Science Twin

Science Twin is headed to Germany tonight, then off to Finland. There must be some exciting news in the science world that he will discover. Business Twin will be on his own for the week living large in the $3500 a month studio apartment they share in the building above my cupcake shop. The tall, dark and handsome duo moved in a couple of months ago and quickly became staff favorites after we figured out there were two of them and not one manically changing his clothes from street grunge to business attire.

Their adorable nature made it easy for us all to become super-best friends. Last month, while the girls and I were out celebrating the store's success at a champagne brunch, The Twins were at the exact same restaurant as we were in Lower East Side! What a surprise! And they accused us of stalking them! We laughed and accused them of the same thing. They told us their names again for the five hundredth time, but we just called them by their coffee drinks or how they're dressed. So that makes them Science Twin and Business Twin. Business is 1 minute older than Science and he plays the responsible, serious type well. Science Twin is happier by nature.

Business Twin has a bitchy, Upper West Side girlfriend. We saw her at brunch and she scowled at us, jealous of the beautiful girls fawning over her lover. It's okay sweetheart, none of us really want him anyway.

We create nicknames for all the regulars. It helps to not know their names but find out details about their lives slowly and then form random opinions and fantasies. We attract a lot of attractive men, down here on Wall Street. In our tiny cupcake shop the pulsating female energy pours onto the steel, cold high-rises.

More to come......

So much love,
All the way over here....
Linda

The Creative Process

I love watching interviews and profiles on artists and their process towards creating. It helps me to identify myself as an artist which is something I have struggled with in my adult life. Profiles on artists, musicians, chefs, are all good and my favorite is watching the process of architects, especially Frank Gehry and Frank Lloyd Wright. I don't think that you have to be named Frank to follow your creation in unconventional ways, but I guess it doesn't hurt.

Sydney Pollack made a documentary film for PBS's American Master's Series about his good friend, Frank Gehry and in the film asked him about his creative process. Where did he start when he had a new project? How did he start? Frank said he cleaned his desk, made unnecessary appointments, got a cup of coffee, made some calls, and avoided his desk. He said he suffered from anxiety and worry that he would not be able to top his last work or be able to do it again at all. When in reality, all his work gets better and better, he has that old fear that he won't be able to create again. Even with all his success, he is still afraid that he will not be able to do it again.

Frank also gets inspiration from other artists, paintings and crumpled pieces of paper. Inspiration can come in any form, the secret is remaining open to listen to the crumpled paper, which is obvious when looking at his work. But maybe it is obvious because he speaks the paper's language. Frank has taught himself to quiet his own mind so he is able to listen to the crumpled paper speak to him. He sees and hears his inspiration.

Is my mind open enough and quiet enough to hear the inspiration offered to me?

This weekend I was inspired by some tiny Clementines which I candied with ginger root.

Inspiration is everywhere. The real question is, am I ready to hear it? Is it time to receive?

So much love,
All the way from over here....
Linda

Excuses, excuses

I don't have a good opening first line to start writing something about, so I'll just start here. Even if it isn't grammatically correct. I promised that I'd write again so here it is.

It was surprising to me to realize that so many of my friends read my blog. It also has helped me face my performance anxiety. That's a good excuse, huh? Hang with me, I got a million of 'em!

I made a promise to my previous housemate that I would not write about him or his children during my duration of living there. Once I was out, my world and writing were my own again. He was going through a messy divorce having been with his wife for 18 years and they had two children together. When I moved in, he said he had 50% custody of the kids, that they'd be there every other weekend, and every Monday night to Wednesday mornings.

It sounded like it could work out and the room I was renting was priced all inclusive for heat, electric, wifi, paper goods, etc... I intended to save a lot of money so we all make sacrifices for our choices.

Several weeks after I moved in was when I discovered that the two kids were a bit off. It was after Simon, a 12 year old boy, sat outside my bedroom door barking like a dog for 45 minutes while the father was downstairs visiting the neighbors. He channeled many animals and liked to sound them out.

Turns out he is developmentally disabled and heavily medicated.

Sarah, a 10 year old girl, took to kicking our shared wall for hours on end. She is Autistic.

Long story short; if I wanted to be in a sexless marriage with two kids I couldn't stand, I'd have gotten married. I reached my breaking point and the universe provided me with a better opportunity.

So...here we are. Me unsure about what to write about and you reading my latest excuse for not writing.

It's like playing the piano or riding a bike...I need to get back into practice.

So much love,
All the way from over here....
Lindae

I heard that!

Most people don't do things that I do, like hitting the four corners of the continental US in about a week unless they are on some kind of press junket for a new movie or a book tour. My trip was more of a soul retrieval of the most extraordinary kind.

I received many hugs and much love during my journey and there was one loud complaint I heard in Seattle, Long Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, North Carolina and in New York.

No blog updates! What gives?

Here's the story: There were no blog updates because I wasn't writing.

Okay. I hear you. Time to write again.

I am often afraid that I have nothing to say, but that is an old story that has been playing in my head so I've smashed that record and am starting anew.

Thanks for your love, support and kick in the pants.

I have nothing but love for you....
All the way from over here,
Linda

Eternity

If

each moment

expires

in a second,

how can

anything

last

f
o
r
e
v
e
r

except love?

Dropping like Flies

Smoking Jew was fired today. He is a good customer always arriving right before 10 AM after the hour and half long train ride from Connecticut. Sometimes his wife (who was fired about 6 months ago) comes with him just to visit friends in the city. She doesn't smoke but tolerates his nicotine addiction. They both were in software sales on Wall Street and love the coffee at the cupcake shop. I have to agree, it's pretty good coffee.

He was pretty pissed off as I poured his last cup. Smoking Jew said he got a lead on a contract job from Deutch Bank , the one next to Trump Tower on Wall Street, but with his wife out for so long and now this, he doesn't know how long he will be able to make it. He has been cutting back on his spending for months...except for his daily cup or two of coffee ($2/per cup).

I gave him a Brownie cupcake, his favorite and told him there would always be a cupcake available for him here at the shop. He gave me a fake enthusiastic toothy grin with his spreading, nicotine stained yellow teeth showing. Too bad he didn't take advantage of his dental plan while he had the chance. I wanted to tell him to stop by his dentist for a cleaning before his next interview, but Smoking Jew knows what he is doing. He's been down this road before. Jobs come and go.

As he put cream and sugar in his drink I told him that we were expanding and hiring aggressively and with his sales background, I am sure he'd be a natural at selling cupcakes. He glared at me under his over-grown black eyebrows shooting me a vibe that said, "You are NOT helping!"

Hey, I never thought I'd be running a cupcakes either, brother.

Smoking Jew went outside with his coffee to smoke his last cigarette in front of my store, careful to not to exhale the toxic gray smoke near the open front door.

Poor guy.

Smoke away sweet little Jew...smoke away.

So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

The Green Tortoise Part XVI

Note to Readers: The last installment of The Green Tortoise was published on September 9th, 2008. When we were last together, the bus has been diagnosed as having a broken level so it tilts at a sharp angle causing people to fall out of bunks and loose items rolling downhill to the driver's side of the bus. We visit Old Faithful at Yellowstone and were denied our campsite due to the Rainbow Gathering in Wyoming which has caused several disturbances and arrests...fucking hippies! So we are headed back to the Grand Tetons National Park to spend another night which is neaerly 5 hours headed West as we try to make our way across the country in 14 days.

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008:

I am cranky on the ride back to the Grand Tetons. We won't get there until after dark and will still have to set-up camp, build the kitchen, find water, start fires etc...so dinner won't be until 8:30 or so and I'm hungry and pissed off that we are not spending more time in Yellowstone. There is much discussion on the bus about the lack of alcohol and the party kids start pestering Driver Dave to stop off at a liquor store somewhere, but we are on National Park land and there are no ABC Drive Thru liquor stores here and many do not drink beer (which is what they do sell at the camp store.) An agreement is met and we will drive further south to Jackson Hole to stop at a liquor store inside a resort so the party can get started.

It will be another cold night tonight and sleeping outside will be required by many since half the berths are uninhabitabal. At the resort I find a coffee shop and order a club sandwich and fries to go and wolf it down with a Coke. You burn a lot more calories while at high altitude and it not only makes you sleepy, it makes you hungry too. When we make it back to camp the sun was setting and it was nearly 7:30. I rally some energy and stuff my dirty laundry and towel in a bundle and hike a mile and a half to the camp showers and laundry. Hot water feels good and my skin is warm as I slip on thermal underware fresh from the dryer.

Camp is set and dinner cleaned up by the time I returned and I found there was space on the lower side of the bus available for sleeping so I bundled up for another of temperatures in the low 30's F. (1 to 2 Celsius) and my mind races with complaints fading in and out as I fall into a deep sleep.

The camp woke-up drunk. Despite the bear warning signs everywhere, empty whisky bottles litter the fire pit. I am one of the first to wake and start hot water for coffee. The plan today is to get out of camp as early as possible so we can drive all the way through Yellowstone and Wyoming so we can get to Chico Montana hot springs. That means, all excursions in Yellowstone have been canceled and we have to boogie to get to Montana by the 4th of July so we can get the parts to fix the bus and the air conditioner.

This is what "Flexible Itinerary" means in Green Tortoise speak.

Driver Dave puts a positive spin on our itinary change saying that in all the years that he's been driver on the Green Tortoise, he's never been to a Rodeo before and there's one happening in Brodus MT, our next stop. Yippee.

The early risers finish breakfast wake the partiers who decline food choosing only coffee or tea. They reak and there is no time for the long trek to the showers. We have a tight schedule today and our goal is to hit the hot springs tonight. We pack a lunch after breakfast, tear down camp and hit the road.

Driver Dave hits the bunk to sleep a few hours so the drunk ones head to the back of the bus to sleep it off as we drive the exact same drive we did the day before. It is still spectacular despite the Weird Al Yankovich CD playing. The Germans think it is hysterical. And I thought only the French had terrible taste in humor!

Six hours later we approach the Mamoth Hot Springs area and Driver Dave emerges to instruct Casie to drop us off to get a hike in and to meet down another canyon. I pay attention to the pick-up point as they drive us to the drop-off a couple miles up a mountain. I decide on the ride up that I am not going to hike down. Instead I will ride back to the pick-up spot and spend some much needed time at the little shops and resort. Hopefully they have internet and cell phone reception. I think there is a town close by so I am pryaing for human contact with loved ones.

There is a god and I am able to find cell phone reception and a charger all at the same time so I call Karen to check-in. Time I steal for myself feels like gold. There is great ice cream here and all is well for the entire time I am alone sitting in the sun. I fill out postcards in different charactors, my favorite being a confederate soldier wandering in the cold foothills of Virginia that read,

"My Dearest Beloved, Another cold night in the hills but my heart is warm thinking of you. Days of walking are soon to pay off. General Lee says it won't be much longer before we take Pennsylvania and are back home with pig in our bellies. That would be good too since I have grown weary from the hot mush. A cold, lonly wind crosses our camp and I miss thee."

I look up from my writing as the "Adventure Bus" passes and I notice their bus isn't leaning hard to the left as it slowly maneuvers the sharp turns through Mamote Village. My two hours of solitude are nearly over and I am back on the bus for another 4 hours to Chico Hot Springs.

It costs $3.50 to go into the hot springs at the Chico Hot Springs Resort and Hotel and I wish I were checking-in. The hot springs are piped into a large swiming pool which is body temperature. There is a smaller very hot mineral pool that I try but can only stay in for a minute or two, it is so hot. Not all the passengers enjoy the hot pool. Others decide to eat at the resaurants or have drinks in the bar. I swim, take a shower and check my email and look for train tickets from Chicago to NYC. I try to make a reservation but cannot because I don't know when we will be in Chicago. At this rate, we may be several days late...and who knows if the parts have arrived or if there is a mechanic willing to work on Independence Day to install parts and fix the air conditioning.

We board the bus again and drive in the dark to Brodus Montana arriving late, we unpack and set-up camp in the dark.

So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

Trouble at the Fishing Hole

YouTube - Lucky's Funeral

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to inspire creation.

I have returned from my time away fishing to the sad news that Lucky the fish has died. He was a close relative to several of the fish in the fish pond here on the Linda Land blog. Since the fish were unable to attend the funeral, I have posted it here for their viewing convenience to pay their last respects to a beloved family member.

Linda Land would like to send condolences and warm thoughts to all those who grieve today, not only for the fishes but to all those who are missing loved ones.

So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

Facebooked

I have joined facebook and it is an interesting life experience. There are so many people that I've lost touch with in Seattle and within a few minutes I am back in touch with them. I like that a lot. Also, the instant reconnection with those from my high school has been a joyful surprise.

Leaving Harrisburg PA was a good thing for me. I left a year after high school and did not return until I was nearly 40. That was also a really good thing for me! Harrisburg holds a lot of painful memories but over the years I've healed and seeing old friends from school has been great. If you told me in while I was in school that one of the biggest jocks in my class would grow up to be a clown...a white-faced, rainbow-wigged clown, I would have said IMPOSSIBLE!

But life is full of servings of impossible pie.

Facebook can be a bit addictive...checking to see who is checking you out and what they are writing. It is fun! Like being at a virtual party! But like any party, there are always those people who you might not want to see or those who don't want to see you! There is a quiet humilation about Facebook that happens when you ask someone to be your friend and they ignore you. Just like a party! Good times!

What has been good about has been feeling connected. I have many soul-sisters on this planet and we are all reconnected again....well, most of us.

As I reconnect with the world, I am transported back to emotions I've felt in the past and now is a good time to heal those old wounds and to reexamine past predijuices. In high school I had so many hang-ups and insecurities...some which last until very recently! So it is good to look at them and move on!

On another note, I've added a good friend of mine's blog on here. He's just been diagnosed with leukemia and is in treatment and has a good prognosis. If you have a second to stop by his blog and give him some good vibes.

So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

Ice Cube

I've been house sitting on Park Slope, which is like the yuppie neighborhood of Brooklyn. My girlfriend has dashed off to the Caribbean with her devistatingly handsome boyfriend for a week of romping in warm tropical blue waters. I have the pleasure of sleeping with her three lovely kitties. Warm kittens are a treat.

Since moving to New York, I've been renting a room in a duplex with several other people. It's been a good experience for me to live strangers but there is a tiny kitchen and I don't feel comfortable cooking there, so house sitting fills that void.

What I notice that I've missed making the most is ice. I love ice. I love to make ice in different shapes or to buy party ice making every cold beverage a celebration. So even though it is freezing outside, I've been lamenting the joys of making ice.

Where I live, we have a tiny refrigerator especially for 5 people. I get a shelf and a little corner of the freezer for my food and generally it's enough to keep my full and fresh.

But now I want my own place again. One with a big freezer for my massive ice collection.

Dreams can happen...I belive...I belive in ice.

So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

New York Observations

New York is the only city in the world where people put their coffee in bags. New Yorkers are not led by the hand with their hot coffees, they hide the hot beverages in plain brown paper bags until they are at their destination where they can give their full attention to their coffee or tea.

When a native New Yorker is ordering 2 or more cups of coffee and you offer them a carrying tray, they look at you like you are crazy and request a bag. To me, a bag is a poor choice for hot beverages. Coffee leaks out of the top of the cup and gets the bag wet and it tears and rips, but to the experienced New Yorker, it doesn't happen.

One of my favorite Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movies is "Desk Set". Kate is the head of a TV Network Research Department and Spencer is an efficiency specialist who plans on replacing the department with a super computer. IBM plays a big role in the movie too and it shows the start of the computer revolution. As Kate and Spencer get to know each other, they have a rooftop lunch meeting of bologna sandwiches and black coffee. They pull the coffee out of brown paper bags.

That is SO New York!

If you haven't watched this film from 1957, I really recommend it. I love to see how working women of these days were referred to as "girls". They have a holiday party at work and each gal has their own bottle of Champagne not to mention the Scotch bottles everywhere! It is good fun!

As a winter storm approaches, I cling to my hot coffee the old fashioned way, in my hand. The heat helps to keep me warm.

Pray for snow!

So much love,
All the way from over here...

Linda

Oh golly...

It has been cold and without snow in New York. I feel ripped off! What is the point of having cold weather if not to prepare for snow? Snow makes cold better!

I love the snow.

Dear Mighty Jesus,

Hey there! How you doing? Have you recovered from your rocking birthday party? I heard Dick Clark was a LAUGHING RIOT at your birthday jam. That impersonation of Carol Channing will live on FOREVER!

But seriously J, the cold weather here in New York is fine and I'm nearly recovered from that ice skating incident last month...so how about giving a girl a break and bring on some serious SNOW! I want to walk through Central Park in the snow!

Okay, I won't beg. Thanks for all your hard work and all that jazz.
Your pal,
Linda

Let's see if that works.
So much love,
All the way from over here...
Linda

Puppet Company Seeks Magician

Now there is a job ad that catches your eye. It is good to know that in this failing economy that there are still good jobs available for the experienced magician. Actually, there were 6 ads for magicians today on Craigslist.org. But they were not all posted today.

I wonder how many unemployed magicians there are in New York City. And with each magician there is also an assistant so whatever the number is it must be doubled. I'm not adding New Jersey because then the number would be astronomical. For some reason I think there are a lot of magicians in Jersey...probably cheaper to get doves and rabbits there plus there are some great scarf outlet stores off the turnpike too.

That's all I'm wondering about today...surfing the internet looking for fun in all the fun places.

So much love,
All the way from over here,
Linda

Been Too Long

Oh, the drama of Cupcake Land...

My assistant manager went missing for 5 days. Her big sister is my boss. The little sister went on a drinking binge and was hit by a car at 3 in the morning. She had no identification and her sister found her in the hospital after calling the local jails in search for her. The big sister is in denial that the little sister has any problems. The little sister is in denial that she is an alcoholic.

And me?

I'm here trying to sell the stinking cupcakes.

Can I get a witness?

So much love,

All the way from over here...

Linda