The Weekend

I am happy to report a great weekend. I LOVE having my own place again. I guess I have felt displaced for a while. I lived in NY for years teaching and then made a move to Trinidad, WI in 2004. I came back unexpectadely in 2006 and had to find a job again (which in retrospect wasn't hard at all). However, I stayed to be supportive of my family after my dad's death and so rather than get my own place right away I kind of bounced between a rented room close to work and my mom's house over an hour away. After doing that for over a year it was time to get a place where the baby (to be adopted soon) and I could stay during the week and enjoy time when I am not working after school. I am very close to the neighborhood I was in before I moved to TT. Anyway, back to the weekend. Friday afternoon I was surprised to get a call from my cousin who is in NY from LA. She wanted a ride to my mom's so I met her at a subway station and we drove together. I did my laundry and cleaned out my car and did a few other things. In the morning I went back to Queens and then Manhattan to meet my friend and her 5 year old daughter who was visiting from NJ. We met and had lunch before going to my place to wait for the couch (I had a 2-7 pm window to wait). Thankfully, they came early and we were able to sit and relax, watch movies and play Wii. So, this weekend sort of made me feel that I have my place back in the world. For one thing - when we were having lunch one of the families from the church I attended when I was in the neighborhood stopped me to say hello. That was really nice. Another thing was today when I realized that we may not have school tomorrow due to the predicted 10" of snow I was able to call my colleague to borrow a book that I left at school (not thinking about a possible snow day) since I need it to prepare a lesson plan for my final project due Tuesday (final session of a graduate class). It was a nice feeling to know that I have a few connections. Two other times I was shopping and saw teachers I work with. I was just really happy to have a place of my own to invite my friends. Also - I am just happy to have friends. It was hard socially to move back from Trinidad. I have so many friends there. Most of my friends are spread out all over the country or world. On a day to day basis I am pretty much on my own. I live for vacations. I can't wait to be finished with all my extra classes so I can feel eased up so I can revamp my social life.

Here are a few of the pics I took with my phone at the New York Aquarium today. In June I joined as a member of the New York Wildlife Conservation thing which gives a year of passes into all 5 NYC zoos - NY Aquarium, Bronz Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and Queens Wildlife Center. It was really nice there today - hardly anyone (cause who really goes to the aqarium in the winter). It was peaceful and easy to get a close look at the animals. Plus, we didnt' have to worry about losing the kid!