It’s hot here tonight. It’s muggy and hot. Today the daytime temperature in the Genesee Valley and Rochester, New York area exceeded 95F. That’s very warm in Western New York. It may not be global warming but it’s unusual. I went shopping at the Lands End Inlet store adjacent to Market Place Mall in Henrietta, New York. I’m glad my PT Cruiser was artificially cool. I met my son for dinner. We drove over the East View Mall in my car and had a nice dinner at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano. They weren’t too busy and after that we strolled over to the mall for a quick trip to the Apple Store. I wanted to look at the new Mac Book and iMac. Both are impressive and very stylish, but I think I’ll keep my Dell Inspiron with Ubuntu 7.04. It’s just as effective and about $600 less. The Mac has a very lovely interface, but I’d miss the utility of the Ubuntu desktop and the host of free software. With the exception of specialty applications like I-Tunes and Garageband I can’t see any real advantages to the Macintosh and I don’t think they are worth an extra $600.
After dropping my son off at his apartment I stopped at Borders Books near Market Place Mall. Bookstores are a religious experience for me. I looked around and didn’t find anything that really piqued my curiosity so I left empty handed and drove back down Interstate 390 to Geneseo and then over the the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, New York. I got to the Abbey a little late, just prior to 7:00 pm. I did manage to pick up a couple of Monks Brownies. One for me and one for a friend. The brownies are delicious. They are made of dark chocolate brownie mix with brazil nuts and a rich chocolate frosting. I didn’t arrive in time to sit in the chapel so I sat in front of the monastery on a bench near Our Lady of the Genesee. The air had cooled a bit into the high eighties but the humidity was nearly as high. I could see State University of New York at Geneseo through the haze. I enjoyed looking at the huge field of sunflowers directly in front of the monastery property.
I was kind of bummed earlier in the day. I’ve been looking for a different job in the last few months. It’s the first time I’ve really seriously looked elsewhere in years, but I’ve grown tired of the bickering and small mindedness. My current position provides me and our family with security, but I’ve actively been looking for a new venue. There is a lot of contention at my work place. I’m looking for a relatively peaceful place to work where I could do some research. I’ve wanted to work in a contemplative community I think. I really haven’t defined what I’m truly passionate about anymore. I’m just kind of drifting along.
Even the bookstore didn’t excite me the way it normally would. I did wander over to the religious/spiritual section and see a couple of books by the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh and some other Buddhist authors that interested me. I chuckled as I thought of a book about Zen. If you can describe Zen it probably isn’t really Zen or at least that’s the way it seems to me. The bookstore seemed to me a place of questions tonight and I’m not really looking for any more questions. I’m looking for answers or direction.
As I sat on the hill at the Abbey under the scotch pines and peered through the haze across the Genesee River valley the thought of “in his will is our peace.” I have to accept that this is God’s will for me at least for now.
Don,
Sounds like a good trip up. Let me know when you come up again to Rochester or the Abbey. I’d love to meet you down there and walk around. I’m also doing a little job searching myself. best of luck and pray much, God will provide the direction.
It was a good trip. That Lands End store is one of my favorites. It’s worth the drive. I got 5 pairs of very good work slacks for $100. I was able to keep my first communion money intact for one more year. I should have called you. You could have joined us for dinner. I’ll try to remember next time.
Glad You had a good time.
It’s always nice to have some time away from home.