Trials,Tribulations, Travels, Tastings...and Occassional Transcendence

Trials,Tribulations, Travels, Tastings...and Occassional Transcendence
Sock on the Great Wall

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

My New Hood







Grumpypants

Today I woke up grumpy...not sure why I just did. Some days are just like that. It could be the fact that allergies are making my eyes felt like sandpaper or it could be the dread induced by my immense workload. Meh, it's just one of those days.

Yesterday I woke up without an alarm just before 5am. Feeling well rested and mentally alert, I decided to sneak out with Sonia and go for a run all while trying not to disturb Sergei's slumber. If he is sleeping he is an angel. Yet once the beast is awakened, his realising that I and his crazy sister are gone causes his separation anxiety to kick in, resulting in a messy aftermath of things I prefer not to speak of.

Sonia and I ran a nice, short 3.5 miles on the river path starting off from our place on the western bank crossing a bridge then back on the eastern bank. I love the fact that this is all accessible from just outside my front door! Yet during the whole run I kept envisioning Sergei waking up and causing much destruction. To my greatest surprise and pleasure he did not. When arriving back home he was in the same position that he was in when we left. Looking so sweet, laying on his side, eyes shut so tightly with all fours sticking straight out.

Yesterday I was in a good mood all day perhaps it was the run, perhaps it was knowing I am going on vacation soon, perhaps it was the fact that Trevor and I could Skype later that day. We finally did link up on this magical social connection known as the interweb. So incredible to see him and talk to him while we are so far apart. It's only been a few days but I miss him terribly. I don't understand - my whole life (and several relationships) I have never missed anyone except for my animals, of course :) Seriously! I have travelled for months at a time away from everyone I knew, and never felt a pang of sadness or a bit of loneliness. But for some reason I feel myself sink every time I start to think about missing him. I am trying to just keep myself busy, focus on my work and my impending travels - perhaps I should ride one of my bicycles!

I think that may be a reason for my grumpiness today. Yes that's it! I haven't ridden a bicycle for exercise since...well, I can't even remember. We rode to dinner last Friday but it was, at most, a 6 mile ride through the city on our commuters. I have found the cure! I need to get out and ride - today!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Home Sweet (Temporary) Home

We are all moved in!

I feel like a life-time has passed since we moved into our new place...where has the time flown? On top of moving all of Memorial Day weekend I was scheduled crazy hours at my (two) part-time jobs (which didn't help my constant exhaustion). However we are all moved in and (mostly) set up! The only caveat, so far, are the rather loud upstairs denizens. Why are they moving furniture at 1 in the morning? I am seriously tempted to get them some plush rugs to deafen the f--in' noise. In the mornings, as a courtesy to them (it is OBVIOUSLY not returned) I have been trying to keep Sonia quiet, as she loves to vocally express her desire for food first thing in the morning. Today, however, I felt no remorse in letting her be as annoyingly loud as she wanted to be. Damn it!

Speaking of dogs, they are adjusting wonderfully to their new digs. I think its the fact that they get 5-6 walks a day (that will abruptly come to an end once the -15F winter temps hit - they just don't know it yet :). For now they love marking out all of Corn Hill as their own territory as well as part of the western bank of the Genesee River. Sergei sleeps like a dead dog each night...knowing that he's still breathing makes me love how he looks laying on his side with all fours sticking straight out and his eyes shut so tightly.

Our new neighborhood is super sweet - it makes the billion miles we log super enjoyable. So many incredible, historic homes to look at. The architecture is astounding and according the Rochester Landmark Society it is the City's oldest residential neighborhood. From my observations most of Corn Hill was built sometime in the 1800's in a "Victorian meets Martha's Vineyard" style and it seems that any newer architecture was constructed to fit the feel of that "style" with the exception of the Community Center which to me has a Brutalistic appearance - I call it Soviet Architecture (not sure if it was actually built in that style though - but I really do not like it). Lush beautiful gardens everywhere and little parks tucked away in between. I love it! Each day we see something new and exciting. I know it will most likely grow old after a while...good thing we only have a year lease ;) I keep meaning to go out with my camera on one of our gazillion-per-day-walks, but I keep forgetting. Now that my computer is fixed I can start posting pics again :)

So now it's prepping for Europe! I quit one of my p/t jobs just because it was becoming too much of an impedance on my life...now time for a social life again. Or something like that. Honestly I just want to ride my bikes, run in the woods and enjoy my summer. Maybe even head to the gulf to try and do something worthwhile in my life. Trevor is leaving this Saturday for Paris and I am following the week after for Brussels. I can't wait!!! We just set up Skype last night and of course tested it to make sure it works. What an incredible thing modern technology is! I sound like I'm 80 but seriously... think about this...I can be here, in Crapchester, and communicate via live feed with him while he's all the way across an ocean in Denmark with video for no cost. How f--in' crazy is that shit? It's astounding to me. Absolutely astounding.

On the flip side of being buzzed with excitement about our travels together I must admit I am going to miss him terribly for the rest of the summer. I wish I had the means to go and live out there for the duration of his stay. But I was born in the wrong century. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Or something like this...

Pictures to come soon for all one of anyone that reads this anymore...it's all really for my entertainment anyways :)