i am in a fantastic mood today and have no idea why (the story that follows will explain). it feels great to be back in the office, working my first day of the holiday season and trying to figure out how to get my check card to work so i can buy myself a ticket to guster for tomorrow night (i decided to treat myself--besides, the venue doesn't seem too out of the way, so i can be confident going without getting, like, killed or anything).

i greatly enjoyed my time in vermont, so let me begin with positive, sunny stories. well, maybe not sunny, as it was snowy or rainy for most of my time up north. and COLD! mom was joking that i've become southernized--i say not so much, i'm always cold, but mabye she had a point. not that i'd admit that to her, though...hehehe. so i spent a majority of the time shivering and wearing gloves, huddling under blankets, etc. etc.

i also spent a great deal of the time working, which was pleasant, contrary to what you might think. my fam was working, so i figured that would be a great way to spend time with them, socialize with a bunch of the work people and make money at the same time. why not, right? i can definitely deal with a few shifts there--i walk back in and take hold of the reigns again, as if i'd never left (well, actually, the reigns are handed right over to me, it's amusing), then i go back to my other life. can't complain...

thanksgiving was nice and enjoyable--good to see the fam, good to enjoy a tasty homecooked meal, etc. etc. my aunt always makes my brother this chocolate dream pie that he loves and my grandmother made my father the squash pie he loves, so i jokingly grumbled about how no one ever thinks to make my favorite pie--at which point my grandmother, aunt and mother all looked at me and asked, "hey, what type of pie do you like, anyway???" thanks, loving family!!! my mother finally remembered my love of all things lemon mereingue and avoided a huge guilt trip provided by yours truly. but then i had to assure my grandmother that i don't want a lemon mereingue pie made for me for holiday dinners, as i was only teasing. i've never been a big fan of eating pie for the sake of eating pie--i generally will have a piece of blueberry or apple or something, but i'm never crazy about it. for me, Pie is either cherry (yum), lemon mereingue or warm, homemade apple pie. when it comes to apple pie, i'm a snob. none of the store-bought, thank you very much--except for if it's dutch apple and someone's heated it up. then it can be really tasty. and i keep meaning to try pumpkin pie, but it never happens, for various and sundry reasons...but anyway. too early (and too much time until lunch) to further examine the world of pies...

anyway, the rest of the weekend was enjoyable--was able to catch up with becca and whatnot, which made me happy--and then sunday came and i had to prepare to go home. i worked until noon, then hopped into the car and drove to the mall to continue my search for a pair of jeans. i had been looking for what i thought was an easy pair of jeans to find: dark hipsters with a minimal flare. none of this fancy stuff. no pink piping, no embroidery, no distressing--just jeans. but they were nowhere to be found! so i found myself with two hours to find said jeans, get home, finish packing and be ready to head to the airport when my parents got home.

so i'm at the mall and, lo and behold, i find the jeans. they're great, i look good in them, they have the one acceptable form of distressing (the little crinkly lines on the front where it appears that the jeans wrinkled when you sit down), and best, they're on sale for $19.99. $40 jeans for half the price? it's a sign from the gods that i was right in not buying any other pair. so i go up to the register, deal with the woman who cut in front of me and finally place my jeans on the counter so the cashier can say, "that's $29.99, please."

??? nope, it was on the rack that said $19.99, which i explain to her. she asks me to show her the rack, so i do. and i show her the other jeans of the same style and price that are also on the rack. i'm expecting to get my $20 deal here! but she tells me that they are the jeans on the wall, which are on sale for $29.99. so i inform her that she, or someone else, should really take this huge mass of jeans off the rack that's advertising falsely because they should be $19.99. and i'm fully expecting the typical protocol--that i'll get my deal because i've shown her how it's expected.

but nooooo, she doesn't. and i don't have time to haggle over it or speak to a supervisor because i'm late. so i'm a bitch to her (only slightly, and, as beth put it, "the vickie version of being a bitch") and leave. but i intend to complain!

so then i have a voicemail from beth, saying that she's grocery shopping in rutland, so i head to the store to see if i can find her. i see her as soon as i walk in and we stand, like the cool gals we are, in the produce section and talk for awhile. yay--got to see bethy while i was home!!! so that brought me joy.

then i run home, pack and wait for the folks, who were running late. aurgh. but we pack up the car and head to the airport and chill until it's time for me to head to my gate. i hop on plane, read the first act of "the intention of love" (another stoppard gem), and arrive at bwi. after waiting forever for my luggage, i haul everything through the crowded airport to the bus stop, where a bus should arrive at 9:40.

the 9:40 doesn't show. after my hour of waiting in 26 degree weather (did i mention how i'm always cold anyway?), the 10:20 shows up and opens its doors to a huge mass of really pissed off people. luckily, i got a spot on the bus (granted, standing, but at that point i wasn't complaining) and rode it to the metro. where i hopped onto the train and waited twenty minutes for the metro to start moving. rode it to the stop at which i change lines and waited in the cold for ten minutes for the next train to arrive. i got to my stop on the last train of the night, was told to go to a different exit because the gate was being locked (ok, we pause for a slight tirade. i am lugging two wheeling suitcases, have a backpack on my back, am cold and frustrated. the gate wasn't closed yet. do you think the guy could have let me through? but noooo!), so i have to walk all over the place to get back to my apartment around 12:10. i was ready to cry.

but i got back in one piece and woke up today in a great mood (although exhausted). made myself a cup of my sugar plum spice tea (which i found in vt and LOVE), got ready for work and headed in for the day with a smile on my face and the new live dmb cd (disc 2) playing on my discman. happiness for me.

i'd been meaning to post about this for awhile, but never did...did anyone else (particularly anyone else in the freshman class of 1998) freak when they discovered that the first season of "felicity" is being released in a dvd collection? i admit that i didn't watch much of it past mid-way through season two (the loss of the hair was too much for me to bear), but i had such a strong connection to that first season--each week, i'd see a bit of my college experience on television. cortni and i even sent each other taped letters--that's how into the show i was. granted, the odds of me buying it are slim to none, but you never know...i might feel an impulse to reconnect to my freshman self one day and cave.

never mentioned that i finished reading the lord of the rings trilogy late last week--bloody brilliant books. i'm now cleared to see the movies and can't wait until "the two towers" comes out--the fact that it's also orlando bloom viewing adds to the appeal. and, unlike others who shall remain nameless (*cough cough* BETH *cough cough*), i know what happens...neah-neah-na-na-neah! bwahahahaha...

at this time tomorrow, i will be on a plane making its final descent into good ol' albany international (HA!) airport, preparing for a few days of holiday relaxation, spending time with the family and some friends and everything else that includes, and frankly, i'm giddy just thinking about it.

there are so many things about it that i am looking forward to--seeing snow (this might be aided by the fact that i know i'll soon be returning to somewhere without snow, but i digress), seeing the family, having some time away from the office and being able to be a wiseass for a few days. i'm working a few shifts at good ol' mickey dees while i'm home as a way of helping out--they're short managers for thanksgiving break and i figured a little extra money couldn't hurt. my family expressed some concerns when i was so quick to offer to help--i heard the normal protests that i should relax during my break--but honestly? i'm going to have time to see my friends, i'll have time to sit around and do nothing and i'll have time to walk around town (something i haven't done in ages but plan to while i'm there), and i hate sitting around doing nothing, which is what a great deal of my "relaxation" time would be. i have to be doing things, otherwise i swear i'd go mad! so why not work a little bit, enjoy working at a job where i actually stand for a few hours at a time and see everyone that i used to work with? it seems like it works out exceptionally well to me...

i might be able to see beth on the last day i'm home, i know i'm spending time with becca and cortni and i have tentative plans to meet up and spend a little time together, so that'll be neat (haven't seen her since...what...did i even see her this summer? maybe...). i'll be able to spend some quality time with my brother and my parents and otherwise enjoy being home. it's so close...just have to get some stuff done tonight and then wake up way too early tomorrow morning...but it'll be worth it. :)

today i will be taking a tour of the capitol so i can (finally) sign up for the class to learn how to give tours. this brings me extreme, excessive joy, as i've been wanting to do this for ages and have been getting more than a little antsy as of late. there's been a big problem (in my eyes) as of late, with people not being fully aware of what my responsibilities are and whatnot, so i wanted to be able to have everything set, to be able to say, "ok, i handle flags, i handle tour scheduling AND i can give tours. so send that stuff my way." no more messing around, i say...i mean business.

there's a woman who has, as of late, begun to stand at the crosswalk beyond union station in the mornings, not asking for money or anything, but simply standing there and speaking in a prophet-like voice. she spends much of her time criticizing anyone she sees indulging in what she regards as a vice--smoking, drinking coffee, talking on a cell phone, etc. but then she's also loudly wishing everyone a lovely day, a great holiday, etc. she reminds me a great deal of prophet jack in "life or something like it," only without actually attempting to see the future or help the daily travelers. it leaves me puzzled each morning. does she expect someone to speak to her? does she want money? or is it just that she truly loves the sound of her own voice and believes we'll take something away from her daily proclamations? it's to the point now where i both anticipate and dread seeing her as i cross by the fountain. if she wasn't there in the morning, i know i'd wonder if something had happened to her, but i'd also breath a sigh of relief for a quieter morning commute...

i walked through the fallen leaves as i approached my office building. most of the leaves have fallen off the trees that line the streets, and they are so incredibly inviting, just lying there on the ground asking to be trampled. regardless of how old i get, i love watching my feet as i trapse through leaves. i love the crunch they make as i step on them and the swishing sound my foot makes as it moves through and over them and i love the sight of my foot disappearing into a mass of orange, red and brown. if only for a few seconds, i can forget any stress (if i have any at the time) or responsibility and feel like i'm a child again playing out on the lawn behind my old house.

while it's important to play in the leaves as a child, i think it's even more important to walk through them as you become an adult. that way you keep in touch with that childlike self and don't take yourself as seriously as you're expected to all the rest of the time...

how can i not swoon at photos like this and this? honestly...

once again, i say i heart the loc.

while they fell through on the harry potter front (they only know where one copy is, and that's not due back til after christmas), the library of congress has hooked me up with reading material for the next week or two...liz sheridan's dizzy & jimmy (yes, a continuation of my james dean biography trend), lori gottlieb's stick figure and tom stoppard's invention of love. score...

fun weekends are good, particularly when you're going home for a bit. that way you have fun stories for the people at home about the place where you live. went to happy hour with office people after work friday, then relaxed at home (as i had, at that point, gone to happy hours wednesday, thursday and friday--while i wasn't extreme in happy hour revelry, nonetheless, um...yeah) and went running (which made my body very, very happy with me) and settled in for a blockbuster night. explored georgetown on saturday afternoon (it finally wasn't raining when i went there! how shocked was i?!?!) and then went with alison to a house party (theme party and the theme was blue) that was fun. wound up spending time talking with a delightful british grad student--i heart a man with a british accent almost as much as i currently heart that loc...

so yeah--fun times--i was a happy camper. now i just have another day and a half of work, a little light packing (pulling out the big sweaters for my first experience of cold, snowy weather this year) and then making the trip back to vt for a few days! yippee...this will be fun.

this is a prime example of mayerism at its best. although i feel extremely weirded out by the fact that he's included in rolling stone's 2002 people of the year issue (considering i rushed out to buy rolling stone's 2001 people of the year issue because it was the review for "room for squares" was the first time he was featured in the magazine--look at what's happened in exactly a year...)

John Mayer

The singer-songwriter explains how to gently deface a hotel room

You're talking to me at the very end of a page," says John Mayer. "One foot is still playing songs off of Room for Squares, the other is really in the next thing." Exhausted after nearly two full years of touring behind Room, his platinum breakthrough, Mayer reflects on his place in the musical landscape.

Describe your year in five words.

Long, colorful, juxtaposed, eggs Benedict and crowds.

What do you mean, "juxtaposed"?

It's like, if my life were a role-playing game, I'd have a bunch of magic points and not a whole bunch of hit points. Wait . . . oh, my God, I can't believe I'm making a Dungeons and Dragons reference in Rolling Stone. I think this may discount my standing as a Person of the Year. Anyway, juxtaposed: It's certain elements of my life being maintained and other parts of my life not being maintained. When I get off the road in December, I'm going to rejoin my life in 1999, the last time that I had a semblance of a domestic life. So I may have complete strangers come over and ejaculate on my comforter, just to remind me of living in hotels.

Did you destroy anything this year?

I promised I'd break a hotel-room lamp this year, but I haven't done it.

How are you going to do it?

Respectfully. I'll probably lay it down, shed a tear and put a towel over it. That's how singer-songwriters trash hotel rooms.

What's your favorite record this year?

Coldplay. It's good times 10 million.

The best show you saw?

Elton John in Richmond, Virginia. Proving to the world that if he wasn't an icon until that night he played, he was after. I love the guy to pieces.

And he loves you, too, right? Does he ever give you advice?

Elton calls at times that are almost divine, like an angel just appearing in your life. He said to me, and I will never forget it, "Welcome to the world of bullshit. You have arrived, my darling."

What's the coolest thing that happened to you this year?

I was going to Berklee College of Music in 1997. My mom and dad would give me $250 a month to spend, but I started overdrawing from the bank, so I was below broke. My dad sent me a check for $250 and wrote, "John, remember me when you go platinum." I held onto that note through everything. Two days ago, he got his platinum plaque with that very piece of paper inside the glass.

RECESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'll focus on this positive and force myself to not think about the fact that this recess follows the joke that is homeland security.

recess revelry...revel...revelrevel...

and i'm out of here for the night.

when it rains, it pours. i'm almost scared to write anything about this, as i'm afraid it'll get back to me not having anything to do at times, but hey, i'll give it a shot:

i'm determined to put myself out there and have the opportunity to meet people. i'm not going to hide in my room--not that i have been, per se, but i've passed up a couple of opportunities because i haven't felt like it and whatnot, and i have to just be brave and try to be open and make the most of the opportunities that are here. so when alison mentioned that she might go to a house party saturday night and that we were invited if we wanted to come along, i told her to keep me posted if she decided to go because i'd be up for it. then i emailed chloe and asked her if she was up for front page thursday, so i'm planning on at least making a cameo there.

my plans for tonight, then, were to go home, go running, make dinner and enjoy my wednesday night tv action (hello, west wing and the bachelor!) and have it be really low-key. but then i get an email about a hill staffer happy hour with free drinks and munchies, so i'm thinking i should continue to be brave and attempt to be a social butterfly (and hell, how can i pass up free alcohol?). so i figure i can still do everything i planned on doing tonight, including my running, if i stop by this happy hour, have a drink (two at the absolute most), see if i can meet a person or two, then head home, run, make dinner and enjoy tv time.

this should work, right?

right.

wow. found a photo of st. mike's, taken yesterday, and it feels a world away, considering campus is blanketed in snow while we still have the foliage thing going on here (although i'll admit that it's waning). it feels too soon for snow to be covering the ground--although i think that has more to do with the fact that there's nothing even close to it here, except for some chilly weather, than the lack of realization that it's already late november...

late november? when did this happen? they hung up the wreaths at union station yesterday, so they were lit as i headed home from work last night. the poles are covered with lights and decorations at the little shopping center where i do my grocery shopping and a huge christmas tree is in the center of the center commons, decorated with white lights and silver and gold ribbon (which always makes me think of the old claymation rudolph the rednosed reindeer special song "silver & gold...silver & gold...").

it's weather where i bundle up in a sweater and wool peacoat, a soft scarf snug at my neck and thick knitted gloves on my hands, walking down the street with my head slightly bent to attempt to avoid some of the wind while the cold brings some color to my cheeks...weather where i want to wrap my hands around a paper cup filled with steaming hot cider and where i smile as the warmth of my bedroom surrounds me when i get home in the evening.

i love the end of autumn and beginning of winter for these very reasons. the trees still have some color, the leaves still crunch beneath my feet and it's not yet the bitter cold of, say, january. the dread of a long winter season hasn't yet hit, but i can be excited about another change in seasons and marvel at the fact that time has passed so quickly...

this is why mraz rocks. from the right kind of phrase:

post high

high on sugar that is.. what's up folkers and phrasers? pimps, players and private eyes? hows life treating you? i'm dandy eating candy in vermont. thought i'd send a quick hello and copy my recent road journal over here to give you a headstart never knowing how long it takes the web people to post it. i'm clueless to that kind of stuff..

i gotta hand it to you guys who post about howie day. you know whats up. that boy is the most genuine, non competitive, most professional and profound i've seen in quite awhile. i just thought i should mention that since we played last night and this is a message board and all. if i had a picture of us together i'd stick it right here. me wearing my australia t shirt hugging the shit out of howie day. though i may have one of toca.

it's late though and rather than go on, i'm going down and out. sleep time. enjoy the road post. i cant remember what it's about already.. i do know i'm about to brush my teeth and wash my feet though. i'm smart.

mraz road journal tell all scramble with cheese.

hello snow. thank you for keeping me cool on my day off. thanking you for being so easy to use as a weapon against the forces of Toca. thank you for snow balls, snow cones, snow angels and sledding. without you there would be no wonder, just winterland..
without you i would also just be able to wear my summerie canvas tennishoes. but instead you require a much more rugged, waterproof, and all terrain style foot protectant. and thick socks with the occasional long john extendo body sock. and hats and gloves and chapstick and stuff. but oh! , glorious snow. dont go. i throw back my head and know when i catch you on my tongue i feel myself grow. smaller into the child i was only a year ago..

escaping from rhyme scheme. vermonts finest hour.

i do my laundry while i conduct my emailing. within the several trips i've made to and from the cleaning machines, i couldnt help but dive into the candy machine as well. each time. i am powerless against the rainbow of fruit flavors shining bright in the vending light, illuminating my own reflection over the skittle display. making it look like the candy was already in my possession, i felt empty handed waiting for the elevator. so i figured mostly i'd lighten the load of silver change in my pockets and cash in for some sweets. now i'm neat. and complete.

so i'm sitting around all high on starburst and soda just thinking about this vast and spectacular vermont. thinking ice and cavity. feeling cold and full. and i thought of our founding fathers before us and recall what they've written about, feeling this same feeling i feel in vermont. i believe it was ben and jerry who said somewhere i'm sure "we know you will like this.." and they were right..

we tackled last nights show with every ounce of energy and enthusiasm we had left or could muster and had a blast as usual. good folks up here. i asked everyone if we they could hook us up with some sledding but i guess they figure i kid and the closest i got was peeling out my van in the icerink parking lot after the show. we also missed the meteor shower due to cloudy conditions. did anyone get to see it? shite! i live for that kind of stuff. i was looking at as fireworks for our completion of the week. instead we celebrated by not going anywhere today and enjoying burlington, vermont and it's merry dwellers. such a hip town, i ran into three people from the show just scampering around, i couldnt help but want to sing "silver bells" over and over in my head. that is until i started to get the feeling that this is where gremlins took place. i dont know that for a fact but at the movies this afternoon i couldve sworn those critters were behind the screen. but then again i think that everywhere. just a flashback.

i love going to see movies. i love it so much it pains me when anyone asks me my favorite film. in fact, never ask me again. i love them all. good ones, cheesy ones, bad ones, long ones, short one, animated ones, you name it. i'll pay anything to experience the movies. maybe i'm addicted to the popcorn, or the previews, i could watch previews all day. thats what i'll do. the next time anyone asks me my favorite movie, i'll say "the previews." or "the preview of men in black 2, that was great, that scene 45 seconds into the trailor that's spliced with the hook for the promo. brilliant!" or "i love the previews that came on before the ET re-release. it had "signs" in it before we knew "signs" was gonna be not so special. and it had only the ten second clip for "hulk" coming 2003. remember those? loved them."

so yeah. caught a movie tonight and had a beer over at nectars, a famous vermontian watering hole next to muddy waters, the coffee version of the same place but more like the house on pooh corner. nice town. did i mention there's snow?

i spoke with a few from the homeland today and they gave me the expected weather report. 86 and sexy as usual. i missed it but for only a moment and there is something magical about all of this sugary stuff on the ground. i'll enjoy it a bit longer. only the san diego in me is crying for a suntan.

we finished the jewel tour on this side and are looking forward to the longer sets again. though on our last night in DC she gave us a bit more running time and mad props. i feel bad though because in my business i neglected to get make her the thank you basket i had intended. you know the card and flowers routine with book and girlie stuff, including some dope lip balm/gloss combo that my good friend has designed. i sent nothing. i told my friend that jewel still received the lip balm though since i was wearing some when i kissed her farewell.. it's just on her cheek instead.

after that last show i managed to drive us all from DC to vermont, all but the last 50 miles of the entire trip. 10 hours. i get the iron man award for the week. go me. on my drive, just past daybreak, i had pulled over to refresh my tea and pee again and see the snow up close and you know.. i saw some seagulls. just hanging around the truckstop dumpster drinking off the slush and singing their beachie bird songs. maybe they were blind and the sound of the freeway is like the ocean to them, the snow and gravel their salty, sandy sea.. clueless. i once saw a cat on the beach in san diego. that makes more sense though. smart cat seeks largest aquarium to stare into. or maybe the seagull and cat came to suprise the other and just missed out.

you ever think you have a.d.d?.. how does one figure out if he or she does? by now i would think there is an online testing site or at least a humorous place to go make fun of your forgetful self.. i just seem to operate on so many different starting levels these days.. never finishing the one thing before me. although the greater one thing is getting accomplished, my thousand other things rotate while i spin to remember them and further their developement. or maybe i just want to do too much. and love too many people and try to do too many things. but do i do any? maybe it's not my attention span. maybe it's worse. maybe i've let my cavities run too deep and i've finally severed a major freeway at the spine brain interchange.. where's my soda?

next week is thanksgiving. sweet home sweet potato. haul in the stuffing. we'll be roughing it at my family's the way it should be. i'll have the whole gang from the van show in tow to throw down. mix in a few hometown friends and the family pet and we got ourselves a party. i can hear it now," jeet yet? yunk to? aight.. yeya man. your mama cooks good." we wont be barefoot or anything like that but in virginia your still south enough to talk like your always bored.

what else? did you know mraz means frost in slovakian. i remember that usually when i'm cursing it having smothered my windshield in a rich freezy lather. next time your go to a wendy's, order a mrazy and see what you get. maybe you'll have to be in the czech republic.

i'm going to get the all fellas in the frost crew to post next time so they can send love to their families and friends and all y'all for the holidays. it's our way of sending our very best rather than 10,000 hallmark cards with turkey and horn of plenty designs. you can print it out and color your own if you like. until then, use this one to know i'm alive and well and just hanging out and hanging in there.wasting time mostly. enjoying my sugar high at the motel 6. looking forward to having clean clothes in a few minutes..

according to justin (who got his information from those wacky mhz people), the howie day taping we attended should be airing on mhz on december 26. heehee...who'll be taping it? it's me...it's me...

alright people--decision-making time. i think i want to treat myself to a cd, but i don't know what to buy. comment with your recommendation.

- dmb, live at folsom field
- david gray, a new day at midnight
- jeff buckley, songs for no one
- beck, sea change
- ben folds, ben folds live
- badly drawn boy, have you fed the fish?

or a suggestion of your own?

ah...stress.

the past week has been full of it. stress, that is. i've been struggling with the typical feelings of not fitting in quite right, of craving the comfort that familiar faces and places provide, of the possibility of months of uneasiness and fear.

i know everyone goes through this when they leave home and strike out on their own, but knowing that doesn't necessarily make it any easier. i'm doing my best to focus on the fact that making one's own way is never easy and that, all things considered, i'm actually in pretty good shape. that this isn't like college, where you have a bunch of people in the same situation making the best of the situation and meeting new people because no one knows anyone else. that the people i meet here already have comfort zones with people, that they are familiar with the city, the routine, the lifestyle.

what's the point in doing anything if it's all going to be easy? it's the struggle that makes or breaks a person's character. sure, things are difficult at the moment and i feel a bit lost in the shuffle, without strong relationships down here to hold onto. but does that mean i'm going to give up? what, run back home and regret wasting the opportunity i've been presented with? of course not. i've had difficult times before. while the situation isn't like college, i felt the same way at the beginning of college--as if there was no way for me to leave my mark. i overcame that and i'm going to overcome this, dammit! i've never failed at anything i've tried doing--i don't intend to start now.

ok, dear readers, the sun has vanished (after a glorious, burnished-amber-and-emerald sunset), the calls are dying down, and i'm preparing to escape for the evening.

to my st. michael's readership: do not miss the opportunity to see jason mraz and howie day at higher ground tonight!!! you will regret it if you skip the show.

and tell both of them to get back to dc, play a show together and shower me with singer-songwriter love. :)

yeah paradise!!! boston phoenix best of poll puts my favorite boston club right at the top of the "best rock club" list...

good lord, just read the phoenix. need you even ask why i want to write for these guys? "best way to piss of charlie the tuna"???

ah...lovely.

at some point (probably during my week around christmas?) i want to head into cambridge and hit up the garmet district. i've heard so much about this place and it sounds like a fun place to check out.

I Do Not Choose to be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon...if I can; I seek opportunity...not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed. I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stole calm of utopia. I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat. It is my heritage to stand erect, proud, and unafraid; to think and act for myself; enjoy the benefits of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, this I have done.
All this is what it means to be an American.
-- Dean Alfrange

JAM!

at the staff meeting today, we were given a pleasant surprise--the announcement that we have not only next thursday and friday off for thanksgiving, but also wednesday--five day holiday weekend! so, naturally, i got back to my desk and called my good friends at southwest to see if i could bump my wednesday night flight to wednesday morning. now i will be arriving in the winter wonderland that is albany around 9:30 a.m. on wednesday--which gives me most of wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday and part of sunday to relax and enjoy new england.

the only difficulty i'm encountering: metro doesn't start operating til 5:30 a.m. if my flight leaves BWI at 8 a.m., i need to be there by at least 7 (especially considering the holiday rush--good lord, i always used to feel so bad for the suckers who had to fly around the holidays--and now here i am...), which means i might have to think about getting one of those super shuttle things to make sure i get to the airport on time...but that's ok, because i an extra day off!!! whoo hoo!

i love it.

alicia said she's calling me from higher ground on monday, since i can't be at the mraz/howie show myself.

rock on.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Anti-fur activists storm runway at CBS' Victoria's Secret show.

quality.

that's it--i'm just going to have to gain my fame by winning the gap casting call contest.

preparing for my fifteen minutes of fame. ;)

so mraz is playing at dar sunday, opening for jewel. and while i was not willing to pay for a ticket just so i could see him open, i'm considering wandering into georgetown again on sunday afternoon (weather permitting, this time) to do a little mraz hunting. ;) it would be fun to see if i could spot him, in addition to the fact that i really enjoyed the area and want to explore it some more...and i'm on a mission to find a coffeeshop around there. i have no idea sometimes of who stumbles across this lil' blog--if anyone from d.c. happens to, know of any places in georgetown i should check out? leave commenting love (hell, even if you don't and even if you're not from d.c., leave commenting love so i feel special!)

hehehehe.

after a rather depressing two days, i'm determined to be in a good mood today. it's friday, it's sunny and i have the weekend ahead of me, when i can relax, go out if i feel like it, read and write. i'm looking forward to a quiet couple of days...

frus·tra·tion Pronunciation Key (fr-strshn) n.
- the act of frustrating or an instance of being frustrated.
- the state of being frustrated.
- something that serves to frustrate.
- having the mp3s of "gold dust" and "concertina" from the fairfax show on my computer at work--but being unable to listen to them at the moment and possessing no way to transport said mp3s back to home computer.

you're growing up. and rain sort of remains on the branches of a tree that will someday rule the earth. and it's good that there is rain. it clears the month of your sorry rainbow expressions, and it clears the streets of the silent armies... so we can dance.
- jim carroll

ok, the rest of veteran's day weekend, albeit extremely condensed for these purposes...

after meeting the girls at bwi and bringing them back to the apartment, we relaxed and enjoyed being together until the evening, at which point we headed into adams morgan for d.c.-style debauchery. i had intended for us to stop by millie & al's and then make a quick stop at dan's cafe so they could experience the flask special before we headed off to somewhere else. but when we found ourselves seated at a booth at dan's cafe and the drinks started flowing, we weren't feeling all too eager to give it up. a few rounds (and a few hours later), we headed home, but not before making a stop at pizza mart so the girls could experience the jumbo slice for themselves.

typically, adams morgan pizza functions in a manner similar to salsa con queso--that is, hangover preventative and inhebriation reducer. what it was about this particular night out, i have no idea. but it did the exact opposite. um...yeah.

anyway, on sunday we headed out to do some sight-seeing. the girls had expressed interest in seeing the kennedy center, since i had spent so much time there with actf, which was very sweet of them. so we headed over there and i showed them around a bit (the fountains have been taken out for a bit, which surprised me--they'd been there last month) and made sure to show them the view from the terrace balcony. then we headed to the national gallery, where we wound up exploring the gift shop instead of actually seeing the museum--but hey, it was like the entire museum was in one room. and besides, we were all exhausted anyway...

so after that, walked up the hill so i could show them my office building and we headed to union station before heading home to dinner and a movie night--saw "dangerous lives of alter boys" (highly recommend it) and "the smokers" (fell asleep during it). monday was spent dropping michelle off at the airport (note to self: wearing sandals when it's raining? not so much) and then beth and i returned to adams morgan to torture ourselves by browsing in music stores. so much good music available right now--the new dmb, david gray, wilco, mtv2 handpicked (look at the tracklisting and try to debate that one with me), u2, beck, badly drawn boy, jeff buckley...aurgh. enough to drive a girl mad...

but i enjoyed having a dose of home here in the city with me. being able to be comfortable and not worry about what people think of me...i needed that. i had so been looking forward to the girls visiting, and it became clear just why--because i love my girls. it was a great weekend and, while it's hard now because they're gone, i'm thrilled to have had the chance to spend time with them.

it feels as if i've been gone for a two-week vacation, but here i am...four days later, trying to at least jot down something about the extra-long weekend i experienced.

first, the vivid experience that was yesterday's day of musical revelry.

after braving the rain, wind and cold that stood between us and howie's performance at mhz studios, beth and i found ourselves among a small group of howie fans (probably around twenty people total) in the studio for the taping of his performance. besides feeling incredibly old and reaffirmed in my belief that i am a tame fan in comparison to some of the fans out there, being there for such a unique experience was very cool. the studio is small and audience members can sit on bleachers in the back behind the cameras. in addition, three small round tables with high stools line one wall on the stage, which is cast in blue and purple lights and has fabric draped about the top, giving the set a sort of cool coffeeshop vibe.

we wound up sitting on stage, beth at the end by one of the cameras, myself next to someone from the howie trading board at the center table. howie was a couple of feet away, and i tried to focus on watching him, rather than the blinking red lights on the three cameras that were moving about during the performance.

howie looked great, although the hair has gotten a little unruly (bit too big, even by his standards) but looks much better now that it's darker. he was wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt and an incredible pair of jeans (he looked good--even beth acknowledged this). while waiting for the official ok from the cameraman to begin, everyone was sitting there wondering whether or not to say anything or whatnot, so there was a slight squirm factor, which was broken when howie, clearly feeling the same way, laughed nervously.

setlist:
sorry, so sorry
morning after
ghost (beams--no lyrics)
madrigals

watching him perform, i realized how far he's come in just the fifteen months since i'd last seen him perform live (wow--still can't believe it's been that long). songs that i knew like the back of my hand have evolved and grown even more impressive. he's improving as a musician by leaps and bounds. i figured that seeing him perform would accomplish one of two purposes: indicate that i no longer felt the draw of his music or indicate that there was no way for me to be able to stop liking his music. it was the latter.

after the set, he was in the hallway meeting with people and signing autographs, taking pictures, etc. so i finally got my picture taken with him--an event almost three years in the making. so now i'm waiting for something to go wrong with my camera or the film. :)

following the performance, a rain-soaked elizabeth and i headed into georgetown for "tori hunting" and wandered up and down the streets for a bit in what felt like hurricane-force winds. fortunately, we were able to find humor in the situation and laugh at how we had come to resembled drowned rats, particularly when we passed the four seasons hotel and saw two tour buses that we decided were tori's.

after a bit, we headed home, picked up chipotle and shmirnoff ices (and cranberry juice to try spicing them up, which was delightful) and then headed to the show with chloe.

it was bizarre, seeing howie again within a matter of hours, not to mention that it was odd to see him up on a big stage with a red curtain behind him. even from six rows back, he looked so small...very different than the mere feet away he had been earlier in the afternoon.

setlist:
sorry, so sorry
morning after
ghost (beams)
brace yourself
she says (one)
madrigals

i was rather disappointed that the setlist was so similar, but it was to be expected, all things considered. but the addition of the beams outro in "ghost" was so exciting to me (i've only heard it live once--at the iron horse in northampton), although i don't think very many people in the audience picked up on the reference. but hey, the howie fans knew. hearing "brace yourself" live for the first time was exciting--there's something about that song that just hooks me. i love it. and the addition of "one" in she says was a treat i hoped for, but didn't expect, so i was very happy. beth laughed when he went into it because she knew that i wanted to hear it.

and then, there was tori.

setlist:
wampum prayer
a sorta fairytale
take to the sky
pancake
cornflake girl
concertina
sweet sangria
crucify
wednesday
black dove
-road side cafe-
cloud on my tongue
gold dust
icicle -- improv --icicle again
northern lad

sugar
amber waves
don't make me come to vegas
hotel
i can't see new york
spring haze

-encore-
tear in your hand
virginia
hey jupiter -- dakota

in a word: mesmerizing.

i cannot do this show justice, all i can do is describe it a little bit. when she began with "wampum," a light was cast upon the curtain and the scarlet emblem appeared on it. i never expected her to start the show that way, but it fit so incredibly well. as the crowd cheered, the curtain was ripped away to display the stage setup. at the center, an organ to our left and the piano to our right. and, after a few moments of cheering, she walked out, looking absolutely gorgeous and impish.

from the instant she started playing the piano, my emotions were right up at the surface. with the manner in which her voice soared above everything else, the way she could command the keys, spinning from one instrument to the other before playing both at the same time or striking a pose while the rest of the band played, i couldn't take my eyes off of her. and they played it up--backlighting her in blue so she glowed with an other-worldly aura about her, setting up the lights so huge shadows of her band members towering behind while she cast no shadow--the whole thing made her seem larger than life while still showing her fragility--it was amazing.

i've never been at a show where everyone in the venue is silently hanging onto every single word before.

she commented on how d.c. feels like home and then talked about back in the day when she performed all around georgetown and never thought she'd get out of there, but whenever she's back, she's always in georgetown. beth and i looked at each other and screamed as we realized how right on we were about tori hunting in that particular area of the city. during "icicle," she was interrupted by the movement of the fans who had crowded the front area and went into a little ditty about "who's running the show...and who's running the country...and where were all of you last tuesday..." obviously we loved that.

particular favorites? hearing "pancake" because it's the vermont song on "scarlet's walk", hearing "wednesday" because i associate every wednesday at work with that song. "crucify" was amazing, as was "icicle" and "cornflake girl." honestly, every song was magical--and how often can you truly say that about a 23-song set?

but the song that truly got me was "gold dust." i have my own very personal connection to that song, and to hear her perform it solo on the piano was almost too much. i'll never forget how i felt listening to that song.

she was incredible and captivating and while i was a big fan before, words cannot describe how much i love tori amos right now. and i was so happy to be able to be there last night to experience it. thank you chloe and beth for being there with me.

considering that i've been very busy today and it's taken almost all day for me to be able to write just that, i'll have to write about the rest of the weekend tomorrow. but, in short, a lot of fun. more details will be provided later. :)

so it's friday, the 203 girls will be living it up d.c.-style this weekend and i am exceptionally excited. debauchery in adams morgan, the drag queen brunch sunday morning (i'm sure i'll have fun stories about THAT one) and spending some quality time will be lovely. note to self: buy film for camera.

i'm psyched about the upcoming three-day weekend, even more psyched that i'm taking a personal day on tuesday, which means a four-day weekend--and tori and howie (or towie and hori, depending on who you ask--heheeh) tuesday night...this is going to be a wonderful mini-vacation and couldn't come at a better time!

so enjoy yourself this weekend! take care...

if the past two days have shown me anything, it is that in many cases, age and maturity most certainly do not go hand in hand.

i swear i should buy stock in big red gum.

in other news...bubonic plague in nyc. imagine sitting in the doctor's office (or in a hospital bed or something) and the doctor walking in.

"well, doctor?"

"i'm sorry, you have the bubonic plague."

"hahaha. funny. dark ages reference, i get it. now what do i really have?"

"the bubonic plague."

"oh shit."

yearbooks are on their way--nothing like that to make you realize you have officially ended college...

beth's getting the gold star for the day by bringing down her copy on saturday so i can see it and freak out...as my copy will probably just be waiting for me at home when i go back for thanksgiving.

this whole trying to plan for the holidays thing is really frustrating--i'm figuring out how much holiday time i have and when i can take it...but it looks like things will work out very well, in the long run. we're going to mix things up a bit this year...i'm so special that the fam is coming to ME this year. actually, it's just because i have to be back at work the day after christmas...but i get the following week off, so i'll be heading back to vermont the saturday following christmas and living it up for a week (well, probably relaxing more than living it up, but i'm a fan of it either way) back in new england...revelrevel. anyone have fun ideas for new year's eve??

vermont's senators in the hot seat

this is pretty much where we're at--i found the ben & jerry's reference amusing, particularly the "commie-flavored ice cream". props to chloe for starting off my morning on a bitterly funny foot. ;)

where do i begin?

first, last night. yesterday was alison's birthday (who would have thought? three roommates, two of whom have birthdays two days apart), so her boyfriend set up a surprise dinner for her at red sage, a swanky restaurant on 14th street. so chloe and i joined a group of people to celebrate her birthday and all that.

the restaurant is lovely--modern, sophisticated with decor that reflects the borderline gourmet tex-mex fare--and it was nice to dress up a bit and go out for a meal. i was a little apprehensive because the menu is pricey (and i'm mad budget girl--when did this happen to me?), but felt much better when numerous people in the group commented on how appetizers were going to be the extent of our wild and crazy spending (these are my kind of people!). the service left MUCH to be desired. from forgetting about drinks to waiting FOREVER (we're talking like an hour) to have waiters appear to take our orders, we were all surprised, to say the least. i ordered this apple squash seasonal soup (most of the menu consisted of seafood and other things i never eat, i thought soup would be safe), which, unfortunately, wound up not appealing to me at all. so for my dinner, i had about two spoonfulls of soup and two pieces of bread. um...yeah. but hey, whatever, it was good to be there and show alison that we were thinking of her and all that. and the conversation was fun--it was strange, because i realized that it was the first time i went out to a dinner party without knowing a majority of the people, so it was yet another new experience for our heroine.

one of the reasons why chloe and i get along so well...we're walking to the car, talking about our respective selections (she had the jumbo lump crab) and all that. then she says, "you know, it was fun, i've wanted to check that place out, but i don't get it...give me chipotle any day." my thoughts exactly...i have never understood why you go to swanky restaurants and pay a lot more for a lot less food that usually leaves much to be desired. i have simple tastes and don't want cream everywhere and a bunch of food that i can't pronounce the name of. ;) i've been eating a lot of salads lately and love them because you can't really mess one up, know what i mean?

but it was fun, nonetheless--not to mention i'm always a fan of seeing new parts of the city. plus it gave me an excuse to not go running--i'm trying to limit my urges to go running to four or five times a week, as i've been really tired lately and have acknowledged that i'm doing it a bit too much. need to give my body a chance to relax a little bit--what's the point of going running too much and always being tired (before, during and after) when i can relax for a day and then have the energy to push myself while running (and not feel completely dead to the world after!)? i took sunday off and felt fantastic on monday when i ran (and the running had followed how ever much walking i wound up doing during the great tower search). so hopefully i'll be feeling great tonight so i can kick some running arse and do all that fun workout stuff.

but waking up today to the news that the republicans had taken over the senate and gained in the house--what a lousy start to a morning. what's going on here? does anyone else see how much trouble this is inviting? needless to say, i'm a little nervous about how the next session is going to be--and i'm really disappointed in voters.

grrrrr!

so, to give myself something to check up on throughout the weeks, i signed up for the whole mtv fantasty music tycoon game. well, it was also so i could assemble a record label with musicians that i would love to work with (if i were a) fabulously rich and b) had any knowledge about music labels). my six bands/artists? ryan adams, dave matthews band, david gray, coldplay, john mayer and tori amos.

:) there's no way in hell i'll win this contest, but just to pretend that i could be responsible for these artists? fun times. and i tell you the first thing i'd do is change up some of the ways mayer's being handled!

i heart tower records. gosh, i never thought i'd say that.

so my search for the mraz cd was, until yesterday afternoon, utterly unsuccessful. on a whim, i called the tower records on pennsylvania while here in the office--figured i'd see if they happened to have it in stock. to my shock, they did. so i gleefully asked them to put the cd on hold for me, as i would stop by on my way home from work and pick it up. i figured out what metro stop was nearest and where i needed to go to get from the metro to the store and everything. all set, right?

ha! first of all, i walked out of the metro and walked four or five blocks in the wrong direction. after that, i backtracked and tried to navigate from there. found a street i was looking for, so turned onto that...after walking for about a mile (when the walk was supposed to be just under half a mile), i put aside feeling stupid and walked into a random store (an office max or office depot--something office-y) to ask for directions. there's something about when someone gives you directions and ends with "you can't miss it" that screams, "hi, you're a dumbass." obviously i CAN miss it, as i hadn't found it yet.

nonetheless, these directions did in fact lead me to tower, where my cd was waiting for me (and on sale! ah, nothing like an added bonus to my pilgrimage for music). as i prepared to leave, i was wise and asked for directions to the nearest metro. i was told that the foggybottom stop was about three or four blocks down i street. foggybottom? damn...i'd gotten off at farragut north...obviously the helpful directions by wmata were not so helpful.

three or four blocks down i street, the metro was nowhere to be found. so i kept walking, taking a turn at some point because there had to be metro somewhere. next thing i know, i see a sign for new hampshire and realized that i was, if i was guessing right, en route to the kennedy center (side note: yes, if i saw new hampshire, that meant i was probably a street away from the foggybottom stop, but those streets weren't overly well-lit and i wasn't going to wander off with the hopes of walking down the right street.). so i stopped at a hotel and asked for directions, which the wonderful gentleman working there gave me. turns out, i was walking up the street as he said and saw a building that looked remarkably like front page. yep, i wound up in dupont. so i made this huge circle while trying to get to what should have been a very simple metro stop. if you asked me now where tower records is, i couldn't tell you, other than that it's at 2000 pennsylvania.

that aside, i now have in my possession mraz's "waiting for my rocket to come." and have been listening to it ever since. metro ride home, running last night, metro this morning. i think it's like many major label debuts--it's good, but you know the live performances and albums to come will be much better. i really dig mraz's style, lyrics and musicianship (more on this shortly), but i think it is slightly overproduced and is made more radio-friendly than it necessarily needs to be. but, at the same time, i look at it differently than many, as i like the rawer, less polished style of live recordings. i'm not really into perfection in music--if anything, my favorite moments are the random imperfections that make musicians human. i'm an underground girl and i love that.

this album makes me want to see mraz live. he's got a funky, slightly-twanged (but not too much to foray into any country-like styles, which i personally cannot stand) and saucy attitude and obviously enjoys that. i mean, take a song like "too much food." he starts it out casting himself as a curly fry in a box of straight fries, "messing with the flavor oh the flavor that you savor/ saving me for last but you better not eat me at all." but the song sets up food as a metaphor for the recording industry and is basically a fuck you to the people who try to tell him who to be and how to sound. love it! and i'm sorry, but i have to give credit to any guy who will write in a song, "so step on up to the plate to get a date with mraz/ see you better act fast because supplies they never last/ now you know this is a limited time offer," and offer himself up to ridicule with a big ol' grin on his face. he's not one to take himself too seriously (*cough cough* howie) or wax poetical too much from time to time (*ahem* mayer).

so yeah, i'm now certainly a mraz fan.

Gwyneth Paltrow takes a ride while filming a new movie Ted and Sylvia in Cambridge, England.

ted and sylvia??? a sylvia plath movie?!?!?!? YES!!!! i hadn't heard anything about this...now i must find out! this is bloody fantastic!

have you voted for averi today at opprocks.com? if not, please do...you can vote today and tomorrow (voting ends tomorrow), but only do so once a day so they don't eliminate your votes!

all day today, i have had not only the cursed bowl of halloween candy in front of me, but also a tray of authentic new jersey sticky buns that rob brought in (he got the jp award today, suffice to say). my gum-chewing has increased by leaps and bounds today...i'm proud to say i have not partaken in any of this sugary decadence (but fear not, soon-to-be-temporary-washingtonians, i have already assured beth that there will be indulgence this weekend--that's why i have to be good now! did someone say jumbo slice saturday night???). but it's been a test of willpower...willpower i wasn't aware that i really had.

i'm going to have to do some hardcore novel-writing tonight...for some reason i think my novel won't be finished until december--november is a really bad month for me to be writing. visitors last weekend, visitors this weekend...have to finish reading the second book of lord of the rings so i can indulge in some orlando bloom movie action around christmas...oy of the vay variety!

since i wasn't technically born until 6:30 on the 3rd, it still falls within the first 24 hours of my life as i write this. therefore, i'm treating myself. i found a copy of "waiting for my rocket to come" (the jason mraz album) at tower records on connecticut on sale for $9.99. i'm going to get it, because my parents said if i actually found a copy of it, they would buy it for me. so i will inform my parents this evening that they bought me the present afterall. :)

now i cannot WAIT to get out of work. new stuff to listen to as i go running tonight...

revel...revelrevel.

averi's going to be in the south?!?!??!?

i cannot believe they're going to be in philly tomorrow--how incredibly frustrating is it for me to know that they'll be playing a show that close to me and i can't go? this is worthy of a grr of the big fucking variety--but it makes me very happy to see that they're expanding their touring locations--COME TO DC!!!!!! or at least stop by and visit. ;)

so yeah, i'm now an ancient 22-year-old, as of approximately 6:30 last night. all can rejoice...it was a very nice birthday. i have something about birthdays (well, mine, anyway), where i always look forward to them, but also wind up dreading them. what can i say? i'm overly dramatic and always wind up thinking birthdays are this huge thing and spend time thinking about the point of my life i'm at...yadda yadda. so no matter how nice a birthday is, at some point, i will be mildly depressed and introverted. it's by no means a reflection on the people i'm with or what i'm doing and it passes quickly.

this year, i'm doing things a little differently on the birthday front. since so many people from down here are currently braving the cold while they campaign in vermont, plus the fact that i have a visitor or two (is it one visitor or two?) coming down this coming weekend, the actual birthday weekend was spent with my parents, who came down to spend some time with me and shower me with affection (all that good stuff). so it was a nice, relaxing weekend, good to have some fun, spend some quality time with the family, and charge my batteries for the weekend of debauchery that is to come.

spent saturday reading, relaxing, waiting for the parentals to arrive. once they did, we did some shopping and walking about. and for my actual birthday, we took advantage of the absolutely gorgeous autumn day by going to the national zoo. now, i haven't been to a zoo in years--i think since going to the zoo in the boston area when i was a very small child. granted, i'd been to the safari at six flags in jersey a couple of times since then, but that's different. so this was neat--a chance to return, in some respects, to my childhood while realizing that i'm growing up. the actual zoo was rather depressing, in some respects--since it was the end of the season, for all intensive purposes, it wasn't as green and lush as a zoo typically is. and then there were the signs--saying that one of the camels is lame because it has arthritis (poor thing), that the white tiger they used to have there died a few months ago, and then the typical "this species is endangered, there are only so many of them left" type of sign. mom and i were joking about it--how there was all of this death (or potential extinction) around, and here we were, celebrating my life...but it was still a lot of fun. my mother's big thing was the pandas--she loves them--so she was all excited, which was adorable. they wound up buying me a stuffed panda so i would always remember the unique way of spending my bday, and i have named it tutu (short for two-two--it was my mom's idea and i thought it was cute). i was all about seeing the kangaroos (my australian obsession shining through, eh?) and spent much of the rest of the afternoon speaking in my almost-forgotten crocodile hunter voice, thus cracking up my parents. we were silly, it was fun.

went to dinner at maggiano's, an italian restaurant near my apartment. first of all, this place is as italian a restaurant as ever i have seen--with the waiters bustling about, frantically waving their arms at each other and charming the diners. i was telling a story, completely oblivious to the fact that two of the waiters were clearing the table behind me with a marx-brothers-like bustle and humor that was hysterical to my parents, who were trying so hard to ignroe them and focus on what i was saying (to no avail). when i finally realized that despite my charming story, i wasn't causing the tears of laughter to coem to their eyes, i whirled around to see the table looking spotless and the waiters simply pushing chairs back into place. one of them smiled at me, i turned back to my table with a confused look on my face, and my parents lost it. the food was delicious--the portions are massive (i ordered a half-portion of spaghetti and meat sauce and was only able to eat half of that before i was stuffed)--and you sit there wondering when the mob boss is going to bust through the place. i loved it. and dessert at the cheesecake factory (which is two or three doors down) completed the great evening.

so it was a great day--got some calls from people who love me and felt great about that. the last present i opened was the one sent via my parents from becca--talk about a wonderful, wonderful gift!!! the time that went into that tape was incredible, and i now understand the disclaimer that came with it (don't worry, bec--i viewed most of it today before work--thank you for the warning!!!!!!!!). huge thank yous to becca, baz and beth for making me laugh and making me cry--that's one of the most wonderful birthday presents i've ever received and i love you all for it. look for the coming email that will defend my good name!

and now i'm back at work for another day. the candy is still here in front of me, torturing me...i will be strong. :)

i'm going to take advantage of the fact that the office is pretty much deserted and will spend the majority of my day working on my novel. revel...revelrevel...

not a good start to the month...i don't know what the deal is, but people are making less sense than normal today (which, considering how people tend to be normally, is a pretty significant problem), and i'm really not in the mood to deal with it.

do i deserve to get yelled at by a reporter because someone's out of the office? hells no. and will i put up with it? see previous answer. i'll be as polite as i can be, while still making it clear to rude people that they can kiss my ass. ;)

life lesson: when you've had a cold and don't feel particularly well anyway, DO NOT GO OUT.

i, of course, am an idiot and did go out. and had a lot of fun, admittedly. what was going to be a short, non-costumed trip to front page wound up being a costumed trip to polly esther's for a gw law party. um...yeah.

besides the normal looking forward to seeing my folks this weekend, i'm estatic that i won't be going out at any point this weekend, because the thought of alcohol makes my stomach turn at the moment.

but yeah, had a lot of fun. :)

happy november--i will be starting my novel today! after i clean up the disaster area that my room became last night, that is...

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

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

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

today could be

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

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

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

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

this is an incredibly intense experience.

happy halloween to you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

david gray is going to be at the patriot center.

2.2.03.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

happy birthday hun.

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

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

blearg.

i know beth must be all sorts of excited today.

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

the new tori album!!!! :)

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

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

never fails.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Because

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THIS IS THE GREATEST SITE EVER.

look at the FAQ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCORPIO:
Wednesday, October 23

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

hehehehe--sweet.

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

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

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

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

REJOICE!!!!!!!!

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

an example:

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

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

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

it better not get used to it though. ;)

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

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

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

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

oh good lord i am such a moron sometimes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

i heart coldplay. :)

today is how mondays should be. :)

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

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

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

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

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

ah--made it to the weekend.

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

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

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

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

i will be strong.

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

????

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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