Month: February 2011

I swear to God, every library book I need is stored offsite. I have to request them and then wait until they’re brought to the library. I’m not complaining, I’m glad they have them, plus they come with your choice of blueberry muffins or fries.

I’m writing about this hauntingly beautiful piece of music by a Spanish composer named Tomas Luis de Victoria. It was written in the 16th century, and I want to try comparing my life to the seminary students in Rome who first sang it.

By the way, I’ve meant to say that I love the quotes they choose to use at the end of every Criminal Minds episode. From this week. “There’s no chance, no destiny, no fate, that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox. It’s not really true, chance circumstances can squash a determined soul like a bug, but I agree that it’s mostly true. Or kinda true. Or sometimes true.

Another shot of those cops on horseback.

Last night I passed through Times Square on my way to a Tufts alumni event (that’s where I went undergraduate). It was for journalism grads, but they opened it up to anyone working in media and I’ve written books, and done the occasional piece for NPR, I count!

It was warm out and so there were a lot of people milling about way under-dressed. I gotta believe that most of these people are not New Yorkers. I’ve never heard of going to Times Square to hang out.

And yes, if there are cops on horses in my field of vision I’m going to take a picture of them.

Damnit. I have to leave for my temp job. No time to say anything. I was going to post about the words to a 14th century motet by Philippe de Vitry titled Rex Quem Metrorum. I wrote them down last year and they’re so weird I must have gotten them wrong:

“It must be proclaimed openly at the meeting-places, the abominable madness of these ages, the demented frenzy of dogs, launched on the world by the eternal Satan …”

My plan was to look it up and write about it. Some other time!

You know that billboard I keep posting pictures of? It’s on Park Avenue and turns out my temp job is a bunch of blocks uptown from it.

Various buildings around Manhattan have these barriers, I guess to stop terrorists from driving trucks filled with bombs into them. But this bank put these beautiful metal-worked … cosies over theirs. A lovely solution.

I had such plans for this week. I was going to go to the library around my temp job, but that’s not going to happen. I don’t even know if I’m going to get to all my email this morning. What was I going to post about? See??? I’m totally frazzled. Well. Hmmm.

I totally forgot to do a Valentine’s Day post yesterday, OR to do anything nice for myself so I’m going to celebrate Valentine’s Day on Sunday. It’s just going to be me and the cats but NO JUDGING. Our love cannot be denied.

The temp job I’m doing this week is great. I knew two of the other people doing it! And they’re feeding us, and there were delicious vegetarian options. Usually vegetarian options fall into the “it’s either this or starve” category.

Passed by this building on my way home yesterday. Loved all the pretty colors in the building and the clouds.