Merry

Just sent out my annual report. I think I've emailed in lieu of cards (not that I ever sent cards really) for the past four years or so. It's been good to review. Kind of exhausting. But maybe that's just cuz I helped watch kids today. I don't think I'm going to shut down the blog just yet. First I need to get settled (in Tucson or otherwheres) before I let go of this means of feeling accomplishment. I recently read someone's blog about blogging and how one should really know why one is blogging to have a good blog. And as my subtitle indicates, I don't want to stray too far from travelogue. Unless I repurpose. Again. :) Happy Christmas, as they say in other places.

Exit wounds

Not that I've been shot. It's just the pin prick-sized scabs on my hand just healed from helping arrange roses at the TSC volunteer banquet--and that was about two weeks ago. And there's a fading bruise on my shin from when I ran into Juanita's granny cart containing her Christmas tree. And, well, the gap in my heart whenever I leave NYC. And, well, well, it's time. I'm done. Time to shut down the blog because there are no more travels.

Nancy (of Richland) asked me today if I plan to be temporary for much longer. And it's like: yes, I not only plan to be temporary, I AM temporary. And eternal. Confusing right? It's the dot, not the line--according to Randy Alcorn. But no, I want to be Somewhere. I don't like being elsewhere. I like location, I just don't like fixed location. (A big thank you to Nancy for the lovely lunch and chat!!)

My dad said I need to own things to teach me responsibility. Like a computer. Or a car. Using things that don't belong to me, I don't learn to take care of them. I didn't get mad, visibly. Certainly my internal resume ticker was flashing: I just took care of my sister's FOUR kids for a week! My Linkedin recommendations rock! I bought and installed RAM for your computer...Oh hollow justification.

Anyway. Here's some pictures to lighten the mood of this post.

Some of my ex-colleagues at the Deutsch department party I crashed.

Kristin and Linsey prepping lemon tart.

Closeup of tart.

Juanita and the tree. :)

Ten lepers-esque

Waiting for my re-booked flight out of Salt Lake City (free wifi!). I volunteered to take a later flight in return for 300 Delta dollars and a $7 meal voucher that I just redeemed at Wolfgang Puck Express for a turkey avocado sandwich. And after making up the 86 cent balance, I have 25 cents left in cash.

This is what Christians call a praise report. i.e., I didn't want to spend the subway fare to head into Manhattan but I did want to see Nancy one last time. Remembered that my two-week unlimited expired today and not yesterday. So I got to see Nancy without extra cost.

Then, Nancy paid for my beef goulash at Hallo Berlin after we met Diane--a lonely elder lady who is family-less in NYC and said her company voted to stop paying for health insurance instead of doing layoffs. She said her insurance bill is more than her rent. Nancy shared with her about the only For Sure we have.

As mentioned, my metrocard expired today but I didn't have to use it because last night I went to Jersey City and stayed the night at Linsey's place. And she and Kristen made curry split pea soup, linguini and meatballs, and a huge lemon tart with freshly whipped schlag. Then, they both woke up at 5:30am to drive me to Newark. Did I mention I don't have enough money to pay for the path/nj transit/airtrain? No worries.

Moreover, as far as my Tucson plans I don't have a job yet nor a place to live. I was beginning to wonder: is this happening? Am I gonna have to bum off my parents indefinitely? How am I even gonna GET to Tucson? Cue overbooking of my Salt Lake-Pasco flight. Now I have $300 to fly to Tucson! Wow. Thank you, my God. Love, me of little faith. What kind of volunteering ends up with $307 in compensation? Wow.

Also, on my Newark-SLC segment, I uses the free wifi trial, flight attendant gave me extra Biscoff (dude I love those cookies), and I had the row to myself.

Oh, and since I'm on a roll, at _two_ upstairs climbs on my trip from Juanita's in Queens to Jersey City, a young woman offered to help me with my luggage. Two angels. At separate places at the right time.    

Ninth morning in Queens

I've got two hours to post some photos. Let's go!



Thanksgiving! My whole family at my sister's house with her husband's family too.



Sue, my roommate from my Israel trip, with Mooch's cousin!













The view from Sue's kitchen window. You better believe that I want to take her up on her guest room offer! Amazing.



Currant scone and curd at Rice in Fort Greene.















Nini! Just as cute as last time we hung out.




Linsey with her fabulous new hair cut!

















Anna and Ben's menagerie: Bubbles (the bear), Nay Nay (the donkey), and Pigletta. I didn't get the little ones' names. Hung out with Anna yesterday, met for lunch at Zemi, where the tofu was quite good, and then I saw her apartment in Park Slope. It's beautifully decorated and there is lots of light.




After leaving Anna's, I traveled deeper into Brooklyn to Nancy's mom's house where she persuaded her mom to cook for me (and the rest of the family and half the neighborhood). Chicken and spaghetti. Oh my! Yum! This is it cooking.




And here it is plated, my plate to be exact.


Final shot is Evelyn (Nancy's mom), Alexis (Nancy's brother), and Nancy. What fun! We decorated and laughed well into the night. I am thankful for good eats and shared eats.

Eight days a week

Back in NYC for a few days. Tonight, I had dinner with Amy, my friend since the 3rd grade(!), in Hoboken, NJ. It was nice to catch up and she treated. (Thanks, Ike!) Her baby just turned a year old and I have yet to meet him but she seems to be taking motherhood in easy stride and he sounds like he's taking to life in the real-world with great ability.

Since I arrived here a week ago, mostly I've been doing small apartment improvements for Juanita: got rid of a busted window A/C unit; organized under the kitchen sink; hounded the building maintenance to fix a leaky toilet. Today I obtained a fresh 5-foot Christmas tree! I'm going to decorate it tomorrow. Juanita says, "Why aren't you married? I come home after work to a clean house and dinner waiting." I've even fixed lunch for her to take to work a couple days. So, folks, please note: Irene has domestic potential.

Not to say I've been home exclusively. You know me: volunteering at Times Square Church, lunch with Nini in Fort Greene, a missed-play-so-coffee-instead with Linsey, the Met and Bergdorf Goodman windows (my favorite is the Reflected Serenades and Meticulous Metronomes), dinner with Jessica, a lunch and dinner with Nancy, MoMA to see the over-hung Bauhaus exhibit...

Wrapping up this year is bittersweet. I've had such a fun time. Yet the bank balance is a sort of reddish-black and even the Bible limits Jubilee to a year. So, for all those interested in my 'plans': I hope to go to Tucson and hang out near Olivia for a few months til it gets really hot, say June. Then maybe I'll go to Seattle and enjoy my favorite time of year there. Then...???