3rd House Journal

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[Pear blossoms and brownstones, Back Bay, Boston; 4/1/12]

I'm still at that stage where I've been cut loose from the dock I was tied to all too long but I'm still trying to regain my sea legs. Of course I'm still in safe harbor. I signed up for unemployment compensation yesterday, and my two-weeks severance pay will come later this week. I spent the last week contacting former freelance clients and following up on other leads, with another call scheduled today and one on Monday. As D says, I have several hooks in the water, so now wait and see what bites. I have more lines to cast, too, but I thought I should take a little breather while I can, gather strength and ready the ship -- or at any rate clean the house.

[Nature Center at Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont MA; 4/3/12]

I have such a backlog of things I want to do, things I've given short shrift because of the demands of my job. Besides much needed house cleaning (not just the surface stuff, but tackling piles and boxes of stuff that needs to be sorted and gotten rid of), there's writing, walking, exploring, seeing friends, seeing art, reading, and thinking -- none of which should be rushed or done half-heartedly in a state of exhaustion. I haven't come down to that level yet.

We were busy over the weekend. We walked over to the South End for dinner at a friend's place on Saturday night, which was fun but I wished I was feeling more relaxed and less tired. On Sunday, we met up with Lorianne and J at the JFK Library to see our friend Teju Cole accept the PEN/Hemingway Award for his acclaimed first novel, Open City. (See Lorianne's blog post.) It was a lovely event, with readings by Teju and Yannick Murphy, winner of the PEN/Winship New England award for her novel, The Call, as well as a keynote address by novelist Andre Dubus III. But loveliest of all, as Lorianne says, was the chance to catch up with old friends and bask in the joy of a well-deserved honor for one of them.

[Teju Cole at the PEN/Hemingway Awards event; 4/1/12]

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It occurs to me that I haven't had a vacation in a long time. An occasional long weekend, yes, but not a good long break from work. That might have helped my ability to cope at work! Stupid not to have taken more, I guess, but hard to get the time off. Vacation is not encouraged here in the US. So I'll try to take some now. Starting today, after my noontime business call. It's shaping up to be a sunny, warm day. Time to open the windows.

Find Your Own Bit of Sanctuary

[At Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont MA; 3/26/12]

I discovered Habitat, the Audubon sanctuary in Belmont, soon after I took on a full-time job here after having my own freelance business for 13 years. That first year, I commuted 45 miles each way from my condo in a semi-rural town, where I used to take long walks every day past acres of farm land and woods. Although Belmont is a lovely town with some well-appointed homes (Mitch Romney lived here when he was governor), most of the area, even in Belmont, is more densely packed and urban than where I was living. But after languishing as a single woman out in the hinterlands for so long, I craved the urban life with all its culture and activity. I soon grew tired of commuting and, after a year, the opportunity to move close to work arose and I emptied my condo, rented it out, and moved to the big city, or at least near the big city. Still, over the years, Habitat has offered an antidote to urban overload and has also provided a haven from the stress of my job, a place where I went to grieve my mother's passing and other heartbreaks, to delight in nature, and to ground myself in the natural world. Just a 20-minute walk from the office, its woods and meadows a hidden treasure.

[Bits of nature, at Habitat]

Habitat was the first place I went to on Monday after getting laid off from my job. Yup, although I have been looking to leave for a long time, they beat me to it and booted me along with six coworkers on Monday. Since then, I've been busy letting my former freelance clients know that I'm available again, updating my resume and LinkedIn profile, and fielding lots of emails from former colleagues, both those still there and others who have gone before me and find themselves happier than ever. I still have to go into the office tomorrow to bring back my keycard and sign paperwork, but otherwise it's over. I do feel freed, although of course there is the issue of money to worry about.

[Turtle Pond, at Habitat]

Walking around the trails on Monday afternoon, I realized I didn't have to rush. I could stay and enjoy it as long as I pleased. There was noplace I had to be. There was also a strange sense of having been uprooted from my home and deposited, or maybe chewed up and spit out, washed up on this strange shore, not sure where to go but at least with my feet under me again.

Spring Arrives

[Spring blossoms, Smith College Plant House Bulb Show; 3/17/12]

We drove out to Northampton for the Spring Bulb Show at the Lyman Plant House at my alma mater on Saturday. Even though crocuses, scilla, and even daffodils are already beginning to bloom on lawns outdoors in our continued unseasonal warmth, it was lovely to see (and smell!) all the beautiful flowers in the show. The drive out was dreary - gray skies and dull brown landscape all the way out, no sign of the predicted sunshine breaking through on the western horizon - so walking into the plant house was like walking into a candyland of color.

[Lilies, tulips, jonquils, and more]

The sun did finally come out later in the afternoon, and we enjoyed walking around campus and the shops in  town, along with a delicious mid-day meal at Viva Fresh Pasta, our favorite Northampton eaterie.

Yesterday, I'd planned to sort through and clean my spring/summer wardrobe and put away winter clothes, plus other spring cleaning, but another warm sunny day intervened. D and I went to Harvard Square and walked along the river and before I knew it, it was late afternoon before I got back to my apartment, too pooped to do all I'd hoped for. But I did get most of the clothes sorted, which will make getting ready for work (and packing up on weekends) easier. And yes, I did save some warmer layers for the inevitable cold snaps. But the forecast is for more record-breaking warmth - into the 80s this week - just so utterly wrong for March in New England. Not a good sign for the coming summer.

[Harvard crew team practices on the Charles River; 3/18/12]

It's been a busy few days - my group at work went out to lunch yesterday, then last night I met up with friends I haven't seen in a long time for dinner. Tonight I have to go the hair salon after work. I could use a rest. At least the daylight lasts longer into the evening - I may get home before dark.

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You can see more spring blooms from the Spring Bulb Show here. Happy Spring!

 

Indulgence

[Tiramisu at Caffe dello Sport in the North End, Boston; 3/11/12]

The North End seemed as good a walking destination as any on Sunday, especially with Italian treats awaiting. Along the way, the Public Garden was full of people, dogs, and squirrels. Alas, the poor ducks were confined to an ever diminishing strip of puddle in the drained lagoon, awaiting refill (last year, it was filled in early April, so they have a few weeks to go). For the record, that's D's tiramisu in the photo above  (I tasted it - delicious!). I had the traditional North End cannoli (excellent) along with a cappucino.

It was a very indulgent weekend. After visiting the Mapparium with my girlfriends on Saturday (see previous post), we headed to Newbury Street, where we were enticed in by the Mayan Weaver shop's 50% off jewelry sale, then we stopped at Swiss chocolatier Teuscher for a heavenly champagne truffle, followed by some art gallery browsing, and eventually cocktails at the Met Back Bay. After my friends headed home, D and I tried out the new creperie on Newbury St, which was very good and reasonably priced, topping it off by sharing a delicious chocolate mousse crepe.

[Lemoncellos in a North End grocer; 3/11/12]

Despite our indulgence, we did not set the Back Bay on fire. However, yesterday evening, a transformer blew out and caught fire, spewing out billowing black smoke and cutting power to over 20,000 residences across the city, including D's. He called me as the smoke was blowing heavily through his neighborhood and I told him to grab some things from his apartment - pitch black by then - and come out to my place in the suburbs. As of tonight, power is still out for over 12,000 residences, half of which are expected to still be dark until tomorrow, so I believe he'll be a refugee here for another night.

[Caffe dello Sport, North End]

In other news, I had a very enjoyable lunch interview today and need to send off some writing samples. I thought things went well, I liked the guys I talked to very much, and it sounds like good work in a much more pleasant working environment. We'll see...

Just Before Spring

[On Newbury St in Boston; 3/11/12]

Although the vernal equinox is still a week away, the "spring forward" time change seems to mark the beginning of the season, even as the Memorial Day holiday weekend marks "summer" before the solstice. At least here in Boston. In the other half of the world, of course, it's another story. This past Saturday, a couple of friends came into town and we met at the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library. (Although photography isn't allowed, here's one I found on Flickr.) It's a magnificent place, and the tours are all too short as I could stay inside the giant stained glass globe perusing the old maps for hours (the maps date back to 1935). We tested out the whispering gallery effect -- you can stand at either end of the bridge through the globe's center and hear someone as if they're standing next to you. Voices from the other side of the planet.

Alas, that one stolen hour overnight from Saturday to Sunday is getting its revenge early this week, with Monday morning coming all too soon and Tuesday as well. Off to work...

Cagey

[Racing clouds over Boston; 3/4/12]

Extreme winds buffet these days. Last Friday brought two heartening interactions on the career front, followed by an uncalled-for harangue in the afternoon in my present job that left me rattled and riled and woke me in the night, not for the first time. Then yesterday I found out that a colleague who brings great creativity and spark to the job, who frequently works into the night and on weekends albeit is a chronic late arriver in the morning, was confronted with records of her late arrivals pulled from our office key-card entries. Who knew? And since they are now consolidating office space, my group will soon be moved such that we'll be right under management's noses. Last night I dreamed I was being fitted with a body-shaped iron cage where I sat, and I woke gasping for air.

[Birds roosting in their favorite shrub on Newbury St in Boston]

Yesterday morning I contacted a former client from my freelance days asking if I could use him as a reference for my interview that was scheduled for today (they've since postponed it to next week) and he sent me a lovely note back that it was a pleasure to hear from me and of course I could. It's good because he's in a senior level position at his company, a marketing target of the people I'll be interviewing with. Meanwhile, I sent a note to the woman I interviewed with a couple of weeks ago, at the job I'd really love to get, expressing my continued interest in the position. She wrote back late yesterday saying they're still interviewing candidates, but it was a nice note and at least I've heard something. Then when I got home I had a phone conversation with a recruiter who pretty much denigrated my experience and skills. So there you go.

I try to keep breathing.

Abeyance

[At Weeks Pond, Habitat Center in Belmont, MA; 2/28/12]

This goose at Weeks Pond stood stock still as I approached, photographed, and moved around the pond. The surrounding area was still mostly brown sprinkled with the washed-out residue of last year's green, as it has been all winter, but there was a flourishing of fresh greenery where a small stream puddled near the pond. Promising, despite a snowstorm forecasted for the next day, which did come but wetly, hardly covering ground before melting. Thursday morning I noticed tall sturdy shoots from the daffodil bulbs coming up in my front yard, and snowmelt catching in the spiraling tulip stalks.

[Front yard, March 1, 2012]

No word yet from the interview I had two weeks ago, but I've lined up another one elsewhere for next week. Meanwhile I had to endure a particularly bad day at the office on Friday. I hang in. Spring will come.

PEM

[East India Marine Hall, Peabody Essex Museum; 2/25/12]

The weekend was sunny but chilly with high, gusty winds. So as we weren't planning to walk around town this weekend, it seemed a good day for a drive up to Salem to the Peabody Essex Museum. The PEM, which has its origins in the "curiosities" collected and brought home by sea captains, specializes in art from Asia, Oceana, India, and North America.Their current featured exhibit is Shapeshifting, with Native American art from across the country and from 200 BC to the present. I found myself "placing" each piece geographically as well as in time. Since the plaques stated the tribe/nation, but not region, you mostly had to have heard of the tribe to know its location. I recognized all of the beautiful southwest work (mostly Hopi and Navaho) from my visits to New Mexico, the local tribe names from New England, and a few others. I'm not as familiar with the Pacific northwest, but you couldn't miss the giant totem pole from that region. I knew they were big, but it's a different thing to stand next to one, dwarfed by it, and see the gorgeous carving.

Speaking of the northwest, I was thrilled to see Brian Jungen's "Cetology" installation at the exhibit. I first saw one of his astonishing "natural history" type (ie, hung from the ceiling) whale skeletons made from white plastic resin chairs installed at the contemporary art museum on a visit to Montreal in June of 2006 with a bunch of blogger friends. That exhibit in Montreal also had his wonderful aboriginal masks made from Nike footwear.

[Clouds over the Yin Yu Tang house]

We left the PEM just before closing time, and it so happened that just next door at the charming, independent Salem Cinema, The Artist was playing in about 20 minutes. It was up for an Oscar last night and was predicted to win Best Picture (it did), so we couldn't pass it by. It was, as many have said, a lovely piece of froth to top off our day.

Stirrings

[Witch hazel blooms, Public Garden, Boston; 2/18/12]

The drab, snowless winter hasn't inspired me to take the camera out of my pocket much lately. But the warmer than usual temperatures may bring Spring early. A week ago I saw crocuses on one sun-catching lawn near the office, a good month early. And yesterday I spotted the early-blooming witch hazel opening up in the northeast corner of the Public Garden. Hey, pitchers and catchers report for spring training today! - normally a blessed event that serves to warm the hearts of fans here in the Northeast weary of battling blizzards, icy sidewalks, and bone-chilling cold. We are, of course, happy to not be dealing with those bothers this winter. But, still, something feels missing.

[Ducks make do with muddy puddles in the drained lagoon in the Public Garden]

I went for my interview last week for a job that I'm very interested in. I think it went very well, but you never know what other circumstances may be at play. The HR person said they'd know something within a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I've been unable to stop myself from thinking through the commuter routes and even buying a few wardrobe items since I'd need to be more presentable than in my current job where some colleagues occasionally roll in in sweat pants. Even if this position doesn't come through, I'm looking at jobs for which I actually leave my cubicle on occasion and interact with people, so decent workclothes will be needed regardless.

[Congregating shrubs, Public Garden]

It was a bit of an exhausting week, but the weekend has been nice and relaxing. Last night we used a discount coupon of D's that was about to expire at the French restaurant La Voile on Newbury St. Wow. The food was delicious. D had the cinnamon-spiced duck l'orange and I had a red snapper filet that was perfectly seasoned. We also sprung for dessert, which we usually skip, and shared a little molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Yum.

With D off at at event today, I'm home, enjoying my sunny living room. I really must get out for a walk. I also have tomorrow off for President's Day, which I'm afraid will mostly be spent doing my taxes. At least it will be a shortened work week.

Windows and Whirlwinds

[Pushpamala-Arni photographs, Sackler Museum; 2/4/12]

I've been in a whirlwind of activity for the past few days. It started last Thursday when I got a call inviting me for a phone interview on Friday. I spent the evening prep'ing for it, plus packing up for the weekend since we had tickets to a play in the city Friday evening and I'd have to leave right after work. I took the phone interview at home at lunchtime (it went well and I was invited to come in next week, keeping my fingers crossed because it sounds like a great fit), then back to the office for the afternoon, and back home after work to gather my things and go with D into town. Leaving my bags in his car, we headed out for dinner, then to see Superior Donuts at the Lyric Stage (very enjoyable).

We normally wander around the city near D's place on weekends, but we thought we'd try a different destination and hit on taking the T over to Harvard Square to Harvard's Sackler Museum, which had some new photography acquisitions and a re-sorting of collections from Harvard's other art museums, the Fogg and the Busch-Reisinger, while they're renovating.

[Julius Faulhaber's Gas Station (photography), at the Sackler]

[Window in the lobby of the Sackler]

And, well, since I had a discount coupon for the Harvard Square Alsatian restaurant, Sandrine's, burning a hole in the zipper-pocket of my purse, we had a lovely early dinner before heading back to crash on D's couch. Sunday was, fortunately, more restful, despite being Super Bowl Sunday. D brought me home in the afternoon so I wouldn't be stuck in town late when the game got over, and he went back and had his buddies over. I was able to have a good night's sleep - luckily, as Monday was an all-out, mad, take-no-prisoners take-no-lunch-break scramble to meet a deadline by the end of the day. (sigh)

[2nd floor landing on the stairway, Sackler Museum]