The Musings of a Confused Man

Originally, I had planned on spending a couple hours at Seneca Park Zoo today. It's been quite a few months since my last visit, so it seemed like a good idea. However, when I got there and saw how full the parking lot was, I realized that the place was going to be packed. As such, I came up with a quick plan B and headed for Genesee Valley Park instead.

I haven't been to Genesee Valley Park since I went there for the Pride Picnic last July. I was a bit worried that I'd have trouble finding it again, but everything came back to me as I drove down Elmwood Avenue. In fact, I found the turn I should've taken to park next to the area the picnic was in last year. So I spent a good amount of time just wandering around the paths.

For those not familiar with the Rochester area, the park straddles a section of the Erie Canal, cutting it neatly in half. The picture to the left is of the foot bridge that connects the two halves of the park. I wandered along the paths along the east side of the canal. As I crossed another foot bridge, I noticed a group of people kayaking along the canal. I grabbed a quick shot of a couple of them.

One of the things that truly surprised me in my wandering is just how small of a space this city is packed into. After I crossed the bridge where I saw the kayakers, I soon found myself passing under a highway. I was quite surprised to discover that this was not only I-390, but it was near the south bound exit to get onto West Henrietta Road by way of the East River Road. considering I had taken that exit to get onto West Henrietta Road and then drove a mile to get to Elmwood Avenue and eventually to my parking spot in the park, I was surprised to find myself able to get back to this spot with just a few minutes of walking along a path.

As I continued my walk, I quickly found another path under the highway. Here, I found a nice little resting area snuggled under the highway. I could just image sitting there with a walking partner (especially one I was also romantically involved with) and taking a brief rest while we shared a quiet conversation. The idyllic nature of the scene comes to my mind quite easily.

My wanderings eventually took me beyond the bounds of the park. The Canal Path seems to go on endlessly. In fact, I find myself wondering if it isn't all part of the path I followed when I walked along the canal in Pittsford. It wouldn't surprise me.

I followed the canal path for a while, but eventually turned back. However, instead of taking the direct route back into the park, I decided to follow a side path which took me up through part of the University of Rochester and by Strong Memorial Hospital. This eventually dropped me back into the path via the road I originally drove in on. It made for a nice circuit.

One thing I noticed in the walk was the number of cyclists who were sharing the route with me. I was quite impressed by their courtesy. I noticed that more than one rang a small bell (presumably installed for just this purpose) to let me know that they were coming up on me. This would give me the chance to get over to one side, for which they would thank me as they passed.

In the park itself, I passed a number of people who were just relaxing, sunning themselves, or playing frisbee. I even passed a small cluster of college guys who were playing softball (though I get the impression they were doing so with a tennis ball, which struck me as somewhat odd). A number of them were playing shirtless due to the heat of the day, and naturally I had to ogle them. I even managed to snap a picture of the one.

To be honest, this is one of those experiences that remind me just how much I like to go for walks. I think this will become a regular part of my weekend activities. Though I do hope I can find a friend to share the experience with.

Yesterday evening was rather pleasant. After getting out of work, I ended up running over to Psychic's Thyme. Michele was on duty and I had hoped to spend a bit of time chatting with her. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, as she was busy actually doing readings. We were both disappointed, but glad she was getting the work, as it meant a little extra money for her.

Because both she and Lisa were pretty busy with readings, I ended up minding the store with George. This was good, as George actually had to leave at about twenty minutes before closing due to another commitment. So I spent my time keeping an eye on things and even spent a bit of time talking to one of the of the customers who was interested in getting a reading. I answered her questions about what readers worked the next few days and what services each one offered. She seemed like a pretty nice girl, and I get the impression she'll be in on Saturday.

Michele had something of a family situation brewing, so she had to leave a few minutes early. So I stuck around a bit extra and helped make sure Lisa was okay before taking off myself. Once out of there, I decided to run to Applebee's for dinner. While there, I read several pages in Witch in the Bedroom, a book I picked up about a month ago. So far, I've really enjoyed it. I plan on doing one of the exercises out of it this weekend. It's the exercise about writing a vision letter, and I have all kinds of ideas for one running through my head. It should be an interesting experience, I think.

After I got done with dinner and reading, I decided to run to the mall for a short walk. I had originally planned on going back to Genesee Valley Park for a walk, but the threat of rain intimidated me. So I spent about a half hour wandering the halls and through various stores. It was enjoyable, and I even got treated to some pretty good eye candy. It wasn't quite as pleasant as being out along the canal or watching shirtless college students playing softball, but I enjoyed myself well enough.

It's been nine days since I've written here. As I mentioned in a previous post, that's the thing about getting more of a life. There's less and less time for actually sitting down and writing about all the things I'm doing and all of the things going on. Of course, I'm not exactly sure that I'd change that, either. After all, if my life wasn't so full, it would be downright boring. However, I'm continuing to look for the balance that will work for me.

Yesterday, I spent the majority of the day at Psychic's Thyme again. We ended up having a full house in the back room, as there were three readers on duty. Add to that the fact that Char was there, and Belinda and I were fulfilling our role as "official hangers on," and you have quite the gaggle. Of course, the high numbers and dynamic mix of personalities made for a lively day full of energetic conversation.

If any of my readers are considering opening a Pagan, "New Age," or metaphysical store, allow me to offer you a bit of advice. Whenever possible, make sure that those who are working there are positive people and tend to get into lively conversations. The energy such situations generate are incredible for business. One of the things that I have noticed while hanging out at the shop is that the better the time we have there, the more customers come waltzing in the front door. The number of times the laughs get interrupted because a customer needs help or someone needs their purchase rung up is just phenomenal. Of course, you have to make sure things don't get too out of hand. There was more than one time yesterday when Char had to remind us keep the noise down a bit.

After the store closed, Michele Belinda and I went to Bugaboo Creek for dinner and then headed back to their house. I provided the entertainment in the form of Night at the Museum and Happy Feet. Both were hillarious and we had a great time. Happy Feet got a bit too agenda-oriented for my tastes towards the end, but it was still a cute movie. And the idea of tap dancing penguins is just great for a laugh.

When I moved to the suburbs of Rochester almost two years ago, it was with some concern. I had lived in rural Pennsylvania all my life prior to the move. There were things that I knew I was going to miss. For example, I was going to miss the rare evening when I would look out the dining room window and see a black bear wandering through the yard, looking for food. I'd miss the twice daily trek of wild turkeys through the backyard during the winter as they came for the corn my father put out for them. One of the beautiful things about my life back home is that it was a nice area, surrounded with the beauty of nature.

But I gave that up, knowing I needed some changes in my life. I knew that I needed to get out where I could meet more like-minded people. I needed to find an area where I had more socialization options than going to church or going to the bar, neither of which appealed to me all that much. So I gave up my nice comfortable life in the middle of nowhere and moved to suburbia in an overgrown town along Lake Ontario. And almost two years later, I'm happy to admit that it was quite possibly one of the best decisions of my life.

I've come to like the fact that I live in an area where everything I want is within a five block radius of my home. I love the fact that if I decide I want to go out for a bit and do some reading or writing while surrounded by others, I have five or six different coffee houses to choose from. (And that's not including the Great Abomination, Starbucks.) I like the fact that there's a significant number of gay people and Pagans (and not to mention gay Pagans) that there are clubs and organizations set up for everyone to get together and socialize.

And yet, I've also discovered that while I may no longer have a black bear traipse through my yard, I can still find the beauty of nature here in this busy city. Rochester has no shortage of parks, and all of them are quite beautiful. My favorite one right now is Genesee Valley Park. Just yesterday, I was there and had two mallard ducks waddle past me, not six feet from where I stood. It was an incredible experience, and I even had to call a friend just to tell someone about it.

I've grown to truly love this area. In fact, I'm coming to think of it as home, which is not something I expected to happen when I originally moved here.

Yesterday came and went, and I'm proud to announce that at least half of the activities I had planned took place. A couple got dropped for various reasons, but I'm willing to consider my birthday celebration a stunning success. Blistered feet and all.

Granted, I could've done without the blisters, but it's my own fault. And I figure they'll heal eventually. They're from my successful trek along the canal path from Genesee Valley Park to Schoen Place. The walk took me right about two and a half hours along and was well worth the trip.

I got up at seven yesterday morning, showered, grabbed my water bottles out of the freezer, and left the house for the day. By the time I bought a backpack (necessary for the water and snacks I was taking on the trip), had a quick breakfast on the go, and make it to the park, it was just after nine. And I was off and walking.

The weather was absolutely perfect for this walk, as it was still in the sixties when I started and ony got up to the seventies or eighties by the time I was done at half past eleven. The view was absolutely gorgeous along the way. Sometimes I was walking through areas with dense vegetation, while the trail took me through broad fields in other places. The canal was visible 90% of the time, and I even managed to see a couple boats making their way through the water. I think the best sight, however, was near the end when I managed to spot a mother mallard with several tiny ducklings. I think any of her children would have fit easily in the palms of my hand. I might've even been able to close my fingers around their tiny bodies. I wish I would've taken my camera, and plan on taking it when I repeat the walk in July.

I've already decided to take this trek once every month while the weather stays warm enough for me. However, I do need to be sure to plan a bit better in the future. For example, I need to get a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots. Of course, I didn't realize that my current walking shoes (the ones I wear every day) had some major holes in the insoles. That didn't help the blisters that formed on my feet at all. So I will be getting new shoes, and probably a pair just for this trip. (Michele is also recommending I get the gel inserts for this walk, and I'm inclined to see wisdom in that suggestion, too.)

The other mistake I made was not getting sunscreen. My face, forehead, and forearms are nice and red. In fact, my forehead is still itching a bit from the burn. Fortunately, the backpack protected the back of my neck. I figure I may even have to consider a hat next time, as I think parts of my scalp under my hair got a bit burned too.

But despite these lessons learned, I enjoyed the trek. It was great to be in the great outdoors. And besides the sunburn and sore feet (and the fact I've been napping half the day today), I don't feel any worse for the wear.

After that, I called Belinda to come get me. She didn't realize how far out Schoen Place is from Psychic's Thyme up on University Avenue, so she eventually was afraid she got lost and went back to the shop to get Michele. They eventually found me, though I note with some humor that my wait for my ride was over half as long as the seven mile hike I took. Of course, since Michele was working, I had her take me directly to the shop rather than having her take me to the car. Char immediately started harassing me for taking such a walk, pointing out I should've only gone half the distance and then walked back to my car. I pointed out to her that the whole point of the walk -- and what makes it fun -- is that you're walking from a certain point to another point. I'm not sure she appreciated the concept, but that's okay.

After the store closed, a group of us went to Red Robin. Michele and Belinda were nice enough to cover my dinner, even with the strawberry dacquiri I ordered. We had a good time and I spent my usual time ogling the various waiters that passed by. Unfortunately, our own server was a woman. That's actually pretty good, considering I was feeling impish enough that I might've teasingly hit on any guy unlucky enough to get our table. I was bad enough that Jim even called me a slut. I just looked at him and asked him if it had really taken him that long to figure it out. (Of course, any of my friends know better, when it comes right down to it.)

After that, we ran to Equal Grounds to listen to the live music there. This guy was a good musician, but he doesn't have quite the stage presence of the Monastery Dropouts. As such, we stayed in the other room where we could enjoy the music but still talk amongst ourselves without disturbing anyone else.

After an hour or so a the coffee shop, I decided I needed to get home. My feet were really starting to bother me and I was developing a headache. (Earlier today, I finally decided the headache was due to a lack of calcium. The quart of peanut butter cup ice cream seems to have solved the problem.) So we took Jim back out to Chili and Michele and Belinda dropped me off at my house so I could get to bed.

As a final note, I discovered at the end of my journey that they were having a regata in Pittsford yesterday. Had I realized that, I would've taken a chair with me and spent the day there after my walk. I love that sort of thing. And there were certain enough shirtless guys wandering around to keep me in eye candy.

I decided to get up this morning and attend the 10am service at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester NY. I had heard of it back when I first came to the Rochester area and had even learned approximately where it was. However, I had originally decided not to check it out.

That was largely due to my experiences at the UUA church back in Big Flats. Those experiences weren't negative in any sense. The people were friendly enough, as was the pastor. I got no sense that the leadership was abusive (spiritually or otherwise). In fact, I would be hard pressed to say anything disparaging about the church there. I'd even encourage those who are interested in that church to check it out for themselves.

So why did I quit going? It simply wasn't right for me. I have an idea of the kind of spirituality I'm looking for, and I didn't find it there. Instead, I found a number of services that included what were (in my opinion, at least) exercises in hyper-intellectualism. As I was looking for something more down-to-earth and applicable to real life, I just decided the services weren't for me.

In many ways, that was too bad. I actually liked the people there and would have considered socializing with them and building friendships. (Indeed, had I attended that church now, I might be willing to give it more time than I did back then for that very reason.) But spirituality-wise, I didn't find a good fit. And since that's what I was looking for at the time, I moved on.

To be honest (and I hope Tracie and any other UU readers won't hold this against me), that's generally been my impression of the UUA in general. UU's are great people, and I'd gladly have lengthy conversations with them, go on picnics with them, and generally just hang out. But as a rule, I just think that the UU is too loose and unfocused for the kind of worship I appreciate and look for.

However, when I was once again reminded of First Unitarian here in Rochester last week, I decided I might as well give it another try. After all, this is a different church. And I have grown as a person. So I convinced myself to set aside my skepticism and prejudices and have a go. I'm glad I did.

Let me just say that this morning's sermon did not suffer from the hyper-intellectualism I had experienced in Big Flats. In fact, I found this morning's sermon, which focused on "The path of non-effort" and learning to be the one being helped rather than the one helping to be entirely applicable to my life. Indeed, it fit well into many of the lessons I'm going through on my own right now.

The rest of the service was quite nice as well. It had a time for prayer and meditation, some group hymns, and some readings from various sources. I also liked how everyone was encouraged to stay after the service for coffee to talk and learn about the various programs the church is offering.

I suspect I'll go back again soon, possibly as early as next week. In fact, if today's service is representative, I could find myself becoming a regular attender. Mind you, I don't think I will ever make Unitarian Universalism my primary spiritual identity. Nor do I think it will become my primary form of worship. I prefer too much focus and tradition for that. Besides, I'm a witch through and through. But I could certainly see myself as going to First Unitarian as a secondary form of corporate worship. It would give me a chance to be around other open-minded people too, which is always a plus.

I had a rather busy and active weekend. Saturday morning, I got a call from my mother at 8:30. My parents were on their way to the Rochester area. They had my brother's daughters with them, and they were all coming up to spend part of the day at Seneca Park Zoo. So I got up, showered, shaved, and grabbed a quick breakfast before they got to my apartment. Once they arrived, I jumped in the van, and we were off.

I haven't seen Terry's girls for at least seven years, when they made their last trip out to visit my parents. Since that time, Christine and Val have both graduated from high school and grown into a couple of great young women. It was nice to be able to spend some time with them.

We had a great day at the zoo, too. Due to the relatively low temperatures of the day, many of the animals were out and about. We even managed to get there while the one zoo keeper was putting the arctic wolves' food in their exhibit. So we waited until she was done and were rewarded with watching the wolves search around the exhibit for their food.

Val and Christine were both impressed with the tiger triplets, which are now just over two years old. They were quite shocked when they learned this as I pointed out that the cubs (already considerable in size) get bigger. I made a point of taking them over to the Sasha's cage so they could meet the triplets' father. Needless to say, while they were already impressed with the size of the young tigers, seeing how much bigger a full-grown adult can be was quite an eye-opener for them.

I think everyone's favorite exhibit on Saturday was the polar bear exhibit. The big white furballs were quite active. They had pulled their blue plastic barrels into the water and were playing with them there. At one point, the one bear was hanging onto his barrel with all four paws, floating underneath it. I'm hoping my father got a picture so that I can post it later. Sadly, I ran out of the house without my own camera.

On a sad note, I was quite disappointed to hear that Ariel, one of the zoo's sea lions, died sometime this past winter. I originally saw Ariel and Flounder (who is still at the zoo) doing tricks last summer. We attended the same show (which has been renamed a "feeding") Saturday, where we met the exhibit's new addition, the year old Puff. The zoo is working on training Puff to do some of the tricks Ariel used to do (Flounder simply has never show interest in doing so), and I look forward to seeing what he learns in the future.

After we left the zoo, we headed over to Pittsford to try and find the new Cheesecake Factory store that's opening soon. Val works as a trainer for the chain and thought one of her coworkers might be there training people for the store opening, so she wanted to stop in and say hi. Unfortunately, said coworker wasn't there, but Val got to see the new store anyway. Apparently, she has a goal to see all of the stores the chain has.

After that, I had my parents drop me off at Psychic's Thyme so I could hang out with Michele, Belinda, and Char, who were all working. We had a pretty good time, though it was a slow business day. Afterwards, Belinda, Michele and I went out for dinner (where I was rewarded with the perfect view of one of the waiter's butts as he cleaned off the table next to us) and followed up with ice cream.

Originally, I had planned on going to the Pride Festival over at Village Gate. But by the time we were done with ice cream, I decided that I was tired from a long day and decided to go home.

On Sunday, I went to the Pride Picnic, which I will talk about in a future post.

First of all, let me confess that I was bad and skipped church yesterday morning. I woke up in time for it, looked at the clock, realized my tummy was still bothering me, and rolled back over to catch another couple hours of sleep. Of course, the church I've been attended is Rochester First Unitarian, which many people wouldn't consider a "real church" anyway, so I figure I'm no worse off anyway. *g*

When I finally did roll myself out of bed, I did a few odds and ends and took my shower. Then I spent some time deciding whether or not to go to the Pride Picnic. I finally decided to go, so I put on my sunscreen, packed a small bag, and headed for the park where it was being held.

I figured parking might be problematic, so I decided to park on the opposite side of the Erie Canal from the picnic and walk in from there. After that, I found the tent where I could buy a ticket (which could've been marked a bit more clearly, in my opinion), then joined the line at the official entrance into the reserved area.

I had a fantastic time. I checked out the music over by the Roundhouse, but decided not to do any dancing. For starters, there were very few other people dancing. I'm not sure if that was because of how hot it was (and in the low seventies, it certainly could've been worse) or if everyone was just as self-conscious as I would've been. I did hang out there for a bit though, and my body even got into the rhythm.

I checked out the various organizations and vendors that were there. Suprisingly, I didn't pick up any pride paraphernalia. To be honest, there were only two vendors that I noticed. One was Outlandish, where I can go any time. And I didn't even catch a name on the other tent. That vendor had mostly hats with some shirts and jewelry. Nothing just spoke to me.

Speaking of paraphernalia, I got several chuckles out of the shirt I chose to wore for the day. I decided to wear my black tee shirt from Sikworld which says, "I may have a bad mouth, but I can do great things for it." Several people read it and started laughing. One person even commented, "I'm sure!" Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your persepctive), no one demanded proof of the claim.

One of the booths I checked out was looking for volunteers for upcoming HIV vaccine trials taking place at University of Rochester. The guy was giving information about the process and otherwise fielding questions. I thought about signing up, but eventually decided against it. Actually, I asked if being diabetic would impact my chances of being selected. The guy admitted that as a rule, they're ruling out any candidates with diabetes and a number of other health conditions due to concerns for said individual's health and safety. (Personally, I find it a bit odd as according to the information, the vaccinations they're testing are based on synthetic virus strains and actual infection through the program is impossible. But oh well.) I did get a small glow-in-the-dark frisbee though.

I eventually made my way to the volleyball nets. I decided to lay out my blanket several feet from the nets so that I could sunbathe and watch the more athletic types play. It was fun to watch in between moments where I closed my eyes. I don't think I ever fell asleep, but it was just pleasant to lay there soaking up the sun. And Only came close to being squashed by a (rather good looking) frisbee player a couple of times.

While there, I ran into a couple of the guys I've met at Game Night. Paul was one of the people playing volleyball. He was playing in black pants of all things! I thought he was nuts. (Though I have to admit, he looked pretty good in the outfit.) I also ran across Woody, who promised he really would be at Game Night at the end of this month. (He's missed the last three due to being crazy busy.) I gave him a bit of a hard time about that, but it was all in fun.

Eventually, I decided it was time to head home. I had gotten enough sun and eye candy for the day. Plus I was getting hungry and the picnic food didn't sound all that appealing to me.

Tonight, I'm going out with the Monday Cheap Night Dinner Group again. After that, I figure I'll take another walk around Park and East Avenue. I'm even planning on wearing my sandals again! *beg*

Yesterday, I repeated the seven mile walk along the Erie Canal Trail that I made back in June. And as the title of this post suggests, the second trip was even better than the first. For starters, I made a point of wearing sunscreen this time. I almost decided against it, since it was supposed to be cloudy and rainy. But at the last minute, I grabbed the bottle and started slathering. I was quite glad of it, too. As soon as I started walking, the clouds parted and I found myself making the trek on a glorious and sunny day.

The other factor that improved this walk over the previous one is that I made a point of buying new shoes. It's hard to believe what a difference such a detail would make. However, I was a true believer last night when I realized that while my feet were somewhat sore, they felt about the same as they had felt after several days of healing the last time.

This isn't to say this trip wasn't frought with it's own difficulties, mind you. The whole plan was nearly upset when I arrived at my planned starting point, only to discover that the park was completely closed off due to some sort of tournament. This meant that I had to find a new place to leave my car that would be near an access point to the trail.

Fortunately, after several minutes of driving around while muttering and cussing under my breath (not to mention considering calling the whole thing off ever twenty seconds or so), I decided to settle on one of the parking lots at the University of Rochester. I was a little nervous as all of the UofR lots are clearly marked "permit only" (and I managed to find and choose the faculty lot no less). However, as I considered the facts that (1) it's the summer, (2) it was a Saturday, and (3) the lot was practically empty anyway, it would be safe. (And if push comes to shove, I'd simply have to pay towing expenses and whatnot anyway.) Fortunately, my reasoning proved fine and my car was still there -- without so much as a fine on it -- when Belinda dropped me off to pick it up around 2:30pm.

I'm disappointed that I yet again chose not to take my camera with me. In June, I made the decision based on the fact that I wanted to just enjoy the walk and not worry about picture taking. This time, the weather report had disuaded me. I reasoned that if it really was going to rain, I'd rather leave the camera someplace dry. I don't mind if I get wet (after all, Fran Baum made that whole business about witches melting out of whole cloth), but I was a bit concerned what a hypothetical downpour could do to a camera, even if it was protected by its case and my backpack.

I'm currently a bit distraught because I've realized that making this journey next month might prove to be a bit of a challenge. The first two weekends are already booked with preparing for and attending the 2007 Northeast Naturist Festival. The Saturday after that, I have a party to attend. The final Saturday, there's a chance I may have to help out at the shop. So unless I schedule the walk for the third or fourth Sunday rather than on a Saturday, I may just be out of luck. Hopefully, I'll figure something out, though.

RNEWS is reporting an upcoming change to the Erie Canal Trail:

Town and state officials kicked off a $755,000 project that's expected to improve both the safety and aesthetics of a portion of the Erie Canal Trail near the Monroe Avenue Bridge.

The section of trail they are talking about is actually a part of the seven mile segment I've walked the last two months. (As a bonus, I now know what street crosses the canal via the unlabeled bridge I walk under, thanks to this article.) I have to admit that this is a welcome change to the trail, at least to my mind. For a thousand feet or so, the trail dumps you out onto a side street (which is extremely lightly trafficked, thankfully). The trail picks back up once the road gets just past the sanitation building/office. So it will be nice to be able to avoid car traffic (no matter how sporadic it is anyway) completely once this construction is done.

I'm hoping to make my monthly trek this Sunday. I'll have to check out the construction in the area while I'm there.

Of course, I'm also pleasantly surprised to see that the trail is considered that important to tourism and the general economy of the area.

Today was the day for my monthly seven mile walk along the Erie Canal. This time, I didn't let the rain scare me out of taking my camera, so I managed to get pictures. This was just as well, since it didn't rain anyway. I seem to always luck out in that regards. The picture in this entry is of the path shortly after I started my walk. The rest of the pictures can be found in the album I created just for this walk.

The weather was a bit cool, as the temperature stayed in the high sixties and low seventies. In reality, this was perfect considering all the heat I was generating by walking. I didn't get overworked as much, nor did I sweat quite as much. I did note, however, that I made the trip in fifteen to twenty minutes less time than I made it in June and July. On the one hand, this is good, as it indicates that I'm getting more used to making the trip and have even stepped up my pace a bit. On the other hand, I find it distressing because it means I'm not exercising for as long. It may be unfortunate if I eventually have to find a way to walk further, as that would mean coming up with a new starting point and/or destination.

Of course, the fact that I didn't take any breaks this time around contributed to the decrease in walking time, as well. However, I would estimate that only counts for about five minutes. Again, I took this as a sign that I'm getting more used to the exercise. And the fact that my knees and calves didn't seem to be in any pain (especially when compared to the walk in July) was a pleasant change.

I'm hoping to make this trip again in September and possibly in October, even. However, it occurs to me that with the approach of winter, I will eventually have to take a break from my monthly treks. I'm a bit saddened by that and am currently trying to figure out an alternative activity for the winter months. After all, I don't want to give up all this good exercise I've been getting.

Saturday morning, I got up around eight in the morning and spent some time watching cartoons and relaxing until Belinda called at around 8:30. She and I were scheduled to work at Psychic's Thyme together that day, so she suggested we meet for breakfast before the shop opened. So I got my shower and did everything else I needed to before heading to Perkins, where we agreed to meet. Belinda got there about ten to fifteen minutes after me. We were quickly seated and our omelettes over light conversation.

Once breakfast was done, we ran over to Staples to get some audiocassettes, then headed on up to the shop. Our timing was perfect, because Char was just getting stuff out of the trunk of her car when we pulled in the parking lot.

Saturday was the first time that I worked at the shop as a reader -- or at least when I actually got readings. (Earlier this month, I worked a Saturday with Michele and was marked as available for readings, but I didn't get any.) I ended up doing three readings all day. They went pretty well, and I certainly feel better about the idea now that I've done it once.

I've been doing readings off and on for a few years, but this was the first time I've ever done them professionally. I've mostly done them for friends or random people with no money involved. It's a lot less stressful that way. Especially considering my general lack of confidence (which yesterday helped alleviate immensely). You see, I normally worry that I won't be able to read someone, that nothing will come. Now, if I'm doing the reading for free, the way I see it, that's fine. I'll just shrug and point out to the person that you get what you pay for. But when they're handing over money, there's an expectation, so the idea of not picking up anything becomes much more frightening.

I talked about it with Belinda at breakfast, and she pointed out that she's always nervous about that, too. But she pointed out it's okay. And she pointed out that in those instances (though she assures me they're fairly rare) that you can't read someone, you simply tell them as much and don't charge them. (Also, if there's someone else around that might be able to read them, you pass them off.) Fortunately, it didn't prove to be a problem Saturday, anyway. And as I said, it built confidence. And Belinda and I are hoping to work together like that again, soon. It was a fun day all around.

After the shop closed, Belinda and I headed to Red Robin for dinner. I haven't been there in a couple of months, and the hostess who seated us harassed me about that a bit. Belinda thought it was funny that she recognized me so quickly, actually.

Last night, I saw Out at the Wedding, one of the films shown as part of this year's ImageOut film festival. It was a hilarious comedy, filled with many one-liners and thinly veiled innuendos (though that may well be a generous classification on my part).

The movie takes you along as Alex, a young woman from the South now living in New York city, spins a complicated web of lies that eventually ensnares her and all her loved ones hopelessly. She tells her fiancé, Dana, that her family is dead in order to avoid introducing him to them out of fear that they'll reject him because he's black. Then when her best friend from childhood, a gay man named Jonathan, accidentally starts a rumor that Alex is a lesbian during her sister's wedding reception, Alex picks up the ruse and continues it in order to calm her sister, who is accusing her and Jonathan of starting the rumor simply to ruin the wedding. From there, each new lie is created to cover up a previous lie. The resulting web of deception eventually becomes too unwieldy and begins to unravel. However, as this is a comedy rather than a tragedy, no relationships are permanently ruined, except for the Jeannie's (the sister) marriage, as she comes out as a lesbian and becomes the girlfriend of Risa, Alex's "girlfriend-for-hire."

It's important to note that Alex is not the only deceiver in this movie. Jonathan, who now also lives in NYC, also plays several deceptive tricks on his boyfriend, Kenny, throughout the movie in order to get Kenny to eat less and become more active so he'll shed some extra weight. (Given that Kenny is a mere thirty pounds overweight and looks fantastic to this viewer, I could go on a separate discussion concerning ludicrous standards of beauty. But this review is long enough as is.) Jonathan also helps Alex to maintain many of her own lies as well. Indeed, these two schemers-in-arms seem to be immersed so much in their lives of deception that one wonders i their entire friendship is based on the bonds of deceiving everyone around them.

Another interesting theme is that Alex often sees the need for her lies to be beyond her control. This is best exemplified by the fact that the first two lies (the death of her family and her lesbianism) originated as mere misunderstandings, a fact she takes solace in while ignoring the fact that she didn't stop either misunderstanding when she first became aware of them, thereby perpetuating them and turning them into lies. But ignoring that fact allows her to avoid taking responsibility for the lies, something she is intent on doing until she no longer can.

I think that part of what makes this movie so funny and enjoyable is that most of us have seen these themes play out in our own lives at one time or another, so we can identify with the situations played out on the screen. And by portraying them in a comedic light, this movie frees us from the discomfort of that realization and enables us to laugh about it all. And hopefully, while laughing, we internalize the lesson and strive to live the simpler life offered by being more honest.

Yesterday, I decided to run to Friendly's for lunch. The place was relatively empty, and I think there were only two servers working. Stef met me at the door and seated me. She asked me if I wanted a diet coke (a sign I go there way too often), to which I assented. As she headed back to the kitchen, the other server, a young man named Kyle, walked by and said he'd be right with me. Apparently, Stef had planned on waiting on me herself, so they had a brief conversation in the kitchen to decide who would actually take my table. (I love it when servers fight over me.)

Apparently, they eventually agreed that Kyle would be my server, because he walked over with my diet coke, introduced himself, and asked me if I was ready to order. I placed my order only to have him give me the perfect opportunity to tease him a little. After I ordered my food, he asked me if I wanted anything to drink. I laughed, glanced at the table, then looked back to him to politely ask, "You mean besides the diet coke you just brought me." He laughed in flustered embarrassment (I consider the fact that he didn't turn beet red nothing short of miraculous) and explained he was used to doing things in a certain order. I just smile and said I understood.

While we had been talking, I noticed a chain around his neck, so I looked closely at the two pendants hanging off it. This is a new habit I'm working on developing, as I'm realizing just how much a person's choice of jewelry or body art can offer an opportunity for conversation. I noted the crucifix (which, when combined with my estimate of his age, gave me enough reason to decide to keep things to a bit of fun chat and maybe some slight flirtation) as well as a large "55." So when he stopped by later to check on me, I inquired. As it turns out, he's a football player and that's his number. (Of course, we won't go into the thoughts of being tackled that suddenly came to mind.) He mentioned that it had been his number in both high school and now college. (Of course, I was relieved to confirm that he was at least in college. I'm much more comfortable with feeling slightly lecherous rather than downright criminal.)

When it came time for ice cream, I ordered the recently re-released the peanut butterpan sundae, so I ordered that. Kyle commented that he never tried that one. I said I had it last time they offered it and loved it. I mentioned in passing that it had peanut butter in it, so that meant I'd naturally love it. So the sneak decided to demonstrate just how good a server he was by making the sundae with extra peanut butter. Needless to say, someone got a very good tip (even moreso than usual).

I have to admit, I enjoyed the meal, and I had fun chatting up my waiter just a bit. Sure, he's too young for me (I think I'm through with college students), and the religion thing would be an issue. (After all, he's not goth, so I'm pretty sure he wasn't wearing a crucifix just for the "cool factor.") But sometimes, it's just fun to be able to chat and have a little harmless fun with someone. And besides, I think it was good practice for me. I really could use more practice being chatty and flirty, as it's something I struggle with (especially if I actually find the person I'm chatting with attractive). So this was a great activity. And either Kyle didn't notice or didn't exactly mind, so it worked out well.

And I do like that I'm learning to be more attentive to picking out little things to comment on. It should really help me with starting conversations in the future.