the same about Georgie.  Maybe if we go to see him on Saturday Neal will understand my desire–nay, my need– for this pup.

Here’s hoping!

This view is from our side yard looking into the front.  In an effort to have less impact on Mama Earth, we’re (well, Neal) slowly shrinking our front yard by transforming it into a meadow.  Neal did a lot of landscape architecture coursework as an undergrad, and I reap the results with an interesting yard.  When the grass is freshly mown, the line between meadow and yard is crisp, and the flow of the path to walk in order to enjoy the meadow (along with the myriad frogs, bees, and dragonflies) is nothing short of delightful.

I savor these autumn days, especially when they are linked with chilly nights.  I know that, before long, I’ll need to brace myself before I open the door.  Right now it’s enough to pull on a sweater and bring my beloved pashmina onto the deck with me if I want to enjoy the fresh air.

The leaves are taking their sweet time changing, and I’m not complaining.  We drove to the New York border today to mess around in a few antique shops.  I scored a delightful little embroidered gift for my mom, and I also made a purchase at an impressive tea shop.  When I came back from my summer in England, nothing but a proper cuppa would do for me.  Over the years, I’ve settled back into less satisfying American tea bags.  One of the little changes I want to make to enrich my life is to return to a proper cup of tea.  I’ve only myself to blame if I’m feeling less than elegant about the details of my life, and it’s up to me to establish and maintain some standards.

I’d love to hear about how you ensure there are little moments of elegance in your life. 

Our woods are getting littered with the early golden leaves that drift to the ground.  Now and again I see a shot of red or orange, and those glowy colors will increase in the next few weeks.

Can you believe S.E. Hinton’s classic The Outsiders turns 40 this year? 

I thought I’d distract you from my continuing inability to post new pictures by showing you the peonies I carried for my wedding.  Aren’t they so pretty? 

Randomness follows.

1.  I started Foliage last night. It’s Christmas knitting.

2.  This kit arrived in today’s mail.  I may shun the Cozy V-neck pullover for all the grief I’ve had of it and cast on this as my Rhinebeck sweater.

3.  I taught a good lesson on thesis statements this week.  Well, I did it in two parts, and today was the workshop part.  The brave kids who volunteered their draft thesis statements seemed pleased with their revised, post-workshop statements.

4. I just booked a flight to visit my bestest friend and sister, MB, in January.  I’m super excited as I’m hoping to get a visit with Sheila in, too (I’ll be e-mailing you with the 411, Sheila!).

5.  Even though I can’t wait for Season Four of Gray’s Anatomy to start (I’ve almost caught up on all the previous episodes), I thought the hour-long PR piece about Addison and her new show was ridiculous.  I tried to defend it while Neal mocked it.  After all, these are my tv friends.  But, c’mon.  WTF?

6. Despite the inherent sadness of the subject matter, Away With Her, adapted from Alice Munro’s "A Bear Came Over the Mountain," is one of the best movies I’ve seen in quite some time.  I liked that it opened a lengthy discussion between me and Neal about how we want to be treated as we age.  I hated that we need to have such discussions, but better to know each others’ minds than just think we’ll be young (ish) forever.

7.  We went to a divey Mexican restuarant on Wednesday after I cried over my failed polenta on Tuesday.  Yesterday I woke up thinking about the leftovers I would have for lunch.  One might say I obsessed over them.  After two years in New Mexico, I’m damn fussy about the Mexican I eat, and I’m glad to have found a joint I like, even if it is in Connecticut’s own version of Hell.  At least the restaurant isn’t in a mall, right?

8.  After a bit of spit-spat housework, I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon outside.  We’re having divine end-of-summer weather here, and I want to savor every moment of it.

Thanks for bearing with the randomness; I hope you enjoy your weekend!

I’ve gotten more new technology in my life in the past few months than I had in years.  During my visit to NY with Mike and Dana, I indulged in a new iPod, which if I had waited a mere six weeks would have been less expensive.  In any case, I’ve been listening to the same two bbq mixes that Mike made for me since our party in July.  Today I decided, was technology befriending day.  I moved files on my new laptop from the backup folder the Geek Squad inelegantly left on my desktop, and I connected my new printer/scanner/copier (it’s small enough to sit on my desk comfortably!  And it scans!  And it was inexpensive!).  I wanted to update my iPod with some podcasts, and I’m irritated that I can’t quite figure out how to get it to load the many, many episodes I haven’t yet heard.  Even more irritating is that I can’t get the new, unnamed (does it deserve a name if it’s not cooperating with me?) computer to recognize our digital camera.  What’s a blog if there aren’t pictures?  I downloaded the patch or whatever you call it for Vista, but it just won’t recognize the camera.  Snotty computer (although I do love you *strokes computer*.  Please don’t break on me.  I love you, you poor, no-name slob). 

I think me and all of this new technology can make friends with each other.  Time and patience.  And maybe my oldest nephew would help.  He’s pretty tech-savvy. 

What have been the biggest hurdles to you and technology being on good terms?  Like how I’m giving you comment fodder?  Because I’ll tell you, it’s now less than forty comments until the giveaway.

Tonight’s my SnB.  If the technology was all living in peace and harmony, I could show you the new sweater I’ve started.  Some day soon, I hope!

My pal Dana and her husband arrive this evening from Albuquerque to spend the weekend.  We’ll be in NYC, my favorite city on earth (of the ones I’ve met), tomorrow.  Friday is prep day for the BBQ Bash, and Saturday is the Bash.  We’re expecting a small crowd of our family and close friends and neighbors, and I’m super excited about the whole weekend.  On Sunday we’re taking our company to Boston, and Dave’s been kind enough to send some recommended sights.  I haven’t been there since the last time my ex-fiance (hi, K.K.!) (yes, he found my blog ages ago.  Time I gave him a shout out.  Maybe I should give him a link.  Do you want me to link to you?) took me in, oh, 1989 or so?  Did you know I was engaged to someone before I married my ex?  Do you see how my mind wanders when I’m so excited?

Focus, Beverly.  Dana and Mike have never been to the Northeast before, and while there isn’t enough time for me to show them all of New England’s glory, I figured that our two great cities (sorry, one is slightly greater to me, but I don’t want to start any fights.  Yes, I root for the Yankees.  Sue me.) will give them a taste of how we do it here.  We sprawl into the sky as the land is so limited, whereas out west, Albuquerque in particular (it’s the city I know best out there), spills out onto the seemingly endless land. 

I haven’t been to NYC since I moved in 2004, and I think I’m just as excited to see her again as I am about this visit.  She got into my blood in my 14 years of living in Westchester, and I’ve missed her.

No segue that I can figure out makes sense here, so I’ll just dive into my exciting postal delivery today.  I ordered a WooLee Winder for my Lendrum two days ago, and it’s here already!  I’m stunned and delighted by the fast service, but it will likely be next week before I have time to try it out.

Which makes a good segue for me to say that I’m not likely to be online too much for the next week.  I’ll catch you when I’m back and hope you have a great week.