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| NJ's Notes SEPTEMBER |
| Friday 06 / 02 Welcome to my new-and-improved NJ's Notes ... she says hopefully .. The first development is that I am back online ... Yoohooo !!! Now that I have my very own computer connected in my very own den, I am hoping to make this into a daily journal entry - no more one page for every two months. So, without further adieu, let me get started ... |
| 09 / 06 / 02 Here it is on Friday evening, shortly before 10 pm, and I've been spending the last few hours updating my website. I am not so sure that that isn't just a little bit sad... Not that I don't love it up here, but perhaps I'm feeling the "aloneness" a little more acutely because of all the visiting lately. I went down to Toronto for two weeks, then the guys came up for a fantastic week of sightseeing, fishing, eating and partying. Locals weren't quite sure what to make of the boys - especially considering my normally almost reclusive existance up to that point. My friends here enjoyed them though, and it was nice to have two of my worlds come together with no mishaps... Eddie in particular though did need fairly regular reminders, whether from Greg or myself, that certain topics, words and stories perhaps aren't suitable for general conversation with "civilians". His shin must've been very bruised just from under-the-dinner-table-kicks at my Gram's!! Anyhow, once the boys returned to the city, I was back for another week. It's strange - all this to-ing and fro-ing makes me appreciate my peace all the more; on the other hand these days my house seems very quiet. Hmmmm, will I ever stop being such a contradictory and conflicted humanbeing? It's hard to believe we're already into September. The days are still warm, but the nights, coming earlier and earlier, are now very crisp. I'm harvesting tomatoes, peppers and cukes out of the garden on a daily basis, and though all the late summer flowers have burst into bloom, the lawn is already becoming scattered with brown and red leaves. It'll be sad to see the end of summer, but I am really looking forward to autumn. Maybe that's what's got me a bit blue - this inbetween season thing. 09 / 07 / 02 Well, Saturday night has been almost as pathetic as Friday ... tonite was spent organizing old pictures into an album. Actually, no, it wasn't really a pathetic thing at all - in fact it was a lot of fun. I am so inspired now I think that my next online album will be all the old rock 'n' roll pictures - years and years of really bad hair styles!! I came online tonite actually to see if I could locate any old friends, and it's surprising how many you can actually find. So, yes indeed, this new page is forming in my mind as I type. With that and hockey starting soon, and the new responsibility of being webmistress for an OES site, things are looking busy busy busy!!! 09 / 10 / 02 Today was a fabulous day ... A big storm came through with thunder, lightening and rain so heavy and hard that within minutes the streets were flooded. You could see the wind literally pushing waves across the pavement. Looking out from the guestroom window, I saw a man standing outside, leaning against a telephone pole, right in the middle of this downpour. I watched him for a few minutes, thinking he was probably some local "eccentric". There he was, not moving, the pole at his back not really blocking much of the wind, just drenched to the skin.... Just then a school bus came up the street. Stopping at the corner, it let out a child. The man I suppose was his father ... he'd come to meet his son and walk him home in this huge storm. That gave me pause - I'd instantly dismissed him as someone "not-quite-right" and how very wrong my initial perception was.... Perceptions - Tomorrow is September 11th - it's so hard to believe that it's been a whole year since the world changed for us here in North America. I remember thinking at the time that nothing would ever feel normal again, but humans are a resilient bunch.... I am hoping and praying though that tomorrow passes in peace, so that people can continue to heal. 09 / 12 / 02 No entry for yesterday .... what a horrible thing to rewatch all that coverage, and to be surprised by footage you'd never seen before - those poor people falling (jumping)... from the towers.... So I went for a walk last nite to shake off my blues, and I came home feeling rather blessed.... I felt lucky to be able to walk in the rain; I felt thankful for the wisdom of my Grandma; I am happy that my Mom has quit smoking again; I am proud of my brother and what a great Daddy he is; I have just about the best group of friends a person could ask for; I have my health - and the experiences to remind me to appreciate it; all this and my cat makes me laugh on a daily basis.... In one of the documentaries, Gullianni (spelled right?) said he went home on the night of the 11th, and read Churchill. He felt that New Yorkers would benefit from the experiences of Londoners who had to live through the Blitz. He felt it helped him, though he didn't mention any book in particular. I pulled out my copy of "Their Finest Hour"; these are two passages that I thought, if you just change the context, were just as relevent now.... "In War: Resoluntion In Defeat: Defiance In Victory: Magnanimity In Peace: Good Will" "The first German aim had been the destruction of our airpower; the second was to break the spirit of the Londoner, or at least render uninhabitable the world's largest city. In these new purposes the enemy did not succeed. The victory of the Royal Air Force had been gained by the skill and daring of our pilots..... Other virtues not less spledid, not less indispensable to the life of Britain, were now to be displayed by millions of ordinary humble people, who proved to the world the strength of a community nursed in freedom." Seeing as I'm already treading upon copywrite laws here - I want to share a beautiful piece of writing by Billie Collins that a good friend sent to me today. It's called The Names .... to try to appease Mr. Collins and/or the infringement gods, here's a link to a B.C. site as well!! Thank you John ..... 09 / 19 / 02 Just returned from a quick trip to Toronto. A friend was working a tour that was wrapping up - so there was a dinner on the Sunday nite, and the show on Monday. Ran into Bones from BNL at the gig. My computer has been acting up like crazy lately - it's funny how quickly I've gotten used to popping online everyday, and how very frustrating it is to not be able to for even a handful of days... My monitor blew up, quite literally, so it's now been abandoned at the electronics store - they're welcome to it!!! Then the mouse died ...... arrrghh... But all that aside, things are good!! I've been back in touch with an old friend from my Vancouver/early Toronto days. Gary used to be the singer from Broken Toys, which at that time were one of my all-time favourites. He just sent me this picture - I think I'm going to blow it up and frame it!!! Anyhow, this is his site, so make sure you visit... 09 / 20 / 02 Spending another Friday nite with my computer.... tomorrow is going to be a long day though so the less excitement today, the better. Chapter installation for OES is in the afternoon, and I am taking a starpoint... I then head into the city either tomorrow nite, or early Sunday morning. I would honestly prefer to not be going in, but work is work .... and somebody has to put up the Halloween decorations. Ed and Greg are coming back up again, so there will be a fun return trip to look forward to .... and more fishing!!! This evening has been very stormy outside - the rain has been of Biblical proportions !!!! I love it when it's like this - very inspirational. There will soon be a page eight of writing..... Contemplating being back at the bar for another week brings on a fair amount of journalling as well.... A long ago X is back - he always wanted to know if I'd ever written anything about him, but I don't think he'd really like what he was inspiring these last few years. Apparently he's doing much better now, and he does look like he's doing better - so I'm glad for that. It's funny though - he commented to someone that I wasn't speaking to him - he forgets it was him not speaking to me ..... ** is also getting under my skin... I believe that someone's business is their own business - until they flaunt something right in another's face - putting that person square in the middle of a terrible situation. They can justify what they do, where they do it and who they do it with - justify it all till the cows come home - but I have lost any and all respect - and wonder if ** even fathoms the meaning of that word on any level at all .... 'nuff said.... Talked to AB tonite - he's in Louisiana for a game. Considering just how ugly things got in Mississippi, I am very glad that we've been able to get back to a friendship. You know, when his Mom said you never know how things'll end up, I never envisioned he and I being able to laugh together again - let alone talk about that whole fiasco with humour. I think he's growing up some - athletes are notoriously not grown up!!! :-) Well, well, well - Louella Parson's got nuthin' on me!!! I guess on that note I'll wrap things up here. There won't be another post until the beginning of October - so till then - take care & have fun. |