Bits from the Island

I've been working and working and moving and cleaning and volunteering and tidying and weeding.

Whew.

I'm beat.

My job started on Monday. It's a short walk from our new place which is wonderful, but OH the filing!

Oddly, I don't mind filing. There's something to be said for a job that allows you to put pieces of paper into alphabetical order and see a sort of accomplishment at the end.

My co-workers gasp at the tremendous piles of paper in front of me (stuff going back 4 years!) and wonder at how I keep my sanity. "Oh, you must be so bored, poor thing!" I nod and smile, back bent to my task.

What they don't know is that I actually like it.

They don't understand that the repetitive task allows me time to think my own thoughts and escape in to my own worlds. Of which there are a great many marvelous and varied creations to keep me occupied.

In other news.
Our neighbours mowed our lawn the other day, which was nice of them.
It was looking rather weed infested (honestly? I don't think there ARE any bits of grass in that poor lawn. I suspect it's 50% dandelion, 30% morning glory and 20% rock) and nasty. And with no trees or plant (besides a rather ill looking Chestnut tree growing much too close to the house) it's in definite need of some tender loving care.

I'm really enjoying this new house of ours, despite the lawn. The kitchen is taking some getting used to as the stove and the fridge are in a different room from the sink and counter space. Odd, no?
But interesting and lovely.

Anything else?
Nope. Not at the moment!
Hope all is well everywhere else!

Meme time!

Big Brother decided I didn't have enough to do in my day what with moving and trying to find a new job, so he tagged me. That's okay, a little aided procrastination never hurt anyone!
Good vibrations...I need to formulate a list of 5 things that take me to my happy place.
It's tough!
So many things give me pleasure.

Well, here's 5. But believe me, they are just the top of a very long list.

Driving. Driving is one of my ways of sorting my head out, clearing out the cobwebs and letting go of problems that have been plaguing me.
When I drive, all my attention is on the road, on surrounding traffic and on the scenes flying. It's about being in the 'now'.
I drive standard, and shifting through the gears on a stretch of open road, windows wide open and music playing wipes away anything that was cause for concern very quickly.
And speaking of music...

Jazz. I love jazz.
I love old jazz. I adore live jazz and new jazz and funky jazz and soulful jazz. It's the music that so easily reflects my moods. How to describe my love of it. Words seem inadequate. Jazz can make me joyful and then break my heart. It kept me company when I was alone and it weaves it's happy magic when I'm with friends. It's a language I understand.

Books. Ah, books. A day without reading is time without oxygen. It's that important to me.

Friends. I'm one of the luckiest people I know when it comes to friends.
I have had my closest friends by my side since I was 11 years old. Nothing in my life is true or real until they know about it. The bad things in my life were eased and softened by my friendships. They give what they have freely and expect nothing in return.
I can't say enough about how my life is made so much better by those 3 being in it.

My mom. I just love spending time with my mom.
I've written about how important she is to me before, so those of you who have read my blog will know.
I want to write about her, but what comes out seems to me be too saccharine. And while she is very sweet, she's also very strong and independent.
She's pulled our family through some incredibly hard times and been through some things that might make other people crumble, yet she retains a warmth and genuine concern for others happiness.
My mom is my reminder that you can go through hell and still be able to love unconditionally. (Damn, this was supposed to make me HAPPY, not make me cry!!)

The Union Club.

This evening I spent some time at the club Whatshisface and I recently joined.

It's one of those elite and snotty clubs that boasts memberships of political representatives and parliamentary movers and shakers.

It was 'Ladies Night' this evening.

An evening not as risque as the title might imply.

No, nothing lascivious going on. It is simply a weekly occasion for the wives of the elect to sit together and play bridge in the 'Card Room' or have a cocktail on the patio overlooking the harbour.

The only "Chip 'n' Dales" I saw were the desks.

And anyway, they wouldn't have made it past the doormen. Dress code in effect. Sparkly thongs are NOT approved.

The 'Reading Room' is one of the largest and most well appointed rooms I've ever seen dedicated to the sublime art of reading alone. Elegant leather couches, giant palms and a collection of daily newspapers from around the world all centered around a grand fireplace.

My dinner guest was a lovely woman. Someone I don't really know all that well, but would like too know better. Being relatively new to a city, finding companionable people is pretty important.

Boy, does she know how to swear.

I have to admit that I've been know to cuss. (Hey, you. Stop rolling your eyes!)

However, when I'm in a place that is designed to hold elderly women and their old friends, I try really hard to 'fit in'. To belong.

To not scare anyone.

And speaking of being scared, I have to admit I found the place intimidating at first. Lots of liveried help. Obsequiousness seemed to be a job requirement.

Takes some getting used to.

But part of me felt like I was being a snot because I looked around guiltily every time she cursed though the rest of me thought, "What the hell do I care?"

So what is the point of this post?

Well, mostly it's to say that I had a nice time, not sure if I fit in and I feel bad that I care how my friend expressed herself.

And boy-howdy, good thing there weren't any strippers. It might have become truly rowdy...some of those ladies were hitting the tea pretty hard.

Theft 101

Along with everything else going on in my life, I'm moving! Not far (a mere 3 blocks) but into an abode that is charming and old and unique and completely renovated.

Spider Girl took some pictures last weekend, for which I'm grateful, as I took pictures too but I seem to have lost the cord to my camera and so can't post them.

Thus the title.

I'm stealing the pictures she took and posted on her blog and directly applying them to mine. Seems fair, no? Her pics, my house?

And anyway, I served her a bbq'd steak to die for last weekend so it's entirely fair, right!?

(Right?)

The house was built in 1914 and, as of late, was vastly abused by the onslaught of tenants that just didn't give a damn.

The bathroom was demolished (completely unusable I've heard), the rooms had been spray paint 'tagged' and the yard was a catastrophe (still kinda is, but I'm working on that!).

Since we've started moving in, all the neighbours have poked their heads out their doors and cautiously asked, "Are you moving in? How many of you are there?"

The look of relief on their faces is interesting and disturbing all at the same time.

I mean, how bad could it have been?

Well, if the mail is any indication, there have been a multitude of folks coming and going. Ben Fudge, for instance.

He was sent mail to our new house.

And Guangdao Yang too.

Not to mention a whole host of others.

I cordially put "MOVED" on the mail and dump it back in the mailbox.

Hope they get it.

So, anyway.

New house.

Hope the ghosts are friendly!