Days Like These

I have a "substantive rough draft" due tomorrow at midnight, but I've given myself a deadline of tonight because it's a team project and I have to go to work tomorrow and wont have time/energy to work on it then. So, for me, it's due tonight.

The paper requires me to read resources that our Researcher already dug up, synthesize the information and write the paper. The topic: Technical Communication as it relates to globalisation. I can't think of a more dry topic. That's what I get for taking a course in technical communication: boredom. Ho hum.

I have printed out the three puny articles on the topic at hand. They're sitting just to my right, on the desk shelf just above the printer. I keep glancing down at them, considering picking them up and reading them, and then thinking of some other task that I could be doing instead.

I love days like these when I get everything else in my life that needs (and has needed) to be done while delaying what I HAVE to do now. Here's a list of things I've accomplished today, beginning when I woke up this morning:

• woke up around 11.30 am
• read the entire NY Times, cover to cover.
• did the dishes
• played with the cats
• checked my email
• ripped the new Ani official bootleg "Boston 11.16.03"
• reviewed my resources for this paper
• checked my email
• went through my filebox and pile of papers cluttered in a corner in my bedroom, searching, supposedly, for paper to print the sources on, and cleaning out the filebox/pile while I was at it
• found my tax information and W2 forms
• searched for and found my graduation information
• printed out the resources
• checked my email
• called UCF to figure out what degree I am earning in May (BA or BS or BAS?)
• figured out which degree I am earning (BA) and ordered my graduation announcements online
• work stuff
• called The Girl
• let the cats outside
• tested the new airmattress and pump that We bought last week when we were expecting overnight guests (it works, fyi)
• checked my email
• prepared my taxes (!!!*)
• called my mom to ask her a question about filing my taxes, let her know I ordered graduation announcements, chit chatted for a minute and finished filing my taxes
• forwarded my mail from Orlando and New Jersey to here (again, 'cos it needed to be done)

And just when I thought I'd be able to sit down and work on it, Fizz and The Boy came to my rescue, showing up at the house with the cat condo and receptive to my offers of cake, food and company.

Everything I have done since I woke up this morning has been an attempt to procrastinate writing this paper.

But on the bright side, I've been über productive today. Rock.

*I've never EVER filed my taxes early. This is a relative miracle.

Going Public

Wednesday evening I was working late to meet a 9 am deadline the following morning. The Development Director (Paula) and I were the only ones in the office, so before I left, I popped my head in her office and chatted with her about the work I was doing. Our conversation strayed from work stuff and onto the sunset out her window, flying, 9/11 and what I'm doing after graduation.

[NOTE: When Paula started here three weeks ago, I knew I would be working with my potential boss, but shied away from telling her that I was interested in staying with the Partnership (and in what capacity) after the term ended. At that time, I was still wavering between going for an entry-level position and throwing all my efforts into the training for employment in the Development Department. I knew this question would eventually come from her through casual conversation or through my own formal declaration as soon as I gathered the courage. So when she asked me what I was doing after graduation, I didn't know what I was going to say until the words came out of my mouth.**]

I couldn't dance around making my decision any longer, and it felt dishonest and weak of character to plead the fifth. I opened my mouth and, with as much confidence as I could muster, started, "I've made it no secret around here that I want to stay with the Partnership after graduation..." and proceeded to decide and declare that I wanted to stay in the Development Department, in a communicative capacity, interested in Grant Writing, but knowing that I haven't the experience or training for the position, but that blah blah blah.

It's funny: I was almost completely comfortable in her presence, talking about inane topics, but once I announced my candidacy for new Development Associate, I suddenly felt a pang of insecurity, like the chair I was sitting in belonged to the interviewee and the desk I spoke across belonged to my potential employer. I became nervously aware of the stomping boots on my feet, cotton t-shirt around my torso and denim encasing my legs. I realised that, from this moment on, I was in a perpetual state of interviewing; that I now had expectations of me greater than I bargained for as an Intern, and thought, perhaps I should start dressing the part of a potential employee. But then I realised I have no wardrobe support the last thought and I don't really want to have said wardrobe, nor do I have the funding for it either.

However, my declaration was received with enthusiam and great interest. She immediately asked for a writing sample and offered to give me an 'assignment' in lieu of one.

Of course, this is all good news because: a) I made a decision, b) it was received well and c) I finally made a decision. My life post-graduation is beginning to take shape.


**NOTE for the NOTE: Some of my best life decisions are made at the most inopportune times.

Quite Possibly the Cutest Fucking Dog Alive

(Until the next doggy comes along.)

I could just cry!

Oh, right. I did. :)

I've never had an anniversary, except the ones that everybody celebrates (the day of my birth, the day of Jesus's birth, the day of the Easter bunny's birth, the day of yer MOM's birth, etc.).

The date was officially this past Monday, but We've fallen on broke times and, out of necessity (and, perhaps, convenience orientation), decided not to do anything for it. In fact, except for her reminding me about it last week and then me remembering it with a fleeting, "Happy Anniversary, Baby!" Monday morning in mass transit, the date came and went unnoticed.

So when I jumped off the can tonight and walked into the kitchen and found the display, I was shyly surprised. I knew exactly what it was for, but acted like I didn't.

She in all her modesty and me in all my gushing gratitude. What a pair we are.

Some People Just Let You Down

I walked roughly two hours and easily two or three miles last night. In search of homeless people. I found a bunch of crack houses and a group of teenage boys huddled together, slowly walking up and down the same block repeatedly. And I saw one homeless guy getting onto a bus, but we weren't supposed to stop people in transit (because they're not from that neighborhood; skews the geographic distribution.)

YorkU* counted no homeless. As the night went on, I became grumpy about the fact that we were walking around in circles NOT counting anybody. What a paradox: I was disappointed because we didn't find anybody sleeping on the streets. Everyone in that neighborhood had a home. Damn it.

*Our group 'codename'

Being Alive Together

Today She and I went to listen to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speak at the Tenth Annual Commemoration of the Beijing Conference on Women's Rights. The precedent was set ten years ago when then First Lady Clinton spoke in front of the U.N., and, indeed, the world, on the demands of women's rights as human rights. And I did not know this until today, but her remarks ("human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights") led to a snowball of positive changes in women's rights throughout the world.

Before Sen. Rodham Clinton keynoted, leaders (MPs, directors of NGOs, professors) who have fought for women's rights using whatever channels possible, some of them forging paths never before traversed, engaged in a roundtable discussion; present were women representing six countries (including Rwanda, Iraq, Ukraine, Morocco, South Africa, and Peru) and the discussion was moderated by the dynamic UNIFEM Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer. Unfortunately, because some cnut(s) made the programme start A HALF HOUR LATE, the discussion was cut short, but while the women were on the stage, they told us of the progress made since 1995, Beijing, and of the continuing efforts and strategies that must continue for equality to be met.

What She and I enjoyed, perhaps most of all, was the amalgamation of cultures and languages. No one on the panel, aside from the South African, spoke English as a native language, and it was fascinating and enriching to hear all the women speak.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect with going to listen to Sen. Rodham Clinton speak today. Simply, I was going because of the opportunity to hear a world leader speak. I had no idea the connection to the UN or this Women's Conference. I was touched by the perseverance and dedication presented on the stage. I absorbed much more than information at this session. Being in the presence of all those emboldened women was inspiring.

Afterwards, we had some Cali-Mex food and saw a movie. They paled in comparison.

All in all, though, the day was pretty fabulous. I love watching Her come alive in the city.

Curtains, bitches!

Adolescent-boy-from-across-the-way, peep your last at the hot lesbian neighbors.

Gizoogle

Check this shizzle out. Just punch a url into the translation engine and your webpage is gizoogle-fied. No lie. It's funny.

Dammit.

Hershey's S'mores don't taste a DAMN THING like S'mores.

And in related news, I just ate lunch.

Getting My Cat Pregnant

Do you think it's wrong of me to want to enable my cat's pregnancy?

Signs Pickles is in heat:
-she makes out with everybody's feet, nibling and rubbing her face on your toes
-she spreads eagle before you every time you stop moving
-she positions her tail-end in front of you, with her tail straight in the air and, theoretically, her *swallows* cunt easily accessible. (I have to go barf now. I'll be right back.) *runs*

Okay, the sex part of it aside (even though I can sympathise with wanting to get some), I just want baby cats. Lots of 'em. All running around. I want to keep two of them 'cos I have perfect names for them, but I can't say just yet. Don't want to count the kittens before the papa gets off.

________

Last night, We attended a conversation at NYU SCPS with Pete Hamill and Clyde Haberman, columnist for the NY Times. They talked about Catholicism (and the impending death of the current Pope), conflict in Northern Ireland and how Ireland now (as opposed to every other time in history before the last 10 years) "net imports" immigrants (wherein it used to just be an "exporter"), US foreign policy, the contentious West Side Stadium and other local NYC politics. Mr. Hamill, when asked, gave a chilling account of his experience on 9/11/01 (he was there) and what he learned from that experience. The Lady wrote down all sorts of brilliant quips to come out of the discussion, but my favourite was when he referred to NYC as "the capital of People Not Like Us."