Friday, I'm in love...

First, a quote: "Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them."- Louisa May Alcott

Although I do enjoy my job and part of the reason that I like it is because it is challenging, I am still happy when a long week ends. I think there are some aspects of my position that I am good at, like helping kids to understand and relate to situations and I feel like I have more patience than I ever thought I would with them. However, I often get frustrated when I cannot understand some of our more severely disabled kids or when I feel like I am being relegated to one child who no one else wants to deal with. The latter of these I might be exaggerating because I think it varies from day to day. Actually, I think that if I do work with some of these more challenging children more often, I can learn more and become a better teacher.

It's raining today and I am about to make a lasagna for a member of my choir who has just had knee surgery. I'm bringing over my spinach lasagna, salad, and a few rolls. Dotty has always been nice to me and I feel it is a very nice thing to make dinner for her. Besides, I love to cook.

We're going to one of two children's birthday party tomorrow. Either one for one-year-old Jackson or one-year-old Zoe. Whomever it is, I am going to Janie and Jack tomorrow to look for a gift for them. That store is so cute! While I am at the Natick Mall, I am also going to Nordstrom to try on a pair of Dansko shoes so that my brother can get them for me at a discount from a shoe store in Louisville. They're expensive, but definitely worth it. Also, I have a gap gift certificate to spend on khaki-colored corduroy pants for the fall.

Brian was very sweet and asked if I wanted to go eat at the Wildwood Steakhouse for dinner. He is really thoughtful.

Red Sox game tonight!

OMG, I have the biggest headache ever right now. I just had to pop some pills to eliminate it and I hope it goes away by five. We're driving (eeeek!) into the city tonight for one of the last Red Sox games of the season against the Cleveland Indians. It's supposed to be colder this evening, but the games are usually a blast. Now, getting into and out of the city can be quite annoying. When we went to the Sox/Orioles game in June, it took almost three hours to get into the city with a combination of traffic and the train. Normally, it takes about an hour and a half. Anyway, since the Red Sox are still battling the Rays for the division title, every game is crucial and this one should be exciting.

The weekend was a busy one, but I always enjoy those. I've never been one to relax a lot. On Friday, I had dinner at an Indian restaurant in Lexington with Mary and Natyra and we discussed fall day trips for the season. Salem, Concord, Plymouth, etc. Fall is always a delightful time here in this part of the world.

Brian's friend Mike came to visit us on Saturday with his daughter, Zoe, who is one. They discussed conspiracy movies, played a little music, and we grabbed a bite to eat at the cafe down the street. That night, we met some of the Ashland teachers at Red Robin in Millbury for dinner. The food was great, but the service was atrocious; I had to ask for bbq sauce three times. We planned on seeing Burn After Reading, but unfortunately, the movie was sold out. Instead, we had drinks at the movie theatre bar (yes, that is correct) and Brian and I watched Baby Mama at home. Amy and Tina are quite a team and both adorable, but the movie was less than stellar. Just my opinion, though.

I helped out the organist from my wedding at her church yesterday by singing with their choir. It was interesting being a "ringer." We sang an original piece written by another choir member, as well as Herbert Howells' Magnificat. She has now asked me if I want to sing with her choir and I could be compensated for it, which is kind of a dream for me, even though there is just a little money involved. However, I have very little free time during the week and this would now eliminate any free time on Tuesday evening. So, I'm contemplating the decision. I feel honored though and it would be a good opportunity.

Headache is still here and the we're leaving in an hour.

We've been dancin' with Mr. Brownstone, he's been knockin', he won't leave me alone...

I played Rockband with the kids last night and realized yet again how much I love it, regardless of the fact that I don't even know half of the songs on there. Very sad for me actually.

I'm now getting ready to go to a belated birthday dinner (my own) in Lexington with Mary and Natyra. Hopefully, we will order some palik paneer, naan, and a wonderful spicy shrimp dish. Oh, you know, the usual.

By the way, I have a new haircut and I love it. My hair is so much easier to take care of and blow dry. This is great for 6 am mornings.

However much I love the fall right now, I still dread the New England winters....

While that Lucky Old Sun has nothin' to do but roll around Heaven all day...

This week has been a great one. I have started my two jobs-- the special education aide at the high school as well as the babysitting job for Robin, my former dental hygienist. It has been a busy and different experience and a challenge as well. I have to admit that I enjoy having a job where I am never bored and am not staring at the computer all day, looking up random facts on wikipedia or what-have-you. My jobs have more of a purpose now and that is something to feel accomplished about.

The first two days of the week consisted of staff meetings and becoming acquainted with a lot of new faces. Everyone seems really nice so far, which is actually a better feeling than I got when I started working at the credit union. There was just a strange vibe there all the time. On Wednesday, the kids came for the first day and I was placed temporarily in the life skills classroom, where the kids need the most help. They are all really great kids, though, and it is really satisfying to help them and just makes me feel magnanimous and benevolent inside. In a few weeks, I will move to a different classroom setting and possibly work with kids who need help with specific language arts subjects; the administration is not quite sure yet.

My babysitting job has simply consisted of going over to Robin's house in Westborough, helping her two kids with their homework, taking them places, and cooking dinner if they want it before their parents arrive home. We are going to make a pizza together on my new pizza stone tomorrow night and that is always exciting!

It was wonderful arriving home from work at 2:10 on Friday afternoon. Anyone who has worked at a bank/credit union knows about the long hours on Fridays, as well as Saturday mornings. In addition, we were open until 6 on Thursday, which made it feel like one was always there. Anyway, I had a leisurely Friday doing laundry, reading, watching TV, etc. Saturday was my 26th birthday and I went to the gym in the morning and got a pedicure in the afternoon. Then Brian and I met some people from his school district in Franklin to drive to Providence for Waterfire, a summer event where there are 101 bonfires lit on the river. Another girl, Jess, had a birthday on Friday and we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Almost everyone had cheesecake for dessert and Brian and I tried a different one, chocolate coconut cream cheesecake, which was delicious and tasted like a Mounds candy bar. I will have to go there in the fall for some pumpkin cheesecake (my favorite)! We walked around until midnight looking at the bonfires and listening to beautiful music. It was a very strange, yet romantic ambiance.

Yesterday, we went to Tanglewood in the Berkshires for a Terrence Blanchard concert. Tanglewood is a beautiful outdoor music venue in Western Massachusetts with several concert spaces. We saw the concert in the Ozawa hall, but you can also sit on the lawn, bring a picnic dinner, and gaze at the night sky while listening to this beautiful music. This evening was especially moving because it was Terrence's composition,

A Tale of God's Will: Requiem for Katrina

, written for Spike Lee's documentary, When the Levees Broke. This is the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and another hurricane, Gustav, is approaching New Orleans and the performance was emotional for everyone. Ashe, which means Amen is my favorite piece. It really makes you think about the sadness of losing your home once and possibly losing it again.