Of hermits and teenagers.
I've been remiss in my LJ duties, I know. Since Katrina, nothing has really seemed very important in mine, or anyone else's lives. It still hurts to think about but I've been trying to go on.

I haven't seen anyone lately. I don't know, I feel ditched by about a dozen people. I know I've been pretty busy, and haven't done the greatest job of keeping the lines of communication open myself, but fuck: I teach 20 students per week, plus full-time school, plus 12-13 hours a week of work-study, plus practicing for not only my regular weekly piano lesson but also some new jazz classes and lessons I'm taking. Yeah, it's weird to live in NOLA for 6 years, only to learn about jazz in NYC. So maybe these people are just as busy, which is great. I still find it odd though. I don't particularly like New York City. But one thing's for damn sure: it certainly teaches you about self-reliance. If this city were a breakfast food, it would be an overpriced bowl of 7 million corn flakes.

But I'm by no means lonely. If by "not lonely" one can mean dating/corrupting/deflowering/etc., a 19 year old. What can I say? Desertion will drive a girl to the extremes of social decency. I suppose he's why I haven't been going out much lately, since he can't get into most bars, heehee.

Many random updates. I have a new "haircut", of sorts. I own and operate a skateboard now. I've heard some great live music, including another live Philip Glass deal. I changed piano teachers, before realizing I had been assigned to my old piano teacher for chamber ensemble this semester, so lots of awkwardness there. I went to a graduation ceremony entirely in sign language. I've been to a mall in Queens, which made me clinically insane. I hosted a NOLA refugee and good friend for a few weeks, blahdee blah.

Oh, and I have a kidney infection. Not too good. I felt a bladder infection coming on Halloween night, but I knew that I had no time to see a doctor on Tuesday, because I teach all fucking day, plus I have my own piano lesson. So I tried to stave it off with gallons of water and cranberry juice, only to awaken in the middle of Tuesday night feeling like my lower back and abdomen were going up in flames. So, after a fun-filled trip to the doctor, I found out I had a fever, high blood presure, and "lots of blood and pus" in my urine. Great. Especially when the doctor, Happy Benson was her name, told me that it could potentially lead to permanent kidney failure. I got some antibiotics, and I feel a little better, but my back is still killing me. I feel like I've been run over, and I still have chills. For maybe the second time since I've been here, I cancelled work tomorrow. I still have to teach, have my jazz lesson, and trio rehearsal, but I figured I could at least do without 5 hours at the library. My 19 year old has been quite great through all of this, even sat with me at the waiting room, though I was there about an hour total.

The lesson to be learned: No afterglow is worth basking in, if it's just gonna get you a gorilla's kidney in the long run.