Shelfari addiction

I think it's making me read more and read faster! (testing, testing)

Reflections on the Summer's Culture

My poor neglected blog, hasn't seen me since spring. I blame it all on Facebook ;)

Anyway, seeing as the summer of 2009 is about to wrap up (*sob*), I thought it was a good time to look back on its cultural highlights:

The Reader - MOVIE
A Girl of the Limberlost - NOVEL (a favorite of my grandmother's, I recently learned!)
Herkimer 4th of July Fireworks at Wal-Mart - UPSTATE NY CULTURE :)
Philadelphia Orchestra - CLASSICAL MUSIC @ SPAC
Paul Taylor - MODERN DANCE @ SPAC
La Traviata - OPERA @ Glimmerglass

In several of these I was struck by some unexpected instances of kindness. Perhaps "unexpected" because so much of today's entertainment is brutal on a regular basis. How sad.

- In "The Reader," I was moved by the young boy's thoughtfulness toward his older lover (Kate Winslet), when the waitress on their "cycling holiday" thought she was his mother. He proved differently by kissing her passionately in public as they left, yay for him!

- At the Paul Taylor Dance show, one number featured a little "boy" sleeping and dreaming guided by a father-type figure. When the boy slipped on his pajamas and fell, the father tenderly picked him up and looked at him with such love to make sure he was not hurt. The boy limped in pain but the father-figure was there to comfort and help him.

- And lastly, at the fireworks, a REAL LIFE act of kindness. As night fell over the Wal-Mart parking lot I spied and was touched to see an ARC staff member hold the hand of a disabled older adult waiting for the show to begin. The staffer seemed completely content to keep his client/friend happy and didn't act like it was a "job" or a "duty."

How satisfying to have kindness so intertwined with my delightful summer experiences.

Two institutions done in by the economy

CloverPatch then Shriners. Both with fabulous staff members who work as an interdisciplinary team.

RIP.

Brangelina & the Dalai Lama Visit Albany - at the same time!

Mayor Meets Angelina Jolie

Last updated: 6:53 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2009

It was a routine Saturday for Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings a number of events to attend, including a stop in North Albany.

Also, on his "to do" list was a visit to the set of "Salt," the movie starring Angelina Jolie that was finishing its last weekend of shooting on the highways near the Empire State Plaza.

"Who's in charge," Jennings asked one of the set guys as he arrived. The guy pointed and Jennings went over and introduced himself to the "boss," who said he was aware the mayor had reached out to director Phillip Noyce when the filming began.

"Is everything all right?" Jennings asked the boss, adding, "If it's not inconvenient, I'd like to welcome Angelina to the city."

Jolie walked over dressed in jeans, a cap covering her hair and a light-colored coat for the scene where she jumps off a truck shook Jennings' hand and told him she enjoyed her stay in Albany.

The city was chosen because of the three levels of highways near the Empire State Plaza meant to represent the nation's capital. On the set was a D.C. police car, Jennings said. "They looked at this and loved it," he said of the roads.

He knew the actress was staying the night and suggested, if she needed anything, to let him know. She said "Brad (Pitt) was coming over and they were going to take it easy, stay in the hotel room and watch the fight," referring to the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton light-welterweight championship from Las Vegas, Jennings said.

Jolie invited Jennings to stay for some of the shooting. He declined, saying he had other commitments. But, before he walked away, the mayor posed with the star for a photo on his cell phone.

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Dalai Lama Tickets Available
By BRIAN ETTKIN, Staff writer
Last updated: 6:36 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2009

As of 4 p.m. today, about 300 tickets were available for the 14th Dalai Lama's public talk Wednesday at the Palace Theatre, marketing manager Sean Allen said.

Capacity at the 2,800-seat Palace will be about 2,600 for this event, Allen said.

That the Dalai Lama's first appearance in Albany hadn't sold out yet could be attributed to the unusual start time of 2 p.m.

Allen said he wouldn't be surprised if the event sells out.

The Dalai Lama, the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, will speak on ''Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times'' as a guest of event organizers the World Ethical Foundations Consortium.

At the Convenience of the Undertaker?

This is a phrase I've often seen at the end of winter obituaries. "Interment/burial will be held at the convenience of the family." Sounds nice, pleasant, considerate of the grieving family members.

NOT!

It's seems like it's more at the convenience of the funeral home. My father-in-law's burial would have cost more if held on a weekend, and since business is brisk apparently, we had to quick book a date soon. Hmph. So 1:00 on a Friday right before Memorial Weekend. Real convenient.

ESAM Visit

The three of us (Alison slept in, of course) enjoyed an all-you-eat pancake breakfast at the Empire State Aerosciences Museum in Glenville this morning. We spent an hour touring the museum inside and out after our satisfying meal. It's a great place, next to the Schenectady Airport, $8 per adult and free for kids. Eric had a blast sitting in the Army Chopper!

Online ID Calculator

This is kinda cool, I made sure to search on both my maiden and married names.

Spring "Break"?

Let's hear it, all ye parents of school-age kids! Spring break is no break for us. Especially if your family is a two-income one like ours. It's quite a spectacle to behold, working parents juggling play-dates and sleepovers with other parents to make sure all those gaps when you can't be home yourself to play chaperone are filled.

And the sleepovers. Ouch. We agreed to let four of Alison's 12-yr-old friends sleep over Monday night. There was NO sleep for anyone (except her 3-yr-old brother who can sleep through anything apparently, I admit I was jealous of that ability).

"Spring is Exhausting"

Looking good on paper

Yikes, only blogged once in March and now it's April 8.

We visited back home this past weekend. My Mom gave me a small plastic bag with mementos she had unearthed from my high school days and Cornell Graduation, not least of which was the menu for the restaurant we went to to celebrate the event, & where Mike proposed to me (I know, "awwww").

But it also struck me that I haven't lived up to my potential. All the newspaper clippings about my high school and college accomplishments, Dean's list, B.S. with Distinction, winning the French contest with our book and getting that book published years later. Whew. This Mary Elise Loiacono chick looks awesome on paper. What happened?

Student loan payments. Corporate America. The economy. Mortgage. Marriage. Babies. Agile. Scrum.

That's quite a list.

"Marching" in

Whoops. It's already 7 days into the new month and this is my first post of March.

Each day it is more and more depressing to read the latest news on the economy. Anyone care to guess the title of this month's "Intercom" (the Society for Technical Communications' periodical for us tech writer types)?

Drum roll please......

ADAPT OR DIE



Whoa.

So what is so wrong, with alcohol?

Miscellaneous Musings from a Mom

Just some random thoughts for a February evening:

Why did my 3 1/2-year-old son suddenly decide to start calling us "Mom" and "Dad" instead of "Mama" and "Daddy"? It is cute the way he pronounces both titles so emphatically and carefully, but it is sad! Way too grown-up, even our 11-year-old daughter calls me "Mommy" still.

And why do schools need to drum into Middle-Schoolers' heads that alcohol is bad, bad, bad! I had to jointly fill in a health worksheet with her tonight to refute all the myths about alcohol and kids. True, it is not good for growing kids to drink, but telling them it is all evil will just entice them more. Why can't we be like Europeans, and just set good examples for our kids, that good wine and beer can enhance a good meal with good company?

Lastly, why don't Moms get tips for cooking, serving, and cleaning up after dinner? I put this question to my family tonight, after once again cooking a nice supper and having to clean up after they wolfed it down in minutes and fled the scene. I pointedly remarked that at least when I waitressed at Ponderosa I got tips and didn't even have to wash dishes. My daughter at least got my drift a bit, she asked if doing dishes counted (not that she does them, but still). My husband just gave me a weird look and disappeared back down into his basement office. I should have loudly replied that "Yes, I do accept non-monetary tips!" Hah!!

Ratcheting it up

Building on my previous post, I've pondered more about cramming everything you love into simultaneous sessions. I find myself not only watching the DVD set of the The Tudors - Season 2 but needing to follow along with its companion book, which of course I read ahead of time but still felt compelled to consult as I viewed. The director occasionally deviated from the script and it was great fun to compare the two versions. For example, at the end of the season finale when Anne Boleyn is to be executed, Brandon's young son, who claimed he "wanted to see someone die" bravely stares at the impending victim with tears streaming down his face, versus the script, where his father forcibly holds his face towards the block when he tried to avert his eyes. They both work equally well in their respective media. Bravo!

And as for books in general, I find my Amazon.com wish list growing lonnnngggg. It's up to 7 pages now. For every couple books I buy, several more are newly published. I'm a preordering compulsive thanks to Amazon's notification feature. A blessing or a curse? Not to mention all the great ads in the Times and the New Yorker and reviews in my Bookmarks subscription (highly recommend that magazine to all readaholics). So what did I go and do now? Read "Book Lust" and highlighted all the books I MUST read before I die. I better live a good many more years.

My own trifecta

Remember the Seinfeld episode, where George attempts a "Trifecta" (in his case simultaneous food, sex & TV)? I think I caught myself striving for my own version last night&mdash wine, books and "The Tudors" Season 2 on DVD. How insane is that! Sometimes more of what you love is is better ;)

My childcare provider - another victim of the economy

My son's daycare, the place I spent so much time and care researching during my pregnancy, is closing this spring. He has been there 3 years and this will be tough on all of us. The following article is from the Times Union, I added a comment to the Business Blog expressing my frustration & sadness. There are not many places that provide the kind of services he needs for his physical & developmental needs.

This picture shows him at the CloverPatch annual Halloween festival, holding hands with his favorite teacher, Joelle.

Center for Disability Services cuts jobs, services
January 20, 2009 at 10:00 am by Chris Churchill, Business writer

The Center for Disability Services, the Albany non-profit that primarily provides services for the disabled, is cutting its daycare and pre-school programs and eliminating about 50 jobs.

In a letter mailed to center employees, Alan Krafchin, the organization’s president and chief executive, said the cutbacks are a “response to the continuing economic uncertainty and mounting fiscal challenges facing the center.”

Krafchin adds that the daycare and pre-school programs have traditionally run a deficit, but that “the deficits we have supported in the past are now too great to overcome.”

“With shrinking government support and the slowing economy, we anticipate fewer funds being available to fund our deficits and keep these programs afloat,” he said.

On June 19, the center will close the Hudson Early Childhood Services site and Cobleskill Early Childhood Services site. Daycare facilities in Albany and Glenville will also close that day, the center said.

Glenville and Albany Early Childhood Services will continue operating only the specialized self-contained classrooms. The Fulton Montgomery Clover Patch services will also continue operating, the center said.

The Center for Disability Services, headquartered on South Manning Boulevard in Albany, has an annual budget of $101 million and, with 2,400 employees, calls itself the seventh largest private employer in the Capital Region.

It provides services to 15,000 people at 85 locations in nine upstate counties.

[link to article on Albany Times Union: http://blogs.timesunion.com/business/?s=center+for+disability&x=0&y=0]

Getting away from it all--in Vegas, Baby!

To my amazement, a romantic trip to Vegas did our moods and outlook on life a world of good.

Memories as we move on

Life has returned to normal again, at least a "new" normal now that I only have one parent-in-law. The calling hours & funeral were such a mix of sadness and joy and humor. The outpouring of visitors and their reminiscences of Arnold for 3 hours were so touching. I hadn't seen my brother Tom since his car accident in November, and there he was at the funeral home, hobbling in on his crutches after a several-hour drive. He & my sister said they just had to be there for us. Wow. That's when I finally started getting teary. And old grudges were put aside for the occasion as well, it wasn't the time or place for any silent treatments. My 3-yr-old son seemed to intuitively realize his role was to provide the distracting entertainment, if I had a dime for every time someone remarked to me how cute and charming and funny he was!
Here are some pictures of Arnold with his grandchildren, baby Alison ("Ali") on the bottom and baby Eric ("Ricky") on the top:

Vacation ennui

Now that my father-in-law has passed and the arrangements are set, all we have to do now is wait til it all takes place Monday night (calling hours) and Tuesday morning (funeral). I will be singing at the funeral mass with Pat Marthage, Mike's cousin, at the behest of my mother-in-law. I'm glad to do it, hope I don't hit too many off-key notes, I don't do this kind of thing very often anymore.

So the last few days of our Christmas break have been quiet and slow-moving, which is nice but I feel restlessness creeping in. I was compelled to vacuum and start putting away what's under the tree today. Mike wants to take it down this weekend though, which never fails each year to make me blue. Have to admit I'm a bit anxious for work and school and routine to resume, but the Monday-Tuesday funeral activities are delaying that usual return to normalcy. Starting 2009 in this unusual and sad way makes me nervous, I hope the rest of the year progresses in a regular fashion.

2009 begins

Was pondering last night about what kind of novel I'd like to write someday. Thought of a title, "Hurtling," since the incredibly fast passage of time, especially at the end of the year & the Holidays, is so much on my mind. Wouldn't it be cool to write about a researcher/non-fiction writer studying the perception of time and how to affect its speed (or perceived speed) and getting trapped by his or her findings? Could be a fun way to present scientific info wrapped in a fictional narrative. And somehow I also feel driven to investigate the ghost-story genre, got another book of ghost stories of NY state last week, am so compelled to keep buying & reading these. Edith Wharton and Henry James rule, though!