I’ve decided to change the layout of my blog. I’ll see how long this lasts. I think I’m trying to find something that really works.

My parents are coming up today and staying until Monday morning in my apt. It will be good to see them, esp since I haven’t sen them since February. I have not yet been in their presence since I got into Pratt.

Speaking of which, here are some of the pieces I chose to send with my portfolio:

London, 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spain, 2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spain, 2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added a few more including the very beginnings of my exploring in Digital Design class, but my computer is being difficult right now.

Just thought I’d add some images since that’s something I seldom do.

I think today I completely underestimated just how stressed I was, specifically regarding the noise in my living situation. For anyone who is NOT aware…

I live in a house that has 6 apartments – a majority of tenants being single individuals. Since I’ve moved in, there is one tenant in particular who lives upstairs from me who has no concept of noise. He is a middle-aged, grumpy, set-in-his-ways kind of guy who listens to his TV and music EXTREMELY loud. I’ve mentioned this to him quite a few times, as well as I’ve written him a  letter and recently this week my management company also wrote him a letter about it. It used to be every other night or a few nights a week and since I usually stay at Joey’s at least twice a week I probably didn’t notice it much. However, recently it has been EVERY SINGLE  NIGHT that I can hear the base of whatever it is that he’s watching or listening to. Being a light sleep to begin with, I’m obviously annoyed about the situation. My management company said this week if after he received the note from them the noise did not stop that I should call the police. 

Tonight when I got home he wasn’t here yet. When he did come home, he didn’t slam the front door shut, stomp up the stairs and slam HIS front door, which threw me off a little. I was hopeful that maybe not only would he be more considerate with his entertainment noise, but also the noise that he himself made. No such luck.

I got into bed, and while the noise was lower than I’d previously heard it, it just wasn’t low enough for me to ignore. I put in earplugs as I typically try to use and as expected, I could still hear the base thumping through. I lied there for a few min, wondering if I should call the police or if this were his genuine attempt at being quiet. I decided that he would never really understand the severity of his noise unless I made a stand. So I called the police around midnight when the noise was still going on.

They arrived within 10 min (closer to 7.) I let them in, and they asked me about the situation. I explained to them that I’ve tried to handle it on my own, my management company has stepped in, etc. but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Naturally, when they came to my apt just to hear what I was talking about he wasn’t listening to anything particularly base-y – just my luck! However, the officer who was standing half inside my apt and half in my hallway nodded to the other that he could clearly hear this guy’s TV in the hallway. They went upstairs and knocked on his door. 

I was SO happy to hear that he was just as much of a dick in opening up the door to them as he has been to me in the past. 
Cambridge Police: knock knock. Cambridge Police!
Douchebag neighbor: from inside, without coming to the door, cracking it open, etc. Just sitting on the couch like he was. What?
 Cambridge Police: Cambridge Police!
DBN: Without opening the door, must have said something like What’s the problem? or What is it? 
Cambridge Police: Obviously a little annoyed that this guy was not answering the door and making them talk through it. I totally understand! We want to talk to you! 

DBN comes to the door and they proceed to tell him that he’s disturbing his neighbors. They are very good about not telling who the person is who placed the call (although he HAS to know it was me.) He tries to argue a little with them and they were so good about saying things like, ‘You need to be more considerate. There are other people trying to live in this building” and “We could hear your TV as we were coming up from the first floor” and “The walls and floors are very thin in this building. Sound really resonates.” As I mentioned before, I was really glad that he didn’t give them the courtesy at first of answering the door and looking at them, and forcing them to talk through the door because I felt like that validated me a little more from when I was explaining to them that he just won’t cooperate.

They came down the stairs (had to pass my door) and I poked my head out and mouthed ‘Thank You’ to them. The older cop mouthed backed, ‘You’re welcome’ and gave me the sign for ‘Call us if there’s another problem.’

That was my experience. I’ve never called the cops on anyone before, but I’m hopeful that now since he knows I’m not afraid to do it that he will REALLY think about being disruptive. I am also hopeful that the person who lives here next will not have to deal with his noise because he will be more conscious of it.

Anyway, I think I was really stressed about it all day today without even realizing it until it got to be later in the day, especially as Joey was driving me home from our ‘date’ tonight. Lots of anxiety and general nervousness. I mean, I’m up now at 1:39AM because I was so amped up about it. I don’t like living in a hostile environment, but it’s some consolation that the most I’ve seen him is when I’m standing at his door asking him to keep it down which has only been a handful of times.  It’s better than if he were my roommate and I had to see him all the time. I suppose if  having my upstairs neighbor hate me means getting sleep every night I’ll take it. 

Change

Since I’ve started my vegetarian diet I have noticed some changes:

• I pee WAY more. (This is a direct result of my drinking water and tea almost constantly.)
• I’ve lost weight – okay, so not only have I given up meat but I’ve also been watching what I eat and exercising. My clothes are fitting better and I feel better. I still want to lose a little more, though.  I just don’t want to lose so much that I lose my boobs or bum.  Sure, I’d like to be a little slimmer but not at the cost of my curves.
• I usually sleep better, although it does not seem like I’ve been sleeping much recently since I’ve had a scratchy/post-nasal drip throat thing going on for the past 2 weeks or so. Boo hiss.
• I’m definitely in a better mood, although that may be a result of my recent good news.

Staple foods that I suddenly have no interest in living without:

• Avocado (the things are amazing, even whole and by themselves!)
• Portabello mushrooms
• Spinach

I’m trying to take this new diet as an opportunity to try new recipes and foods that I typically would not eat.

In other news, I feel like I have senioritis. I’m still doing my job and all that jazz, but I find myself being a little more lax with taking a moment or so to check my personal email, get some water, chat with Maria, etc. Granted, I could be a LOT worse, but I feel like July is going to be a tough month. It’s probably going to fly and at the same time I will have a tough time concentrating.

It’s slowly but surely getting nicer outside.

Summer, I’m ready for you!!

additional blog

In the midst of my recent wonderful news pertaining to grad school and where I am mentally with it, I have created a blog to be a place where I can document the feelings I’ve had over the past few years as a means of catharsis, as well as a place where some people who possibly are in that “stuck” place can read and gain some comfort in the fact that they are not alone:

www.nobridgeinsight.blogspot.com

It’s amazing how much of a better mood I’ve been in these past 3 days. I can’t believe how much stress, anxiety and emotion I was feeling as a result of having no definitive plan for my life. This is not to say that everything is perfect now, because it will never be perfect. However, I can be happy with what I have.

I was accepted to the Pratt Institute for a Masters program in Communication Design. I am beyond excited about this.  Additionally, I’ve been trying to let it all sink in. I’m trying to learn where I went wrong, where I let things totally overcome me and why I need to keep faith. It’s so hard when you’re IN IT and everyone around you tells you that it will work out because slowly and surely, you start to lose faith that it will. I don’t know if anyone can relate to the stuckness I speak of, but it’s a really awful feeling.

I’ve decided that I think the best thing to do would be to use this degree that I get and the interest and passion I hold for women’s health and combine them. It would be great to work for a company that produces a product or concept that empowers women, both physically and mentally. I’m an extremely liberal person when it comes to gender roles. All too often I hear or know of women who allow themselves to be told their self worth based on society and its traditionally patriarchal values, which I think is a load of horsesh*t.

Too often I interact with females who compete against one another, when we should be uniting as women. They allow what they see in magazines and on TV to determine what weight they should be. Unless they look like celebrities on TV there’s something wrong with them.

One topic that gets me particularly heated isthe judgement that I sometimes feel from females with regard to other females who are either more confident, free spirited or open with regard to their decisions about sex. Any more than 5 partners merits the title “slut” or “easy” according to them. I’ve NEVER thought that a number determines whether or not someone has respect for themselves. THAT’S what a slut is – someone (MALE OR FEMALE) who doesn’t respect themselves enough to do what they want to do. Sluts partake in sexual activity that they don’t want because they wish to temporarily feel worthy of someone’s attention or desire. In fact, if an individual has sex with 40 different people in their lifetime simply because that’s what they want, I find it commendable. People who go after what they want because it makes them happy are those who should be admired.  Is it the safest way to live your life? Maybe not, but as long as all necessary precautions are taken I see no problem with it. Furthermore, I don’t think I have a right to judge someone when I don’t know what it’s like to be that person.

Way long tangent there. Point being, I’d love to be able to help women in living their lives the way they want, whatever decisions may come of it. They should do what they want and say “Eff you” to anyone else. No one is going to judge you, and the people who might are not worthy of your time or friendship so who really cares what they have to say or think? I guess empowering women with confidence to just do what they want is the main jist of what I’d like to do.

In the meantime, I have plans of many things to do before I leave Boston:

• Last birthday celebration
• REALLY hash out the clothing situation and figure out what I’m keeping and what I’m throwing away.  (For too long I’ve had clothing that quite frankly, doesn’t look WOW on me. I’ve made a vow to myself that I’m going to only buy clothing that look WOW and I will eliminate clothing from my wardrobe that does not make me feel confident.)
• Clean out my apt and see what things I can really get rid of. (When moving day comes, I don’t want to be doing the clean out things as I’m packing. I’d rather just have to be concerned with packing up and leaving.)
• Visit neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens to see what looks good.
• B*tchslap my Digital Design midterm.
• Buy a swanky new camera (and I mean one that I can use professionally so I can incorporate my photography into my work and use it at Pratt.)
• Read read read!
• Take the month of August off to re-coop and gear up for school.