Happy Happy New New

Alright friends, I know I haven't posted in a while, so cheers to you if you've found your way here and are still reading.  It's time for my attempt at resolutions for 2012, or rather, guidelines. I prefer an easy hand. Did pretty well on last year's, and here are the newbies, in no particular order:

1.) Have a successful dinner party, cooked by me. And not my standard salmon-and-roasted-beans, but rather other food that I haven't tried to make before. I'm ready to feel more proficient in the kitchen.

2.) Lose... ohhh, about 40 pounds. No big deal. Just gotta work my ass off. Quite literally.

3.) Consolidate. Things, things, things. How much stuff do I really need? How much do I really use? Time to do an accounting.

4.) If this were a prioritized list, this would be Number 1: (Start to) pay my student loans. On time, hopefully more than asked at a time, and in a way that doesn't totally paralyze the rest of my life.

5.) Join a choir.

6.) Grow my hair back out? Hmm. This one's still up for debate.

7.) Pick and switch to a new bank? Seems like BoA is not really serving the people in the best of ways. Gotta do some investigating first though.

8.) Swear less.

9.) Keep up the good reading! I've been reading for pleasure so much since I graduated, and I just love it!

10.) Stop pulling out my hair. I pull out the white ones. I started finding black ones, and I started pulling those out too. I'm going to go bald if I don't stop. So I'm going to stop.

Hmm. Seems like 2012 has a lot of potential for hair. Let's hope there's even more in store for me and for you special people! I hope you have a joyful, laughter-filled year with people you love and that you find some satisfaction in every day of it. Happy New Year! 

Giving thanks

This was the acknowledgments page of my thesis - it could easily apply to my whole life:

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This thesis could not have been completed without the assistance and support of many people to whom I am deeply grateful.

First, a special acknowledgment of the supervisors, professors, peers, and instructors I have been fortunate to study with over the years in theater, English, music, psychology, and social work. Your wisdom, creativity, rigorous standards, and encouragement led me here.

A hearty, humble thank you to my thesis advisor Elizabeth Irvin, PhD, LICSW, for your guidance, equanimity, and reassurance through my sometimes-unconventional thesis process; to Deb and IFS for helping me uncover my inner achiever in all her fedora-wearing glory; to the many acquaintances who contributed uplifting energy and titles to my sample; and, of course, to the many artists, directors, writers, and producers who continue to try to depict therapy well onscreen.

Thank you to my Smithies for the support and learning you have so perceptively shared in our time here while becoming, to my utter joy, great friends; and to my chosen Chosen people and other kindred spirits for your willing ears, warm hugs, easy laughter, and brilliant, inspiring minds that have seen me through so many years – here’s to many more!

Much love and gratitude to my parents for believing in me, encouraging me to find a path in life that I am passionate about, and for remaining steady along the way. Thanks, as always, to my brother for your playful spirit, wise perspective, and for letting me be first just this once. 


Finally, I especially wish to thank Jess for your unwavering support, love, patience, and humor. You’re the best thing.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Enjoy your day :)

People watching

Since I make next to nothing as a social work fellow, I picked up a second job of sorts working in events support at a large event space downtown. My roommate's company runs it, and I can sign up for shifts whenever I'm free. It works for me because it allows for the hours of my other jobs but also provides long shifts that actually mean I make some decent money only working a couple days here and there.

Yesterday was my first shift, and it happened to be staffing a book festival. The day started with a kids event, then continued with events featuring the governor of Massachusetts (the day's most poorly-attended event... oops!), a 3-hour-long session on the Civil War, and a keynote address by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient. The entire day I was thinking of Jess, obviously, and planning ways for her to do this event as an author next year, but I was also people watching. These are some of the things I observed:

- There are some very relaxed parents in this town. They stroll around public spaces and keep a roaming eye on their children, who are also in these public spaces, but far away from their parents. Occasionally this works well, and other times, it goes horribly. It works well when the kids come back, like little boomerangs, for periodic check-ins with their parent. "Look what I found!" they crow, as they drag their adult back to some corner somewhere where they found a treasure. "Are we going to eat soon?" some query, calmly, without whining, then take a parental hand and walk away. It works badly when the kids detach the virtual elastic that keeps them bouncing back to their parent, and instead start careening around like little whirlwinds, knocking over stanchions and getting underfoot. The relaxed parent may notice this and call out, or, being so ridiculously relaxed, not. Guess which parents I like?

- There are some very uptight parents in this town. They march, not stroll, and keep their children clutched in their iron grip, allowing them neither to roam nor look at the exciting things around them. I watched as one mother offered to buy her son a button being sold to support the local library, then lectured him for 5 minutes on how to stand as she pinned it to his chest. Someone behind her said something that she thought was intended for her, and she whirled, furious, to ostensibly yell at this distracting member of her party. Instead, she found herself face to face with stranger merely making a kindly comment to a friend, and uptight mom of the year turned back to her son, embarrassed. "Got a little stressed from this button," she tried to quip. The women at the button stand didn't laugh. Her son adjusted his t-shirt to peer at the back of the button. "Stand STILL!" He bowed his head. "I only wanted to see how it works, Mom." I died a little. That poor kid :(

- There are children who recognize candy and scream for it, eyes aglow with scary desire for sugar, over processed goods, and the satisfying crinkle of the wrapper that they will inevitably discard on the floor. These are the children who scream for it - "MomcanIhaveasnaaack? MomcanIhavesomecaaaandy? MomMomMomMomMom!" These children might do well to have a mother like the 2nd in the example above. More often than not, however, they're the ones with a parent who waltzes up to the concession counter at 10am and buys them a can of soda and a large size bag of candy - and I think, "Whyyyyyyy???" Then there are children who breeze by, not even noticing what might be in the bright packages, so excited are they to meet the author of their favorite book about a pigeon who goes to school and a pig who's friends with an elephant. Guess which kids I like?

- Some babies actually are ugly. I know you're not supposed to say that, but seriously. Some are. There. I said it.

- Some babies eat their clothing. The inherently endearing quality of this action provided me with much joy yesterday. 

- Some babies throw everything - literally everything - on the floor and think it's the best joke ever. I like these babies best of all.

- The sound of an entire audience laughing is satisfying for everyone who hears it - the speaker onstage who incurred the laugh, the audience members, bonded in joy with their fellow attendees, and anyone outside the auditorium who is then immediately prompted to stick their head in to see if they can catch the joke - or at least hear the next one. This entire cycle is nice to watch.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll be privy to more observations as this job continues, hopefully more on the hopeful side of this entry and less on the cynical side. My Saturday was a total wash, having sat there from 9:30am to 8:00pm, but hopefully the check will mean fun things :)

Pick me!

As his graduation gift to me, my brother got two tickets to see the Red Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway last night. We sat up on the roof deck, which was awesome - great view of the field, lovely breeze, sweet people around us (including a month-old baby who was just adorable in her Sox onesie) (would we call that a one-sock? Hmm.), and we got to see the Sox rout the Jays for Tim Wakefield's 200th win, which he's been trying for for a while now.

Most importantly, we were close to the NESN/stadium cameraguys in outer right field. Periodically throughout the game they would very obviously pan the crowd for candid and waving fan moments.  I, of course, took this as a cue to wave frantically at frequent intervals smiling, "Pick me! Pick me!" It paid off, and we were on the jumbotron for a solid 20 seconds or more.  Twice.  TWICE. I friggin' loved it. Happy graduation to me, indeed! :)

I posted on facebook the following message, in my glee:

2 awesome roof deck tickets with my brother: $120
Assorted Fenway game food and beer: $35
Wins for Tim Wakefield: 200
Sox Win final score: 18-6
Making it on the jumbotron not once, but twice: Priceless

Anyway, I just logged into gmail and found this email from my mom:

Hey there,

Just got a call from Central Casting.  They saw you on the Jumbotron last night?
No signature, no smiley face, nothin'.  Touché.

Holy grMail

My dad gets mail addressed to the "Reverend Dr. Barnes" sometimes. If it were addressed to the "Irreverent Dr. Barnes" it would be fitting... but alas, no.

Overheard again

Same woman, same movie, later in the conversation:

"How's the homestead?"

"Ehhhh, I'm still gettin' used to the doors."

Is this a newfangled thing in her life? Hmm.

Overheard at the Movies

"Oh, you can't see far? Try mine! They're Progressos."

Yes, for those of you out of the loop, Progresso is now making glasses. Frames come in marinara, alfredo, and tomato basil.