The Journey's the Thing…

My mind is ticking along tonight so I have been tossing and turning in bed for about an hour. Blogging will help, I hope. At least I will have updated some things. Then I’ll try sleep once more.

It has been advised that I receive 16 credits for my past career instead of 12, which is great. I hope they grant my wish. That means after this next semester I will only need 20 credits to graduate!

This is how I plan to spend my final three semesters…

8 credits consist of a capstone Senior Thesis on history, probably Balkan in nature. The other 12 (three classes) will probably be artistic in nature, specifically photographic, and all involving a darkroom. I will have to cross-register at Hudson Valley Community College but it will allow me to take B/W Photography I and II and Color Photography and developing. This goes a long way in giving me enough undergraduate credits to fulfill requirements for an MFA program; where, I do not know, but probably within the SUNY system.

Mom is doing well. The Caregiving Women are saving my life, and my sanity. I was able to go to a wonderful presentation of Dylan Thomas’ ‘Under Milkwood’ last night that blew me a way. I didn’t worry once about how she was or what was going on at home.

I went back to a meeting tonight that I had not attended for about 4 months. It is a Big Book study in nearby Cataractburg, one that I have always enjoyed and benefited from. Unfortunately, aside from one or two old faces, the attendees were all new and somewhat dim in thought. It is a good lesson for me in remembering what I can bring to the meeting instead of what I take. I hope I helped others. Anyway, someone asked me to be his temporary sponsor. He’s a nice guy who has had trouble staying away from the substances that baffle and bedevil him. So guess it was a good idea to go.

Tomorrow I am driving another fellow to his out-patient alcohol program twenty minutes away, waiting for him for two hours, and then driving back. I’ll bring my camera and a book and get some work done. I’m shooting on 35mm film these days, so it will be a nice change.

I’ll try to update more often.

Johnnyboy

Sorry about the long absence cats and kittens. Forgive me. So much has been happening, but really nothing different than the last post…The big difference is in me.

In many ways I am freer than I have ever been. The Caregiving Women who are looking after my mom have given some ultimatums. The first is that I “get a life”. They are good friends, and I know what they mean.

Until last March I have been looking after my mother, watching her slow decline, and thinking only of her, for the most part. With their arrival last spring came the ‘Freeing of Johnnyboy’. The best way to describe it is that when I leave the house for any reason (gym, meetings, The Big City, etc…) I do not have the thought in my head that I must get home to save the day. What a relief!

I have gone to the movies with a very pretty young woman; today I spent the day in The Big City with friends doing photography stuff; and tomorrow night I am going to see “Under Milkwood” at a nearby summer theater with another friend. I even sleep better, not having to be ‘on point’ like I used to be. Yesterday I went to an acupuncturist (accupuncturer?) for a session of intense body and energy work.

What will tomorrow bring?

For my photographic friends like Fred here is a cool link that may help you with many of your more retro photography needs…The Frugal Photographer

Johnnyboy