up in the sky

9.14.05

with the arduous testing schedule at the end of last term and my school break, i hadn't actually provided a massage outside of school for nearly 6 weeks until today. it felt really good to get back in the swing of things and, even though i'm a bit rusty, i got into the groove fairly quickly.

i really enjoy providing massage, but the scholastic side of it can be a tad overwhelming at times. it definitely interests me and i have to consistently remind myself that it will all eventually click (like so many other aspects of this have over the past six months) -- and to chill out a bit. one aspect of the situation that concerns me is financial; i knew that i probably would never make the big paycheck i was making at speakeasy again, and i didn't make the decision to leave and pursue this for the money. but with debt looming and the potential to make a low average annual salary, i get a bit freaked out sometimes. i know it will all work out, but i have dreams and those are generally easier to realize with a little loot in the bank.

kay will be moving in in about a month now; the situation is bittersweet, as my brother will be moving out and i'm really sad about that. we're both beginning a new chapter of our lives and that's really exciting, i can't wait to see where these new adventures lead.

semi-precious

9.07.05

i just spent the last few weeks off from school, during which i:

• organized and setup my office/utility room, preparing it for study & an herb garden
• threw a delightful and fun party, for which i created a delicious menu of vittles that everyone seemed to dig
• visited with adrienne, who came up from sf for the weekend of the party
• worked at speakeasy for a few days -- realized that the decision to leave was absolutely correct and, despite the fact that the pay is really good, it's doubtful i'll ever waste my time with them again; they're not completely at fault, i'm just personally completely done with that industry, atmosphere and attitude
  
• started ursula, under -- which is fantastic and highly recommended to anyone who loves interconnected tales
• spent time with my nephew, alex, who came over for a few days -- we went to the zoo, played a lot of games and had a generally grand old time
• headed up to langley, whidbey island, with my lovely girlfriend kay for a last minute overnighter

my third term of school commenced yesterday; we have a new teacher for our advanced techniques, and i really dig him so far. this term we begin our internships and i'll be working at bailey-boushay house, an experience which i imagine will be wonderfully inspiring.

i had wanted to setup a music production area in the house so that i could work on songwriting and recording my work as i went, but i think the cost is going to be too much for me right now, so i've instead decided to channel my creative yen into writing.

my mom and sean went down to visit my eldest brother and his family in oregon this past weekend and it's hard to hear about their financial struggles right now. i really want to help them out, but since i'm not working right now myself, i'm not really in any position to do so. it just concerns me because i know how hard it must be for them and it seems both my parents would rather spend their excess funds in other manners; sometimes it saddens me that we don't have stronger communal bonds as a family. sean and i seem to have developed that care for eachother, and i know that my mom tries to help out when she can, and it's not really my place to chastise her for spending her money in a way that i deem unwise. when i hear about the money my father is spending on his new wife's adult children, it pisses me off -- not because i want anything from him, but because it angers me that he can stand by while his son struggles to make ends meet and the only thing he can be bothered to offer him is green tomato relish.