Does absence make the mind curious?

I was reading through and realized I hadn't posted in a while. Last time I posted, I was still living in beautiful Boston, still working at the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard. Since then I've been layed off from that job, gotten a temp job, had that end, collected unemployment, gotten another job (contract & grant-funded), had that end, gone back to collecting unemployment and moving back to Syracuse to stay with my parents. (No job + not nearly enough saving = not enough $$ to pay rent/buy food/etc.)

Not really sure if anyone reads this, anyway, but I figured an update was long overdue. And I'm glad to share the news that I'm now employed again! Granted, it's not in library science - but it is an admin position, so I'll be able to keep using my computer skills. And save up for grad school. (There is no way that I'm going to go the student loan route again - I'd still be paying the thing off while collecting Social Security! That, and I've been taking a great course - "Financial Peace University" - it's about being smart with your money, becoming debt-free & living on a cash-only basis. Scary, I know, but actually doable.)

The thing I feel really good about is that the person I'm replacing is retiring - no scary "our last person quit unexpectedly & without warning" stories at all. I'll be starting May 16 and, luckily, will be able to shadow her for 2 weeks. Hopefully that will give me a chance to get some of the basics down - who needs help with the copier, who prefers things "old school", who (if any) need to be told an earlier deadline 'just in case' - that kind of thing.

In the meantime, I'm slowly getting re-settled in my hometown. Re-learning how to not drive like a Bostonian, and that traveling more than 4 miles by car is not some Herculean, hours-long drive. (In Boston I drove to work for a few years - home & work were a little less than 3 miles apart, and I'd have to allow at least an hour for driving. And that's if the weather was nice...)

I'm also working on some stories, but I don't want to share too much at this point. Mainly because plot ideas keep cropping up that make me think about story events differently. Suffice it to say, it's looking to be young adult fiction and deals with alternative history. At least, so far. (Ask me in a month and that may change...)

New Family members

Well, I realize it's been a while since I last blogged. A lot has happened. We spread some of Daffy's ashes near the pine tree both she and Cosi loved. Christmas 2006 was a little hard. My parents even considered adopting a couple of Maltese puppies from the breeder who sold them our first poodle girls.
Ultimately, though, we waited for their next litter of poodle puppies. On February 28, 2007, three little apricot pups were born - two girls and a boy. Aren't they cute? 12 days old
(Despite having had boy poodles before, Mom & Dad wanted just girls.) One of the girl pups was spoken for, so we adopted Sophie.

8 days old - in Dad's hand!
The breeder is great! She won't release the pups until they have fully weaned from their mother - including being able to get to sleep without her in their pen. So my parents and sister came to visit a lot! I think these are some of the most photographed puppies in the world! (Aren't digital cameras great?) Speaking of which, the family that was going to adopt Sophie's sister ended up not being able to - so around March 19, we welcomed... Belle!

39 days old, or so
I'll continue more tomorrow. Including a photo of the last time Sophie and Belle were the same size... :-)

For My Daffer-Taff (part 2)

For My Birthday Buddy, Our Little Daffy

It is hard to say good-bye
to one we've held so dear;
and even though it's for the best
we can't help but shed a tear.

A tear for all the countless times
that you snuggled by our sides
'demanding' your share of attention -
belly rubs we could never deny.

A tear for all the eagerness
with which you greeted all the world -
whether special cousins or friends or family,
whether strangers (or chipmunks or squirrels).

A tear for all the quiet times
when you stretched out in the sun,
or rested in front of the fireplace
when the day was finally done.

A tear for all the happiness
when we could 'chat' by phone -
reminding Mom or Lissi at times -
so that we never felt alone.

A tear for all the gentle care
when you kept a watchful eye,
helping Dad to mind the store,
or drive ( or snack on pizza pie)!

A tear for all the warmth you shared
when curled up on our beds -
whether on your special purple blankie
or snuggled up near our heads.

An though we shed these tears today,
we know, in time, they will subside -
for there will come a time, someday,
when we'll cross over, side by side.

~ Kate Kisselstein
October 20, 2006, 7:30 a.m.

My Daffer-Taff (part 1)

I just got the call. My little birthday buddy lived to be 15 and a half. In a little less than two hours she'll be going to join her cousin-sister, Cosi.
A good long life for such a sweetie.

Here she is on our birthday:














And here she is today, all trimmed up special for Halloween:














This is Part 1 of my post, because right now I can't get a poem to come. It usually does, though, because it's one last thing I can do for them.

I will miss you, buddy! You will always be in my heart!

For Little Miss Countess Cosette

For Our Little Cosi Cosette

Eager, loving eyes that look up into yours
A tail wagging quickly in a pom-pom blur
The gentle little kisses that wash your face
The happy little trot to her favorite piney place

A vibrant soul so full of love for everyone she knew
Even with her cousin sister, though they shared a spat or two
So well did she fit her name, our cozy little girl
when she cuddled with you, it was a brighter world.

We will miss those little shining eyes
now that she has passed on to above
but the one thing we can always keep
is the memory of her love.

~Kate Kisselstein
March 27, 2006 10:40 a.m.

Boppa's Apple Pie

I did it! I made apple pies from my grampa's receipe! They were part of the refreshments served at my church's fundraiser last night. I was so worried about them turning out all right.

Well, everybody who had a piece *loved* the pies! It is such a relief! And I had a piece - it tasted pretty much like I remember his pies.

I just had to put it out there: I can make pies that taste just like my Boppa's did! (Now I just have to perfect rolling out the pie crust a little thinner so I can get 4 pies out of a batch instead of 2 and 1/2!)

Best wishes,
Me :-)

I confessed...

Ooo - that sounds intriguing, doesn't it? But it's not really a biggie. I confessed to my mom (who arrives today for a weekend stay) that I bought a laptop. My rationalization? If I start taking more classes, I'm going to need it - and it was only $800 for a refreshed model (for you uninitiated - a refreshed model means it was used in the store for demo only, refurbished is one that was owned by someone else).
So, yes, mom arrives today. My apartment? A mess (as usual). My nerves? Shot. (If your mom was coming and your place was a mess and you had to be at work all day instead of home cleaning like you should have - how would you be?
And I'm still trying to think of a "new" story for the NaNoWriMo contest (50K words in 30 days). I didn't realize I couldn't keep working on the same story! As Charlie Brown would say - AUGH! (Oh, NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month). And my story from last year is
The Color of Darkness. Which, yess, is a different blog completely - but that was before I realized that I could have more than one blog per username. And the name? Gracy Emerson? My "nom de plume" (of course). This year's novel (which, of course, I haven't started yet - that would be cheating!) has the oh-so-imaginative (note the sarcasm) title of "My New Novel". Can you tell I've got a plot all figured out? (Please tell me you get the sarcasm in that last statement!)

Oh, well, back to work!

All the best,
Me :-)

Rainy Days

Well, here it is, the beginning of another work week (I'd say Monday, but we had off for Columbus Day) and my car won't start *again*!
By now I have AAA Roadside on speed dial on my cell. I'm waiting for the day when I can call them by name before they say it.
I'm wondering if it's Mirak's work - they're the Chevy dealer in town - or if it's just that my car is a little over 7 years old. But she's only got about 37K miles on her, so it's hard to tell.
Part of me worries it's all this rush hour driving. But I *love* being able to practice my singing again! I mean, with a voice as big as mine, I can't go singing out around my apartment - there just isn't enough sound-proofing for me to do that.
Maybe I should work something out with church that I can go and practice. But I don't know if that would take away too much from outside groups using the space.
And it's sooo much easier to get to rehearsals and pick up stuff for shows on the way.
I just worry that it's too much wear-and-tear on Gracie. (My car - Gracie Aileen - named for my maternal grandmother. She passed away a little before I got my car, and I wanted a good name for the car so I'd remember to be a good driver.)

So, here I am, a home (for once I'm not on the shoulder of the road or in a pharmacy parking lot). I *need* to be at work! We've got a grant report and a grant application to get out before the beginning of December. (Yes, this may sound like a lot of time, but when your work has to be approved by the dean and be double-checked by the Sponsored Research Office, well, let's just say we need to get this done ASAP!)

And we have a brush-up rehearsal tonight. (Never knew those in Syracuse, but I'm sure they're probably doing those nowadays.) And tomorrow night I *have* to finish cleaning up my apartment - my mom is coming on Thursday and she's going to see the show on Friday.
Oh, my show - I'm in "Wit" (or "w;t" according to the *official* spelling on the script). I'm one of the lab tech/med student/undergrad/Code team/stage crew roles. The hardest thing about that part is remembering your blocking! (And for me, at least, trying to keep the sweat in check - stupid thyroid!)
If you get a chance to see or be in "Wit" - DO IT! It is a *fantastic* show that, when done right, is a 'tour de force' for the actress playing Vivian (the lead), and really moving for everyone involved. Our show is being directed by Celia Couture - she is AWESOME! (If you're in the Boston area and have a chance to be directed by her - well, again, DO IT! By far one of the top directors around!)
Well, I'm going to see if AAA or the towing company is calling. Maybe I'll get to work before noon today?
And I'll try to keep this up to date - I realized I hadn't really written since my grandfather's funeral. (Which we actually called a "Celebration of Life" - a much better way to think of it, don't you agree?)
Best regards,
Me :-)

My Boppa

And that's not as in "The Big Bopper," btw. That's the name my sister and I had for our maternal grandfather. (If I think back enough, I can almost still hear me say "God bless Boppa and Gamma" in my childhood prayers.) It seemed like he would go on forever, even with Parkinson's. I mean, he didn't have any of the tremors you usually think of - just stiffness. So he would occassionally go in to the hospital for suctioning or something that seemed relatively routine.
And Mom had taken to calling me when she was visiting him - not just our usual Sunday afternoon call. (He had trouble speaking, but he could still send smooches!) But when my cell phone rang on Sunday morning with my Mom's special ring tone ("Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" sung by Alan Sherman - always makes me smile), I knew something was wrong. You see, normally I would've been in church, but I hadn't gone because my sinus infection had started acting up again (just when you think you're safe from colds...). So at 10:15 on a beautiful July Sunday morning I found out that my Boppa was gone. And I'm still dealing with it (OK, yes, it happened on July 3 - so of course).
The thing is, I usually write a poem for the funeral. Sometimes it deals with my memories, and sometimes it's written as a 'message' from the person who passed away. (No claims of ESP or anything, this is just purely my own imagination at work combined with shared favorite moments.) But I'm having trouble this time. And the funeral is on Monday (July 10). So I just felt I had to get out my concerns here. Maybe it'll help. I'll be sure to try and get an update in later. Thanks!

Java...the beverage, not the script

Oy, this low-carb diet (ahem, not diet, more nutritional regimen, dear) is for the birds. Or maybe the bears, considering how much bread you see pigeons and ducks being fed. (Can you see a bird following the Atkins diet? I rest my case.)
I've had coffee (according to my nutrionist a no-no in my case - along with non-herbal teas and sodas. And just how does she expect me to wake up in the morning?)...and no muffin. Ahh, for the days of chocolate croissants or even a banana-blueberry muffin (my local bakery makes those - yummmmm)!
Anywho, the reason I'm waxing about just having coffee this morning (or would that be complaining? Well, you be the judge)? Too many people at work coming in and bugging me! Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that it's more to do with lack of breakfast.
My tolerance levels for apparent stupidity (ahem, no, not stupidity, just lack of common sense, dear) sinks considerably without a semi-decent breakfast. And today there seems to be soooooo much of it! ("Quick! Who has the key for the bulkhead?" Well, a: we usually call that the basement door, and b: it unlocks from the inside, and c: it's humid, so it's sticking, so maybe they should put their shoulder to it a bit more. "Knock, knock" [on my boss' hall door that he never, ever uses. Not to mention the nice, big sign stating that the office entrance is through my office, which would be the first open door you come to! After another series of "knock knocks," finally the scholar comes in. And, ok, maybe this is a little sexist, but the handshake brings new levels to 'dead fish' - and the scholar's male. I tell them I'll take them to our Scholar Coordinator. We get to her office, she's on the phone, I tell him 'just a minute', she's held up her hand in the universal 'just a minute' gesture, and he proceeds to shout "Hello [coordinator's name]! How are you?")
See? Some days, just java is just not enough!

Later all,
Kate :-\
(who's wondering how many more nitwits -ahem, that's visitors, dear - she'll have to deal with today.)
(she's now going off to plot against this clearly non-java drinking critic. grrrrrr!)
(just kidding folks - I think the caffeine buzz is finally kicking in now - Yippee!!)
;-D

End of summer

Hard to believe, but our Summer Session here at work is over today. The kids (oy, I can't be that old, can I - that 20-somethings should be 'kids' to me?) got their certificates. (Still blows my mind - "Ooo, can I get a certificate?" or "Oh! We get certificates?" - I print these things off as a Word document from my computer!)
We also handed out the 4 scholarship prizes (as in, best overall student - 2 for language, 2 for 'cultural' studies and in each category was 1 undergrad and 1 grad) and baseball hats (with our department logo).
The hats were supposed to be for sale, but our new faculty director decided, since no students were buying them (15 bucks for a really cool LLBean-worthy style baseball hat - in stone with crimson embroidery!), that we'd give them out at the ceremony today.

Now I've got to go and clean up the punch bowl and cookie platter (poor custodian is going to have enough on his plate tonight - we had to move our big-*** conference table out of the way - ok, I had to move it, and that thing is built like the Titanic - except for the gash from the iceberg part).
If all goes well, I'll have at least some Internet this weekend - once I get my OS 10.3 (Panther!) installed.

Catch ya round!
Kate :-)

Summertime!

Well,
Summertime is here (oh, it's close enough)! My best friend since nursery school is getting married on Saturday! YAY! I'm so happy for her, and her fiancee seems like a really nice guy.

Of course, it's strange. For me, I mean, it's like I've suddenly woken up to the fact that I really should lose some weight. (FYI, I'm about 200 lbs. and 5'5".) I was fine with being overweight - to an extent (when you've got an underactive thyroid and take another medicine that causes weight gain, thin is not a real option). But even though I'm in better shape than I was in high school, I'm a lot heavier than I was.
So, what does that have to do with my best friend's wedding? I finally caught up with her in person (you do miss something when you just e-mail). She and her fiancee go kayaking, hiking, camping...
We used to almost seem like twins in high school, we were so similar. Not anymore. Let's just say, she's given me some inspiration. Maybe now that I live in a building with a pool...

In two days, I'll be auditioning for Arlington Friends of the Drama production of "I Remember Mama" - Richard Rodgers last musical. I'm hoping to get in (especially now that I've taken some acting classes) - it'll be a good family musical. If I don't end up on-stage, at least I'll be able to help out backstage. AFD recently did "Titanic" (a wonderful Yeston/Kopit musical), and I helped with costumes (all those years of 4H came in handy)! Still, I would love to get on-stage again!

I just saw the closing performance of AFD's "Master Class" (Terence McNally). My friend Sheri performed the role of Sharon. And the actress portraying Maria Callas was amazing!!! If you ever get the chance to see the show - GO!

Still settling in...

Well, I'm still getting settled in to the new place. Right now I'm at work and on hold with my DSL service - it didn't get switched properly, and right now I can't access my e-mail for that account (and no one can send me anything either)!!!!
AUGH!!!

Don't you just love those helpful little hold tips when you're on hold to tech support? (Let alone the fact I'm not even in the same town as my home computer right now!)

Supposedly this'll only take 10 minutes. Ha! (I think it's the new "I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.")

Well, if I ever get finished with the call, I'll try and post an update.

Later all!
Kate :-/

Moving Jitters

Well, yes, at work & blogging during a break again!
I stayed up packing boxes for my move this Friday. (It's only about 4 blocks away, but, still, everything has to go!

There've been a couple people by to see the (soon-to-be) old apartment, but with all the boxes, I'm sure it's not really showing well. (Did I mention that it's a small studio?)

My parents are going to be here tomorrow! I can already hear my mom's "Oh honey, you've barely gotten anything done." (And just how many boxes do you think I can pack up and still leave enough room for anyone to move around?)
It's actually kind of weird, not having many books out, I'm so used to having tons lining the shelves. (Probably a left-over habit from my college days.)

Well, it's time to head off and grab a bite of lunch, before I use up my whole break blogging!

Ciao!
Kate :-)

My first blog

Hello!

Well, I'm finally trying out this blogging thing! I'm at work (it's my lunch hour, but - shh!).
My supervisor is actually giving me some more responsibility with our summer school program (at Harvard, and NO I can't help you get in. (Sorry about that, you would not believe the number of e-mails that we all get here asking for help in getting in to the university.)
Maybe she's hoping I'll be able to take over some of her job responsibilities when she retires (possibly in 1 to 2 years). Well, maybe.

Never thought I'd be working as a secretary when I got older. But, it's not like that's all I do. I also participate in community theatre and my church choir.

Well, I guess I'll leave the rest for later - my lunch break is almost over!

Ciao!
Kate :-)