Saturday, June 30, 2001

I have some things I need to should do and would like to do this weekend. Let's make a list? Shall we?

1. Take back the ever growing piles of beer/twisted tea/dna/lime tonic/pepsi cans/bottles to the store for refund. It's nice and magical to get 5-cents back even though you get charged that when you buy the beverages. We just try to ignore that so we feel like we're being given money!

2. Read the two library books that are due back on Tuesday. Damn those new book 7 day limits! One is a mystery invovling an Egyptologist (and no, not my favourite Amelia Peabody mysteries either!)

I interrupt this list to happily announce that I FINALLY found some My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult to download! Hoorah! "A Daisy Chain for Satan" is rippling through my speakers right now.

3. Maybe get some laundry done. Now, that's a real pie in the sky dream for this weekend!

4. Go see the "largest fireworks display in Western NY this summer" in Sheridan. However, impending thunderstorms make that very unlikely *listens to rumblings*

5. Exercise. Again, unlikely.

6. Hang out with our friend Chuck who is back in town to manage my boss' campaign.

Well... seems like the only definate thing that will happen is going over to our friend Ashleigh's house around 4. Eating couscous tabbouleh that I made (and it's good!). Who knows what else.

By the way, feel free to email me with any comments or thoughts.

Friday, June 29, 2001

I feel like I've landed in a strange paradise.

I had lunch today at the public park here in the village of Mayville. An idyllic scene floated in front of me. Kids fishing off the boat landing. The weeping willow dripping trendles of leaves just above the water's surface. And the horizon shimmering in the summer's haze across the lake. I wondered how I found this place. Then I realized that I found it by looking for a job on the Internet, sending a resume, getting the job and moving here two years ago. I never thought I could really love living in Chautauqua County.

I must admit I feel a little bit traitorous. I'll sing the praises of Rochester, NY to anyone in shouting distance. I miss that place. Undoubtedly the coffeehouse this blog is inspired by. But that is part of my past and the present is here in this bosom-y country. Ahem, that is a reference to Dar Williams' vision of Iowa.. which is also a song by her.

After I ate, I walked along the green shoreline. They still haven't put the Chautauqua Belle, an historic paddleboat I think, into the lake. Engine problems or something of the sort. I made my way down past the park gazebo and looked at the beach. It's small and quite crowded today due to the mugginess and heat. I thought it would still be a nice place to come swimming if I felt inclined. Walking back towards my car, I saw a yellow with black spots butterfly. It was quite large when compared to other butterflies I have seen. Quite marvelous! I didn't feel like I was within myself. Do you ever feel like you're viewing yourself on a screen? That's how I feel today.

Thursday, June 28, 2001

Besides tea/coffee, I discovered that my morning/day really doesn't feel complete if I havn't read my two favourite cartoons: For Better, or For Worse and Luann. Luann is a fairly new one for me since I've only been reading it since I moved down to Jamestown. FBFW has been a mainstay for YEARS.

Ooops! Going to be late for a meeting if I don't post this and go! Bye!
*yawns* Another morning after a long, late day at work. I'm the Executive Assistant to the County Executive. So I attend A LOT of meetings. The latest (and it was!) being the monthly Legislature voting session. It ended around 9:30pm (started at 6:30). At first we all thought we would be getting out quick and still have time to get home, sit on the porch, read a book, or (like me) post to our blogs. Well, an hour and a half discussion on one resolution made that impossible. So it goes.

A friend of mine recently revealed they keep their own blog. I cannot reveal names under penalty of death, but I thought this was very cool of this person. In a way, it takes a lot of guts to really talk about your personal life on-line. Well, only if you tell other people you actually know and see on a daily basis. Otherwise, what would the outside world really give if you hated your best friend or you lied about doing something you said you did? Hm.

What do YOU do for a job? Tell me about it :-)

Wednesday, June 27, 2001

*grumbles* That last question was supposed to ask you what your main gripe about your office space is.. The mysteries of blogger.com never fail *grins*

So let's try this again.. ahem.. email here about the aforementioned gripes.
It's absolutely freezing in this office. Argh.

A couple weeks ago it was so cold in the office that one of the men commented "Get some hooks and hang up the meat!" It was unquestionably cold then. Men seem to think that women just cannot tolerate any temperature below 75 degrees. I won't disagree entirely but I do take offense to the scoffing of "Aw come one. It's not THAT cold!" They'll have to be careful when they say that since I'm beginning to think I shall dump a packet of ice down their shorts and then ask them if it still feels "comfortable." *nods* Ok, I'm not that sadistic or stupid. So you know.

What's your main
Ahh.. maybe it would be helpful if I actually included a way for you to get in touch with me, eh?
I can't sleep. This happens when my brain decides to wake up and pour over worries upon worries. The latest being the tightening of certain items of clothing. Grr. Well, I always said I needed to form some sort of exercise plan. I can't help but smirk at that. Ahhh.. I could denounce what society has done to women in terms of body image, but truthfully.. I buy into it a tad bit. SO sad. But I have a plan *she says with false confidence* Never mind that. The real thing that prodded me out of bed was the thought that I could actually add some more things to this blog-thing.

It does seem to be a different animal to me. I've seen how it's taken over the lives of other seemingly innocent people. Go read notsosoft.com if you have no idea what I'm talking about. The woman is brilliant! Simply put! Maybe I do need some sleep.

I do feel a need to explain "In Java, Literally..." It all started in Java Joe's Cafe right before a violin lesson (as mentioned in the previous post). I was drinking coffee.. buzzing hard on caffeine.. letting its "muse" take over and spew non sequitur stuff all over a piece of loose leaf paper. The funny part is how the series prevailed through break-ups, re-location and whatnot. So I will give you that first installation. Believe me. You WILL NOT understand most of it. A few people may recognize veiled references to themselves, but for the most part it's just the ramblings of a 16-soon-to-be-17 year old Junior in High School. So. Onwards and upwards...

September 21, 1993

Why do you ask?

In Java, literally. Kahlua Creme. Piano sign changed to "Feel Free If You Can Play. If Not, Stay Away!!" Well, shouldn't stop Matt. Memories. Music soothes the savage beast indeed. Do I find him so annoying that I can't help but like him. No se. I want to go away. Music. Yes! Visiting Fredonia Oct. 11. Oooh, what fun. It will be beautiful. Leaves. Colours. Redesigning Java. Platform for players, tables. New dimensions. Ah, fall tomorrow. Love it always. Amber may marry. Graduation I say. Thinks I'll find my somebody in college. Hmm... Buffalo bred? Java man speaking. Building. Whoa. Got some fragments. Fun ones. As if. "I want somebody who cares for me passionately..." WEll, I do have a libido. So who screws w/ it? Ben? Never. Don't even have to try to repress. It doesn't exist w/ him. In the way? Human Bear gives Ben y Moi seis months. Laugh. Anything possible. Mmm... caffeine. Love it. Passionate type? Oh, how true. Giddy here. Tools not accessible. Bartok next. Ooh La La. Par'le vous Francais? Learn it and well. Les mutton. No bestiality allowed. Of course. Tri-lingual in key words. Nothing useful. Almost 1/2 past hour. Love to work in Java. Transport un mejor problemo. Very (tres) cool (funke) personas (aqui) here. Son/Dad here. Well, life in reality. Curly hair. Tall. Hmm... Mind wanders on. Always looking. Will I find? "I don't want to be tied to anyone's strings. I'm carefully trying to steer clear of those things." Oh father intro. to son? Told me about him. Senior at Allendale-Columbia. Coffee. What a concept. Playing "Julia" (Ocean Child?) for me by Beatles off White Album. Muy cool (excellente). Java holds always in favor. At least converts work. Let's come here. Violin soon. 10 min (or 5 actual.) Let's finish. Parting words? None, it doesn't end. Life continues like a thread sewing a quilt of life.

Tuesday, June 26, 2001

Sense of Java, literally...

I inhaled the aroma swirling around in my mug. For a moment... as my music tinkled in the background.. I was back. Sitting by myself at a round table in the corner at Java Joes. Eyeing the door for a familiar face. Music and voices competing with each other. Regular cigarette smoke mingling with the more exotic essence of cloves.

The sweetness of iced coffee. The sugar extra heavy when compared with my usual concoction for Java's coffee. A waitress moves between the tables sullenly. Wiping clean surfaces and then suddenly smiling as she cracks a joke with a friend near by.

I also remember the pain. Knowing that the moment would not last. That this was the only place I could feel like that. All that it symbolized. And the pain of knowing I could never reclaim the past. The exhileration of this place when I was younger. The energy of people. Those moments. A memory. Realizing my age is beginning to exceed most of the patrons. The only irony is that I do still see some of the same servers and one or two familiar visitors on occassion.

A distinct irony is that I now think of the place in its present state. Expanded. I am able to recall a smaller Java Joes. With the roasting room. With Mr. Spock in the roasting room. When the cake case was directly to the left of the order counter. Before Matt Groening's art flowed over the walls, ceiling and support posts. I can even recall what Joe Jr. looked like years ago. A memory of a late afternoon before my violin lesson. His dad and friends getting ready for minor renovations. Playing "Julia" by The Beatles through the sound system for me. I believe I was even writing then. Those were the beginnings of "In Java, literally..."

Amazing the time that has passed since then. The changes.
I can't believe I just settled for ruby red grapefruit juice. Someone rescue me from this utter boredom of office space!!!
It's too terribly hot for coffee... even honest black tea seems a bit much. Peppermint.. mint.. Zen.. refreshing teas. *sighs* I'll settle for my ruby red grapefruit juice for the moment. *listens to Afro-Peruvian music wafting through the room*

Cutting to the Scene with the Pixie

Ten years ago, I decided to do one of the most drastic things I had ever done to my hair. I went from a long style (below collarbone) to a p...