Friday, December 12, 2008

Hairy Merry Christmas


Snow in New Orleans, auto bailouts, imploding economies, failed law firms. Duck and cover and hope for the New Year.
This photo is from the Times Picayune in yesterday's paper...pretty unusual.
Well, the downstairs flat is empty and clean and I have two new tenants moving in starting January 1 with their dog, Polly Jean. I haven't had to be a landlord (Becky and Emily were living in the house when we bought it) so this is a new role.
Sunday, my sister organized a number of folks and put on a "smudge" for me...brought salt, sage and sweet grass to banish all the bad juju in the house. I think the champagne helped as well. It was very sweet as it was a "surprise smudge" and there were about ten people there plus others sending greetings. It 's because Jess kept so much stuff in the house for so long (14 months to move plus the garage is still full of stuff) that I didn't want to be at home. He'd show up whenever he felt like it and take a few more things so I traveling nearly two months straight (see prior post). My friends believed I needed to make the house mine after all...so perhaps this is helping.
Still a shitty year, frankly and I'll be glad when it's over, the lame duck quack away, and we can begin again. Spending a couple days for Christmas at my Dad's in Portland, with his grandkids running around (from his wife's kids), so should be fun.
I'll be in LA just after Colleen's b'day for a cabaret show starring my friend, Clifford, who is usually a director, then off to the inauguration. If I had an extra $25K, I could go to all the events, but just can't swing that under the circumstances so I'll just stand in the Mall like everyone else and be awed.
Happy Holidays to all...much love.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Waiting

We are waiting in my family. Ned is waiting to hear from Cornell Engineering about whether he will get in early decision (he got into Purdue Engineering, his safe school). He should hear from them by email on Thursday. I am hugely proud of him and worried for him at the same time, because he wants it so much. I am waiting to hear whether I will get any kind of job offer in California so that I can live with Terry. So too, my brother is on the job market, networking, sending letters, and hoping something comes of it. He has been unemployed for a while (financial industry fallout) and we are worried for him. Mom is waiting to see how it will go with Dad, who is getting weaker and generally declining.

Daniel, Ned, and I all had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Mimi's, and Terry visited last weekend and Mimi and Jeff came to dinner. Next week, I am in Europe for conferences and to be an outside reviewer for two doctoral defenses in law schools there. I will have a day alone in Paris, and I keep thinking of sophomore year and Mimi, Colleen, and Celia's trip there over January interterm. I have never been to Paris before.

It will be a weird holiday. Love, Lisa