surfer bob: 2001-2003
surfer bob, known to friends as "bob" or "the funny surfer dude in the back of v's car," died tragically sometime saturday in the driveway of the v's family's vermont home. he had recently celebrated his second birthday.
bob's life began in a toy factory, where he and his thousands of siblings (oddly enough, all named "surfer bob") lived in harmony until they were separated, scattered across the united states and, presumably, canada. bob endured a brief, traumatizing stay in a burlington, vt. novelty shop, where he was constantly threatened by boxing nuns and teased by surfer girls. the one positive aspect of the experience was his chance meeting with kala, the hula girl who stole his heart. the two embarked on a torrid love affair until the august day when v came into his life, whisking him away from the boxing nuns (and a tearful kala), giving him a new life and a new home - a space of honor on the back of the backseat of her saturn coupe (named red). it was at that spot that bob happily surfed away the remainder of his days.
during his lifetime, bob traveled through at least ten states and the district of columbia. particularly fond of massachusetts and vermont, he looked forward to road trips and surfed in the parking lots of numerous large venues, enjoying concerts of artists including the dave matthews band, averi, counting crows, john mayer and howie day. his favorite noteworthy locations included the john hancock tower (he shared with v a love for skylines), the campus of st. michael's college and the eastside marketplace in providence, rhode island. always a fan of good music (particularly the beach boys), particularly music of the live persuasion, he would be happiest bobbing along with the tunes of jason mraz, howie day, averi, and jack johnson.
following v's move from chevy chase, maryland, back to vermont, the strain of readjusting and relocating grew to be too much for bob. alas, as the welch family moved v's items out of her car, bob spied the opportunity to descreetly jump to his death. pretending to have been knocked over by a random box or other large item, bob jumped and fell to the asphalt below. there he floated between life and death, murmuring in his half-conscious state until he heard the near-sonic boom - something he had heard thousands of times before, but from inside the car. shortly before his final plastic-coated breath, he realized the engine meant the massive tires were bound to follow. the last thing he saw was the mountain of black rubber moving toward him.
bob is survived by his owner, v. and her immediate family and close friends. he will be remembered fondly by many members of the st. michael's college community and two of the cats that reside next to v's friend elizabeth's residence - the cats having made close friends with bob one summer evening in 2003. he is predeceased by his beloved kala, who lost her life in late 2002 from desmemberment incured during an unfortunate run-in with a curious three-year-old in st. albans, vt.
may we all take a moment to think of bob, now surfing in a land of perpetual sunsets and incredible waves, while kala waits for him by the tiki torch on shore.
god speed, bob.
and in other related news ...
the search now begins for what will replace bob on the back of my car. i think i know what it is going to be - i just need to see if i can pick it up tomorrow. this'll be equally quality ...
8.31.2003
8.30.2003
this week's friday five ...
this week's friday five ...
1. are you going to school this year?
nope, this is the second autumn in which i am not returning for another academic school year ... having graduated from formal education (for the time being, at least), i am now learning life lessons from the great classroom that is human existance.
2. if yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? if no, when did you graduate?
i've experienced four graduations in my relatively short lifetime. the first - kindergarten graduation back in archaic 1986. i recall wearing a pink dress, singing and receiving the gift of a gold necklace from my (now deceased) grandfather. i still keep the necklace in a jewlery box, which is in my room wherever i am living.
next graduation was sixth grade. i remember loving the fact that the seating was alphabetical while hating it at the same time, as andrew and i were deeply entrenched in our "i hate you, you hate me" stage. ah, what a crush i had. i also recall being one of two graduates (the other being mookie) to read the "i remember when ..." anecdotes we had prepared. i laughed so hard during some of them that it was hard to read them out loud.
then there was high school graduation - when i lamented the fact that there was one person between myself and andrew. ah, what a crush i had. ;-) all the girls had a hell of a time once it was time to throw our caps, as we had all pinned them to stay on our heads throughout the ceremony. haha. following graduation, we went on our senior class trip, down to new jersey, where we stayed up all night before hitting up six flags the next day. fun times.
and then college, mother's day 2002. i was a basket case. no one should have to graduate college and move out of college on the same day. it's just wrong - on so many levels.
3. what are/were your favorite school subjects?
"were" makes me sound so freakin' old ... but nevertheless. in high school, favorite subjects were always english, german (because my teacher, frau burke, ROCKED) and communication arts with coach fish.
in college, journalism, theater and english classes. i was/am/will always be an artsy writer girl. i gave up on the science/english route after completing my requirement (astronomy with crazy dr. foley) first semester of freshman year. awwwww yeah.
4. what are/were your least favorite school subjects?
let me begin by saying that as a youth, i loved sciences. i wanted to be an archeologist for years ... and then was class with mort. my high school science teacher (except senior year, when i had physics with arlen, which was a great great class) was a nightmare and had absolutely no confidence in my abilities as a student, which i had never experienced before. i worked my arse off in his classes, but he completely turned me off of the sciences. i sometimes wonder what might have happened had i not had him as a teacher, sad as it is to say.
as far as college goes - crazy dr. foley scared me and i wasn't crazy about astronomy anyway, but i think the ultimate bad class experience was with prof. case. ethics. i always thought that philosophy courses were supposed to challenge you to think and question - not with case. you were supposed to recite back exactly what he said in class. nothing more, nothing less. plus he was a spitter. ugh.
5. have you ever had a favorite teacher? why was he/she a favorite?
i've been blessed in the respect that i've had some absolutely amazing teachers come into my life (not even counting the friends who are now teachers!!!). i would find it difficult to name one as a "favorite" simply because each gave me something unique. for example, frau was the first teacher i had who treated her students like contemporaries - we had to work for her respect rather than simply praise. arlen was a longtime family friend who made something like physics fun. then there was barney, my high school soccer coach, who took a chance with a timid incoming freshman and completely changed my life.
then college - where i truly feel as if i made friends more than i met professors. from falling in love with james cagney after prof. shea's film class to the glow of self-confidence after liz referred to me as a writer; paul staying in the lab until 4 a.m. to help me put the paper to bed to kirk making me think and, with louns' help, making me a theater person to all the others who molded me ... there's just no way i could ever pick one person. i've just been too fortunate for that.
1. are you going to school this year?
nope, this is the second autumn in which i am not returning for another academic school year ... having graduated from formal education (for the time being, at least), i am now learning life lessons from the great classroom that is human existance.
2. if yes, where are you going (high school, college, etc.)? if no, when did you graduate?
i've experienced four graduations in my relatively short lifetime. the first - kindergarten graduation back in archaic 1986. i recall wearing a pink dress, singing and receiving the gift of a gold necklace from my (now deceased) grandfather. i still keep the necklace in a jewlery box, which is in my room wherever i am living.
next graduation was sixth grade. i remember loving the fact that the seating was alphabetical while hating it at the same time, as andrew and i were deeply entrenched in our "i hate you, you hate me" stage. ah, what a crush i had. i also recall being one of two graduates (the other being mookie) to read the "i remember when ..." anecdotes we had prepared. i laughed so hard during some of them that it was hard to read them out loud.
then there was high school graduation - when i lamented the fact that there was one person between myself and andrew. ah, what a crush i had. ;-) all the girls had a hell of a time once it was time to throw our caps, as we had all pinned them to stay on our heads throughout the ceremony. haha. following graduation, we went on our senior class trip, down to new jersey, where we stayed up all night before hitting up six flags the next day. fun times.
and then college, mother's day 2002. i was a basket case. no one should have to graduate college and move out of college on the same day. it's just wrong - on so many levels.
3. what are/were your favorite school subjects?
"were" makes me sound so freakin' old ... but nevertheless. in high school, favorite subjects were always english, german (because my teacher, frau burke, ROCKED) and communication arts with coach fish.
in college, journalism, theater and english classes. i was/am/will always be an artsy writer girl. i gave up on the science/english route after completing my requirement (astronomy with crazy dr. foley) first semester of freshman year. awwwww yeah.
4. what are/were your least favorite school subjects?
let me begin by saying that as a youth, i loved sciences. i wanted to be an archeologist for years ... and then was class with mort. my high school science teacher (except senior year, when i had physics with arlen, which was a great great class) was a nightmare and had absolutely no confidence in my abilities as a student, which i had never experienced before. i worked my arse off in his classes, but he completely turned me off of the sciences. i sometimes wonder what might have happened had i not had him as a teacher, sad as it is to say.
as far as college goes - crazy dr. foley scared me and i wasn't crazy about astronomy anyway, but i think the ultimate bad class experience was with prof. case. ethics. i always thought that philosophy courses were supposed to challenge you to think and question - not with case. you were supposed to recite back exactly what he said in class. nothing more, nothing less. plus he was a spitter. ugh.
5. have you ever had a favorite teacher? why was he/she a favorite?
i've been blessed in the respect that i've had some absolutely amazing teachers come into my life (not even counting the friends who are now teachers!!!). i would find it difficult to name one as a "favorite" simply because each gave me something unique. for example, frau was the first teacher i had who treated her students like contemporaries - we had to work for her respect rather than simply praise. arlen was a longtime family friend who made something like physics fun. then there was barney, my high school soccer coach, who took a chance with a timid incoming freshman and completely changed my life.
then college - where i truly feel as if i made friends more than i met professors. from falling in love with james cagney after prof. shea's film class to the glow of self-confidence after liz referred to me as a writer; paul staying in the lab until 4 a.m. to help me put the paper to bed to kirk making me think and, with louns' help, making me a theater person to all the others who molded me ... there's just no way i could ever pick one person. i've just been too fortunate for that.
8.28.2003
... i wished to the dark sky above to be captured ...
... i wished to the dark sky above to be captured ...
during one of my final two years of college, a group of friends gathered at our meeting spot at meg & christine's and stealthed across campus to the large field across the street from main campus. clutching blankets and pillows, we joined a large mass of students who had come together to enjoy a huge meteor shower. as we found our spot and stretched out on our backs to gaze up at the sky, huddling together for a little warmth against the chilly midnight air, we "oooh"-ed and "aaaaah"-ed like little children as the streaks of light burned against the darkness, pointing to the sky as the afterglow flickered for an instant, forgotten seconds later as the pattern was repeated.
i recalled this particular night tonight as i found myself again stretched out on a blanket, this time at t & t field, this time a lone watcher of the stars. i went down to the field to see mars, which was, naturally, present, but less red and more amber than i had expected it to be. the rest of the night sky was just as beautiful, spread out above me crystal clear and lovely. as i traced one of the three or four constellations i can actually identify, the stars played tricks on me in my peripheral vision. time and time again, i was convinced that i had caught a shooting star in the act. while logic explains to me that it was just a glimmer of a star caught on the fringes of my vision, not an actual shooting star, i nevertheless made a wish each time.
just in case.
what a series of days ... where to begin? the beginning, i suppose, would be avisable. since monday, i have travelled from vermont to maryland, from maryland briefly into d.c. and back, and then from maryland back to vermont. my time as an official resident of the greater washington d.c. metropolitan area came to a close as my brother and i rounded the street corner, my (former) apartment building disappearing behind us while 495 beckoned, ready to take us home ...
first of all, packing sucks. i advise against it at all costs - whether it means you have to live as simply as possible or, as chloe laughed about while she took in the half-packed, half-bombsite condition of my room, simply never change residences. i naturally found things i had been looking for since ... well, pretty much since i moved in a year ago ... and i naturally put things away where i won't be able to find them until i prepare to move again.
but we did remarkably well - fitting just about everything into the two cars we had brought down for the Great Apartment Move-Out of 2003. i had to leave behind my beloved chair, the loss of which i lamented. but i was silly and had my mother take photographs of me in the chair.
i stopped into the office to say goodbye to the people i wanted to actually say goodbye to, as well as to pick up a couple of personal items i had left there. it was great to see the people i felt like i clicked with while working there - there were others who definitely surprised me with their lacks of common courtesy, but hey - it's to be expected. can't please all the people all the time.
after sitting in my room while the lights flickered and a monsoon-calibar thunderstorm raged outside, we walked over to cheesecake factory for one last bit of chevy chase dining indulgence. i treated the family to said dinner as a way of thanking them for all of their help and support in the move, and we all had a fabulous time. which was certainly felt during the walk home. good lord.
i then had the pleasure of spending some time with paul, without which i would have been incredibly upset. it amazes me how random amusement just flocks to us - for instance, keys being placed in small boxes built onto trees. i remain convinced that there is a secret garden around there somewhere - if it is discovered, let me know!
the next day brought the rest of the packing and then, late in the morning, the final goodbye to chloe before leaving. it didn't hit me that i was actually leaving until that moment in which i lost view of the building - even when saying goodbye to chloe, it felt like i was going to be back and going to see her in a week or so. it goes without saying, but chloe and paul - you both have open and enthusiastic invitations to visit at any time, with any form of notice or lack thereof. i miss you guys already.
but things here are going to be fabulous. i feel great - energized, passionate about things again and excited about the future - both long-term and short-term. for instance, i think i'm going to finally buy myself a bike. this could be a great item to have when traveling around burlington and the area i'm in right now. i'm thinking about what i want to do, when i want to do it and how excited i am about the prospects. i feel like i'm finally ready for it to happen!!!
this may be partly due to the fact that my first freelance story was published today - after being good and (im)patient during the early morning, i picked up a copy of the paper on my way to work. front page of the L/O section with a photo refer box on page one - two photos, four columns of copy with a jump to page two, where my sidebar story is also found. very colorful, great clip material and a huge rush of adrenaline.
now i'm working on my next sports assignment and waiting to call my features editor back tomorrow to discuss how that's going to play out - i'm thrilled. things are going to be great. hurrah!
the way things feel right now, who knows? the way i feel right now, mraz will get a craving for a snack while traveling to montreal for his show tomorrow night (*tear*) and happen to stop somewhere on the new york/vermont border. i'll happen to be working. bwahahaha.
during one of my final two years of college, a group of friends gathered at our meeting spot at meg & christine's and stealthed across campus to the large field across the street from main campus. clutching blankets and pillows, we joined a large mass of students who had come together to enjoy a huge meteor shower. as we found our spot and stretched out on our backs to gaze up at the sky, huddling together for a little warmth against the chilly midnight air, we "oooh"-ed and "aaaaah"-ed like little children as the streaks of light burned against the darkness, pointing to the sky as the afterglow flickered for an instant, forgotten seconds later as the pattern was repeated.
i recalled this particular night tonight as i found myself again stretched out on a blanket, this time at t & t field, this time a lone watcher of the stars. i went down to the field to see mars, which was, naturally, present, but less red and more amber than i had expected it to be. the rest of the night sky was just as beautiful, spread out above me crystal clear and lovely. as i traced one of the three or four constellations i can actually identify, the stars played tricks on me in my peripheral vision. time and time again, i was convinced that i had caught a shooting star in the act. while logic explains to me that it was just a glimmer of a star caught on the fringes of my vision, not an actual shooting star, i nevertheless made a wish each time.
just in case.
what a series of days ... where to begin? the beginning, i suppose, would be avisable. since monday, i have travelled from vermont to maryland, from maryland briefly into d.c. and back, and then from maryland back to vermont. my time as an official resident of the greater washington d.c. metropolitan area came to a close as my brother and i rounded the street corner, my (former) apartment building disappearing behind us while 495 beckoned, ready to take us home ...
first of all, packing sucks. i advise against it at all costs - whether it means you have to live as simply as possible or, as chloe laughed about while she took in the half-packed, half-bombsite condition of my room, simply never change residences. i naturally found things i had been looking for since ... well, pretty much since i moved in a year ago ... and i naturally put things away where i won't be able to find them until i prepare to move again.
but we did remarkably well - fitting just about everything into the two cars we had brought down for the Great Apartment Move-Out of 2003. i had to leave behind my beloved chair, the loss of which i lamented. but i was silly and had my mother take photographs of me in the chair.
i stopped into the office to say goodbye to the people i wanted to actually say goodbye to, as well as to pick up a couple of personal items i had left there. it was great to see the people i felt like i clicked with while working there - there were others who definitely surprised me with their lacks of common courtesy, but hey - it's to be expected. can't please all the people all the time.
after sitting in my room while the lights flickered and a monsoon-calibar thunderstorm raged outside, we walked over to cheesecake factory for one last bit of chevy chase dining indulgence. i treated the family to said dinner as a way of thanking them for all of their help and support in the move, and we all had a fabulous time. which was certainly felt during the walk home. good lord.
i then had the pleasure of spending some time with paul, without which i would have been incredibly upset. it amazes me how random amusement just flocks to us - for instance, keys being placed in small boxes built onto trees. i remain convinced that there is a secret garden around there somewhere - if it is discovered, let me know!
the next day brought the rest of the packing and then, late in the morning, the final goodbye to chloe before leaving. it didn't hit me that i was actually leaving until that moment in which i lost view of the building - even when saying goodbye to chloe, it felt like i was going to be back and going to see her in a week or so. it goes without saying, but chloe and paul - you both have open and enthusiastic invitations to visit at any time, with any form of notice or lack thereof. i miss you guys already.
but things here are going to be fabulous. i feel great - energized, passionate about things again and excited about the future - both long-term and short-term. for instance, i think i'm going to finally buy myself a bike. this could be a great item to have when traveling around burlington and the area i'm in right now. i'm thinking about what i want to do, when i want to do it and how excited i am about the prospects. i feel like i'm finally ready for it to happen!!!
this may be partly due to the fact that my first freelance story was published today - after being good and (im)patient during the early morning, i picked up a copy of the paper on my way to work. front page of the L/O section with a photo refer box on page one - two photos, four columns of copy with a jump to page two, where my sidebar story is also found. very colorful, great clip material and a huge rush of adrenaline.
now i'm working on my next sports assignment and waiting to call my features editor back tomorrow to discuss how that's going to play out - i'm thrilled. things are going to be great. hurrah!
the way things feel right now, who knows? the way i feel right now, mraz will get a craving for a snack while traveling to montreal for his show tomorrow night (*tear*) and happen to stop somewhere on the new york/vermont border. i'll happen to be working. bwahahaha.
... waiting game ...
... waiting game ...
i love the feel of near-autumn - when you wake up in the morning and the air is thick with condensation, the grass is soaked with dew and the world outside is crisp and cool. ah ... it's almost my favorite season of the year.
BUT ... the story isn't online, so i have to wait until i can pick up a copy of the paper on my way into work ... UGH!!!! i just want to see it already to know something catastrophic hasn't happened to it!!! the anticipation is driving me mad ...
i love the feel of near-autumn - when you wake up in the morning and the air is thick with condensation, the grass is soaked with dew and the world outside is crisp and cool. ah ... it's almost my favorite season of the year.
BUT ... the story isn't online, so i have to wait until i can pick up a copy of the paper on my way into work ... UGH!!!! i just want to see it already to know something catastrophic hasn't happened to it!!! the anticipation is driving me mad ...
... if interested, just write a check made out to ...
... if interested, write a check made out to ...
so i decided to find out how much i am worth, according to human for sale - and i am worth exactly $1,846,564.00.
hmm ... i'm rather costly ... who could afford me? certainly a successful actor ... particularly one finding success as a key member in an incredibly popular movie trilogy ...
or maybe a musician ...hell, several musicans, in fact.
if interested, enter the applicant pool by clicking on the "write the writer" link above. an application will be sent to you via email promptly. ;-)
in other quick just-before-i-force-myself-to-sleep news: i finally decided to just go for it and go to the mraz show in boston next week. the website didn't say it was sold out or anything, so i figured what the hell, right? finally an opportunity to attend a mraz show, considering that the following events have prevented me thus far:
- leaving the show at the very beginning of soundcheck due to a near fainting spell
- returning to d.c. days before he played at higher ground in burlington
- being in d.c. shortly thereafter when he played boston
- being in vermont when he played in the d.c. area
- flying to vegas a day before he was to play d.c. (this show was postponed)
- arriving back in vermont just before he played boston - but unable to get tickets due to timing
- being in vermont when he played the d.c. area
so i figured it was about damn time to see him, right?
wrong.
show's sold out.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if anyone happens to stumble across a spare ticket, contact me - please! otherwise, i'll just have to wait until the next time he's around and hope that he's not too popular and too big to be approachable ...
i swear the gods are just having a field day with this one.
alright - sleep. work tomorrow and i must get a copy (or three - or four) of the paper! and then research for my next story when i get out of work ... then visiting a vermont-type of gal!
so i decided to find out how much i am worth, according to human for sale - and i am worth exactly $1,846,564.00.
hmm ... i'm rather costly ... who could afford me? certainly a successful actor ... particularly one finding success as a key member in an incredibly popular movie trilogy ...
or maybe a musician ...hell, several musicans, in fact.
if interested, enter the applicant pool by clicking on the "write the writer" link above. an application will be sent to you via email promptly. ;-)
in other quick just-before-i-force-myself-to-sleep news: i finally decided to just go for it and go to the mraz show in boston next week. the website didn't say it was sold out or anything, so i figured what the hell, right? finally an opportunity to attend a mraz show, considering that the following events have prevented me thus far:
- leaving the show at the very beginning of soundcheck due to a near fainting spell
- returning to d.c. days before he played at higher ground in burlington
- being in d.c. shortly thereafter when he played boston
- being in vermont when he played in the d.c. area
- flying to vegas a day before he was to play d.c. (this show was postponed)
- arriving back in vermont just before he played boston - but unable to get tickets due to timing
- being in vermont when he played the d.c. area
so i figured it was about damn time to see him, right?
wrong.
show's sold out.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if anyone happens to stumble across a spare ticket, contact me - please! otherwise, i'll just have to wait until the next time he's around and hope that he's not too popular and too big to be approachable ...
i swear the gods are just having a field day with this one.
alright - sleep. work tomorrow and i must get a copy (or three - or four) of the paper! and then research for my next story when i get out of work ... then visiting a vermont-type of gal!
8.27.2003
trauma ...
... trauma ...
for whatever silly reason, i am scared to get a copy of the newspaper tomorrow. yet incredibly excited at the same time.
for whatever silly reason, i am scared to get a copy of the newspaper tomorrow. yet incredibly excited at the same time.
grrrrr ....
... hmm ...
ok, so i played a bit. but it means i can't keep the title aspect, unless i do it individually. i'm open to comments. thoughts? obviously i'm fixing some things, but do you like this design idea for the site? i'm undecided ...
good lord, i'm also exhausted. i sleep now so i can work tomorrow, then be able to describe the last couple days ...
ok, so i played a bit. but it means i can't keep the title aspect, unless i do it individually. i'm open to comments. thoughts? obviously i'm fixing some things, but do you like this design idea for the site? i'm undecided ...
good lord, i'm also exhausted. i sleep now so i can work tomorrow, then be able to describe the last couple days ...
... my brother and his hasidic jew stalkers: a love story OR captain ahab and the baffling blimpie's bathroom ...
confused yet? bwahahaha. traveling tales, amusing anecdotes and roadtripping revelry will follow tomorrow. for now, i will just assure everyone that all four members of the family managed to make it to fair chevy chase and back in one piece. i can't speak for my parents, as they were in the other car on both trips, but i know at least on the way back, my brother and i each might have lost copious amounts of our sanity and are expecting a complete crash from the sugar rush we've been experiencing all day, but at least we're back physically, right?
quick recap, to be explained further in the next day or so:
- stopping into the office was interesting. mostly good, but some people surprised me with their behaviors.
- i'm going to miss you, chloe and paul!!!!
- i'm going to miss aspects of dc, to be sure, but i'm also really looking forward to the challenges and excitement up ahead!!!!!
quick recap, to be explained further in the next day or so:
- stopping into the office was interesting. mostly good, but some people surprised me with their behaviors.
- i'm going to miss you, chloe and paul!!!!
- i'm going to miss aspects of dc, to be sure, but i'm also really looking forward to the challenges and excitement up ahead!!!!!
8.24.2003
first story. done. i think.
i have emailed my first story to my editor. now i will anxiously await a phone call and/or email during the next days' traveling - hopefully it'll be a call saying, "hey, you rule."
or at least not one saying, "hey, you suck."
now i quickly pack and find the loc books i need to return. damn, 3:30 is going to arrive far too quickly.
or at least not one saying, "hey, you suck."
now i quickly pack and find the loc books i need to return. damn, 3:30 is going to arrive far too quickly.
... a band of gypsies on the highway ...
well you’re never gonna guess
where i’ve been been been
and i have no regrets
that i bet my whole checking account
because it all amounts to nothing up in the end
well you can only count on the road again
will soon be on the radio dial
and i been payin close attention to the willie nelson style
like a band of gypsies on the highway while
i’m one man pushin’ on the california skyline drive
up the coast mc brag the most
i ’m pickin up my pace and makin time like space ghost
raising a toast to the highway patrol with the most
put my cruise control on coast ...
- mraz, curbside prophet
and i will be on the road again bright and early tomorrow. i'm due in at work at the lovely hour of 6 a.m. (chloe gets to be on vacation this week, so i guess i'm assuming her schedule for this week - well, tomorrow anyway! haha - you can keep it the rest of the time!), and i'm out at 11 a.m.
then it's time to hop in the cars and head on down to the fair district of columbia, where we will spend tuesday packing, packing and oh yes, packing. and i believe i'm going to stop into the office to pick up the last of my things and say goodbye to some of the people ... fun times.
it'll be rather odd, though - saying goodbyes to dc people (or, as i prefer to think of it, saying "goodbye for now - until either i visit dc or y'all visit me in burlington!") and some of the things i've become rather accustomed to. definitely bittersweet.
but hey - life takes you on twists and turns and i'm heading around a new bend ... but i'm happy to realize that i have more people on board to share the journey than i did at this point a year ago. so while i'm sure i'll be sappy when i see y'all (i'm in a south-of-the-mason-dixon-line mood, apparently), i just wanted to take a moment to say thank you - particularly to chloe and paul for being great friends and people that i count on to know in the times to come. i will certainly miss you.
and visit me, dammit! and be ready for me to descend back upon the city as well! :-)
in other news - i love love love it when i get voicemails from concerts. chloe made my year the other day by recording a bit of the radiohead show for me and beth scored major points today for leaving me some ben folds love. awwwww yeah ...
ok, now i have to polish my story, email it in and then enjoy sex and the city while figuring out how to set up the vcr properly so i can record "the restaurant" for me mum. then sleep for vickie before the looooooong day tomorrow. i already told people that a coffee iv should be ready for my arrival. i'm going to be alternating between absolute fatigue (because of the early hour and also because of the fact that my insomnia - ok, stupid caffeine consumption, i admit it - kept me awake until about 6 a.m. i wound up waking up around 8, then dozed until 9, when i was called into work. i was so tired i was wired and ran around like a live wire. people were laughing at me. hell, i was laughing at me.) and coffee coffee coffee buzz buzz buzz ...
the road awaits ...
where i’ve been been been
and i have no regrets
that i bet my whole checking account
because it all amounts to nothing up in the end
well you can only count on the road again
will soon be on the radio dial
and i been payin close attention to the willie nelson style
like a band of gypsies on the highway while
i’m one man pushin’ on the california skyline drive
up the coast mc brag the most
i ’m pickin up my pace and makin time like space ghost
raising a toast to the highway patrol with the most
put my cruise control on coast ...
- mraz, curbside prophet
and i will be on the road again bright and early tomorrow. i'm due in at work at the lovely hour of 6 a.m. (chloe gets to be on vacation this week, so i guess i'm assuming her schedule for this week - well, tomorrow anyway! haha - you can keep it the rest of the time!), and i'm out at 11 a.m.
then it's time to hop in the cars and head on down to the fair district of columbia, where we will spend tuesday packing, packing and oh yes, packing. and i believe i'm going to stop into the office to pick up the last of my things and say goodbye to some of the people ... fun times.
it'll be rather odd, though - saying goodbyes to dc people (or, as i prefer to think of it, saying "goodbye for now - until either i visit dc or y'all visit me in burlington!") and some of the things i've become rather accustomed to. definitely bittersweet.
but hey - life takes you on twists and turns and i'm heading around a new bend ... but i'm happy to realize that i have more people on board to share the journey than i did at this point a year ago. so while i'm sure i'll be sappy when i see y'all (i'm in a south-of-the-mason-dixon-line mood, apparently), i just wanted to take a moment to say thank you - particularly to chloe and paul for being great friends and people that i count on to know in the times to come. i will certainly miss you.
and visit me, dammit! and be ready for me to descend back upon the city as well! :-)
in other news - i love love love it when i get voicemails from concerts. chloe made my year the other day by recording a bit of the radiohead show for me and beth scored major points today for leaving me some ben folds love. awwwww yeah ...
ok, now i have to polish my story, email it in and then enjoy sex and the city while figuring out how to set up the vcr properly so i can record "the restaurant" for me mum. then sleep for vickie before the looooooong day tomorrow. i already told people that a coffee iv should be ready for my arrival. i'm going to be alternating between absolute fatigue (because of the early hour and also because of the fact that my insomnia - ok, stupid caffeine consumption, i admit it - kept me awake until about 6 a.m. i wound up waking up around 8, then dozed until 9, when i was called into work. i was so tired i was wired and ran around like a live wire. people were laughing at me. hell, i was laughing at me.) and coffee coffee coffee buzz buzz buzz ...
the road awaits ...
...
old school friday five, since i'm not tired and i need to let my story rest for the evening (just finetuning now - the "hard" part is over). i found this one and really liked the questions, as it makes me think back and relive happy memories.
1. do you remember your first best friend? Who was it?
my first best friend's name was meagan. she lived across the street from me back in middleton and we used to rule the small street on which we lived. or at least we thought we did - i was four and she was five, of course we thought we were royalty! i can't remember her last name to save my life (we moved to vermont when i was five, before the time at which i realized last names were important), but i remember her older sister's name was heather.
2. are you still in touch with this person?
that's a big negative - i never saw her again after we moved. probably seven or eight years ago, my mother and i were driving down to my grandmother's house and we ran into her father at a gas station just outside middleton - at that point, she was doing well and all and i asked him to send her (and heather) my best, but other than that, no contact.
3. do you have a current close friend?
i am happy to say that i have several people that i would consider close friends.
4. how did you become friends with this person?
i have some friends that i met in the typical fashion, nothing too extraordinary about the story. but there are a couple of fun standout random stories. i met becca shortly before our STAR day at st. michael's, as i was working in fair haven and she lived there. her mother had run into my father previously and the two discovered that each had a daughter preparing for her freshman year at smc. becca came into the store one day and we wound up talking and realized we were going to be on the same floor of lyons - from that a friendship was forged.
beth, beth, beth ... i still laugh over this one. we knew each other before college, as we ... well, we ran in the same crowd (kind of). one thing led to another and we wound up not talking for a good chunk of college. however, we discovered that we liked each other after all during the second part of junior year and, well, now i can't get rid of the bitch. ;-) heehee ...
however, one of the most amusing/serendipitous stories is the tale of my friendship with paul - both fans of mraz, we were both at iota in january to see him rock out with toca and ian. he enjoyed a fabulous show while i wound up leaving before the show because i fell ill. due to the wonders of a jason mraz message board (and this here blog), we wound up talking and the rest is history!!!! while i'm thrilled that his friendship came out of my misfortune as far as mraz goes, i'm still bitter that i missed a fabulous show (which i now, thanks to paul, have experienced, at least in cd form)!
5. is there a friend from your past that you wish you were still in contact with? Why?
my best friend during the last couple years of high school. we were ridiculously close, even during the first few years of college. we sent tape letters to each other at our respective schools - ala "felicity" - and visited each other as much as we could. we kept in touch up until probably late winter of my senior year and then i don't really know what happened ... just lost touch. i suppose that, in many respects, we wound up looking for different things out of life. regardless, i'd really enjoy catching up with her over lunch or something - but i'm still trying to figure out how precisely to propose such a meeting. it's always random to call someone up and say, "hey! how've you been doing the past year and a half! want to meet up and catch up on how much our lives have changed?!?!"
1. do you remember your first best friend? Who was it?
my first best friend's name was meagan. she lived across the street from me back in middleton and we used to rule the small street on which we lived. or at least we thought we did - i was four and she was five, of course we thought we were royalty! i can't remember her last name to save my life (we moved to vermont when i was five, before the time at which i realized last names were important), but i remember her older sister's name was heather.
2. are you still in touch with this person?
that's a big negative - i never saw her again after we moved. probably seven or eight years ago, my mother and i were driving down to my grandmother's house and we ran into her father at a gas station just outside middleton - at that point, she was doing well and all and i asked him to send her (and heather) my best, but other than that, no contact.
3. do you have a current close friend?
i am happy to say that i have several people that i would consider close friends.
4. how did you become friends with this person?
i have some friends that i met in the typical fashion, nothing too extraordinary about the story. but there are a couple of fun standout random stories. i met becca shortly before our STAR day at st. michael's, as i was working in fair haven and she lived there. her mother had run into my father previously and the two discovered that each had a daughter preparing for her freshman year at smc. becca came into the store one day and we wound up talking and realized we were going to be on the same floor of lyons - from that a friendship was forged.
beth, beth, beth ... i still laugh over this one. we knew each other before college, as we ... well, we ran in the same crowd (kind of). one thing led to another and we wound up not talking for a good chunk of college. however, we discovered that we liked each other after all during the second part of junior year and, well, now i can't get rid of the bitch. ;-) heehee ...
however, one of the most amusing/serendipitous stories is the tale of my friendship with paul - both fans of mraz, we were both at iota in january to see him rock out with toca and ian. he enjoyed a fabulous show while i wound up leaving before the show because i fell ill. due to the wonders of a jason mraz message board (and this here blog), we wound up talking and the rest is history!!!! while i'm thrilled that his friendship came out of my misfortune as far as mraz goes, i'm still bitter that i missed a fabulous show (which i now, thanks to paul, have experienced, at least in cd form)!
5. is there a friend from your past that you wish you were still in contact with? Why?
my best friend during the last couple years of high school. we were ridiculously close, even during the first few years of college. we sent tape letters to each other at our respective schools - ala "felicity" - and visited each other as much as we could. we kept in touch up until probably late winter of my senior year and then i don't really know what happened ... just lost touch. i suppose that, in many respects, we wound up looking for different things out of life. regardless, i'd really enjoy catching up with her over lunch or something - but i'm still trying to figure out how precisely to propose such a meeting. it's always random to call someone up and say, "hey! how've you been doing the past year and a half! want to meet up and catch up on how much our lives have changed?!?!"
first the boots search trend, now this ... ?
the fact that someone found my site by typing "hasidic rebel" into a search engine amuses me to no end.
... and before i forget (coffee at midnight = wired v)...
a couple housekeeping items i keep forgetting to take care of. first, the survey that was requested again, as my archives do not appear to be working (which i intend to correct) and someone who shall remain nameless (*cough* elizabeth *cough*) was looking for it so she could provide her exceptionally amusing and ... shall we say unique ... answers.
01: What is your first memory of me:
02: How long have we been friends:
03: Tell about one memory we share together:
04: Describe me in four adjectives:
05: If we could spend a day together what would we do:
06: Name one thing you really don't like about me:
07: Name one thing you really do like about me:
08: If you could give me a gift what would it be:
09: Have we ever gotten in a fight & about what:
10: Have we ever hugged or kissed:
11: Have we ever danced with eachother:
12: Have you ever seen me cry:
13: Have you ever seen me with my shirt off:
14: Have I ever offended you:
15: What is something embarassing that I've done:
16: What do I usually look like when you see me:
17: What do I say all the time \ whats my catch phrase:
18: Do you think we will be friends in 10 years:
19: Do you think I am honest:
20: Do you think I am bitchy:
21: Has there been anything you wanted to tell me, but didn't:
second - i made reference about a week ago to an amusing name/fortune program i found online. originally i had a rather long post showing some of the results provided by said program, but somehow the post was deleted. to clear up any confusion - and also to provide general amusement - i will now repost said results:
(removed)
there we go.
and, on one final note, i have had the opportunity to listen to clips from howie day's upcoming album. i've been a bit out of the howie loop as of late (ok, i've been about as far out of the howie loop as one can possibly be), but i must say that what i've been hearing is absolutely phenomenal. i'm anxiously awaiting oct. 7 so i can pick up a copy of "stop all the world now" - i think people are going to be very pleasantly surprised (even those who believe he's best as a cover artist and appreciate his jeans more than his original music ... bwahahaha). check out clips at howiefan.com.
ok, i swear i'm working on my story now.
01: What is your first memory of me:
02: How long have we been friends:
03: Tell about one memory we share together:
04: Describe me in four adjectives:
05: If we could spend a day together what would we do:
06: Name one thing you really don't like about me:
07: Name one thing you really do like about me:
08: If you could give me a gift what would it be:
09: Have we ever gotten in a fight & about what:
10: Have we ever hugged or kissed:
11: Have we ever danced with eachother:
12: Have you ever seen me cry:
13: Have you ever seen me with my shirt off:
14: Have I ever offended you:
15: What is something embarassing that I've done:
16: What do I usually look like when you see me:
17: What do I say all the time \ whats my catch phrase:
18: Do you think we will be friends in 10 years:
19: Do you think I am honest:
20: Do you think I am bitchy:
21: Has there been anything you wanted to tell me, but didn't:
second - i made reference about a week ago to an amusing name/fortune program i found online. originally i had a rather long post showing some of the results provided by said program, but somehow the post was deleted. to clear up any confusion - and also to provide general amusement - i will now repost said results:
(removed)
there we go.
and, on one final note, i have had the opportunity to listen to clips from howie day's upcoming album. i've been a bit out of the howie loop as of late (ok, i've been about as far out of the howie loop as one can possibly be), but i must say that what i've been hearing is absolutely phenomenal. i'm anxiously awaiting oct. 7 so i can pick up a copy of "stop all the world now" - i think people are going to be very pleasantly surprised (even those who believe he's best as a cover artist and appreciate his jeans more than his original music ... bwahahaha). check out clips at howiefan.com.
ok, i swear i'm working on my story now.
the friday five
almost forgot ... hey, friday five on saturday - not too shabby, considering it's me:
1. when was the last time you laughed?
the last time i laughed out loud would have been about an hour and a half ago, as beth was jumping by my car squealing "JOHNMAYERJOHNMAYERJOHNMAYER!!!!" no, she has not gone off the deep end, she was mocking the hordes of pre-pubescent girls who descended upon the great woods (tweeter center, my ass) counting crows/mayer concert friday night.
2. who was the last person you had an argument with?
hmm ... for once, i can't recall the last argument i had. probably with my brother about something petty? nope, now that i think about it, it was more of a one-sided argument that i had with andrea at work last night. i say one-sided because i was the one being pissed off while she was completely oblivious and incompetent. no, this was no different than normal.
3. who was the last person you emailed?
one of my sources for the race story i'm working on. this needs to change. paul, expect email tomorrow. :-)
4. when was the last time you bathed?
many, many moons ago. i decided to truly embrace my vermont side by worshipping phish, not bathing and growing dreds. how about that for a fashion shift?
sarcasm aside, this is a foolish question. but for the sake of not angering the friday five gods, i will reply honestly that i bathed this morning. around 11 a.m., if you want exact answers (on a side note: there's something great about doing your work while relaxing in your pjs with a mug of coffee. ah ... i can't wait to write my novel.).
5. what was the last thing you ate?
an orange popsicle (popcicle? why is it that neither spelling seems right? ok, dictionary.com time. *pause* popsicle. i was right the first time. that teaches me to doubt my first instincts. random quote time - comment and name the movie: "he's teaching me to change my instincts ... or at least ignore them.").
1. when was the last time you laughed?
the last time i laughed out loud would have been about an hour and a half ago, as beth was jumping by my car squealing "JOHNMAYERJOHNMAYERJOHNMAYER!!!!" no, she has not gone off the deep end, she was mocking the hordes of pre-pubescent girls who descended upon the great woods (tweeter center, my ass) counting crows/mayer concert friday night.
2. who was the last person you had an argument with?
hmm ... for once, i can't recall the last argument i had. probably with my brother about something petty? nope, now that i think about it, it was more of a one-sided argument that i had with andrea at work last night. i say one-sided because i was the one being pissed off while she was completely oblivious and incompetent. no, this was no different than normal.
3. who was the last person you emailed?
one of my sources for the race story i'm working on. this needs to change. paul, expect email tomorrow. :-)
4. when was the last time you bathed?
many, many moons ago. i decided to truly embrace my vermont side by worshipping phish, not bathing and growing dreds. how about that for a fashion shift?
sarcasm aside, this is a foolish question. but for the sake of not angering the friday five gods, i will reply honestly that i bathed this morning. around 11 a.m., if you want exact answers (on a side note: there's something great about doing your work while relaxing in your pjs with a mug of coffee. ah ... i can't wait to write my novel.).
5. what was the last thing you ate?
an orange popsicle (popcicle? why is it that neither spelling seems right? ok, dictionary.com time. *pause* popsicle. i was right the first time. that teaches me to doubt my first instincts. random quote time - comment and name the movie: "he's teaching me to change my instincts ... or at least ignore them.").
random dopey revelry
there are moments when i get completely and utterly sappy - some embarrassing (i admit it, i don't know why, but i still cry each time i see "the little mermaid" and "mystery, alaska" - each movies where the vast majority of the movie-viewing population didn't cry the first, or ANY, time they saw it) and some just plain random.
one of the latter came to me tonight, as i drove home from chuckie d's. driving in my car, a live jason mraz show keeping me energized, i realized that i was happy. the cool night was hinting at the autumn to come and i was happily cozy in a fleece, the window slightly cracked so the breeze was on my face while the heater kept the rest of me warm. the night sky was clear while the lack of streetlights allowed the stars to spread out above and in front of me. i was singing along with the music, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, having just left a campfire, great friends and hugs. an assignment was waiting for me at home, the information there and the framework of the story already written. the anticipation of seeing friends in dc giving me an additional sense of excitement while knowing i would have friends awaiting my return. the happiness of realizing that my group of close friends are all finding success and happiness in their given fields, the excitement of the unknown ahead of me bolstered by the confidence that that unknown will turn into further happiness and success.
receiving an email earlier in the day and realizing that things that used to phase me (i.e. the stress of a job i wasn't happy with, the feeling that i should strive to further myself in that career route when everything in my body and soul told me to break away from it because it wasn't what i wanted) have faded into the background of what used to be. knowing that there are elements of that lifestyle that i will miss a great deal (hi chloe & paul!), but that those elements will still be there for me as i take these next steps towards what i want out of life.
it all came together to form the realization that i'm happy. and it feels so good to be able to say that.
"it's when you cry just a little, but you laugh in the middle, that you've made it." - jason mraz
i feel as if i've gone beyond the tears and i'm in the laughter.
like i said, sappiness. but sappiness is good sometimes, in my humble opinion.
ok, enough rambling. i've got a story to finish.
one of the latter came to me tonight, as i drove home from chuckie d's. driving in my car, a live jason mraz show keeping me energized, i realized that i was happy. the cool night was hinting at the autumn to come and i was happily cozy in a fleece, the window slightly cracked so the breeze was on my face while the heater kept the rest of me warm. the night sky was clear while the lack of streetlights allowed the stars to spread out above and in front of me. i was singing along with the music, a hot cup of coffee in my hand, having just left a campfire, great friends and hugs. an assignment was waiting for me at home, the information there and the framework of the story already written. the anticipation of seeing friends in dc giving me an additional sense of excitement while knowing i would have friends awaiting my return. the happiness of realizing that my group of close friends are all finding success and happiness in their given fields, the excitement of the unknown ahead of me bolstered by the confidence that that unknown will turn into further happiness and success.
receiving an email earlier in the day and realizing that things that used to phase me (i.e. the stress of a job i wasn't happy with, the feeling that i should strive to further myself in that career route when everything in my body and soul told me to break away from it because it wasn't what i wanted) have faded into the background of what used to be. knowing that there are elements of that lifestyle that i will miss a great deal (hi chloe & paul!), but that those elements will still be there for me as i take these next steps towards what i want out of life.
it all came together to form the realization that i'm happy. and it feels so good to be able to say that.
"it's when you cry just a little, but you laugh in the middle, that you've made it." - jason mraz
i feel as if i've gone beyond the tears and i'm in the laughter.
like i said, sappiness. but sappiness is good sometimes, in my humble opinion.
ok, enough rambling. i've got a story to finish.
8.22.2003
Mraz to guest on American Dreams - www.ezboard.com
so mraz is going to be featured on "american dreams" - playing DION!!!
i find this hilarious and perfect at the same time. he'll be adorable - can't wait to see it ...
in other news - i have my first story assignment for the newspaper. sports. bicycling. whoo hoo!!!
i find this hilarious and perfect at the same time. he'll be adorable - can't wait to see it ...
in other news - i have my first story assignment for the newspaper. sports. bicycling. whoo hoo!!!
8.19.2003
... the confessions of a formerly open but recently closeted and now confused mayer fan. and other brief ramblings ...
counting crows and john mayer this evening at SPAC.
a review will follow tomorrow, but for now, a few quick comments.
- had a great time.
- loved counting crows. have new appreciation for adam, who is the closest thing to peter pan i think i've ever seen.
- john has obviously been watching and idolizing adam.
- the mayer boy cannot rap.
- i freaked when everyone in the audience sang along with "why georgia."
- i do like one or two of his new songs.
- he should NOT have followed counting crows. c.c. kicked his ass - they should have been headlining headliners.
- we ran into andy there - twas fun. he was in an amusing state, to say the least.
ok, more tomorrow. now i sleep.
a review will follow tomorrow, but for now, a few quick comments.
- had a great time.
- loved counting crows. have new appreciation for adam, who is the closest thing to peter pan i think i've ever seen.
- john has obviously been watching and idolizing adam.
- the mayer boy cannot rap.
- i freaked when everyone in the audience sang along with "why georgia."
- i do like one or two of his new songs.
- he should NOT have followed counting crows. c.c. kicked his ass - they should have been headlining headliners.
- we ran into andy there - twas fun. he was in an amusing state, to say the least.
ok, more tomorrow. now i sleep.
8.18.2003
... in the future, packages will be sent to distant lands through beams of light ...
alright, people, howie day's going on tour. i intend to be at either lupo's on the 28th of september or avalon (what? no paradise? boo ...) on the 29th. who's with me?
still playing the game ...
i decided to play and put in names of certain individuals. i laughed at "john mayer" as much as i growled at "orlando bloom." "howie day" was amusing, as was "chris martin" (and yes, it's true, i've got to say). elizabeth, your first and last name resulted in a wicked funny (almost to the point of bestowing uber status) result.
after answering the friday five yesterday, i decided to see what was going through this blond brain of mine on this day in history. for your amusement - or at least, certainly for my own amusement - my thoughts from years past:
one year ago - no entry. i was just returning from the Great Apartment Search of 2002, though.
two years ago - first entry: i finished "dream brother" around 11 last night. today has been spent trying to get stuff for school. i finally caved and bought myself a discman--mainly because my brother took his from my car this morning and i couldn't imagine a few hours without my cds. i'm pathetic, i know.
not exactly looking forward to tonight's shift, but depending on who's on the closing team, i could be having a lot of fun. someone deserves to have her life made more difficult (or at least her shift)--let's see if she shows up...
after close, i've been cohersed into going to flub's for some dancing. going out dancing i have absolutely no problem with. flub's, on the other hand...maybe it's just me, but i'm not a huge fan of the place. i guess you just have to experience it firsthand to know what i'm talking about.
second entry: so while i'm at work today, i'll keep in mind that i'm missing out on pina coladas and a slip n slide.
grrrrrrrrr.
damn. i've always been deep, eh? ;-)
after answering the friday five yesterday, i decided to see what was going through this blond brain of mine on this day in history. for your amusement - or at least, certainly for my own amusement - my thoughts from years past:
one year ago - no entry. i was just returning from the Great Apartment Search of 2002, though.
two years ago - first entry: i finished "dream brother" around 11 last night. today has been spent trying to get stuff for school. i finally caved and bought myself a discman--mainly because my brother took his from my car this morning and i couldn't imagine a few hours without my cds. i'm pathetic, i know.
not exactly looking forward to tonight's shift, but depending on who's on the closing team, i could be having a lot of fun. someone deserves to have her life made more difficult (or at least her shift)--let's see if she shows up...
after close, i've been cohersed into going to flub's for some dancing. going out dancing i have absolutely no problem with. flub's, on the other hand...maybe it's just me, but i'm not a huge fan of the place. i guess you just have to experience it firsthand to know what i'm talking about.
second entry: so while i'm at work today, i'll keep in mind that i'm missing out on pina coladas and a slip n slide.
grrrrrrrrr.
damn. i've always been deep, eh? ;-)
8.17.2003
friday ... saturday ... it's all relative ...
quick friday five responses before bed:
1. how much time do you spend online each day?
really, not all that much at all anymore. just time to check email, blog and occasionally look up some things, whether it be music, news, etc. i'd wind up averaging maybe an hour a day, if that. probably more like 40 minutes.
2. what is your browser homepage set to?
i'm lazy and never customized it - just the adelphia homepage.
3. do you use any instant messaging programs? if so, which one(s)?
IM on occasion.
4. where was your first webpage located?
technically, my first page was hosted on the smc personalweb space. i actually had a blog of sorts before i even knew what they were - i just wrote dated entries and whatnot. but after a coworker at user support got into my site and modified one of the journal entries, i chose to get rid of it - somewhere i have printed copies of all of the entries.
5. how long have you had your current website?
a little over two years now - scary. before that, i had two others - i've been blogging for over two and a half years now. the first was guppies, which became madder rain before revelry was born.
1. how much time do you spend online each day?
really, not all that much at all anymore. just time to check email, blog and occasionally look up some things, whether it be music, news, etc. i'd wind up averaging maybe an hour a day, if that. probably more like 40 minutes.
2. what is your browser homepage set to?
i'm lazy and never customized it - just the adelphia homepage.
3. do you use any instant messaging programs? if so, which one(s)?
IM on occasion.
4. where was your first webpage located?
technically, my first page was hosted on the smc personalweb space. i actually had a blog of sorts before i even knew what they were - i just wrote dated entries and whatnot. but after a coworker at user support got into my site and modified one of the journal entries, i chose to get rid of it - somewhere i have printed copies of all of the entries.
5. how long have you had your current website?
a little over two years now - scary. before that, i had two others - i've been blogging for over two and a half years now. the first was guppies, which became madder rain before revelry was born.
"some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts. "
ok, quick post as i have to get to bed so i can be up early for a nice long day of work and various and sundry other necessities ...
today was the day of The Family Reunion - the opportunity for the various branches of my mother's family tree to come together over good food, drinks and a half year (or, in my immediate family's case, about five years - whoops!) of catching up. the family holds two reunions a year - one summertime fling that rotates locations, depending on who volunteers to host it, the other in february at a lodge near rochester we've been going to for decades so everyone can get together and also go skiing. we used to go to both reunions every year, but with our different schedules and obligations - sports during high school, then college and whatnot - my parents, tom and i haven't been able to make an appearance since the summer after my freshman year of college, where i shocked everyone with my tongue ring and tales of college amusement. funny to see how things have changed over the past half decade if a tongue ring was seen as controversial!
nevertheless, we went to my second cousin penny's house in connecticut today to meet up with everyone again and i must say that i had the best time at a reunion in eons - possibly the best time ever. besides the shock of realizing that i still thought of everyone as they were when i was a child - my cousin mimi, who is perpetually 26 and the essence of twenty-something new york quasi-bohemian chic in my mind, just celebrated her 40th birthday. what???? - it was just as mellow and relaxing as ever. i realized that there's a whole new bunch of "the kids" that have assumed the responsibility of running around and burning off their sugar rushes, so i was able to sit back with a margarita (or two) and catch up with people, laughing over stories about their kids, fill them in on what i've been up to and, in the case of my second (or is it third? who knows at this point) cousin drew, fill him in on where to go and what to do in burlington, as he is going to be kicking off his frosh year at groovy uvy in two weeks. as i put it, "drew, two words that will bring you happy relaxation for the next four years of your life - muddy waters."
ah - such a lovely day. my more immediate family - my aunt, uncle, grandmother, etc. - were thrilled to see how much my appearance has improved over the past weeks, therefore alleviating a great deal of stress and concern, and i was able to psych both myself and others up with the latest bit of vickie news, that being my upcoming writing jobs. hurrah! not to mention that i managed to get some sun and NOT burn, so i'm currently feeling a surge of self-confidence and happiness, sitting here feeling like a sun-kissed and fun young woman of 22, ready to take on the world and whatever it wants to throw my way (as far as the sun-kissed bit goes, i admit that really, it's not much of anything, but if i want to have a mental self-image of myself as someone with the sun-bleached blond hair and golden skin kate bosworth has in "blue crush," why fight it? it's all about self-confidence, baby!).
i'm also finally buckling down and preparing to begin exercising again, this time working my way up gradually and doing it Properly - now that i have more of an understanding of what Properly is and all. i found a great series of workouts in a magazine that i'm going to try - one in particular is a gradual way of preparing oneself for being able to, if one desires, run a 5K. now while i have no intention of running a 5K, it would be nice to feel as if i could if i wanted to! small workouts three times a week, working my way up for four weeks. i can do that - and i intend to kick it off tomorrow. here we go!
and yes, i'm still focusing constantly on the phone call i am to receive on monday, which will therefore help me figure out how things are going to be over the next few weeks. at this moment in time, i figure i'll be heading back to dc on wednesday, in the office on monday. but who knows? perhaps they'll just want to keep whoever's been filling in for me, perhaps they'll want me there for a few days, perhaps a couple weeks, whatever. it just feels so good to know that it's only going to be for a bit, then i'll be back, ready to start writing and really get my career going. ah ... the anticipation of writing - writing for a living, no less!
but until monday's phone call, it's all up in the air. i'll have so much to do once i know the timeframe - figure out apartment stuff (as in letting my roommates know what the situation is, not to mention the packing and preparing to move aspect), figure out when i'll be back, figure out what i want to do before i say farewell to residential dc life for good, or at least for the time being, yadda yadda. it's just tough to know i have so much in front of me that needs to be taken care of, but i have to wait at least another day before i can really get anything moving.
but hey - it'll make monday that much better of a day! find out about the situation on that front, then have some fun times of the myers/sheep variety. haha.
there's nothing better than preparing to go to sleep with every intention of waking up with a big smile on my face in the morning.
today was the day of The Family Reunion - the opportunity for the various branches of my mother's family tree to come together over good food, drinks and a half year (or, in my immediate family's case, about five years - whoops!) of catching up. the family holds two reunions a year - one summertime fling that rotates locations, depending on who volunteers to host it, the other in february at a lodge near rochester we've been going to for decades so everyone can get together and also go skiing. we used to go to both reunions every year, but with our different schedules and obligations - sports during high school, then college and whatnot - my parents, tom and i haven't been able to make an appearance since the summer after my freshman year of college, where i shocked everyone with my tongue ring and tales of college amusement. funny to see how things have changed over the past half decade if a tongue ring was seen as controversial!
nevertheless, we went to my second cousin penny's house in connecticut today to meet up with everyone again and i must say that i had the best time at a reunion in eons - possibly the best time ever. besides the shock of realizing that i still thought of everyone as they were when i was a child - my cousin mimi, who is perpetually 26 and the essence of twenty-something new york quasi-bohemian chic in my mind, just celebrated her 40th birthday. what???? - it was just as mellow and relaxing as ever. i realized that there's a whole new bunch of "the kids" that have assumed the responsibility of running around and burning off their sugar rushes, so i was able to sit back with a margarita (or two) and catch up with people, laughing over stories about their kids, fill them in on what i've been up to and, in the case of my second (or is it third? who knows at this point) cousin drew, fill him in on where to go and what to do in burlington, as he is going to be kicking off his frosh year at groovy uvy in two weeks. as i put it, "drew, two words that will bring you happy relaxation for the next four years of your life - muddy waters."
ah - such a lovely day. my more immediate family - my aunt, uncle, grandmother, etc. - were thrilled to see how much my appearance has improved over the past weeks, therefore alleviating a great deal of stress and concern, and i was able to psych both myself and others up with the latest bit of vickie news, that being my upcoming writing jobs. hurrah! not to mention that i managed to get some sun and NOT burn, so i'm currently feeling a surge of self-confidence and happiness, sitting here feeling like a sun-kissed and fun young woman of 22, ready to take on the world and whatever it wants to throw my way (as far as the sun-kissed bit goes, i admit that really, it's not much of anything, but if i want to have a mental self-image of myself as someone with the sun-bleached blond hair and golden skin kate bosworth has in "blue crush," why fight it? it's all about self-confidence, baby!).
i'm also finally buckling down and preparing to begin exercising again, this time working my way up gradually and doing it Properly - now that i have more of an understanding of what Properly is and all. i found a great series of workouts in a magazine that i'm going to try - one in particular is a gradual way of preparing oneself for being able to, if one desires, run a 5K. now while i have no intention of running a 5K, it would be nice to feel as if i could if i wanted to! small workouts three times a week, working my way up for four weeks. i can do that - and i intend to kick it off tomorrow. here we go!
and yes, i'm still focusing constantly on the phone call i am to receive on monday, which will therefore help me figure out how things are going to be over the next few weeks. at this moment in time, i figure i'll be heading back to dc on wednesday, in the office on monday. but who knows? perhaps they'll just want to keep whoever's been filling in for me, perhaps they'll want me there for a few days, perhaps a couple weeks, whatever. it just feels so good to know that it's only going to be for a bit, then i'll be back, ready to start writing and really get my career going. ah ... the anticipation of writing - writing for a living, no less!
but until monday's phone call, it's all up in the air. i'll have so much to do once i know the timeframe - figure out apartment stuff (as in letting my roommates know what the situation is, not to mention the packing and preparing to move aspect), figure out when i'll be back, figure out what i want to do before i say farewell to residential dc life for good, or at least for the time being, yadda yadda. it's just tough to know i have so much in front of me that needs to be taken care of, but i have to wait at least another day before i can really get anything moving.
but hey - it'll make monday that much better of a day! find out about the situation on that front, then have some fun times of the myers/sheep variety. haha.
there's nothing better than preparing to go to sleep with every intention of waking up with a big smile on my face in the morning.
8.14.2003
... monday, monday ...
ok, a great deal has occurred over the past few hours. where to begin ...
i had my meeting/interview-of-sorts and it went exceptionally well. basically, they want me for freelancing in a few different ways. and when i look at it objectively, it really does seem like this could turn into my dream job - or at least necessary steps to reaching my dream job. the first couple of months might be interesting as i adapt, but i'm capable and i know i can do a great job.
so i called my current job and told my supervisor about how this situation has presented itself to me and there's really no way i can pass it up. i told her that i am more than willing to give them enough notice as they need - i want to fulfill my personal responsibilities to the office and not seem as if i'm screwing anyone over, as i'm currently in a ... well, shall we say unique, position.
she appreciated my honesty and said she can understand why i feel that i need to take advantage of this opportunity. but she has to talk to my other supervisor about it, as i signed a form before i came back up here saying i was going on medical leave with the intention of returning to the office. so we have to see about the technical stuff. so now i get to wait until monday to find out what the deal is - if they don't want me back as planned, if they do, for how long, etc. etc. etc. oy.
i understand that, but here's my thing. first of all, i'm willing to come back and work for a bit - i told the newspaper that i could start at the end of september. second, if it's emotionally and physically best for me to take advantage of this opportunity, it's stupid to demand me to either return to work or pay back the salary i've been receiving while on orders by my office to recouperate. third, i did have every intention of returning to the office, so i wasn't lying or anything. besides, i was fully ready to return to work in july - but they wouldn't let me. this opportunity has come up since that time. if i'm told they don't want me back until late august when i was planning on returning in july and an opportunity comes up in the beginning of august ...
regardless. one way or another, i am going to be a professional writer. i almost can't believe it. !!!!!!!!!! it's more than just a little frightening - i'll be leaving a steady salary and benefits to enter the realm of freelance and a "day job," most likely. but much as i know i'm giving up something solid, i feel great - i'm going to be getting my foot in the door and starting to do what it is that i really want to do. this is one of those situations you hear about when you have to go with your heart over your head - i just have to keep in mind that i've got to take some chances to get where i want to be - here's the first chance ...
now we wait for monday.
i had my meeting/interview-of-sorts and it went exceptionally well. basically, they want me for freelancing in a few different ways. and when i look at it objectively, it really does seem like this could turn into my dream job - or at least necessary steps to reaching my dream job. the first couple of months might be interesting as i adapt, but i'm capable and i know i can do a great job.
so i called my current job and told my supervisor about how this situation has presented itself to me and there's really no way i can pass it up. i told her that i am more than willing to give them enough notice as they need - i want to fulfill my personal responsibilities to the office and not seem as if i'm screwing anyone over, as i'm currently in a ... well, shall we say unique, position.
she appreciated my honesty and said she can understand why i feel that i need to take advantage of this opportunity. but she has to talk to my other supervisor about it, as i signed a form before i came back up here saying i was going on medical leave with the intention of returning to the office. so we have to see about the technical stuff. so now i get to wait until monday to find out what the deal is - if they don't want me back as planned, if they do, for how long, etc. etc. etc. oy.
i understand that, but here's my thing. first of all, i'm willing to come back and work for a bit - i told the newspaper that i could start at the end of september. second, if it's emotionally and physically best for me to take advantage of this opportunity, it's stupid to demand me to either return to work or pay back the salary i've been receiving while on orders by my office to recouperate. third, i did have every intention of returning to the office, so i wasn't lying or anything. besides, i was fully ready to return to work in july - but they wouldn't let me. this opportunity has come up since that time. if i'm told they don't want me back until late august when i was planning on returning in july and an opportunity comes up in the beginning of august ...
regardless. one way or another, i am going to be a professional writer. i almost can't believe it. !!!!!!!!!! it's more than just a little frightening - i'll be leaving a steady salary and benefits to enter the realm of freelance and a "day job," most likely. but much as i know i'm giving up something solid, i feel great - i'm going to be getting my foot in the door and starting to do what it is that i really want to do. this is one of those situations you hear about when you have to go with your heart over your head - i just have to keep in mind that i've got to take some chances to get where i want to be - here's the first chance ...
now we wait for monday.
8.13.2003
... sorry, wrong number ...
after work this afternoon, i was out and about for awhile. i stopped by irene's house to visit my favorite new invalid (ms. becca had an argument with her back today - at this moment in time, it appears that her back won said argument) and relaxed for awhile before heading into town to run some errands - including figuring out how to pull off an image of bohemian/artsy/professional/intelligent/hip/young/mature/ready for the journalistic world (you know, nothing difficult at all). after hitting the mall and a few other locations and stopping at the grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner and treats for the family, fueling up my car and fueling up myself with a stop at the gas station/dunkies (iced coffee!!!) and arriving home around 6:30ish, i was in the process of making a big old batch of my famous-if-you-haven't-heard-of-it-it's-just-because-you-haven't-tried-it-yet-it's-really-yum pasta salad -- some for us and some for mary from work, who experienced the salad when my father took her to the races and has been raving about it ever since, so i figured i'd surprise her with a batch of it -- when the phone rang. mom was upstairs and asked me to grab the phone, as my father was outdoors, so i picked up the phone while chopping my onions and snowpeas and spoke into it. "hello?"
it was a male voice - sounded youngish, in his mid-twenties probably, certainly friendly. "hello, is victoria available?"
ooh, pleasant male voice asking for victoria? score for me ...
"this is she ..."
i then notice what sounds like cell phone-like crackling in the background. male voice starts speaking, but it sounds like he's stammering - no real words formed. was it that he was stammering or was the phone breaking up? before i can find out, the call ends. i'm assuming it was a call from a cell phone and mystery man lost signal or something.
but now i want to know who it was!!! i'm assuming it's related to one of my interview requests (note to self: call the two m's people and tell them i can't do the previews for their shows - *sniffle*), but i never got a call back, so now i'm left wondering who could have been on the other end of the convo.
i hate it when that happens!!!!!!
nevertheless. tomorrow i meet with the features editor. i'm looking forward to it. then i relax around burlington for a little bit, then return to southern vermont, hopefully giddy with the knowledge that a newspaper wants me.
think good thoughts for me, if you don't mind ... particularly between 11 a.m. and noon ...
oh, and congratulations to my brother, who now officially, put-the-money-down-moving-in-in-september has an apartment in the greater boston metro area ... he is incredibly excited about it and i'm thrilled for him ... and, i'll admit, i'm selfishly looking forward to excuses to check out the place and see what's going down in somerville, visit him and hit up boston!!!
speaking of boston - october 24. paradise. averi. who's down? it's a friday night, i plan to attend and i think it'll be a lot of fun. would people up here like to group up and head down? and would people from elsewhere - in particular one music-loving, adams morgan debauchery-experiencing, all-together kickass mamajahamba fella - be interested in the possiblity to visiting and experiencing averi for the first time? hmm???? :-)
just food for thought ... bwahahahaha.
alright kiddies, early morning tomorrow and the west wing is on now - the inauguration episode, no less. so i will now sit in front of my television and watch, laughing about walking by the trailers and trying to sneak a peek at anything while they were filming the exterior shots for this particular episode ...
beth told me to "break a typewriter or something" tomorrow. i love that my friends know to tell me to break a leg - or some journalistic deviation of said good wishes. i'll be doing my damndest to break a leg but not fall off the stage. ;-)
it was a male voice - sounded youngish, in his mid-twenties probably, certainly friendly. "hello, is victoria available?"
ooh, pleasant male voice asking for victoria? score for me ...
"this is she ..."
i then notice what sounds like cell phone-like crackling in the background. male voice starts speaking, but it sounds like he's stammering - no real words formed. was it that he was stammering or was the phone breaking up? before i can find out, the call ends. i'm assuming it was a call from a cell phone and mystery man lost signal or something.
but now i want to know who it was!!! i'm assuming it's related to one of my interview requests (note to self: call the two m's people and tell them i can't do the previews for their shows - *sniffle*), but i never got a call back, so now i'm left wondering who could have been on the other end of the convo.
i hate it when that happens!!!!!!
nevertheless. tomorrow i meet with the features editor. i'm looking forward to it. then i relax around burlington for a little bit, then return to southern vermont, hopefully giddy with the knowledge that a newspaper wants me.
think good thoughts for me, if you don't mind ... particularly between 11 a.m. and noon ...
oh, and congratulations to my brother, who now officially, put-the-money-down-moving-in-in-september has an apartment in the greater boston metro area ... he is incredibly excited about it and i'm thrilled for him ... and, i'll admit, i'm selfishly looking forward to excuses to check out the place and see what's going down in somerville, visit him and hit up boston!!!
speaking of boston - october 24. paradise. averi. who's down? it's a friday night, i plan to attend and i think it'll be a lot of fun. would people up here like to group up and head down? and would people from elsewhere - in particular one music-loving, adams morgan debauchery-experiencing, all-together kickass mamajahamba fella - be interested in the possiblity to visiting and experiencing averi for the first time? hmm???? :-)
just food for thought ... bwahahahaha.
alright kiddies, early morning tomorrow and the west wing is on now - the inauguration episode, no less. so i will now sit in front of my television and watch, laughing about walking by the trailers and trying to sneak a peek at anything while they were filming the exterior shots for this particular episode ...
beth told me to "break a typewriter or something" tomorrow. i love that my friends know to tell me to break a leg - or some journalistic deviation of said good wishes. i'll be doing my damndest to break a leg but not fall off the stage. ;-)
"well i just can't - not if you're going to say matisse!"
since the newspaper can't touch any of my work at the moment because of my current employment, i figured i'd post the review i wrote of "picasso" here. enjoy!
So Picasso and Einstein walk into a bar…
It sounds like the beginning of a joke shared by two intellectuals between the sips of their lattes. But Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” presented by Lost Nation Theater under Bill Hickok’s direction, takes the scenario and runs with it, mixing highbrow with lowbrow for an evening of sharp comedy that flows as freely as the wine in the Parisian brasserie at which the two twentieth-century icons happen to meet.
Set in 1904, “Picasso” introduces Albert Einstein (Evan Alboum) – a 25-year-old patent clerk set to publish his “General Theory of Relativity” – and Pablo Picasso (Greg T. Parente), 22 years old, deeply entrenched in his famously melancholic “blue period,” and two years from painting his cubist masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” The pair seemingly shares little in common besides blossoming genius and the all-consuming desire to revolutionize their respective fields. While intellectualizing with the Lapin Agile’s bohemian patrons, the men discover they are both searching for beauty – just from different points of view.
Lost Nation draws from Martin’s script to create a cast of characters both familiar and fresh – including straightman barkeep Freddy (Lawrence McDonald) and his lover/barwench Germaine (Jennifer Gundy); lustful elder Frenchman Gaston (Kim Bent – Lost Nation’s Artistic Director), art dealer Sagot (Tim Tavcar) and Suzanne (Elizabeth Capinera), recently fallen under Picasso’s seductive spell. These are people both cynical and optimistic, finding the insights and questions presented by everyday life, from relations between men and women and “icebox laugh” jokes to the future and the time/space continuum.
Gracefully transitioning from discussions of philosophy, art and academia to occasionally crass humor is a hefty task handled with flair by Hickok and “Picasso”’s 11-member cast. The subject manners demand a sense of self-confidence bordering on pretension, but the cast demonstrates an appreciation for the intelligence of “Picasso”’s intended audience. While there are occasional moments of exaggerated delivery that fall flat, the cast predominantly counts on the humor of the script, giving relaxed charming performances. Bent in particular is a gem, giving Gaston a gruff cackle to his voice, a knowing wink accompanying his sly grin.
Parente exudes swagger and lust as the angst-ridden Picasso, giving each gesture clear purpose and style. His face reflects the artist’s sudden shifts in emotion, but his hands are the most dynamic feature, powerful yet graceful enough to paint great works of art. While he occasionally falls victim to facetious preening, Parente cuts through Picasso’s persona to show his personality.
However, it is Alboum who buzzes with the most energy in this production. His Einstein twitters throughout the bar – constantly thinking, questioning, observing with an intensity difficult to look away from for fear of missing some detail. From the frazzled dark hair to his high-pitched giggle of a laugh, Alboum captures the spirit of a man almost incapable of keeping up as the stars in his head race by.
Mark Evancho’s scenic and lighting design evokes a one-time classy establishment now turned shabby chic. Brick walls show through the peeling cream paint while a broom rests against the Rodin bust that later doubles as a coat-rack for a tuxedo jacket. The mish-mash gallery of paintings – ranging from still life to portrait to “Sheep in a Meadow in the Fog” – complements the various styles of chairs and tables to suggest the management possesses an indecisive sense of style. Understated costume and music/sound design by Rachel Kurland and the team of Hickok and Tim Tavcar, respectively, complete the illusion.
Art, beauty, the future – it is all relative and open to debate. Therein lies the heart of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Lost Nation’s production welcomes the audience into the debate.
So join in, stay awhile and enjoy.
So Picasso and Einstein walk into a bar…
It sounds like the beginning of a joke shared by two intellectuals between the sips of their lattes. But Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” presented by Lost Nation Theater under Bill Hickok’s direction, takes the scenario and runs with it, mixing highbrow with lowbrow for an evening of sharp comedy that flows as freely as the wine in the Parisian brasserie at which the two twentieth-century icons happen to meet.
Set in 1904, “Picasso” introduces Albert Einstein (Evan Alboum) – a 25-year-old patent clerk set to publish his “General Theory of Relativity” – and Pablo Picasso (Greg T. Parente), 22 years old, deeply entrenched in his famously melancholic “blue period,” and two years from painting his cubist masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” The pair seemingly shares little in common besides blossoming genius and the all-consuming desire to revolutionize their respective fields. While intellectualizing with the Lapin Agile’s bohemian patrons, the men discover they are both searching for beauty – just from different points of view.
Lost Nation draws from Martin’s script to create a cast of characters both familiar and fresh – including straightman barkeep Freddy (Lawrence McDonald) and his lover/barwench Germaine (Jennifer Gundy); lustful elder Frenchman Gaston (Kim Bent – Lost Nation’s Artistic Director), art dealer Sagot (Tim Tavcar) and Suzanne (Elizabeth Capinera), recently fallen under Picasso’s seductive spell. These are people both cynical and optimistic, finding the insights and questions presented by everyday life, from relations between men and women and “icebox laugh” jokes to the future and the time/space continuum.
Gracefully transitioning from discussions of philosophy, art and academia to occasionally crass humor is a hefty task handled with flair by Hickok and “Picasso”’s 11-member cast. The subject manners demand a sense of self-confidence bordering on pretension, but the cast demonstrates an appreciation for the intelligence of “Picasso”’s intended audience. While there are occasional moments of exaggerated delivery that fall flat, the cast predominantly counts on the humor of the script, giving relaxed charming performances. Bent in particular is a gem, giving Gaston a gruff cackle to his voice, a knowing wink accompanying his sly grin.
Parente exudes swagger and lust as the angst-ridden Picasso, giving each gesture clear purpose and style. His face reflects the artist’s sudden shifts in emotion, but his hands are the most dynamic feature, powerful yet graceful enough to paint great works of art. While he occasionally falls victim to facetious preening, Parente cuts through Picasso’s persona to show his personality.
However, it is Alboum who buzzes with the most energy in this production. His Einstein twitters throughout the bar – constantly thinking, questioning, observing with an intensity difficult to look away from for fear of missing some detail. From the frazzled dark hair to his high-pitched giggle of a laugh, Alboum captures the spirit of a man almost incapable of keeping up as the stars in his head race by.
Mark Evancho’s scenic and lighting design evokes a one-time classy establishment now turned shabby chic. Brick walls show through the peeling cream paint while a broom rests against the Rodin bust that later doubles as a coat-rack for a tuxedo jacket. The mish-mash gallery of paintings – ranging from still life to portrait to “Sheep in a Meadow in the Fog” – complements the various styles of chairs and tables to suggest the management possesses an indecisive sense of style. Understated costume and music/sound design by Rachel Kurland and the team of Hickok and Tim Tavcar, respectively, complete the illusion.
Art, beauty, the future – it is all relative and open to debate. Therein lies the heart of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Lost Nation’s production welcomes the audience into the debate.
So join in, stay awhile and enjoy.
8.12.2003
... so we pass the time and occupy our minds ...
what was that you were saying about karma, miss elizabeth? it appears that the fates just might be smiling down upon me ... i have a meeting on thursday with the features editor to discuss the possibility of becoming the regular freelancer covering primarily the theater beat and other artsy areas. freelance to get my foot in the door - i need to focus on that and count on the fact that i will dazzle them with my ability (hahaha - i have to convince myself that i'm capable of dazzling!) and take off running once i get that foot in there.
aw, shucks - a trip down memory lane ...
imagine my surprise to see that rewt got etherphyte back online - i thought the site would be lost and gone forever. hurrah! it's rather neat to see what people are up to and what they're saying about all of the issues out there.
so there is my plug. check it out. post if you'd like and you have a suitably sarcastic sense of humor. i think i will add some linking love as well. i know - i'm so sweet. (right)
quick side note - amusement never ceases - figured i should give an official statement concerning how i'm doing, as the takes on my "situation" are apparentely moving through collegiate circles. i am doing well, thanks - i'm much better. :-) i think part of the reason why journalism attracted me so much at first is because i thought being able to do the writing about others meant i would get out of being the subject of speculation myself ...
but then again, i suppose it's rather hypocritical of me to cry sensationalized while i have a blog, eh? it's all good - it's nice to know that i haven't disappeared from the minds of those i graduated with, at least! and anyway, it's good practice for my life of wedded bliss with orlando ... bwahahaha.
so there is my plug. check it out. post if you'd like and you have a suitably sarcastic sense of humor. i think i will add some linking love as well. i know - i'm so sweet. (right)
quick side note - amusement never ceases - figured i should give an official statement concerning how i'm doing, as the takes on my "situation" are apparentely moving through collegiate circles. i am doing well, thanks - i'm much better. :-) i think part of the reason why journalism attracted me so much at first is because i thought being able to do the writing about others meant i would get out of being the subject of speculation myself ...
but then again, i suppose it's rather hypocritical of me to cry sensationalized while i have a blog, eh? it's all good - it's nice to know that i haven't disappeared from the minds of those i graduated with, at least! and anyway, it's good practice for my life of wedded bliss with orlando ... bwahahaha.
you're so fucking money and you don't even know it
to think - i let a friday slip by without answering the friday five! who would have thunk it? time to remedy that situation ...
1. what's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?
it depends on what we are to consider traveling. i suppose the last place i traveled to, outside the two spheres provided by vermont and dc would be boston - for the great beth/vickie roadtrip and averi revelry. before that, boston and ashland for the fourth of july. before that? vegas, baby, vegas!!! (on a side note, i am currently watching "swingers" while i write ... amazing how long it's been since i saw this movie. it's one of my favorites from college - i used to have it on video, but it fell victim to one of those well-yeah-i-borrowed-it-but-then-so-and-so-borrowed-it-and-now-we-don't-know-where-it-is-so-i'm-sorry situations. note to self: buy the dvd.)
2. what's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?
besides the incredibly perfect fortune of winding up in the same general area as both leann rimes AND the morman tabernacle choir? probably the experience of observing my punked-out brother and his 15 minutes of fame on the streets of las vegas, particuarly on freemont.
3. if you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?
it depends on a number of factors - primarily my mood at the time. it would probably be london, but it might also wind up being ireland, australia or the dream of a notion that is new zealand. on the u.s. front, i still want to get to the west coast - l.a. and san fran.
4. do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?
de plane, de plane!!!
5. what's the next place on your list to visit?
hmm ... i don't really have anywhere on my list at the moment, as i'm busy figuring out what i need to do on the local front. i'd love to make a trip to new york for a weekend of fun ... any takers?
the fact that the following quiz exists just brings me joy.
Judy.
Which Belle & Sebastian Song Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
back to "swingers" then sleep. go daddy-o ...
1. what's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?
it depends on what we are to consider traveling. i suppose the last place i traveled to, outside the two spheres provided by vermont and dc would be boston - for the great beth/vickie roadtrip and averi revelry. before that, boston and ashland for the fourth of july. before that? vegas, baby, vegas!!! (on a side note, i am currently watching "swingers" while i write ... amazing how long it's been since i saw this movie. it's one of my favorites from college - i used to have it on video, but it fell victim to one of those well-yeah-i-borrowed-it-but-then-so-and-so-borrowed-it-and-now-we-don't-know-where-it-is-so-i'm-sorry situations. note to self: buy the dvd.)
2. what's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?
besides the incredibly perfect fortune of winding up in the same general area as both leann rimes AND the morman tabernacle choir? probably the experience of observing my punked-out brother and his 15 minutes of fame on the streets of las vegas, particuarly on freemont.
3. if you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?
it depends on a number of factors - primarily my mood at the time. it would probably be london, but it might also wind up being ireland, australia or the dream of a notion that is new zealand. on the u.s. front, i still want to get to the west coast - l.a. and san fran.
4. do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?
de plane, de plane!!!
5. what's the next place on your list to visit?
hmm ... i don't really have anywhere on my list at the moment, as i'm busy figuring out what i need to do on the local front. i'd love to make a trip to new york for a weekend of fun ... any takers?
the fact that the following quiz exists just brings me joy.
Judy.
Which Belle & Sebastian Song Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
back to "swingers" then sleep. go daddy-o ...
8.11.2003
... "i'm off to watch tv and discover the beauty and grace of a wildebeest on the african plane" ...
... i was trying to figure out what i should use for my first title on this here new-and-improved (BAM! WHAMMO! RAZZ-A-DAZZ!) cozy cyber-nook when my brother randomly burst out with the bold-faced quote. somehow, i knew i had to use it.
ok, i played.
pretty pretty.
ok, i played.
pretty pretty.
*edited post*
if you happened upon this little space during the hour or so during which i had my original post here, you saw an exceptionally unprofessional post that was written shortly after dancing around the living room in glee and was followed by dancing around the kitchen in glee. following the squeals of "revelrevel!" i composed myself and returned to my sense of professionalism and confident delight over the prospect of a phone interview for a potential feature story.
anyway.
i have two interview requests in that are possibilities, but uncertain, one more of a possibility than the other. but i'm optimistic nevertheless. i might not get an interview for the bigger one, but i'm going to write a concert review and submit that for consideration and i might get hooked up with some press goodies for that purpose.
and, to my delight, i have an interview lined up for this week with guster, as they will be at the flynn at the end of september and i want to write a preview and hopefully (if i can get the day off, which i think should be possible) a review of the show.
i am currently researching (read: listening to "keep it together" - thanks for letting me temporarily kidnap it, beth! - and doing some digging online for interview questions. and i am filled with enthusiasm and adrenaline - god i've missed this!
i hope A) the paper wants these stories (if they don't want them, i get to call back a whole lot of people and explain that i need to withdraw the interview requests - and that's just no fun, now is it?), B) this leads to what i want it to and C) i don't get in trouble with the ethics committee at my current job. i should really email my supervisors to give them a heads up - but i'm offering to currently do this either for free (kind of like a trial offer, as techically, i can't accept monetary payment anyway and i figure it's more likely for them to run it if they like it) or if, in lieu of payment, the newspaper can make a donation to the ronald mcdonald house. at the moment, i feel rather bad, as paul's email inbox is peppered with emails from yours truly with "and can you tell them i'm trying to do this and this and this" messages and a draft of my review from the production of "picasso at the lapin agile" i attended in montpelier saturday night (i should clarify - meaning paul my former college newspaper advisor/saving grace - dc paul will have email from me in his inbox as well, though!!! haha). as well, the editor of the arts section has a voicemail from yours truly waiting for her - if nothing else, they'll see that i'm driven and persistent, eh?
this is fun. :-)
if you happened upon this little space during the hour or so during which i had my original post here, you saw an exceptionally unprofessional post that was written shortly after dancing around the living room in glee and was followed by dancing around the kitchen in glee. following the squeals of "revelrevel!" i composed myself and returned to my sense of professionalism and confident delight over the prospect of a phone interview for a potential feature story.
anyway.
i have two interview requests in that are possibilities, but uncertain, one more of a possibility than the other. but i'm optimistic nevertheless. i might not get an interview for the bigger one, but i'm going to write a concert review and submit that for consideration and i might get hooked up with some press goodies for that purpose.
and, to my delight, i have an interview lined up for this week with guster, as they will be at the flynn at the end of september and i want to write a preview and hopefully (if i can get the day off, which i think should be possible) a review of the show.
i am currently researching (read: listening to "keep it together" - thanks for letting me temporarily kidnap it, beth! - and doing some digging online for interview questions. and i am filled with enthusiasm and adrenaline - god i've missed this!
i hope A) the paper wants these stories (if they don't want them, i get to call back a whole lot of people and explain that i need to withdraw the interview requests - and that's just no fun, now is it?), B) this leads to what i want it to and C) i don't get in trouble with the ethics committee at my current job. i should really email my supervisors to give them a heads up - but i'm offering to currently do this either for free (kind of like a trial offer, as techically, i can't accept monetary payment anyway and i figure it's more likely for them to run it if they like it) or if, in lieu of payment, the newspaper can make a donation to the ronald mcdonald house. at the moment, i feel rather bad, as paul's email inbox is peppered with emails from yours truly with "and can you tell them i'm trying to do this and this and this" messages and a draft of my review from the production of "picasso at the lapin agile" i attended in montpelier saturday night (i should clarify - meaning paul my former college newspaper advisor/saving grace - dc paul will have email from me in his inbox as well, though!!! haha). as well, the editor of the arts section has a voicemail from yours truly waiting for her - if nothing else, they'll see that i'm driven and persistent, eh?
this is fun. :-)
8.09.2003
buckle your seatbelts, kids - things are about to kick off, even if i have to do all the kicking myself.
on my way home from burlington this evening, i brainstormed for story ideas to work on and then submit as freelance. all about getting my foot in the door. i've got a couple of weeks to see what i can do and then figure things out ... i'm going to demonstrate just why i want to be - and deserve to be - a writer.
not to mention that i think this will be fun as all hell - always an added bonus, eh?
this one step -- choosing a goal and sticking to it -- changes everything. -- scott reed
on my way home from burlington this evening, i brainstormed for story ideas to work on and then submit as freelance. all about getting my foot in the door. i've got a couple of weeks to see what i can do and then figure things out ... i'm going to demonstrate just why i want to be - and deserve to be - a writer.
not to mention that i think this will be fun as all hell - always an added bonus, eh?
this one step -- choosing a goal and sticking to it -- changes everything. -- scott reed
8.06.2003
i spend enough time posting surveys on here - time for y'all to post some as well!!! hehehehe ... comment below, copy and paste this in and reply please! i found this on a livejournal (something i'd been thinking about doing myself but havne't, as you need to get an "invite" to the community - if you have lj and you've got a spare access code, please contact me!!!) and thought i'd put it here ...
01: What is your first memory of me:
02: How long have we been friends:
03: Tell about one memory we share together:
04: Describe me in four adjectives:
05: If we could spend a day together what would we do:
06: Name one thing you really don't like about me:
07: Name one thing you really do like about me:
08: If you could give me a gift what would it be:
09: Have we ever gotten in a fight & about what:
10: Have we ever hugged or kissed:
11: Have we ever danced with eachother:
12: Have you ever seen me cry:
13: Have you ever seen me with my shirt off:
14: Have I ever offended you:
15: What is something embarassing that I've done:
16: What do I usually look like when you see me:
17: What do I say all the time \ whats my catch phrase:
18: Do you think we will be friends in 10 years:
19: Do you think I am honest:
20: Do you think I am bitchy:
21: Has there been anything you wanted to tell me, but didn't:
01: What is your first memory of me:
02: How long have we been friends:
03: Tell about one memory we share together:
04: Describe me in four adjectives:
05: If we could spend a day together what would we do:
06: Name one thing you really don't like about me:
07: Name one thing you really do like about me:
08: If you could give me a gift what would it be:
09: Have we ever gotten in a fight & about what:
10: Have we ever hugged or kissed:
11: Have we ever danced with eachother:
12: Have you ever seen me cry:
13: Have you ever seen me with my shirt off:
14: Have I ever offended you:
15: What is something embarassing that I've done:
16: What do I usually look like when you see me:
17: What do I say all the time \ whats my catch phrase:
18: Do you think we will be friends in 10 years:
19: Do you think I am honest:
20: Do you think I am bitchy:
21: Has there been anything you wanted to tell me, but didn't:
i am a fucking tool.
beth was right. so was i, though. she thought the gavin/vaco/sister hazel show was tuesday night. i knew it was august 5. only i was convinced that august 5 was, well, wednesday. when it was in fact tuesday. so the reason i couldn't get onto the website to try buying tickets again while i was at beth's was because the show was, in fact, at that point occurring. in fact, i bet gavin was performing at that very moment.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! i'm so pissed at myself.
beth was right. so was i, though. she thought the gavin/vaco/sister hazel show was tuesday night. i knew it was august 5. only i was convinced that august 5 was, well, wednesday. when it was in fact tuesday. so the reason i couldn't get onto the website to try buying tickets again while i was at beth's was because the show was, in fact, at that point occurring. in fact, i bet gavin was performing at that very moment.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! i'm so pissed at myself.
8.05.2003
ok, my computer is bizarre. all yesterday and most of today, the internet worked on this machine, but only specific sites. or i should say that certain sites wouldn't work. namely, my email, blogger, google, yahoo ... this resulted in some difficulties. i have to call higher ground tomorrow morning to find out what the deal is with my tickets for tomorrow night's show ... i went through the online ordering process and received neither confirmation of my ticket request nor any notice saying it didn't process ... hmm. not a fan.
nevertheless. i was feeling particularly writer-y last night and since blogger wasn't available, i wrote the following, which i figured i would copy and paste into a post whenever it worked - so here we are ...
and now for something completely different …
a smorgasboard of scintillating surveys scribed to satisfy:
first the favorite, the friendly feroicious friday five:
1. what time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
this really depends on the sitauation. as i am currently doing a whole lot of nothing for a living – and getting paid for it, to boot – i have no set time i need to wake up. generally, i shoot for around 10, but it depends on what i need to do. for instance, tomorrow i need to be awake around 7 so i can run some early morning errands (i have something that needs to be mailed out ASAP, as an example). generally, though, it’ll be between 9 and 10. on my DC schedule, monday, wednesday and friday i would wake up around 6:15 a.m., while tuesdays and thursdays had a 5:15 wakeup.
2. do you sleep in on the weekends? how late?
also depends. right now, in many respects, i feel as if i am living a perpetual pattern of weekend days, so see question 1 for my response. if i’m in a situation in which i have partied like a rock star the night before, i am more prone to sleeping in the next day – although i must say that while i didn’t turn in saturday night until around 3:30 a.m., i couldn’t sleep and wound up waking up around 8, so that’s been known to happen as well.
3. aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
lately, coax myself into moving – primarily stretching my back, which has, for whatever reason, been exceptionally sore when i wake up. i must be sleeping incorrectly – but there’s no other way for me to sleep where i actually, well, fall asleep … i also try to get my body moving so i feel energized for the day – while my enthusiasm and sense of ambition has waned as of late, i generally either do my baseball swings or a kickboxing tape.
4. how long does it take to get ready for your day?
when i was in DC, probably about an hour from waking up to relaxing in front of the television with my bagel and coffee. now – depends on what i consider getting ready that particular day, to be honest. sometimes i do the whole get gussied up thing (relatively speaking, obviously), other times it’s wake up, hop in the shower, throw on clothes and i’m good to go.
5. when possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
i’ve really never been a big breakfast girl. i only started eating breakfast regularly after moving to DC – other than that, breakfast foods were meant for lunch or dinner and sleep was the objective during breakfast times. the only times i got psyched for breakfast stuff in the a.m. would be when i had a meal plan and we’d go to weekend brunch in alliot – when the omelet man was working. You SMC types know what i’m talking about. other than that, the highlight would be dunkies for a bagel sandwich and a coolatta. now, i tend to do the at home breakfast thing – although there is something wonderful about having a nice warm panera bagel to go with, depending on the temperature outside, either a hot or iced coffee. and a special can’t-think-of-it-too-much-as-there-isn’t-one-here nod to honeydew. ;-)
and in other news …
the typical, i-remember-this-from-back-in-the-day august heat sank upon my little niche of vermont at some point this afternoon. the air, thick and heavy with moisture, was no longer able to support itself and collapsed onto the sticky shoulders and backs of tired people trying to start their weeks off on a good foot. unable to decide if it was going to rain or shine, the sky decided to show its skitsophrenic side, casting chilly (and very welcome) droplets of condensation onto the ground while the sun shone in an otherwise sparkly blue sky. it was one of those days where you squinted into the sunshine as you drove home and adjusted the speed of your wiper blades. you’d be more than content with either direction the weather chose to take, but the uncertainty of trying to hold the middle ground was just ridiculous. the only benefit to weather like today’s is the inevitable rainbow that glitters against the dark clouds – but today there was no rainbow, no glittering. only a bipolar weather pattern that left me unable to figure out whether to keep my car windows up or down.
nevertheless, certainly a good day. then again, anything could be considered better than the hours upon hours upon HOURS crammed into the back of my saturn sedan during the great family road trip back to vermont from DC. my car is adorable, cute, cuddy and cozy while i’m in the driver’s seat, legs stretched out, arm resting comfortably on the window, wind blowing back my hair. when i am crammed into the seat behind the driver’s, long legs wedged in among CD cases, bags, my books and pillows for the naps that never materialize, arms tugging at my seatbelt, wind from the front window blowing straight in my face and whipping the pages of the book i am reading, it is a bloody ridiculous clown car made of plastic that pisses me off. ;-) particularly when we are preparing to leave my apartment building and we discover we have a flat tire. um … yeah.
but we made it back – flat tire, traffic, tolls, weather and all. the books i picked up at border’s yesterday morning – How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People – were godsends, as they kept my wit sharp and laughter warming the back of my throat. my CDs were thoroughly enjoyed during my music time – particularly the Holy Grail of live recordings bestowed upon me the night before by His Wonderfulness, paul (bloody amazing show – incredible sound quality!!!) and, while i couldn’t sleep, i managed to find a quasi-comfortable position for about an hour and a half before my left leg cramped up. it’s all about the silver lining, my friends.
the weekend, however, made up for some discomfort here and there. after heading out thursday afternoon, we stopped in jersey friday night to stay at a hotel, arriving in DC late friday morning. after relaxing for a bit, it was time to hit up camden for the orioles/sox game. the sox were obviously still on texas time but i was determined to make up for last time (my first trip to camden, back in april, involved me huddled up, miserable, finally finding solace and a bit of comfort at the bottom of a steaming coffee cup in the bottom of the sixth inning) and had a blast – whooping it up, laughing and enjoying the weather, which changed from the drizzle at our arrival to a misty warm summer evening. my father and i assumed that our third game of the season would end with a third win – after all, it was also the third time we were there when burkett started on the mound – but not even johnny damon’s rally-cap inspired home run in the top of the 9th was able to lift my beloved team over the blasted orange and black. c’est la vie – they knew who was really in charge – after all, there were more sox caps than o’s caps visible and orioles were getting booed in their home stadium. need i say more?
on saturday, my family made the famed walk from woodley park to adams morgan to see by day the area i haunt by night. they also experienced a bit more of dupont than ever before – hell, they actually saw the circle of dupont circle! hallelujia … i was able to fit in the epicurial cravings i’ve had since being back up north – panera, wrapworks and, of course, chipotle. (i always feel like i should spoof the wizard of oz – “and you, chipotle! oh you i’ll miss most of all!!!”) before heading out with chloe, betsy, serena and paul (!!!!!) to adams morgan for some nightlife. on this particular evening, millie & al’s was passed over – that’s what lack of air circulation will do, folks – for air conditioning and available seating at the blue room, which wound up being a lot of fun. it felt nice to have a bar to be at – i’m not one for going out all the time, but it was nice to be someone like that for the first time in awhile! – and i’m sure the drinks purchased for me helped such warm feelings along. conversation with a british bloke that prepared me for my eventual visit to the “nation of perverts – but fun perverts” and the opportunity to make someone’s night with birthday wishes, as well as the obviously enjoyable opportunities to catch up with my favorite DC people, made the night.
now, as i sit here, at the end of a long journey over a short span of time, i can smile and say i had fun while thanking those who contributed – my saturday night crew, my family, the orioles, the red sox, the seven others who joined my father, brother and i in our rally-cap efforts and the dutiful, quasi-friendly employees of the various starbucks along the way who kept me wired and happy with my iced coffees. bless you, each and every one. ;-)
speaking of journeys, i managed to take a fanciful journey through the land of hair color over the course of the past five days or so. or should i say a rapid-paced rampage of a romp through the realm of hair color? i decided, primarly because of boredom, partially out of curiousity and the urge to play with a new frame of mind, that life as a blonde would be interrupted by a foray into brunettedom. caribbean caramel, to be precise. however, the color decided to skip by caramel and jump straight into espresso. i was shocked and somewhat less than amused, but i went with it and had a ton of fun as a brunette – not to mention that i loved seeing people’s faces when they realized it was me. haha – sorry, gang!
but this morning i realized that my brunette exterior was only hiding the blondeness in me dying to burst through, so i reverted to my golden ways – well, kind of. it’s a bit of a work in progress, hopefully to be completed tomorrow and hopefully not completely wreaking havoc on my hair. photographs of the various stages have been taken in order to illustrate my journey. this morning, i was demi moore dark, this afternoon i was bette midler brass, and now i am more along the lines of tara ried – it’ll be a normal, pretty blonde tomorrow. hurrah!!!!
hair tomorrow, musical revelry wednesday, hopeful career bartering thursday – let the games begin!
nevertheless. i was feeling particularly writer-y last night and since blogger wasn't available, i wrote the following, which i figured i would copy and paste into a post whenever it worked - so here we are ...
and now for something completely different …
a smorgasboard of scintillating surveys scribed to satisfy:
first the favorite, the friendly feroicious friday five:
1. what time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
this really depends on the sitauation. as i am currently doing a whole lot of nothing for a living – and getting paid for it, to boot – i have no set time i need to wake up. generally, i shoot for around 10, but it depends on what i need to do. for instance, tomorrow i need to be awake around 7 so i can run some early morning errands (i have something that needs to be mailed out ASAP, as an example). generally, though, it’ll be between 9 and 10. on my DC schedule, monday, wednesday and friday i would wake up around 6:15 a.m., while tuesdays and thursdays had a 5:15 wakeup.
2. do you sleep in on the weekends? how late?
also depends. right now, in many respects, i feel as if i am living a perpetual pattern of weekend days, so see question 1 for my response. if i’m in a situation in which i have partied like a rock star the night before, i am more prone to sleeping in the next day – although i must say that while i didn’t turn in saturday night until around 3:30 a.m., i couldn’t sleep and wound up waking up around 8, so that’s been known to happen as well.
3. aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
lately, coax myself into moving – primarily stretching my back, which has, for whatever reason, been exceptionally sore when i wake up. i must be sleeping incorrectly – but there’s no other way for me to sleep where i actually, well, fall asleep … i also try to get my body moving so i feel energized for the day – while my enthusiasm and sense of ambition has waned as of late, i generally either do my baseball swings or a kickboxing tape.
4. how long does it take to get ready for your day?
when i was in DC, probably about an hour from waking up to relaxing in front of the television with my bagel and coffee. now – depends on what i consider getting ready that particular day, to be honest. sometimes i do the whole get gussied up thing (relatively speaking, obviously), other times it’s wake up, hop in the shower, throw on clothes and i’m good to go.
5. when possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
i’ve really never been a big breakfast girl. i only started eating breakfast regularly after moving to DC – other than that, breakfast foods were meant for lunch or dinner and sleep was the objective during breakfast times. the only times i got psyched for breakfast stuff in the a.m. would be when i had a meal plan and we’d go to weekend brunch in alliot – when the omelet man was working. You SMC types know what i’m talking about. other than that, the highlight would be dunkies for a bagel sandwich and a coolatta. now, i tend to do the at home breakfast thing – although there is something wonderful about having a nice warm panera bagel to go with, depending on the temperature outside, either a hot or iced coffee. and a special can’t-think-of-it-too-much-as-there-isn’t-one-here nod to honeydew. ;-)
and in other news …
the typical, i-remember-this-from-back-in-the-day august heat sank upon my little niche of vermont at some point this afternoon. the air, thick and heavy with moisture, was no longer able to support itself and collapsed onto the sticky shoulders and backs of tired people trying to start their weeks off on a good foot. unable to decide if it was going to rain or shine, the sky decided to show its skitsophrenic side, casting chilly (and very welcome) droplets of condensation onto the ground while the sun shone in an otherwise sparkly blue sky. it was one of those days where you squinted into the sunshine as you drove home and adjusted the speed of your wiper blades. you’d be more than content with either direction the weather chose to take, but the uncertainty of trying to hold the middle ground was just ridiculous. the only benefit to weather like today’s is the inevitable rainbow that glitters against the dark clouds – but today there was no rainbow, no glittering. only a bipolar weather pattern that left me unable to figure out whether to keep my car windows up or down.
nevertheless, certainly a good day. then again, anything could be considered better than the hours upon hours upon HOURS crammed into the back of my saturn sedan during the great family road trip back to vermont from DC. my car is adorable, cute, cuddy and cozy while i’m in the driver’s seat, legs stretched out, arm resting comfortably on the window, wind blowing back my hair. when i am crammed into the seat behind the driver’s, long legs wedged in among CD cases, bags, my books and pillows for the naps that never materialize, arms tugging at my seatbelt, wind from the front window blowing straight in my face and whipping the pages of the book i am reading, it is a bloody ridiculous clown car made of plastic that pisses me off. ;-) particularly when we are preparing to leave my apartment building and we discover we have a flat tire. um … yeah.
but we made it back – flat tire, traffic, tolls, weather and all. the books i picked up at border’s yesterday morning – How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People – were godsends, as they kept my wit sharp and laughter warming the back of my throat. my CDs were thoroughly enjoyed during my music time – particularly the Holy Grail of live recordings bestowed upon me the night before by His Wonderfulness, paul (bloody amazing show – incredible sound quality!!!) and, while i couldn’t sleep, i managed to find a quasi-comfortable position for about an hour and a half before my left leg cramped up. it’s all about the silver lining, my friends.
the weekend, however, made up for some discomfort here and there. after heading out thursday afternoon, we stopped in jersey friday night to stay at a hotel, arriving in DC late friday morning. after relaxing for a bit, it was time to hit up camden for the orioles/sox game. the sox were obviously still on texas time but i was determined to make up for last time (my first trip to camden, back in april, involved me huddled up, miserable, finally finding solace and a bit of comfort at the bottom of a steaming coffee cup in the bottom of the sixth inning) and had a blast – whooping it up, laughing and enjoying the weather, which changed from the drizzle at our arrival to a misty warm summer evening. my father and i assumed that our third game of the season would end with a third win – after all, it was also the third time we were there when burkett started on the mound – but not even johnny damon’s rally-cap inspired home run in the top of the 9th was able to lift my beloved team over the blasted orange and black. c’est la vie – they knew who was really in charge – after all, there were more sox caps than o’s caps visible and orioles were getting booed in their home stadium. need i say more?
on saturday, my family made the famed walk from woodley park to adams morgan to see by day the area i haunt by night. they also experienced a bit more of dupont than ever before – hell, they actually saw the circle of dupont circle! hallelujia … i was able to fit in the epicurial cravings i’ve had since being back up north – panera, wrapworks and, of course, chipotle. (i always feel like i should spoof the wizard of oz – “and you, chipotle! oh you i’ll miss most of all!!!”) before heading out with chloe, betsy, serena and paul (!!!!!) to adams morgan for some nightlife. on this particular evening, millie & al’s was passed over – that’s what lack of air circulation will do, folks – for air conditioning and available seating at the blue room, which wound up being a lot of fun. it felt nice to have a bar to be at – i’m not one for going out all the time, but it was nice to be someone like that for the first time in awhile! – and i’m sure the drinks purchased for me helped such warm feelings along. conversation with a british bloke that prepared me for my eventual visit to the “nation of perverts – but fun perverts” and the opportunity to make someone’s night with birthday wishes, as well as the obviously enjoyable opportunities to catch up with my favorite DC people, made the night.
now, as i sit here, at the end of a long journey over a short span of time, i can smile and say i had fun while thanking those who contributed – my saturday night crew, my family, the orioles, the red sox, the seven others who joined my father, brother and i in our rally-cap efforts and the dutiful, quasi-friendly employees of the various starbucks along the way who kept me wired and happy with my iced coffees. bless you, each and every one. ;-)
speaking of journeys, i managed to take a fanciful journey through the land of hair color over the course of the past five days or so. or should i say a rapid-paced rampage of a romp through the realm of hair color? i decided, primarly because of boredom, partially out of curiousity and the urge to play with a new frame of mind, that life as a blonde would be interrupted by a foray into brunettedom. caribbean caramel, to be precise. however, the color decided to skip by caramel and jump straight into espresso. i was shocked and somewhat less than amused, but i went with it and had a ton of fun as a brunette – not to mention that i loved seeing people’s faces when they realized it was me. haha – sorry, gang!
but this morning i realized that my brunette exterior was only hiding the blondeness in me dying to burst through, so i reverted to my golden ways – well, kind of. it’s a bit of a work in progress, hopefully to be completed tomorrow and hopefully not completely wreaking havoc on my hair. photographs of the various stages have been taken in order to illustrate my journey. this morning, i was demi moore dark, this afternoon i was bette midler brass, and now i am more along the lines of tara ried – it’ll be a normal, pretty blonde tomorrow. hurrah!!!!
hair tomorrow, musical revelry wednesday, hopeful career bartering thursday – let the games begin!
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