Death to Turkeys

I’m in DC visiting my brother and my best friend, and I can’t believe we just prepared, cooked and served a meal for 19 people.  Ay Dios, then there was the cleaning up part.  The dish soap alone cost us almost 20 bucks LOL

I loved being surrounded by what I consider to be my true family – those who are in my Life through choice, whether it be by blood or not – and having most of them in one place was wonderful.  It had been too long.  I missed my sister (who spent the holiday in Buffalo with my parents) and my cousins in Atlanta but I will see them in a few months.

After cleaning up we watched the Clone Wars movie and The Cosby Show marathon!  Hahaha

Right now I’m waiting for my brother to come over so we can grab coffee at our favorite spot, Busboys & Poets.  Then, I am going to have a nap.

I hope your day was a great one!

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!

List #2

Things I have to do while I’m in Buffalo:

1. Go to the Lexington Co-op and buy Earl Grey and Green teas
2. Have cup of delicious coffee and slice of yummy dessert at Spot Coffee
3. Go to Amy’s Place and have “the usual” (ham, broccoli and cheddar cheese omelette, with english muffin, home fried potatoes, sweet tea and strawberry jam)
4. Find old bass classical string method lesson book
5. Find out whatever happened to last year’s Christmas and Kwanzaa gifts that were supposed to get boxed up and mailed to Colorado; box them up and mail to Colorado
6. Dig out old Organic Chemistry (Orgo) molecular modeling kit (in attic???)
7. Dig out old Orgo text book (refer to number 6)
8. Consider likelihood that numbers 4-7 are all in the attic
9. Add numbers 4, 6 and 7 to box in number 5
10. Find out if rumors that Niagara Cafe has closed are false (keep fingers crossed)
11. Visit with old professor/PI from Biochemistry department at UB
12. Visit Albright-Knox Art Gallery
13. Finalize a few wedding plans with Nic
14. Have dinner with family and friends at Happy Jack’s in Erie, ON (don’t forget to buy extra bag of fortune cookies)
15. Sleep