Jessica
I've always been a great admirer. I even guested on one of her TV talk shows once upon a time. But it seems strangely inappropriate to demonstrate any degree of adulation in her case - I don't think she takes fondly to fawning of any sort - and so instead I "appreciate" her from a distance. This is one example - quoted from her
blog - of exactly why I think so highly of Jessica Zafra: her observations about life and everything else remotely related to it, are just so darned succinct:
I majored in comparative literature. It's the world's best excuse to read great books for four years. I'd always known I wanted to write, and I figured the best way to learn writing was to read great writers. It's like training for a sport--you do something over and over again until you don't even have to think about it, your muscle memory takes over. When you read, you hear the words in your head, you pick up the rhythms of literature, and from constant reading you get to a point where you can distinguish good writing from bad just from "hearing" it. Your teacher's job is to guide your reading and give you the tools with which to talk about literature. (Your parents' job is to dissuade you from choosing writing as a career, and try to convince you to go to law school. I'm serious. If you can withstand that kind of pressure, you can do it. Assuming that you have some writing ability.)
Exactly.
Change of Plans
Hmmm...
Every day I pray that God frustrate all my plans that are not in accordance with His most perfect will; that He throw a monkey wrench into the machinery or cause a minor disruption in the universe if things are not going as He intended. Well, tonight, I can only trust in His most perfect will as plans that were mapped out will not be pushing through on schedule...and I know He has good reason. I'm actually kind of happy - despite my complaints of the heat (at least it started raining today) - because I will get to attend some lowland activities that need my attention, and because plans will
still push through, God willing. OK Manila, you've won the battle for now, but the war's still on! :-)
Kalinga on - uh, whenever God wills it! Hopefully very soon :-) In the meantime, it's back to BC for me. :-)
Head For The Hills!
This heat is stifling. I was so distracted and tired and confused by the time we left the Center tonight that I left my bag - my whole, entire bag, wallet, make-up and all - there. Had to drive back and get it!
The rush ad campaign I'm working on hasn't gotten my full attention either...stress and heat exhaustion don't help get the creative juices flowing so I'm not at prime performance level. The nice thing is that, despite all this heat harassment, I just received another writing assignment about the place I'm dying to get back to. As in, I'm
daing. Give me back my 16C temps.
Again, because of the gazillion and one things going on in the Metro, I've left off packing until the eleventh hour, although I have everything I needed to buy (and then some). Even had a Thom-Philicia-day for the P(h)ad with dear "Chi-chi" today, despite the melting humidity and the solar glare. Back to my beloved Cordilleras in less than 48 hours, but the quicksand of Manila is threatening to hold me back...I gotta head for the hills!!
Kalingaaaaa...
Nous arrivons bientôt. :-)
KickA**
Was in a meeting today with my law partners - a rare occasion ever since I went into mission; the last time we all saw each other in the same room was Christmas dinner - and I came to a scary realization. I'm still the same cut-throat, street-smart, hot-tempered, adjective-proficient litigator at heart. The type that wouldn't hesitate to give a client a long sermon on quality and value of professional service, or to stick a four-inch stiletto up where it really hurts (funny, because my male partners are all frontliner-type frat men, but when irked, I'm more "violent" than any of them). Although I would probably never again exploit this "talent" for selfish gain...or so I hope. Surprisingly, I've still got it, after almost two years of not even crossing the threshold of any court. I don't know whether it should be cause for concern or celebration, but I'd feel sorry for anyone who'd be on the receiving end of my wrath-when-in-attorney-mode. But nah Kenneth, I'm not going back to practice anytime soon. I might kick some a** on the side, but I'll never make a living out of it...ya hear?
Ney's Birthday
Neyney had a birthday yesterday - my longest-lasting, "oldest" best friend (first met in June 1986; I'd meet Miles, our other best friend, a year later). Wish I had a working scanner to show off our old college photos, but he'll always look the same to me, expanding waistline and all...a youthful, smirking "Isko" whose, ahem, rear end is one of his best features (although he no longer wears those tight jeans to show it off, hehe, excuse me). My Koya, who is Dudong to my Inday, the brother and confidant and male counterpart I will always appreciate and be thankful for in this life. I had openly planned to smoke one pack of Philip Morrises on his birthday to celebrate the occasion and to commiserate with Miles' lapsing back into the habit and Ney's own occasional indulging in a stick or two...but thank God I never quite got around to it (perhaps it helped to think that his soul would suffer eternal damnation once I lit up after almost four years of cold turkey!)
Cheers to you Ney - my brother, my classmate in life, my sounding-board, my proxy, my cheerleader, my best friend. God has great plans for you, and I know I'll be cheering you on the sidelines as well as you accomplish them for Him. Happy 37th!
(Photo of Ney on the right, Miles' David on the left)
The Heat Is On
I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like this year's summer in Manila is hotter and more humid than any other summer in recorded history. I say this even from the comfort of my airconditioned automobile, while I try to shield my eyes and skin from the glaring, relentless tropical sun. It's just so *insert cuss word here if so inclined*
HOT. Heat is good because it induces nature's moisturizer - sweat a.k.a. perspiration - which keeps Pinoy skin in particular supple and smooth. Heat is not good because it penetrates through the ozone layer and the most expensive SPF 45 sunblock, creating sun wrinkles and too-dark "tans." I don't know what you think, but I believe that cold can be countered with layering, electric blankets, and lots of snuggling. Heat just gives me a headache.
I abhor Manila in the summer. Lock me up in an airconditioned room...or take me back to BC. Please.
Leaving BC
One more day in BC and it already feels like Manila is sucking me back into its depths. Yesterday, my law partner - who has been so very good in not disturbing me these past two weeks - rings me on my mobile to talk shop. The metropolitan monster looms menacingly.
I'm starting to unecessarily stress myself out because of all the stuff I need to take care of before I descend (ugh, how allegorical) - fixing the house, stripping the sheets, replacing the LPG tank (which finally gave out, providentially, as a Kabayan manong was at the house), tuning up my car, measuring curtains, finishing the Session Road article (which I know I can't properly do justice to if I wrap it up in Manila)...I can feel the city's tentacles inching their way up Kennon Road...
On the lighter side, there's always the "coming back up" to look forward to. I've made some great new friends, established connections, discussed exciting opportunities for business, employment, and mission...and I pretty much have enough information to make the DECISION. Plus there's the Kalinga trip. And I can't wait to see the people I've "left behind" - absence
does make the heart fonder...or at least it makes one truly appreciate the important people in life.
Then again, just the thought of Manila makes me ill. I've been up here too long.
On A Clear Day...
...you can see forever.
Or maybe just across the street.
Memoirs of a 3G
Day 9
10 March 2006Chose to stay at home today, and, after reading a serendipitous book (see my other blog for more details), I put on the Memoirs of a Geisha DVD I’d brought along. Sidebar: I like to call the BPBs "geishas" (which means "artist" and because they are happy and "gay," hehe); Amats calls me "3G": gorgeous ganda geisha, mwahaha. Anyway, I read the Memoirs book in one sitting on one of our dive trips a few years back, only because someone had left a copy at the resort and I had nothing better to do that afternoon, but it enthralled me…and I’ve hardly ever read fiction these last several years. The film version had me spellbound as well – I *heart* Ken Watanabe (siiiigh) – I enjoyed it thoroughly. One of the most memorable lines was at the end of the film, when Sayuri tells the Chairman that she started to live her life with only one purpose, from the moment that his path crossed hers. A purposeful life, even if that of a geisha’s…how truly fascinating. To be aware that every single action in one’s life is directed towards a singular goal; now that’s focused determination. Hmm.
Before I cleaned the bathrooms (I’ve scheduled this chore as a Friday ritual), I also saw Rent today – the musical movie (I unfortunately never saw the stage musical), which was quasi-fascinating (this is exactly why I watch Hollywood movies only on DVD) and not as riveting for me to mind that the Quiapo version refused to function properly towards the end. But I still love the opening song, Seasons of Love – how indeed do you measure the 525,600 minutes that make up a year? I measure it perhaps in the moments to value my loved ones – my family and the friends I truly hold near. Funny thing now that I’m away is that my Mom and I talk every day on SMS (too cheap to call, hehe), about everything and nothing – whereas most days we’re in the same city we hardly see each other, much less communicate. It’s always been the same every time I go away…I guess absence makes a mother’s heart grow fonder and a daughter’s heart more appreciative of the little things and
chismis Mommy has to share.
In the middle of a busy Manila day I will suddenly think of a beloved friend and regret that I’ve had neither the time nor the energy to devote to him or her…but now that I have a lot of time (and some energy) on my hands, I’ve been able to make good use of it reconnecting and paying attention, by mobile phone, to people I hold near to my heart. Even, in one case, to someone I have not really spent much time with since 1994…and that particular friend has surprisingly been very helpful and encouraging “company” on this BC-move. I in fact owe him, next time he comes up and “back home” to BC, a beer (or two, three, four – uh, cases?) – the only vice we still have in common by virtue of the passage of time (among other things, we used to smoke the same brand of disgusting menthol cigarettes once upon a time, a long long time ago, which is how we became “friends” and then truly friends, in the first place). 525,600 minutes…and not a second to waste.
Argh...And A View From The Phad
I'm a little disoriented right now - mainly because I accidentallly deleted Pablito Sanidad's e-mail containing the all-important old Session Road photos he'd promised me...AAARGH!! I wish I could say the proper swear words for the occasion...but I'm hoping I didn't completely annihilate the file off the server and Outlook recovers it...downloading message #330 now...
In the meantime, I will try to calm down by posting a few photos of what the Phad is beginning to look like. More photos by Jeryc and Marichit at
Wandersluts.
Pseudo-fires in the fireplace
Lex's Red Wall and Caramel
Hambas
A Separate Space
Stepladder Sunset
JJ Phad Sunset, In My Favorite Shade
Ask And You Shall Receive
Day 8
9 March 2006My alarm went off at 6:45 a.m. but I’d been awake even earlier than that…anxiously waiting to ambush the garbage truck! But the minutes and hours went by, with no trash collector in sight. Grrr. Although it had rained hard the night before, ensuring freezing temperatures in the area (and most especially in the trunk of my car), I dreaded what kind of odors had developed in my chariot overnight. In the meantime, I began preparing for my morning prayer time.
But not before I heard the clattering of a truck making its way down the narrow Mirador road…no, not the garbage truck, but, could it be? An LPG delivery vehicle! With marvelous blue tanks full of petroleum gas clanking about in its hold. Good golly, what a sight for sore eyes…looks like I won’t be needing powerlifting guests after all!
Today’s Gospel was from Matthew 7:7-12, a beloved verse which begins, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be answered…” A welcome reassurance from the Boss, especially after my waking conversation with Him begging that He show me His will. And so as I often try to do, I laid before Him all my new plans and desires and dreams, and then some…asked for His perfect will to prevail, and asked as well by way of postscript for a way to deal with the trash situation (He’d already dealt with the LPG debacle, after all).
After which, and considering I’ve been eating the same cold batch of rice since SUNDAY (yugh!), I decided to treat myself to lunch on Session Road before my meeting with my BC expert. I held my breath as I opened my car door, worried sick that the insides would reek like a week-old corpse…but turns out that my imagination went into hyperdrive, as usual. There were no strange stinky smells, but my worries still nagged me as I drove into the much warmer lower-lying areas of town. I kept a lookout for possible dumping areas, and, disco! A garbage bin big enough to hold one of my huge loot bags, in Burnham Park. I threw the smellier of the two bags into the receptacle, as discreetly as possible, and contemplated stuffing the other in as well…but thought better of it. Maybe on the way home.
Before I parked at SMBC (I’ve been spending waaaay too much time for comfort in this place), I gassed up at a Caltex, where the attendants were attendant and attentive to a T: washing my windshield, offering to check my oil and water, complimenting my appearance (nothing quite like “Ang ganda mo, Ma’am!” said without the characteristic sarcasm as one speeds off into the distance)… And, get this, the unbelievable offer of a lifetime: “Do you have any trash in the car that you’d like to dispose of?” Hmm!! I replied, with an evil grin, “I actually have a BIG BAG of trash in the back I need to get rid of, you sure that would be OK?” And of course the guy said “of course!” He very promptly got rid of it, with a smile, and a parting compliment from his companion…I think I shall gas up at that station every day. Ask and you shall receive indeed, problem suddenly SOLVED! Thank you, Abba. :-)
Other treats from the Father today: a full, two-viand meal (decent servings of hamonado pork, steamed ginger chicken and rice) for 60 pesos at the food court at Porta Vaga (which I had to check out for the article), and, HELLER, DSL net access on my laptop for an hour and a half (I think!) for the unbelievable sum of TEN PESOS (20 US cents?!) at the Got Hub? net café at PV. Either the lady at the counter was mistaken or I’ve just been too jaded by Manila prices, but hey, that deal made me very, very happy.
I’ve still got to wean myself from the Manila habit of having to rush frantically through traffic from one appointment to another (giving a lead time of at least one hour to travel say, from one end of QC to the other), so it was very weird to log off from my net session 15 minutes before my appointment, just to cross the street to my interviewee’s building with, uh, 13 minutes to spare? I have to get the rush-rush bug out of my system if I want to properly integrate into this lifestyle. BC may look like a (mini) city and may sometimes act like a city, but it thankfully still doesn’t move at the frenetical pace that besets Manila!
Atty. Sanidad gave me a great lead and an amazing set of photos for my article, and, after changing back into more comfortable footware and dumping my laptop in a safe place, I took a walking tour of Session Road. Won’t go into any more details; you’ll have to read the resultant article instead. But yay! What a good day. Ask, and you shall receive indeed. Will let you know as soon as I receive the other things asked for. :-)
Plotting and Purpose
Day 7
8 March 2006It seems that the power goes out every other morning in Mirador Hill, but it hardly really matters. Unlike in the warmer Manila climes, I have no need of airconditioning or even an electric fan (I have a very low heat threshold), and the full-length windows open out into the brightness of the morning, tempered by low-hanging clouds and the fact that my bed and the whole house face north (as determined by Jeryc’s trusty compass).
As I told a friend who called earlier this evening, I am very much “hiyang” in BC. For lack of a more precise translation, that means that BC most certainly agrees with me. Except for the usual skin dryness that plagues me in colder climates (the lack of perspiration-inducing humidity overdries my “dry zones,” which my dermatologist won’t be too happy about), I’m very comfortable – mentally, emotionally, and cryogenically, where I’m at. It’s almost been a week since I arrived, and the “break-in” period is just about ended – I think I’ve sufficiently acclimatized myself, and now it’s time to look into making a life and a living.
Logistics-wise, my major “problems” are garbage disposal and the unfortunate predicament of running out of LPG to cook with. I know for a fact that garbage collection is done early Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but I just have to haul myself out of bed to drag four big trash bags full of cleaned-out junk down to where the truck is supposed to pick it up. I attempted to foist two bags of trash upon the Jesuit Villas, but the big garbage drums I’d assumed to contain common-area trash were full of collected rainwater, so now those same bags are now stinking up the trunk of my car until I turn them in to the collectors tomorrow morning. As for the liquid petroleum gas, I’ve found a couple of nearby stores that sell the filled tanks…but will not deliver (argh). Which means that in the untimely event that I run out of gasul, I will have to drag both the empty tank and later its much heavier refill up and down the flight of steps by myself. I just hope I run out when a man (or a powerlifting woman) happens to be visiting!
My Net fix has also been addressed – instead of getting wi-fi, I can conveniently hook my laptop up to a connection at an SMBC net café and e-mail, surf, and work out of my own computer. It was at that café this afternoon that I met up with my “soul sister,” and favorite BC resident Binx, and we headed off to PKNY (yet again) to talk about the Lord, life, relationships, and the myriad possibilities that this move to BC has to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to see Bliss Café’s Jim Ward bike up to enjoy a snack at PKNY – Bliss is moving next door to bigger digs on Leonard Wood, and we got invited to the soft opening next week. “Welcome to BC!” Jim enthused as he found out about my “impending” relocation…he moved here two years ago from Makati and has never regretted it one bit. What person in his or her right mind would?
Because I’m ready to move on from the “settling-in” period, it was probably due time to explore career and service options. I’m listening closely to God’s direction, but in the meantime welcoming the many opportunities that are presenting themselves. Binx is a wellspring of invaluable advice and ideas to pursue: from co-developing a short course English proficiency module with her for ESL students, to part-time teaching at the many schools and uni’s up here, to setting up that dream restaurant/B & B, to practicing law (her suggestion, which I promptly rejected!!), and of course, to working once again with streetkids through the Cabrini mission. In addition of course, to my current writing projects, which, by virtue of the miracles of technology, allow me to “telecommute”: a magazine assignment has me writing about one of Baguio’s hotspots (which will have me interviewing, tomorrow, a renowned BC resident/attorney/public official who also happens to be the brother of one of my favorite law school profs).
I cannot say in honesty that I miss Manila, for while many of the people I love are back there, I know that they will always be there, a mere five hours’ drive away through truck-and-tricycle-traffic. I love Manila because of the people who live there; I love BC because of the place that it is…now if only I could convince all the people I love in Manila to come up here and live in BC. Hmmmm!!!
Pajama Party
Day 5
6 March 2006Mondays are traditionally my “rest days.” My pajama days, when I can say “forget the shower” and lounge throughout Monday in my Sunday night apparel for as long as possible. And, in BC, that tradition lives on, with even more reason given the cold weather that discourages bathing and anything else that has to do with H2O.
Jeryc, Marichit, and Lex had gone back to NCR the night before, all arriving safely (based on the SMS’s I’d received today) and leaving me alone again, naturally, at the Phad. Since I’d (unnecessarily) stressed for a week before the big move, and kept myself busy making the Phad habitable before my weekend guests arrived, today was a welcome exercise in indolence.
After a long, drawn-out waking-up ritual and some time spent in morning prayer, I fixed myself brunch (i.e., the heated-up
pancit and
Tom Ka Gai of yesterday plus a piece of
pan de sal) and then promptly devoured Jeffrey Steingarten’s The Man Who Ate Everything, which I read many years ago and decided to reacquaint myself with. His culinary adventures inspired me to finally contact Carina about my restaurant reveries, and she responded very promptly and encouragingly – will be seeing her next week when she comes up, to talk about possibilities and perhaps set out plans. I interrupted my reading with a couple of very comfy catnaps – the weather was consistently COLD throughout the day, prompting lethargy and blanket-snuggling – but managed to finish the book before sundown. But not before I was plagued by a lowland friend who begged that I talk to him about his latest “utterly devastating” romantic experience, which I eventually did – I dread to see how that very-many-minute conversation will be reflected on my phone bill (Snappy, I’m sending you the receipt!).
Weekend "Guests"
Days 3 and 4
4 and 5 March 2006I woke at a quarter past 4 a.m. to the tap-tap-tapping of the door…for a second I thought it was the hound of hell sent last night to torment me while my arms were full with various audio-visual appliances. It only turned out to be Jeryc, Lex, and Marichit, frozen delights after having spent a few hours on Victory’s Deluxe version of a Siberian train car and the chilly BC weather outside. They enthusiastically complimented the improvements made upon the house, we chatted until 6, everyone went back to sleep, and JJ P(h)ad (not to mention its current resident) was happy to have people in it once again.
The new arrivals awakened very much later to the aroma of my famous
pancit bihon – which, even on foreign shores, has enthralled even Buddhist tastebuds despite its discreet admixture of various meats and meat products. Apparently one very happy evening the week before, I’d had one too many measures of alcohol and mentioned this feat with much pride, and suddenly I was being called to make good on my boasts by expectant friends (I have no recollection of ever having promised this meal to anyone, which, given the presence of alcohol at the evening’s gathering, was par for the course). And thus they enjoyed brunch of “Buddhist
bihon” sans soy sauce (I’d accidentally broken the only bottle in stock a couple of visits ago and neglected to replace it), soft Valley Bread pan de sal, and Vietnamese spring rolls. My appreciative friends decided that I should take on some culinary career up here; I revealed Neyney’s and my dream of opening a Baguio backpacker’s barbecue place and received an overwhelming positive response. Made mental notes to ask my chef friend and fellow BC fan Carina about business opportunities as soon as possible.
We spent the rest of the day scouring satisfying our overactive appetites and scouring the shops of SM Baguio (!), with everyone managing to score some item or another before we headed off to Session Road. Lex and I heard anticipated Mass at the BC Cathedral, and later met up with the Garcias for more conversation at a coffee shop overlooking the crowds on Session Road. As part of the Panagbenga Festival, the main artery of Baguio’s commercial district had been closed down to host sidewalk cafes and stalls selling various merchandise. Although the crowds were gargantuan, the goods being sold left much to be desired – more Divisoria than Cordillera, but then again, Divisoria is many miles away and hardly accessible to most BC consumers. The day seemed comfortably long – hard to imagine that we’d done so much in but a few hours.
The next morning, after an evening-early morning capped off with more lengthy conversations and house renovation (Lex managed to finally finish the infamous red wall, which now looks fabulous, and I attempted to paint, and strip the paint off, the unfortunately unfinished main door), we had yet another late brunch of scrambled eggs and corned beef rice before heading off to purchase more
pasalubong at the Good Shepherd Convent. The mystery of the anti-theft device was finally and oh-so-nonchalantly solved: one end is attached to the clutch. Duh. Today allowed a lot more leisurely lounging-about, so we spent a few more hours eating, talking, shopping and just appreciating PNKY on Leonard Wood. This group of people I was blessed to spend the weekend with consisted of some of the most interesting conversationalists I know, and we spent quite some time talking enthusiastically about life, love, and the pursuit of one’s direction. Once again, I was vastly enriched by the gift of company.
No visit to BC is complete without a trip to the market, one of my favorite places, and Jeryc reminded me of the wonderful fact that, as a BC “resident,” I can come back to this trove any time I wish. They shopped for take-home treats like blankets, peanut brittle, and strawberries; I purchased everyday essentials like a kilo of rice and a solid block (Lex was at the same time amazed and thoroughly horrified) of lard/cooking oil. We retired to the Phad for the last night of festivities, and enjoyed a pleasant but simple dinner by candlelight of my version of
Tom Ka Gai (chicken fillet in lemon grass and coconut milk soup, spiked in this case with hot Tom Yum spices and mushrooms); a salad of butter lettuce, cucumber, shallots, and chili tossed in Thai dressing; tender pork
tapa and
laon white rice, fresh strawberries, and red wine. Whoever said that as budget-conscious backpackers we should deprive ourselves of the better things in life?
After the repast, Jeryc managed to put together my bane of the other night – the Ikea plastic bag receptacle – in 45 seconds (as opposed to my frustrating 45-minute spatially challenged ordeal). Lex was so inspired in these last few hours that he painted the “hambas” of the red wall area with a very appealing first coat of caramel and rearranged the living room furniture to create a “separate space.” It all looks so gorgeous. The plan is for JJ Phad “occupants” (I hesitate to call them visitors or guests, for they in fact already have invested some time, effort, and affection in making this house very pleasantly habitable) to contribute something representative of their art to the place – Jeryc has promised a photo/s for the “Garcia” room and Lex, aside from a Kurosawa-like photo to grace the “Chichi wall,” is likewise supposed to sign the wall itself once the “ham-bas” are finished. Before they headed back on the bus ride to Manila, I encouraged these “first official occupants” to leave something at the house that they would like to come back for – a symbolic gesture of “co-ownership” and an indication that they are always welcome, and are in fact expected, to return. I remain deeply moved that Lex left an unfinished book of meditations, Marichit her Book 6 of Fables, which she has yet to read (if you know M’chit and her passions, this is a heartwarming honor), and Jeryc, my
anak, his precious Swiss knife – for after all, the next big trip will be to Kalinga on April 1, with BC as a jump-off point, with a very pleasant but simple dinner to start us all off. What better place to begin – and end – our adventures indeed?
Who Needs A Man When You've Got A Stepladder?
Online once again, with the comfort of my laptop - not quite wi-fi, but good enough. :-) Will take this opportunity to post the first few entries of The BC Journals - a writing exercise and my semi-raw attempt at the "uprootal narrative."Day 2
3 March 2006I’ve found the answer to two of life’s most perplexing questions: a stepladder, and household bleach (it cleans most anything, from mold on the walls to dark stains inside a cruet).
Finally made the big move to BC last night: me, myself, and a whole lot of my worldly possessions…or at least those that could fit into my car. The trip up North was relatively uneventful, and I made it up to BC in exactly the estimated number of hours I’d planned, despite the plague of torturous tricyles that hog the so-called “highway.”
I unnecessarily stressed myself out upon arrival by stopping at SM City Baguio to pick up some perishables, and even managed to confuse myself further by acting as SMS go-between on a legal referral I’d passed on to an old friend (try to text, shop, and breathe at the same time). It was dark - a predicament I’d taken great pains to avoid - when I finally arrived at home, and aside from having to grope in the dark and take the dust covers off all the furniture, I had to lug all the contents of my car – yes, six very heavy loads of pots, pans, books, appliances, clothes, and whatnot – by myself. Up 30 steep steps (did I mention that the house is on a hill? Great view, hard hike!). I suddenly discovered muscles I never knew I had (only because they started to complain). But, in a case like this, what else is a girl to do but just…do (it)! And I did. HA!
Obviously I was out like a light and didn’t get up ‘til past nine the next morning. Today was a brand new challenge: several of the house lights were busted and I needed to change them. Now I have never changed a lightbulb in my life, and I must admit that I am severely retarded in my motor/spatial skills. The night before, I spent the good part of an hour trying to assemble an Ikea plastic bag receptacle (I couldn’t get the slots to “click” like the instructions said), for goodness’ sake, to no avail. I also tried to install one of those car anti-theft devices – the crowbar thing you lock onto your steering wheel – but could not do it to save my life. But! I managed to change three lightbulbs today – hurray! And all of them worked perfectly. With the help of a trusty stepladder, which is so EMPOWERING - I replaced the busted lights like a pro. Being vertically challenged and female has always been a hindrance. Once upon a time on a another continent, I lived with two men over 6 feet who did all that “manly” stuff so I didn’t have to, like change lightbulbs and fuses and reach stuff in high places. Then again, how often does a lightbulb or a fuse blow? I, on the other hand, got stuck with “womanly” chores like cooking meals, ironing their humungous clothes, and walking the dog at 6 a.m. (a “womanly” chore only because the men never EVER got up early enough to walk Savannah!).
Anyway, my lightbulb victory inspired me to take on a new challenge: change the flourescent ring bulb in one of the rooms. My luck quickly ran out: I couldn’t even get the freaking lamp off properly (the lock was rusted stuck onto the screw), and once I jimmied it off, I couldn’t get the darned thing to work even though I’d installed a new bulb AND a new starter. Oh well, Lex and Jeryc are coming over for the weekend, and they can probably figure that out - as well as teach me how to do that anti-theft thing. Yeah, men come in handy after all…sometimes.
