Tarry forth!

Or something like that.

Wow, a month since I posted as if there was nothing to blog about. There's been plenty. We've been kicked out of our apartment (renovating the building) and the lease expires March 31st. I've been writing, preparing class lessons and working at a new part-time gig at a big intellectual property firm in Philly. I love this kind of work as much as I do the creative things I spend the other half of my time doing. Even better, I have an office with a real door that I can close and focus if need be. Or meditate during lunch which I have also done along with a few pilate moves.

There have been other developments as well.

My sudden fascination with dwarf hamsters has continued unabated. I acquired a huge (and I do mean huge) white Syrian hamster someone gave up. He's very friendly but his size makes you think of him as a rat. My newest dwarf hamster is called a Robovorsky and is the smallest hamster in existence. Damn cute.
Robo Hamsters

But that wasn't enough. While on a "rescue" the black kitten I brought home wound up staying as in for good. I initially tried to unload the 5 week kitten on my mother but she was too smart and would not take the bait. So, with us she stays. I will post a photo tomorrow. We need some suspense to take us to the next day, don't we?

And then there is the terrible cold. Our winter has been very mild; little really cold temps to talk about. All that has changed and we have not only been in the single digits but dipped below the 0 mark in wind chills. I hate extremes of any kind. Cold weather makes me want to sleep. I must be part-bear.

Teaching college freshman has been an eye-opener. I can't even articulate yet how much so.

In that case, I will tell you that I saw The Devil Wears Prada via On Demand and laughed out loud through many parts of it. It made me miss those days in New York when I walked the corridors in both entertainment and legal power and prestige - men and women to whom the word "no" was not uttered and could make anything happen. Their business associates and acquitances were similarly famous (some world famous) and wealthy. Fortunately, I did not personally experience the nastiness of the Meryl Streep character but I've witnessed that behavior. I saw first hand Naomi Campbell have a hissy fit over something and start throwing anything that was not nailed down. I never saw her hit anyone but she has - several times - those who work for her. I do not understand (or maybe it's never reported) why one of those struck individuals did not haul off and bitch smack her ass across the room. That is a complete mystery me unless, of course, the bitch smacking was kept out of the press for some reason. Some interns or personal assistants will take any abuse if they think it will get them somewhere in the business afterwards. Apparently, they do not put a premium on self-respect and boundaries that no one can cross.

It's just so important to be "it" or "be there" or "in the know." Not.

I much prefer my more contemplative life now which, oddly enough, allows me to focus more on my creative pursuits and dabble in the legal arts as well. I have started to more towards wellness, practicing a blend of pilate and yoga that allieves more stress than I realized it could. I have gradually changed over my diet, removing this and adding that. Good stuff. I have not felt well for sometime and it's because of my eating habits and being more sedentary than I used to be. Fortunatley, these are all things that I can change.

I love being able to take time out from plotting, planning, thinking and doing and enjoy the critters and rodents I call pets. It brings me down to earth and centers me in ways nothing else has.