Magic Jewball

I’m here in beautiful Baltimore, chock full of dinner and feeling the kind of tired you feel when you’ve done a lot of walking. I’m on vacation, the weather is fabulous, and I’m back in a city I love after three years. There isn’t a lot NOT to be happy about today.

I’ve talked some about how I used to be in debt, the kind of credit card debt that makes your stomach hurt when you think about it…if you ever do. Part of this was because I worked in shopping malls for a long time and there was always a sale of which I had to take advantage. I rarely shop for clothes anymore, except online. Sometimes I go to the Gap and find there is not one thing I want. That’s also a function of growing older plus the horrid selection they seem to have nowadays, I must admit. Today I went back to the Gallery at the Inner Harbor and suddenly, there were a million things I wanted at the Gap! I went into the dressing room with ten garments, I kid you not. I only bought two, though. Then I went to Anne Taylor Loft and bought some more. Folks, I have figured it out. It’s.just.this.mall.

Cashing out at Anne Taylor, I made some comment to North about how we needed to eat after our busy shopping morning. Then I looked at the cashier who was passing me back my credit card and she smiled politely. And then I remembered. What it felt like to work at that very mall, trapped within the four walls of your store and unable to leave, standing for hours, waiting for your 30 minutes off in a long day so that you could eat. And then people would come in all day who were at their most leisurely moments and complain that shopping just wore them out. “Let’s go eat!” they’d say and walk away through the doorway that confined you. So I said, “I used to work in this mall. At that store that’s now A Dollar. It was a record store.” She smiled politely again. OK, Grandma.

So much for that. But my happy thought is this: everyone, even this woman, gets to go on vacation some time. And then your time is your own. As I said yesterday, it’s nice to be happy in your job. But your own time is the awesomest of all.

Title comes from:
Culture Club – Time (Clock of the Heart)

A very quick one, as I’m leaving tomorrow morning from Baltimore and hopefully I’ll have some happy thoughts to share with you from there.

This one’s about my job, which I love more than I could really articulate on this blog, but seldom have any time to write about. I think a massive career change, new job, and first year teaching could each in and of itself form a wonderful subject to explore via this medium. Sadly, I barely have time to return emails, much less give any of these the thoughtfulness and introspection they deserve. Suffice to say, I am thankful every day for the opportunity I’ve been given and the luck to find a good fit – that one’s even harder to come by.

This is all to say that earlier this month I was offered a new contract and last week I happily signed it and turned it in to HR. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to know that the school appreciates me as much as I find joy and purpose within their walls.

As an aside, I was never signed to a contract in any of my jobs in the music industry. To know for sure that you’ll have a job for the next 18 months and what your salary will be in six months’ time is breathtaking in its extravagance, to me. I hope I never lose that feeling of gratitude and I hope everyone can know that feeling: to love what you do, feel that it matters, and be supported in your work. It makes you very appreciative and thankful. And happy.

I had to put off my Friday delayed post for this. Really, timely news keeps interrupting my flow; it’s not my fault! I just discovered that yesterday was the 50th birthday of one of my favorite actress/singers of the 80’s, Clare Grogan of Altered Images and various Bill Forsyth movies.

I have learned through hard experience to not say things like, “OMG, you will LOVE Gregory’s Girl!” Because it seems to be one of those things like cilantro that some people love and others are more, “you eat what now?” But I love cilantro and I love Gregory’s Girl (that’s Clare in Gregory’s Girl to the left there), which I still quote fairly often to this day. And I love Clare Grogan who was quirky and poppy and awesome.

BTW, she is still acting and I think singing, but I admit to not having seen/heard anything of hers in a while. I think this video is probably from when she was more like 20.

Altered Images also had a song called Happy Birthday which you may remember from the movie Sixteen Candles and that might seem more appropriate to this post. But I prefer this song, not only because I like it better, but because it perfectly encapsulates the theme of the month. I might not be happy… but I could be!

Link

I was going to write something else to mark my last day of work for two weeks but I think I’ll save that post for Sunday. Because Andy Pettitte. ANDY PETTITTE.

In conclusion, ANDY PETTITTE.

“Weird Al” Yankovic – (This Song’s Just) Six Words Long

As promised, the other trip of the week. Internationally, there are lots of places I like to go. Domestically, I have a clear favorite and any reader of this blog (other than people searching for Jewish tennis players) will know what it is: Baltimore. I was supposed to go last October but as has often been the case this year, I was illin’. That ended up OK, though, because this time I get to go with North of the City, with whom I enjoyed Baltimore/suffered college the first time. It’s been a long time since we traveled together and we haven’t been in Baltimore together since 1993. It also happens to be a landmark anniversary of graduation year, a big round number which rhymes with “benty.” There is, of course, an official celebration this year (Homecoming at a lacrosse school is in the spring) but if you thought there was any chance I would attend something like that, you probably thought my favorite city in America was Phoenix.

Actually, we’re more going because Amtrak had a crazy sale and I have a spring break that falls at a decent time for Baltimore weather. North would only come with me if the temp was under 90 and that just leaves out so much of the year in Baltimore. So here we are, going back to look at old sites and eat lots and lots of food. Luckily, one of us eats crab cakes and I won’t bother to tell you who that is.

I am, as usual when anticipating a trip to Charm City, ridiculously excited. We booked the train and hotel a while ago so that leaves just one important piece of research: how much the bus now costs there. It’s a tough job but one of us will find out.

So today’s reasons to be cheerful: traveling with friends, benty year anniversary of escaping hell graduating, trip to My Other Favorite City, the train, etc. etc.

Also, fabulous weather. Are you having fabulous weather? Because we are. Delightful.

Title comes from a song on the album I have associated before with train trips to/from Baltimore.
The Ocean Blue – Breezing Up