In my previous posting I mentioned my intention to go for long walks in an attempt to build stamina for my two 10-hour days next week (10-hour days kicked my ass even twenty years ago.) Yesterday I was fulfilling that promise. I walked the arroyo path to Ventura and was fixin' ta walk to Harper when the bike path caught my attention. For many months I've wondered if that bike path went all the way to Wyoming Avenue, but until yesterday I was either headed for Academy Road or was in too much of a crunch to risk a time-consuming adventure that might turn into a dead end. Yesterday I was walking for the sake of walking, so an adventure was just the ticket.
Well, it turns out that the path almost makes it to Wyoming - just a few parking lots in between. It actually ends at the Cherry Hills branch of the library. Anyway, it was a much more pleasant walk than Harper, where the dogs bark and sometimes even snap at me over the concrete block walls between their yards and the sidewalk, mere inches from my new hearing aids.
So I was walking along, trying to keep up a brisk pace, when a big ol' roadrunner came running up the path straight at me. I stopped. It stopped about thirty feet away and stared at me for about ten seconds, then it turned around and ran away. I guess I'm pretty scary looking. Good thing I'm not a coyote.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Long Good Bye
My work on The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas is finished. At the end of this week I'll pick up my check for $500! Woo hoo!!!
Most of the landscaping in our yard is weeded for the big wing ding on June 5th, when the folks coming from out of town and the folks participating in the Ordination ceremony (some are both) will be here in this little house and back yard - all thirty-some of them. This project also entails getting the sliding glass door (we call it the screeching glass door) fixed. Oh well, Marilyn would have to get it fixed before she could sell the house anyway. The rollers are gonzo!
Tomorrow is my big day. At 1:30 is my appointment at the Coumadin Clinic. Ahn will poke my finger and get a reading of my anti-coagulant level. Then I'll have my first (and last?) appointment with the mythical Dr. Garcia, in whose name all of my prescriptions have been written (in Ahn's handwriting.) I'm hoping he takes me off the "rat poison" after six months, as was explained to me back in December.
Then I "race" home on the Albuquerque transit system to get ready for the Ministerial Spouses Dinner with William (Rev. Christine Robinson's husband) and Carlos (Rev. Angela Herrera's husband.) It doesn't sound like my cup of tea at all, but I figure I'll live through it and it will re-enforce my ministerial spouse identity - something that will come in handy for being a ministerial spouse that is active in the congregation in Meadville, PA.
Last Friday afternoon I filled out nine pages of paperwork for my former employer, F/X. They're coming to Albuquerque on June 2nd with a set for KRQE News. My buddy Keith suggested I talk to my buddy Brannen, the Production Manager and my Facebook Friend, about getting on the crew. Of course, the Ordination Department "suggested" I not work on June 4th, 5th or 6th. What with Union relations etc. this means I will be working the 2nd and 3rd only, approximately twenty hours. Hell, it took me almost that long to download, fill out and fax back my application package. You'll be happy to know that I sent along my letter of recommendation from their former general manager, now vice president, in my fourteen-page fax.
One thing that nags at me is that I may no longer have the stamina to work two ten-hour days. A year of NOT working, plus a blood clot have made it difficult to do a lot of anything. My plan is to do a lot of walking during these nine days. I've mentioned in the recent past that I feel as if my career in show business has come to an end. That's fine with me. I accidentally changed careers twenty two years ago to get into the Biz, now I can't wait to find out what the next accident will bring. Of course, being a minister's wife will be job one, but an income would be helpful as well. I don't believe that growing and selling chile peppers will do much in that department. I've already applied to the Meadville Home Depot, a cabinet shop, a portable horse stables rental place, a machine shop... As soon as I post this I'll be strolling over to The Meadville Tribune to see what's new there.
I returned to Facebook on Wednesday. All I did was log in, and everything was as I left it. First, I played the Scrabble move I had abandoned nineteen days earlier. Then I culled fourteen more people from my "Friends," bringing my total to an even twenty nine - including "Strange Women Lying About In Ponds Distributing Swords As A System Of Government," one of my favorite friends. Never posts anything.
Almost a month and a half left here in Abq, not enough time to start anything, and way too long to be saying good bye.
Most of the landscaping in our yard is weeded for the big wing ding on June 5th, when the folks coming from out of town and the folks participating in the Ordination ceremony (some are both) will be here in this little house and back yard - all thirty-some of them. This project also entails getting the sliding glass door (we call it the screeching glass door) fixed. Oh well, Marilyn would have to get it fixed before she could sell the house anyway. The rollers are gonzo!
Tomorrow is my big day. At 1:30 is my appointment at the Coumadin Clinic. Ahn will poke my finger and get a reading of my anti-coagulant level. Then I'll have my first (and last?) appointment with the mythical Dr. Garcia, in whose name all of my prescriptions have been written (in Ahn's handwriting.) I'm hoping he takes me off the "rat poison" after six months, as was explained to me back in December.
Then I "race" home on the Albuquerque transit system to get ready for the Ministerial Spouses Dinner with William (Rev. Christine Robinson's husband) and Carlos (Rev. Angela Herrera's husband.) It doesn't sound like my cup of tea at all, but I figure I'll live through it and it will re-enforce my ministerial spouse identity - something that will come in handy for being a ministerial spouse that is active in the congregation in Meadville, PA.
Last Friday afternoon I filled out nine pages of paperwork for my former employer, F/X. They're coming to Albuquerque on June 2nd with a set for KRQE News. My buddy Keith suggested I talk to my buddy Brannen, the Production Manager and my Facebook Friend, about getting on the crew. Of course, the Ordination Department "suggested" I not work on June 4th, 5th or 6th. What with Union relations etc. this means I will be working the 2nd and 3rd only, approximately twenty hours. Hell, it took me almost that long to download, fill out and fax back my application package. You'll be happy to know that I sent along my letter of recommendation from their former general manager, now vice president, in my fourteen-page fax.
One thing that nags at me is that I may no longer have the stamina to work two ten-hour days. A year of NOT working, plus a blood clot have made it difficult to do a lot of anything. My plan is to do a lot of walking during these nine days. I've mentioned in the recent past that I feel as if my career in show business has come to an end. That's fine with me. I accidentally changed careers twenty two years ago to get into the Biz, now I can't wait to find out what the next accident will bring. Of course, being a minister's wife will be job one, but an income would be helpful as well. I don't believe that growing and selling chile peppers will do much in that department. I've already applied to the Meadville Home Depot, a cabinet shop, a portable horse stables rental place, a machine shop... As soon as I post this I'll be strolling over to The Meadville Tribune to see what's new there.
I returned to Facebook on Wednesday. All I did was log in, and everything was as I left it. First, I played the Scrabble move I had abandoned nineteen days earlier. Then I culled fourteen more people from my "Friends," bringing my total to an even twenty nine - including "Strange Women Lying About In Ponds Distributing Swords As A System Of Government," one of my favorite friends. Never posts anything.
Almost a month and a half left here in Abq, not enough time to start anything, and way too long to be saying good bye.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Abq Snafeaux
Two days in a row now I've missed my #2 bus connexion, arriving in time to actually see the number two bus a couple blocks north of Central (Historic Route 66) and fading fast into the distance. Yesterday it was the consequence that was the snafu, and today the missing of the conexion was the consequence of an earlier snafu. Stop me if I go on and on about really boring (to anyone but me) stuff.
Yesterday the #66 bus just had more stops than normal. It seemed as though somebody wanted to get on or off at every turquoise bus stop sign on Central. What started out as "plenty of time" to get to Eubank by 5:31 turned into a 5:34 arrival. Now there are times when the #2 runs late, but a glance at the empty bus stop showed that it had gone by. Further study revealed the back of a bus way up the street. The next one was scheduled for 6:00.
There is a small problem with the 6:00 bus. Unlike the 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 or 6:30, the 6:00 runs the midday schedule: instead of going Eubank to Academy to Ventura and past my development, this one goes Eubank to Layton, to Academy and back to Eubank - bypassing Ventura and letting me off about a mile from my house. The alternative: let it go by and wait for the 6:30. I opted for the walk. I like to walk.
So I'm on the 6:00 and Carmen calls. She's working until about 6:30. I tell her to look for me on Ventura and at least wave as she goes by. So we get to Eubank and Layton, and the driver keeps going on Eubank! Cool, I thought, he doesn't know about the rogue schedule. I'll just keep my baloney lips zipped and ride on down Ventura. So he gets to Academy and stops. He gets up, carrying his written route directions, and asks the two passengers if we know how he's supposed to go. We both want to go down Ventura, so that's what we tell him. He doesn't buy it so he gets on the communication device and phones home. They tell him he should have gone on Layton. "Oh well," he says to us, "I guess I'll just stay here until time to go back south on Eubank. There'll be another bus along shortly." I decided to walk.
That is how my one mile walk turned into a two mile walk. It was after 7:00 and I was almost home when Carmen called again. She was just now ready to leave work. No wonder I never saw her go by and wave.
Today, on the other hand, was a #66 glitch. We were cruising along, with plenty plenty plenty of time to make the 12:41. I was even thinking of walking up Eubank to "The Chile Addict" store to see what they had in books about growing green chiles (I don't believe they'll be as easy to come by in Pennsylvania) and maybe some seeds. There was a beautiful little 10-year-old girl in a wheelchair on the bus, and that could take some time to unload, but even so, plenty plenty plenty of time.
And then we got to downtown, to the Alvarado Transportation Center. There in the bus loading/unloading zone out front was an old beater of a car, "parked" about three feet out from the curb. In trying to maneuver to the #66 bus stop, our bus barely scraped a corner of this car. Some yelling occurred, and the Transit Police came out in force. After many minutes went by, we were told to exit the bus. We did. Another #66 would be along shortly. Suddenly, the old beatermobile drove away! So, after many minutes, we were told we could reboard the bus. We did so, but just before we pulled away, the car returned, more yelling ensued, and we were asked once again to exit the bus. This time a #66 pulled in behind, and we all boarded that one, including wheelchair girl and her family.
Of course, after all of that plus the unloading of the wheelchair along the way, we made it to Eubank at 12:43, just in time to see the back of the #2 bus fade into the distance. The next one was at 1:41.
The good news: I now have a great book about growing chile peppers and two packets of seeds!
Yesterday the #66 bus just had more stops than normal. It seemed as though somebody wanted to get on or off at every turquoise bus stop sign on Central. What started out as "plenty of time" to get to Eubank by 5:31 turned into a 5:34 arrival. Now there are times when the #2 runs late, but a glance at the empty bus stop showed that it had gone by. Further study revealed the back of a bus way up the street. The next one was scheduled for 6:00.
There is a small problem with the 6:00 bus. Unlike the 3:30, 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 or 6:30, the 6:00 runs the midday schedule: instead of going Eubank to Academy to Ventura and past my development, this one goes Eubank to Layton, to Academy and back to Eubank - bypassing Ventura and letting me off about a mile from my house. The alternative: let it go by and wait for the 6:30. I opted for the walk. I like to walk.
So I'm on the 6:00 and Carmen calls. She's working until about 6:30. I tell her to look for me on Ventura and at least wave as she goes by. So we get to Eubank and Layton, and the driver keeps going on Eubank! Cool, I thought, he doesn't know about the rogue schedule. I'll just keep my baloney lips zipped and ride on down Ventura. So he gets to Academy and stops. He gets up, carrying his written route directions, and asks the two passengers if we know how he's supposed to go. We both want to go down Ventura, so that's what we tell him. He doesn't buy it so he gets on the communication device and phones home. They tell him he should have gone on Layton. "Oh well," he says to us, "I guess I'll just stay here until time to go back south on Eubank. There'll be another bus along shortly." I decided to walk.
That is how my one mile walk turned into a two mile walk. It was after 7:00 and I was almost home when Carmen called again. She was just now ready to leave work. No wonder I never saw her go by and wave.
Today, on the other hand, was a #66 glitch. We were cruising along, with plenty plenty plenty of time to make the 12:41. I was even thinking of walking up Eubank to "The Chile Addict" store to see what they had in books about growing green chiles (I don't believe they'll be as easy to come by in Pennsylvania) and maybe some seeds. There was a beautiful little 10-year-old girl in a wheelchair on the bus, and that could take some time to unload, but even so, plenty plenty plenty of time.
And then we got to downtown, to the Alvarado Transportation Center. There in the bus loading/unloading zone out front was an old beater of a car, "parked" about three feet out from the curb. In trying to maneuver to the #66 bus stop, our bus barely scraped a corner of this car. Some yelling occurred, and the Transit Police came out in force. After many minutes went by, we were told to exit the bus. We did. Another #66 would be along shortly. Suddenly, the old beatermobile drove away! So, after many minutes, we were told we could reboard the bus. We did so, but just before we pulled away, the car returned, more yelling ensued, and we were asked once again to exit the bus. This time a #66 pulled in behind, and we all boarded that one, including wheelchair girl and her family.
Of course, after all of that plus the unloading of the wheelchair along the way, we made it to Eubank at 12:43, just in time to see the back of the #2 bus fade into the distance. The next one was at 1:41.
The good news: I now have a great book about growing chile peppers and two packets of seeds!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Two More Months Of Stuff
Sundays won't be nearly as exhausting for Carmen as they have been since September. The third service, the "contemporary service" during which a band plays music from the sixties and seventies, and the sermon is dropped unceremoniously into the middle, has been discontinued for the duration of the summer. Instead of being finished at 2:00, church will be over at noon. She'll still be tired, especially since she was up late finishing her homily last night.
Soon her internship will officially be finished. From then until July 4th she will be the "Acting Associate Minister" before the newly hired Associate Minister is installed. I don't think this upgrade in her title will entail much extra work - she's already doing the job without the title. On the night of her last day of Albuquerque ministry, the whole country will be shooting off fireworks to celebrate her transition from student / associate minister to fully fledged minister to the congregation in Meadville, Pennsylvania!
Remember that I said that the plan changes often? Well, my previous posting described my journey to Meadville beginning directly after Ordination. That changed a day or two after I posted it. Now, Carmen and I are going together in the Rav4 directly after the moving company drives the truck away, probably following the same routine we followed with the kitties on the way here. The Gospel of Rand McNally includes a detailed description of this procedure, which involves listening to them whine in their carriers during the morning, and letting them join us up front after lunch and gas fill-up. Four days on the road will not be as stressful as sixteen - I hope.
Less than two months to go. Most of our stuff is still packed from the last move. I've packed up our "fancy" dishes already, as well as my new Beatles boxed set and the old "Avengers" VHS tapes given to me by a church staff member last week. Carmen's office needs to be packed up, but I ain't touchin' that! There are a few more kitchen items to pack when we get closer to July, but first we have the incursion of sixteen friends and family members who are coming for the Ordination June 6th. That's the next big hoo-ha. Then Carmen goes to General Assembly in Minneapolis later in June, and will have another week in Albuquerque after she returns.
Meanwhile, there's still a lot to do for Albuquerque Little Theatre's production of "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" which will keep me busy busy busy until the end of this month. It opens May 28th. Y'all come!
Soon her internship will officially be finished. From then until July 4th she will be the "Acting Associate Minister" before the newly hired Associate Minister is installed. I don't think this upgrade in her title will entail much extra work - she's already doing the job without the title. On the night of her last day of Albuquerque ministry, the whole country will be shooting off fireworks to celebrate her transition from student / associate minister to fully fledged minister to the congregation in Meadville, Pennsylvania!
Remember that I said that the plan changes often? Well, my previous posting described my journey to Meadville beginning directly after Ordination. That changed a day or two after I posted it. Now, Carmen and I are going together in the Rav4 directly after the moving company drives the truck away, probably following the same routine we followed with the kitties on the way here. The Gospel of Rand McNally includes a detailed description of this procedure, which involves listening to them whine in their carriers during the morning, and letting them join us up front after lunch and gas fill-up. Four days on the road will not be as stressful as sixteen - I hope.
Less than two months to go. Most of our stuff is still packed from the last move. I've packed up our "fancy" dishes already, as well as my new Beatles boxed set and the old "Avengers" VHS tapes given to me by a church staff member last week. Carmen's office needs to be packed up, but I ain't touchin' that! There are a few more kitchen items to pack when we get closer to July, but first we have the incursion of sixteen friends and family members who are coming for the Ordination June 6th. That's the next big hoo-ha. Then Carmen goes to General Assembly in Minneapolis later in June, and will have another week in Albuquerque after she returns.
Meanwhile, there's still a lot to do for Albuquerque Little Theatre's production of "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" which will keep me busy busy busy until the end of this month. It opens May 28th. Y'all come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
