(no subject)
I've recently had a string of really good days that were spent out and about with friends. Just hanging around the city and going from place to place doing... you know, whatever.
This coincides with my summer campaign to re-discover Providence. This was born out of a conversation I had with my boss about her upcoming vacation plans. When asked if she was going anywhere on her vacation this summer, she replied, "No, my husband and I are staying in town this year. We've decided that we're going to explore what Rhode Island has to offer." She then went on to compare our (her, in reality) perception of the place we live to how the Italians "trip over the Colosseum everyday on the way to work, cursing and hoping that one day they'll just tear the piece of junk down," and that we do the same thing; everybody's so fascinated with somewhere else, she's decided to take the time to explore Rhode Island and re-connect with all the wonders we have.
Not that I can share her enthusiasm for Rhode Island (I'm a devout lover of Providence, but I still cannot wrap my head around comparing The Colosseum with, say, the Providence Place Mall) I can surely understand her desire to stay local.
Indeed, I myself have embarked on a Rediscovering Providence mission this summer, which will include just, well... hanging around.
This may not seem like much, and I'll admit that it's not exactly setting the bar high, but you may be surprised at the amount of enjoyment I've gotten from Thursday and yesterday's excursions.
Thursday saw Steven, Will, and I venturing out, basically wandering around downtown until we somehow, miraculously, reached the East Side. We had lunch at the Italian café on Thayer Street called Roba Dolce (which absolutely sucked, FYI.) and hit Wayland Square for the first time since I worked at East Side Marketplace. I got a new John Irving book (Until I Find You) and had more substantial lunch at Le Petit Bistro (amazing, btw). The night was concluded with bottles of Shiraz and Riesling, and we loitered DePasquale Square at midnight, sitting around the fountain and generally being winos. By the by, Yellowtail makes a decidedly impressive Shiraz.
Yesterday saw The Great Hangover 2008 after my birthday celebrations, but I was conscious enough to hit the town with Darlene and Matt. We shopped for clothes at the "Ho Sto'" downtown, where I got new jeans that actually give me an ass, followed by a trip to WalMart, where I got sexy underwear (I had to spend my gift card somehow.) After a short stint with Delsin and Colleen, I took in karaoke with Matt and Steven (even in the thunderstorm) where I was given an unexpected but nonetheless welcome standing ovation for my rendition of "Just Like Heaven" (I think everyone was drunk.) though "Mr. Brightside" fared significantly worse.
Despite what seems like a rather dull time, it's been great fun, actually, and a refreshing break from the day-to-day drone of work-sleep-work-sleep-karaoke-work. Tonight will see more karaoke, coinciding with the much-anticipated return of Renae from the bowels of post-surgery. Perhaps I won't drink as much tonight :-)
In boy news, as if there ever is any to really discuss, a recent disappointment momentarily crippled my morale, following a string of "small victories" that may have given my ego an inflated boost. I'm grateful for it, strangely enough, as it served the dual-purpose of grounding my sense of self back down to earth while building a new bridge in the realm of friendship. Still, several prospect remain in the periphery. Dave's nice enough, if a bit flighty. I found it tacky that one of the first things he said to me was how his crush on another boy ended him in a dubiously embarrassing situation, but I kept my posture. The fact that he owns the latest Dynasty Warriors game works in his favor. Others hang in there, if only marginally. The bottom line is that I'm more interested in surrounding myself with good friends at this point than having the responsibility of any sort of relationship, contrary to my recent mentality.
Today's tarot card, the 10 of Swords, depicts fleeting success and temporary advantages and progress, and while not significant or even particularly relevant or productive, is a nice break from the norm. It reminds me to wield whatever authority I may have wisely, and to be mindful of my superiors; today is all about impressing the right people. This comes under-ridden by a somewhat disturbing image of a man pinned to the ground by 10 swords. He really must have fucked up.
This post, by the way, signifies my official return to LiveJournal, after a nearly three-month absence. That is, of course, if my wordiness and reflective moods stick around long enough each day to actually sit down and update this thing.
This coincides with my summer campaign to re-discover Providence. This was born out of a conversation I had with my boss about her upcoming vacation plans. When asked if she was going anywhere on her vacation this summer, she replied, "No, my husband and I are staying in town this year. We've decided that we're going to explore what Rhode Island has to offer." She then went on to compare our (her, in reality) perception of the place we live to how the Italians "trip over the Colosseum everyday on the way to work, cursing and hoping that one day they'll just tear the piece of junk down," and that we do the same thing; everybody's so fascinated with somewhere else, she's decided to take the time to explore Rhode Island and re-connect with all the wonders we have.
Not that I can share her enthusiasm for Rhode Island (I'm a devout lover of Providence, but I still cannot wrap my head around comparing The Colosseum with, say, the Providence Place Mall) I can surely understand her desire to stay local.
Indeed, I myself have embarked on a Rediscovering Providence mission this summer, which will include just, well... hanging around.
This may not seem like much, and I'll admit that it's not exactly setting the bar high, but you may be surprised at the amount of enjoyment I've gotten from Thursday and yesterday's excursions.
Thursday saw Steven, Will, and I venturing out, basically wandering around downtown until we somehow, miraculously, reached the East Side. We had lunch at the Italian café on Thayer Street called Roba Dolce (which absolutely sucked, FYI.) and hit Wayland Square for the first time since I worked at East Side Marketplace. I got a new John Irving book (Until I Find You) and had more substantial lunch at Le Petit Bistro (amazing, btw). The night was concluded with bottles of Shiraz and Riesling, and we loitered DePasquale Square at midnight, sitting around the fountain and generally being winos. By the by, Yellowtail makes a decidedly impressive Shiraz.
Yesterday saw The Great Hangover 2008 after my birthday celebrations, but I was conscious enough to hit the town with Darlene and Matt. We shopped for clothes at the "Ho Sto'" downtown, where I got new jeans that actually give me an ass, followed by a trip to WalMart, where I got sexy underwear (I had to spend my gift card somehow.) After a short stint with Delsin and Colleen, I took in karaoke with Matt and Steven (even in the thunderstorm) where I was given an unexpected but nonetheless welcome standing ovation for my rendition of "Just Like Heaven" (I think everyone was drunk.) though "Mr. Brightside" fared significantly worse.
Despite what seems like a rather dull time, it's been great fun, actually, and a refreshing break from the day-to-day drone of work-sleep-work-sleep-karaoke-work. Tonight will see more karaoke, coinciding with the much-anticipated return of Renae from the bowels of post-surgery. Perhaps I won't drink as much tonight :-)
In boy news, as if there ever is any to really discuss, a recent disappointment momentarily crippled my morale, following a string of "small victories" that may have given my ego an inflated boost. I'm grateful for it, strangely enough, as it served the dual-purpose of grounding my sense of self back down to earth while building a new bridge in the realm of friendship. Still, several prospect remain in the periphery. Dave's nice enough, if a bit flighty. I found it tacky that one of the first things he said to me was how his crush on another boy ended him in a dubiously embarrassing situation, but I kept my posture. The fact that he owns the latest Dynasty Warriors game works in his favor. Others hang in there, if only marginally. The bottom line is that I'm more interested in surrounding myself with good friends at this point than having the responsibility of any sort of relationship, contrary to my recent mentality.
Today's tarot card, the 10 of Swords, depicts fleeting success and temporary advantages and progress, and while not significant or even particularly relevant or productive, is a nice break from the norm. It reminds me to wield whatever authority I may have wisely, and to be mindful of my superiors; today is all about impressing the right people. This comes under-ridden by a somewhat disturbing image of a man pinned to the ground by 10 swords. He really must have fucked up.
This post, by the way, signifies my official return to LiveJournal, after a nearly three-month absence. That is, of course, if my wordiness and reflective moods stick around long enough each day to actually sit down and update this thing.