Promises

Are so easy to break. I disappeared again. It's not that I don't love you, my dear Typepad, it's just that I feel like I have so very little to talk about, even though upon reflection, it would appear as if I do.

Also, quite randomly, I remembered that when I was visiting my sister at Smith this October, we bought a disposable camera that I never got developed and now I don't think I know where that camera is. What's even stranger is that I could swear I've been staring at it meaning to get it developed for months. This is not unlike what happened to my school notebook for this semester, full of syllabus and even the textbook (actually a smallish paperback specially prepared for the course...long story). I really hope that both of these items are under one of my piles of stuff (as usual, mostly piles of clothes. I'm already a bit of a hoarder when it comes to clothing, because I think I'll get it fixed, or wear it again, or find someone who wants it, or use the fabric for something else, or have fond memories of that very special time I wore this very special whatever. It's bad. Add in the fact that I've been shrinking out of dress sizes almost faster than I can shop, and I've got a serious clothing problem at the moment).

I got a promotion of sorts at work, which is cool. I'm now a permanent employee. But one who is permanent only until the end of May (it's the government, just go with it). But with the permanent status comes federal benefits and a title other than "Intern" or "Temporary Employee". I'm now a Library Science Specialist (which makes me giggle a bit, but because I don't actually work for a library I suppose they needed it to sound...something). I'm still going to call myself a librarian if that's alright with everyone else :).

Um, we had a wake for our friend who passed and it was really well done. It was a "proper" wake (I think that depends on your idea of proper) and Jim would have loved it. It was held at Murphy's (yes, an Irish Pub) and his favorite musicians played his favorite songs, some to laughs, others to tears, there was a bit of a roast of Jim, and also some love and tenderness. Everyone at some point was happy and sad, sometimes at the same time and generally I think it was a fitting send-off. There will be a Mass and I know a lot of people who are planning to attend, but I'm not sure yet myself and I'm not sure how to express why I'm hesitating. So that's that I suppose.

I still do my full weeks of Monday evening=class (and starting up again in February, ballroom dance after class), Tuesday/Thursday evening=karate, Wednesday= parade planning. Friday and Saturday have both been "going out" nights since the end of last semester, which is great and I'm so happy to be able to actually accept invitations to do stuff again. But it's tiring, for sure, and I think I need to start building in quiet time.

But not this weekend. A completely different group of friends, who also enjoy singing, has planned a karaoke night for this Friday and at my and Rebecca's suggestion, have moved it out to "Little Korea" (Annandale, Virginia) to go to one of the places with the private rooms rather than to Rock-It here in Old Town because we've enjoyed that setup the two times we've done it with others. Basically, for the price of the cover charge at a more traditional karoke bar, you get a private room which means (a) you only embarrass yourself in front of your friends and (b) you don't have to put up with other people's taste in music (c) you don't have to wait 90 minutes for your turn. Not a bad deal, really. And there's often Korean food in the mix which is just lovely.  Not sure about Saturday, but I'm guessing based on how we left things off with the piano bar crowd, we (or I at least) may wind up there.

We're getting to know the people there better and better and the more I get to know them, the more I like them. And plus, the pianist and I discussed the type of songs I like to/am able to sing on my own and came up with a few new ones to try. I apparently go for the old time sound (this is not surprising, actually), a little bluesy, a little jazzy, so we're going to go for some Big Band standbys. When I asked her if she knew "Goody Goody", she looked at me with something resembling alarm and said "why of COURSE" (I shouldn't have been surprised). She said she's looking forward to doing it and thinks we'll be the only two in the room who know it. I somehow doubt it (Rebecca, at least, is familiar with it), but she was very happy that I was asking after it. So yay!

(here it is, lyrics begin nearly a minute in)