i can't really concentrate on much today

so I've completed this lovely oscar speech slash mad lib. Enjoy, or make your own!

Sara's Acceptance Speech for the Best Series of Special Effects Passing as a Story Oscar:

Thank you! Oh! Thank you! I can hardly breathe! I feel so blessed! And this statue - it's so suspiciously phallic! Oh, thank you again! I just want everyone to read in the tabloids that even in my wildest fits of self-loathing, I never would have fantasized that this could ever validate my mediocrity. And to the other second-rate nominees, I want each of you to know how totally mega-pumped your jealosy makes me feel right now!

You know when they first told me I was n't blonde enough, I just had to take a Xanax and think about how great my fans have been. I guess it all just makes me feel kinda numb

You know, there are so many back-stabbing two-faced harpies to thank! First off though, I want to thank the senile old bats of the Academy, who looked deep within their lint-encrusted navels before giving me this fantastic award! Also, I want to thank Vishnu, for being such a powerful force in my life. And to my sister, who taught me to take life by the fifth of bourbon. And finally, to all the personal assistants I fired - I couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you America, and good night!

dreaming

I had a weird dream last night, which I meant to write down upon waking, but then all this work stuff got in the way, so now I'm doing it. Yes, it IS my last few hours before a 4 day vacation and I'm procrastinating in new and exciting ways.

Okay, so it started the way many of my dreams do, with drunk driving, which is actually a very uncomfortable dream state and is supposed to indicate a lack of control over one's life. I get it when I'm stressed, usually. Anyway, this particular dream, the drunk driving ended fairly quickly, and I ended up at Cornell, yes the University, for some reason. I was attending an information session for my friend Rachel, and I think I was posing as her. Anyway, I ended up filling out an application with my real information and then stressing the entire dream about if I was going to get into Cornell or not.

Throughout this whole strange montage I was fielding cell phone calls from Ed who apparently was rampantly cheating on me, but was being terribly honest and matter-of-fact about it, and I was attempting to break up with him. For some reason this was a tough decision, even while he was recounting the, seriously, like 15 daliances he'd had over the course of our, in dream time, fairly short relationship.

Any thoughts on this one?

diego

diegogael,
originally uploaded by saralyn.

I've just discovered a new blogger, actually another Fish, and she has pretend celebrity boyfriends, a position for which Clive Owen and Blair Underwood are currently fighting to the death.
In homage to Fish, I'd like to present to you, the interwebs, my new pretend celebrity boyfriend. As you may recall, I introduced you to my current PCB, Jon Stewart. Jon is not going anywhere, I just need to supplement with someone a little, well, younger, more energetic, if you will.
So, may I introduce my new PCB, Diego Luna. I've loved Diego since Y Tu Mama Tambien, and I've watched Dirty Dancing Havana Nights like 5 times for him, really. Look how adorable. Yes, I realize most of you are drooling over Gael right now, but my heart stays with Diego. How lovely. Let's everybody ponder Diego and Gael for a few minutes before returning to our normal days.

nerdy fun

This is a macBook switching between 3 operating systems. So cool. (Source:Blurbomat)

ill tell you what i want

what I would like, really, is to spend about a week sitting outside in a very comfortable chair with anything and anyone I want around available to me. I just want to drink wine, and talk to everyone, and have fun, and never really get drunk, and play cards, and have it be about 80 all the time, maybe 70 at night, and just not work, and play guitar and tell stories and just be. but this is what everyone wants, no?

reading

Oh, by the way. Finished reading two books this weekend. Love Walked In, by Marisa de los Santos (thanks to PH's recommendation), and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. I highly recommend both of them. Oh, and if you've read Extremely Loud and.. then you know, what on the last 7 pages or so? I'm haunted and saddened by those images, particularly in reverse, but there is also an eerie calm and acceptance like somehow seeing the images that way makes it all better, and holy shit, that book still broke my heart and I am so not ready for the Oliver Stone movie, that ass.

french to english

ok, so regarding the french, this is what I meant to say. I am exhausted, I stayed up too late last night and it was fun, and I am smiling, but I am tired.

this is what babelfish says I actually managed to write en francais:

I am exhausted. I remained to the top of the night too spent late it was recreation and im smiling but I am thus tired.

sweet. You get the general idea though. "it was recreation". love it.

francais

je suis épuisé. je suis resté vers le haut de la nuit passée trop en retard. elle était amusement et im souriant mais je suis l'ainsi fatigué.

jest checkin in.

hi blog. how ya doin? I don't have shit to say today. It's Friday, so there's that.
what are you doing this weekend interweb?

you're a winner

this just amuses me to no end.

Let's Go Red Sox!

I am a complete dork about the Red Sox. I just love 'em. So when I went to Camden Yards for my FIRST EVER RED SOX GAME last night I was so psyched. Tired, pained by the 1.5 hour drive, but psyched. And then I got there, and I was waiting in line for the ATM, and I hear over the loud speaker that Curt Schilling was pitching, and he is pretty much my favorite pitcher ever (after John Smoltz and Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, I heart the mid-90s Braves pitching staff), ok so maybe my absolute favorite pitcher RIGHT NOW. But still, I did a little happy dance and squealed and he of the bloody sock is pitching and I love it and it was great and we won 6-5.

And the stadium was about 50% BoSox fans, at least. Gotta love DC. I felt very much at home in my favorite hat..

(edit. note) and in other news.... shut up.

in other poltico news

I've got a little theory brewing in my head about the natural state of human nature as it relates to political leaning, basically if you are liberal you accept and love your natural state and if you are conservative you are attempting to curb those natural urges. Its basically a parallel with religion and Catholicism in particular. Conservative Guilt, if you will. Although they seem to have no remorse for some actions, I hardly see guilt there. The whole we can be pro-life and pro-death penalty must be figured out. I just don't get it. I'm working on it. Bascially, just trying to prove that liberals are heathens, haha. No, that's entirely not the point. I'll figure it out.

stereotypes destroyed

this morning on the way to work, stopped at a light, I saw a black SUV with the licence plate "NRA 4LF" and promptly puked a little in my mouth. And then I saw the driver, and it was a young african-american woman. My personal stereotypes on gun-lovers - out the window. Then, weird, about 2 more cars passed and the third was a Jeep with the license plate "US4LIF". Didn't see the driver. Do you think these two are related or do you think the Republican party is trying to send me a message? If only I'd seen "JC4LIF" or "CHOOZLF" on a third car, I could be sure.

uhhuh

what he said

TMI

spastic colon + french dip with horseradish and au jus + fear of pooping in public toilets = quick drive home today for potty break and nap. Yes, I AM that kid from American Pie.

please explain to me if I am missing something

If you are a myspace user, or a friendster user maybe, or just read a lot, or what not, you have probably been exposed to one of these urgent messages to collectively not buy gas on X date so that "the oil companies" will know that they "aren't in control". The most recent one I heard this morning was a discussion on Elliott in the Morning about a myspace bulletin looking to harness the power of the 70-however million users. Okay so then I have a question. What does 70-million people not buying gas on a Tuesday, let's say, actually do? You know what? I don't buy gas on what, let's see:
I buy gas approximately once every 9 days, maybe 10. Let's say 10. There are 365 days in the year. So I buy gas approximately 3 times a month or 36 times a year. Which means I DO NOT buy gas 90% of days. How is me not buying gas on that random Tuesday going to make ANY difference. How is 75 million people not buying gas on that random Tuesday going to make a difference. You know what? I don't need gas today. I must be telling those damn oil companies that I don't need them. But then I'll run out of gas! And I'll have to buy it on Wednesday maybe! Oh no!
Guess what, folks. Not buying gas ONE DAY does not do shit. You want to make a difference? Take the bus or the metro or ride your bike or walk. That's the only thing you could maybe even do, and you should do that anyway for the environment, not to push gas prices down.
Take an economics class. Let's say we, as a population, reduced our demand for gas. Well, what would happen is that gas prices would go down. And then, when we started using it again A LOT because OH ITS SO CHEAP? Its gonna go right back up.
Am I missing something?

actually, wait

you know what? f-you you 80%, I'm totally going to write a story. I used to do it all the time. Old fashioned, with pen and paper, cause it's pretty out and that's a damn good thing to do outside when its pretty. now I just need to find time between work/friends/school/remodeling of house. Fuck.

very unusual and random post

Ever feel like you are about 75-80% great at lots of things but not 100% fan-freaking-tabulous at anything? That's how I'm feeling today. Let's look at some examples:
1) I can write a quick email that's 50-100 times better than anything that pops into my inbox all day long and is also polite, thoroughly informative, and maybe even funny, and entirely appropriate for whatever situation may arise. Its a gift. However, I don't think many blog posts here are of the make you cry/laugh variety, and that's generally what I call good writer. Sucks you in. I don't mean I'm going to write a story about drowning puppies or something to pull a reaction, I just want to be able to make you read it as I hear it, if that makes sense.

2)I've got fabulous hair (its ok, I really do) and pretty feet but I've also got like 15 extra pounds. AND see, I'm usually very self-confident, except for those stupid extra 15 pounds.

Ok, so that's just 2 things, but you know. See, I'm not even 80% great at making my point.

its my birthday, bitches!

and I'm relatively ok with being 28. so far. I'm technically not 28 until 1pm.

there have been a remarkable number of these in the past weeks

but I'm choosing to post and share this one, because 1) its good, and 2) I want to be able to find it again, and 3)its a sobering reality when its all laid out like this.

goin to the chapel

i have a wedding to go to in 2 weeks! that means I finally have license to purchase one of the lovely little dresses available at anthropologie, such as this wee confection!

so happy - oh, yeah, and I'm really happy for my friends who are getting hitched, too!

do tell

internets, please share with me some good things about being 28. I've got 5 more days to pretend I'm still in my mid-twenties.

preach on, Abe.

In February 1848 Rep. Abraham Lincoln explained his opposition to the Mexican War: "Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose -- and you allow him to make war at pleasure [emphasis added]. . . . If, today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, 'I see no probability of the British invading us'; but he will say to you, 'Be silent; I see it, if you don't.' "

apparently..

4/20 is ALWAYS a nice, warm, sunny day.

watch out

I'm fairly sure I'm about to make a change of the four-wheeled variety, even though yes I know I just bought my car, and it may be crazy, although I assure you it's not impulsive. I'll post some pics if and when I go for it on this one.

no, hungover means i was drunk yesterday

my head hurts. five glasses of 8 dollar wine and 1 free shot. whoa. toooooooo old for this crap. on a good note, I stayed in bed for what felt like FOREVER this morning, and still got to work at a perfectly reasonable hour. sweet.

teeheehee

what number sin is greed. or lust. gluttony. envy?

I occasionaly (uhhuh) want things. I am trying to determine which things I want consistently as to not waste money on the fleeting wants. So, I'm making a list.

There is the amazon list

There are the things which amazon cannot bring me. Or just doesn't feel like bringing me.
pretty dishes

a pretty rug or two

some nice simple flatware

and then there's this...

editorial note - it just keeps linking you to the damn pottery barn front page doesnt it, son of a...

cars

I want to buy a Volkswagon Beetle convertible, pref in the 73-79 range. And I can afford it. Technically, I can afford a second car. Its the insurance that is the problem. Insurance on two cars. Not a good idea.

also

listening to ziggy stardust and rock n roll suicide make me feel very pleasant, and sort of drunk, and I picture myself in skinny jeans smoking and drinking whisky and just generally being kate moss like. without the coke, though. coke tends to make people less than laid-back cool. hmm.

Good Friday fun

I've been at work for 45 minutes, and so far I have:
1) read an advice column, thank you Ms. Carolyn Hax
2) spread the gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Rachel didn't know about it! And then I spread the word to Ernie, too.)
3) blogged, obviously.
4) got coffee

Friday and all is well

Week one of my new job comes to a close. Its been an interesting move to say the least - I'm stuck somewhere between seasoned employee and babe in the woods. Same company, different team, different role. So far it has been very good though. Getting to put research and analysis skills to use, and that's my preference.

I'm moved in to the new house, but it is still a construction zone (don't ever even think about putting a "done by" date on your calendar when remodeling is involved). Just found out yesterday that I will be getting new custom cabinets installed in the kitchen, which means that I will have in my kitchen..new floors, new stove, new dishwasher, new paint, new sink, new countertops, and now..new cabinets. So basically the only thing left from the old kitchen is the basic structure. I'm sort of fascinated by this event in my life, and entirely unsure of what to make of it yet.

So, still camping at casa de los parents for now. They are probably at National right now waiting to get on their plane to SF, so this house is all mine (although I must share with 3 cats) until Tuesday. Its been nice but a quiet weekend will be nice as well. Who knows whats on tap for the weekend. I'd like to get started on some decorating, but it may be a waste with the construction. Cable and wireless will be hooked up tomorrow for sure.

Back to work then. A happy Friday =)

oh my damn

my ovaries just (burst).

love and basketball

idiot of all idiots, I've scheduled moving day for April 1. Uh, duh. So now there will be some pleading with the UHaul store to have an earlier reservation so that I can enjoy the game with my new hometown (22030, whut, holler! - haha)

Anywhooo - This has been the most tumultous month like, ever ever. There is upheaval every which way I look, and my feet haven't felt like they are on solid ground for a while. Long while. Everyone says I'm coming across as happier, more together, more engaged, etc. then they've seen for a while - but then this everyone is my family. I don't get it. If drinking until I'm hungover at least once a week, getting to work at 10 everyday, and generally feeling apathetic is together, well then I suppose they are right, right?

Nah, its not all that bad. I've got great friends, and I love them so much. I really do miss the excitement and joy that comes with a relationship, but I don't miss drama. I would welcome meeting somebody new and amazing, but we all know you can't force it or even admit it to anyone but yourself if you really want that to happen. Its back to concentrate on me time. I really don't give a shit if its selfish - my family, my home, my health, my work, and my pets and the only things that are going to get attention for a little while. The reason some things don't work is that I let everything go to deal with them. I shouldn't have to let everything go to make time to deal.

So, am I together? Sure. I've got a new job starting this coming Monday, and when I wake up to start my new job, it will be in a new house. I'm taking 4 classes and maintaining about 45 hours a week here. My apartment is covered in cardboard boxes, and is slowly disappearing, piece by piece, into those boxes. I try to quit smoking every third day, approximately, and one day it will stick, it will! Its officially spring and before I know it I'll be jogging around my new neighborhood on a 75 degree morning.

The huge gaping relationship hole? Yeah, that's starting to bother me. As the 28th year looms large on the horizon (something like 40 days from now). As a pass that milestone, I pass the marriage mark of my sister. If that doesn't make sense, you aint a girl. My parents got married at 20, so I've never bothered with that one. But when your big sister dates a guy for 5 years before marrying him at age 28, and you are single and age 28, then, well. that's sucks big nuts.

Just saying.

go patriots!

ok, so i dropped 3 out of 4 games tonight, but the important one is won. GMU will face a UConn that just went through a helluva game. GMU v UConn. never woulda thought. Sunday, sunday, sunday! watch it..

its all i talk about somehow.

George Mason is in the Elite 8. And so is Villanova (goal tending, uhhuh, ok, whatever, it was but ew). Now, I will watch U-dub/uConn and Florida/Gtown. What do I want to happen, you ask? Well, I already saw JJ Reddick cry (ok, I felt bad for him), so some dreams have come true (no, i dont mean it). I want a subway series of Wash DC bball. I want to feel this city on its feet. I want UDub to win, and then I want Mason to beat them. I want Gtown to win, and then I want Nova to lose. I want the one seeds to lose because I only love the one seeds if they are from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I want Fairfax to be a basketball town. I want Mason to play Gtown in the Final Four. I. love. this. game.

I love that my life is fuckity in so many ways, so great and exciting in others, and that I can forget all that and care about a bunch of kids on a court 3, 500, 1000, or 3000 miles away. I kinda wish I was at MCI.

i suck

before you tell me, YES I KNOW I FAST FORWARDED TO THE ELITE 8 GAMES.

sorry bout that.

smiles

Holy oh my god! George Mason just knocked UNC out of the tournament! Which means they will be playing either UConn or Kentucky at the MCI Center!

BBALL, Just don't read it if you don't care.

In other excting NCAA news, GMU and UK both won tonight. My alma mater beat Michigan State! Whoo! On the flip side, UConn pulled that game out. So does this mean they will be pumped for the UK game or worn out? Worn out! Worn out! Come on, cheer with me. UK UK UK UK! Is it so much to ask that there be a UK game at MCI? Plllllleeeeeeease?

slainte - did I even spell that right?

happy st patty's day! I am officially lame and old. Its midnight on March 17th, and I've already been out, and come home. Just wasn't feeling the Hill party I ended up at tonight. I coulda stayed, but my girl wasn't feeling well. She and the hubby and I left, leaving our 23 y.o. friends to get c-razy. Ah, the st. pattys. I'm in my green t-shirt, the tiara's been hung up with the shamrock beads, and I'm happy at home with Will & Grace. Old, I tell ya. Old.

a little more of this bball thing

So UK pulls UAB as their first game, and then...they will need to face UConn unless there is a MAJOR upset. Sigh. However, if they get past UConn I will potentially see the Sweet 16 game at MCI Center (actually its Verizon center now, guys), given a bit of luck, with UK facing Illinois or Wash, if I'm placing my bets. If the heavens open and God smiles open me, there will be a GMU v UK elite eight game at MCI. Now I'm just crazy-talking. Its UConn for shits sake.

mood = bad

I'm such a fucking consumer, I am, I am. I hate that I feel the need to buy new sunglasses just cause its a nice day. yet, that is what I did today. I went from work to that fucking horrible evil mall across the street and dropped my money on sunglasses. I hate traffic, I work for a company that makes its money from the fact that our defense and natl security budget is so huge, yet we still can't seem to properly equip troops in this godforsaken war in which the government still insists "hostilities ended" like 3 years ago, I love DC proper but I hate every single part of Fairfax County right now with a passion, and I'm not a huge fan of Arlington right now either. I hate that I'm stuck here until 2007 but I know I need that time to properly prepare to make a huge move, and yes, it is going to be huge. I'm in a MOOD right now, can you tell? and its because I've made myself a nice little life thats great and comfortable enough but not at all what I want for myself. My family is here and that is irreplaceable, so I will spend my time improving myself and being with them and not wasting it with meaningless crap. Yeah. I have no inspiration from my surroundings and that makes me sad.

this old house

I finally saw the inside of my new house yesterday. Yes, I realize that this is strange, but its a strange situation. My grandparents, both my father's mother and father, passed away in the Fall of 2004, leaving my dad and his brother with inheritance that included 6 houses, 4 of which are within 15 miles of DC. One of these is the house my father grew up in, the house where he lived when he met my mother in 8th grade, the house they went to after school when they were dating in high school, and this house is now occupied by my sister, her husband, and their two adorable kitties. I think that is so heartbreakingly perfect, its amazing.
2 other houses are town houses in Burke, which is where I lived from ages 8-21. Burke is many things, but convenient to anything it is not. We've all grown out of Burke, I think.

The last local house is my new home. It is a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom two story house and it is ridiculously huge for me and my 2 little cats. When I saw the inside yesterday, it shocked me, in a couple of ways. First, it looks to have been built or at least seriously renovated in a very unfortunate period of the 1970s, style wise. There is an abundance of parquet, which makes NO SENSE because much of the house is hardwood. If they put parquet OVER the hardwood I will laugh and cry and roll around on the floor. The kitchen is a mess, I mean it just needs to be completely overhauled but it is HUGE. I love big kitchens. Each of the bathrooms comes with its own brand of ugly ass missmatched tiling, included the one that takes the show. The sink and surronding cabinet in the main guest bathroom is white, with silver and gold sparkles and stars all over it. Its, its, well there are no words.

The bedrooms are lovely, two at 11X12 feet, and one at 9X9, all hardwood, one with bathroom, all have natural light. The closets are horrid, but you know. Apparently people didnt care about VOLUME of clothes over quality until very recently.

The basement makes me feel like I'm in the ecstacy seen of Garden State. Wood paneling. Huge open spaces. So much storage I could put my whole studio in the storage room. Another bathroom. A bedroom down there too that is crazy big.

And then...the backyard. Or Sara National State Park, as it should be called, because it goes on forever. There is a nice stone laid patio, and then it turns to grass and keeps going and going, pass the hammock on one side (love it) until you hit a stream. Yes, there is a babbling brook IN MY YARD. and then it keeps going.

It is truly amazing. The upstairs dining/living area will be my masterpiece. Its got carpet right now, but we suspect hardwood underneath, so that carpet is old news like yesterday. There are 4 floor to ceiling windows that turn out on the bottom pane, to allow fresh air and breeze to come through.

Picture this..Gleaming white walls and light hardwood floors, slightly worn with age. In the middle of this expanse, we have two simple olive couches surrrounding a low, round, dark wood table. elegant matching side tables corner out the couches and on each end, creating an L shape line.

Yeah, I keep doing that with every room in the house, and in reality - I can do that living room, but then I will be completely tapped for a while, financially. And that's what worries me about this house. The potential, and the knowledge that I will not be able to fix and design everything at the pace that I would like to. Beyond the money, renovating a house takes time, and it is not a solo project. I'm not sure this house is for a single woman. I mean, the gardening alone is going to take all day every Sunday all summer, which is GREAT, but a little anxiety inducing as well.

I refuse to sit in this house and let its potential go to waste. As I told my mom last night, this will be a grown up house. There will be no makeshift cinderblock shelves and/or seating. There will be no futons. There will be no anything that you would see in the house of a 22 year old boy. Except there will be beer. But it will be good beer, in bottles, chilling on the back porch in a metal tub of ice, and served in glasses if you want them because I AM A GROWN UP. And the lawn furniture will be matching and tasteful and not plastic.

I won't move in until April 1, and there will be some renovations prior to that, most notably a fresh coat of paint and a new kitchen floor and counters. But our property manager put a lock box on the door and I have the combo and I am already tempted to go and sit and feel the house some more. I'm worried that I won't be able to sleep with all that space to worry about, all those doors to break into. That the house will make strange noises and I won't feel safe. I'm moving up in the world, neighborhood wise, but I have a feeling I will be more concerned for my safety. Beyond that, I just want to see if I can make it feel like home. Just me rattling around in there will be very strange, but I'm not sure that I want roommates either. What about the fact that I will be furnishing a house of that size, knowing full well that I will likely move back into apartment life in another city and some point - I mean, if I buy this house from my parents, it won't be for a few years. Did I say I wanted to settle in Fairfax? I think I said staying here my whole life would be a tragedy - yup, that was me, it was. And it would be. I need sun and ocean to really breath, I do. And I also need a city. So, really, when you think about it, I NEED San Francisco.

See, I've got house issues. What's a girl to do?

productivity set in

and its terminal, im afraid.

anyway - stuck head above water long enough to check up on that SEC opener. and...yes, this is now officially the blog of the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball everything by Sara...I think we have a winner in the Wildcats today. Thank heavens.

Okay, in all seriousness, ya'll don't want to read this crap, do you? So, I promise, no more bball posting until 1) UK wins the SEC tourney or 2) UK or GMU wins the whole damn thing, or like, JJ Reddick renounces his Blue Devilism and professes his undying love for all things Kentucky.

surprisingly long time

how long. can i. do. absolutely. nothing. and still. look. productive?

just call me dick vitale

real time blogging...

oh please oh please miss the damn freethrow fuck he made it shit.

and then the ball is in the crowd.

i love dean.

this game sucks.

f'in free throws again.

fuck #1.

missed it.

2!

3 point game with 0.9

bitches.

foul. gotta miss 2 again. do it

.9 enough for a cross court shot? hmm, thinking ahead

short guy.. damn. made it.

damn made anohter. over but fun.

pittsburgh's an ugly city anyway.

Kentucky game tomorrow.

oh, Mr. Stewart!!!

george1,
originally uploaded by saralyn.

This is my boyfriend, Jon S. Don't tell his wife.

thoughts on the everpresent heavy

I haven't been like this since I was 17. The feelings are old and familiar, like what I imagine it would feel like to sit in my old station wagon again. A lot of unanswered questions, frustrations, inability to reach and find you, wondering. Then it was innocent but it felt as heavy as the world on my shoulders. Now it feels heavy like that and it is. Im moved to write in my journal, which you've read, you know, but now I post my journal here and it is exposing everything, yet absolutely nothing at all. Life is beautiful, an adventure. I don't know what it will be without you holding my hand, and I go to sleep every night thinking I. don't. want. to. know. The lump sits in my throat, like now, so frequently lately. Do I listen to the lump, does it matter if I do, do I swallow it down, do I push through, if it feels so wrong can it be right, how long do love songs all seem to be about it, about us. Life is bigger than this. When did we get stuck on this and how do we do anything else? Life is bigger than this. Our life, or our lives. One or two. They will be huge without this but imagine it with. Circular logic will be the end of me.

with sugar on top

favor to ask, internets.
would someone please remind me to turn on the dang TV at 2pm on Saturday? Cause Louisville is playing UConn and my strategy of NOT watching to make them win is NOT HELPING so I am watching in a last ditch effort into the conference tourney.
And, we all know that during the UK/UL game in December I was like, hungover, comatose, just plain stupid, and was probably sitting on the couch watching the TBS weekend movie marathon instead of like, ohhhh, that game I would pay like 5000 dollars to see live? that's on? oh nooooo, i want to watch Fools Rush In!

Whatever. So yeah, please remind me if you think to.

yet Im still happy. this is nothing, right?

Hi there blog. Little lonely blog. Sorry I've been neglecting you. Today is March 1, 2006. By April 1, 2006 I will have - moved. been to South Carolina. possibly been to Vegas. started my new position. been to 5 full days of various trainings. learned a whole new candidate profile and hopefully successfully recruited some candidates. done countless hours of homework and taken 3 midterms and a final, celebrated 4 family birthdays (and one cat). Talked with a psychologist willingly (like whoa). Painted new home.
There. That's the planned stuff. That's a lot of planned stuff. I like the unplanned. So, between the planned listed above and the unplanned, well - blogging may happen occasionally. We shall see.

HAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA http://www.thefrown.com/frowners/becomerepublican.swf HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

time time time

you know how when you go back to things you knew as a child, they can seem surprisingly small (like the drainer thing, yellow, my mother has used for macaroni since the dawn of time), or suddenly not scary (like the huge, loud fountain at cloverleaf mall in c-ville), or just rather unexiting (like the slide at the pool where I learned to swim in Petersburg). Well color me stupid, I didn't know it happened to people! I carried a silly little crush around for YEARS until last night, when it all went kaplooey. Which is good, i suppose, or would have been, had I not been super drunk. The crush got kinda chubby and he doesnt have a job and generally just reeks of loser, which I think I said to his face at some point. Golly, I'm so nice.

feb 20th is the day

the bloggy b-day. Feb 20th. 1 full year, one time around, 365 days, its hardly changed, its changed completely. Barely anyone reads this little spot on the internets, but i don't mind. its my little place to relay the funny things that come into my head, and the good things, and the bad, although you hardly know any of the bad, internets. hardly. i smile because I've done something consistently for a whole year =)

music is it

"exit music"...radiohead....still, continuously, since the very first time it touched my ears...the most esquisite, delicate, violent, amazing, incredible piece of music I've ever heard. touches a chord deep deep inside and draws tears almost every time. i can hardly believe this beautiful creation came from a person. this is what music does to me. the epitome of it.

the madness approaches.

I'm so mad at basketball right now. Louisville is 11th in their conference, Kentucky is 3rd (with a 5-5 record, ew) in theirs. So what am I going to do come March you say? Damn good question. Keep my fingers crossed until then, #1. Then I have some (limited) options for generating some kind of cheering capability. First, hometown team GW is undefeated in their conference, having dropped only 1 game overall. But really, there is so minor a connection there, entirely geographical, don't know if that will cut it. I may possibly be disowned for the following statement, but I can say, if limited to only this season, F the ACC. I will root for any ACC team besides...ahem....Clemson, Miami, UNC, or Duke. As you can see, my options are limited there as well. However, UVA wahoowa for life and all that jazz. I still represent. I could arguably get behind Villanova pre 2005-06 season. Now, oops sorry, in the same conference as U of L? Yeah, no love for you. My alma mater, GMU, is #1 in their conference (the colonial athletic association) but, yeah, we know thats not happening. Memphis from Conf USA? Yeah, I been to Memphis, you guys really don't like people from Louisville, do you? Well I do. No, before you ask, I'm not rooting for Florida or Tennessee or Georgia, well maybe Georgia, but only if you make me.

I am left with Pac 10 as a viable option. Well, nope, sorry, but I'm from the East Coast. I dig SF and all, but its just wrong when it comes down to basketball.

Ah...here we are...I could go snooty on ya'll, Ivy League style. Princeton perhaps. Penn more likely.

Ok, ok. We all know I'm lying. I'm gonna watch no matter what comes. But if I have to wait another year to get all up in a tizzy about one of my teams, ya'll...I don't know if I can do it.

st. valentine has brought snow!

After a winter full of 60 degree days (so not complaining) it has finally managed to snow! Real snow! I havent measured but 8 inches or more? Enough to cover the cat up to her chin which is freaking hilarious - and she loves it. The other cat is scared, but then again, she's scared of everything, so you know, thems tha breaks. So now I'm going to tromp on over to the 7-11 and get me some snow supplies, mainly..hot chocolate. I had the opportunity to go to a party last night, basically willingly getting trapped in a house with first drunk, then hungover people for several hours/days. Im doubting my decision not to go a little now, cause I bet they are sledding. Actually, its 10 am, I bet they are sleeping. But they will be sledding soon. OH WELL.
In other news, I've had Hey Jude in my head since Friday night. Perhaps it will go away no that I've given it the attention it has been fighting for. See, song stuck in my head, I've gone and published your good name. Now go away and bother someone else.

two thousand zero zero

While driving to work today, I was thinking about yesterday's post. Specifically the party like its 1999 part. I realized, happily, that that statement will ALWAYS have meaning for me. Years will go by, Prince will fade into history (if he can ever manage to get older, did you SEE him on SNL last week?!)and generations of people to come will never get the full reference. But it will always mean something for me, you see, because I was born in 1978. Therefore, 1999 was the year I turned 21. And yes, oh yes, I did party.

omgomgomg

item number 2 on to do list...
party like its 1999 cause I just got offered a position that is better than anything I could have ever dreamed up for myself. I have a new home and a new job, and a new car, and well, Oh, I just sneezed and got snot on the desk yuck, but who cares cause life...is....beautiful...tralala.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

movin on uh-uup! to the east side...

There are major major developments at work. M-A-J-O-R. Very good things. Very daunting things. Very fun things. May be in a position to actually put words in print soon, do not want to jinx myself. In other news, came to the realization today that I am not presenting as a fine-tuned machine, physically wise and otherwise. I'm on a high, for many reasons. Item one...I like 2 TV shows enough to commit an entire hour to watching them. First order of business? Watch those two shows, and only those two shows, every week, and find better things to do with the rest of my time.

its a little bit sad

I've mentioned Jerry Springer in the last two posts. Who knew he was such an important part of my life? Haha. Make that three in a row. And you will NEVER SEE IT AGAIN. unless i get bored and make fun of myself by referencing one of the aforementioned posts sometimes in the future.

dream dream dream

On three seperate occasions this week I've dreamt of my parents becoming embattled in a nasty divorce, and woken up actually physically crying. My parents have been married for almost 40 years (next year) and there has been no chance of even a trial seperation since about 1986. So I'm really thinking this is not a dream to be literally interpreted. This is what dream dictionary. com has to say...

Parents
To dream of your parents could be quite an involved thing and must be sorted out by consulting the rest of your dream. By and large the dream of a father is a dream symbol of authority which this parent has held over you, it could also represent power, or strength, or discipline. A dream of a mother is usually a dream that foretells a happy conclusion concerning a love interest as a mother represents love, protection, and nourishment of the body or the spirit. If a deceased parent speaks to you in a dream you will have some very good luck. Unfortunately to dream of parents in law you will soon become involved in an embarrassing situation.

Divorce (court)
A dream of a divorce, whether you are in a courtroom or not, is a warning that you must change your ways and learn to compromise rather then demand, or your marriage is in danger of divorce. A single life of frustration is that of a woman who dreams of a divorce because of cheating lovers.

This does not help very much. Attempting to meld these thoughts to fit "parents divorcing" makes no freakin sense. Perhaps Jerry Springer is on in the middle of the night and when I fall asleep with the TV on it just gets all up in my subconscious.

state of the blah

two things:
1) This president has officially rendered me unable to watch the state of the union address. I think this is the first one I will miss since 1990 or so. I just can't watch or listen to him. I am the type of person who hates The Bachelor, American Idol, Jerry Springer, anything really, where I feel not amused but embarrassed for people. I hate to use such heinous crap to illustrate my feelings toward this particular broadcast, but its the best way to express the uncomfortable feeling I get when watching Bush speak. I may once have enjoyed poking fun at this president, but now I feel no joy, just something between apathy and disgust. Sigh.

2) Apparently, someone in California felt the need to keep the phrase "going postal" alive and well. Such a sad story.

Something fun should happen now. Like happy hour and pizza for lunch. Oh wait, yeah, that's already happening. Small smile.

travelin'

I am very excited, because..I'm goin to Miami (Beinvenidos a Miami!) in late February (just when a few days in a bikini on the beach will surely save me from DC cold weather depression).
And....I'm goin to Las Vegas on March 9th.
And....well, thats it.

todays horoscope

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You immerse yourself in the business of making a goal come to life. An illusion of yours is cracked in the process, if not shattered. That's the cost of experience.

geez, im a little scared now. that's some heavy stuff.

cafe

I am currently drinking the best cup of coffee i've ever had outside of a coffee shop or ernie's office (he of the espresso machine). I treated myself to a senseo pod 2-cup coffee maker, and it is love-er-ly. I even bought some Milanos to have with my first cup, but the coffee is so good, i dont need one.
I also got an air purifier today, something i've needed, almost literally (oxymoron?) forever.
I figure the 40 bucks for the coffee maker and 40 for the purifier are well spent, because know I don't need starbucks and maybe I wont have an asthma attack, either.
HAPPY FRIDAY!

i hate it when this happens

belle and sebastian & the new pornographers at the 930 club sold out dammit dammit dammit! If any of you internet denizens have tix that you want to share, please do tell.
update: and dammit more they are playing in Louisville at the Brown Theater on 3/9 and its NOT SOLD OUT but I cant go to Lou just for a show....or can i? and I could stay at the Brown...and bring friends...and show them around Lou.....hmmmm, ponder ponder.
update #2): yeah, so theyre playing in LA later in March...so, go see the show, visit LA friends, weekend in Mammoth...sounds like a better plan. Lou is old news =)

mi casa

rachel and I had some time to kill yesterday on the way to watch football at sabrina's, so we took a little journey over to see my new house. Its so freaking cute I want to pinch its little cheeks, although noone's been doin any gardening for at least a few years. Its a mini-version of a house I lived in, on two seperate occasions, for a few years in my early/mid twenties. I love it, and I haven't even seen the inside yet. Its got a carport and a big ole climbing tree in the front yard and a good sized back yard. it is way back deep in a neighborhood, but still close to such luxuries as Borders and various restaurants. Not too bad of a commute, maybe...that one will be trial and error for a bit. there are endless possibilties. Now, I just have to be good and do a little packing every weekend, so as not to go insane and all when I try to move right around midterm time. Oh, yeah, and I'm taking four classes instead of my usual 2, because I'm crazy, apparently.

make me a man who...

such lists are ill-advised, I know, but still..fun.

sara's perfect man requirements (in no particular order):

1) well-read
2) loves power ballads as much as he loves modest mouse
3) an appreciation of truly great food
4) sense of humor that meshes well with mine
5) tall
6) dark hair
7) green or blue eyes
8) inquisitive
9) able to party like a rock star when warrented
10) also able to have a quiet night at home when warrented
11) great kisser
12) makes me think about sex all the time
13) caring and kind

ill work on this some more...

sickypants

my doctor just very nonchalantly told me I have a virus that is lasting, oh, a few weeks. wtf? and that I should take 800 milligrams of ibuprofen a day - is that a lot? no, guess not, my nyquil has 500 milligrams of acetimenophen in a "Serving" if you will. of course, doctor made this diagnosis without even setting eyes on me, which means to me that maybe I need a new doctor, cause my self-diagnosis is strep. but then, I don't have one of those MD degree thingies. But she really called me, asked me 4 questions, and then said, treat the symptoms, itll be over in a few weeks. Hellllllo I've already missed 2 days of work a few weeks at this intensity is not acceptable.

See also the post "Saturday Night Fever" for the root cause of my virus.

Its not a state, not a city, its a freakin district, ok?

my long stated assertion that DC is not cool is being challenged. perhaps it is I that is not cool. Perhaps I am, after all, the suburbanite that I so deride. I mean, I did grow up in a place called Burke Centre (yes, with Centre spelled like that, which is such shit). How did I grow into such a cityphile?
anyway, DCist, which can be found here, is starting to open my eyes a bit. The district is cool, people. Northern VA is decidely NOT. however, both areas continue to win awards for relative level of pretention.

rant

seriously, what is the point of even having a web-based application to track all interview and hiring activity if the information pulled from said app is not accurate. really, how hard is it to have the app pull from the date entered on the little pop up calendar for any particular action, NOT THE DATE THAT THE INFORMATION WAS ACTUALLY ENTERED? it pulls everything based on date entered. So, when people who need to know need reports, guess what I get to do? go through every little transaction to pull the actual date for the transaction. this is 1) a waste of my time, 2) a waste of company money, 3) not fun at all, and 4) freaking ridiculous.
but little analysis freak that I am, I CANNOT LET IT BE INNACURRATE. perhaps this is my own fault, this failure. perhaps people DONT REALLY CARE. but I support economists and statisticians, they like to know about the numbers behind the powerpoint. I can't just make that shit up. SIGH.

saturday night fever

fun things about being single:
1) you can make out with all your friends and noone is gonna give you shit about it.

bad things about being single:
1) see above

lesson learned: alcohol is BAD, ya'll.

its chaotic yo.

sweet, dude, I'm totally myspace friends with k-fed. too bad that song of his makes my ears bleed.

better than hangovers by far

better than absolutely everything else about January 1st is.... Dave Barry's annual Year in Review in the Washington Post Magazine.

c-a-r-d-s!

any true sports fan knows the pain of being, seemingly, a big fat jinx to their chosen team. cards fans, i'm sorry, but it was my cheering, my hand wringing, my cringing, my fist pumping, that caused, undoubtedly, both bryan brohm's previous injury and hunter cantwell's beating to a pulp today. i've never wanted va tech to lose more, and i've never wanted louisville (football that is) to win more. except maybe that miami game, where they also lost in a heartbreaking fashion. i promise i won't watch anymore. go cards! i can't promise not to watch college bball though, sorry, can't. but ill try to root for UK. probably to no avail. boo hoo.

i get overly excited, kinda like a puppy.

new strokes album drops on the 3rd! just ask how excited I am. I'm so excited.
I was going to pre-order via internet, but honestly, I think this one deserves an ole midnight on the 2nd at Tower. yay!

wow

strange twist of fate..my dad just called, appears they have decided to rent me one of their houses (not condo nor apartment, house) in Fairfax City for ridiculously reasonable rent. so, yeah. i have to buy a lawnmower. and a lot more furniture. Its 3 BR, unfinished basement, deck, yard, carport, the whole shebang. built in the 40s or 50s so its cute too. sweet.

I know its not MY old kentucky home but i still want it to be

I like to state things in this forum occasionally with no real background info. Like this...
If, whenever it may be that I meet someone boyfriend worthy who also finds me girlfriend worthy, and, such a relationship ensues, and I still want to move to Louisville as bad as I do today when I stumble across the most perfect house for rent ever in the Highlands (okay, stumble may be a strong word, I look at the Craigslist listings for Louisville, San Francisco, Boston, and a couple of other random cities with fair frequency), if I still want to move back there when I have the clarity of time and of other, you knows, I am doing it! because I'm really tired of describing my perfect house and neighborhood and knowing exactly where it is but also that I don't live there anymore, its entirely unreasonable for me to just up and move, but so what, but really! and also they don't really have any jobs there.

Really the best thing for all of us would be for me to meet a boy from Louisville who is here, get to know his you know and all, and then it totally won't be hard for me to convince him to move back. Life plan. Easy peasy.

Thanks for listening.

tuesdays are usually pretty ok.

i really need to make a mental note...or a virtual note, really, I'm adding it to my 2006 Outlook calendar...TAKE THIS WEEK OFF NEXT YEAR. I am so bored I could cry, but instead I'm reading gothamist.com and perusing resumes, of which there are no new ones because if you wanted a new job why would you post it on Dec 26 you know?
But I had yesterday off and I have Friday off and I didn't come in today til eleven, so I'm not REALLY complaining. other than to myself. I always say I will work this week because 1) its a really easy week, why miss it and 2) I like to take big vacays in May and 3) my family is all here locally anyway. but Im sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not doing anything. obviously, look, im basically talking to myself in this forum. send me your resume if you want a job in DC. that'll give me something to read at least.

and if you have 5 seconds to spare...

ill tell you the story of my life. excellent name for a blog btw. must've been done. to many smiths fans out there for it not to have been.

p.s. my bro-in-law got me sweet headphones for xmas, hence the very close listening to of many of my favorite songs at 314am. go figah. i also got...good stuff, im too tired to list.

my favoritist

"i heard there was a secret code the day they played and it pleased the lord but you don't really care for music do you?
when it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing halelujah"

"your faith was strong but you needed proof, and you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you and she tied you to her kitchen chair, and she broke your throne and she cut your hair, and from your lips you drew the halelujah"

"well baby ive been here before, ive seen this room and ive walked this floor, you know i used to live alone before i knew you. and ive seen your flag on the marble arch and love is not a victory march its a cold and its a broken halelujah"

"well there was a time when you let me know whats really going on below, but now you never show that to me do you? but remember when i moved in you and the holy dove was moving too and every breath we drew was halelujah"

"maybe there is a God above but all ive ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you. and its not a cry that you hear at night its not somebody whos seen the light its a cold and its a broken halelujah"

im afraid im such a dork that

while driving today, stuck in horrid mall traffic, i started looking a letters on license plates and off my mind went into wondering why letters are the way they are. shouldn't E, arguably an oft-used letter, be simple? I mean, other vowels, like I, O, and U, are very simple. what's up with A and E? so, in my dorkiness, I've purchased and am reading the following:

Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet from A to Z by
David Sacks

I'll let you know why when I do.

and its my 20th year in No Virginia - oh my!

it's not new years yet, but I can still reflect, can I not? This year has been very strange. I rang in the new year in love, warm, joyful, a little drunk, and in tennessee (memphis, to be exact). At midnight on jan 1 2005 I was in the street on beale, dancing to an amazing street musicians cigar box guitar version of war pigs with a 24 ounce beer in a plastic cup in one hand and my beloved's waist in the other, while fireworks burst overhead. One hour back from east coast time, I hadnt changed my watch and the year sort of snuck up on me.

Fast forward to February 7..and while it does say something none to positive that I still know that date..when I had the sanest breakup I have ever had, if you take away the whole 600 mile distance and phone thing. I did then and have now a whole lot of respect and warm feeling for you, ex boyfriend.

I started this blog in the first weeks after that breakup, which sort of threw me for a loop. Although it wasnt as hard as its been in the past, whether that is due to his respect and care for my broken heart or the distance and absence I had become used to.

I went on dates this year, flirted a bit here and there, the stray kiss here and there.. but i haven't yet really had enthusiasm for dating again until very recently. Which makes me an asshole to you, who I hurt when I tried too soon, and Im so sorry and wish I could do a do-over. But while regrets are important, I can't live by them. Now I do think I may be ready again. So I am excited at the prospect of what may come for me in that area.

I'm also damn excited for what may come for me in all other areas. Things I have in my calendar so far for 2006 - New condo on March 1, trip to Italy and France in late March. I'm not sure where work will fit in with the March schedule, but you have to admit, that is an impressive start on the year.

I've made new more friends in this past year than I have for a long time. It feels great and I am happy. I'm looking forward to spending even more time with my parents with each coming year. I'm looking foward to next summer at the beach in NC at our new beach house. I'm looking forward to gaining some clarity on what I want to do with my career - I think its starting to come into focus.

I'm really just looking forward to continuing to come into my own. To grow into myself. I spent last new years eve happy in a couple. I'll spend this one joyously, completely, me.

happy holidays to you

day four of the pointless week:

on last Friday, upon receiving emails from the Madrid and Paris offices regarding their closure from Mon, Dec 19th through Tues, Jan 3rd, I thought....humph. Not only do the Europeans get better work hours and longer lunches, they are generally more relaxed about this whole..lets work right through Christmas thing. The AMERICAN office, however...of which there are many many, but I work at the HQ, is closed only on Monday 12/26 and Monday 1/2, and I think there was some resistance for that plan, too.
But lets face it. Monday was really the last functional day this week. Everybody is sort of collectively shrugging their shoulders at this point. Ain't nothin happenin between today (maybe yesterday) and January 3rd. Why am I here? Why did I do laundry to get dressed to come here? If I lived in NY, and I did not have access to public transportation today, I sure as hell would say...you know what? Its December 22nd people, I aint doin it. I will work from home.
Americans celebrate Christmas as we do any other holiday...by working until the last possible second, taking a concession that gosh, I guess we have to not work on the 25th, all the while scrambling about in their search to spend spend spend and ultimately, stress stress stress. I work across the street from something like Americas 3rd busiest mall. Kinda makes me want to rip my hair out when it takes 45 minutes to move 2 miles, as it has every evening for the last 1.5 weeks.

Why why why do we torture ourselves? You can't enjoy Christmas like this. That is why, although I have no plans tomorrow and have finished my shopping, I ain't comin to work tomorrow. I aint doin it. So there, corporate america, I'm taking back 8 hours hahaha freakin ha.

I sound bitter, I know, and I'm actually not. But really. I need a day to decompress before I can enjoy Christmas, and you probably do too. I know I will never regain the wonder that Christmas once provided..Christmas from the eyes of a child is one of life's most amazing things. Although possibly greed driven. But even greed driven wonder can be sweet. I still get teary eyed at midnight christmas eve services when I go, and Im not religious..its more of a re-connecting to my childhood thing. Go to church, Dad reads the Night Before Christmas, leave cookies and milk for Santa.

Of course, Santa is now lactose intolerant and on Atkins, but things do change. For the last two years I woke up alone on Christmas morning at my house...and then drove to my parents. Which lacks the pad downstairs in my pajamas feel, but is also quite nice. When Christmas is over now I feel not necessarily full of joy but certainly more joyful.

So Merry Christmas, internet, and all of your denizens. Happy Hanukkah too. Try not to be jaded and try not to stress and just sit and listen to the world on Christmas morning with a warm cup of tea and your mom and sister...its quite lovely

Just wait til you hear what I think about New Years ;)

oh its so good

funniest post i've read in a while from the first blog I ever read all the way through. I too had one of those BR safari shirts...we all did, you know you did. Them and the Hypercolors, and the Vuarnets and Vision Streetwear.

My excuse for this is that I woke up at 530.

I am feeling awful proud this morning. I pulled off what you might call a "hat trick" or a "holy shit she's good" in the recruiting world. If you live in DC, you probably realize what a cluster-f the morning commute could have been today because OMG, there's about an inch of snow. If you live in New York or Boston, well, damn I feel for you, have fun with those 12 inches you get today. Everyone else..it's freaking cold, I know, it sucks.

Ok, so ANYWAY. I had 5 candidates scheduled between 815am and now. 9am. I gave all those fuckers my cell phone number. And all the interviewers. And the recruiters. I was going to be Ma Bell this morning with all the calls I should have gotten. But...I planned, so carefully, because I'm awesome, that everyone new what to do and only 4 people called, like I said, because I'm awesome. I now I totally get to go home early cause I got here at 7:30am and so what if I have finals tomorrow and haven't studied because I feel very important right now.

2K

2000 hits today. That's 2000 hits in approximately..10 months + a little. so 200 a month, give or take. so.. 6 a day. Maybe 2 of those are me. Maybe more. Anyway, apparently somebody besides me is reading this. I am acutely aware of certain people that DO read it, and it makes me sensor myself, but I suppose that is what I agreed to when sharing my identity. I like this little home on the internet.

christmas and other type shopping

I just got my sister and brother in law their christmas presents and I am pscyhed! P-S-Y-C-H-E-D! I unfortunately cannot reveal my genius in choosing these gifts because one day I will give my sister the url for this site that she keeps asking for, and it may actually happen prior to December 25th. But trust, tis good.
Not-too-terribly interesting facts learned yesterday:
1) The Urban Outfitters at Tysons cannot hold a candle to the Georgetown one.
2) Banana Republic Petites pants are a bit short for me, which is ridiculous (I'm 5'2")
3) Gordon Biersch makes yummy garlic fries
4) I sometimes am capable of making rational shopping decisions

work makes me happy - for real, i swear

i love it when the person i am screening for a certain position is working on the same project but not within the field of her true passion because her firm is not bidding on that portion but oh! we are! and we want to hire you to win it! and work on it! and when we uncover this wonderful coincidence we both make little squeals of joy that we have a winner! sometimes being a recruiter is fun.

grateful and more grateful

part one..for things that I am thankful.
my dear, warm, funny, smart, engaging, beautiful, stressed out, family.
husbands who go pick up grandmothers when the rest of us are fighting over sweet potatos. brody the dog who I got to walk in the snow in the mountains past the horses and the smoking chimneys. friends, new and old. my twin fighting ninja kitties. fireplaces. big screen tvs with football surrounded by two generations of the family men. good books. actual houses with driveways that I may soon be a proud owner of.

part two..new traditions.
i've decided to start a tradition of traveling each year on my birthday. when I was 26, I went to Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. Last year, at 27, I went to San Francisco...and then to the Derby yet again. A blissful 12 days away from work. Sigh. This year, Im leaning toward California again, but I'm also leaning toward...Seattle, Boston, Jackson Hole, Italy, Greece, Spain, Sweden and...well, yeah, some others. Also considering a three week cross country extravaganza, but I have a sneaking suspiscion that will wait for 29. But that won't stop me from starting to map that trip now.

musically crushing

i like the subways. listen to 'em.

went to taste of saigon for lunch...

and had small beef pho. Now I have an insatiable desire for more PHO! more PHO! more PHO NOW! pho pho pho pho pho!

sometimes it hurts

Its very hard to remain above the fray sometimes. Very hard to stick to your guns. Very hard to shun jealousy. Very hard to recognize what is not yours. Very hard to stand tall when others find success in methods you find less than forthcoming. Very hard to get the sticky goop from your skin after medical procedures involving sticky goop. Also very hard for those of us who's lives have spanned the old and the new in this crazy technocentric world - very hard to remember boundaries and not read too much into the void or lack thereof.

gubernatorial is a funny, funny, word

Congratulations, Virginia, we have a new governor, Tim Kaine. Good show, I say. But Bill "the most conservative VA senator" Bolling as Lt. Gov? Really? And we don't even have an Attorney General yet, too close to call. But still, Kaine, yes, I love you fellow Virginians, you rock my sox.

oh ick

good lord, im so mentally diminished (my new pc term for retarded, used only in a joking fashion). Ahem. one little comment on a barely read blog regarding the author's, not my, physicality, and I start to rethink my own committment to fitness, second guess reasons behind our demise as a twosome, and generally want to bang my head against the wall until THAT burns enough calories for me to consider myself in shape again. i am too fragile sometimes.

one cat, two cat

I got a second cat over the weekend. She hid under the bed all day yesterday, and does not seem to have emerged over the night, nor this morning. I wish I had been able to stay home today, but no, meetings meetings meetings. I fully expect to come home to a wrecked apartment, complete with cats on the ceiling. We shall see. My baby girl kitty Tasha seems to have her head on straight about this whole intruder thing...something along the lines of, if I can't see her, she must not exist.

things

I finished the new Jennifer Weiner book yesterday. Didn't really improve any. Also plowed ahead in the James Frey book, which I still love. Can't freaking wait to see Walk the Line, also excited about Jarhead, Sam Mendes' new film starring oh yes you are so freakin fine Peter Saarsgard. And his girlfriend's brother who's also a sexy sexy man, Jake Gylenhaal. What is up with all the vowels, boys? November is stacking up to be a crazy month with work, school, family, travel, and the addition of a new pet to my little family. Oh, and that moving into a new house thing, which is not in November, although Im starting to wish it was. Im tired but happy.

to a daydrem believer and a homecoming queen

have i ever told you how much I love the song Daydream Believer by the Monkees? Just something about the "cheer up sleepy jean".. i mean, that is what they say right? Does that make sense? I shall google...yep thats what it says. its in your head now right? eez, dont read the lyrics thats a sad song.

right here right now

Currently reading:
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner - not enjoying, as of page 142. Ms. Weiner should rethink her next foray into murder mysteries.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey - love it, page 3.

Currently watching: Sex and the City, the one with the jeweled Dolce panties where Carrie falls down on the runway. Love this one. Just because of the closing scene. Tidy whities on girls, yay!

Currently eating: Nothing, because all food hates me

Currently working on: Abstract for technical writing class. Finding a desirable condo for under 350K (v. hard).

Trying to decide if: I want a glass of wine

Worried about: The 10 phone screens I need to do tomorrow. Also results of blood tests taken today.

Happy about: My hair looks nice. I need new shoes, and Ima gonna get some tomorrow. My ipod has 30 new songs on it.

medical safari

oh its been a rather crappy day. tasha the cat had a vet's appt today, and while that went smoothly, I did manage to lock my keys in the car while there. I must say that AAA shone today and showed up in 20 minutes flat. Then I had my own doctor's appt. For those of you who know me, you know that to say that I havent been feeling too great lately would be an understatement. So my doctor and I have been tasked with solving the puzzle that is my gastro-intestinal system. I was poked repeatedly today, starved and then bled (damn 8 hour fasting requirements) and later this week I have to go get an ultrasound. I can honestly say I didn't think I'd be in for one of those until un bebe was imminent, but hey, should be interesting. After all that, sometime next week, I hope, we will figure out maybe what Im maybe sick with. Oh, also Im supposed to eat Kashi cereal with soy milk. Its supposed to help. Help me lose weight from not wanting to eat a pile of mush, maybe. Ho hum. At least Im working from the comfort of my couch now.