Something's in the air

Summer is nearing its close, as everyone is scrambling to tie up loose ends before school time, bidding fairwell to all the projects we vowed to finish during vacation, but somehow didn't. It's ok though, autumn brings yet another chance to find balance. The temperature drops nicely, a new harvest arrives, and proximity to Christmas brings a general feeling of joy.

School is starting soon, not for me but for my parents who work in the school system. For lots of my friends too, who are embarking on graduate school. I have been working, navigating young adulthood, so the concept of summer does not hold the same significance. But, I can recall that nervous feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach the week or so before school started. 

On the flip side, school starting always meant seeing dear friends again. In our university bubble, distance was no obstacle. Your entire scholastic and social network was within a block or two radius of you.  Last minute yoga classes, dinners at the Tombs, and wanderings on M Street with a latte and stimulating conversation were plentiful. Staying up late, flustered about pending deliverables was never pleasant but at least we were in good company. 

I don't have to pack up my dad's Chevy pickup, or negotiate how much stuff I can fit into a tiny bedroom this September. It was a special time for me, but I am not necessarily longing for it all again. I firmly believe each chapter in your life is the best one, or at least I should strive to make it the best one. Neither the past nor the future are within our grasps as firmly as the present. What I do long for again is the connectivity that college afforded me. Studying alongside gifted young people from all over the country and world, with professors at the forefront of their respective fields. Nonetheless, something's in the air, something good.

I have noticed of late a general rekindling of relationships (plural) that I treasure. Not that I ever intended to lose touch with people I care about, but it happens sometimes. Everyone is off leading their own lives and there are only so many hours in the day to fit it all in. Whenever I feel saddened by this change in circumstances, I reassure myself that regardless of how much time passes, people that occupy a place in your heart are never really that far away. Nothing replaces actual communication though, so it is uncanny, and wonderful, how all these exchanges came at once.  Last minute visits, long overdue catch up phone calls, and simple message exchanges have been so refreshing. Maybe the universe has a way of keeping kindred spirits aligned. Regardless of the explanation, my heart is glad. 

Even though I won't be starting another year of coursework, I can feel that same excitement of returning to the hilltop by strengthening ties with the friends I forged there. It is essential to be connected; it makes us human. My September resolution will be to not only grow professionally, but to continue nurturing the friendships I was blessed to find. Sounds like school is in session for me too. 

Read one book at a time.

The first 20 years or so of our lives are broken into digestible chunks. Infancy and toddler years are hard to recall exactly, but I know there was structure. Square meals and a sleeping regiment. Little other than eating, bathing, and sleeping to occupy the days. But it was glorious I bet. When napping was compulsory and everything was new. No need to pretend we were seeing things for the first time, because we actually were.

Elementary, middle, and high school all followed in line. Years spent here and there, but always towards a common goal. College, a career, or both simultaneously.  College was a whirlwind, but by far my favorite learning environment; I am not exactly itching to go back to high school anytime soon. Remarkable opportunities at our fingertips. (Steep tuition probably made that possible.) Learning for the  sake of learning, and musing about what might be if we strive.

Beckon adulthood. The great open-ended, and ideally long chapter. Newfound responsibilities and the uncertainty of it all. It's rather easy to get overwhelmed when I think about all the moving pieces. Things to do and see. People to connect and in some cases reconnect with. Skills to learn, because the stalled economy is not going to beat down my door for being mediocre. Money to save? Someday soon, hopefully.

A friend of the family told me a helpful tidbit that has stuck with me for some time now. So simple, but so perfect.

"You're carrying too many books! Your stack will be too heavy to manage. Read one book at a time." 

Challenges will come, and victories too. But they should be managed as they unfold, not before. I am the Queen of worrying about something before it comes (if it ever does) so in essence I am expending valuable energy on something that may never come to be. It is important to stay present in the moment. I have to train myself to do just that, but it is a worthy undertaking. Take one book off the pile at a time, and chip away.

Garage of Plenty

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle.  But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.  Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize:  a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes.  All is a miracle."  -Thich Nhat Hanh

This is one of those quotes that really resonates with me. If you hadn't figured it out already, I love quotes. I make it my business to look for a good one every so often to bring my thoughts into focus; make them more easy to digest. If you pay any attention to the media, you will see the extremes of materialism. People with little to nothing, living in poverty. And others living with such excess, that it borders ludicrous. I am thankful to fall somewhere in the middle. Comfortable enough to check off the vitals on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and living humbly enough to keep me hungry...determined. 

I moved back to my home state, after a two year stint in the Nation's capital. Although DC was a remarkable city, I never had space to myself beyond the walls of my studio, and eventual one bedroom pad. No grass, or deck to call my own. Since coming home, I have stumbled on a unique gem- an old garage, in dire need of some TLC.

Living in the home that my dad grew up in, it is a fixer upper to say the least. Some new paint on the walls, updated fixtures, and a nice new plush carpet have done the trick thus far. Every day, I see more potential in this old house, thankfully. It was filled with a lot of love over the years; it still is. We work to make sure of that. To complement the tangible warmth my grandparents left behind, we are bringing the physical space into modern times.  I get to flex my DIY chops in the main house, but the garage fell into someone else's able hands. Enter James. 

I met James, while working at Filomena's in Georgetown. I was just looking for some part time money, and ended up finding a whole lot more; I found a partner. Fast forward a little over two years, some bad jobs, and a few different apartments and James is still along for the ride. It was always apparent to me that James was a special person, able to find joy in the small things- a nice meal, a good hike, some fresh air, or a last minute day trip. Of late though, I have noticed his potential to create joy for others too, in the unlikeliest of locations.

Nonny and Homer, my late grandparents on dad's side, were very simple. They used the garage to house their two cars, and little else. As they aged, and stopped driving, the garage atrophied because it really served no purpose any longer. Well, it is back and I hope they are smiling down on the shenanigans we have unleashed. 

James is a whiz at finding fixer-upper projects. I thought I was crafty until I saw just how resourceful he is. He assumed the kitchen throne and now the crafting throne too; alas I will have to find my worth elsewhere. I am ok with this, as long as he shares the fruits of his labor. Thankfully, he always does. 

James began by gutting the garage and simply cleaning. Then slowly but surely, he began to populate what we now refer to as the cave with new pieces. First came a vintage bar he refurbished. Next came the dart board, table and chairs, and the popcorn machine. Thanks to my dearest cousin and confidant, Patty, and her darling husband, we now have a margarita machine and some lovely signage.   Some vintage sports memorabilia, serious snacks, sound system, and a few bar stools legitimize its man cave status.

More importantly though, more than the "things" inside the garage, are the memories that have since taken root. Family and friends gathering to share a meal, play some darts, listen to music (country music typically to appease James), and just laugh. My papa is 85 years old, and has found a new hobby in darts. Never too old to discover new sources of merriment, I say. We definitely eat our fill. James makes some mean dishes on his charcoal grill, the smell of smoke never quite leaving our clothes. It's a fine smell, though.  I don't mind. 

Some nights we will simply play a game or two of Cricket. Other nights we watch the rain fall. The common denominator, though, is that delicate comfort that settles in when you are with people you love. Little else is needed to make my picture any more whole. Would extravagant amenities be nice? Fine dining. The whole shebang. Sure. Few people would argue that. But I don't think more "things" would make us any happier. Just some folks sitting back, eating, drinking... laughing. In the garage of all places. My garage of plenty. 

Eat and Be Merry

"Eating, loving, singing and digesting are, in truth, the four acts of the comic opera known as life, and they pass like bubbles of a bottle of champagne.  Whoever lets them break without having enjoyed them is a complete fool." -Gioacchino Rossini

Truth! How complicated we make everything. Eat, love, sing, and repeat. Pretty much sums up a few of my favorite things.

Maybe it is my own doing, but I feel this consistent pressure. I cannot really identify it other than a lingering feeling that I may be missing out if I don't achieve something worthwhile, and make a hefty living. Granted, I expect a lot of myself; many of us do. I would argue though that two additional things contribute to this urgency to be a "success". First off, the education system, focuses on sweeping successes rather than small gains. This generation expects immediate gratification for every effort. Our forefathers dedicated decades to an ideal or craft, and may have not ever done more than just survive day to day. And even that, was good enough.

Secondly, social media is readily accessible, in our faces even. We are reminded of others' every activity, thought, success, and happiness. A rat race to get more, be more, do more, and keep up. Funny though, I doubt people would post anything to a social media feed if it did not portray them beautifully. Accomplishments, noteworthy milestones, and super cool meals they are eating at awesome places. My mama always says rejoice in what you have. She is right. Someone else said comparison is the death of joy... and it is.

At the core, though, if we really drill down, there are very few activities vital to our contentment, and I for one want to ride on the Gioacchino's train and never get off. If can I put in an honest day's work, pick up some fine ingredients, and enjoy a meal with people I love, then that was a successful day. Note to self: Eat and Be Merry. Strive to reach your potential but have faith in the process and give thanks for the small miracles we all too often overlook. Nourishment is a gift to be appreciated.

HTML: How to make a living

"No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world."  -Frances Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle

A quote lover, I found this a fitting one about the beauty of learning. There are many a splendid thing to explore in this world. If I channeled even an eighth of the energy I use worrying about nonsense and learned a new skill instead, I would probably be a force to reckon with! We all would.

I work with extremely capable web practitioners, and since joining the team I have been anxious to educate myself. Selfishly, I need to do so just to make sense of their conversations (totally foreign language), but more importantly, having been exposed to the ever changing fields of web design and development, I am uber curious as to how it all works.

My boss suggested an excellent resource called Codecademy so I could begin learning the fundamentals. Low and behold, the first course happens to be called, Web Fundamentals. In it, we cover elementary HTML and CSS. Grab your pencils (or Evernote)  because class is in session.

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the primary coding language that makes up pages viewed in web browsers. Basically, everything that is viewed on the web exists as source code. You can think of HTML as being the skeleton that gives a website some structure. It is text that is governed by syntax, or the rules for communicating. The elements that make up HTML are tags and brackets. Tags are identifiers that tell the text that falls between them what to be and do. Typically tags come in pairs so there must be an opening and closing tag. 

What is super cool about HTML is that it can take boring, dreary text and turn it into other elements like images, links, lists, and tables. It must have a head and a body to operate. Thankfully, it is also very logical. It is essential that tags be open and closed in the right order. Think of it like LIFO, last in, first out. Use frequent line breaks and indents to organize the HTML file so that you are less likely to make errors. Guidelines and numbered lines make it like a long-running outline. No matter how complicated it becomes, you can maintain the structure.

I am only getting started, but already my Codecademy lessons coupled with much support from my colleagues have afforded me a solid foundation on the path to web competency. Just hoping not to exhaust my work friends as I make it a habit to bombard them with questions! I have this peculiar compulsion to understand how things work, or at least things that are relevant to me. And, since I spend quite a lot of time and mental energy at work, web development is definitely relevant. It’s going to be a long term investment in learning, partly because the field in itself is evolving literally everyday, but also because it is valuable if not necessary skillset to get acquainted with.