Goals. Plans. Dreams. Reality

Bon Iver radio is always a good choice.

Feelings of accomplishment:

With nothing to do for two days during the Great Floods, I sat in the Alcove and created my first website. Check it: lindsaylongstreth.weebly.com

I lowered my ridiculous student loan payments and cut back on a couple of 'extra' expenses. These furlough days are really the suck. $200 less per month is a hard hit to take right now...

Now, on to the reason for this post. Organizing ideas, plans, and goals that I intend to make reality.

Goals for the month:

1. Paint my living space. Khaki is certainly the most god-awful color for a home. It is not green, not yellow, and not brown. One of those in-between colors that cannot make up it's mind depending on the light and time of day. Basically it is mild vomit mixed with 70's porn hotel color. Boo.
I am going to paint one wall chocolate brown. The rest will be a subtle steamed milk look - enough color to not be white, but white enough to contrast nicely. 2/3rds of the way to the right on the chocolate wall will be a 2' wide vertical stripe. 12" mirrors and b/w photography will grace the stripe.
On the dining room wall I am still going to hang a cluster of mirrors, only they will have some 12" chocolate squares to accent and tie it to the living room.
The kitchen will be the neutral color...I think...and I am going to do something mildly artistic around the enormous mirror that is currently on the far wall. Still taking idea applications...

2. Buy a floor lamp. My landlord came by and picked up the one that was left and they said I could keep. Well, it doesn't really matter anyway...it was covered in paint and hand prints.

3. Buy a welcome mat. The strip of carpet is just looking worse and worse.

4. Replace the shower head. It is perfectly suited for, oh say, Joanna, but not a person of average height. (Not to say you are short Little Liza, but we all know everyone can't be fun sized).

5. Drive to NoLa, dance my feet off at ULHS, and make a good representation for the Southeast in Comps.

6. Get at least one student for private lessons.

7. Leave work before 6pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Goals for the rest of the year:

1. Replace the fluorescent light above the sink. It is just very...cheap hotel. I am thinking of some modern track lighting.

2. New tires for Lola.

3. Perform at Lindy Focus.

4. Start a consulting business for parents that have decided to school their children at home.

5. Go to at least one more live concert. Ray Lamontagne is Nov 1st.


Making lists helps. In more ways than one. Let me know what you think of my goals...or if you can help any of them happen sooner/faster =)

.

Projects

I love fixing things. Cleaning things. Re-doing. Re-using. Re-making.
I think it runs in the exceedingly German part of my family.

This weekend was supposed to be relaxing and although it felt great, it turned out to be quite productive too.

1 - I sanded down and have almost both coats of stain on the futon frame that I recently purchased from another dancer. It is oak, and has a light finish, and although affordable, totally not my style. So, it now has a nice dark color. The forest green cover has been replaced with a light tan one. Result? Sort of IKEA looking color scheme of light sofa with dark wood trim. Yay! I still need to put the poly on.

2 - Cleaned out my hall closet that had turned into a catch-all after I moved in. What should I do with this? Put it in one of my 4 extra closets. Yes, i said extra. I have a bedroom closet that is not even close to being full plus an equally large on in the bathroom, two in the hallway, and one by the front door. It friggin' rocks.

3 - Cleaned out and got rid of some boxes that I had not unpacked yet. Felt good to say the least.

4 - Hung some of my black and white photographs and favorite Saves the Day framed poster. It is starting to look like someone actually lives here.

5 - Cooked a great brunch for myself. I have discovered a fondness for cooking these days. Having a kitchen to myself and a fridge that I can actually put food into and cupboards that have room makes it so much easier. I am actually looking forward to tomorrow night when I can make dinner =)

6 - Wrote down and organized my goals. Some of them are small and will get done this week, and some of them are 'Big Idea' kind of goals that will take some time to set up and follow through. I have been thinking about starting a business as a side income and way to take some of my passions and non-teaching skill sets and put them to use. We will see how it turns out...

7 - Fixed one of my cheap but nice looking kitchen chairs. Also sanded down, refinished, and poly coated the incredibly cheap and left behind IKEA side table that is on my porch. Complete with a new cloth cover and festive tiny gourd it almost looks like a home out there.

Oh yeah...I also did laundry, went to two housewarming parties, graded all papers, and fixed my bathroom sink. It has been a very productive and relaxing two days. I am ready to take on this week.

(In parenthesis) Ramblings in Brown Ink in Minneapolis

We desire outcomes. We are so much more at ease with a reliable answer to our questions. Yet the future is impossible to grasp for more than the split moment in time for which it occurs. Flying past at an uncontrollable speed, we experience our future while still wondering what will happen next.

~~~~~~

This continual evaporation of life keeps us satisfied for as long as the few destinations we desire allow. Looking ahead only pains the present. And yet, we continue.

~~~~~~

It makes me ponder. Refusing to acknowledge the reality of my inconsistent choices, unable to foresee the repeatable future, I commence a pattern in which I hold more weight in my selfish present than the malleable what is to come.

~~~~~~

Escape. A familiar word, often used, often abused. Often found. More often lost. Time offers such beauty. And takes it away...

Epic Road Trip 2K9: Massachusetts

I dare say that after 6 weeks I will not remember much of what happened in Massachusetts. I left my laptop cable at my Grandparents and did not get it back until Denver - 3 weeks later. And now, 3 more weeks have passed since I could jot down my adventures and I am just now feeling inspired to write. So much has happened since then, and I cannot even fathom trying to write it all down.
I shall resort to my favorite form of reporting on an event that I deem memorable, and create a list of favorites.

~My grandparents house. It was built in the 1800s and is still as beautiful as ever. I cleaned for about three days after arriving - much to their amazement. I never knew cobwebs could be so prolific.

~Lydia, Jeremy, Grace, and Jacob. My sister's family is a riot. Loud, hilarious, loquacious, loving, and a little crazy they filled the house with their 2 and 4 year old enthusiasm for life. My niece is about the most adorable little girl imaginable and her little brother is all smiles all the time. I rarely get to see them, so it was a treat. check out how grandma is teaching Grace how to hang laundry. Yes, they have a clothes dryer. No, they don't use it.

~Megan came up for the visit. I kinda felt bad for her, but she jumped into the fray and tolerated our insanity of perfection and German frugality. It was nice to have another energy around for company and change of pace.

~David and Konnie's wedding reception party was off the chain. Held in their back yard there was a live band, drinks, fresh grilled food, horseshoes and the pool. It was the first time the entire Mechlin family has been together in years - so we took the traditional girls only and then guys only photos.

~I had a great time hanging out with my friend Byler. He was house sitting this enormous house that was home to at least 40 pets. No joke. A dog, 6 birds, countless gerbils (it looked like a pet store in that room, I am guessing about 20) 3 bearded dragons, a chinchilla, at least 8 guinea pigs, three snakes, two turtles, three ferrets (which are awesome to play with) and three cats. Apparently they had two other dogs that were being taken care of elsewhere. Sweet jesus it was crazy. But, we had a fun time going to the Horseshoe pub, drinking exotic beers, chilling in the pool, and watching True Bood til the sun came up. Literally. He is a friend that dates back about ten years...and the only other person I know in the area that is my age and isn't related to me.

~I spent a lot of time reading and talking to my Grandparents. They do the crossword every night, so I sit on the couch with my book and pretend to actually help. I am not a words/literature person at all - doubled with the fact I am not an auditory learner. It is a rough experience but I enjoy the 'family time'. Just don't get me to play UpWords. Dear god I hate that game.

That about sums up the list of fun times in Bolton. It was just really nice to spend time with my family. I got a lot of rest, did a lot of busy work for my grandparents, read three books, and discovered the joy of Cherry Chocolate Trader Joe's Soy Ice Cream. I didn't think life could taste that good.

Carl was dropped off on Sunday night by his parents (who were nice to meet, as brief as it was) and then we took off on Monday morning for Denver and the open road.

Epic Road Trip 2K9: New York - Bronxville and NYC

Current Headphone Fillers: Sigur Ros,The Roots, Dustin O'Halloran, Ben Lee

Let's just start this post with a warning: I might ramble. A lot can happen in one week in NY.

To start off I am going to give a short account of my adventures on the way to Bronxville from Penna. Now, I am excellent with directions and maps. Growing up in a car, bored out of my mind taught me to read a lot of signs and amuse myself with the good old Rand McNally. (yes, i totally use X,Y grid to find towns) And my very dear T lent me two of his - and they have been put to more use than anticipated. So, when I got the helpful hint from a friend with an iDouche that there was a Shell gas station with diesel (LoLa's fuel of choice) on Route 1 in Easton NJ I got off of the current toll road and paid $5. (Again, blow me, toll roads) I pulled over and checked out the map. Turns out this little town is a good 20 miles or so up the road. Needless to say it was the 'long, long way' to get to NY. Either way, it was nice to get off the big highways and go through lots of small towns and needless traffic lights. Note: Civil engineers don't believe in left hand turns in Jersey. You have to 'exit' to the right and loop around to go straight through the traffic light. Good thing I noted this, because my Shell station finally appeared on the horizon with something akin to a halo around it - on the left side of the northbound highway. Sigh. This New England newbie traveller did not know that all Jersey gas stations have an attendent by law, so I hop out of the car to fuel up. Long story short, I am the only person out of their car at the station. After topping her off I head to the restroom...and while this will not get anymore personal than that I would like to note that while Jersey might have excellent service at the pumps they do not believe in latches, locks, or disenfectant in regards to their bathrooms. I got very creative.

The remainder of my journey to Bronxville was quite uneventful. I figured that whatever I saved in tolls by driving on Route 1 was made up by the $8 it cost to cross the George Washington Bridge. Go figure.

I haven't seen another Georgia plate in hours. Florida, yes, but they don't count. They are like cockroaches. All over the place and impossible to get rid of.

Bronxville is full of family. Wine. Superb food. Loud voices. I spend two days there and then Wednesday I head to the city to visit with Elena and possibly catch up with other peoples. The train ride finds me lacking nothing but my cell phone, which was left on the bed in my rush out the door. Last minute craziness is routine in that family. Despite my lack of mobile communication I make it to 1745 Broadway just fine and then head out for the long walk to the MET after dropping off my suitcase. Central Park is quite a sight to see with all the tourists, locals, and winding paths. I decided to be brave and cut through...sort of. Map in hand and a general idea of my bearings I set out. A good 30 blocks later I made it! I paid for my cute little button, and headed for the cafeteria. After eating an overpriced, but delicious sammich I selected Sigur Ros as a soundtrack, and made my way to the modern galleries. Although I possess a mild appreciation for classical art, I have more interest in sculpture, modern, conceptual, abstract, and industrial design. Favorites were the greek sculpture hall, the rooftop sculpture garden, the lower floor of modern, the special exhibit: Model as Muse, and sitting on the front steps afterwards. Plethora of pictures are on facebook.

Three hours later I headed back to Randomhouse Publishing to pick up my cousin and suitcase. We headed out for her birthday/last day of work celebration. Good times and great beers. Topher ended up being able to meet me there...so around 7 I got catch up with one of my longtime friends. We met before I went to college; we were kindred spirits right away. I haven't seen him in about 5 years - but it was just like before, comfortable. He is living in Brooklyn (which I am mildly jealous of) and doing what he loves - music and design. It is nice to reconnect with people who are happy in life. Adventurous. Seeking and not being afraid of new places and things.

That night I once again found a new place to rest my head. A tiny little loft bed in the basement spare room of Elena's new apt. It was cozy to say the least. But hey, it had a reading light!!!!

Thursday: Despite the excessive amount of rain we headed out early to pick up my cell phone from my very gracious uncle at Grand Central Station. Afterwards we found a nice hot breakfast, some coffee/tea and then walked to the Museum of Modern Art. Sigh...it was like heaven. I have never been to the MoMa and it was pretty freaking awesome. While my company did not seem to connect with the sketching and conceptual art we were able to meander a bit more slowly through the photography, design, architecture, and printing/paper galleries. Some of the pieces were very moving, and I think I might have spent more time absorbing the art had I been flying solo. However, it was still a great experience and I feel subsequently more educated on certain concepts that I have seen evident in a friend's work. In fact, I was reminded of his on more than one occasion. It made me pause. And reflect. And remember.

The remaining tour of the city included a quick stop at the Palace Hotel where Gossip Girl is filmed, a cute little cupcake shop for some birthday dessert, and Rockafeller Center. Dinner that night was courtesty of takeout mexican food from around the corner. Deliciousness. I headed down to Frim Fram around 9. Even though most of my family is appalled that I would be riding the subway after dark, I was far from hesitant about another adventure. Public transportation is still 'fun' for me. I had some good dances, and some not-so-experienced dances. The DJ'ing was good when it was the local DJ. I wasn't a fan of the guest. I met some Philly kids and even saw some southern faces (Christine!) Overall I felt my $8 was worth it, and left exceedingly sweaty and tired at 1am.

I headed back to Bronxville on Friday morning to grab a change of clothes, dinner, and the 7:22pm train back to the city with my cousin Coale. We met up with three of his college buddies and wandered down 8th to figure out how to get tipsy before heading to a party. We found a cheap sushi place that didn't card and drank terrible cold saki. Gross. The food was good, surprisingly, and they filled up on beer. Afterwards I introduced them to the genius of 20oz cokes and rum mix. It did the charm, and the boys were feeling good by the time we got to the Columbia frat house party. Ok, so I went to hang out with the boys because my Aunt was freaked out about 'going into the city at night', but here I am at midnight, with a bunch of 19-year-old boys at a freaking FRAT party in NYC. Yeah...it was surreal. Complete with the skanky sorority girls, two kegs, two beer pong tables, loud pop music, and popped collars (don't forget matching old man loafers) the party was a hit with my company. We stayed until 1:30 and then headed back to GCS to catch the 1:53am train home. 'Cause shit, we were not waiting until the 5:30.

The train ride home was epic. We finally found three seats together (Dan was staying the night with us) and got ready to chill for the next 40 minutes. A girl walks onto the train with her friends...I didn't really notice her until Coale said nonchalantly "Nice tan lines". Yeah, like you can say that to an overgroomed suburbanite girl from NY and not get a response. A verbal battle ensues between them. She sits down. 10 minutes later her beefy (but short) male friends join her and she apparently tells them about how mean Coale was to her. They start yelling at Coale, he yells back, and even though my cousin is 19 he is 6'1" and built like a football player - because he is one. They don't back down though due to their numbers...or maybe drunken stupidity. Now, I am in no way going to get into a brawl on the 2am train to Bronxville. So, I try to calm Coale down; meanwhile Dan is next to me saying "Man, I would have your back but I am too drunk". Everyone on the train is either laughing nervously or annoyed as piss. Eventually they calm down. Some guy tries to speak Zen wisdom to my cousin, and I start talking about wanting a chicken biscuit in the best southern accent I can muster. It draws laugher and after the offending party sits down we settle in for the rest of the train ride. When we get off at B-ville we get a few more offensive remarks thrown in our direction, but luckily no fists or other objects. Good job Coale.

The rest of my visit was not worth spending your time reading. I ate more fabulous meals courtesy of my uncle, visited Whole Foods in White Plains, bought another pair of jeans (because I underpacked for the cold northeast) and watched some mindless tv. I had no idea that New York had to go to work, or that there was a reality show for the annoying guys that sell you OxiClean. The more tv I watch the less I regret my choice to remove it from my life =)

...and that was NY in the most condensed version I could muster. My highlights were: the museums, Frim Fram, navigating the subways by myself, seeing Topher, my cousins, and lots of walking.

Epic Road Trip 2K9: Penna

There is something reassuring about going home. The place where you came from. Your first mailing address. Your first friends across the street. Not that I have called Penna home in twenty odd years...but it still feels vaguely familiar every time I encounter the rolling farmland. See the weatherbeaten hex signs, drive down the tiny main streets, and hear 'ya ya'. These days I seem to be claiming the south as home...but for a nomadic creature such as myself, any roots are reassuring.

Spring Grove, a tiny Papermill town was my home, but I stayed with my childhood friend, Ben, in York. Friday night was very chill with us staying in and watching Kung Fu Panda - with which I was pleasently surprised. I actually laughed out loud. SKADoooSH! Saturday we got up early and headed to Sunnewald, an organic hippie health food store owned by one of my Mom's good friends. We actually lived there for a couple years before we made our final exodus from the state. It used to be a tiny little store with few gardens that my family lived at and worked on. Now, it is a thriving business with herbal walkabouts, a radio show, and even more acres of organic goodness. I picked up a few Kombuchas, some original trail/energy mix (it used to be named after my sister, Lydia), along with chips, salsa, and a present for my mother.

By the time Ben and I made it back to York, it was time to pack up and head for DC and my first MLS game. We of course, are rooting for DC United. Now, I am not a sports person by nature, but as I have collected friends I have formed some weak ties to certain teams. Carolina has my heart in college basketball, Red Sox for MLB, Caps in hockey, Appalachian State in college football, or Tennessee for better college football, and now I am all about some DC United soccer. After all, their main sponsor is VW, and I cannot think of a better reason to root for them. Oh yeah…and number 4…sigh…dreamy left D wearing my lucky number. Anyway, back on track. The four of us tailgated in a nearly desolate parking lot for about 3 hours before hitting the gift shop and purchasing all new gear. Go VW!! Ahhhh…I will never forget the blackened hot dog rejected by even the staunchest of DC crows. The game commenced and we had some fairly good seats – and by good I mean there were no giant heads blocking much of the field, and we were close enough to the fan clubs to feel the stadium shake when they started jumping. So yeah, it was a soccer game. The teams ran back and forth a lot, making me feel entirely un-athletic, while thousands of people screamed their heads off and flung beer (and streamers). Halftime was a different story as the fan clubs and a few hundred people entered the mezzanine area and commenced drumming, chanting, and creating a circle where they ‘worshiped’ a jersey. It was very tribal, earthy, and mosh-like. Heather and I decided to preserve our personal belongings and retreated to a higher level to observe the masses. Ben and Josh jumped into the fray, being the boys that they are. It was a sight to see. The game ended with a victory, 2-1. Woot!!! I must be good luck. As we were leaving the drummers came up to the mezzanine again and I begged Heather to let me watch. There were about 6 different drummers, plus a cowbell, tambourine, and bagpipes. I was really digging the beats and finally started to join in the chants with more gusto than when I was watching the game. The head of the fan club kinda knew Josh, and saw that I was ‘with’ him and his friends. He motioned me over and Josh was like “He wants to dance with you.” I was like “No way!!” but he grabbed my hand anyway and drew me into the circle of drumming and dancing. I had zero clue what to do in such a situation…so I began to samba like I was taught in Brazil. It seemed to do the trick because everyone started cheering. It is all a blur now, but basically I was dragged into the dance circle twice to celebrate the win. It was a loud and demanding rhythm; it took me back to dancing on dirt, the only white female on an island with no cars, surrounded by drums and smiling faces. I was in heaven.

New experience number 1 – Major League Soccer Game.

Sunday brought the Brown family together to celebrate the birthday of Jeff. A bluegrass band at an outdoor biker bar in Spring Grove rounded out my diverse weekend in Penn. It was really good to see all the boys again. We lived across the street from them. Adam and Ben are like my brothers and Jeff a dad/uncle figure. Dinner was good, the band was phenomenal and the jokes flew freely. The boys played some horseshoes (I threw a couple as well) and during the last set Jeff’s brother-in-law demanded a dance for a ridiculously fast song. Everyone turned my direction so I said, hey, whatever…and got up to dance some solo jazz in flip flops while my ‘partner’ threw down some admirable flat foot. A memorable experience with not so memorable pictures - they were deleted asap.

In reflection York was a much needed stop. A place to really solidify some of my hazy childhood memories, catch up with old friends, and get out of my usual rut of companions. I hope my next visit is sooner than in ten years.

Current Tunes: Ben Lee and Redheaded Blonde

In parenthesis

New Foods that I have eaten thus far:

~Falafel in DC - incredibly tasty. I will have to find where they sell such wonderfulness outside of our capitol.

~Empanada in DC - another smash hit. Pulled chicken, green olives, and potato. Oh yeah...and an egg.

~Fried Green Beans in York - interesting idea. Not bad at all.

~Crab Fries in Spring Grove - fries smothered in crab meat and mozzarella cheese. omg amazing.


Side Story that is not important at all but a fun memory.
"Do you own anything that is not lime green?"
Now, I had not noticed this phenomenon but apparently I tend to gravitate to owning green accessories. The list you ask?
Bath Towel
Facial Toner bottle
Facial Moisturizer bottle
Toothpaste Travel thingy
Shower Loofa
Bag to carry all bathroom shtuff
Cosmetic bag

This list was apparently long enough for my host in DC to make a comment.