Well it's been a month. And after much stress, several hundred cups of coffee, even more alcoholic drinks and enough anger to power NYC for a week, the smoke seems to have finally cleared away (knock on wood).
This is my new home (pics are generally of the living room and master BR, for which we succeeded in finding an awesome occupant)
 |
| From apt pics |
 |
| From apt pics |
 |
| From apt pics |
And then, only a few days after moving in, I was off with Linus to Toronto to see my aunts and my Staramama. What a wonderful dose of love and family that was. I can't think about it without having tears in my eyes.
It was hard in some ways, having not been back in so long, and being that the last time I was there was with my WHOLE family--Christmas 2005. It was weird too in that I was seeing all these people for the first time since July or August 2007, when we were all congregated in Chicago for my Mom's illness and, finally, her funeral. And I was there of my own volition because I wanted to see them, not because I was being made to by someone.
And I was tour guiding, which always brings back a lot of hazy memories. As a result many of my touring requests to Teta Mary (that's "Aunt Mary" to those non-Slovenians among you) went something like this: "Remember that place, with all the green lights, where we used to get kitchen supplies, and there would be a band playing...?" etc.
Anyway, we did all the things I used to love doing in Toronto. We went to Kingsway Fish & Chips (twice, in fact), Le Marché (it's called Richtree now), Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Eaton Centre, Chinatown, we rode the streetcar and the subway (and witnessed a drug deal!), ate at Mandarin, and did the most important thing of all: talked, ate, and played games with my family and friends.
It was in some ways weird and tough being there, but it was even tougher to leave. Everyone kept saying how wonderful it was to see me, and how wonderful of me to come. All I kept thinking was how could I not, and why did it take so long for me to come? If only it wasn't so far/expensive/time consuming. To think I used to come to Toronto several times a year!
Staramama got tears in her eyes a lot. I know she was thinking about my mom. I caught myself staring at Teta Cveti once, because she looks so much like her. I was straining to see the parts that looked like Mom, because then it would be like she was with us.
I was so enveloped/showered/downpoured with love, affection, appreciation and thanks that I'm a little off of my "game" two days later here in LA.
But I'm happy I went. I miss family all over again.
Now that I'm back, my tasks are to learn this solo piece for an audition next week for the COMPOSER, ANDREA MORRICONE (yes you read right, Ennio's kid); perform "Summertime" for a recital this Sunday (supposedly. I have not heard anything from the person who is in charge); continue unpacking; try to find time to "bond" with new roommate whom I don't know that well and would like to (just cause, you know, we do have to live together); and prepare for Al's visit on the 27th (CAN'T WAIT).
I hope this was enough blog updates for now. I hope to post more pics soon, but that all depends on when i can get pics to a Kinko's or uploaded using someone else's camera. Which reminds me, I must find the receipt for that camera so I can send it to Canon for repairs. It broke in Toronto
