Left foot...right foot...left foot...
It sure looks easy when you put it down in black and white.
Left...right...left...right...
Regardless of how much in control we feel we are, we're really on a sort of moving walkway, like they have at airports. We keep moving our feet, deliberately and carefully (or sometimes not so carefully), but that isn't all that propels us forward.
There's this inner drive, a hand, that nudges us toward a goal. Alot of the time we have no idea what that goal is, but something inside makes us get up everyday and move forward. Maybe it's the searching for the goal that motivates us when no goal is in sight. Our exhistence has to have a reason; a purpose.
It's hard to hear or see that tiny spec inside of us that has the answer. Some catch glimpses, and hear the faint whisper-that's what pushes them, headstrong into what looks like an impossible storm. Some search most of their lives, often for the wrong thing, forgetting to listen, or deaf to the sounds of hope in the answer.
While we try hard to pay attention, we trip on bumps along the walkway. It could be cast off items from other travelers or our own baggage that we keep dropping in front of us, because we brought too much along. Losing the brief link with our inner voice is that easy.
So, as a holiday wish...
Unload some of the extra baggage, lighten your load. Keep your eyes on the future in front of you and listen...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Finally, Some Forward Momentum
Well, I now have a phone. It only took about 2 weeks to get it, but I do have it. Yeah!
That almost closes the chapter on "The Flood". Things are still out of place around our apartment, but they were out of place before. We didn't have the chance to really settle in, so I'm taking my time and thinking it through, giving each item it's place.
The store I work at, Piercing Pagoda, is located in the city's indoor mall. It's a large kiosk that sits in the middle of the flow of foot-traffic that moves through the place, in a sort of oceanic ebb and flow. I guess you could say that "hurricane season" is soon upon us, turning the waters into tidal waves that converge onto the waiting shores. I've always avoided malls, especially during the holiday season; and look where I am! I'm even scheduled for Black Friday.
Well, to deal with all of the sniffling, sneezing, coughing that surrounds me during my shifts, I'm taking extra vitamin c and zinc, hoping to hold off any lurking viruses until our medical insurance kicks in on Dec. 1. Another Yeah!!
Aside from my great dislike for crowds, etc., I do enjoy the people watching. There are some very eccentric characters in Santa Fe and it seems like the colder it gets, the more they come out to roam.
Cameron is making his place where he works. It's scary being the "new guy" sometimes, especially when there isn't much to keep busy with. The old saying "last hired, first fired" comes to mind. I know he's stable there. This is the standard seasonal slow-down as described by all who work there. It's a family company, they take care of their members and are upfront with them. He'll be OK, he just needs to hold on to his faith in himself.
That's what we both need to do. We can do anything we put our hearts and minds to, but we have to really believe that to be true. We're finally in a place that feels right, so we're doing what we are supposed to do, and on the path that is right for us.
One thing I missed about our place, when we were temporarily located in another part of the complex, is the pine tree outside our patio. When I leave in the morning, or any time for that matter, the fragrance greets me as I walk past. There weren't any pine trees in that area, so the smell was absent. The scent intensifies when the tree gets wet, inviting me to take in its presence when the rain and snow obscure the view of the incredibly blue sky. I'm home.
That almost closes the chapter on "The Flood". Things are still out of place around our apartment, but they were out of place before. We didn't have the chance to really settle in, so I'm taking my time and thinking it through, giving each item it's place.
The store I work at, Piercing Pagoda, is located in the city's indoor mall. It's a large kiosk that sits in the middle of the flow of foot-traffic that moves through the place, in a sort of oceanic ebb and flow. I guess you could say that "hurricane season" is soon upon us, turning the waters into tidal waves that converge onto the waiting shores. I've always avoided malls, especially during the holiday season; and look where I am! I'm even scheduled for Black Friday.
Well, to deal with all of the sniffling, sneezing, coughing that surrounds me during my shifts, I'm taking extra vitamin c and zinc, hoping to hold off any lurking viruses until our medical insurance kicks in on Dec. 1. Another Yeah!!
Aside from my great dislike for crowds, etc., I do enjoy the people watching. There are some very eccentric characters in Santa Fe and it seems like the colder it gets, the more they come out to roam.
Cameron is making his place where he works. It's scary being the "new guy" sometimes, especially when there isn't much to keep busy with. The old saying "last hired, first fired" comes to mind. I know he's stable there. This is the standard seasonal slow-down as described by all who work there. It's a family company, they take care of their members and are upfront with them. He'll be OK, he just needs to hold on to his faith in himself.
That's what we both need to do. We can do anything we put our hearts and minds to, but we have to really believe that to be true. We're finally in a place that feels right, so we're doing what we are supposed to do, and on the path that is right for us.
One thing I missed about our place, when we were temporarily located in another part of the complex, is the pine tree outside our patio. When I leave in the morning, or any time for that matter, the fragrance greets me as I walk past. There weren't any pine trees in that area, so the smell was absent. The scent intensifies when the tree gets wet, inviting me to take in its presence when the rain and snow obscure the view of the incredibly blue sky. I'm home.
Monday, October 26, 2009
SNOW!!
This excitement aside, we are supposedly going to be able to move back to our actual apartment today. We looked in on it yesterday and several things still needed attention, such as re-installation of the water heater, lighting fixtures, and, of course, cleaning up the mess from the drywall and painting. I'm estimating this afternoon, but we'll see. It all depends on how many people they put to the task.
We continued past Pecos to the Pecos National Historical Park, where we saw ruins from a mission built in the 1700's. There are numerous other ruins dating back much farther, but we weren't dressed for the hike. We will save that for another time, now that we know it's there.
The sun is trying to peek out from the cloud cover and has melted much of the snow on the trees. The ground is still covered, but, that too will probably be gone by noon. It's nice that it happened on a day that neither one of us had to go to work, so we can just take it in and have a relaxing morning. Click Here, for a slide of our ride.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Insanity at 7000 Feet, and it's Snowing!
Monday was the day we had arranged for the maintenance guys to move us to the apartment which was originally to be our temporary lodging, but we decided to go ahead and move into it permanently since it will be at least another week before the original apartment will be finished. Management was happy since it would save them some paperwork and the workers wouldn't have to deal with going into the apartment to retrieve items. It is a little smaller, but the rent is much cheaper. Well, after packing up all of our stuff, the guys come in and tell us that the manager says they can only move the big things, such as the desks and bed. Now, the management had told us that we could take the apartment and they would move us. Apparently, they meant only the larger items. There is no way we can move all the rest of the stuff into an upstairs apartment ourselves. That's why we originally chose a downstairs place.
Off to have words with the manager, who is not exactly the poster child for good customer relations. She insists that we are on our own to move anything but the big items. Well, we tell her our physical limitations and our understanding that our belongings would all be moved. When we asked for the phone number to her supervisor, she refuses to give it to us. We have the number, but it was packed up with all the rest of our stuff.
Cameron pulls up the corporate website and manages to track down the person we need to speak with. She says she will call us back after she speaks with the apartment manager. Well, she comes back with the offer to let us just move back into our original place after they are done, and maintenance will move back the few items they had moved here for us.
I just want to settle into my home. We had only been in the apartment for 5 weeks before all this happened and here we are, back in this state of limbo. Now, what settling I had accomplished, is undone and so everything will need to be unpacked, again! This whole thing has been a nightmare.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
It's Raining! Inside?!
Tuesday morning we awoke to massive amounts of water in the kitchen, dining area, and livingroom. It was raining from dozens of spots in the ceiling and the latex paint bulged from the weight of the water that was pressing against it and trickling out. There was literally about a 1/2 inch of water in the kitchen. Thankfully, only those areas were affected. Cameron's keyboards and audio equipment were untouched and so was our bedroom. I guess we're lucky we hadn't been able to afford any livingroom furniture, otherwise that would have been soaked. We still had some boxes around, but the contents seem to have fared pretty well.
Within 15 minutes, maintenance was knocking on our door. A neighbor had notice water pouring from the balcony above our unit and reported it. No one lives up there, but apparently, the previous occupants had covered the the overflow drain for the water heater. The water heater had burst, and the water had saturated the upstairs and was moving through the floor, our ceiling, as gravity intended.
The situation was quickly sized up and before long, sections of drywall were being cut from our ceiling. Extractors were used to remove the water on the floor, and then the carpet was removed. I've attached a link to a slide show of pictures of our torn up place. They have since removed more drywall and pulled our water heater.
So began a struggle with the apartment management as to what we were to do while all this was being fixed. At first, they were totally uncooperative as far as paying for our hotel or providing any suggestions as to how we were supposed to vacate the place as instructed.
Slowly, their attitude changed as Cameron moved further up the management ladder. It's taken 2 days of arguing and frustration, but they are finally going to pay for the hotel stay until tomorrow, and then will put us up in another apartment for the remainder of the time. The workers are anticipating that it will be at least until Tuesday or Wednesday before we can move back in. I would just have them move us entirely to the other apartment, except that it is smaller and would be a little crowded for Cameron and I to share the 2nd bedroom office, especially with all the keyboards and recording equipment.
So, it has been a frustrating last couple of days. On the flip side, I started my part-time job on Monday. Thankfully, they have been incredibly understanding about my situation and given me flexibility in regards to my hours. I am working at a mall kiosk, The Piercing Pagoda, which is sort of a pain, but the pay is OK and will provide us with the financial cushion we have been lacking. I do like talking with new people and the products are pretty. I will be learning how to pierce ears on Friday, which should be interesting. I'll probably have more holes in my own, in time, who knows?
The "kids" of our household have not been very happy about all of this upset of their surroundings. It has been very stressful, and will continue to be so, until they are back in their normal home. JarJar, especially, has a hard time with it. He's kind of the strong silent type, who ponders his own reflection in the mirror and sulks terribly when he feels things aren't the way they should be.
Us humans are doing our best to hang in there while all this is going on. We had only been in the apartment for about 5 weeks and then all this hits us. This is, of course, after spending 2 weeks in hotels looking for an apartment and then for all the checking they do to be processed, etc. Ah, this, too, will be another thing we will laugh at in the coming years (right...) I guess, so as this little adventure continues we will keep you posted.
Within 15 minutes, maintenance was knocking on our door. A neighbor had notice water pouring from the balcony above our unit and reported it. No one lives up there, but apparently, the previous occupants had covered the the overflow drain for the water heater. The water heater had burst, and the water had saturated the upstairs and was moving through the floor, our ceiling, as gravity intended.
The situation was quickly sized up and before long, sections of drywall were being cut from our ceiling. Extractors were used to remove the water on the floor, and then the carpet was removed. I've attached a link to a slide show of pictures of our torn up place. They have since removed more drywall and pulled our water heater.
So began a struggle with the apartment management as to what we were to do while all this was being fixed. At first, they were totally uncooperative as far as paying for our hotel or providing any suggestions as to how we were supposed to vacate the place as instructed.
Slowly, their attitude changed as Cameron moved further up the management ladder. It's taken 2 days of arguing and frustration, but they are finally going to pay for the hotel stay until tomorrow, and then will put us up in another apartment for the remainder of the time. The workers are anticipating that it will be at least until Tuesday or Wednesday before we can move back in. I would just have them move us entirely to the other apartment, except that it is smaller and would be a little crowded for Cameron and I to share the 2nd bedroom office, especially with all the keyboards and recording equipment.
So, it has been a frustrating last couple of days. On the flip side, I started my part-time job on Monday. Thankfully, they have been incredibly understanding about my situation and given me flexibility in regards to my hours. I am working at a mall kiosk, The Piercing Pagoda, which is sort of a pain, but the pay is OK and will provide us with the financial cushion we have been lacking. I do like talking with new people and the products are pretty. I will be learning how to pierce ears on Friday, which should be interesting. I'll probably have more holes in my own, in time, who knows?
The "kids" of our household have not been very happy about all of this upset of their surroundings. It has been very stressful, and will continue to be so, until they are back in their normal home. JarJar, especially, has a hard time with it. He's kind of the strong silent type, who ponders his own reflection in the mirror and sulks terribly when he feels things aren't the way they should be.
Us humans are doing our best to hang in there while all this is going on. We had only been in the apartment for about 5 weeks and then all this hits us. This is, of course, after spending 2 weeks in hotels looking for an apartment and then for all the checking they do to be processed, etc. Ah, this, too, will be another thing we will laugh at in the coming years (right...) I guess, so as this little adventure continues we will keep you posted.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Finally, A Place to Call Home
There's still a fare amount of boxes stacked around, with contents waiting for their final destination, but we are home, now. Santa Fe is a gorgeous town, with friendly people and promise for a great future.
Cameron is settling into his job and likes the people he works with. It's a positive environment to be in, though it's often exhausting. Adjusting to the pace of a "real" shop, as opposed to the school setting, has been challenging, but he's getting the hang of it and has been praised for his work. They seem to be very happy with their choice for a new technician.
I'm looking for a part-time job and taking some business classes. New Mexico has tons of support available for small businesses and so I thought I'd look into what is available. The classes I'm taking are free and offered by a non-profit organization that provides support and counseling for anyone interested in starting their own business. They are general in nature, such as creating a business plan, handling finances, state and local laws and tax information, etc. It's very interesting. Held 2 times a week for 2 hours, my head is usually spinning by the time I leave the building. They pack a lot of information into those 2 hours.
The weekend before last, we took a ride to Las Vegas (New Mexico, that is). We had intended to go elsewhere, but not really knowing our new surroundings, yet, sent us off to the hometown of the Rough Riders (Roosevelt's). We spent a little time there, had lunch at a popular local restaurant, and headed back home. We'll revisit later, when we can spend more time really looking about the historical downtown area. I just wasn't up to spending the day walking around (knees, again) as the original ride was only going to take us a couple of hours and this one was a bit longer.
Last week, we went on a ride around town to explore. We like to play "Where does this road go?" and often wind up in unusual places. This time we found Hyde Park. It's a very pretty ride that took us about 3000 feet above Santa Fe. It was the perfect day for such a ride, too.
Here's a slideshow of pictures from all of this:
Click here to view!
Cameron is settling into his job and likes the people he works with. It's a positive environment to be in, though it's often exhausting. Adjusting to the pace of a "real" shop, as opposed to the school setting, has been challenging, but he's getting the hang of it and has been praised for his work. They seem to be very happy with their choice for a new technician.
I'm looking for a part-time job and taking some business classes. New Mexico has tons of support available for small businesses and so I thought I'd look into what is available. The classes I'm taking are free and offered by a non-profit organization that provides support and counseling for anyone interested in starting their own business. They are general in nature, such as creating a business plan, handling finances, state and local laws and tax information, etc. It's very interesting. Held 2 times a week for 2 hours, my head is usually spinning by the time I leave the building. They pack a lot of information into those 2 hours.
The weekend before last, we took a ride to Las Vegas (New Mexico, that is). We had intended to go elsewhere, but not really knowing our new surroundings, yet, sent us off to the hometown of the Rough Riders (Roosevelt's). We spent a little time there, had lunch at a popular local restaurant, and headed back home. We'll revisit later, when we can spend more time really looking about the historical downtown area. I just wasn't up to spending the day walking around (knees, again) as the original ride was only going to take us a couple of hours and this one was a bit longer.
Last week, we went on a ride around town to explore. We like to play "Where does this road go?" and often wind up in unusual places. This time we found Hyde Park. It's a very pretty ride that took us about 3000 feet above Santa Fe. It was the perfect day for such a ride, too.
Here's a slideshow of pictures from all of this:
Click here to view!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Waiting...Waiting...and WAITING...(OOPS! I thought I posted this already)
We've been in Santa Fe for 10 days, now, and are still in a hotel. I'm anticipating hearing from the leasing agent at our proposed residence later today or tomorrow, but the wait has taken a huge tole on our finances. We started out in one hotel, but had to move to a cheaper one when we realized we would be extending this living situation longer than the expected 4 days. It didn't help that we ran into a holiday weekend, including a local festival that ran all weekend.
I didn't want to get tied into an apartment on a sight-unseen basis this time. Our last move was done that way and wound up being on the edge of a ghetto area and in a complex falling apart as fast as they could try to renovate it.
Well, with very shaky credit, and making just over the limit for most of the complexes in town (the majority are low income based housing via a state program), we have run into a lot of problems getting into a place. Thanks to my parents' assistance, it looks like we may have a home by the end of the week.
Our furry family has been weathering the ordeal as best as they can. The 12 hour ride in the U-haul truck was assisted with anti-anxiety medication, so once they settled in, they pretty much hung out in the middle seat. Once they got used to one hotel, we moved to the other, and then we will be moving to our final destination. It's been hard on them. JarJar is especially sensitive to changes so requires frequent reassurance.
We'll all be happy to finally be settled into our new home.
Santa Fe is an interesting town to get to know. Few streets are straight and none run on the usual north/south, east/west pattern. Because of the dominant Pueblo-style architecture, even chain stores look different and have been a little harder to locate than expected. It gives the area a nice charm, especially when the tallest building is 5 stories high. Greenery is abundant and hides many of the businesses along major streets. Some of the streets downtown are barely wide enough to drive a car on. I was told that they were originally mule trails, that were later paved, some are only gravel.
I'll post some pictures once we're settled. The apartment complex we're getting into is very nice and is affordable due to some great specials that are going on. Rent is $300 cheaper for a 1 year lease
I didn't want to get tied into an apartment on a sight-unseen basis this time. Our last move was done that way and wound up being on the edge of a ghetto area and in a complex falling apart as fast as they could try to renovate it.
Well, with very shaky credit, and making just over the limit for most of the complexes in town (the majority are low income based housing via a state program), we have run into a lot of problems getting into a place. Thanks to my parents' assistance, it looks like we may have a home by the end of the week.
Our furry family has been weathering the ordeal as best as they can. The 12 hour ride in the U-haul truck was assisted with anti-anxiety medication, so once they settled in, they pretty much hung out in the middle seat. Once they got used to one hotel, we moved to the other, and then we will be moving to our final destination. It's been hard on them. JarJar is especially sensitive to changes so requires frequent reassurance.
We'll all be happy to finally be settled into our new home.
Santa Fe is an interesting town to get to know. Few streets are straight and none run on the usual north/south, east/west pattern. Because of the dominant Pueblo-style architecture, even chain stores look different and have been a little harder to locate than expected. It gives the area a nice charm, especially when the tallest building is 5 stories high. Greenery is abundant and hides many of the businesses along major streets. Some of the streets downtown are barely wide enough to drive a car on. I was told that they were originally mule trails, that were later paved, some are only gravel.
I'll post some pictures once we're settled. The apartment complex we're getting into is very nice and is affordable due to some great specials that are going on. Rent is $300 cheaper for a 1 year lease
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