Do the Darndest Daily

Good evening Blog, First- If you know anyone in the military, in any country, tell them about this and please consider it yourself- www.operationcorrespondence.com  Great. THANK YOU. Onwards... Tonight I'm out at the Carpenito's. Lynne Carpenito has just pulled two perfectly baked dishes of brownies from the oven, Joe is working on a robo man model next to me, and Liz Longley is singing "When You've Got Trouble" so sweetly to us via iTunes. It's a beautiful evening to cap a beautiful day out here in Carlisle where the sun was shining warm and the ice cream was sweet and cold. Much has happened since I last wrote you. I've moved into my own apartment in Davis Square! The commute to work is so much easier, I can finally find yoga or coffee shops if I have need, and if I want to stay out and meet up with friends I don't have to keep a knot in my stomach over whether or not the bus will be an hour or fifteen minutes- A train is always ten minutes awa...

You know that moment when you realize your parents are only human? I feel like I just had that realization about myself. First, let me say that I love my parents and of course had to realize at some point that they were not omniscient or superman. Though sometimes I wonder... To be clear, let's say I'm currently disappointed and frustrated with myself... I'm clumsy. I don't recall ever being so clumsy as a child, or pre-teen, or adolescent or even as a younger woman just four years ago. Over the past five months I've been noticing my uncanny inability to hold onto an object, to button a shirt correctly, to remember important details, to keep from spilling drinks and powders and foods and bags of just... stuff. When did my hands and even my mind become so untrustworthy? When did my body lose register of it's environment, leading me to pinch fingers, bump toes, hit my head on cabinets I thought I had closed? All of the sudden I hear myself trying to convinc...

Dear Blog, This post is a contemplation on dreaming... and how it's useless. Today I turned on my computer at work and stared into the inbox of truth- No one is, or should be holding my hand anymore. I'm earning my own living without being on a financial plateau and I use phrases like, "Shouldn't we co-term with that vendor?" or "Optimally this would be addressed with a Purchase Order, please speak to so-and-so." This may not sound like much to some, but for a visual arts major once scared of numbers and with no finance background, nor much "Professional" history, I feel like I've climbed a mountain, and learned a lot. Serial numbers attached to hardware suddenly reveal meaning, contract numbers finally convey significance instead of mystifying and intimidating me. I feel like the rock star of multi-task and organization, and let me tell you, the spotlight is warm. As I sift through stacks of paperwork, answer the phone, fill forms...

Dear Blog, I know it's been far too long, yet again, since I've posted. As of yesterday I am finally and completely settled into my apartment. Joe and I went to Ikea this weekend (my very first ikea experience) where I bought a desk and a dresser so I no longer have to live out of plastic bins and go over bank statements sitting on the floor. Success! I'm like a real person again! A real live grown up...sigh. Well, I've got frames on the walls and everything in it's proper place, so despite the (most likely indiscernible) dollop of sarcastic excitement in my last statement let me say that I truly am thrilled to finally have a dresser and desk. With these, the rest of my room finally came into an organized, completed state which gives me comfort and peace of mind. And now, ever in line with doing the darndest, let me share with you my morning's adventure: When I sat down on the 89 bus at 7:30 this morning, I didn’t realize I would be the recipient of dra...

Dear Blog, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've written. Life has been moving so fast for me here. When I can finally slow down I'm going to sleep for a whole day.  A lot is happening lately… so much I can hardly wrap my mind around it all. I’ve been thrilled with my new job and especially, the feeling of being a part of something truly special. I’ve also been overwhelmed by the move to my new apartment (which is coming together quite nicely), though there is still SO much to be done. Photos to come... Thanks to Joe’s help, my room is now painted light lavender that warms up with the sunlight in the morning, and my things are starting to find their place in my new bedroom (one bigger than I've ever had before! Additionally, the windows look out into cityscapes instead of neighboring windows!) It’s been an exciting time, but I’ve also been tired and missing my family, and struggling to find my niche here as there’s so little time to get settled. Friend finding, ...

Dear Blog, Week two of Boston living has come to a close this Sunday evening and so begins a third. My first week of work flew past me at rocket speed. I don't think my brain has worked this hard since first semester of my senior year in college, but you know what? I love it. It's hard to explain exactly what I do... So far, there is a great need for purchasing, which is a process I am very involved in. I fill out the forms that push invoices forward to be paid and I fill out the forms that request bigger purchases to be made. All these must be filled out with the proper codes and vendors and requestors etc. etc. and it all gets very convoluted and confusing. Nothing is intuitive but I feel that, even though it's been one short week, I've learned a lot and am starting to get the hang of at least some  of the processes. The people I work with are so supportive and fun, and help me without making me feel incompetent when I get caught up on something. I have my very own...

Photo of Maggie by the new Nanny, Micah Dear Blog, It's day two in Boston. Thanks to Joe the move went very smoothly. I couldn't have done it without him. Now, getting used to the faster current of the city, that's up to me. I have to say that it's been a rough first day. Over the last week/weekend with general stress levels higher than the norm, I've felt a little heavier of heart. Staying in constant movement to get things packed to go, there was just no time to stop for a moment of release. Yesterday I worked from 9 to 6 cleaning and cramming my things into Joe's apartment where I'll be staying until something of my own comes through. It's in the works. I also inadvertently inhibited Joe and his roommates from showering for 24 hours by re-caulking the bathroom without fully reading the directions. I'm sorry guys... at least it's a super clean bathroom now? Anyway by the end of the day I was as drained as you can be. Plus I'm unstoppa...