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December 10, 2001
A Christmas Miracle! I was
A Christmas Miracle! I was sitting in my chair in the living room looking at my beaded piece. I moved the cosmetic bag I had used as a container for my beads and wah-la...a lone bead rolled down the table. Now I can tell you I counted those beads many, many times both in the bag and outside and every one of those times I was one bead short. Then out of the blue there rolls this one bead in the correct color on a table that was beadless the night before. So now I have completed my first Christmas gift. Feliz Navidad!
Posted by mermu at 10:27 PM | Comments (3)
I've already finished my blog
I've already finished my blog tonight but I went surfing and decided to add this tidbit. Last Sunday, when I was talking to my friend at the coffee shop, we chatted about religion. I did a really weird thing. About 2 years ago I got confirmed in the Catholic church; something that I had long wished I had done and that was very important to me. The odd thing is...once I did it I became really disenchanted with the formal Catholic Church. I find they are more and more about throwing out the baby and holding sacred the bathwater. My main fixation is who can and who cannot become a priest these days. That one can't be a woman is bad enough, but that one can't be married is completely assinine...especially when you consider that the decision to make all priests celibate was more of a political decision than a spiritual one.
Through our conversation I mentioned that there was a priest in my childhood that was a friend of our family in addition to be a really good priest. I really liked him as a person as well as a priest. He later left the priesthood and married another friend of the family and consequently lost touch with us. Julia suggested I contact him and discuss my issues with him as he has lived with the dilemmas about which I wonder. A great idea I think...although it might freak him out a bit to speak so candidly about something that may still be really personal for him.
I have looked in NYC for a "new age" or "enlightened" Catholic church but to no avail. Well, I was surfing online and found this website dedicated to married priests. There is even a section that mentions when women were disallowed to be priests. How can you disallow something that was never allowed to begin? Hmm. It seems that our Catholic ancient history has a lot to tell us. I don't know how reputable this site is...but it is encouraging to know that they are out there. I may just look up one of these married priests for a chat.
Posted by mermu at 01:15 AM | Comments (0)
This weekend was pretty preductive
This weekend was pretty preductive after an awful Friday. On Thursday I went in for a coupla hours to my bookkeeping job. That turned into five hours, squeezed in between trips to the aformentioned Sprint store. Consequently, I was eating lunch I had bought from the food bar at a deli at 4:40pm while walking down Times Square to pick up my phone. Dinner was an ill-thought-out package of knock-off Ritz Crackers. Consequently I felt awful on Friday. My body was definitely revolting against my shoddy treatment. I had also been stressing a little about getting all the Christmas things done before I leave...and maybe I am just a little stressed about Christmas itself...and getting on a plane. I remember so distinctly feeling like I was risking my life just getting on a bus or the subway the few days after Sept 11. Our idiot President and his staff don't make things any easier by periodically prophecying gloom and doom without producing hard evidence and then telling us to live our lives and Shop, Shop, Shop! Spoken like a man who has never had to earn his money and doesn't give one whip about resources or responsibility. The last thing our country needs is food for the thought that buying something makes it all better. I think we over-medicate our guilt with that particular pill already.
I saw a coupla Christmas shows while I was doing stuff this weekend. "The Santa Clause" with Tim Allen (a movie I actually enjoy despite the critique)and another one on local TV starring Leslie Nielson. Both of these movies focused on the premise that if there is no Santa Claus there would be no Christmas. This idea is so prevalent in our society and it is so depressing. Say what you will about Jesus Christ being the Son of God. Be you Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, Bhuddist or whatever, we started this whole Christmas thing because of Christ (and corresponding Pagan Feasts if you want to get technical) whether you believe he was a beautiful prophet or the Lamb of God or not. Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward People. These are the lasting ideas of Christ. We should have more of this at Christmas and less "buy your boyfriend a jaguar" despite what our President says.
So when I got home Friday I went straight to bed. I have taken naps on both Saturday and Sunday too. It's been lovely. I have also been productive! I cleaned out the stuff on the craft table in my home office and have started making the gifts I want to make. I am trying to do coasters for some people and it isn't working out well. I think I do better with images in mosaic rather than geographic patterns. Ah well. I have finished a beading gift I plan to give--except for one piece. I am missing one bead so I will have to find it. I love having the craft table available for crafts and having my papers put in their proper place. I have even started a wedding notebook for Jen and Stepan's wedding...just in case I need one for my Maid of Honor duties. I also made a kick ass Chili with vegetables and turkey. I am sure I will be sick of it by the time it's gone but for now, it is really yummy.
This week I have three Christmas parties. Yeehaw! I hope I have a gift or two ready for them...I think I will be giving some of my NY gifts after Christmas. Its the Christmas season, it's finally cold here in NYC and I am ready to enjoy it.
Posted by mermu at 12:34 AM | Comments (1)
December 06, 2001
A star sighting...I saw Katie
A star sighting...I saw Katie Couric outside the backstage door of Mamma Mia on my way to the Sprint store to pick up my updated and repaired phone. As awful as it is going to the Sprint store on 42nd street I must say they did a great job on my phone. My warranty ends on December 14th. I took it in to be updated and to have the handset checked. I had started to notice that the sound would go in and out on my calls and thought that the flip up piece was on the fritz. The same thing happened to my Mom's phone. Anyway...they replaced the entire flip up thing. Free of charge! Yay.
I am trying to buy wood for a Mosaic project which may turn out to be a Christmas Gift. Times like these I miss my truck. It would be so great to run over to Home Depot and grab a coupla pieces of wood.
There is so much to do before Christmas. I hope I get it all in.
Posted by mermu at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)
Sunday, December 2, I went
Sunday, December 2, I went to see a movie with my friend Julia. We saw K-PAX. A pretty good movie, but not as good as Amelie. Afterwards we went to a holiday market in Union Square and then got coffee at the corner. We ended up chatting for hours. It was pretty fun.
Tuesday night Jim and Andre bought their Christmas tree and I finally went home. It felt like it had been weeks. I love my bed!! It is so comfortable and it is almost paid for!!
Posted by mermu at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)
Saturday night, December 1st, I
Saturday night, December 1st, I spent the day with Alef, wrote in my journal, lost the entry, got frustrated and watched a movie instead. A friend of mine turned me onto a Classical Guitarist, David Leisner, performing at an intimate theatre on West 86th. It was fabulous! During the performance Mr. Leisner mentioned that he normally plays much larger venues (like Carnegie Hall and the like) but wanted to do a special tour with more intimate seating specifically for student guitarists and other musicians. There were about 50 people in the small hall. The acoustics were wonderful and David's performance was mesmerizing. I was torn between closing my eyes and getting carried away by the music and keeping them open watching Mr. Leisner's performance. It's like a dance really... a person and their guitar. Intimate moves between two. A conversation between intimates.
Posted by mermu at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)
Friday, the 30th of November,
Friday, the 30th of November, I went to see a really great movie, Amelie with Kambri, Greg G, Marc and some of Marcs friends. This was, I think, the best movie I have seen this year. Okay, there have been some really poorly made movies out there this year and not many good ones...so I will say this would make the top of my list of movies have seen in any year. It is lighthearted and sweet and funny and a bit escapist without being stupid and formulaic. It was a joy to watch. If you don't mind subtitles (the movie is in French) and maybe even if you usually do, you should put this movie on your Must See List. It was joyful.
Posted by mermu at 09:30 PM | Comments (2)
On Thursday I had a
On Thursday I had a day off sort of. I was getting things together for Christmas. I had such a good time and I am not saying anymore. I think I hate surprises. It is so frustrating to keep things in and not share experiences when they are part of things that are secret but there it is. I know it will be worth it in the end, but I still want to spill the beans.
Thursday, I started petsitting for Jim and Andre. Ah me. I am always happy to spend time with Alef butÉ I just finished petsitting from last weekend and could have used a break. I miss my own bedÉbut there it isÉThankfully, Alef is a great dog and Jim and Andre have a lovely apartment.
Posted by mermu at 09:18 PM | Comments (1)
Okay, well I have decided
Okay, well I have decided to try again (this time in Word first!).
On Wednesday (November 28th) night I made my way to Kambri's work to catch a glimpse of the Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. An experience that started out to be quite harrowing. Getting there was a chore let me tell you. I got off work at 5:30pm and then made my way on the subway to 6th and 50th street thinking I would just cross over to 5th avenue. I had my faxed security letter with me so I didnÕt think I would have too much of a problem getting there.It was only 6:00 by the time I emerged from the subway with the Champagne and Hummous I had bought from the corner deli for the celebration feast. Oh how foolish I wasÉand not very NY savvy.
There were about a million people crowded around 3 blocks. People were everywhere and 51st, 50th and 49th streets were closed because of the festivities. I had to keep going down the block to try the next street. Foot traffic was at a virtual standstill. I remember promising myself to NEVER get sucked into this maddening tourist-y thing again. I saw a number of people with babies and strollers. Now this was apalling on many levels: First of all these strollers were pretty bulky and most often the people pushing them were very passive when it came to moving forward. So I was frequently parked behind them whilst huge crowds of people were moving the opposite direction. I was very close to giving up and going home. Then I started to chill out when I heard a woman cussing at another person. Ironically, her crude manner brought home to the whole point of lighting trees and ringing in the season. Secondly, I canÕt imagine taking a baby, who will never remember a lit tree (if one were lucky enough to find a place to stand where you could actually see the tree) to a crowded outdoor festivity where there were a lot of frustrated people in a pretty aggressive atmosphere. Those babies I saw did not look like they were having a good time and whatÕs more under the best of situations, they wouldnÕt have cared about the tree one way or the other. Note to self: Never be foolish enough to put my future children through something like that because it will make me feel good. Finally, I was able to make my way across 48th street and onto fifth. Getting to the building was relatively easy after that. I showed my info and ID to the cops at the door and to the security guard and discovered I was in the wrong building. My destination was next door. The doorman must have seen the look on my face at the thought of braving the street crowds because he told me I could go down to the basement level and cross there. I did so- briefly bypassing what I think was one of DestinyÕs Child (ren) critiquing the Harlem Boys Choir.
Once I got to the right building, it was nothing but fun and festivity. KambriÕs company has a conference room on the third floor with a view of the unlit tree, the ice rink and the big screens on the other buildings that will televise the events. We could go to the second floor to view the side stage where Jessica Simpson, DestinyÕs Child and John Cougar Mellencamp performed. Kambri, her boyfriend Marc, and I hobnobbed with KambriÕs coworkers and feasted on Champagne, Wine, Hummous, pretzels and Wheat Thins. The performances were pretty fun to watch. It was also neat to watch the behind the scenes business too. We were all shocked to see performances by Tony Bennett, the Rockettes and some skaters on the telly but not on any of the stages! ThatÕs right. They were pre-taped performances. What a crock!
But even with that anomaly, the evening was perfect except, as it turned out, for Laura Bush. We were not allowed to open the windows at all because she was about and the Secret Service feared some sniper might try to shoot her. I would have just as soon have somebody with less cache, more pinache, and less security light the tree but oh well. (I was a lot more vitriolic about this issue in the first draft but decided to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative---to any secret service: I mean that in the nicest way possible.)
About ten minutes before the actual tree lighting we went down to the lobby. Hector, KambriÕs doorman, got us outside next to the performers stage(where Jessica Simpson etc performed). We had a straight on view of the tree and were about 6 feet away from the stage. There were some women next to us who were none too pleased that we ended up in front of them and in a prime spot without the appropriate pass. I know this because they tried to sick the police on us. We told the police that Hector, the doorman brought us out there and they nodded and went on about their business. ÉI wonder who those women knew to get out there? It just goes to show, that anybody can be somebodyÕs hero once in awhile. We knew a doorman, and he did allright.
Finally, the tree was lit in hues of beautiful reds, whites, and, blues and DestinyÕs Children, Jessica Simpson and a slew of other people were singing a Carol. I couldnÕt help but sing too.
I love New York! Merry Christmas.
Posted by mermu at 09:07 PM | Comments (2)
December 01, 2001
Well, I just posted a
Well, I just posted a fabulous account of my Wednesday festivities and it was riveting let me tell you. When I tried to publish I got an error and lost the whole thing. And this is one day after I wrote a glowing recommendation to a friend about the virtues of having your very own blog.
Note to self...write in word or notepad or save before posting! Anyway, I am so distraught, I am going to put it aside and try again later. Ah me.
Posted by mermu at 04:18 PM | Comments (3)