Jessmiloo’s Neighborhood

Today/night:

Ok, today, I have:

Stephan LOVES Christmas. He sees the displays go up in stores and gets excited. We were walking through Kohl's a couple weeks ago and he saw their Christmas area and exclaims, "mommie, it's Christmastime here!"

Friday night I was out with a friend and we stopped in Target (the one near me is attached to the mall), I found a small tree that was $9. Didn't quite want to get it right then, but I knew that Stephan would probably love to have "Christmastime" in his room. I talked to Andy about it and we both agreed the tree was worth it. So after nap I said I wanted to go to the store and get a surprise for Stephan. He of course wanted to know what it was. When I told him I wanted to get him a tree for his room he didn't seem super enthused about the idea.

However, as he realized what I was saying he got a little more excited about things. When I showed him the little tree he got very happy and decided he wanted colored lights. We usually have white ones on the big tree, and I figured the colored ones wouldn't be as bright to leave on at night when he's going to sleep. We found the tree, the lights, a mini tree skirt and a few ornaments.

Stephan's tree

When we got home, the first thing we had to do was set up the tree, and put on some Christmas music. Stephan's a riot.

Stephan and his tree

Everything always seems so much livelier through the eyes of a toddler.

1. My tooth hurts. Again.
2. Gotta get some dental insurance, or maybe just some magically found money in an old purse.
3. Just over half a stack of papers done; two and a half stacks to go.
4. Shouldn't have spent so much time on the phone, but I got to catch up with friends, which I should always spend more time doing.
5. Mostly clean house, which is nice. Did tons of dishes and microwave cleaning and whatnot today.
6. New pajama pants, very softy nice.
7. Cat peace continues to hold.
8. Almost all of tomorrow off to play more catch-up.
9. And SLP will be home. :)

Today I celebrate my independence from the British...

Whilst tossing away pretty much everything I own (CDs and DVDs... you're next!) I found a box full of stuff pertaining to that Guy-Who-I-Hope-Chokes-on-an-English-Muffin.  Pictures, gifts he'd given me (including a pair of shoes that were not my style), etc.  I went through the pictures and laughed as I went along... he really was a goofy dude... but it was sort of surreal, because while I know I dated this guy, it was like looking at someone I never even knew.  Even looking at me was weird, because I really don't recognize that person.  I pulled out a few pictures that had some other friends in them and tossed the Brit into the trash bag.  I found another stack of stuff from the Blood Seller and tossed most of that as well.

Shaniqua came in and said she never would be able to toss pictures.  I told her that these people are in my past, and frankly I don't care or think about them any more, so why hold onto these things?  To me, they're just taking up space.

Maybe that makes me cold hearted. I don't know.  But I do know that hanging onto items from the past has never meant much to me.  Whether good or bad, the experiences I had with these people have shaped who I have become now, and really, that's all the reminding I need.

So, goodbye to the Brit, and goodbye to the Bloodseller. You've been cleared out. 

I do kind of wonder, though, wherever you are, do you somehow know you've been tossed?

I guess that's a question to which I will never know the answer.

-K.

I think the thing that haunts me the most about my trip to New York back in June are these:

Oobject_15_housing_projects_from_hell_coney_island_0905_small

Giant, monolithic housing projects.  On the train from Manhattan to Brooklyn, they dot the landscape.  One after another after another.  Sometimes, in big groups.  It's one of the most depressing things I've ever seen, and somehow, this is acceptable in the United States.  I understand low-income housing is shitty, but this seriously gives me the chills ever time I see it.

I'm also really curious about them.  What are the people like who live there?  How many people live their entire lives in these?  The next time I'm in New York, I want to photograph the projects.  Now, I don't want to get too too close, but I'm thinking that I can get some pretty good shots from train platforms and such.  I especially like this photo because of its Holga-ness.  It makes it look even worse.  Coney Island looks pretty dingy on its own, but this photo succeeds in making it look even worse.

How many rappers are from these housing projects?  Hmm.

In my search for acceptable photos, I came across this site (which is where I snagged this photo from):

Depressing Housing Projects

Now if I could only manage to develop the photos from my last New York trip...    

Maine voters repeal gay marriage

Can anyone tell me why equal rights keep getting put up to a popular vote?  Anyone?

Ooh, pie chart time again:

ChristianHelp

This literally had me LOLing in the office.

Oh, Jillian.

Ahhhhh....

At the very, very good advice of my dear, dear friends Heartswater and PTM, I have canceled my classes at My Institution for tomorrow. I will teach at The Community College, but then I shall go home and grade, grade, grade allllllllllllll day and return, caught up-ish and refreshed-ish, on Tuesday. Or maybe on Wednesday. ;)

I haven't done this in FOREVER, so here's a few at least.

• Thankful that our ultrasound went well yesterday. From what the tech said, baby is healthy. We enjoyed seeing the baby and trying to pick out all the organs she was showing us. The heart is by far the coolest.
• Thankful Andy made it safely to work. He had to go out in this awful snowy mess and not only made it all the way to work but it only took him an extra 15-20 minutes, which isn't bad when it's almost a 60 mile trip!
• Thankful Stephan seems to be napping. Most of the sledders out there aren't being too loud and I turned his music up pretty loud and have the wash going, just hoping he's able to get a good two hours before something wakes him up!
• Thankful for my new phone. While I've yet to find a shopping list program I'm in love with, and am still using my old Palm with HandyShopper, I like everything else about it, well everything except that the battery life isn't the greatest, but I'm working on figuring out how to make it last longer.
• Thankful I've not had to worry about work.  We are on fall break, so now bonus snow days, but at least I don't have to worry about whether or not they are going to close my school for the day.

That's pretty much it. I've got to get some lesson planning done. Sunday I'm teaching our class. Going through the book of Esther. I worked on it some yesterday, but need to get my thoughts better organized still.