Notes from Underground
November 20th, 2003 05:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shiredancerSurfacing after yet another long absence...just trivia though, nothing of great import. So...
I love my daughter being in her jazz dance class, because it gets me downtown twice a week with an hour to myself while she's in class. The studio is part of a funky network of old warehouses and tin-roofed places that have been yuppie-ized as part of the downtown revitalization project, revitalization being fairly constant in my tourist-ridden town. There's a really cool coffeehouse there where I love to sit alone and get a hot chai latte or a cup of tea and read a zine -- they play good jazz and there's a big industrial-sized coffee grinder so it always smells of coffee beans (and that's one of my favorite smells in the world even though I never acquired a taste for drinking the stuff). The ambiance is great, with high ceilings and warehouse-funky walls and small tables scattered around. I usually find a corner seat and get all propped up against the wall, and alternate between whatever great slash zine I'm reading and surreptitiously checking out the clientele, or gazing absently out the big windows at the mountains. It's especially good on a gray overcast day like today.
On Tuesdays the downtown Farmer's Market is a big event, and I can browse the stalls -- alone -- and listen to the street musicians. A couple days ago I found one of my grad students there; he's kind of living on the street right now and earning extra cash playing his guitar. He burned a few homemade CDs so I bought one after he played one of his songs for me -- it wasn't bad, and he needs the bucks, and well, I can't *not* help out one of my grad students, can I?
I've not been alone nearly enough for a long time now. I miss going down to the sea by myself, or hiking in the mountains, or hanging out at little cafes. This twice-weekly dance class is good for my soul, I think. *mmmmmmmm*
I love my daughter being in her jazz dance class, because it gets me downtown twice a week with an hour to myself while she's in class. The studio is part of a funky network of old warehouses and tin-roofed places that have been yuppie-ized as part of the downtown revitalization project, revitalization being fairly constant in my tourist-ridden town. There's a really cool coffeehouse there where I love to sit alone and get a hot chai latte or a cup of tea and read a zine -- they play good jazz and there's a big industrial-sized coffee grinder so it always smells of coffee beans (and that's one of my favorite smells in the world even though I never acquired a taste for drinking the stuff). The ambiance is great, with high ceilings and warehouse-funky walls and small tables scattered around. I usually find a corner seat and get all propped up against the wall, and alternate between whatever great slash zine I'm reading and surreptitiously checking out the clientele, or gazing absently out the big windows at the mountains. It's especially good on a gray overcast day like today.
On Tuesdays the downtown Farmer's Market is a big event, and I can browse the stalls -- alone -- and listen to the street musicians. A couple days ago I found one of my grad students there; he's kind of living on the street right now and earning extra cash playing his guitar. He burned a few homemade CDs so I bought one after he played one of his songs for me -- it wasn't bad, and he needs the bucks, and well, I can't *not* help out one of my grad students, can I?
I've not been alone nearly enough for a long time now. I miss going down to the sea by myself, or hiking in the mountains, or hanging out at little cafes. This twice-weekly dance class is good for my soul, I think. *mmmmmmmm*
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Date: November 20th, 2003 11:39 pm (UTC)I haven't been to farmer's market in a 'coon's age. Must do that soon. We're going on vacation! But not to SoCal to visit your neck of the woods. :-( But we are getting to go the Florida Keys, so that's a good thing!! :-D
I've not been alone nearly enough for a long time now. I miss going down to the sea by myself, or hiking in the mountains, or hanging out at little cafes.
It's really hard, at this stage of our lives, to get that time to ourselves. Estel took the kids to the library last night and I got an hour and a half of blessed peace and quiet. Spent the first ten minutes just sitting and staring at the wall, in the silent house. The sensory overload of life...it's just hard sometimes. So yes, I hear what you're saying. Try to make these little moments for yourself, in your own life. *hugs*
Good luck with the two families, two days each, thing. I'll look for you when we get back.
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Date: November 21st, 2003 08:34 am (UTC)Enjoy the vacation -- guess the Florida Keys is a nice compromise for the Caribbean. Sorry you won't be down to visit, but looks like plans for January are firming up for HobbitCon. I'm planning on that!
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Date: November 21st, 2003 01:00 am (UTC)I love the smell of fresh coffee beans, too, and I also don't like coffee too much.
It's really important to take a little time for yourself - I'm a quite busy person, but I love inviting myself for having dinner or going to the cinema from time to time. Just for not having to say anything, just for being lost in thought and watching people and recharging my batteries.
I hope you will have a little more time for yourself soon! *hugs*
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Date: November 21st, 2003 08:30 am (UTC)Thanks, Eve. *hugs back*