Exactly where we're from

I suppose thanksgiving, on top of being about eating crazy amounts of food, is about being thankful. Here are some things I am thankful for.

Family
Friends
my home
exploring
travel
the Camino
my cat (some days)
learning new things
curiosity
climbing and building and roaming
bicycles
music
sunshine
rain
laugher

I am thankful for the fact that I have friends covering the world that would put me up at a moments notice, that let me call them, email them, chat with them, that mostly always respond (sometimes promptly) that give me reasons to write and laugh and decompress. For the fact that I am lucky enough to have a family that allows me all the same things, that I am always happy to see, that call and listen and allow me to complain when it is necessary.

I am thankful that I have all that I do, that I have a warm, comfortable apartment (regardless of its location) that I have food and music and the luxury of time and money to explore.

I am thankful. And occasionally filled with contentment and patience. I am occasionally filled with joy. And once in awhile recounting those things is probably good for me.

Call me on your way back home

It has been good, busy, I'm excited for break, and even more excited to be home for Christmas. Everything is busy but I'm not particularly behind, which is nice. It's getting chilly and raining today and it feels like Amsterdam and Spain and not much like home at all.

I think I am going to apply for a fellowship for people working doing research involving the African Diaspora, which could be good, but I don't think I stand much of a chance in getting it, we'll see though, I have no idea of how many people apply, etc. Saturday I spent at home reading fiction and watching movies, which was amazingly lovely. Friday night we went out to Sushi for a friends birthday, which was nice.

All and all things are good. I've decided I'm going to Spain again in May, unless something makes that legitimately impossible. I'm already having dreams about it...

Amazing

Can I be too tired to blog?

So this week was draining and exhausting and I realized that Worcester is in fact that bad and is in itself somewhat exhausting and stressful for me, so I went to Boston today. It was lovely, it was a real city, it made me happy. A group of us went to brunch at a very nice place in Cambridge, and had tasty, tasty food. And then me and two other friends wandered around Cambridge for five hours, we went shopping, and got ice cream at my favorite ice cream place in the world. It was amazing, partially exhausting (my feet hurt and I'm tired) and it was soo soo nice to get out of here and to there. Christine and I have decided that we will make full effort to make sure it happens at least every other week, if not more.

Last week I did a lot of readings, and had a lot of group meetings, and Nick and I finally got around to setting up the slack line and playing with that. Which, turns out, is not something I am capable of doing. But is something that I want to keep working at because maybe someday. Friday night a friend and I went out to dinner and had burgers :) and then a group of us went to a house party. Non eventful and not very exciting either. Saturday Igor and I watched a movie, which was mostly bad, although had movements of good. And today, in all its brilliance, was spent in Boston.

And now I'm tired, and planning on having a nice dark beer and watching CSI Miami for a while, then sleep. Sounds lovely.

When the cold, the dark, and the silence come

So I finished one mid-term this morning and went out to pizza lunch with a friend to celebrate. It was nice, I really like her and we talked about how strange it is to work your way into a new group of friends, how everyone is dancing around each other and how are friend groups back home are painfully over comfortable, and how we miss that. It was lovely to get to have a conversation with someone here about these things, I forget sometimes that everyone in my new friend group is missing people somewhere, because no one is from here.

Over the course of this weekend and the beginning of next week I have to write another mid-term, register for next semesters classes, meet for two group projects (and actually have some things achieved to bring and discuss), teach ESL, and read a shit load of articles. I'm ready for Thanksgiving, I'm not going home, which is fine, but I'm ready for some days off. I'm sure I'll have to work through it, but it will feel slightly like a vacation at least. I was supposed to go into Boston tomorrow for a show, but I don't think it will be happening anymore, which is okay because I have so much to do, but sad because I want to go hang out in Boston.

I took today off from work, mostly, at least once I finished what was due today. After friend lunch I came home and watched tv on hulu for an hour and then cleaned my house. So I managed to not think but still achieve, which was amazing because my house was not at all clean, and it's nice to feel somewhat organized again. Like I know where at least some things are.

And now, happy hour :) Some nights just aren't meant for getting things done, and it's fall like I feel like MN doesn't have fall anymore, sunny and warmish and fresh and lovely. So happy hour and fall and maybe the ability to not think about school for 8 -10 hours.

and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes, I thought it was there for good so I never even tried

the way the violent overflow of rain over cliffs
cleans the sewers and drains of Ithaca
whose waterfalls head my list, followed by
crudites of carrots and beets, roots and all,
with rained-on radishes, too beautiful to eat,
and the pure pleasure of talking, talking and not knowing
where the talk will lead, but willing to take my chances.


Part of Shake the Superflux! by David Lehman