Greetings from Troy, New York

[cobaltblue]

Good afternoon--

I have been lurking like quite a few people I guess.  For some reason I've been nervous about posting here, and ... well, I feel kind of stupid.  I sent my info in to the moderator a few weeks ago, and I thought I needed to wait for approval of my being able to post.   

A few words about me.  I live blocks away from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the Little Italy part of the city.  Also the home of Uncle Sam, believe it or not!  (He's buried in Oakwood Cemetery.)  I love the place I live, though I'm originally from Littleton, Colorado.  I lived in NYC for 12 years, feeling trapped in a 4th story walkup in the E.Village for almost all of that time.  I used to work as an overnight word processor for a "white-shoe" law firm.  (The best shift to work at a law firm is overnight. No attorneys!  Apologies, Mr. Savinar.) 

Several years ago, I stumbled into the cache of knowledge, information and wisdom that people from all over are sharing.  My journey basically started strangely enough from a 12 Step program to deal with food addictions.  (6 years ago, I was 300 pounds and lost 110 which I've been able to maintain.)  This has led me into multiple streams of awareness on the triple crises as Carolyn Baker has outlined them in her posts.  I particularly appreciate her comments as they relate to gay/lesbian people in these trying times. 

My partner and I are putting down roots in Troy.  There is a lot happening under the radar here.  We're not too far from the Berkshires and Vermont.  There will be a Transition Initiative workshop next month in Bennington, which is about an hour away, and there are a few farmers' markets, CSAs and walkability initiatives locally. 

I'm also the President of a local community theater organization, and have a M(o) F(o) A(rts) Degree from NYU in Dramatic Writing.  And I make my living as a legal assistant.   

There's a lot I can say about myself, and I want to, but I think it might be best to let things unfold.  But I want to end my first post with a prayer I say each day these days.  It is called the Flower Prayer from the Huna tradition, which is one stream of the multifarious path upon which I've embarked: 

Who is this Flower above me?
And what is the Work, Pleasure and Wholeness of this God?
I would know myself in all my parts.

[mtlouie]

What an awesome story!

Welcome to the forum. 

[PseudoPhil]

Welcome a board.

Love the nickname.

[Shamaness]

Who is this Flower above me?
And what is the Work, Pleasure and Wholeness of this God?
I would know myself in all my parts.

That's truly lovely.  Thank you!  And since I didn't say it in the Civ-Anon thread, welcome! 

[cobaltblue]

Thanks, Shamaness.

I'm a shaman-in-training.  Studying with a Feri tradition teacher.  Feels good to have found "home."

[Rosemarys Baby]

Hi Troy!

My Dad and cousin graduated from RPI. I've never actually been in Troy, though I've driven by a few times. Been to Albany once, for a cousin's wedding (grew up in Syracuse, family's from the Thousand Islands). Sounds like your life in Troy is not too bad! I moved to Savannah about a year ago, and after a rough first year, it's coming together, love this town!


As for peak oil, we all know it's here -- just a matter of time before the shit hits the fan man!

RMB

[cobaltblue]

Thanks for the shout out, RMB! 

As with all of it, it's just day to day.  I hear Savannah's a decent place. 

[kimberley862]

Welcome to the Forum!!!! BTW..... I'm in Niskayuna! Met my husband in a bar that we both worked at you might be familiar with in Troy... Holmes and Watsons? Anyways... what a wonderful post!

[cobaltblue]

Hey, Kimberley!!!

Thanks for introducing yourself.  My partner goes to Holmes & Watson's every once in awhile.  We try to make it to the Troy Farmer's Market every weekend, which is fairly close to the pub.

Btw, I work in downtown Albany.  Take the 35X in each day, down 787. 

[urbanfarmer]

Welcome CobaltBlue! Hopefully you have forgiven my "uric acid in the aqueous humor and tears" attempts while opining the merits and foibles of Bards in Bartertown. 

caustic humor: Her main fear is to be misunderstood, that the caustic humor may obscure the honest intention behind it. 

[cobaltblue]

You go on with your cantankerous self, urb!

It's a funny thing about reading stuff online.  In our heads we tend to make things like their writ law unto the Lond-d-d-dah.  But I get that there's a tone going through your merry head that doesn't always translate to the text box in which you typeth.

I do appreciate the Shakespeare.  It counteracts the Fassbinder notion of lots of LATOC'ers: "People are so pathetic.  In the end, they tolerate everything." R.W.F., The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.

[Rosemarys Baby]

Hi CobaltBlue,

Yes, Savannah is pretty wonderful. Have you heard about the native American story that the "gateway to hell" is in Savannah? I actually think it may be true, kind of.

I was thinking about it, and this town does have an odd energy, and does seem kind of haunted and can be very spooky and scary at times. And I swear there are demons running around, or people who may for a few moments at least become "possessed" by a very negative force. Today I was almost run down twice downtown, by idiots on their cell phones driving. I gave one woman an absolutely fierce look, stood right in front of her huge, old Ford Expedition, and shouted "get off the damned phone", then kept walking.

I believe that a portion of antimatter had to be contained, locked-up so to speak, in a sphere of some kind for our universe to exist at all (you know, matter and antimatter annihilate each-other, there must be some imbalance or none of us would be here, the universe would not exist). I think the antimatter is locked up and buried under Savannah, hence the "gateway to hell" story.

Call me Crazy, I know!

RMB

[cobaltblue]

Would that be the whole town, or just a segment?  I ask because I feel attuned to "spiritual microclimates" if you will. 

I was once visiting with a friend in New York City near Union Square, and we walked on 17th Street to the Subway on 5th Avenue.  I felt like we passed through 3 microclimates right on that block! 

Native Americans have a lot of wisdom to share.  My mother lives in Devils Lake, North Dakota, which was named for a Native understanding of the lake's spirit.  It seemed to claim the lives of several people, and it still does to this day, due to certain plant growth in the lake itself. 

I have to say too, that I felt a crisp freshness in Charlotte, N.C. the one time I visited, an unwelcome and sick spirit in Charleston, S.C., and Boston... well, let's just say Boston's spirit REALLY doesn't like me much.  "GET OUT, GET OUT!" was what I perceived there, which is unfortunate as I have several friends who live nearby.
 

[Rosemarys Baby]

Hi CobaltBlue,

I hadn't thought about it in that way, but I would have to say certain sections of the town definitely feel different to me also. Factors Walk is the old cotton, and -- slave - trading area on the riverfront. It's very Dickensonian, with cast-iron Bridges over cobblestone/brick escarpments. River Street is 4 stories below Bay, and the buildings of Factors Walk straddle this bluff, with weird walkways, staircases, beneath the whole thing. All antebellum structures, 1830's to 1850's mostly. The road from downtown to Tybee (the beach) also can be extremely spooky, and I've had several strange incidents with other vehicles "Shadowing" me on foggy evenings (driving right next to me, even if I speed up/slow down -- they stick to me like glue).

I like Boston but have had some strange feelings there too. Lived in Providence RI also for 2 years, going to RISD in the late 80's. Another beautiful but troubled place.

[pamela]

Welcome to the forum! I hope that you enjoy it here. If you need anything, just post a question, someone here will help.