Sundry

Sorry - it's been a while.

Been very busy at work. My boss is leaving and crunch time is upon me. It's weird to feel this busy during the Summer.

I'm approaching my 1 year work anniversary. Time actually flew. Sort of. I've learned a lot about life in the last year; working for a large university has been very interesting. I think I've learned that politics reign over substance with regard to career advancement; that if you stroke the right egos and put on a good show, that goes a lot farther than if you are a logical perfectionist.

My mom retired today. It's hard for me to swallow because I always associated her with her job. Now, she is free as a bird. For both she and I it is also hard symbolically because it represents the last phase of her life. Part of me wishes she would continue working so I don't have to think about this. One of the interesting things about her retirement is that she's taught at the same school for like 30 years. She's seen so many people come and go, including probably 10 principals. At the end of the day, she has very few friends and confidants at work, due to all the shifting. I think as a result they didn't really pay homage to her. I see all these people leaving my university who have been there for a year getting more recognition than my mom who has dedicated her life to this position. It sort of ills me.

On the other hand, I am very jealous that my mom gets an excellent retirement....

One thing about my line of work that is remarkable is that I NEVER dread going to work; I actually sort of look forward to it. I hear people around me say they have a hard time getting up in the morning. I feel the opposite. And, when I worked in law -- trust me -- I felt differently. I would watch the clock tick and think "how long could I last in this job without cracking?"

I hate when there is too much pressure to get along with someone you've never met before. Tonight was odd for me. I was buying sunglasses at Filene's basement and speaking with my mom on my cell when the clerk asked me politely if I was selling my phone. Weird. Afterwards, I met my friend Kate's friend Tim who she said I reminded her of me. I think we both felt a lot of pressure to get along, which resulted in him being timid and me being serious/strangely political. After we discussed politics, we asked for Tim's input and he replied, I can't wait to move to NY to escape these kinds of conversations. I've said that before.

I have never outright neglected so many relationships as I have in D.C. over the past few months. There are literally too many cool people who I have a past with and not enough time. I think I have damaged some of these relationships irreparably.

Over the last few weeks, I've traveled to Chicago and Philadelphia, which are sort of similar cities. I hadn't been to the Midwest for a few years prior to my recent trip to Chicago. While I enjoyed myself, it reminded me of the summer I spent there where I was less-than-enchanted with my life. I do have to admit that their housing prices are damn good. It was very interesting to see my high school sweetheart, Kim, whom I hadn't seen in maybe 6 years. She has twins and lives in the 'burbs. She is so down-to-earth, and a good mom. We have really taken vastly different life paths; both are respectable. She is moving to South Carolina in June and I'm not sure I'll ever be there. So, it's sort of sad.

I had a nice time in the gritty city of Philly. Saw Carousel (a play I've sang 4 songs from). It was dark and the last part was weird and the lady next to me coughed on me the whole time. But it was fun enough. Met some really interesting folks through Jen. One of the most notable things about this city was the diversity.

Also been to NY a few more time. Caught up with Danai (who has another play and a movie coming out) and Wendell.

Spent very few weekends here.

Today, I went to the chiropractor. Early.