Leslie’s pearl of wisdom

Since Leslie is the one who encouraged me to start blogging again regularly, I think it only fair that her pearls of wisdom make it into at least one entry.
Something she wrote to me today spoke to me:  “There are seasons in people’s lives, and that was one of them.  It doesn’t mean that either one of you is operating with a deficit now.”

It’s been a hard lesson to learn all my life.  I don’t like to “lose” people, but am beginning to realize that for every one of those people I’ve “lost,”  a dozen more supportive, wonderful people have come into my life to create the abundance of love and support I know.

How lucky am I?

Quelqu’un m’a dit

I’ve been listening to this song on repeat.  I think I first heard it in 500 Days of Summer and LOVED it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNqTH3mb314&feature=related

So beautiful.

Loosely translated, it goes:

I’m told that our lives aren’t worth much,
They pass like an instant, like wilting roses.
I’m told that time slipping by is a bastard
Making its coat of our sorrows.
Yet someone told me…

That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?

I’m told that fate makes fun of us,
That it gives us nothing and promises everything,
When happiness seems to be within our reach,
We reach out and find ourselves like fools.
Yet someone told me…

That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?

Well ? Could that be possible?

So who said that you still loved me?
I don’t remember any more, it was late at night,
I can still hear the voice, but I can no longer see the face,
“He loves you, it’s secret, don’t tell him I told you.”
You see, someone told me

That you still loved me
Did someone really tell me?
That you still loved me
Well, could that be possible?

I’m told that our lives aren’t worth much,
Passing in an instant, like wilting roses,
I’m told that time slipping by is a bastard,
Making its coat of our sadnesses.

That you still loved me
Someone told me…
That you still loved me.
Well ? Could that be possible?

translation: http://nichitastanescu.wordpress.com/2007/04/05/quelquun-ma-dit-carla-bruni-translation/

DUBLIN!!!

I know, I know…I should have written about U2 when it HAPPENED.  Now, however, Stephen Gately had died and so the “Dublin” connection is making me think of both.

First, I am HEARTBROKEN that Stephen Gately is no longer with us.  I feel like a piece of my young adulthood has died.  I spent hours upon hours listening to Boyzone my freshman year of college.  “No Matter What” has been on repeat on iTunes ALL weekend.   There were tears.  I know this is ridiculous considering I’ve never met the man and he only really had a large impact on me for a decade of my life, but still.   The world is a sadder place.

That brings us to U2.  I went to my first U2 concert a few weeks ago.  AHHHHH!  So amazing.  So wonderful.  I was on Cloud 9.  Check out the pics:

Marita and Jessamyn head to Dublin in a few weeks.  I wish I were going with them.  It’s always been a dream of mine.  <sigh> Dublin.  Next time, I suppose.  Maybe if I’m lucky, they’ll bring me back some Jameson.  =)

I MET JEREMY BOBB!!!!

So, I met Jeremy Bobb tonight.  I’m still in shock.

Juliana and I were having dinner in a cute diner on 44th adn 9th tonight before we went to see Whatever Man (http://www.nymf.org/Show-171.html).  She got up to use the ladies’ room and I happened to look at one of the tables behind me and there’s this attractive man sitting in a booth with a lovely blonde woman.  I don’t take much notice, but something makes me turn back and I realize he looks familiar.  It is JEREMY BOBB!  Now, most people are saying, “Jeremy WHO?!?!”  Jeremy Bobb.  He is brilliant.  I saw him in Shipwrecked last year and I think it may have changed my life (I’m only slightly exaggerating).  I think my favorite part of the show was Bobb as a dog.  He was eerily convincing.

He was in Finian’s Rainbow last spring and I wanted desperately to see him and didn’t have the opportunity.

Now, they’ve moved it to Broadway and have replaced him with Christopher Fitzgerald.  Now, Christopher Fitzgerald is great and everything, but he’s no Jeremy Bobb!!!

Anyway, back to my story.  So, Jul leaves, I realize I’m sitting mere feet from Jeremy Bobb and I muster up all my courage and (after checking with Jul that it wasn’t TOTALLY psycho) walk over to ask if he’s Jeremy Bobb.  “Yes” he replies, looking at me a bit suspiciously.  “I saw you in Shipwrecked last year and you are BRILLIANT!  I wanted desperately to see you in Finian’s Rainbow, missed my chance and am now HEARTBROKEN that you’re not in the Broadway production.  It’s a travesty!”  I stopped at “I love you and want you to be my best friend in the world…” because I thought that would be a bit much.

In any case, he smiled, asked my name, thanked me and shook my hand.  Wow.  Does life get any better?

I MET JEREMY BOBB!!!!!

Why we do it…

Saw this today and though “Yes!”

“There are things you do because they feel right and they may make no sense and they may make no money and it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other and to eat each other’s cooking and say it was good.”

-Brian Andreas

“Our loving each other is just the world we live in, like the grass under our feet…no matter where we are, it’s the world we live in.”

-Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In

Bliss

“I hope someday somebody wants to hold you for 20 minutes straight and that’s all they do. They don’t pull away. They don’t look at your face. They don’t try to kiss you. All they do is wrap you up in their arms and hold on tight, without an ounce of selfishness in it.”

-Waitress

Superior wife syndrome

I want to believe that this is the “exception,” but I know too many women recently for whom this has become a sobering truth and it bugs the you-know-what out of me: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32802284/ns/today-today_books/?GT1=43001#storyContinued

“It’s as if by taking on a husband, a wife gains a dependent — not quite a child, but not quite a true partner either. She’s Marge Simpson to her husband’s Homer. This arrangement does not characterize every single married couple, of course, just a great many of them. While husbands may joke about wives being their “better half,” quite often it’s the literal truth. Wives are the better half — the ones who are capable and responsible, organized and efficient, caring and involved.”

I grew up in a household where my parents shared responsibilties almost equally.  In a pinch, each could take on each other’s tasks, but they each did what they loved or were gifted at.  I thought that was the norm, but in the 6 years I’ve lived outside of my parents’ household, I’ve realized the ugly truth of a lot of marital situations and I wonder “Why bother?”  Why bother knitting my soul to a lazy, indifferent, whiny brat?  Why not cut a husband right out of the equation?

I’m not anti-marriage.  If I met a wonderful man who wanted to build a life with me (not have me build one on my own in which he could merely live), who would actually listen and contribute to our relationship, who wanted to put the work into our marriage required to make it healthy, I would jump at the opportunity.  The thought of living the rest of my life with the man described in this article makes my skin crawl!

Are there any decent, capable men still out there??!?!?!

The return of “John”

While I was still working at Cristo Rey (3 years ago?) I would take the 4 train to 125th St., transfer to the 6 train and get off at 110th St. to walk down to 106th St. and start my day.  I was on a fairly strict schedule (50 teenagers in a parish hall unattended is NOT a good thing) and so was getting off the train at 110th St. at almost exactly 7:50 every morning.  As I got off the train every morning, I started noticing this one guy – he just looked like a wonderful man.  We started smiling at each other as I got off the train and he got on at 110th St. and soon we were wishing each other a good day as we passed.  Neither one of us ever got up the courage (or had the time) to stop and introduce ourselves, so I named him “John” (he sort of looked like a John) and started making up a little story about his life.  Then, I started dating Alan and my commute changed when I starting working at mergermarket and I stopped running into “John” every morning.

Someone asked me a few weeks ago about “John” – had I seen him?  I realized we must live within 10 blocks of each other (if he still lives in E. Harlem) and wondered why I hadn’t seen him.  Didn’t really think much about it again – just smiled at the memory of that happy moment every morning for a few months.

Fast forward to yesterday.  I’m on the 6 train, reading a book on my way home to make dinner for Molly and I close my book at we’re pulling out of 110th St. and something makes me look up…and there was “John,” walking through the open door…ON MY TRAIN CAR!!!!  Can someone say missed chances?

Rochacha

I’d forgotten how beautiful Rochester is in the summer.  It was harder to come back to NYC this time than it has been in a LONG time.

Went home primarily to meet my pickle, Tommy.  I’m now in love.  Of course.  Leave it to me to fall in love with a 2.5-month-old.

I spent a few hours on Saturday on Honeoye Lake with the Carusos.  I hadn’t been there in about 15 years.  Everything seems much smaller now.  Funny how that happens.  I had a great time.  Wish I could have stayed longer – so relaxing to have a few beers with good friends in the middle of the lake!

Came home to dinner with the Vonaseks and Summers (family friends from WAY back).  It was wonderful to catch up with them and laugh hysterically (and drink).

Discovered that Wegman’s carried Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.  Mmmmm.  It’s like pumpkin pie in a bottle.  Now, to figure out if I can get it in NYC.  It’s not looking promising.

Saw Steph and Tom’s new house on Culver.  4-bedrooms.  I’m in total denial that they’re responsible adults now who have a HOUSE!!! <nervouse rocking>

Then, I went home and ripped out some black-eyed susans.  They’d taken over the back garden, so I went out there with my spade and rake and thinned them.  Gave some of the leftovers to Steph so she can start some landscaping in their yard (right now it looks a little sad without any flowers or anything).

Took Mom and Dad to Castaways for lunch on Monday to celebrate their anniversary in Oct. (since I won’t be there) and then Dad took us all to Abbott’s (I mean, you can’t go to Rochester in the summer and NOT have Abbott’s!!).

Such a fantastic weekend with the fam and some friends.  Why do I live in NYC again?  I’m forgetting…