Luminations of a New Wife

My Union Reunion

I'm so bored at work. Bored and...ambivalent. I feel a queasy mixture of anxiety and ambivalence every time I walk into my school. Lately I have not been enjoying work - we still have no phones and internet, and I have such a hard time explaining the bureaucracy of not only Department of Ed, but my non-for-profit as well. This week was terrible. On Monday I was subpoeaned to testify in family court against a monster who abused his child and I had to call the case in. The lawyer referred to me as "Mrs. Gordon" and in a very dramatic fashion had me point to the father who returned my stare coldly looking back at me. Good times. This is the same maniac who came into my school a few months ago trying in his best threatening manner to tell me to "stay away" from his family." I almost had a heart attack as my supervisor told me how to file a police report against this loser. And yet again,as I left court the lawyer talked to me about getting an order of protection against this loser. Fan-freaking-tastic.

Tuesday the party continued. Another mom came into school for our scheduled appointment. And as she took her seat, she began sucking her teeth when she realized I was, well, white. The shit hit the fan and she started to storm out of my office, not before telling me to "watch myself" and that her sister was going to "bust into me" if I wasn't careful.  I don't even know what that means but I know it's not good. But honestly, I felt no threat just anger. So angry that here I am putting my ass out on the line for these kids and this is the thanks I get...

Oh yeah. The Bloods and the Crips returned to East Harlem as well. Shots ring out two blocks from my school, and this is just not what I bargained for.

Good times. Perhaps all these great thoughts brought back memories of college, and so I've decided to attend my second Union reunion since I graduated college.  We'll be going here  on November 14th for cash bar and flashbacks.  See you there.

Pictage

Pictage is the newest way of finding out everything about the wedding you weren't invited to. My friend Jessi's wedding had a Pictage photograher - her pictures look amazing! You can choose a Pictage photographer which makes it easy for your guests to buy pictures if they so incline.  Miami weddings are the best!

Happy Halloween!

I'm really not into Halloween. I can't recall a time when I actually enjoyed dressing up and banging on stranger's doors begging for candy like a farm animal. Growing up in Manhattan - I don't know, do kids actually trick or treat here? I do remember going around my building and that was lots of fun - riding the elevator up and down scratching off people's apartment numbers.

And the dressing up? Ugh. What a schlep. So I was somewhat excited to hear about this Halloween party we were going to last Saturday - for starters, it wasn't in the city which already got me excited. It was actually in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Anyone out there ever been there before? OMG. This place is insane! Needless to say, when Steve and I met our friends at the restaurant we were eating at before the party, we definitely were the only non-Italians in the 'hood. Frank Sinatra played all night long, and waiters kept sending over free plates of food (Im sure the other Bay Ridge couple we were with were big timers). It seems like everyone in Bay Ridge knew each other, and everyone spoke Italian...here's some pics from our night:

Later that night we went to a bar in Bay Ridge. It was....SO NOT THE CITY! But really a fun night to just leave Manhattan to see how the other half live. Oh yeh, I was a cat. And Steve was an old school rapper.

Re-Arranged

I just re-arranged our bedroom furniture...again.  I play these little games with myself - "how much furniture can I rearrange before Steve comes home?" "What will he not mind if I 'accidentally' throw out?" "What will he notice first?" "What will he never notice?" But today's rearrangement was fiercely intentional instead of my usual impulsiveness. I even took  my own tape meausure out to make sure the furniture would fit in it's new position before I started my dismantling. And yes, the emphasis is on dismantling. A few weekends ago I got this idea in my sleep to put a bench in the hallway where our desk used to be, and as timing should have it, Steve was on a business trip. So, I trekked to the store where I carried the heavy piece a few blocks all by myself before I hailed and then found a cab it would actually fit in, and once I got it into the apartment I had to start dismantling the old desk apart before I could start mantling a thing on the new one. I even got my drill out and this part makes me boast because yes, I do know how to use a power drill. But I digress. Today's rearrangement was even more fun because we are making room for furniture that we are expecting in a few day's time as part of our anniversary present from my grandmother. Steve thinks I'm insane - "MORE change?" But I love it. In college LT nearly threw me to the curb when she returned from class (er, the pub) sophomore and then again junior year to see I had changed our entire dorm room around all by myself and without her asking (um, neither time). "But I love change!" I shouted back at her before she made me change it all back to the way it was.  All cement bed and all. All before bed time. And all drunk (er, high). Well now I have someone who appreciates my decor so THERE, LT!