Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Balmy Out


After two days of cancelled flights, we flew home yesterday without incident. It was great to see our son—who playfully greeted us, "Hey roomies!"—and to hear the updates on his week. It was an incredible week for him. He said not only did one of his athletes post the top high school long jump distance in the country at the meet last weekend, but another of his kids improved his long jump distance by over a foot and a half, which was just as thrilling. And his team won the whole meet, in part because of the jump events. My son's old coaches from Fordham Prep were there to see my boy help coach their chief rival to the win. Fordham used to win these meets when my son was on the track team there and now Xavier is winning them. I asked him what his former coaches said. "It's all love," my son said. "They're happy for me."

My son did josh with his athletes a bit. "I pointed out that when I was at Fordham we won it all and now I'm at Xavier, we're winning here, and guess who's the common denominator! They were like, yeah, yeah. Right."

He will now get to be on the field at Penn Relays, coaching the kid who's now the best high school long jumper in the country. My son has always wanted to go to Penn Relays, which is a huge annual Spring track and field meet at U Penn, with the best in the world competing. My son's hurdles relay team qualified twice in college, but then didn't go because the first year he was injured and the second time another runner on the team was injured. So now he gets to go and be down on the field as a coach!

It's back to the grind today. I have to get on top of our taxes, as all our W2s and 1099s came in. I did a lot of work for a lot of people last year! So did my son. We are stereotypical Jamaicans with our multiple jobs. This week I have to finish the intro for one book that is otherwise complete and get cracking on the project that I was in the Bay Area researching last week. So now I edit and ghostwrite for a living. May it continue. And may the little twinge of resentment I still feel whenever I see my old magazine on newsstands not poison the well. The magazine looks good. I should just confess that I hate that they're doing so well without me. I know, I need to release it already. I'm working on being more Zen about it all, because without a doubt being laid off from that company eighteen months ago was an incredibly wonderful thing.

I promised to share pics of the Balmy Alley outdoor murals in the Mission. Here are a few. There are so many more.






10 comments:

  1. It's amazing how much pride I feel for your son. Just...wow.
    What a beautiful man you have raised.

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  2. Amazing art work. Glad you finally got home.

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  3. Glad your flight was uneventful, when you finally got one :)

    The photos are amazing!

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  4. I love all of the vivid colors and your young man is wonderful. Glad your journey home was uneventful.

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  5. It's like an ex isn't it? You sort of wish them well, no you do really, but a part of you really wishes they would fail. A little bit. OK, a lot. OK, a little. xoxo

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  6. You SOUND positively balmy! It's good to hear. I love that your son is seeing so much success early in his career. That must feel so good and make you so proud. And I can totally understand how difficult it is to see your old job flourishing -- but really? F*^k them! So there.

    As for ghostwriting -- I just got a job doing exactly that, and I think I need some pointers.

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  7. Great murals! I'm glad everyone is prospering and I'm glad your son is enjoying the coaching gig. This reminds me I need to get moving on my taxes, too! Ugh.

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  8. Oh, and believe me, I understand your feelings toward the magazine. I feel the same way about the Old Gray Lady. And yet I read her every day!

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  9. so happy for you and your family, angella--i loved seeing the pix of you and your husband soaking up that california sunshine. oh, and your son: a young god. you know i totally get the pride :)
    love to you...and the good life, freelancing. xoxox

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  10. I might as well chime in here with my own cry of resentment toward the company (where I was MISERABLE) that laid me off several years ago. For a long time I couldn't even drive down that street without feeling sort of embarrassed and enraged at the same time, so I just avoided the area. I'm happy to say that I rarely even think about them any more. Your son sounds like such a lovely roomie to have. Funny and successful and handsome to boot.

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