Tony Danza Lives! Pictures for You!

Here is a big catchup entry:

The end of March weekend was the northeast glitterati retreat! Pictures are here. It was superfantastico fun, we rented a house very near Atlantic City and will stayed for the weekend, crafting, enjoying our gas fireplace and deck and bay-side view. And, Tony Danza was appearing at the showboat on Saturday night, and I think it’s safe to say that it was the closest I’ll ever come to him. We didn’t go, of course, because it was $35 and Atlantic City was scary. Not so much scary, but weird and creepy. Like the extra-oxygenated air really spaced me out, but didn’t distract me enough from noticing the casinos weren’t as fun and glamorous as I think they should be. I mean, if you’re building a whole culture (“America’s Playground!�) on gambling and showgirls and Miss America and big boxing matches, well, I think it should be a little glitzier. It’s cheap to make things look very outlandish and luxurious, and they could have gone that much further with the window-dressing. In my opinion.

It’s really hard to plan a get-together, actually. Everyone sort of vaguely wants to come, so you try to impress on them the importance of really truly coming. And then some people back out, other people confirm. So you make reservations, start to collect money, and actually put a deposit down. And then more people, confirmed people, back out. It’s terrible. Stressful. You can’t make anyone happy. The cost goes up. Luckily, however, the people who can go are usually sweet and cool and ok with that kind of thing. At least, that’s what happened for us!

I went to Pittsburgh last weekend to scope out the town and the school. It was very very good. I enjoyed it a lot. I learned muchly. I foresee big life-changes for me… And it’s scary, too. I am excited to move but at the same time when I’m really tired and let down my guard I get very nervous about actually moving. About moving so far from my friends, and so much further from my family. About going into debt. But I’m young, right? So even if this isn’t the right decision, and I honestly am sure it is (unless I’m on an airplane and I just finished a good novel and I’m feeling really tired and vulnerable), I’m young and this is the best time to make wrong decisions. It’ll all be just fine.

I still don’t understand the reasons people move, outside of the standard moving for a job, or for a school. I feel like I am moving for not exactly the right reasons, but I can’t figure out what the right reasons would be. Is it to be near other people you love? Is it because you need a change? You like the weather somewhere else better? You can’t afford where you’re living now?

I guess I think that people don’t move when they’re happy already. They move because they need to improve something, like their job, or their relationships with other people. They want to fix something that’s wrong. But that makes moving seem so terrible. You’re doing it because you HAVE to. Because you can’t stand the way things are now. I don’t like to think of it like that – I want to go into a move feeling very positive and excited about things, enthusiastic about what the future may bring me.

And, if you’ve made it this far, here’s an extra special bonus tip! Go to the Photos page. It’s updated! I won’t get any more google hits for “photos peeing behind,� which makes me a little sad, but, pictures for you!