Elanor Gamgee

nothing really

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:18:24 GMT

I'm procrastinating, and thought I'd tell you all what's going on in my life.

I finally figured out a way to watch episodes of Supernatural on my computer! Yay!

I also have 2 jobs, and only one of them sucks!
The bad one involves getting up early to travel to early childhood programs in dangerous neighborhoods that are nowhere near my home. I'm a research assistant working on somebody's doctoral dissertation, and I have to assess preschool classrooms in the Bronx. At least it's research experience, so will help me get into a ph.D program.

The 2nd job involves babysitting for a Hassidic family (which means they're Jewish, and really really Orthodox). This job can be challenging, but I love it anyway! The kids are really cute, and they singlehandedly make up for the serious hug deficit I was experiencing! I also get lots of free food (whether I want it or not) and get to hear a lot of interesting stories.
The only downside to this job is that it gets REALLY stressful on the sabbath. I can't even remember, let alone follow all their rules! (fortunately, the parents are understanding when I mess up)

There's a place down the street that serves really good bubble tea. I go there when I get stressed out.

I also live next to beautiful park that I can walk around in. I think that and the bubble tea are the things keeping me sane

update on my life

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:30:16 GMT

it's time for a brief (or at least I'll try to make it brief) update on what I've been doing lately:

1. I finally finished moving into my suite, and it was recently renovated, so it is really nice! My suitemates and I have a full kitchen with a dishwasher, two refrigerators, and lots and lots of cupboard space! The bad news is that everything costs so much more here than it did on the west coast, so I can't afford to buy most of the good food I want.
Oh, and also, every truck and emergency vehicle in Manhattan drives by my window nightly between the hours of Midnight and 3 am. I don't know why!

2. I'm surrounded by smart people with a lot more research experience than I have! Yesterday before class, my classmates were discussing their previous research projects, and I have nothing to add to the conversation, as my psychological research experience consists entirely of one research methods class that I had in college (unless you count observing "interesting" people on public transportation as psychological research).

3. halflingmerry visited me today! I met her down in Lincoln Center where there was some sort of street fair going on, and we looked at pretty things that neither of us can afford. She also showed me how to set up a Facebook account and then we went out for sushi and bubble tea! Her visit made me so happy!

4. After I set up my Facebook account, I started searching the site for people I knew in high school and college. I came across the name of a high school friend with whom I had a bitter falling- out, and it made me feel really sad. I don't know why, but for some reason, I actually sort of wanted to attempt to reconnect with that person. It doesn't make any sense at all, but I do still care about her, even though she made it quite clear that she doesn't like me. :sigh:

5. On the lighter side, I'm going to see a production of "A midsummer night's dream" in central park tomarrow! Yay!

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:43:34 GMT

Well... I leave for New York tomarrow.

Names I'm glad are not mine... (warning, some of these may be inappropriate for children)

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:02:58 GMT

This is a really random thing to post about, but these are all real names, and I think that all of them have used by people living in the USA.

1. Volva (a beautiful African boys' name, but one that I doubt would be popular in American high schools)

2. Fagot (pronounced Fa-go, but people with this name would probably also have trouble in American high schools)

3. Kick A Hole In The Soup (I found this one in a Baby Names book.... my guess is that this person goes by his or her initials, or perhaps is just known as "Kick")

4. Shithead (pronounced Shi-theed, but still...)

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:02:12 GMT

Well, I did it!
Yesterday I went to the Mikveh. I'm now officially Jewish!
The experience was actually rather nice...It wasn't cold like I had feared,and was rather private. (although I did get water in places I didn't really want it... like the inside of my nose!)
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through my conversion!

Holidays you don't want to miss!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:27:33 GMT

Today the kids had a school project that involved a July calendar printed off the internet. The project itself was extremely boring, but that calendar made me aware of the fact that we have some pretty interesting holidays coming up this July. Among these holidays are:

"Don't step on a bee" day
Cow Appreciation day
Ugly Truck day
Pandemonium day
Rat Catcher's day

and my personal favorite... "Take your houseplant for a walk" day.

I'm way more amused by these than I probably should be!

Sat, 19 May 2007 06:19:06 GMT

I have a couple of random questions on my mind that I feel like sharing...

Number 1 on my list is:
How does one go about finding roomates to share an appartment with? And to go along with that... Do you know of anybody who might be interested in sharing an appartment on the Upper West side of NYC next year? I don't think I can get on- campus housing at Columbia, and would prefer not to pay for an appartment by myself. My criteria for roommates are as follows:
- They must pay part of the rent.
- Preferably not rapists or murderers (or must at least agree to clean up after any crimes committed in the appartment)
- Preferably bathe at least once a month.
So, if you know anybody who fits that description, and wants to live on the upper west side, please let me know.

My other question is:
Does anybody know of a seamstress (either in the Bay Area or NYC) who could do dress alterations for a relatively low price? Most of the ones I've looked at so far have been really expensive.

update on my life

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:00:29 GMT

One of my supervisors was put on "administrative leave" (which means that she's taking time off while the administration decides whether to fire her)yesterday for intentionally spilling water on a kid. I agree with the decision to put her on leave... she just couldn't deal with the stress of this job, and often took her stress out on the kids. Nonetheless, I feel really sad about what happened. This supervisor actually took the time to talk to me and get to know me as a human being (while we were both doing paperwork in the office), so I almost feel as if I were losing a friend. It also doesn't help that I had to write a report about the events that took place that night, so I feel partially responsible for getting her in trouble. (It's strange that I feel guilty even though I believe she should be fired.)

In other news, my mother and sister are going to be gone for five days during Passover. They are going to Hawaii, which means I have to singlehandedly take care of all the animals (including my diabetic cat who needs insulin shots). On the bright side, that means I can monopolize the computer and phone without complaints, and I won't have to answer millions of questions about my dietary restrictions.
(I'm also not sure where I can go for a Passover seder this year. I need to pester more people at my synagogue and see if they have any suggestions.)

I also had a dream a couple of nights ago that mithrigil was performing in an opera at one of the local opera houses. The only thing I remember about the performance is that Mith was wearing traditional greek clothing, and sang lots of high notes. :sigh: I really miss mithrigil!

And many thanks to frothi for sending me that frying pan. It is quite portable and therefore perfect for adventures. Oh, and if someone could e-mail me frothi's new address it'd make me very happy!

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 23:12:14 GMT

Chava died.

She was euthanized this afternoon, and buried next to her sister.
At least she is no longer suffering.

Chava

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 20:42:09 GMT

Chava is really sick. I suspect that she will die within the next week. A couple of days ago, she looked so miserable that I made a vet appointment for this afternoon, expecting to euthanize her. However,yesterday and today, she has been moving around, and eating more, so we'll see what the vet says.

Omigod you guys! It's a musical!

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:11:36 GMT

Thursday and friday, I saw Legally Blonde (the musical), and Jersey Boys. They were both interesting shows, but were interesting for different reasons.

Jersey Boys is actually pretty good! I expected to be bored and confused throughout the entire thing, as I do not know much about the music business, but the show was surprisingly engaging and illuminating. Assuming that the show accurately tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (and I've been told that it does), it taught me a lot about the group's inner dynamics and mafia connections, as well as about the personal lives of each member.
Jersey Boys also had great music (many of the songs featured were ones I loved to listen to as a kid), and the guy I saw as Frankie Valli (Jarrod Spector)was really cute!

Legally Blonde, on the other hand, seemed like a parody of itself (or perhaps of musical theater in general). I found it amusing, but it was so overtly cliche, simplistic and flashy that it's hard to imagine anybody would take it seriously. Granted, the show is supposed to be a comedy, but even the moments that seem like they're supposed to be heartbreaking or uplifting just come across as ridiculous.
However, I did learn a few things from this show too... namely that intelligent dialogue is not a requirement for Broadway shows, that and that one can get into Harvard by dancing around in a cheerleader costume! I wonder if that would have worked with some of the Grad schools I applied to?

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 06:36:38 GMT

So, apparently both of my parents had the same type of idea for birthday presents.
I now have tickets to Legally Blonde (the musical), and also to Jersey Boys! And I'll be seeing both of these shows on the same weekend!

I'm 23! (Warning: This entry is horribly long and sentimental)

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 21:18:26 GMT

Where did the time go? It feels like it was just yesterday that I turned 16... but that was 7 years ago! I don't know why 23 feels like such a shock to me. I think it just sounds mature... (and is a therefore a reminder that I should start acting mature).

Birthdays are generally seen as a day to celebrate the individual who was born that day... but I think they should also be a time to recognize all the other people (and animals, and sometimes even objects) who have helped to shape that individual. Since I would not be the person I am today without support from many other individuals, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of the people who have made a difference in my life... (although, there is no way I can possibly acknowledge everybody... as this entry is bound to be really long, people who are in a hurry might want to skip down to the part about them!).

I'll start with my parents who brought me into the world, and raised me.... especially my mother (who informed me last night of exactly how long she was in labor with me! I can't believe she went through that for me!)
Thanks also to my sister for more things than I could possibly list. I am really lucky to have her to talk to and play cards with! Oh... and thanks also to her for listening to my stories, and for choosing not to stab me with that knife when we were little. That would have sucked!

I'd like to acknowledge my elementary and middle school teachers (especially my second grade teacher who actually liked me despite the fact that I was a brat, my elementary school learning specialist who was an amazing mentor and friend, and all the awesome teachers I adopted as mentors in middle school).

I'd like to acknowledge all the people at my childhood church for religious guidance. They got me through some hard times in high school, and most of the values I hold today (even though I no longer consider myself Christian) came from somebody at that church.

Thank you to my high school theater teacher who also acted as a mentor to me, taught me to be more aware of others' body language and taught me how to breathe deeply (among many many other things).
Thank you to my high school friends... ryalth, I'll never forget our trips to Goodwill, and thank you also for pretty music, yummy food, and for supporting me through many hard times.
ryuutchi, thank you for showing me lots of pretty Japanese stuff, for introducing me to role-playing, for taking me to see "Wicked" on broadway, and for teaching me to read Hebrew. Please get in touch with me sometime soon so we can do something (I have become horribly ungeekified, and am counting on you to save my soul)

polyopia and frothi, thank you for LOTR readings and other fun LOTR events, thank you for much singing, for long walks, for hot chocolate, for trips to the fabric store, for trips to the tree, and many many interesting conversations. frothi, thank you for sending me fun music... I am planning to make my sister listen to "Max", as that is the name of her Ex. ;-) polyopia, thank you for all those trips to "Stop n' Shop", early morning breakfasts, and for letting me stay with you that night in the city.

halflingmerry, thank you for introducing me to lots of music, for interesting conversations, and for many many games of Boggle. I miss you!

ridiculous_e, thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of Television, thank you for fun music (especially for breaking your Billy Joel CD so I could have the other one), for getting me tickets to "Spamalot", and for many trips to the sushi restaurant. Oh, and thanks for coming to my graduation. It meant a lot to me.

mithrigil thank you for pretty music, pretty video games, many hours of baking (and teaching me how to keep kosher), and for getting me into i-con for free.

I'd like to acknowledge all the residents of the TH of doom for many good times, and interesting conversations last year. fieonljfiefie, thank you for talking to me about random stuff, and for playing many games with me. [Bad username: shield toad111], thank you for lots and lots of delicious cooking, for giving advice about my rats, and for exposing me to lots of interesting and hilarious items. Sorry for breaking so many of your dishes!
deverlite, thank you for being such an awesome GM. My college years would not have been nearly so fun or interesting without GURPS.
To the resident whose LJ name I do not know, thank you for interesting conversations, many hugs, and many hours of fun in the lighting booth for Rocky. I miss you!

And of course, I'd like to acknowledge my other friends from college who do not have lj accounts... to those people, I got lost in the woods with last year after seder (and have not yet mentioned)... you guys are wonderful! Thank you for lots of walks, and many games of cards. Oh, and thanks for helping me with my plot to take over the world!

I would like to say thank you to my actress friend in Massachusetts for going apple picking with me, having chinese food/ studying, going to ren faire with me and for supporting me through many hard times. I intend to call you sometime this week, as I really miss you!

And tovaks, thank you for many hugs, for supporting me through the grad school process, and for teaching me the names of many shiny rocks!

This list obviously does not include everyone who has helped to make me who I am today, but it is certainly a start. (and does include everyone who is likely to read my lj)I am very grateful to all the people who have been a positive influence in my life!

I'm so glad this work week is over!

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:14:50 GMT

As you can probably tell from the subject of this entry, a lot of stressful things happened at work this week. Before I talk about that stuff, however, I'd like to list some things I'm happy about (if only to remind myself that my life is not all bad).

1. I've been listening to "The Hobbit" on CD, and this recording is wonderful! It's kind of like reading out loud (although not quite as fun). I've finished disc 1 in the 4 disc set, but intend to listen to that disc again before I move ahead, to review what happened. (I was somewhat distracted the first time I listened to it).

2. When I'm not listening to the Hobbit, I've been listening to my Loreena McKennitt CDs. They help me relax.

3. I just got a package from frothi, but I'm not going to open it until next Thursday, because I suspect that it's a birthday present!

4. "Legally Blonde" the musical is previewing in San Francisco, and I might get to see it. :crosses fingers: I really want to see it, if only out of morbid curiosity!

5. I'm making challah tonight! And, I'm going to a Shabbat dinner at a friend's house after services this friday! I'm also going to make cookies sometime next week. Any idea what kind I should make? I was thinking chocolate-cinnamon might be good...

6. I finally got some new pants, so do not have to wear the ones with holes in them anymore.

7. It's my day off!!!!!

Okay, now I'll talk about the stuff that happened this week...

When I came into work this past Saturday, I learned that a couple of things had happened during my previous days off. One of my supervisors had been attacked by one of our clients, and sprained her thumb (but was fortunate not to have more severe injuries). The kid who attacked her was 5150 (which means sent to the hospital for psychiatric reasons), and has not returned yet.
The other incident (that happened while I was away) bothers me even more. Another kid hit one of my co-workers (or rather, former co-worker), and that other staff member HIT THE KID BACK!!! According to people who witnessed the incident, it was like watching two men fight. (My co-worker was doing as much damage as the kid!)It must really be terrible to lose control like that...
On Sunday, there was another crisis. Two boys ran away, and one of them is still missing. During the crisis, I was sent to pick two girls up from their home visits, and that involved driving to dangerous neighborhoods at night. I had never been to these neighborhoods before, so I got lost, and had to call the supervisor on shift for directions.

One of the boys who ran away Sunday (the one who came back) attacked a girl on Monday. Fortunately, the girl was able to get away from him, so was not hurt badly. The boy has not been back to school since, and instead, has a tutor in the house.

On Tuesday, a kid got mad and tried to hit me WITH A TV. Yes, you read that correctly... he picked up part of a TV and ran after me with it. Fortunately, it really impaired his movement, so he could not catch me.
And yesterday, everyone was mad and yelling at me for various reasons. All the stuff that has been happening has been stressful for the kids too, and it shows in their behavior.

Thank heavens it's over, and I finally get a break!! (and sorry for making this entry so long)

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 02:36:11 GMT

Yesterday, a friend of mine suggested that we go to a Jewish singles group together when I come back to the East. At first, I thought that sounded like a great idea (if we could find one for young adults that isn't too sketchy). It would be a chance to meet new people, I wouldn't have to date anybody I didn't like, and I'd get to meet potential dates in person (instead of finding them on the internet).

But now, I'm really not so sure this is a good idea...
I do feel ready to have a significant other, I'd like to find somebody who shares my interests, and I certainly wouldn't mind meeting other Jews (It's kinda funny how I already identify as a Jew, even though my conversion is not yet complete).

My concern is that going to such events with a friend, might negatively impact my friendship with that person. Do you think this is a legitimate concern?
I'd actually like honest feedback from those of you who have observed how I interact with friends and their significant others... do my interactions with friends tend to change when those friends start dating somebody new? If so, how do they change?

I suspect that, in order to avoid unnecessary tension, it might be best for us to go to separately to Jewish singles events. That way, if this friend finds somebody before I do, I will have some time to adjust to the idea that she found someone, before I actually meet the guy.
(And I apologize in advance to this person for any discomfort this entry might cause)

random stuff

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 23:07:58 GMT

1. Tried to complete FAFSA and Housing Application (for Teacher's College today). However, the government has yet to e-mail me my PIN for the FAFSA, so I have to wait. As for housing, I need to personally speak with a representative to find out if I can keep Chava in a single room, since she lives in a cage. :crosses fingers: If not, then I suppose I will have to either find a roommate and live in a two-bedroom apartment, or live off campus. If anyone you know is planning to be in the NYC area next fall and is searching for a roommate, have them contact me.

2. Chava has cancer.

3. My boss is a cross between the Wicked Witch of the West, and Mrs. Lovett (from Sweeney Todd), so I don't know whether I should melt her, or shove her into an oven.

4. Why do they ask you about drug convictions on the FAFSA? Wouldn't it be GOOD to educate drug users...

5. One of the kids put a staple remover in his mouth, and ran around pretending to bite people. The same kid also wrote a science fiction story, and, sadly, it probably could be published. (The kid writes about as well as an average 1st grader, but is on par with some science fiction writers).

6. There is a new staff member at work who is REALLY annoying. When we went on a field trip to the zoo, she just left the kids to go to the gift shop!

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:03:00 GMT

My week, though eventful, can be summarized as follows:

1. There are two new kids at the place I work. One came on Christmas eve, and the other yesterday. So far they've been very polite and compliant, but my guess is that they'll start to show difficult behaviors in another week or so. I also predict that I will keep calling one of them by the wrong name, because he really reminds me of another kid I've worked with.

2. My relatives seem to think that I've had a sex change. Either that, or they accidently sent me somebody else's gifts. My grandparents sent me something that looks like an army jacket, and my aunt sent me a man's shirt (but it's really warm and soft, so I've been wearing it anyway).

3. I'm apparently both really good and really bad at my job. I think I've improved a fair amount at relating to the kids (and wasn't too bad to begin with), but I still have trouble being aware of everything that's going on around me in a busy room. Assuming that everyone is behaving safely, and that I am not the only staff member in the room, I tend to focus my attention on one conversation(and this is a huge disadvantage because I'm expected to be aware of everything). I thought about quitting and looking for a new job yesterday because I felt that I could never improve in this area. However, I decided to stay with it and just try my best to improve until the end of the school year (assuming I don't get fired for incompetence, which probably won't happen)... even if I never do meet expectations, I'll probably learn something that will help me later on in life.

4. It's harder than usual to be Jewish in a Christian household around the holidays. Comments about turning my back on Jesus are increased seven-fold.

5. Chava has strange lumps on her chest and leg. The vet thinks they're probably benign, but she's going in for another exam today, because they keep getting bigger.

6. "A fish called Wanda" and "Trading Places" are good movies. "The Wiz" is not.
"Christmas with the Kranks" is also bad movie, but for some reason, it made me laugh.

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 05:37:58 GMT

I just received some wonderful cookies from mithrigil!
I very much approve, especially of the butterscotch, and gingerbread ones (and Chava approves of the small non-chocolate crumbs that were at the bottom of the bag!)
Thank you Mith!

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 06:18:47 GMT

My mother gave me a menorah for Chanukah!!!!

It's exactly what I wanted for this holiday, since possessing a menorah sort of helps me observe the commandment to light one.

But coming from my mother, this gift means even more. It's a sign of acceptance of my new religious beliefs!
I'm well aware that Chanukah is not supposed to be about acceptance (It could actually be argued that Chanukah is about setting yourself apart from the gentiles), but the holiday is supposed to be about miracles, and it seems that another one may have just occurred!!

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 03:33:58 GMT

Yocheved died.

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 22:32:45 GMT

"War doesn't determine who's right, only who's left"
- Quote from a bumper sticker

Although, I remain quite conflicted and undecided about my views on the war in Iraq, I think this quote has a lot of truth to it...

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:39:20 GMT

Question... Which of the Christmas movies playing this year do you think will be the worst, and why?

Judging solely from the previews, I'm voting for "Unaccompanied Minors". (I'm not really a big fan of watching people fall down and get hit with stuff)

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:33:25 GMT

I looked at a map today, and it eased my fears about having ryuutchi move. She's not going that far away...
Now if only I could find something to ease my fears about applying for loans (Graduate school loan applications are scary!)

And I finally figured out why I resisted getting a Livejournal for so long... THE DRAMA!! I have far too many friends who have gotten into horrible fights over LJ, and I just didn't want to get involved. But now that I have an LJ, I think I understand why there are so many fights. This is a really awkward form of communication!
It feels really weird to write about somebody when you're not directly talking to that person, but you know that there's a good chance the person will read what you wrote. It's like gossiping about someone, then finding out that the person you are talking about was in the room with you the whole time!
It's also easier to have misunderstandings over LJ, because there aren't any non-verbal cues (such as facial expressions, tone of voice... etc.) to help clarify the meaning of ambiguous phrases. And it's much harder to adjust the language you use to fit a specific audience, when it's not clear who exactly will be reading your journal.

In other words, although I'm very happy that I now have a livejournal, I did have a good reason to resist getting one. I hope this entry made at least a little bit of sense...

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:36:40 GMT

Well, the last couple of days have really been interesting. Last Tuesday, I started taking a class at my synagogue to study towards conversion, and I really had a good time. It was nice to meet other people who are at the beginning of the conversion process. Now, I don't feel quite so stupid for knowing less than my friends who were born Jewish. (I know I shouldn't feel stupid at all, but for some reason I do.)The material covered in this class session can be summarized as follows:

1. Cheeseburgers are not kosher.
2. Don't commit arson on the sabbath. Get a Christian to do it for you!
3. The word "shit" has made it into the Hebrew language, but only as an interjection.

I love studying Judaism...

(WARNING: This next paragraph contains depressing content. Those who do not want to read about anything sad should skip over it.)

Monday was also interesting, but in a bad way. One of my clients attacked somebody and went to Juvenile Hall. His victim was not badly hurt, mostly just surprised and upset by the incident, but she chose to press charges anyway because this is the 5th time that this boy has physically assaulted another person.
When I told my mother what had happened, she responded by saying that this is something I'll have to get used to. She told me that there will always be people that I won't be able to help, and intellectually,I know that she's right.
Nonetheless, it's really hard for me to get used to that idea. I think I'm afraid that if I accept the idea that I can't help everybody, I might give up on kids too soon. And this would be an atrocious thing to do!!! The adults in my life didn't give up on me when I seemed to be beyond help, so in order to repay my debt to society, I must give other kids the same chances that I had. If I'm not the right person to help somebody, I should at least do my best to refer them to somebody who can... I'm just afraid of the slippery slope that might lead me to believe some people are beyond help.
(END OF DEPRESSING PARAGRAPH)

In other news, I took the kids to see "Happy Feet" this week. It was a real waste of a talented cast!

I have an icon!!!!!!!!!

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 01:18:47 GMT

The subject says it all!