Halloween

You move to a new neighborhood and have to check out the Halloween scene. So I went for a jog to see who was out. My neighbors are super generous. No simple candy giveaways. There were entire pieces of old furniture with "free" signs and along with a dangerously dilapidated crib and high chair. Then I ran by a group of guys who were handing out pick-up lines. "Happy hour started early tonight." I hope that's a good thing.

Someone kissed me last night, and I could swear my soul leaked out of my body. So tonight I came to hear Pollard play soothing, soulful covers. I know and love all of them and my soul is filling up from Crazy, Freshmen, and I Will Survive.

Who are the people in your neighborhood?

I'm trying to get more in touch with life as a downtowner. Admittedly, the only neighbor I say hello to on a regular basis from my yard is the dog Lily who lives across the fence. There are specific ideals that go with this locality. Shop locally, eat whole foods, support the democrats, pursue the perfect cup of coffee rather than the largest big screen television. Read the Indy and see films before movies. You also have to have a hang out where someone knows your drink. I'm making Dogtooth mine even though I take issue with food establishments with fur in their title. The furniture is perfect, the music soul-warming, and CNN plays on the tiny screen from above. I've decided for now it's better to watch the pretty hippies here and use coffee shop wireless access than to huddle away in my house alone trying to connect with a virtual world.

Mr. Rogers moments

Since fall is the time to start school, I signed myself up for a couple of classes. Both started yesterday afternoon, When I was little and watched Mr. Rogers, my favorite segments were the factory tours where you could see how crayons and sweaters were made. For my job, I signed up to tour workplaces and learn about new jobs. I know that doesn't sound as exciting, but yesterday I got to go through the secure areas of the airport and see where luggage is searched, where weather is tracked, and the computer that shows where all of the airplanes are in the air. I loved it.

Then I headed on to sign language class. The class meets 8 times which is about the duration of my attention span, so I'll know just enough to greet people this calendar year before I forget it all. It's good to be in school again.

art

How much should you spend for art? I have a home with empty walls. There is no point in slapping up posters of ugly. It matters.

I've discussed this with the downtown girls. Keen is making her own art and has very creative dioramas in process. Gurt is using old portraits and already found a very pretty piece at the antique store. I referenced my Arts & Crafts Homes magazine for inspiration. If I had an extra $1200 I would be in great shape.

Few people do this well. But there is a responsibility in living downtown to make the effort. Your main art piece makes or breaks the aesthetic. Ideas on where to look? I'll keep hunting at the Antique store for now.

Hello again

When I moved I pictured that most nights I would walk to a local coffee shop, check email, and keep this blog up-to-date. Parent conferences, house shopping and football games are messing up my small-town life ideals. I'm very far behind, so I'll have to summarize.

Work- This week featured a student I'm worried has schizophrenia, a tearful kid whose dad shaved his head as a bad grade consequence, blondes in fights, and a student getting sued by his dad. Too much crazy. Thank God that U of Nebraska invited me to visit next weekend and I leave Friday!!!

Love- I don't trust myself. I keep not breaking up with my army man because I'm too scared to fall back on nothing if the Guardian walks. But I want The Guardian to stay. And I'm planning on catching up with an ex in Nebraska. I was so much more mature and responsible about love when I was in college. Me Gusto says to stop calculating the risk.

God- I started Bible Study Fellowship with a lot of misgivings about encountering republicans in ugly jumpers. But God wanted to meet me there. We're studying the life of Moses and God asks Moses to go back to this land he hates that he's been exiled from. God is making me do a similar trip in my life, returning to a desolate place so that I can exit redeemed when He parts the sea. Republicans in ugly jumpers may be exactly who I need in my life right now. (Along with all of my hip friends with good clothes and sophisticated taste in books and music).

trade off

My most recent quest has been to find an exterminator. If getting bitten by spiders gave you super powers, I assure you I would be Wonder Woman by now. I don't see them, but they sneak into my bedroom each night and leave their fanged marks. The man who came out to hunt them said the 2 least reassuring things possible, "let's check for bedbugs" and "you had the biggest wolf spider I've ever seen in your crawl space."

But now I'm sitting here at the coffee shop just a few blocks from my house listening to open mike night. An old guy with long, curly hair is singing an Emmylou Harris cover. Beautiful. I'll take downtown life with the spiders and all.