Mass-ive

A busy week lies ahead.

I have many, many things to do before I leave this glorious House on Orchard Street for parts only slightly known: Hofstra, Hempstead, Long Island, New York...and at long last the study of law.

My current reflections:

1. If I drink iced tea there, will I be tempted to call it a long island iced tea? (You know, just to annoy people.)

2. It only occurred to me this weekend that if I switch my residency including, for example, voter registration, then Hillary will be my senator!!! Hello! Clearly I will be doing that. I'm long since over the Special K twins (Kennedy & Kerry) from Smashachusetts.

And on that note, I have been thinking a bit about departing Massachusetts - again. Obviously, this place has become home over the past almost-four years, even/especially while I was in Korea. I'm delighted that it all worked out for me to have this little summer of fond farewell back at the Medford house with the girls. It has been a summer of much reflection -- a little too much, maybe -- and contending with all the logistical and emotional issues of life. There has been no shortage of either!

I have also rather enjoyed being unemployed and I highly recommend it. : ) My temp jobs have been great, and I love that they are temporary. I defnintely know in a way I never knew for sure before that I would be exquisitely happy working only from home. I would write and free-lance and enjoy the blessed Internet for making such a life ridiculously easy if I could only get someone on the other end to pay me for my words. But first I am going to law school.

This last weekend in Massachusetts I spent as a volunteer crew member on the Mass Red Ribbon Ride. It's a bike ride across the state, from Pittsfield to the Boston suburbs, that benefits several AIDS organizations. You may recall I used to volunteer at AIDS Action Committee when I lived here before, and when I returned to Mass. this June I was a bit late to train for and do the ride, but crew -- that I could do. So, I went out to the western reaches of the State on Friday and slept on the floor in a camp cabin (night 1) and a high school gymnasium (night 2) with other riders and crew and woke up at 4:45 a.m. and spent the days shuttling back and forth along the route looking for ailing or injured riders, working pit stops, and so on. I have a lot more to say about it, but no time to do so right now.

I will spend the next five days packing as few earthly possessions as possible and getting rid of as many as possible.

My list of things to do is large and it looms...