Haven't written in a while. Started a running blog but haven't run much yet. Just no time although sometimes I do have time but no energy.
It is now July 10th - where does the time go?
Here's what's been going on.
This past weekend Alan and I drove to Maryland for a bat mitzvah. Hotel in Aberdeen, synagogue in Havre de Grace. Low key, nice musical service, luncheon at hotel. Later that evening we went back to Havre de Grace, which is on the Chesapeake Bay, and had seafood at a somewhat expensive restaurant. It was HOT all weekend. Alan drove, we got lost a few times, but all in all it was a nice getaway.
Weekend before we went on a harbor cruise in Boston on a bus tour with Beth Israel in Waltham and a couple Lexington temples. After that we went up to Gloucester for lunch and then about 45 minutes walking around Rockport, then our bus took us back to Waltham.
I need a new car, so today I went to Mini of Peabody and test drove the new Mini. I do not know if I want another Mini, but I thought I'd start there. I'll have to spend at least 22K and I'll have to sell securities to buy it. Why is it that even with an $850K portfolio, I still worry about spending money? My condo is assessed for the same amount as my mortgage so I don't even know if I have equity, and I'm not sure if I want to live with Alan. If I did, I'd probably be there already, and I don't even know if he wants me to. So I can't save the $1500 or so I'd save if I rented this place. Plus I need to spend some money to fix it up, more money to move, and to have a realtor help me list it for rental. I couldn't do it alone.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
How did I get so busy?
I'm amazed to have an entire Sunday off. I still can't believe how busy I am sometimes.
My schedule for the week goes like this:
Monday work 8-4. Usually nothing in the evening, except sometimes a Sisterhood meeting or Board Meeting (of which I'm recording secretary).
Tuesday - 11:15 Survey of Jewish Music 505 with Josh -
7:15 PM - Zamir rehearsal
Wednesday-Normally nothing planned (yay) but School of Jewish Music has their weekly Community Time meetings at 1:15 to 2:45. As a certificate student, I'm encouraged, but not required, to attend. They sometimes have special programs which are interesting. It's not a big group, but they are very dedicated and intense and I sometimes feel like an outsider although the certificate students are encouraged to attend.
Thursday is work 4-8, so I usually go to Newton first if only because it's easier to go there earlier and then drive 128S to work. Just less traffic stress.
Fridays I'm usually free. I've spent most of the last week at Alan's in Newton because our parking lot was being paved at Briar Hill.
Saturdays I usually work 4-8, and in the morning, go to services in Malden or Waltham, depending on where I am.
Sundays depends on what comes up - Today I'm supposed to meet Wendy at the SOWA market in Boston, but it's not as nice a day as I thought it was going to be, so I'm not sure if I really feel like it. I could stand getting out of the house and the exercise.
This past Saturday I worked as the Activities person at Sunrise all day, so Fran took my night shift. It was fun - just balloon tennis, Bingo, trivia games, talking, painting. Putting in the movie, encouraging people to join in, and then helping residents - wheeling them to the dining room for meals, and doing anything else I can do to help out.
One Sunday Alan and I went to the JF&CS in Waltham and packed food distribution bags at Family Table and then delivered two to Brookline. Honestly it took 2 hours all together, and it was nice to do something like that for a change.
I'm also working on the Temple Sisterhood's first Holiday Fair, and it's coming along really well. I like the women I'm working with, and we have been getting a lot of interest from vendors - we've got 17 interested and checks are starting to come in. So, I've got a Wednesday night meeting next week on this.
Of course, there were also the high holidays, and before them I had some meetings with some cantorial students where we talked and shared music etc. I went out to Worcester one Saturday to check out the WCUW yard sale to which I had donated a ton of stuff. I also visited Jen Niles, who was Eden's college roommate so I've known her for 30 ish years. She is an artist. We went out to a cute hot dog stand for lunch. She was busy preparing for a show so I didn't stay long, and I had to get back in time for work.
So I drive a lot. Malden to Newton to Braintree, to Newton or Malden and back again.
Sometimes I'm not sure where I should be - do I want to drive back to Malden, or stay in Newton. We are status quo here, not moving forward or back, which is ok with me, except for the driving.
So this week I have a holiday Fair meeting Wed night, other than that a normal week.
The next week, 10/26, is my class reunion. I'm supposed to help set up but I might go to a workshop at Hebrew College being given by Eleanor Epstein.
On 10/28 instead of singing in the Zamir children's concert (which I usually loathe) I'm in a sisterhood fashion show at our membership luncheon. I am not feeling the Zamir love lately. I hardly ever talk to anyone (or they don't talk to ME) and so I'm starting to find excuses to skip concerts. (and rehearsals). Maybe it's time to take a break, but I love singing the music. What else would I do?
My schedule for the week goes like this:
Monday work 8-4. Usually nothing in the evening, except sometimes a Sisterhood meeting or Board Meeting (of which I'm recording secretary).
Tuesday - 11:15 Survey of Jewish Music 505 with Josh -
7:15 PM - Zamir rehearsal
Wednesday-Normally nothing planned (yay) but School of Jewish Music has their weekly Community Time meetings at 1:15 to 2:45. As a certificate student, I'm encouraged, but not required, to attend. They sometimes have special programs which are interesting. It's not a big group, but they are very dedicated and intense and I sometimes feel like an outsider although the certificate students are encouraged to attend.
Thursday is work 4-8, so I usually go to Newton first if only because it's easier to go there earlier and then drive 128S to work. Just less traffic stress.
Fridays I'm usually free. I've spent most of the last week at Alan's in Newton because our parking lot was being paved at Briar Hill.
Saturdays I usually work 4-8, and in the morning, go to services in Malden or Waltham, depending on where I am.
Sundays depends on what comes up - Today I'm supposed to meet Wendy at the SOWA market in Boston, but it's not as nice a day as I thought it was going to be, so I'm not sure if I really feel like it. I could stand getting out of the house and the exercise.
This past Saturday I worked as the Activities person at Sunrise all day, so Fran took my night shift. It was fun - just balloon tennis, Bingo, trivia games, talking, painting. Putting in the movie, encouraging people to join in, and then helping residents - wheeling them to the dining room for meals, and doing anything else I can do to help out.
One Sunday Alan and I went to the JF&CS in Waltham and packed food distribution bags at Family Table and then delivered two to Brookline. Honestly it took 2 hours all together, and it was nice to do something like that for a change.
I'm also working on the Temple Sisterhood's first Holiday Fair, and it's coming along really well. I like the women I'm working with, and we have been getting a lot of interest from vendors - we've got 17 interested and checks are starting to come in. So, I've got a Wednesday night meeting next week on this.
Of course, there were also the high holidays, and before them I had some meetings with some cantorial students where we talked and shared music etc. I went out to Worcester one Saturday to check out the WCUW yard sale to which I had donated a ton of stuff. I also visited Jen Niles, who was Eden's college roommate so I've known her for 30 ish years. She is an artist. We went out to a cute hot dog stand for lunch. She was busy preparing for a show so I didn't stay long, and I had to get back in time for work.
So I drive a lot. Malden to Newton to Braintree, to Newton or Malden and back again.
Sometimes I'm not sure where I should be - do I want to drive back to Malden, or stay in Newton. We are status quo here, not moving forward or back, which is ok with me, except for the driving.
So this week I have a holiday Fair meeting Wed night, other than that a normal week.
The next week, 10/26, is my class reunion. I'm supposed to help set up but I might go to a workshop at Hebrew College being given by Eleanor Epstein.
On 10/28 instead of singing in the Zamir children's concert (which I usually loathe) I'm in a sisterhood fashion show at our membership luncheon. I am not feeling the Zamir love lately. I hardly ever talk to anyone (or they don't talk to ME) and so I'm starting to find excuses to skip concerts. (and rehearsals). Maybe it's time to take a break, but I love singing the music. What else would I do?
Just a big ol' update
I know that I am a big time waster and procrastinator, but I do spend a lot of time getting things done in between napping, eating, playing Angry Birds, etc. Today was a day to get things done and so far, not sure I've been as productive as I'd like.
I stayed over Alan's last night so that I could get my hair cut this morning - at Supercuts. For $16 (minus $3 coupon but plus $3 tip), I had my hair cut but not styled or shampooed. Works for me and beats the heck out of the $85 or so I was spending for cut and roots every five weeks - I've been coloring my own the way I used to. A bit of a pain, but glad to be saving the money.
After that, I went in search of a book I'm going to read for my term paper for Josh's Music Class. I'm enjoying the class as there are only 8 of us (all women) in it. When he said yesterday that he had just "remembered' that he had to assign us a term paper, we all groaned. Of course the other women take more classes than I do, but they are all in it for serious reasons; to become cantors. They are there from sunup to sundown, and usually end up with 2 or 3 papers or take home exams per semester. I would so hate that!
So Josh gave us options for the paper and I've chosen what I consider to be a bit easier - to read a book we discussed a bit in class and write a review. I want to do a good, thoughtful review, but I still need to read the book. So I went to Hebrew College and was so glad to see they had it and I can keep it for a month!. I haven't written a paper since college, so this will be so much fun. (not)
I also thought I'd go to the gym today, not sure if that will happen. I bought lunch at Big A - a chicken wrap, which is healthy, but not when you eat all the fries in the car on the way home!
I had a bowl of cereal at 9 AM so by 1 PM I was starving. I wanted a shwarma wrap but the place i used to get one in Brighton is no longer there and I didn't know where else to go.
There are so many other things I want to do today. Gym, homework for class (not just the paper - discussion questions, reading etc), I had to call my broker and ask him about one of my stocks, which has gone from $12 to 2.63 per share. He says don't sell... how much lower can it go????
I bought another pair of lovely stretchy pants from Dress Barn but they will need to be hemmed, so tomorrow I may do that, plus i need to bring food and candles to the JFCS in Waltham, then go early to work for a clothing sale they are having.
I've also offered to help Lisa, our activities director, post some stories to the Sunrise website. I wrote something and I need photos now to submit.
AND, I also got an email from someone at Hebrew College who is looking to pay someone to scan a box or two of papers which were damaged by flood waters at her parents home in NY. I thought that might be a great way to earn a little extra money too, but it turned out that she found someone else. OH well. Still looking for ways to earn money...
I stayed over Alan's last night so that I could get my hair cut this morning - at Supercuts. For $16 (minus $3 coupon but plus $3 tip), I had my hair cut but not styled or shampooed. Works for me and beats the heck out of the $85 or so I was spending for cut and roots every five weeks - I've been coloring my own the way I used to. A bit of a pain, but glad to be saving the money.
After that, I went in search of a book I'm going to read for my term paper for Josh's Music Class. I'm enjoying the class as there are only 8 of us (all women) in it. When he said yesterday that he had just "remembered' that he had to assign us a term paper, we all groaned. Of course the other women take more classes than I do, but they are all in it for serious reasons; to become cantors. They are there from sunup to sundown, and usually end up with 2 or 3 papers or take home exams per semester. I would so hate that!
So Josh gave us options for the paper and I've chosen what I consider to be a bit easier - to read a book we discussed a bit in class and write a review. I want to do a good, thoughtful review, but I still need to read the book. So I went to Hebrew College and was so glad to see they had it and I can keep it for a month!. I haven't written a paper since college, so this will be so much fun. (not)
I also thought I'd go to the gym today, not sure if that will happen. I bought lunch at Big A - a chicken wrap, which is healthy, but not when you eat all the fries in the car on the way home!
I had a bowl of cereal at 9 AM so by 1 PM I was starving. I wanted a shwarma wrap but the place i used to get one in Brighton is no longer there and I didn't know where else to go.
There are so many other things I want to do today. Gym, homework for class (not just the paper - discussion questions, reading etc), I had to call my broker and ask him about one of my stocks, which has gone from $12 to 2.63 per share. He says don't sell... how much lower can it go????
I bought another pair of lovely stretchy pants from Dress Barn but they will need to be hemmed, so tomorrow I may do that, plus i need to bring food and candles to the JFCS in Waltham, then go early to work for a clothing sale they are having.
I've also offered to help Lisa, our activities director, post some stories to the Sunrise website. I wrote something and I need photos now to submit.
AND, I also got an email from someone at Hebrew College who is looking to pay someone to scan a box or two of papers which were damaged by flood waters at her parents home in NY. I thought that might be a great way to earn a little extra money too, but it turned out that she found someone else. OH well. Still looking for ways to earn money...
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