Life and Stuff

One thing I love about Rochester is how the entire city is composed of such opposites that manage to distill into a rich and distinctive culture of its own. There are ancient brick buildings with surprising architecture on one block, and then on another is a screaming wall of glass. There are ancient underground shopping malls, mostly vacant, and then if you dig deep enough, you find hidden shops in back alleys doing brisk business. Or you may step suddenly from a busy sidewalk where corporate workers and shoppers crowd together to a deserted parking garage patrolled by panhandlers. It’s a beautiful mishmash at the intersection of human culture.

Sometimes, the most fun you can have is doing nothing at all. With the weather being just at the brink of autumn, it has been the perfect time to laze around outside with the dogs. Whenever the sun is out, I find an excuse to go out and play. We go for walks of course, but sometimes I just find a good book, get out a lawn chair, and lay around with a dog on either side of me while I read. I even bought them toys I can fill with treats to keep them occupied while they aren’t nudging me to be petted. Other times, if they aren’t too sleepy, we wrestle in the grass or just run around chasing each other. It’s like being a kid again!

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I have three labs a mother, daughter and a son and they are the world’s best that one can get, they are so full of life, and we just love to be with each other as much as possible. There are days in my life when I feel so down that they brighten me up so much that I forget my worries. I always am in the lookout for the best where my three kids are concerned. I love to pamper them with whatever I can get my hands on. A few months back thanks to my two younger ones decided to go on a destructive spree went and ripped their bed while they were alone in the house. I called the owner of the pet store from where I get their stuff and asked him to suggest a good bed. He suggested getting the discount memory foam dog bed and informed me that these beds help to improve the blood flow, it is comfortable, and the best part of it is it so cozy. I asked him to get one just to try it out and when it came, my dogs were so happy that I could see it in their eyes.

Of all the jobs I have had, I think my favorite is a bit of a surprise. I used to work part time as a janitor at my university. You would think the early hours and the idea of cleaning restrooms in the dorms would make it the worst job ever, but I actually found a sort of meditative joy in the work. I would climb out of bed at four in the morning and steal out of the dorm room so as not to wake my roommate, then head over to the janitorial office to find out where I would be working that day. Then for four peaceful hours, I was alone with my thoughts while I worked. It was a great time for reflection and planning, and I think this daily routine helped me to develop the mental organizational skills that have helped me in both work and school ever since.