New camera (now charging)
Found it on clearance while I was picking up a steno pad for note taking. Boy, prices have come down, haven’t they?
We’re at Brett’s brother’s house here in the Mississippi District. For those who know Portland, it’s near the rebuild center. They have a cottage out back that they rent short-term (they built it almost entirely from rebuild stuff) and the tenants left early so we’re getting to save a bundle on hotel costs.
Tomorrow the conference starts with a keynote by Sharon Roszia. She’s the person who inspired me to start OpenAdoptionSupport.com so I’m really glad I’m not going to miss it.
Being back in Portland is bittersweet. It’s changed a lot since we were living here over a decade ago and one of our old apartments has been eclipsed by a high rise. Here where we’re staying is part of a neighborhood I used to bike through to get to one of my jobs. Nostalgia is one of those emotions that I find particularly challenging; I never know what to do with a feeling that demands no action. (Whenever we have any sort of vacation I’m reminded of how much I dislike being idle — I don’t find it relaxing at all. In fact it makes me pretty tense.) Even writing about nostalgia doesn’t help because it just makes me feel more mired in it. I mean, at least feeling lousy and writing about it usually gets me to the next step towards feeling less lousy.
The cottage, though, is beautiful and much more spacious than a hotel would be. Wick and Karoline have done an amazing job fixing up their house, too. It’s going to be a very nice play to stay and it’ll be easy to get downtown to the conference from here. (We thought we wouldn’t be able to stay here for another couple of nights so this more than off-sets the cost of the new camera!!!)
Yay to cottages and cameras!
Good luck on Saturday…
I’m glad you are going to the other sessions as well.
Good luck coping with your idleness. If it gets to be too much for you, just call Kristen. I’m sure she could find something for you to do. (just kidding, Pepper!)
Ah, I can relate to the nostalgia thing. My husband is fond of saying that nostalgia is a disease. There really is nothing to do but wallow in it or dismiss it.
Your comments on nostalgia are quote-worthy. Mind if I make a note?
“Nostalgia is one of those emotions that I find particularly challenging; I never know what to do with a feeling that demands no action”
I am freakish about nostalgia. I get nostalgic about things that aren’t even nostalgia-worthy. I get nostalgic about completely neutral things and sometimes even sad/bad/difficult things. The simple, sheer passage of time *in and of itself* makes me nostalgic.
You phrased it in such an interesting, brand new way to me: I’d never articulated it to myself that way, but it rings so true to me. What does one do with such a feeling, one that demands no action? Me, I wallow in it. Even when it feels sad to wallow in it, I can’t resist doing so and it’s the sort of sad that often makes me feel good. That is, if good had a painful side.