a letter, of sorts
Dear Livejournal,
I have been very busy lately! My two summer school classes will wrap up this week. For my english class I wrote a paper on urban sprawl and urban renewal. I learned a lot about Richmond by writing this paper. It's really exciting because its what I want to do when I graduate. Psychology is interesting and the teacher is really good at relating the abstract concept to something that makes sense in an everyday kind of way. I think it's also been helpful because with group therapy because it gets me in that mindframe. I think I'm more receptive to the therapy and more critical about my own role. Though, the critical part is probably to my detriment. Work is fine, still more of the same. Jim doesn't work on Wednesdays anymore so I'm getting to know James better, which I like. He's very smart and wickedly funny. I've been uneasy before about becoming to well known to my neighbors. However, working at stir crazy makes me pretty intrinsic to the neighborhood, and while it's what I wanted-it makes me nervous to be so familiar with so many strangers. I'm not sure I'm expressing this very well, but I guess it's close enough. Again, I think group is helping me with this. I'm not allowed to talk about specific members but I think I can speak generally. Last week, in particular, was really a break though week for everyone in group except me and I felt very discouraged. I have consoled myself with the fsact that I was prepared to speak, but ran out of timee because others had taken such major steps. In particular, one person who I always felt was very distant, last week I felt like there was no wall. with every word she said it just became more clear; She's let down the wall. So that was really good news for the group. What I was going to talk about last Wednesday is the fact that Alex called me and told me he wanted to move to Portland, Oregon. Now, honestly, I think Portland is probably one of the best place in America to live, particularly in respect to urban sprawl/urban renewal. However, the way Alex no let me start again. He called me on the Fourth of July to ask me if I could come help him move to Portland- next week! This was such a typical Alex thing to say. To suppose that I could just drop everything and come help him move across the country. It's weird, does he think I don't have a life? But anyway what brought about this revelation was his trip with Molly to Idaho and Montana. I have reason to believe that Molly is very, very rich. So I am fairly certain they went to the nicest parts of Idaho and Montana. I bet most of the west is not so nice. Anyway, he came back convinced that he should move out west. His friend, Tom, moved to Portland and recommened it to him. To me Oregon is northwest and thus a completely different region than where Alex stayed but I figured I should pick my battles...
On the phone Alex was whiny and mad at me for not being over the moon about this plan. But my advice is simple. He needs to get a job. He needs to pay for himself. If he wants to move to Portland, great! He just has to pay for it. This whole thinkg is stressing me out. I wish he would just be sensible about the whole thing. But the only thing in my power is what I do. So I wish that I would trust him more and respect him to make a sensible decision.
I think I need to go on vacation. I might go to St. Paul but only if the state approves a budget (I'm going with my mom on a business trip and if the budget isn't approved she can't go). I'm definatley going to Chicago in August. I want to go to the beach and to the mountains before summer is over. Anybody want to come? I think my life is too serious. I need to have some fun.
But summer school will be over by the end of the week and I think I'm going to read as many books as I possibly can for awhile. I've been reading more lately and it suits me.
Most affectionately,
Laura Beth
I have been very busy lately! My two summer school classes will wrap up this week. For my english class I wrote a paper on urban sprawl and urban renewal. I learned a lot about Richmond by writing this paper. It's really exciting because its what I want to do when I graduate. Psychology is interesting and the teacher is really good at relating the abstract concept to something that makes sense in an everyday kind of way. I think it's also been helpful because with group therapy because it gets me in that mindframe. I think I'm more receptive to the therapy and more critical about my own role. Though, the critical part is probably to my detriment. Work is fine, still more of the same. Jim doesn't work on Wednesdays anymore so I'm getting to know James better, which I like. He's very smart and wickedly funny. I've been uneasy before about becoming to well known to my neighbors. However, working at stir crazy makes me pretty intrinsic to the neighborhood, and while it's what I wanted-it makes me nervous to be so familiar with so many strangers. I'm not sure I'm expressing this very well, but I guess it's close enough. Again, I think group is helping me with this. I'm not allowed to talk about specific members but I think I can speak generally. Last week, in particular, was really a break though week for everyone in group except me and I felt very discouraged. I have consoled myself with the fsact that I was prepared to speak, but ran out of timee because others had taken such major steps. In particular, one person who I always felt was very distant, last week I felt like there was no wall. with every word she said it just became more clear; She's let down the wall. So that was really good news for the group. What I was going to talk about last Wednesday is the fact that Alex called me and told me he wanted to move to Portland, Oregon. Now, honestly, I think Portland is probably one of the best place in America to live, particularly in respect to urban sprawl/urban renewal. However, the way Alex no let me start again. He called me on the Fourth of July to ask me if I could come help him move to Portland- next week! This was such a typical Alex thing to say. To suppose that I could just drop everything and come help him move across the country. It's weird, does he think I don't have a life? But anyway what brought about this revelation was his trip with Molly to Idaho and Montana. I have reason to believe that Molly is very, very rich. So I am fairly certain they went to the nicest parts of Idaho and Montana. I bet most of the west is not so nice. Anyway, he came back convinced that he should move out west. His friend, Tom, moved to Portland and recommened it to him. To me Oregon is northwest and thus a completely different region than where Alex stayed but I figured I should pick my battles...
On the phone Alex was whiny and mad at me for not being over the moon about this plan. But my advice is simple. He needs to get a job. He needs to pay for himself. If he wants to move to Portland, great! He just has to pay for it. This whole thinkg is stressing me out. I wish he would just be sensible about the whole thing. But the only thing in my power is what I do. So I wish that I would trust him more and respect him to make a sensible decision.
I think I need to go on vacation. I might go to St. Paul but only if the state approves a budget (I'm going with my mom on a business trip and if the budget isn't approved she can't go). I'm definatley going to Chicago in August. I want to go to the beach and to the mountains before summer is over. Anybody want to come? I think my life is too serious. I need to have some fun.
But summer school will be over by the end of the week and I think I'm going to read as many books as I possibly can for awhile. I've been reading more lately and it suits me.
Most affectionately,
Laura Beth