what happens when i can’t sleep (or List #11).

Tonight is the second night in a row I have been unable to fall asleep. Neither yawn nor eye-rub has passed my way. Not even a quiet whimper.

(While I type this, I periodically look over at my partner…who has been enjoying the benefits of REM sleep for over an hour now…and feel jealous. It’s all good, though: he just mumbled something about muffin pans and chocolate pudding, so I’m sure to have a good laugh in the morning when I tease him about it and he can’t remember a thing).

To be honest, sleeplessness happens to me a lot…well, sometimes. I am somewhat of a night crawler, preferring late nights to early mornings, and mornings and I have had a dysfunctional relationship from the beginning. On most nights I can usually fake it, but not tonight. And not last night, either. I blame the ginko biloba I started taking on Friday.  I thought it would help me stay focused and have less-cranky mornings.  Now, while staying up all night in college almost always guaranteed I would be wide awake when morning happened, after 30 that little trick stopped working so well (in fact, staying up all night in my 30′s has proven to almost always guarantee extreme crankiness and the very real possibility of missing mornings all together).  Oh, the irony.

So, since I can’t sleep, I will plot adventures, instead.

1. Feeding the Wanderlust. I have been feeling anxious to wander. This time around, however, my mind is stuck on Ireland. I just want to go. Now.  Pubs, rolling hills, country towns and the Irish brogue are calling my name. All I can think about is not if, but when and how. (Disclaimer: the last time I felt a similar urge to travel I ended up spending 2 weeks holed up in a tiny bungalow along a fisherman’s beach in the Thai province of Chiang Mai… it was a glorious trip but my initial aim was for Brazil.)
2. Spelunking. Now that the weather has warmed up, I’m planning on hitting a few caves this summer.  I’ve spent a couple hours compiling a spreadsheet of all the national monuments (yes, I bought one of the NM passport books…), categorized by monument type. The Lava Beds in CA and the Oregon Caves look like lots of fun, and getting greater exposure to the west coast is a bonus.  Other caving adventures are being planned…
3. Books…yeah.  The cycle is never ending with this one, I’m afraid.  At the top of my book list this month is The Salmon of Doubt by Doug Adams.  I bought it in 2002 very shortly after it was released but never got around to reading it.  Guns, Germs and Steel is up next after that, possibly The Dresden Files series after that.
4. Movies. I’m planning to check out a few of the outdoor cinema shows this summer.  It combines a couple of my favorite things, evening picnics and films, and I think it’s a great summer tradition to be a part of since it happens all around the world.  Between Denver and Boulder, I will have several chances to see Goonies on the big screen again, as well a few other “oldie but goodies”…that is, if the rain lets up this month sometime.  If not, I’m also looking forward to seeing  The Last Airbender and Predators in the theaters.

Okay.  Seeing how it is going on 2 o’clock in the morning, I believe I am now officially obligated to lie in bed with the lights off and my eyes closed.  I do have to be at work later this morning, after all.  G’night!

AIDS Walk Colorado 2008

I participated again today and I had so much fun!  This is my third year walking in the fundraiser, having participated in 2004 and 2005.  I walk to honor the memory of three family members I lost to this wasteful and ravaging disease.  I offer a big THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored me this year – I surpassed my fund raising goal!  Until there’s a cure…we stand in solidarity.

It was just a Really Great Day.

Yesterday was my birthday and I had a perfect day. I wanted to keep it low key, so I did, and spent most of the morning receiving calls from family (which was wonderful), drinking tea and watching one of my favorite movies. Around noon Cam took me out for an early supper and that was fun too (even without Spinach & Artichoke dip ). We had a nice long walk around our neighborhood afterwards and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

After that I headed out to sci fi club and hung out with friends for a couple hours eating warm caramel rolls while we watched the evening’s television line up. Yummm.

Even though I’ve been told I actually have a full week to celebrate my birthday, the week coming up is a busy one so unfortunately I can’t take that too seriously .

As a brief Life update: there have been some sad times recently as members of my extended family, who are very dear to me, have experienced several emergencies. My heart and attention have been with them. They have been and continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, and I am grateful as things seem to be improving. Also, I’ve been busy with career stuff. I made the decision last month to accept a position on the Board of Directors at the non-profit I’ve been active with for about a year and a half now. It was a very involved but gratifying decision, and it has rewarded me, even in the the short time since I made it. I also have a job interview for a research position in Denver tomorrow! Wish me luck and blessings. I will probably spend the remainder of this afternoon making final preparations for that.

That’s all for now; I will write more regular updates now that the “busyness” has subsided.

Peace!

Bringing it all together.

Classes officially begin on Monday and I am ready! Over the summer I made the decision to matriculate a course at the Denver campus this semester, so I spent the afternoon today taking a look around and getting a few things sorted. I really like the Student Union and found most of the people I met and talked to very friendly and helpful when I had questions. And I love riding on the train City life is nice.

On the home front there’s been a lot of change, too. Very unfortunately (and almost unbelievably), my landlord and her husband were BOTH laid off from their jobs last week! So, due to that, they’ve decided to keep this house on the market but are now (understandably) looking to rent the entire house to someone in the meantime, having only rented out my room until now (they own and live in another house). This means that I’ll definitely have to move sooner rather than later, as previous circumstances had caused me to believe I could rent just my room through to the end of the year.

It’s all good, though. I’m feelin’ good and not worried

Can’t Stop the Serenity

Charity fundraisers are awesome because they give me an opportunity to meet a community of people who are willing to give their time, concern and/or money to causes I believe in. It’s also a great way to network with like-minded individuals.

Last night, I attended the Can’t Stop the Serenity charity screening of Joss Whedon’s Serenity, hosted by the Mile High Browncoats as a tribute to Joss and his efforts in supporting the advocacy group Equality Now. Serenity is one of my favorite movies, and all proceeds above cost from the event were to benefit EN, which works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. Men are also highly impacted by their work, as they stand to benefit a great deal from their tremendous efforts.

The screening was at the Tivoli in Denver, and it was PACKED. I attended the 8pm screening, and met some really cool folks while standing in line and waiting for the 5pm group to leave. I saw old people, young people, coupled people, single people, some people dressed in jeans and t-shirts and some people dressed in costumes and full-length gowns. It was awesome. One woman behind me commented on how cool it was to see so many “sci-fi geeks in one place”. Yeah!

Before the movie began, we watched a short film featuring Meryl Streep (on behalf of Equality Now), and Joss, in honor of his mother Jessica. After Meryl spoke, Joss gave the audience several answers to a question he is asked over and over again, “Why do you keep writing such strong female characters into your stories?” Joss answered, “Because of my mother”, “Because of my father”, “Because they’re hot” and “Because you’re still asking me that question instead of asking the other 100 guys over there why they’re not.” Well said.

Overall, the night was a lot of fun and very empowering. It was great to be in the presence of men and women who love sci-fi and support strong, healthy women and men. It’s not about overpowering each other, it’s about respecting each other’s ability to be strong and supportive. Like my Auntie Vivian used to always say, “When I am strong, my family, my home and my community are strong.”

At some moments, I felt like I was on the red carpet . The highlight of the evening was being invited by Wes to the Afterparty in downtown, but I had to regrettably decline. Thanks to the MHB and all the organizers and volunteers for a great event!

Happy Summer!

Catching Up

Hi folks, sorry for the extended absence. I’ve been feeling more introspective than usual lately, which means a lot of fast and furious scribbling in my written journal but not much on the blog. I also managed to catch a yucky cold last week, and that has slowed down the mental progress a wee bit While I go sip on some homemade chicken soup, here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on:

• During a visit to my advisor’s office a few weeks ago, we concluded that I can graduate in December!!! Woo hoo! I’m really excited and much of my attention has been absorbed with what comes next. My future prospects seem limitless, as deciding on what to do is both liberating and daunting. Being about the business of a having a career that has meaning and purpose is important to me. This begs the question, what exactly do I want? And how do I fit that into a reasonable goal? All circumstances point towards being absolutely clear on the answer and not being afraid of going after it. I predict more entries on this subject will follow.
• In my last entry I wrote about big plans for volunteering at the local hospital, but so far nothing has happened on that front. I had an interview last week Friday with the volunteer coordinator, but wrote it into my calendar as happening THIS Friday (doh!). I didn’t realize the discrepency until last Friday when I was in an airplane cruising at about 35,000+ feet above and a couple thousand miles east of Denver. Oops. Fortunately for me, the coordinator was very understanding and has re-scheduled my interview for two weeks hence. Whew.
• I’ve broken down and decided to purchase a car. I’ve been in Colorado for a little over 4 years without one, but the time has come. My schedule is so tight nowadays that the additional 4 or 5 hours I’ll save by driving to work/school a few days a week instead of riding the bus will be wonderful. This means more time at the gym, playing the cello or doing whatever else makes me happy and sane Ahhhh, sigh of soothing relief.
• A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of visiting the Stiles African-American Heritage Center in the Four Points area of Denver. It was an amazing visit, and I am eager to return and foster a closer relationship with its founder, Ms. Grace Stiles, and her community. I also made a quick tour of the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library just 2 blocks away and was blown away by the rich history of the Four Points area. I regret that I’ve lived in the area for so long and have not connected with the community–and now, I’m preparing to leave it! I have the wild idea of interviewing several members of the Four Points business community and making a documentary as a testament to their acheivements and as a record of my experience there.
• Another tip of the hat goes to Denver for a wonderful spot in town called the Mercury Cafe (thanks Micah!). The decor, wine and food were awesome! I highly recommend the place to anyone who is looking for an eclectic, subdued dining atmosphere.
• Due to popular demand…well, okay, just one person’s comments (smile)…I’m working on adding a book review page to this blog. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several really good books lately, many as selections from a couple of book clubs I belong to. Stay tuned for that.

That’s it for now. I’m so happy to see the sun shining bright in Colorado again, so I’m gonna go out to get some fresh air. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

More Snow in Colorado?

The weirdness:

Inches of snow in Boulder, CO: lots

Inches of snow in Buffalo, NY: zero

I just received an email from the airline carrier I booked my return flight with, it says if the current storm continues through the weekend my flight will be re-booked! No! After waiting for a taxi for FOUR hours very late on Sunday night, finally giving up and hitching a ride part of the way out to DIA, and being re-booked THREE times after I got there so I couldn’t fly out until late on Monday, I just can’t make it through another airport fiasco.

“It was the most profound experience of my life.”

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting with friends in Denver. It all began innocently enough when I suggested to a couple of my girl friends that we go to Denver and check out the latest art exhibits showing in the local galleries. A few days and emails later our little group grew to include a few other enthusiatic art fans. It was a shiny autumn day as we gathered inside the Denver Art Museum on 13th Street near the Civic Center. We had the pleasure of viewing several exhibits, ranging from Contemporary art to ancient Japanese art, that spanned 4 stories. We saw paintings by Monet, a modern artist’s version of the Mona Lisa and a rather buxom-looking anime statue that, according to the little girl next to us, looked just like someone name Misty.

Oh man, how I wish I’d remembered to bring my camera.

After viewing all of the exhibts at DAM, a few of us decided to head over to the new site for the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver at 15th Street and Delgany, near downtown. That was a hysterical time, as we got lost on the way, had trouble seeing the building even after we’d got the directions by phone, and then walked in to find only one exhibit showing. But wow, what an exhibit it was. It’s titled Fade, by artist Erwin Redl, and it’s a wonderful mix of light, texture and space. We sat in the middle of the room, our heads and faces crowned with small halos from the wall of red light that surrounded us, and quickly found ourselves sharing stories from our day to day and taking a few moments of reflective pause. We jokingly decided to tell the others in our group that they’d missed the most profound exhibit any of us had ever experienced. Ironically, though, I really hadn’t seen anything like it. Profound, probably not, but unique and beautiful, yes. It had a presence that made me want to sit and watch for what came next. The exhibit came to be more than something to just look at, that was for sure.