ok kiddies...behave yourselves tonight, but don't forget to have some fun as well! hopefully i'll heed my own advice...

and greg gets what i've started referring to as "the jp award"--italian chocolate with hazelnut filling...it's like a piece of a wonka bar--only italian...and with hazelnut filling...so really isn't anything like a wonka bar...only it's wrapped like one...without the golden ticket and with italian written all over it...ok yeah bye.

a new simplesimon!!! this always brings me such joy...i'm going to post this and link it to the site, hopefully without pissing off the author...i just love the most recent selection he sent....

today could be

people want to read stories
and poems and see movies and
they want them to be about
love and finding love and loving
love and losing it

and they tell their stories
and give people these labels
"the one that got away," that's
one, and the names and faces
correlate with an idea that
someday love will find them
drinking tea at night
when they've already given up looking

so they pretend to give up looking
and they tell themselves,
"i guess i am just one of the sad ones"
and they tie nooses around their necks
swallow too much of something or other
the things they use to kill them

or they will walk around with a glazed face
waiting for the person who recognizes those eyes
to come and step up to them
in the idle highway of the unexpected evening
The Night When Everything Changed:
so they keep markers by their calendars
so the box can be marked immediately,
as soon as the chance comes to do so,
The Day That Everything Changed.

this is an incredibly intense experience.

happy halloween to you!

i've always loved halloween--the opportunity to dress up and play and all that--i think anyone who loves theater must love halloween, at least in some respect. since i had my opportunity to play on saturday (and then some), i was planning on keeping it pretty low-key this evening--probably relax at home and whatnot.

now, i might bust out little red riding hoood one last time for a trip to georgetown. or maybe i'll just go to georgetown and say i'm donna from the west wing. or maybe i'll just go for a drink or two. and then there's the possibility that i won't go. the opportunities are endless.

regardless, happy halloween--have fun partaking in halloween debauchery and eat lots of candy. :)

score! mr. r talks about sister sarah in the article about herrouet hall! everyone involved with st. michael's theater knows (or should know) about sister sarah...and i love the quote, "theater kids have a good imagination."

i've always found this interesting, as my earliest memory is from when i was two and a half (insert "awwww" moment here: the memory is of visiting my mother's hospital room after she gave birth to my brother--i remembered some aspects of it, such as the color of the walls and the kind of phone she had there, that she didn't recall), but then don't really remember much until i was probably four years old.

i had been more than a little nervous about heading over to the capitol on my own to drop off flags, primarily because i was convinced i'd get hopelessly lost and look like an ass...i'd been over there twice before, but only once recently (like i really remember anything from my first week here, right?).

but i gave it a shot this afternoon, trying to balance a stack of flags and not look like an idiot and, sure enough, i conquered the capitol. well, i conquered the route to this one particular location within the capitol. at some point, i'll actually have to take on going above the basement floor, but i take little steps so i can have little victories.

when everyone's back from campaigning, i want to take a tour of the building so then i can sign up for the capitol tour course and be able to give tours to people--i'm really looking forward to this, as it'll give me the opportunity to interact with constituents on a different level and be able to show off the place i actually work at--not to mention take on more navigational skills. i've slowly been aclimating myself to the senate buildings--this is a more difficult process than one might think, certainly more difficult than i thought it would be when i first arrived. when you have a bunch of buildings where the hallways all look the same, it's pretty easy to get lost. but if you get lost, that means you have to find your way out of it as well, which means you aclimate yourself. so it's all good--as long as you don't need to be back right away...

oh, how much am i looking forward to going running tonight...

david gray is going to be at the patriot center.

2.2.03.

i will be at that show and it will be amazing.

i knew i'd get another chance to see him live! he played burlington back in april of 2001, but i wasn't able to go to the show because i was (amusingly enough) in washington for actf (side note: this appearance in burlington prompted the interview question posed to john mayer in a moment of silliness: "if you were david gray, would you let us interview you?"). while it won't be quite the same at the patriot center as i'm sure it was at the flynn, it's still going to be a great show.

why is it everyone i want to see is playing at the damn patriot center, though? i want small venue shows!!! that said, i should probably think about buying a ticket for the guster show at the 9:30 pretty soon...

i've been coming up with ideas for the basis of my novel. this is thrilling to me--to be able to write whatever i want and go nuts with it. i haven't written nearly as much as i would like lately--besides here, that is--so having a reason to sit down for a little while each evening will hopefully give me the kick start i've been needing. it's been difficult to feel motivated, as i sit at a desk for hours each day, and sit down and write more, if that makes any sense...

but i feel the creativity percolating, and i'm looking forward to unleashing it come friday!

tori's new album is a delight. i picked up the limited edition at sam goody's in union station on my way home from work ($15.99 for the limited edition? revelrevel) and listened to it on the metro ride and walk home. the rain that ws falling around me helped set the mood for the tori-enjoyment, and i loved it. each track has something special that i enjoy--the fact that i'm seeing her in less than two weeks is slowly dawning on me, and i'm getting incredibly excited! from the sound of beth's squeals over the phone last night, i get the impression that she's somewhat excited about the concert too... ;)

last night i had one of those dreams where it's impossible to tell that it was actually a dream...i don't remember a great deal of the specifics, except that it took place in d.c. with a bunch of friends from high school i haven't seen or spoken to in ages, and it ended with me hooking up with my high school crush (who, if real life is anything like dreamland, only got better with age). it was a niiiiiice dream--twas a pity to wake up.

"We call that person who has lost his father, an orphan; and a widower that man who has lost his wife. But that man who has known the immense unhappiness of losing a friend, by what name do we call him? Here every language is silent and holds its peace in impotence." - Joseph Roux

happy birthday hun.

ugh...i'm really not feeling being here today. all i want out of life is to curl up in my nice warm bed and sleep...

i'm not quite getting what this is...i'm hoping it's just that i'm getting a cold or something. i just feel so run down, but i have no real reason to--i've gotten mad sleep the past two nights. it doesn't help that it's cold and dreary outside...

blearg.

i know beth must be all sorts of excited today.

as am i! what will i be picking up on my way home from work this afternoon?

the new tori album!!!! :)

i found it hilarious that chiefmoose.com was featured on the news this morning--no official reaction from the moosester, however. c'est la vie.

i've been freezing at work (again) for the past couple of days...not a fan. not to mention that i'm encountering a slight problem with my professional wardrobe (namely, the affect on my professional wardrobe that my running and excercising is having--grrr). but it's all good. i was absolutely exhausted last night--i've been really tired for the past four or five days--so i fell asleep around 9:45 (i know, i was shocked too). but, of course, i woke up at 2, 3:30 and 5:25 completely ready to start my day. once 6:25 rolled around, however, all i wanted to do was stick around in bed for a few more minutes.

never fails.

the more i read about mraz, the more intriguing i find him. i think i will have to buy "waiting for my rocket to come" very soon--it's currently at No. 2 on my list of music i intend to buy (No. 1 being, obviously, tori's "scarlet's walk" TOMORROW!!!!). mraz seems to have the musical talent of a howie or john, but with a kickass attitude and still has a bit of the underground feel we all know i love (what can i say? i admit that i do get a slightly elitist kick out of knowing about a talented musician before the general public).

needless to say, the fact that he's playing the higher ground show with howie on the 18th makes me want to scream with envy...st. michael's people should go to the show and call me from the venue--with mraz on the other line telling me that he wishes i was there...well, perhaps that would be a bit much, but it would make an amazing belated birthday present (hint hint, wink wink--and if you REALLY love me, you'd have mraz AND howie telling me they wish i was there). while he'll be here in d.c. right before then (i think he's actually here the day before), he's opening for jewel, and i don't feel like spending the money for a big show when he'll be playing an opening set. and besides, there's a "been there done that" feel to seeing jewel live (saw her at woodstock and, while she was fine, the set didn't exactly pull me in either).

i'm writing a novel next month. both my mother and beth called yesterday to tell me about nanowrimo.com and, needless to say, i'm thrilled about it. i signed up this morning and can't wait until friday.

oh, and by the way, go here. vote for averi. help them open for the goo goo dolls in l.a. you can vote once a day.

I saw fireworks from the freeway and behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away
Cause you were born on the fourth of july, freedom ring
now something on the surface it stings
that something on the surface it kind of makes me nervous who says that you deserve this
and what kind of god would serve this? We will cure this dirty old disease
if you've got the poison I've got the remedy

the remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that its serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how youre gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I wont worry my life away.
I wont worry my life away.

I heard two men talking on the radio in a cross fire kind of new reality show
Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack
they were counting down the days to stab the brother in the be right back after this
the unavoidable kiss, where the minty fresh death breath is sure to outlast his catastrophy
dance with me, because if you've got the poison, I've got the remedy

the remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that its serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how youre gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I wont worry my life away.
I wont worry my life away.

When I fall in love I take my time
There's no need to hurry when I'm making up my mind
You can turn off the sun but I'm still gonna shine and I'll tell you why

Because

the remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that its serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I wont worry my life away.
I wont worry my life away.
I wont and I wont and I wont, etc.

i don't know precisely what it is, but i am in a fantastic mood this morning. just have had a smile on my face since i woke up. i'm going to go with it and be happy...hell, it's significantly better than the alternative, right?

i had the jason mraz sampler waiting for me when i got home...big, huge thank you goes out to tikki for sending it my way. it's fantastic--i think listening to it on the metro on my way in this morning helped contribute to my great start...it has "the remedy" (see above), "you & i both" and a live track of "i'm ok" that rocks the casbah. good times...

after a lowkey friday (i felt like i had been hit by a truck by the time i got home friday, so i just crashed), i participated in halloween debauchery on saturday. after pre-party preparation at erica & carrie's, the six of us piled into a cab and headed to the zebra lounge for the cua party held there. $15 at the door and an open bar--we took advantage of this situation. it was fun to talk and meet some new people, and i found this odd self-confidence that i didn't know i had--let's just say i hope it sticks around for awhile. little red riding hood (whore) was appreciated, and i enjoyed being able to play around in a fun costume and wear kickass boots without feeling foolish.

after a stop at a random house party in dupont, the party continued at the hard rock, where a fun time dancing and whatnot was had. it was a very enjoyable evening and with sunday spent catching up on sleep and relaxation, an enjoyable weekend overall.

my parents are visitng this weekend to celebrate my birthday on sunday, so i'm looking forward to that...good times good times...

and let's give a hand to the russians for the "oh shit" moment of the week...you think they'll think twice before using that stuff next time?

i'm sure everyone knows, but senator wellstone was just killed in a plane crash while campaigning in minnesota.

i was never able to meet the senator, but i saw him a couple of times and he seemed like a great man. we ran over to his office shortly after they confirmed that he was on the plane to see if there was any way we could help--answering phones, whatever--and everyone is, naturally, a wreck. the press is camped outside the front door of the office, so we went around to a different entrance. we didn't go into the office, but we talked to daschle's o.m., who's down there helping out, and we asked if there was anything we can do and offered to help in any way possible. the staff was in a meeting, but the people we could see were, obviously, a wreck. i just wanted to bust through the door and give them hugs and a shoulder to cry on.

it's tough--i know before i held this position, i just saw senators and politicians as people who stand there and debate things before voting on them. not really anything beyond the suit. and i obviously didn't think about the masses of people who work for each politician--in offices in washington, home states, etc. and i'm sitting here, trying to imagine how senator wellstone's staff got through learning of their boss' death while watching cnn during an otherwise typical friday afternoon. i joke about my role working for the senator, i admit that. but, even after only a couple of months here, if something happened to the senator, i'd be a wreck. once you assume a position in the shadow of a man like that, you get to experience little bits of everything they deal with. you see how the public affects the work you do, how the media plays a role, how one statement, one call, one whatever, can influence everything. when the senator struggles, you struggle. and when the senator does something amazing, you get an incredible feeling of pride--pride for both the senator and yourself for being a part of that, no matter how small a part that might be. it sounds cheesy, i know, but it's true--the person you work becomes a part of you.

and to have that ripped away--i don't even know.

my senator was speaking on cnn when we got back from senator wellstone's office, and i almost cried when i heard his voice on the phone. he was choked up and emotional, and that's what did it for me--to hear him so upset was almost too much.

let's just put it this way: i've seen many things since arriving here, but this is one that i didn't expect to deal with. it's difficult and it's incredibly eye-opening. i can't believe i'm here for it.

THIS IS THE GREATEST SITE EVER.

look at the FAQ.

oh.
my.
god.
i.
love.
it.

much as the sniper issue is complex and sure to become stranger as we discover more about the situation, i'm not going to lie about it--hearing that the gun has been tied to most of the shootings brought me a feeling of relief.

yesterday was amusing, to say the least. i met sydney pollack (shook his hand, introduced myself, and managed to contain my utter giddiness) and spoke to someone to speaks to bono all the time (so i'll tell myself it was almost like speaking to bono himself). went to front page for a couple of drinks with chloe, nicole and nick, which was fun, but i wasn't totally into it and was being chatted up by a nice (but uninteresting) guy (who, however, paid me my second, "you look just like donna from 'the west wing'" compliment--i'm sorry, i'm flattered, but long blonde hair does not make me a donna clone, much as i'd like to be one), so i headed out after an hour and a half or so.

since thursday night means chipotle, i stopped by for my weekly dose of chicken fajita burrito goodness. imagine my glee when the guy working the register (who i say hi to each week) told me my meal was on the house...i can't wait to tell chloe that i'm officially a regular--she'll crack up.

and i'm fish-sitting for the next week and a half or so--since ed's going to vermont to campaign, i said i would look after snappy for him. so now i have a fish to greet me when i come home at night...it's the closest thing to having a pet i've experienced in years--probably since sixth grade.

it's not like you can really screw up taking care of a fish for a little while...right?

i hope the day comes when someone describes me as "dreamistic."

while we discussed the sniper on tuesday, colin asked me if when i thought they'd catch him.

"they won't catch him off guard," i replied. "the only way they'll get him is if he wants to be caught."

so now they think they've got the suspects--and it looks to me as if that's exactly how it played out.

i'm not trying to take anything away from the police forces involved in the investigation--they had to piece it all together, after all--but i find it a bit too much of a coincidence that they find the suspects about an hour after chief moose tells the media that the sniper wanted him to announce that the suspect has been caught. they were sleeping in a car. these people are smart--they would have known that events were unfolding, so why would they be sleeping in a car in such close proximity to the area? if they didn't want to be found, they would have been busy driving away.

it's going to be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next few days--but there's my theory. take it as you will.

in less pressing matters, a repeat of "the west wing" gave me the opportunity to participate in house viewing of "the bachelor." oh my god--how hilarious is that show? it's along the same vein of "real world," since we just sit there and bash the people on it...hehehehehe.

SCORPIO:
Wednesday, October 23

As of 10.18 (EDT) it is officially your turn as the Sun enters your sign. Not only should your energy come flooding back, your sense of possibility should be hot on its heels. For the next month the emphasis is firmly on your desires, prospects and whatever it takes for you to perform at your highest capacity.

hehehehe--sweet.

yesterday truly was a great day. after the giddiness of the work day, erica, dan, ed and i trapsed out of work and into dupont for our staff assistant dinner. after making a stop at ed's apartment for what turned out to be a brief pause for wine and "billy madison", we went to pasta mia's in dupont for some much-craved italian. the restaurant was cute, the food was delicious (angel hair pasta with meat sauce), but we waited almost an hour from the time we placed our order until we got our meals. now, when we were seated, we were hungry. by the time our meals arrived, i think we were ready to eat our own arms. and while we temporarily forgot about the slow service while we were gobbling down steaming plates of pasta, sauce and cheese, waiting another fifteen minutes to get our change back reminded us. overall opinion: good food, but not worth the wait we endured. i hope they were just having an off night in the service department.

ed took us onto the roof of his building, where there is an absolutely gorgeous view of the entire city. it was beautiful--it wasn't quite sunset, but the sky was starting to turn pink and there was a nice fall breeze. when we looked out straight ahead, we could see the monument and the capitol and the downtown area, with the river stretching out in the distance. turning to our right, we had a great view of the national cathedral. i wish i'd had my camera--at some point, i'm going to demand that he let me get back up there so i can take some photographs.

so we had our dinner and headed to our respective homes...i got in, made a couple calls and then gathered with my two roommates for our weekly "real world" viewing (and bashing). we're so mean and catty when we watch that show--i love it.

the fitness room in my building is now open. when i get out of work this afternoon, i get to give it a try--i'm thrilled by this. no more asking for a fitness room key at the front desk! no more piling on layers of clothes so i don't freeze during the walk over to the other building. i can just step out in my shorts and t-shirt, jump into the elevator and head down to the fitness room to work out.

REJOICE!!!!!!!!

we're all crazy today. between the front office giddiness, conversations about kato kaelin with my brother (please dear god don't ask) and my IMs with my roommate, i'm cracking up.

an example:

roommate: i've been in DC too long b/c that's seriously a consideration ... he could be brad pitt and a republican and i'd have to pause and reconsider.
me: well, if brad pitt came up to me and said, "hi, i'm brad pitt and i'm a republican," i'd have a one-night stand with him without question....

...but i'd loathe myself in the morning for it. ;-)
roommate: oh yes, one nite stand is a given.....

cap city brewery = the d.c. version of vermont pub & brewery. take away vpb's wood and add some brass and you've got a similar feel and similarly great food. my stomach is currently very pleased with me. apparently it enjoys a grilled chicken sandwich for lunch more than the typical salad.

it better not get used to it though. ;)

i'm going out to lunch in a few minutes and then will be going out to dinner this evening.

this lunch thing, however, proves remarkably frustrating. what do i order? i should order something other than a salad, yet if i order something too substantial, i'll be stuffed for dinner. not to mention the financial things to consider--i don't want to blow all my money on food for today. plus i've gotten used to eating smaller meals and have a feeling i'm going to feel like i ate my weight in food today.

and, besides hoping against hope that i don't wind up finding a whole new way to relate to mayer's "my stupid mouth", there's the fact that i don't usually go "out to lunch." it's an odd event to be preparing for--one that i don't really know how TO prepare for.

and there's always the fact that i have tendancies of being...well...let's just say overdramatic about things like this. so i'm all jittery. and probably for no reason at all--it'll just be a fun meal. a chance to get out of the office for a little while and engage in fun conversation.

oh good lord i am such a moron sometimes.

"Shyness has a strange element of narcissism, a belief that how we look, how we perform, is truly important to other people." - André Dubus, Broken Vessels, 1991

"Happiness hates the timid! So does science!" - Eugene O'Neill, Strange Interlude, 1928

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you." - Lao-Tzu

don't mind me, just trying to psych myself up. :)

i am really looking forward to seeing "shattered glass" when it comes out--not just because hayden christensen is playing the lead (although it is definite icing on the cake, not gonna lie about it), but also because it focuses on journalism and journalistic integrity. i'm surprised i'd never really heard about stephen glass before, but i find his story fascinating, and i'm going to find more information about him.

this doesn't really make sense...the police are hinting that the letter they found by the ponderosa in ashland hinted that the author of the letter demanded money...

now, i'm not one to even pretend that i can get into the mind of the sniper, but my first instinct is to think that the letter was placed there by someone else. because i've gotten the impression that money had nothing to do with what the sniper's doing. if someone's going to leave a note saying, "i am god," it doesn't seem as if money is what is fuelling that individual. it's more of a power thing, a thrill thing, etc. money isn't significant to that type of a person--or at least, that's what i'd think.

but hey, i could be way off base. i also don't happen to think the whole thing with the quasi-arrests today will pan out--it was too obvious for the white van to pull up at the phone booth...i just have a hard time seeing how these new developments are credible. but that's why i'm just lil journalistic girl and not a member of a police force...

i just discovered the friday five--i think i'll start doing these regularly (and...well...on fridays. i could have waited until this friday to do the next one, but i wanted to start now. so go with it. yeah.)

1. How many TVs do you have in your home?
one in the living room and one in each bedroom. which brings us to a whopping total of four.
2. On average, how much TV do you watch in a week?
eh...i'll have the television on while i do a lot of things without paying attention to the tv. but let's guess. an hour each weekday morning of "today": 5. west wing: 1. real world: .5 so at least 7.5, plus various movies if they're on or i'm just relaxing. my final answer is: a hell of a lot more than i did a year ago.
3. Do you feel that television is bad for young children?
no, as long as content is monitored. tv and movies are important to help a child's creativity (you're speaking to a hollywood junkie here--what did you think i'd say?)
4. What TV shows do you absolutely HAVE to watch, and if you miss them, you're heartbroken?
the west wing, real world: las vegas (guilty pleasure) and, if i can, inside the actor's studio. i heart bravo.
5. If you had the power to create your own television network, what would your line-up look like?
uh...i think they call it nbc.

ok, my brother just tried to convince me to be a zombie slut for halloween. should i be frightened?

chris martin: i always look at it like we're in a big musical high school and radiohead is in the year above us and they still haven't come and sat with us at lunch.

i heart coldplay. :)

today is how mondays should be. :)

so someone, who shall remain sheepishly nameless, inadvertently partied like a rock star friday night...

i didn't intend to, it just sort of happened.

we used to joke in college about how the term "happy hour" is incredibly misleading--as it's actually "happy hours." well, friday night happy hours with everyone from work always turns into "happy night." we got out of work around 4. i stumbled into my apartment between 2 and 2:30.

fun times were had at buffalo billiards, dan's cafe, millie & al's and a random, mystery bar (long story and rather embarrassing). i had the opportunity to talk to some people i haven't chatted with in a bit and enjoyed drunken debauchery. apparently i made a phone call around 8:15 that i have absolutely no recollection of making...

i know i say this every week, but this time really hammered the point home for me: must eat something of substance on fridays--whether a more substantial lunch or something more than half an order of appetizer chicken fingers while drinking.

ah--made it to the weekend.

now i prepare for my hot date with a vodka cran in dupont. :)

this is a great music article. this is the kind of article that i would love to write.

plus it makes me want to check out jason mraz even more. i think i might have a mraz sampler coming my way in the near future, but now i'm tempted to make a trip to adams morgan (back to adams morgan...it always comes around...back to adams morgan) so i can see how much the album is at dccd...

NO! must resist temptations to buy new music!!!! too much good stuff available right now!!!!

i will be strong.

walking out of union station this morning, i discovered that at some point during the past day, i managed to slice my hand.

????

regardless, while this week flew by, i'm incredibly glad it's friday. i'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. we're celebrating dan's birthday with a happy birthday happy hour tonight (since he had the nerve to have his birthday fall on a wednesda), so i'll probably wind up in the midst of drunken debauchery in adams morgan at some point (side note: i suppose i really should find a way to check out the georgetown night scene at some point--i always wind up in adams morgan--not that i'm complaining because i love that part of town--but i digress). the rest of the weekend will hopefully be spent in relaxation mode, consisting primarily of running (i swear i'm addicted) and doing whatever. i've been feeling a little rundown this week (i fell asleep last night by 10:30--when does that happen?), so i think i need to recharge my batteries a bit.

a new day at midnight sounds fascinating. i'm looking forward to it.

imagine my delight when i discovered that through my participation at the o'neill this summer, i could score some tickets to the so-popular-tickets-are-always-sold-out-and-it's-a-huge-hassle "hairspray" on broadway (it's all they were talking about this summer while i was there). then i discovered that i could score some said tickets to the show (and some VIP extravaganza before or after the show--can't remember which) for a mere $250 each.

oh yeah, let me write you a check. ;) but it's neat that they offer this type of thing--i'll have to keep my eyes peeled in case something i can actually do is announced. it would be great to be able to see some of the people from the conference again--and the connections would be great--not to mention fun to escape to theater world for a little bit again.

and, finally, nothing like the possibility of terrorism to make a girl happy and giddy first thing in the morning...ugh. just get me to the weekend already.

the fact that scotty posted a mayer set list written in german rocks my world.

let's apply my mad german skills, shall we?
3 x 5
my stupid mouth
city love
covered in rain
back to you
love song for no one
your body is a wonderland
why georgia
no such thing
83
neon

personally, i think "etwas das Ihran vermisst, ist ein maerchenland" (sorry, i don't have the keystrokes for either an s-set or umlaut) sounds pretty damn catchy. ;) either that or "warum georgia". i think i'll have to start referring to mayer songs in german now. thank you mr. crowe!

alicia IMed me yesterday to get me to go to the connecticut show. um...that would be tricky, eh? we were able to touch base for the first time in ages--it was great to hear from her!

i ran three miles last night and found numerous, numerous signs on "the west wing". score. more later.

happy 25th birthday to one mr. john mayer. :)

i can now make phone calls from my apartment. all should rejoice. this phone is outwitting me, i'll admit. there are all of these options and menus and features that i am completely unfamiliar with (is it really necessary to have a voice-operated phonebook? i didn't think so either), but the one thing i want (to create my phone book so i can put in all of the numbers i have stored in my old, simple phone) is eluding me. oh well, i have a big old users' manual to conquer, that's all.

it's pouring here, so my trusty umbrella and i made the trip to work--any time i'm caught in washington rain (that sounds like a song title), i can't help but think of my most recent actf. i'm not sure if i ever wrote here about it--probably did, but oh well. while at the kennedy center, we got caught in the biggest thunderstorm i've ever witnessed (crashing thunder, hail, couldn't see out in front of you because the rain was coming down so hard--the works). after piling into a taxi and making it back to the hotel, daniel, spencer and i made a mad dash to the cvs a couple of doors down. daniel ran out the front door of the hotel, holding the umbrella he'd grabbed from his car, swung around one of the awning posts and burst out with a rendition of "singin' in the rain." absolutely hilarious and so adorable--thanks to that day, whenever i'm in d.c. and have the rain coming down around me, i half expect to see a blue-eyed tennesee boy try to be gene kelly...

in an unrelated note, i was greatly looking forward to going running last night, as i hadn't since friday morning (with the whole traveling thing, didn't exactly have an opportunity--plus i wanted to give myself a couple days of rest). i'm surprised by how much i enjoy these daily running sessions--i used to run a lot when i was playing various sports in high school, but i'd never been one for really just running distances. i always got bored or tired because it's completely different to "go running" than to play soccer or something where the activity involves short-term goals (does this make sense? i hope so). but i'm really getting into this and am slowly trying to increase my distance. last night, i figured i'd probably run two miles and try to push myself to two and a half (considering it's been a little bit). i ran my two and a half and started the cooldown, but the cd i'd been listening to (the first eve 6 album, which is, by the way, a GREAT musical selection for running) got to "open road song". there's no way one can walk to that song. so i added a little more time and picked up the pace again and ended up pushing myself to three miles. and felt great afterwards. :)

how utterly, sublimely happy was i to discover that a previously unreleased collection of jeff buckley material is being released?!?!?!

hmm...do we think i will have to make this a new addition to my musical collection?

the answer is a big hells yeah. it comes out today. if i'm good and don't drink too much this weekend, i will buy it on sunday. whee!!!!

TRACK LISTING:
1. "Hymne à l'Amour" - duet; rehearsal tape; recorded at Lucas residence, New York City; 2/92 * 11:30
2. "How Long Will It Take" - duet; soundboard tape; recorded at CBGB's, New York City; 4/23/92 * 5:17
3. "Mojo Pin" - duet; soundboard tape; recorded at the Knitting Factory, New York City; 4/18/92 * 5:44
4. "Song To No One" - duet; rehearsal tape; recorded at Lucas residence, New York City; 10/91 * 3:41
5. "Grace" - band; studio demo, recorded at Krypton Studios, New York City; 8/17/91 ** 4:15
6. "Satisfied Mind" - solo; live broadcast from the Knitting Factory on Nicholas Hill's Music Faucet, WFMU; 3/22/92 **** 3:24
7. "Cruel" - band; live broadcast from the Knitting Factory on Nicholas Hill's Music Faucet, WFMU; 3/22/92 *** 5:29
8. "She Is Free" - duet; rehearsal tape; recorded at Lucas residence, New York City; 1/92 ***** 4:30
9. "Harem Man" - duet; rehearsal tape; recorded at Lucas residence, New York City; 1/92 * 5:45
10. "Malign Fiesta (No Soul)" - band; live broadcast from the Knitting Factory on Nicholas Hill's Music Faucet, WFMU; 3/22/92 *** 4:21
11. "Grace" - duet; soundboard tape; recorded at club Roulette, New York City; 4/5/92 * 6:27

the only other thing i would have liked to see is a released version of "forget her"--but i'm well aware of the fact that jeff didn't want that released as a single, so i guess i'll just have to deal with that.

but how much does that rock!??!?!

so i saw this online and thought i'd answer before i resume tackling phone calls (hey, i've been working hard today, i'm entitled!)

i'm realizing as i look at this that i haven't done one of these in forever...

1. What do you most like about your body? at the moment, my hair.
2. Least?: edgar.
3. How many fillings do you have?: don't remember. some, but not a ton.
4. Do you think you're good looking?: i guess i'm alright-looking?
5. Do other people often tell you that you're good-looking?: if they do, it's because my parents paid them to. ;) i get told i'm cute from time to time.
6. Do you look like any celebrities?: i don't think so, but i've been told i look like donna from 'the west wing' and, in extreme randomness, i was told a couple of weeks ago that i looked like kate hudson (i know, i don't see it either).

Fashion:
1. Do you wear a watch?: i feel naked without one.
2. How many coats and jackets do you own?: a bunch--but a few that i wear regularly.
3. Favourite pants/skirt color?: black
4. Most expensive item of clothing?: probably one of my suits or a weak b moss moment purchase
5. What kind of shoes do you wear?: depends on the situation. loafers for work, sneakers or my comfy brown folky shoes at home.
6. Describe your style in one word: ever-evolving...

Friends:
1. Do your friends 'know' you?: my good friends do.
2. What do they tend to be like?: they like me. other than that, he or she is each his or her own person.
3. Are there traits in you that are universally liked?: er...you guys tell me.
4. How many people do you tell everything to?: a few people.

Media:
1. Favourite band ever?: no way i could answer that...it's changed too much over the years.
2. Most listened to bands: jam bands (dmb, pmb and the like), singer-songwriter types (howie, jeff buckley), brit rock (coldplay, travis, radiohead, belle and sebastian) and a bunch of various and sundry bands/artists like averi, tori, ani, etc. a wide variety.
3. Do you find any musicians good looking?: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. no. of course not. you guys know me. ;)
4. Can you play an instrument?: flute and i'm constantly struggling in my quest to conquer mayerday, my guitar.
5. Type of music most listened to?: alternacoustic
6. Type never listened to?: country or rap
7. Favorite books?: well-written ones.

General:
1. Whom do you believe is the smartest man alive at the moment?: probably someone i've never heard of.
2. What do you prefer, a sunny or rainy day?: depends.
3. Do you consider yourself lucky?: yes and no
4. Do you feel pity for people?: depends on the people and the situation
5. Choose one word to describe how you feel most often: introspective

Basics:
1. Name: victoria marie
2. Do you like it?: very much
3. Nicknames: vickie, (queen) smoothie, cricket
4. Screen names: magdalena281
5. Age: 21
6. Birthday: soon. :) 11-03-80
7. Sign: scorpio
8. Born at: beverly hospital
9. School: graduate of saint michael's college
11. Natural hair color: blonde
12. Current hair color: blonde
13. Eye color: blue
14. Height: 5'7
15. Birthplace: beverly, ma
16. Shoe size: 7

Favourites:
1. Numbers: 13, 28
2. Colour: blue and yellow at the moment, but orange is always right up near the top of the list.
3. Day: anything but monday
4. Month: october and november
5. Song: at the moment? averi, "in tune"
6. Movie: don't even get me started on this one...it'll take too long.
7. Band: my, aren't we being redundant...
8. Season: autumn
9. Sport: to play: soccer. to watch live: hockey or baseball.
10. Class: defender (did i just say that?!?!?!) or theater classes (play prod or kirk classes--yes, i said kirk classes)
11. Teacher: louns
12. Drink: non-alcoholic at the moment: water (i know, weird, huh?). alcoholic: vodka cranberry
13. Veggie: green peppers, carrots or brocoli
14. TV Show: west wing, inside the actor's studio and real world (in that order)
15. Radio Station: DOES ANYONE KNOW A GOOD ALTERNATIVE STATION IN D.C.? BECAUSE I'M GOING NUTS HERE!!!! um...yeah, i've been listening to a lot of cds as of late...
16. Store: depends on what i want. clothes? b moss. music? dccd (a kickass music store in adams morgan)
17. Word: crikey
18. Animal: wow...i have no idea...
19. Flower: daffodils (but i think this has to do with my association with the song) or daisies.

Love:
1. How long was your longest relationship?: too long. ;)
2. How long was your shortest relationship?: the actual relationshipy part of it was what--two days (over the course of what--a year...)
3. Who was your first love?: not going to make myself rehash THAT lack of judgment.
4. What do you miss about them?: absolutely nothing. :)

Have you ever:
1. Drank?: yeah
2. Smoked?: yes
4. Stolen?: i was young and foolish
5. Done anything illegal?: breakin the law...breakin the law...
6. Wanted to die?: ja.
7. Hit someone?: as in actually throw a punch? no.

Past:
1. What is the one thing you would change about your past?: said goodbye before it was too late.
2. What is the biggest mistake you've made in your life?: not figured out how to gain self-confidence.
3. Last thing you heard: the senate buzzer.
4. Last thing you saw: that question
5. Last thing you said: "smile tonie...you're having fun"
6. Who is the last person you saw?: tonie (who was not having fun)
7. Who is the last person you fought with?: some angry thurmond fan.
8. What is the last TV show you saw?: biography: james dean. :):):)
9. What is the last song you heard?: "brace yourself"--howie day
7 Location: i'm sitting in an office in washington d.c.
8 Birthday: didn't i already answer this?
10 Status: single
**what happened to No. 9**

16 Quote: "the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."--oscar wilde
18 Scent: vanilla or citrus
22 Element: surprise
23 Author: me. ;) don't really have a favorite author...i like a bunch of works.

GiRlY qUeStIoNs
i skipped most of these because i didn't feel like answering them. but i liked this one.
27 perfect boy: an artistic, well-spoken, fun, funny, attractive guy, ideally with some musical ability and either a british accent or the ability and desire to slip into a british accent.

PointLeSs
28 How many rings before you answer the phone: how lazy am i?
29 Future Career plans: theater critic or other form of reporter/writer. i plan on making a living writing.
30 Do you sleep with stuffies?: i have a lot of pillows, but that's it.
31 Do you want kids: depends on if orlando bloom wants them or not. ;)
32 Are you popular: i hate thinking about popularity--it's foolish
33 Are you pretty: jesus, i answered this already. are you trying to bash my self-esteem even more?!?!?! ;)
34 Do you have your own phone line?: cell phone...and my own mailbox on our answering machine...
35 Do you get along with your family?: yep
36 Do you have any piercings or tattoos?: ears pierced. used to have belly button, tongue, and both cartiledge pierced. never strayed into the tattoo realm.

Do YoU LiKe
37 Giving hugs?: very much
38 Taking walks in the rain: when it's warm, i love it
39 Going to the mall?: depends on my mood
40 Go on stage?: i miss it so much

Do YoU
41 Drink: deja vu
43 Drugs: i'm older and wiser now. ;)
44 Eat meat: not too much
45 Insomnia: rarely
47 Eat sushi: i have enough issues with cooked fish. but i like california rolls.
48 Bake: i like to--i do it once every millenium, but i like to...

Personal Stance On
73 Homosexuality: besides the fact that it's currently october (hehehe), i say if you're happy, i'm happy.
74 Brand names: not a big concern to me.
75 Abortion: i don't think i could ever fully know how i feel about it until i'm in that situation. and even then, i wouldn't know. so i won't even pretend to have a position
76 Religion: still out to lunch on this one
77 Animal Rights: i like them
78 Love at first sight: lust at first sight is a definite. love is something i'll say i hope is possible
79 God: already answered this...
80 Aliens: probably, but who knows?
81 Horoscopes: they're fun to read and see how they work into my life.
82 Heaven: ...
83 Hell: ...
84 Reincarnation: ...
85 Transvestites: sure
86 Pop music: i admit it
87 Rap: it's ok
88 80's music: unappreciated at the time, but now we're making up for it.
89 Punk: damn straight. although i'm a wussy punk.

Quick Addiction
90 what's the prettiest instrument?: guitar
91 what's the prettiest part of the body?: eyes
92 biggest fault: please let me know...but be kind...i'm gentle. ;)
93 biggest fears: being alone
94 Do you live in the moment?: sometimes. i try to.
95 Do you care about looks?: i'd be lying if i said i didn't.
96 Do you like your handwriting?: yes
97 Obsession: music, writing
98 looking forward to: immediately? going running. down the road: being happy
99 Favorite weather: fall--a cool breeze, but a warm sun.
100 Do you ever wish you were somebody else?: don't we all?

brilliant advice, courtesy of caleb: don't get shot. ;)

gee, thanks. ;)

meant to mention...after extensive time went into cleaning and brightening the marble on the union station fountain, someone spraypainted "510 years of oppression" in red on the basin rim. and there are a bunch of flowered wreaths in front of it. columbus day, d.c.-style...

and, in incredible, almost-too-good-to-be-true-my-luck-it-probably-is news...my new cell phone (i think we should start referring to them as mobile phones like in europe, by the way) should arrive today. which means that, after charging it and all that jazz, i should be able to use it from inside my apartment. which means that i won't have to stand outside in the park in order to talk to people at night. which means that i hopefully won't be shot by the sniper. and, as a little fyi, after that phone is activated, i will still have the same number i've had. i haven't felt the need to switch to a d.c. number as of yet.

last night, for the first time, i was truly frightened by the whole sniper thing.

i was at home, going through the various and sundry cards, pictures and theater things i had brought back to d.c. with me (having just finished watching the biography of james dean on a&e--score!), trying to figure out how to decorate my room, when i heard that there was yet another shooting, this time in falls church at a home depot. i don't know what in particular it was that freaked me out--besides the obvious, naturally--but i couldn't stop watching the news, i was scared by even the idea of going outside, and i didn't even really want to stand near my window (although i had my curtains drawn like normal). the lack of rhyme or reason to the selection of victims is what's so frightening--at least with the whole son of sam thing, blondes could dye their hair brown in an effort to not be targeted--and i suppose i had hoped, whether realizing it or not, that the sniper would be caught while i was back in vermont.

everyone is talking about it constantly--you hear it on the metro, in the hallways of my office building--and people are scared. and frankly, i'm pretty angry about it as well. i mean, here i am, just moving down to this new city, one that doesn't exactly have a stellar rep when it comes to safety anyway, and now i get to freak out over this too. selfish perspective? absolutely. but i have to be selfish from time to time.

now that i got that off my chest...nice weekend in vermont. after the four hours of quality time i spent at bwi, i flew to fair albany, where i was greeted by my parents and--bonus!--my brother. since i'd woken up so early friday, i was pretty close to incoherent by the time we got home at 2 a.m...but i spent saturday relaxing at home and waiting for various members of the family to arrive, as well as make a visit to the becca girl.

saw "rules of attraction" with beth and michelle saturday night...whoa. i don't think it's one of those movies you can say you liked or didn't like unless you truly loathed it with a passion--but, then again, i think that is how a lot of bret easton ellis' work is anyway, and since the film was based on one of b.e.e.'s books...well, you do the math. i think the movie did b.e.e. a great deal of justice--i felt the same way watching "rules of attraction" as i felt when reading "american psycho"--disturbed by what i was seeing, but enthralled nonetheless. the cinematography was brilliant--absolutely brililant--but it took a minute to get into the groove of it. i'm still thinking about this film and know i will continue to do so for awhile--which is, as i'm well aware, exactly what the intention was. so from that perspective alone, the film was a success.

the great burlington trip occurred on sunday--after piling into red, we drove up and met with danelle at muddy's (i still need to find a place like muddy's here--i've missed the atmosphere), where i had a heavenly mug of hot apple cider (i've been missing hot cider and i swear it was the greatest glass of it i've ever had). we spent awhile wandering various church streets shops before making a brief stop at st. mike's on the way to papa franks before coming home.

i picked up a copy of the defender while i was on campus and am proud to say that it looked great--skye's making me proud. but i'm not going to lie about it--it's a little hard to look at the newspaper and not have any part of it anymore...just as it was strange to drive on campus and see random new buildings and see the ryan lot changed and all that jazz...it makes me feel as if i've been gone for longer than i have...but at the same time it really feels like i've been gone for a long time now...randomness.

sunday was spent running all over the place, packing, trying to get last-minute things to bring back with me, getting to the airport, arriving back at bwi, waiting for a bus, waiting for the metro, then dragging my things back to the apartment. ran into the apartment around 7:45, said hi, dropped off my things and ran to get groceries and food (as i hadn't exactly had time to eat and was...well...absolutely ravenous). finally was able to crash around 8:30, and it felt so nice to relax.

so yeah. crazy weekend, but pretty good, all in all. it was nice to see foliage--even with the less than stellar weather, it was still absolutely gorgeous up there. and it was great to be surrounded by people who love me. so thank you.

this is working out nicely--out of work at 4, so i have time to grab a drink at happy hour before heading to the airport, where i will sit and relax until my flight leaves and brings me back to new england...

have a great weekend. :)

sydney pollack has no idea of who i am. but i can say that i spoke to him over the phone this afternoon. when he said his name, i shot up in my seat and was giddy to the point that mary was staring at me like i was on crack.

that was so incredibly cool.

i THOUGHT there must be a connection between jason bateman of bret easton ellis' "the rules of attraction" and patrick bateman of "american psycho," but i finally got the confirmation of that today--the jason character is patrick's younger brother.

i'm interested in seeing this movie. while i didn't like the screen adaptation of "american psycho," the book remains one of the most striking, gripping things i have ever read and i have a great deal of respect for ellis as an author.

i've got good news and bad news. the good news, which is of a much less serious degree than the bad news, is that my gray, rainy day was brightened by a little sunshine.

the bad news is that there was another shooting and they think it's the latest in the sniper series (by the way, i don't know if those outside of the area have heard of the new name for the sniper--you know you have a menace on your hand when the killer is given a persona, and this one's the beltway sniper). it's all over the news here--haven't seen such a search for a white van/suv-type automobile since the o.j. chase...

senate approves iraq war resolution

*insert scooby doo-style "ruh-rho" here*

i have a feeling that i'm going to be earning my holiday weekend in vermont...

fun times last night. either my tolerance has gone down (unlikely) or something was up with me last night, because after one normal sized vodka cranberry and one basil special (read: in a pint glass), i was nice and buzzing. stopped at chipotle on the way home and picked up the much-anticipated c.f.b., which was consumed during much-anticipated must see tv. good times were had by all.

as i packed my bag for the vermont trip last night, i had the brilliant idea of waking up super early so i could go running before work today (since i took yesterday off and might not have a chance to go running this weekend if it's too cold outside). after a restless night sleep, the alarm goes off at 5:10 and i wake up, get into workout gear and head over to the gym. while i don't plan to make a habit of waking up that bloody early on a regular basis, i'm nice and energized as i sit here at my desk. and proud of myself for being motivated enough to drag myself out of my nice comfortable bed...go me.

but lugging around my roll-on bag in the rain sucked. not a fan of this whole rain thing today.

i had been planning on going home after work tonight, running and crashing afterwards.

but it's been a stressful thursday and my roommate invited me out for an post-work drink, so i think my evening will involve a cranberry vodka (in a pint glass because it's a frontpage thursday night!), perhaps dinner of a half a chipotle chicken fajita burrito (the other half for lunch tomorrow), must see tv and excercises before i pack up a bag and prepare for my trip to vermont tomorrow.

dammit, i've earned the right! :)

as i'm getting all of these irate phone calls, a song keeps floating through my head...

what the world needs now...is love...sweet love...

oh my god, i cannot believe how bad a mood i am in today. this astounds even me. i want to throw a chair or something.

weeee! politics can be fun!

whoo hoo, was chief moose pissed this morning! i've taken to keeping the tv on nbc while i prepare for work each morning, so i get to see each of the 7 a.m. briefings held by the montgomery county police. which means i get my daily dose of chief moose (yay...)!

anyway, he spent a great deal of this morning absolutely blasting the media and former police officers who have been speaking to the media. apparently the tarot card note was supposed to remain inhouse, which it obviously, well...didn't. so he starts talking about how sad it is that people are using this to get on tv. how sad it is that the investigation could be hindered by the media's interference. etc. etc. etc...and then he specifically mentions channel 9 news and blasts them.

normally, i just listen as i get ready, but when he started going off on this, i put everything down and focused on the tv with my jaw dropped. besides the fact that such a bold, angry statement is a rarity in and of itself, as a journalist, i had to focus on what the guy was saying. it's a precarious situation that the media is in, as well as the police force. while the police appreciate the media's consistency in displaying the tip lines, now they're pissed about the coverage. it's certainly been interesting to observe this without having to cover it--to watch various forms of journalism deal with the situation in their own ways. i suppose, in an extremely personal and rudimentary manner, i'm still covering it, through the use of this space. but that's just because i'm a journalistic dork like that.

anyway, after the police chief rants and raves, i do what anyone else would do--i switch it over to WUSA (channel 9) to see what their reaction is. it was hilarious--the anchor just kind of looked at the camera and announced that they were switching back to "the early show". i mean, what can they really say? the only thing i don't think chief moose thought about was the ratings boost he handed the station on a silver platter...

i'm working on increasing my distance in my running. i ran two miles monday, two and a half yesterday, and i'm hoping to run two and a half tonight. while it's always a bit of a struggle to convince myself that i want to go running, i'm starting to enjoy it more and more--to just be able to focus on the music i'm listening to and empty my mind of all the daily grind, if only for a little while. while i still greatly prefer running outdoors to the treadmill routine i've adapted (as the sun sets earlier, there's now no way i can really go running before it's too dark to be safe), i'm getting into the routine and look forward to running time. it's another way of challenging myself each day...

i just got my chocolate fix for the week, and oh how lovely it was: jp brought in godiva chocolates, and there was no way i was going to refuse a piece. i'm not a huge chocolate fan as of late--haven't been in awhile now, but godiva is a whole different story. this made me very, very happy. mmm...

i think averi should play at the black cat.

how about that for a bold, decisive statement?

i rode in an elevator with two other people and t.k.'s poodle this afternoon. how much better does life get? i mean, come on... ;)

it's sad when i'm looking forward to running as a manner of warming up.

i wonder if belle and sebastian is touring...

randomness floating through my head today.

while it's been warm outside, i've been able to keep warm during my workday by going outside and soaking up some sunshine in the park next door during my lunch break. however, as it is exceptionally chilly today (and i'm in a skirt and lightweight turtleneck sweater), i'm sitting here on my lunch break absolutely freezing. high ceilings and a lot of marble makes for drafty rooms--which is tricky for me because i have a tendancy to be a little (or a lot, depending) on the cold side anyway.

i'm tempted to almost find some kindling wood and make a small fire to warm myself...but i suppose i could get in trouble for smashing up a senate chair, so i'll just curl up and try to keep warm instead. note to self for tomorrow: bring a warm sweater or a jacket...

ok, i'm finished with whining now. don't mind me.

they've officially tied this morning's shooting to the sniper. it's sad when i feel pangs of nervousness about heading home because i'll be traveling in rush hour and that's when this person strikes...

averi's "direction of motion" is now available at awarestore.com, and the fact that the artist information includes the phrase "revelry and debauchery" (two of my favorite words in existance) makes me sublimely happy.

alright, kind of a meaningless post, but whatever.

just saw the "ybiaw" video online.

i'm sorry, i just keep waiting for mayer to look at the girl and use the "taco stand" line...

jude law toddler, 2, eats ecstacy

a children's party at an exclusive club? whatever happened to having a party at home?

there was a lot of nervous anticipation as the d.c. area prepared for rush hour this morning, as the last time there was a sniper attack, it was during rush hour friday. i'll admit that i'm being more cautious as of late (hey, i'd rather be a little cautious and not, you know, get shot and all), so i was careful on my way in to work this morning.

lo and behold, now it's 8:55 a.m. and there is breaking news about a 13-year-old kid in montgomery county being shot this morning. they don't know if it's related to the sniper spree, but the fact remains that whether this is the latest in this series of attacks or not, the police were right about warning people today and anticipating something during rush hour...this is just ridiculous. this person/these people need to be caught now.

the weekend was quite enjoyable, i must say. i resisted the tempation to go out friday night and made it a blockbuster night without actually watching the movie (whoops). so i have a couple of days left to see "broadcast news". it was great to get home from work, go running, and then curl up on my bed and watch television and otherwise do nothing of significance. i was exhusted after such a long day at work.

went to the ancient egypt exhibiit at the smithsonian saturday afternoon, as the exhibit is wrapping up there. there were a few years in my childhood during which i planned to be an archeologist when i grew up and ancient egypt has always been a particular thrill, so the artifacts there were amazing to see. unfortunately, saturday afternoon is not the best time to go to the museum if you want to really be able to get up close to the items on display--each time i'd try to get closer to read a display marker, either a small child or a senior citizen would pop up in front of me. but the experience of being there was well worth the crowd.

saturday night was spent roaming adams morgan. started out at millie & al's, moved to dan's cafe (where i finally partook in the flask special--malibu & orange was so good). a jumbo slice was consumed before moving down to dupont to hit up front page. an enjoyable night of drunken debauchery was had.

on sunday, i decided that it was time to push myself with the whole running thing. most of the time, i'm simply happy with myself for being motivated enough to go running, so i'll run about a mile and a half or whatnot--and a couple of times i'll push myself to hit two miles. i decided that, for yesterday's endeavor, i would treat myself to the new coldplay album if i ran two miles (that would be twenty minutes of running at a 10-minute mile pace plus five minutes of cooldown).

for the first time in a really loooooong time, i got the runner's high and felt absolutely fantastic. so i pushed myself for an additional half mile. and, later in the afternoon, bought "rush of blood to the head." absolutely brilliant album--my favorite tracks thus far are "god put a smile upon your face," "the scientist," and "green eyes"--although each track is chock full of yummy coldplay goodness.

alright, so here's the problem with being here (which really isn't a problem at all): i decide i'm going to lounge around at home tonight because i'm exhausted, and then there's an email talking about going to happy hour after work. after deliberation, i decide to pass because, as i said, i'm exhausted. then email from my roommate: "any plans for tonight? i kind of feel like doing something..."

i'm hoping that i'll just be smart and lounge around, because i am going out tomorrow night...but still...

no no. must be strong.

NEAH!!!

so i was joking around today and commented on how we should really settle this whole u.s./iraq thing with those little plastic boxers where you press a button and it throws a punch--you know what i mean, the losing boxer's head pops up and whatnot.

then i see this: W.H. rejects Bush-Saddam duel offer.

at least i was only joking.

arrived home last night around 11, got ready for bed, had the tv on and one of my lamps so i could watch letterman and see mayer. i remember his opening monologue and don't at all recall taking off my glasses (but i must have, as they were resting on my nightstand this morning).

woke up when my alarm went off with the tv still on, my light still on--having fallen asleep at some point shortly after said monologue. so i missed mayer's performance--which i hear wasn't exactly up to par. sounded really breathy and apparently has developed this pattern of "marching" during these performances--i don't know exactly what that's about, but i intend to find a video capture of the performance online so i can see it for myself.

fun times last night. didn't make it to the staff assistant happy hour, but instead enjoyed ed's birthday dinner and wound up at stetson's for some relaxation. i'm planning on continuing this relaxing state this evening--i plan on going to the gym, then either renting a movie or watching some television (shush beth--i was hoping for this anyway, and i won't be at the gym for three hours!!!!). but who knows...maybe i'll be dragged somewhere for a drink after work. ;) i anticipate a low-key friday night to rest up for a fun-filled saturday evening...

and since there have been some concerns relayed to me about this, here are the answers to the "is vickie in montgomery county?" FAQ:

- yes, i am in montgomery county
- i was made aware of the string of shootings when i woke up yesterday morning.
- i'm a few towns away from where the shootings occurred, and while i'm relatively close to where they occurred, i have no concerns about my saftey. i live in a ridiculously safe neighborhood and i know not to go near any white vans with damaged rears and i know to not play with any people sporting hunting rifles.
- i will, however, be careful and appreciate your concern. but fear not--no one's going to hunt me down!

the phones...they are a ringin'. as you can probably assume considering today's political events, it is going to be a very busy day...

ah, nothing like the feeling of a day completed.

now i get to pretend to be miss social butterfly.

what a fun little game. too bad i'm not really. ;)

to every ying (yesterday), there is a yang (today).

it's not as if the day has been that bad--far from it. just have been feeling slightly disconnected, to put it mildly. what just occurred is an example of my blondeness today:

i'm walking down the hallway towards the office. i see kevin and clara at the door, and a group of people walking towards me.

suddenly, i hear a male voice. "vickie." i look to see if kevin was looking at me--he isn't. i'm confused, so i keep walking a bit.

then, "VICKIE." i turn to see luke walking behind me, laughing at the bewildered look on my face.

"oh, sorry luke!!" i say, laughing. "it's been one of those days." we laugh, i turn to walk with him, and i see who previously mentioned group consists of. among a few aides, senator clinton.

we pass, luke gives it a few seconds, then i laugh to myself for looking like an idiot.

"oh, do you like senator clinton?" he asks.

"i have a great deal of admiration for her," i reply.

"great, we'll have to have you meet her sometime," he says.

yeah, i just looked like an idiot. WHY TODAY!?!??!

yet another sign that i'm supposed to be on "the west wing": the 'rock the vote' event was held at house of blues cambridge--otherwise known as the venue where michelle and i saw averi two days before i moved to d.c.

beth and i have it all figured out: i'm going to be in one of the exterior shots for "ww" and be passed by josh and donna while i talk on a cell phone that, naturally, will have beth on the other end. it'll be brilliant. it'll be delightful.

good times.

today is ed's birthday. which means not only happy birthday wishes for him, but also birthday celebrating after work. :)

so grab your magic cartoon costumes
and then clap your hands and just stomp your feet
and let this medicine buzz on and on
like carousels in stereo, and don't jump off...
- ultimate fakebook, a milion hearts

what an absolutely dazzling good day. :)

deep and philosophical isn't really happening today.

but that's perfectly fine with me. it's just been an exceptionally pleasant day here on the hill--everyone's in a good mood, it's wednesday (getting my west wing fix tonight!), and, in a shocking discovery, it was found that plain m&ms do exist within the senate buildings--one simply has to seek them out in dirksen (long story). so the world rejoices.

not to mention that i conquered my new bank accounts and now can write a check for this month's rent and exist with a roof (or, in this case, another apartment) over my head for another month. revelrevel!

mayer is going to be on letterman tomorrow night. i feel this odd compulsion to watch it. particularly since i don't think he'll be playing "no such thing" for the millionth time. i think it would be funny to see him crooning "your body is a wonderland" into the cameras, particularly the "damn baby" bit.

your body is a taco stand...

i'm sure i'll have something deep and philosophical to remark on later in the day, but at the moment i am simply enjoying a week that is racing by and laughing at the silliness that seems to exist in the office this morning.

goodness gracious.

since i have no real ability to download music or whatnot and really haven't said said ability since i graduated (sorry, i'm not going to wait forever for an mp3 to download, let alone a video), i haven't been able to see howie's video for "ghost." i decided to take a look at it here at work, despite my lack of audio capabilities here (hell, if i don't know the song well enough to sing along in my head, i have serious issues).

so bizarre to see him singing in a video! furthermore, i realized how strange it is to see him actually singing into a camera with his eyes open--i never realized just how frequenly he sings on stage with his eyes closed until i saw the video.

and once again, i must say that there's just something about that guy that strikes a chord with me...hmm. i don't think i'll ever really figure it out. c'est la vie.

ok, i've made it a month without giving into the temptation, but i just don't think i can fight it anymore.

i need to buy myself a cd. but what one do i choose? i am turning to you, my loyal readership--music purchasing is turning interactive.

if i do allow myself a slight indulgence of the musical variety, should it be coldplay's "a rush of blood to the head", ryan adams' "gold", beck's "sea change" or hold off until david gray's new album comes out on the fifth? comment and leave your choice. or, if there's something else you've heard that you think i'd like, leave me the name of that. :)

in other news, i feel like i'm wasting the time and energy to even comment on this, but i feel i must--after "road rules" (*cough* treschelle's a whore! *cough*) last night, i watched "making the video: christina aguilera's 'dirrty'". christina--x tina--whatever she calls herself now--is provides a glimpse into her true personality, showing what she's like when she breaks down the pop music machine. it's all her, how she's always been, etc. etc. etc.

trash, filth, tackiness. not even very good music--which is a shame because she's got a great voice. but the video? why would she sing about taking off her clothes when she has no clothes on when the video begins?

i find it amusing to see that the former pop queens (christina, britney and the like) are going through this whole "rebel against the standard and show what i'm really like" phase. but what's hilarious is that while they used to be far too similar as the pop queen stereotype, their "real selves" are almost exactly alike as well. look at the mtv video awards--both of them suddenly had this street flavor mixed into their manner of speech. they obviously got a thrill from being able to say mild curses like "hell" and give the impression that they are real badasses. and i'm sitting at home watching them laughing my ass off. i'm sure it must be very difficult to grow up and try to figure out who you are when you're in the public spotlight and all...but does finding yourself have to be so extreme? i'm trying to figure out who i am, but you don't find me trying to keep it real, ghetto-style...is this why i'm not famous?