Come posso saperlo? (How should I know?)

The first part of my title for today is in Italian...and it's actually not too terribly random! After several weeks of settling, I have decided to take the plunge and start creating my life here in Wheeling. The job and housing were kind of mandatory parts. But, I'm now starting down a novel Wheeling path. My time here in the past was very structured, so there was not too much choice involved in my life. It was pretty much school, work, and more work. Now, however, I'm getting used to days at work and some reprieve from that routine. A friend at work the other day mentioned how she was taking a class or two at Oglebay Institute this fall. I was more excited in this moment than I have been in awhile. So, I have decided to join her for one of the two classes she's taking.

I am going to be learning the Italian language. My co-worker and friend, Tara, is taking the class so that someday she can take a trip to Italy, eat the food, and speak the language. All of these sound like fabulous reasons to me! I've wanted to jump into some foreign language for some time...this is quite the opportunity for me. I look very much forward to this experience! Will I actually have the tools upon leaving this class to embark on my own Under the Tuscan Sun adventure? Come posso saperlo?!

Things Need to Change

When will the American media ever learn? Or perhaps a better question is will they even learn or do they even see the fundamental flaw in their approach to news stories? The latest example of the American media's incompetence shines through in the developments in the JonBenet Ramsey case.

The American media has scrutinized and taunted the Ramsey family; they have declared their guilt; they have repeatedly peppered the newspapers and magazines, as well as the news networks, with images of Patsy, John, and JonBenet. This family has not had peace for nearly a decade. They were not even given the proper respect to grieve in their own space and time. Patsy Ramsey has now passed away, never fully redeemed by the same media that was only all-too-eager to condemn her as a mother. Now, they media has decided to swarm the likes of John Mark Karr. Now, if one is not below even average intelligence, then it's obvious that this man is crazy. Sick and crazy. So, what is the media doing? They break a story, announcing that he's the killer. (Notice the pattern: according to our media, you're guilty until proven innocent). In my opinion, our media has very little, if any, integrity.

Speculation is damaging. Invasion of privacy is damaging. As everyone bashes Bush and the suspect legislation of his White House, maybe, just maybe, they should also take a look into the workings of American media. I'm sure they could find just as much looming in its past and present just as they have John Mark Karr's.

Some of the Newest Perks

Life has changed. But, with these changes, I have also inherited some pretty cool perks. Let me tell you about a few.

• A book room. I love books. I love bookcases. I have an entire room in my new apartment just for these things. I love this.
• A chair with a view. I have an aunt with incredible aesthetic taste. Her son recently constructed a pond in her backyard. It's a nice-sized pond with beautiful landscaping (variety of grasses, flowers, lily pads, etc.) and includes pond life such as turtles, fish, and frogs. The perk? My aunt lives just around the corner from me now, so times like last night, I simply stroll down the alley, and have myself an evening chat with her by the pond...margarita in hand.
• The Annual Greek Food Fest. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was great. Greek food is even better. The annual food fest is going on in downtown Wheeling, just a couple blocks up from my work, so I get to reap the benefits of that over the next few days. I picked up dinner just a little bit ago...a gyro with Galatobouriko for dessert. My next Greek goal: go to the Greek Isles. I know--it's thinking big.
• Boot Camp. As the weeks quickly pass, I'm learning how to be an assistant in the truest sense. If you've seen The Devil Wears Prada then you know that this can be a bumpy process. My boss is no where near the Miranda type, but learning to speak for someone or literally be someone else is a challenge. However, with each successful step, I feel better and better. It has helped for me to reference Heather Beckel's great "how to" book, titled Be a Kickass Assistant. She was on the Clinton campaign and transitioned into the White House as George Stephanopolous' assistant.

These are the highlights of life at the moment. More to come...

If I Were a Superhero...

...I would tackle the task of ending office politics. Although I feel strongly that I defy just about all rules of office politics, I do have to say that I find the concept of them fascinating. In my opinion, it's like the most practical application of Darwin's "Survival of the Fittest." Anyone will rat anyone out in order to get ahead; there is a seemingly sinister sigh of relief when one of the office powerhouses ceases to remain employed; there is a constant ring of gossip, some of the most vicious out there; and there never seems to be a complete picture of content regardless of where you are.

As I sat at my desk on Friday and had repeated interactions with the Knowledge Management crew as well as the Help Desk crew, it occurred to me that I may have stumbled upon the answer to the devastating state of the office atmosphere. I watched this group of "techies," and I've decided that they're one of the most docile, easygoing strains of office employees. They have fun, they make fun, and they make everyone laugh in the process. And if you think about it, they really truly stand as the one group of people with every reason to feel frustrated and angry at others. They are almost like foreigners in that they speak almost a whole other language, and they rarely come across equals outside of their "tech crew" perimeter.

This group invited me to lunch, but I already had plans. They also have invited me to a luau that's being held at one of their homes. If my workplace was a World War, then these techies would be Switzerland. Thus, I have decided that they will be my chums here. When was the last time you heard gossip that originated with one of these guys? Nuff said.

Why I Miss the Dudleys

A lazy Friday afternoon canon...

1) The Dudleys are like chocolate...you can never have too much of them.

2) They're fantastic individuals and their marriage demonstrates Jack Johnson's "We're Better Together"...double the Dudley, double the fun.

3) They came to Wheeling, they conquered Wheeling, and they appreciated Wheeling.

4) The Dudleys are also like wine...as they age (or as our relationship ages), they just keep getting better and more valuable.

5) They don't mind riding in Dot.

6) They make the best of every situation, making one forget that it's anything less than the best.

7) They're worldly.

8) They're down-to-earth.

9) They define good people.

10) They're the Dudleys.

A Little Bit of Mambo

The famous lines (or not-so-famous ones) from Lou Bega's "A Little Bit of Mambo" song keep ringing through my head, especially in recent weeks. As I indicated in the brief note in my last post, I have settled back into a normal life in Wheeling. I had enough time off to "catch up" from the last year of being away, I hunted down the perfect apartment, and I got a great job. These things together have made life so good. I am the type that if I do not really feel to the core that things are going the way I want them to be going, then I will scoot off onto my next path to happiness. In the end, this keeps me happy because I know, at the very least, that I'm fulfilling my role as a proactive human being.

Since being home, I've had the opportunity to reconfirm friendships, expand on already fruitful ones, and rid myself of those that no longer conveyed hope. I am normally not the hopeless type, but sometimes you just have to let yourself off the hook. I will usually put myself through a tremendous amount of grief before causing another pain, but it unfortunately seems that a lot of other human beings will not hesitate to cause grief. You can probably expect a rant on the "non-responder" type in the future. These are the ones who really drive me nuts. It's not so much that they're ignoring me, in particular, it's the idea that they don't embody enough respect for others to either assert their unhappiness with things as they are or take on the responsibility of being a good friend. Regardless, it's email. It's a few seconds of your incredibly long and laborious life...

Back to why Lou Bega's song came to mind. I've found, more than anything, in my move back home that there's not one thing I regret from my past years and decisions. The materialization of this opinion shows in my daily life here. I don't and will never be able to revert back to the daily routine of pre-Philly days. But, nor will I be able to go with being straight Philly here in Wheeling. So, everyday I find myself incorporating both Wheeling and Philly states of mind..."A little bit of this and a little bit of that/You can get what you see, you can see what you get." I feel I've finally broken free of the black and white perception/thinking that plagued me before, and this move is just one great moment to see this.

More to come...thanks for sticking around.

Trying to Stay Above Water

This is just a brief blog note to catch everyone up. After a recent comment from my friendly blogger supporter, pat, I had to at least leave this much of a post.

The reason I have not written lately is that I have acquired a new job at an international law firm, better known as Orrick. It's a fantastic job, and I'm having the time of my life right now. However, at the same time, I'm preparing to move into my first apartment this weekend. So, working 40 hours a week and attempting to put a home together on the side is proving a challenge. In this mix, A Tribute to Life has come to a halt. The tumbleweed will cease blowing, however, as soon as I get settled into life.

I apologize for this inexplicable disappearance. But, please don't give up...there will be plenty more.