lornagrl:::

Only Two

I made a decision a few weeks ago and today I took action on it.  I've noticed something this past year since I started school.  People don't go to school for an education anymore.  They go to school to get a degree so they can get a job.  Well that is not why I am going to school, I have a job.  I am going so I can get an education.  So I can learn all I can about subjects that interest me, not some future employer.  That often means taking classes in a random order, with no real direction, but what is wrong with this really?  These past few semesters, I have been trying to squeeze as many credits as I can and skate through them and for what?  It's not a race.  And consequently I am not getting the full benefit of my classes.  There are books, and articles I am not reading, and knowledge I am not absorbing because I am just trying to get the grade. It is very difficult to go to school while working full time and then some, and while Brooklyn College is inexpensive compared to most colleges (It's called the poor man's Harvard) it is still costing me thousands of dollars.  I want to get the most for my buck. 

So this coming semester, I am only taking two classes.  This means I am going to be a very old lady by the time I get my degree but it doesn't matter.  What matters is I want to learn as much as I can.

The first class I selected is an British History Class and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about it.  I've been a British history buff my whole life and I have always wanted to take a class.  There are not too many history classes available durning the hours when I can go to class so this is very fortunate.

The next class I am taking is a creative writing class.  This is also a class that is not usually offered on evening and weekends so when I saw it on the schedule I nearly flipped.  This may also mean more blog posts.  I know I've been real bad about posting.  I've been too busy reading and learning about cognitive and abnormal psychology.  But I'm hoping this class will rev-up my writing juices again.  (Not too much writing in psychology for some reason).

The Poe Toaster a No-show for the third year in a row.

It's considered official, the Poe Toaster is NEVERMORE.  Poe freaks and fans waited all night on the night of January 18/19 to wait for a mysterious stranger, who leaves three roses and half bottle of cognac on the author's grave.  A tradition that started in 1940 seems to have officially come to an end when the stranger did not show up for the third year in a row.   One speculation is whomever the Poe Toaster was they may have seen fit to end the tradition on what would have been the writer's 200th birthday.  At any rate Happy Birthday Edgar.  You would be 203 years old!!

The good news is The Edgar Allen Poe Cottage is now reopened after a year of renovations.  This is the home he lived in with his wife Virginia and his mother-in-law.  It is also the home he was living in when he died under mysterious circumstances while on a trip to Baltimore (his wife had died of TB just a few years before).

So let's never forget that Edgar Allan Poe was a New Yorker when he died.

Nantucket at Sean Casey Animal Rescue

I spent my last day of 2011 running some quick errands in the morning and watching the Twighlight Zone marathon on SYFY.   One of my regular routines on the weekends is to stop in at Sean Casey Animal Rescue and look at the kittens/cats/dogs.  Yesterday I met Nantucket.  Nantucket is a very special kitten.  He and his two sisters were abandoned at a Vet's office with serious eye infections.  One of Nantucket's sisters lost an eye, the other one was fine, but Nantucket was not so lucky.  His infection was in both eyes and they ruptured. 

I picket him up and he was so sweet. He loves to cuddle and is responding to voices. Blind cats can have fine, normal lives. The good news is he is at a shelter that will do all it can to make sure Nantucket has a safe and loving home. You can read more about his story here.

Protests at Golden Farm

Nearly a year ago I posted about a bad experience I had at Golden Farm that resulted in my decision to no longer shop there.  Since then former employees have sued the owner for paying below minimum wages, and not paying overtime.   The Kensington Prospect has a post about protest that was held on Friday, that included a march insdie the store. 

Some commenters on the Kensington Prospect noted that they hoped the store manager could work things out because she enjoyed the lower prices at the store.  But I don't think lower prices is an excuse to underpay and exploit your employees. 

Black Friday - I'm not playing

So here we are, it's Black Friday.  I have never understood the appeal of Black Friday.  It's seems every year there is another horrible story.  Like the person who was trampled to death at a Walmart store, the images of people camping outside in the freezing cold, to this video here - again in a Walmart, where a woman used pepper spray so she could get the best price on an xBox.

I have a question for all who particpate in this.  What tangible item could possibly be so important to you, that you would be willing to camp outside overnight in the cold for it, or trample somebody, or even rudely push someone aside?  I would understand if you were starving to death and this was a bowl of soup, but come on, do you really need that iPod, or that flat screen TV?

Isn't Christmas supposed to be about giving?  Would you want to receive a gift that someone had to trample somebody else for?  I wouldn't. How much money is saved on these Black Friday sales anyway?  I can't imagine it is worth all of this. 

This is where my procrastination comes in handy.  I don't think I have ever gone shopping on Black Friday before but I don't remember this insanity happening in years past. 

Thanksgiving in Kensington

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all.  My Turkey plans fell through the cracks when my friend got a surprise ticket to Houston.  I had other places I could go, (Nashville, Orlando, a friend in the slope) but I decided I didn't want to travel.  I am in the midst of a staycation that was meant to be spent catching up on my school work.  Instead I have been in the land of nothingness, or put another way, "doing what ever I feel like doing whenever I feel like doing it."

As for my Thanksgiving meal I hadn't given it much thought because I wasn't expecting anything to be open.  I walked over to Church avenue to get some much needed coffee and was gobsmacked that Connie's was open, so I had breakfast.  It was crowded too.  I noticed that Connie was having a thanksgiving special which I decided to make my plan B.  I checked on line and found that The Farm on Adderley was having a prix fixie for $55 which was more than I wanted to spend, but I knew it would be delicious.  I opted for the roasted parsnips, traditional turkey and an apple crisp and I got it to go, because the reservations were filled up.  So I enjoyed my turkey dinner while watching movies.  All in all, not a bad way to spend the holiday. 

But lazy time is over I need to get crackin on some assignments.

Test almost delayed due to fire....

I have been studying for my cognitive psychology test for a week.  I get obsessed about these things.  When I know I have a test I can think of little else. I don't read anything else, I don't watch any movies.  And considering it has been over a month since I last posted, I neglect my blog. I focus on the test. This particular test was on short term memory, and long term memory.  I studied the primary and recency effect, Brown Peterson Technique, procedural memory, implicit memory, explicit memory, engrams, nemonic encoding principal, retrieval structure principal, speed up principle, sternberg task, self schema, long term potenation... I could go on but um.  I forgot what comes next.

Ha ha.

So by Tuesday I was pretty fried and was just ready for this test to be over with.  I work from home on days that I have class.  My plan was to get to school early so I could find a quiet corner and do one more study crunch before the test.  But when I got to James Hall, I noticed there was a mass of people filing out.  I saw one of my classmates who told me that the building was being evacuated, but nobody knew why.  I asked a security guard what was happening and all he would tell me was "this is the real thing".  By this time there was  crowd of students on the sidewalk, and we were told to go across the street. Then the fire trucks came.

Most of the students were waiting around to hear if class was going to be canceled or if we were going to be let back into the building.  Nobody knew any details, but I did hear rumors that it was an electrical fire.  We all speculated on what was going to happen, and we didn't quite know what to do?  Our professor was nowhere to be found.  Should we leave or stay?  It was starting to rain.  One of the students sent an email to the professor who replied and told us to wait.  After about ninety minutes we were let back in. 

How did I do on the test? I will find out after the Thanksgiving holiday. 

 

We Buy Gold (on Flatbush Avenue)

Thank you Steve Jobs - you gave me permission to be creative.

I am a convert.  I used to be a PC person. I was first exposed to an Apple computer when I took a job in advertising.  Six months later I bought my first MAC (an eMac) and from then on I was hooked.  Before I bought an Apple I always viewed computers as a tool for work.  PCs were dry.  PCs were stale.  PCs were about work.  But a MAC was about art, creation and self expression.  It forced me to "think outside the box".  In 2003 I started publishing this blog, and shortly after that I bought a digital camera and pursued a hobby and interest I always wanted to explore but never did because I didn't have a proper platform.  I started taking photos.  

Some might say "you can do all of these things on a PC" and that would be true.  But it's easier on a mac, more fun. Doing something creative on a PC is like playing a guitar while wearing mittens.  I don't know how else to describe it.

I know I have not set the world on fire with this blog, but my photos have been published, and my words have been repeated. I have a voice.  I have a platform.  I wouldn't have either of those things if it were not for a man named Stave Jobs.  Thank you kind sir.  Thank you very, very much.

Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I watch this clip. It gives me hope.

RIP Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

Slice of Life NYC

Things haven't been going too well for me in the last few weeks.  I had a very rude awakening recently and I'm devestated.  I can't give details here but let's just say I recently learned that a group of people who I thought had my back do not.  Not at all.  I'm afraid I have to leave it at that.  I've probably revealed too much.  The incident has made me wary and with little faith in people.

This was my mindset on Thursday morning while I was on my way to the office.  I stopped at a roach-coach for a cup of coffee and some donuts (I know my eating habits are atrocious right now) and it was only after the coffee was poured and the donuts were bagged when I realized I had no cash.  Nada.  Zip.  The guy in couch was not too pleased.  I apologized profusely and promised to come right back as soon as I could find and ATM when a woman standing behind me said "I will pay for it".  I protested at first, but she insisted.  "Just return the favor to someone else someday" she told me. 

In the evening I was walking to the bus stop when I realized I hadn't eaten anything all day except the donuts.  I wasn't very hungry but I needed to get something in my stomach, so I stopped at another roach coach to buy a hot dog.  (yes I know, very poor eating habits).  While the hotdog vendor was assembling my meal (mustard please) a homeless man came by and with pleading eyes asked me to give him some money so he could have something to eat.  Without even thinking about it, I asked the hotdog guy to fix the man a meal.  Not just a hotdog but a full meal with rice and chicken.  I paid for both purchases and walked on.

An hour passed before I realized what had happened.  A complete stranger bought me breakfast, and I bought dinner for a complete stranger.  It seemed serendipitous, like the universe was trying to tell me something. 

I just wish I could figure it out.

Dear Ophelia - thank you for the vomit.

Dear Ophelia,

Thank you so much for that lump of vomit that I stepped on this morning.  Seriously.  I really appreciate it because I had to wash my feet anyway.  I don't really mind stepping into a moist pile of goo while having no idea what it is.  I'm just grateful you didn't throw up in my shoes.  Oh did that shriek of terror scare you?  So sorry.  I'll try to be more quiet next time.

Oh btw my roommate Corey really appreciated the pile of vomit you left for him in the living room a few weeks ago.  His reaction was a little over the top I guess.  It started a chain reaction and he began to vomit himself.  That was fun. 

It's okay though.  We still love you.

Hunkered Down...

Irene is expected to hit NYC tomorrow morning.  And even though it's been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane (from a 2) Brooklyn is expected to take quite a beating.  Had I still been living in Brighton Beach I would be under orders to evacuate.  Thank goodness I am back in Kensington which is pretty much located in the center of Brooklyn and is not an evacaution zone at all.  I was supposed to start classes tomorrow but that has been canceled. Looks like it's time batten down the hatches. I didn't really start preparing until today although I did buy candles and Cliff Bars at lunch time.  My roommate has head to Astoria to be with his girlfriend but was able to pick up two gallons of water for me before leaving.  (Thanks Corey). 

I stopped at a CVS to pick up more water.  My plan was to buy a case of bottled water and all I could find was some fancy water that looked expesnive.  Turned out that this was not water they really sold by the case.  Luckily for me someone decided they did not want to wait in line any longer and left a case of reasonably priced water so I grabbed that.  CVS was a zoo with people grabbing batteries, water etc.

So I have food in the house, popcorn, COFFEE, my favorite ice cream, grapes, plenty of cat food, plenty of water, lots of toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and many, many DVD's, books, and I am set to work from home on Monday, and my plant has been brought in from the fire escape. 

Irene.  I'm ready for you!!

Good Night Irene...

..and I wonder why this song has been running through my head for the past few days.

I survivied the NYC Earthquake of 2011

I was at my desk at work, I had just completed a conference call when it hit.  The floor started to sway like a pendulum.  It was very subtle but it lasted for about thirty seconds. Strange.  I looked up and noticed that the light fixtures where swaying too.  I stood up and all my co-workers had felt it too.  I work in a loft office in the Flatiron District in Manhattan. The building must be at least seventy-five years old.  It's just a wide open space with lots of cubicles.  It looked kind of strange to see everyone standing up at the same time looking confused.

"Was that an earthquake?"

There has been a lot of construction on other floors, which could have caused the building to rumble.  I walked over to the window to look down on the street below. There did seem to be a lot more people on the street than normal.  But then I noticed that people in the office across the street were looking out the window as well.  I walked back to my computer and looked on Facebook.  At least ten of my friends were mentioning "The Earthquake" on CNN. 

When I saw on the news that it was 5.8 I decided to go home to continue my workday.  I am not too familiar with earthquakes but I do know they sometimes come as groups.  That we could receive after-shocks from this one or worse, that the big one was still coming and this was just the birth pain.  I didn't want to be in Manhattan if there was going to be any more earthquakes.  I didn't knw if the MTA was going to suspend service or not. A co-worker mentioned that I would probably be safter staying in the office.  I decided I would rather die at home thank you very much. 

I didn't really think there was any immediate danger. I just wanted to get home.  I noticed there was a lot of people milling about outside as I was walking towards the bus.  Many were on their cell phones, some where looking up at the sky.  I also noticed a lot of people just going about their day as if nothing had happened at all.  Some were riding tour buses and I noticed one woman in an outside cafe, eating a hamburger and drinking a beer.

Normally the bus would be fairly empty at 2pm but I wasn't the only one who had decided to go home.  Since a subway ride is probably not the smartest choice on the heels of an earthquake a lot of people were choosing the bus.  It was at the bus stop that I learned the quake had actually hit in Virginia and we had just "felt it" in Manhattan.  One woman quipped "you know the world has changed when your primary source of news is your twitter feed." and it was true.  I actually turned to Facebook to confirm that it was indeed an earthquake and not just construction rumbles.

The bus was packed, but I was home in about thirty minutes and went right back to work when I got there.  I kept waiting for another roll in the earth, another rumble.  But nothing.  And now it's time to prepare for a hurricane.

Dead Raccoon on Cortelyou Road

A few days ago, I was on my way to the bus stop on Cortelyou Road when a twelve-year old stopped to tell me there was a dead raccoon on Cortelyou. I have been hearing horrible stories of raccoons breaking into apartments in Park Slope and meeting an eerie demise. So it doesn't surprise me one bit that there would be raccoons around here.

Just a few moments after I snapped this photo, a woman, who did not look like she was from animal control, came to pick up the carcus.  I saw she was wearing rubber gloves, but I thought she was taking a bit of a risk.  Many New Yorker's don't know this but there is a rabies epidemic in New York State. Particuraly with raccoons.

The other day I saw a possum in the back of my building.