R.I.P. Gerry

This has been a tough week, first James Brown, now Gerald Ford. My coworker Michele and I had a conversation today about who would be the third. My bet is Fidel Castro. That might just be wishful (as awful as that is) thinking on my part because I really would love to go to Cuba.

I'm All Out of Christmas Miracles

Okay, I'm going to try to get a couple hours sleep before I've got to shower and get pretty for work. I feel Red Bull in my future. Man, not sleeping sucks. Wish me luck!

The Best Present Ever?

The running joke last week was based on the "Dick in a Box" ("DIAB") video Justin Timberlake and Adam Samberg did on Saturday Night Live a couple weeks ago. If you haven't seen it, click above and watch it before you read any further. I'll wait.

Okay, so all my friends have decided to tell me they hate my new job because I'm always working and have been pretty much on radio silence for the last month, other than very set, scheduled plans. It's very unlike me, but my point of view is this: It's getting me ready for when I have to become a hermit when school starts January 24th. Moving on. Tuesday I get some ims from Agie telling me they are drinking (and have been since 1 pm) and that I need to come out and join them. From about 5:30 to 8:30 I got ims from Tim, Bob, Herb and Agie telling me to come over and keeping me entertained by asking questions like "Guess what Tim got me for Christmas? It came in a box." to which my reply was "You should give him your box in a box." My mom would be so proud. Anyways, the joke kept coming up so that when I got to their house there was talk of actually doing Step 1: You cut a hole in the box. It didn't end up happening that night but there was a lot of drinking by everyone but me (my year of good decisions apparently started early, although given last Friday night, it may not have stuck - thank goodness for dry runs...no pun intended). Bob and I went to bed around 11:30 because we needed to get up at 7 for him to drive me to the metro. It would have been a great plan except for the shots. It was really warm in the guest room. He was really drunk and naked. Which was a problem really only when he decided to walk around the house while everyone was still up giving me no option but to text Agie saying "We are not having sex. We are not even making out. Please let that be known even though he is walking around naked." He put the moves on me (not unexpected given our brief, but semi-sordid history), I said "not when you're this drunk and not in Agie and Tim's house" and he proceeded to throw up the rest of the night. Now, I'm not saying he was sick with rejection, I'm just pointing out more good decision making on my part (again, reference the Social D/Bouncing Souls posts about how I need to avoid crushing on this guy) and a miserable night of sleep for both of us. He got me to the metro barely in time and apologized for his behavior. No biggee from my point of view, plus I had to get to work.

Flash forward to Debby and me in HiTimes Sunday. At one point I asked her "What do you want to get? Other than a piece of Todd of course." Which started us giggling. She then revealed she had DIAB stuck in her head which caused us to giggle even more (again, we're 12, we admit it). So Todd comes back with some recommendations for wine and asks if that was us giggling he heard way back in the storeroom. It was and I then felt obligated to tell him what was so damn funny. He had not seen the video so I made him promise he would YouTube it when he got a chance. I"m confident he'll be thankful. Our next errand involved getting her mother a gift certificate and since I was in desperate need of one, getting me a manicure. I noticed I had a missed call from Agie so I called her back and found out from Bob, who answered the phone, that Tim had called my number and handed the phone to Bob telling him he had a call. After Bob apologized to me again for the other night, and I again told him he really had nothing to apologize for, and then he apologized again, I got Agie on the phone and told her how we had the song stuck in our head. She thought it was due to the pictures she had sent which showed steps one (cut a hole in the box) and two (put your junk in the box) which had been done at the Christmas Eve dinner they were having. I gotta tell you, the pics are priceless but I shall hold onto them for potential blackmail purposes in case I need another early ride to the metro.

The rest of the night I was getting texts from Agie's phone saying things like "Are you ready for step 3?" (That's where you make her open the box....) It got to the point I had to tell Bob to start using his phone just so I could kinda keep track of who was texting me. It was highly entertaining especially since I didn't get the pictures until I woke up Christmas morning. There is much, much more to the story, but I shall protect the box givers at this point. If New Year's finds us all together I can only imagine the trouble we're going to get in.

Christmastime in the OC

So since I seem to have been hit with the insomnia stick, I shall post about this weekend. I ended up flying home, well to LA, on Friday, getting in around noon. I gotta tell ya, the extra $1 I paid to fly first class out there was very much worth it. Plan B's legs need room people. Debby picked me up at LAX and off we went to enjoy our weekend. We did a little errand running and shopping and grabbed a bite to eat. We ended up not having dinner with Jimbo and Nicky as originally sorta planned so we headed out to have a yummy dinner at World Cafe in Santa Monica. We both felt the need to be more social (first mistake) and so went to a bar nearer her home...I would love to tell you the name of it but am unable to...we ended up talking to a group of Entourage-ish guys (think not known and without a caustic, but lovable Ari character) whose house we ended up going to (second mistake). I was way too tired and drunk to be socializing, especially with strangers. Thank God for Debby. She got us home where I passed out from exhaustion (remember, I'd been up since 1 am West Siiide time) and booze.

The next morning (Saturday), my cousin Brett came to Santa Monica to take me to breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot in all of OC, Mutt Lynch's. During the drive I got to talk with him about how he was doing since being back from Iraq. I'm happy to say he's changed but in a he's older and more mature way rather than a he's gone to war and been scarred kind of way. I'm unhappy to report that the following quote is taken verbatim from our conversation "I have no problem fighting for oil". Sigh. Regardless, it was incredibly good to see him and hang out with him. I love my family very much and my cousins are like the little brothers I never wanted, but have always been glad to have. So, Blaise and Alan (a dear friend from high school who I just reconnected with after some 10 odd years of being out of touch) met us for breakfast and then Michelle appeared with her daughter who is almost a year old and is already starting to talk a bit. Man, she's cute. Still don't want one ever. The surf was gnarly...biggest, strongest waves I've seen in Newport without a storm. After breakfast, Blaise and I headed down to the parlor to get our ink done (see post below for final product). After that, we headed out to the 909 (dread!) to my aunt and uncle's house in Chino Hills. It was so great to hang with them again. I haven't seen most of their family for about 3 years. I'm pretty sure the last time was after my grandmother died so it was great to spend time with them on a joyous occasion. We had great food, good laughs and played games until about 8:30 when I pulled the plug because Blaise still had to drive me back to Santa Monica (see? I can be a good friend too). During the visit, my cousins and aunt managed to talk me into going to Kyle's wedding in May in Hawaii. I feel as though I'll be playing favorites with my cousins since I didn't go to my other aunt's kids' weddings (there have been two in not fun states and bad times) but I've been assured no one's feelings will be hurt so I'm off to Hawaii next Spring. Woo hoo.

Sunday (Christmas Eve) was spent having brunch with the girls at Duke's, right on the beach in Huntington. So beautiful. I tell you, if I were at all the settle-down, get married, have kids type I would move back to Huntington in a second. But I'm not so DC is it for now. Don't get me wrong, I do want to settle down and get married, just not the kids part. Anyhoo. It was really great to see Terri and Laura again and Debby's sister Ann is always entertaining. Near the end of the meal, we noticed Tyson, the skateboarding bulldog (click on title above for link). He is the cutest thing ever. Seriously. The dog loves to skate and is so sweet. I went and took a couple pics for Agie (the owner of two bullies who are too too lazy to even try skating), talked to Tyson and his owner and got to feed him some water. After brunch, Debby and I ran a couple more errands which is where our giggling started. For any of you who have had the pleasure (?) to be around us, you know how we giggle. I'm not a big giggler. Seriously. I love to laugh, but giggling is something really only Debby can bring out in me and boy did she at HiTimes. We were tasked with getting her brother a bottle of wine for his stocking as well as some wine for Christmas Eve dinner and a special request from Tim for a beer Agie likes. We ended up being adopted (for lack of a better word) by this guy Todd who is, as it turns out, the future Mr. Plan B. He was tall, good looking, funny, able to banter with me, had one full and one 1/2 sleeve and was intelligent. Plus he picked out a kick ass white wine that I loved just by me telling him I like dry, crisp citrusy whites. Sigh. If only he lived here. I'm sure we'd skate off into the sunset together. Shut up. Let me believe in my own, personal Christmas miracle at least until the New Year. So, during our foray into the wine cellars Debby and I get a certain song stuck in our heads (I will say more on this in a separate post since this one is turning into a novella) and we ended up giggling like 12 year olds the rest of the time we were there. People were quite amused by us. Dinner with Debby's family was great fun. It's always so nice to spend time with her family. They are so welcoming and loving it was as comfortable as hanging with my own family, almost more so probably.

The next morning I woke up, got a stocking from the family, had breakfast with Debby, her parents and her brother and then headed off to the airport, to which I arrived 1 and 40 early for my flight. This was one time I really didn't mind since we were driving from OC to LA and had no idea what the traffic was going to be like. It gave me time to relax and call my parents to wish them a Merry Christmas. After my delightful first class trip to CA, I decided to burn some miles that I have sitting around and upgrade for my trip back. I got on the plane and looked at the front row to see someone in my seat. As I was looking up, I said "I'm sorry, I think you may be in my seat". I really wish I would wait to say things sometimes. I looked up and Jimmy Kimmel was starting to stand while apologizing and looking down at his girlfriend Sarah Silverman. I just said "Oh. I'm sure you two would like to sit together" (I'm a total dork). He was very nice, asked if I was sure it was okay. I said "Well, where is your seat?" trying to be jovial. It worked and his seat was the next row down and a window so I was stoked. Oddly enough, one of the last people to get on our flight was Tanya from the Real World (Chicago maybe?). During the flight the 5'2" girl in front of me decided she needed to recline for the really long, cramped hour flight. As her seat hit my crossed leg I mentally cursed Jimmy Kimmel and then as we were walking out, I did it verbally. I found myself next to him and behind Sarah coming out of the plane and said "I want you to know I had the only person in our section who reclined in front of me and it's all your fault" and I shook my fist at him and said "Damn you Jimmy Kimmel" as he and Sarah (who is really very stunning and pretty in person) chuckled. He pointed out that she had reclined as well but that wasn't good enough. I should have extorted seats for his show or something. Too little good thinking too late! The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful and I got home about 11:45 Monday night. Worked a full day today and thankfully the week is promising to be very quiet which I need after working 12-14 hour days who knows how many weeks straight now.

Okay, I'm closing up this post and writing up the song one.

Objects Are Smaller Than They Appear

In addition to having Jimmy Kimmel steal my seat on the flight home (never fear, I still got to sit in first class while managing to make him and Sarah Silverman laugh), seeing Tyson the skateboarding bulldog in person at Huntington pier, and spending time with family and friends, I finally added on to my back tat (and now, I can honestly say I'm done).

Don't mind the crackly skin - it's about to peel - but thought you might want to see my new art.  The artist was really great (didn't hurt that he was cute) and has studied Asian lettering in a number of different countries. A lot bigger than I intended, but smaller looked not as good. Plus, now I can totally pass as a member of the Japanese mafia.  The left is grandfather, middle love (he prettied up my existing one) and the right is grandmother.

Hope you all had as merry a Christmas as I did and that I get to see you all soon!

Second Artist of the Day

He's a cute boy with a kind heart and a guitar. No wonder Plan B enjoys him. Mat Kearney - check him out.

So Much to Tell, So Little Time

Fighting with Verizon - should have internet at home within the next 2 days (way to give me a small window there). I've been slammed at work so there's been no time to update. For now I will leave you with the artist of the day - Joshua Radin.

Songs That Make Crabby PlanB Happy

I had a 40 minute bus ride this morning complete with smelly, loud homeless people and no iPod for salvation. So I was a tad crabby when I got in this morning. Luckily, it is a short holiday week (telling my coworker Michele about the time my brother, grandfather and I ended up at Kmart buying canned cranberry sauce one Thanksgiving cheered me up - more on that story later) and both my partners are gone today so I can listen to music a bit louder than usual in my Fortress of Solitude (henceforth known only as FoS).

On to the songs:
Dem Jeans - Chingy (hilarious)
Love You Til The End - Pogues
All of My Days - Alexi Murdoch (love, love, love this guy)
Fire Island A.K. - The Long Winters

And my personal favorite of this month:

Earthquakes and Sharks - Brandtson

"Earthquakes and sharks to start us off,
If Chupacabras ain't enough,
Black widows, spiders and killer bees,
There ain't no shade. There ain't no trees.
Black bears and heat, polluted air.
There's traffic jams beyond compare.
That's all I got to warn ya bout Mexico and California."

New Toy

I'm so far behind and fully plan on catching up but for now I'm going to rave about my new shuffle (object to left is larger than actual size). It is quite possibly the cutest thing ever. I can't wait to go running with it tonight (or tomorrow morning dependent on possible dinner plans)!

Things to catch up on:

- The Prestige
- 2 concerts (Barenaked Ladies and Broken Social Scene)
- My ongoing consternation with Apple over my computer I have yet to receive (yes, I realize patience is a virtue, but this is borderline ridiculous)
- The past two weekends and upcoming plans

Finally!

Here is a picture of my going away cake. Not only does the cake resemble me, but my old boss resembles the blue monster. In fact, he kept playing with the blue monster saying "I'm blue because she's leaving". lol

Wednesday Night

Wednesday afternoon I got word that a former co-worker was in town from NYC and that there was a possibility to have drinks that night. I got the call around 7 that Ben and Shawn were in Dupont so away I went. I adore Shawn, she is such a great person and so much fun to be around and Ben's just, well Ben is Ben and he is fantastic and always entertaining. I met up with them at Cloud in Dupont where we were the only three white people in the entire place (it was pretty full). We went from there to The Big Hunt (love that place and haven't been for quite some time) and then on to Ebbitt's for some much needed food. It was a really fun night with some secrets being spilled but I figure we don't work together anymore, the two of them are pretty discreet and they know I am as well so all is good.

Song of the "ohmygod i'mworkinga15hourday onmy5thdayofwork" Night

Matt Nathanson (yum) - Lost Myself in Search of You

And as you slipped away I couldn't admit that we were through
As you slipped away I found I lost myself in search of you
I was holding you so tightly when you needed help
I guess insecurities catch up to you when you're lying to yourself
But I wasn't lying when I told you all that you could be
But it was no use, you never really ever listened to me
I was holding you so tight but now I've let you go.

I really just love listening to him. I never notice I'm singing along with him (especially at 10:20 pm in my Fortress of Solitude) until a really good lyric or melody comes out and I realize I was singing without paying attention to what I was saying so I have to rewind the song and listen again.....

Late Night

It has been a crazy week and it's only Tuesday night. I'm still at the office, waiting for some final edits on a presentation for tomorrow. At least I'm getting some stuff done while I wait. And I had yummy dinner. It doesn't happen often but at least when it does they treat us well.

Album of the Day

Pilot Speed - Into the West.

One of my concerns when I started this new job was that I wouldn't be able to listen to music during the day at whatever new desk I was given. Fortunately, in my new Fortress of Solitude I can, so I've been spending the last couple days with this newish album and I'm really digging it. Back to work. Just thought I'd share.

The Lost Weekend

It was a really weird, random, booze-filled weekend. I feel like it flew by but I did so much. I met Heather and Angie at the 9:30 at 6:30 for the Matt Nathanson/Carbon Leaf show. Man we had such a good time. I love both of those girls to death and anytime we're hanging out around music it's just a ton of fun. My future husband Matt is so entertaining. You may remember him from previous posts (he opened for Tori Amos forever ago and more recently Pink). Everytime I see him I fall a little bit more in love with the guy. He's so funny and often crude in his between song banter (he read from a soft core porn novel a couple times during the show), but then his songs are full of love and wonderful sentiments that any girl would love to hear. I turned to Heather and said "I would have sex with him on that stage right now" and she smiled a bit and said "me too". Now, many of you don't know Heather, but let me tell you that comment is a testament to how gosh darn sexy My Matt is - I don't think in the 3+ years I've known her I've ever heard her talk about sex or making out or even kissing. Just saying. Carbon Leaf was fantastic as always. It was just a really good show. Ran into the ex at the end of the night and I'd had enough beer to pointedly and good naturedly say hello. We started talking and the next thing I know, Angie and I are hanging out with him and his friends at the pub across the street. Seriously if anyone had told me that he and I would be anywhere near enjoying each other's company I would have laughed at them. A lot. Anyways it was nice to hear some things he had to say to me and good to know neither of us hates the other.

Saturday I got to send this message to some friends: "At least you didn't wake up next to your ex-boyfriend who then walked with you to Whole Foods and bought the groceries for brunch with your friends who hate him because you left your card in a bar...." He was super cool when he didn't need to be and that's why I can never completely hate the guy. Yeah, he treated me poorly while we dated, but he has flashes of being this really great guy. WE ARE NOT GETTING BACK TOGETHER. Let me be really, really clear on that. But maybe we'll be able to be friends. We shall see. Given our track record it is quite doubtful but as always I am hopeful that people can change.

The girls came over for book club brunch which was exactly what I needed after my night/morning. I really love our book club. Sarah told us a story about coming home to find her husband wearing a medal around his neck. Evidently he won it in a fencing competition. Against 10 year olds. I can't do the story justice in the written form, but trust me when I tell you I am laughing while I type this. Towards the end of book club Agie got a call from her (our?) friend Cindy who is the sister of a guy in Good Charlotte. They were playing the 9:30 Saturday night and she was able to get us tickets at the last minute after having told us she couldn't. I was supposed to go to a reception for a friend of mine but the ride situation was getting sketchy and I was going to be one of four hundred. I figured since it wasn't the actual ceremony (no way I would ever blow one of those off - I always consider it an honor to be invited to a wedding) and since it was going to be such a huge reception I wouldn't be missed and I'd much rather take the two of them out for dinner after they get back from their honeymoon and congratulate them on a more personal level. Plus, I got them a really nice present. Does that count for anything?

The show was great. We went out for dinner with Cindy and her family after the concert thank goodness. Food was the only thing that saved me from feeling like complete death yesterday given that I'd been drinking for about 12 hours and had quite possibly been still buzzed when I woke up Saturday morning. I told you - total unplanned binge weekend. I'm detoxing for the rest of the month.

Family Visits

Second day went as well as, if not better than, the first. Third day is fantastic but that's just because I'm wearing jeans at my desk and it is Friday. Still ghostly quiet, but I'm coming to appreciate it.

I ended up not hanging out with my cousin the other night. I was exhausted from the activities of the two nights previous and he didn't get in until 10:45 (woke me up from my nap on the couch when he called). I was all kinds of ready to rally and meet him out since I haven't seen him forever, but once he heard my froggy voice and found out it was my first day at a new job he let me off the hook. Such a good guy. Plus, turns out the new company he's flying for comes through DC pretty regularly so there is a good chance I'll see him soon. It's kinda weird how all of us cousins are now adults with these busy, sometimes exciting grown up lives. I remember when all of them were born and now one is married with a son, another is married, one is engaged, one is with the Army in Iraq. It's good to know some of us can get along and enjoy each other as adults. When it boils down, family is really all you have and I am so thankful I've got a good one. I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving with my mother, brother and sister-in-law in Boston. I haven't spent a holiday with the family for years and it's about time we start up again. I'm pretty sure I'll go back to Cali for Christmas or at least a few days around then. Brett gets home (Texas - ick) from Iraq next month and then is going out to CA for Christmas and since both he and his mother have said I should come out, I'm going to do my best to get out there since it's been about two years since I've seen them. Man, come to think of it, my brother's wedding was the last time I saw any family other than him, his wife and my mother. I'm a slacker. Definitely going home for Christmas now.

I'm going to go now since I'm rambling. This weekend should produce some good stories, but you'll have to wait until Monday to get them since I haven't had time to go purchase my computer yet.

Last Day & First Day

So my last day of work was yesterday, and my first day of work is today. It's been a crazy week and it's only Wednesday!

Monday and Tuesday were spent training my replacement. The poor thing is completely overwhelmed with all the procedures and information I threw at her. Luckily my old/her new boss is out of country today through Sunday so she can spend the rest of this week familiarizing herself with all the stuff I showed her. She seems like a good egg but I have a couple concerns. Only time will tell if they're valid.

Monday night we went to a reception for the Latin American Chambers of Commerce. Ben and Courtney (those bastards) ditched me and left me talking with a very weird lady. About 10 minutes later I was able to get out of her verbal clutches and headed over to the group of people I knew. Courtney saw someone she knew so she walked over to say hello to her and the group she was with. Ben joined her and met with quite possibly the rudest action I've heard of in a very long time. He had just finished telling the group what Courtney does and was saying "and I..." when someone walked up to the group. Instead of acknowledging that Ben was speaking, everyone turned to the person and started talking to him leaving Ben talking to a bunch of backs. He continued what he was saying with something along the lines of "...am an astronaut. I work on the moon." Then C & B got caught talking to a really scary lady who seemed to be obsessed with the pumpkin soup and was a VERY close talker. I like to think that was kharma smacking them around for leaving me with weird lady earlier. After the reception C, B and I went to Old Glory for some food and then to Mie n Yu for cocktails. Good times.

Yesterday we had cake and cocktails for my going away which was fun. Courtney and I decided I needed a Barbie cake (picture to be posted later) so we set about finding a bakery that would make us one and then kept it a secret from most everyone. It seemed to be a big hit and was fairly tasty. Plus, the doll was brunette with blue eyes and wearing a Xanadu headband. You really can't ask for more from a going away cake. After work, we went out for drinks at Local 16 and Stetson's (who knew they had a trivia night?) which was probably not the best idea. I'm exhausted today! Seeing as how I've almost made it through my first day though I can say it was worth it.

My first day here has been really good so far. The people I've met in my group are all friendly and fun (two associates are out right now so there still could be some conflict - we'll see) and very happy to have me aboard. They're being very nice and easing me into everything, no trial by fire for me thank goodness! I'm sure the pace will pick up once everyone is back in the office but even then from the sound of things, it's going to be pretty low key. I'm really excited and happy that it seems I made the right decision. Whew!

Tonight I'm doing laundry and cleaning the house since I'm having book club over Saturday. Also I might meet my cousin out for a late drink. He's flying in to DC for the night and I haven't seen him since my brother's wedding two years ago so it'd be nice to hang out with him. He's the closest in age to my brother and I and is the only cousin to have a kid thus far. Unfortunately, I think he may be flying into Dulles which would mean I don't get to see him since he doesn't land until 10:30. Grrr.

Bouncing Souls, Poker and The Departed

See? I told you I would get better!

This weekend started at 7:40 Thursday night when Agie called to tell me to get to Bar Pilar asap. They had an extra ticket to the Bouncing Souls show at the Black Cat and wanted me to join them. Even though I had just gotten home from work and was already in my jammies, I love the Bouncing Souls and she talked me into it. 17 minutes later I was sitting with Agie, Tim and Bob drinking a beer. I will never be accused of being high maitenance.

The show was great. I probably should have worn more substantial shoes than my flips, but so be it. Bob and I started talking with this girl and her fiancee at the bar.  She was pretty drunk and a bit annoying so I left them to their conversation. Bob came back and he and I had the following conversation which made me wonder why men, even into their 30s still act 12.

B: She told me my girlfriend was awesome.

PlanB: I can only assume she was talking about me because I totally am.

B: I told her you aren't my girlfriend but that you are really cool. And that you're really pretty. Because you are.

PlanB: Okay. Thanks.

If you think I'm pretty, just tell me. Don't tell me by telling me you told someone else. Boys make me laugh sometimes.

As they were dropping me off after the show, I got numerous invites to a poker game at Bob's house. What girl can resist a chance to go to Bowie two weekends in a row? Evidently not this one so Friday night I rushed home, changed and found my way out there once again.  Really fun night even if I kept coming in third. Agie and Tim got to sleep in the guest bed this time, Bully slept on the futon. I was ready for the couch until Bob graciously offered to let me sleep in his room. Against my better judgment, I followed him down the hall.

Anyways, see previous post about avoiding crushing on this boy. It would not be a good thing for anyone, trust me. I'm okay so far and I have no idea when I'm going to see him again so it shouldn't be an issue. I think it is just because I spent four nights out of eight having a lot of fun with him. I'll be over it soon.

Saturday I came home, took a quick nap and then went to get my hair done. I ran by the Cingular store to reactivate my 949 cell number since the blackberry will be no more in two days (yippee!). I picked up a snazzy new phone while I was there and am so far loving it. That night Heather and I had a movie date and watched The Departed. Really good movie.  Great cast and some really funny lines especially about the Irish and how pig headed and stubborn they can be which I have a vast amount of experience dealing with between family and exes.

Today was spent in the office getting things in order for when my replacement starts tomorrow so I can focus on training her instead of straightening up my desk.

Okay. I'm off to talk with the boy scout!

Most Random of the Day

The Boy Scout is back. Completely out of the blue he contacted me today after what? A couple months? He had told me that he was going to be really busy with closing down camp and on top of that his grandmother got really sick so he was going back to PA as much as he could so it would be a bit of time before we could see each other again. I said I understood and left it at that and never heard from him again. Until today.

Turns out his grandmother passed away and he had to fire a bunch of people including the camp caretaker. Which boils down to he has been home maybe 10 days since our last date a couple months ago. He apologized for dropping off the face of the earth. I told him I, of all people, understand how life can sometimes just take over and get crazy and make you disappear. I've have the impression based on all our previous interactions that he's a pretty sincere and honest guy - man was an Eagle Scout and in the Order of the Arrow (for all you out there who aren't boy scout geeks it's a very small, select group of Eagle Scouts) for God's sake.

Here's the thing. Our second date was pretty great. I haven't had a date that fun and comfortable in years and years. I'd really like to see him again but how can I tell if he's being honest or just an asshat? Ugh. I'm taking a chance kids. He's supposed to call me tonight to chat more. I'll keep you updated. This could be good - I need a distraction from Bob before I start to crush on the guy.

Story of my Life

All last weekend (Columbus Day) I felt like I was back in high school. In a good way. Neither Agie nor I worked Friday - her last day at work was Thursday and I took a vacation day.  The original plan was to spend the day in Baltimore then go to the Social Distortion show that night at Sonar. It turned out to be a really crappy day weather wise so we nixed the day part of the plan and went to see The Last Kiss. Pretty good flick.  After the movie we went to El Tamarindo for some yummy grub (third time that week for me - first was dinner with XM Saturday, second was dinner with the girls on Tuesday for Katie's last night in DC, more on those later) and then headed to Agie's to meet up with the boys (Tim and Bob-her husband and his friend).

The Social D show rocked. It was so good to see Mike Ness in action again. This was probably the 12th time I've seen them, maybe more, but the first time in about 8 years. Man it was fun! I can't remember the last time I was in a pit - very glad I decided to wear my Docs. Tim and Agie hung in the back while Bob and I went up to the front. I've been in more than my fair share of pits so I know how to avoid getting hurt by the guys moshing and crowd surfing but Bob decided on his own to be my guard, kept his arms around me and kept saying in my ear "you owe me. I'm taking elbows in the back for you." even though I didn't need one, I couldn't have asked for a better guard.  Bob's a pretty tough looking guy. He's about 6'3", bald, has half sleeve tats on both arms, was wearing Dickies and a wife beater and is one of the most genuinely nice guys I've ever met. And he's funny. I never had a chance. I am such a sucker for that kind of guy, but that's later in the story.

The next day we went to Bob's house in Bowie (for those of you not familiar with the area, it is f a r r from DC) for a kegger/bbq. So much fun. Almost too much fun. At one point a group of us went to the brand new skate park down the street from Bob's. It was good fun to listen to the kids there saying things like "that was totally awesome" and "wow, he's really good" while watching these guys in their 30s shred up the pool. Took me back to the days when some friends of mine used to drain people's pools to skate.

In order to protect the not innocent I will not go into too much detail about the remainder of the evening, but here is a list of some things that happened:

- 2 people streaked down Bob's street. One got paid $40. The other did it just for fun. The one who got paid ate it right as he started to run and tore up both his knees.

- Mexican wrestling masks were worn at various points in the evening, only sometimes while wrestling.

- A chainsaw made an appearance towards the end of the night. Three people used it trying to cut a stump down enough so it would fit in the chimnea. Didn't happen so it went on top where it caught on fire.

- Things burned in the chimnea include, but are not limited to, hats, tshirts, a skateboard deck, one of the aforementioned wrestling masks.

- Number of people who passed out, woke up before everyone else and went through the entire day without knowing they had a bulls eye drawn on the back of their head in silver sharpie, 1.

Since none of us were in any condition to drive, we crashed at Bob's. Somehow, the single guy ended up with the guest bed, Agie and Tim got the futon and I woke up (clothed) with my head on Bob's shoulder with his arm around me, hand on my head petting my hair and a kiss on the forehead. Not a bad way to start the day.

Sunday I had lunch with Heather at Busboys and Poets which was yummy. Then I came back home, took a nap and just did things around the house which is pretty much what I did Monday too. All in all, a really memorable weekend I would have to say.

Overheard on Metro

"Those poor little west coast kids just can't learn about American history like we can here." I wanted to correct the little old biddies but I held my tongue.

Songs of the Friday the 13th

Good Time - Leroy

Roller coasters. Holy roller. I got shot down in Southern California.

El Salvador - Athlete

Fly to El Salvador. I don't know why and I don't know what for.

Pain Killer - Turin Brakes

Summer rain, praying someone feels the same.


I'm on a bit of a Zach Braff music kick lately. Went to two really good shows - one last Friday, one last night. Saving it for the next post.

3 Best Words to Hear

I miss you.


'nuff said.

The Tower Crumbles

It has not been a good month for a few of my favorite things. Tower Records has been bought up by a liquidator and is going out of business. Sad day. I can't even begin to list how many record releases, appearances, free shows I went to at Tower locations. Sure, they got to be overpriced in recent years but it was one of the few places you could go and know they'd have that new release by the not so well known band you loved or that import you'd been looking high and low for and had almost given up hope of finding. And who can forget the U2 video filmed on the roof of the Sunset location? Sigh. More importantly about 3,000 people are going to be losing their jobs. Tough times. Click on title for a fairly good article detailing the transaction.

Couple Things

I know I've been absent as of late but I have a very good reason. I gave notice last week and my last day at the only job I've had so far in DC will be October 17th. My first day at my new job will be the 18th, so there isn't going to be any fun/down time between the two unfortunately. So instead of relaxing in the now calm environment of our office (which is under construction) I've been spending the time after our crazy events at Mount Vernon crazily finishing up a bunch of stuff and writing a manual for the person who will be filling my shoes. Luckily she starts Monday so I'll have two days to train her before throwing her to the wolf.

The main reasoning behind the job move is that my base salary is a significant amount more than I'm making now which will help me to pay for school. Also, it's a much lower stress position so I won't be exhausted every night when I get home and will have energy to focus on school work. I'm very excited and very scared at the same time that I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do since I was 12. I'm now on a five/six year plan to finish my degree and most if not all of law school (Mon Dieu they exclaim!) so I'm biting the bullet and getting myself a really, really nice MacBook Pro and wireless internet at home. After that is all set up, my posting will get back to a more regular, once a day schedule starting next week hopefully.

Song of the Morning

Oh no we gotta go. We're not gonna live forever.

Dracula from Houston - Butthole Surfers

On the metro coming home from a bbq in Bowie that started yesterday at 3. This is a great song to travel home to.

Second Line Of The Night

You only need to lick it to get the taste. - PlanB

Line Of The Day

I would have said that sober - PlanB

Go Fish

This weekend saw the last games of Tim Salmon. Even though he never hit the elusive 300th home run, he is the all-time leader in home runs for the Angels. He was consistently on the leaderboards during his storied career with the Angels which spanned two decades. Aside from his stats, his love of the game and obvious joy playing makes him one of my favorite players in baseball history (well, that and the fact that he stayed with the Angels his entire professional career - an anomaly in these times of free agency). Good sportsmanship in professional leagues is rare these days so it is with a heavy heart I say farewell to one of the great sportsmen of our time.

Saturday Night Recaplet

So of course The Killers were a no show on Saturday night but it was a great night nonetheless. Since I'm pretty much dead to the world until Thursday and my blackberry is having issues the story may have to wait a couple days, but it's a good one. It involves injury (to me), a bar fight (independent of my injury), a really cute head of security who I may just see again and early morning spent with the staff of the bar (felt like college all over again). All in all, a very fun night.

Song of the Day

Good Life - Francis Dunery

Putting together some music for the party tonight and came across this oldie.

Speaking of good music I've been told by a friend of a friend of someone in the know that there is a good chance The Killers are going to be playing a bit in a small club after their concert tonight. And I will be right down the street. Hopefully word on the street is right and Matt gives me a heads up if he hears anything more. Man, that would rock.

Is It October Yet?

Just leaving the office for home. Cancelled plans with Matt and am going to go straight home, pour a glass of wine, get in my jammies and go to bed since I need to get up by 8 am tomorrow. Second interview went well today, should find out about the job early next week. I have an interview with another firm Monday. I am ready to move on. I really don't want to go through another Mount Vernon.

I'm Alive

But just barely. Good God it's been a busy month! I've been on dates, interviews, out with friends, reconnected with a dear friend from high school who has missed me as much as I've missed him, need to finish telling about my trip home to CA, I get to hang out with The Duke of York a couple days next week (which is part of why I've been so out of touch), saw a couple really good shows, had 2 coworkers give notice so their last days are the same week that Katie leaves for Guatemala, which may also be my next to last week at work (be kind to me the first week of October - it is going to be really rough). I'm exhausted just typing this and I know I'm missing some stuff.  I promise I will return to normal after September 27th.

Be Kind and Don't Roll Your Eyes

I know. I know. I've been bad again. Work has kicked into high gear and I feel like I'm slowly dying from lack of fresh, outside air. I will try to catch up on the past few week/ends' activities this evening while watching mediocre television and talking to the new boy. New boy you say? Yeah, and I'm invoking first trimester rule and not talking about him anymore. So there.

Have I Told You Lately That I'm Brilliant?

We're in the midst of planning a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of a museum we've helped fund the building of and I am in charge of finding enough fabric to serve as the ribbon. I had the height and width of the building and needed to figure out the length diagonally across. I busted out the Pythagorean theorem and lo and behold the hypotenuse is 36 feet. Who knew Mr. Parr was correct when he said we would need the things we learned in Geometry?!

So Totally Stoked

The Snow Patrol concert that I've been looking forward to since May is finally happening this Sunday night. Oh, wait, it gets better. Just found out a little band called Augustana is opening for them who, thanks again to Debby even though I figured out I had one of their songs already, I have been listening to a lot lately. Two good bands for one low price. And, I might have a date that night before the concert with a real live, nice cute boy. Oh, it's a good week.

Song for a Rainy Day

Anna Nalick - Paper Bag

As I was running through the park to work with my jacket over my head (no umbrella at home because I left it in New Jersey) my iPod gave me this song to enjoy. Good album, totally underrated and eclipsed by her song "Breathe (2AM)".

Song of the Rainy Day

Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober

Getting ready to head up to Philly for the day. Should be a really fun time.

California Love

'Cali is where they put they mack down'

By default and due to sheer exhaustion on my part in addition to being the title of this post, that is now the song of the day. Thank you Tupac.

I went home this weekend to visit a very few friends and see babies (oh goodness they were cute). It was a quick trip but probably my favorite one I've taken since moving here almost four years ago. It was relaxing and fun and the first time I've not been ready to leave and come back to DC. Calm down Debby, that does not mean I'm moving back.

Friday Debby picked me up at LAX in her convertible and we cruised down to Venice and had yummy Mexican food and margaritas on a patio. Then we ran a couple errands, including her buying a new 27" TV. I'm convinced the moving and installation of this new TV was a not so subtle attempt by Debby to make me think she can't possibly be okay not living with me anymore. It almost worked when she sprayed the cleanser into the cable box to dust it. We watched a movie and took a nap (as is our pattern whenever we visit each other, dating back to when we would have 'cave day' at our house and watch movies all afternoon) then headed out to drinks with her friend Paul and his roommate (name is escaping me so we shall call her Kathy) Kathy. We started at this neat little eclectic bar/cafe and then headed over to Barney's Beanery on 3rd Street. That's where the trouble began.

Debby and I had joked about what the plan would be if we got separated. I kabashed the talk because it was supposed to be a quiet night since we had to get up early the next day. I really should know better than to curse myself that way. We get to Barney's and during the course of the next couple hours about eight to ten men come up and make friends with us (mostly Debby - she's way cuter and I was more interested in baseball than the boys). I ended up spending a lot of time talking to a young man (26ish) named Scott whose friend James (also 26ish) was quite taken with Debby. James was a sweet guy, very nice, funny, smart. Totally not Debby's type physically. He isn't an unattractive man, but he's a software engineer - I'll just leave it at that. We all do the exchange cards bit and most everyone leaves. Scott left with Debby and I and walked us (well, me, Debby was way ahead of us) home.

We all went up to the apartment, Debby went straight to bed and Scott and I hung out for a little while. Next thing I know I'm waking up around 7:30 and see a note on the coffee table by my head. Let me make it clear I was alone and fully clothed. Here's the note:



Such a sweet boy. After I stopped chuckling I read it to Debby who joined me in wondering where he got the paper. After she finished giving me grief I checked my blackberry and found this from her suitor:

"Subject: So yes, I'm skeptical :)

Plan B,
So yes, I'm writing right after I got home because on the skeptic scale of if Debby is going to call my # I'm about 90%. I hope you had fun with Scott, though at the time of writing it remains to be seen how much fun...heh.

Anyways, if you put in a good word for me that's great. I know Debby is not the forceful type and that's ok. And its ok that she's 30 something or whatever (doesn't matter). What really matters is that I know she has a brain w/ intellect and a job that she loves.

I hope all is well.

-- James (from Barney's in Santa Monica) :)"

Thank God she has a brain with intellect and isn't "the forceful type". What does that even mean? Young boys are so sweet and cute when they are sincere.

Screaming Mimis

What kind of person lets their kids run around LAX at 10 pm screaming in what can only be described as a high pitched squeal? Bad parents, that's who.  I hope they are not on my plane. Although if they are on my flight I suppose I will be grateful they were being unruly hellions in a big terminal rather than a small plane for 6 hours with no hope of escape. There is always a silver lining.

So This Is The South

One of the things I do before any flight is have a Bloody Mary, unless I am traveling for work and then I have 2 (just kidding). It was too early to have one at National so I decided to partake in my ritual during my brief stopover in Charlotte. It's a damn good Bloody, but man the atmosphere is making me work to enjoy it.  The bar is smoky and filled with what look to be rabid NASCAR fans on their way to a fishin' trip with the good ole boys. I don't know that I've ever been more aware of the fact I have breasts than I am now. Thank God I said yes to the dollar more extra shot!

Code Orange Travel

About the only complaint I have is that they made me take my flippers off to walk through security (which was this odd chamber type thing that blows air on you). Oh and they didn't announce that we couldn't take onto the plane any beverages we had purchased after going through security until about 5 minutes to boarding. More warning would have been nice. All in all a fairly pleasant trip so far even though we haven't left the gate yet.

Befuddled Bothered and Bewildered Am I

I'm flying home tomorrow and decided it would be in my best interest to find out what I can and cannot have in my carry-on so as to avoid any unpleasantness at the gate tomorrow, because believe you me I would throw down before throwing out my lip gloss.

The link above will take you to the official TSA website but here are some highlights:

Aerosol spray bottles and cans No (Makes sense. Off to a good start.)

All creams and lotions including Neosporin or first-aid creams and ointments, topical or rash creams and ointments, suntan lotions, moisturizers, etc. No (Argh. I get dehydrated when I fly and like to keep moisturized. So much for the hand lotion.)

Cigar Cutters Yes (Really? Okay I guess.)

Corkscrews Yes (For all the toasting to the feeling of safety instilled by not allowing hand lotion on the plane? I could use it to stab someone if they try to nab my lip gloss though.)

Cuticle Cutters Yes (Another sharp object. Awesome.)

Gel-filled Bras Yes (At least we'll have good cleavage to distract from our dry, withered, unlotioned hands.)

Knitting and Crochet Needles Yes (Rad. The sharp objects keep coming.)

Lip gels such as Carmex or Blistex; Liquid lip glosses or other liquids for lips No (Now not even my mouth can be moisturized. Grr.)

Liquid sanitizers No (Sweet. I'm totally picking up a cold on my trip.)

Nail Files Yes (And the sharp objects keep coming.)

Personal lubricants - Up to 4 oz. Yes (Insert mile-high club joke here, ie 'See? Parts of you can be moisturized.')

Safety Razors - including disposable razors. Yes (What reasoning did these people use? Seriously.)

Toy Transformer Robots Yes (Don't they know they're more than meets the eye?)


Before you get all up in my grill, let me say I get that due to recent happenings there needed to be changes in what can and cannot be in a carry on and I am more than okay with it. I would much rather be inconvenienced for a bit and arrive safely than be on a flight that had something harmful on it. But could you make the new regulations make a bit more sense please? How is it okay to bring on RAZORS but not Carmex??!?!??

CA Terminology of the Month

In honor of my upcoming trip home I have decided to bring back the phrase "macking".  As in "I can't believe they were macking in front of everyone". Use it well, use it wisely, just make sure to use it.

Booze and Strangers - A Classic Combination

Friday after our staff lunch Courtney and I headed out to find a fun happy hour. Local 16 wasn't open yet, neither was Bar Pilar so we ended up at Saint-Ex, or rather the location at which The Night Of Which We (Katie and I) Never Speak occurred. It was daylight and we stayed upstairs so I figured I would be safe. And I was. James met us out and we headed over to Bar Pilar. More friends met up with us, a couple of each of our friends and it turned into a really fun evening.

So one of James' friends was getting ready to leave and I gave her my card since we had a really nice time talking with each other (she won me over when she kept telling me how great my hair is lol). A couple minutes later she and her boyfriend reappeared and she asked "do you know anyone in Marblehead?". I told her that my brother and sister-in-law live there. Turns out she knows my SIL. Random. She was invited to the wedding, which was beautiful, but was unable to attend and has since lost touch. So I got SIL on the horn and they chatted enough to trade info. See? Boozing with strangers can be good! Just not on TNOWWSNS.

Sissy Move

I was all for intentionally walking Bonds for the rest of his career so that he wouldn't get any more home runs and set a new record. The guy is a complete asshat who plays the game for fame and money not (to quote the title of a Kevin Costner movie) for love of the game (my 2nd favorite of his movies btw). In any other circumstance I think it is a sissy move.

I'm home watching the Boston/Anaheim game (go Angels) and Snyder (Sox pitcher) just did it. Granted they are coming off losing 5 straight at home to the Yankees which hurts anyone except a Yankees fan.  Even given that, sac up and pitch and don't hide behind "strategy". 

And now I'm paying for popping off. Sox have bases loaded with no outs. Argh.

"I Asked You to go to a Green Day Concert

You said you never heard of them. How cool is that?"

Even though my day started with basically being sexually assaulted on the bus (Mr. Man just could not keep his crotch from rubbing against my shoulder. Then when I stood up he kept touching my ass.) this song snapped me out of my funk and has turned the day around.

El Scorcho - Weezer

Song of the Half Day

We have our staff lunch today at Lauriol Plaza so we only have to work until noon. Woo Hoo! iTunes is on Party Shuffle for the occasion and I found myself singing aloud to this song in my office (which I rarely do).

Heard the World - O.A.R.

Not exactly an uplifting party song but the chorus is catchy as all gets.

Hair Today, Blonde Tomorrow

I've been in a rut with my hair the last few years and am totally bored with it. The most change I make is with color (lighter brown in the spring/summer, dark brown or auburn in the fall/winter). So I went to a new sylist yesterday. She does the hair of a girl here in the office and it always looks amazing so I figured "Why not? What do I have to lose?". She was fantastic, spent a long time with me figuring out what I want, what makes me happy, what I haven't liked about past haircuts/color.

So 3 hours later (hello short work day) I walked out of the studio much blonder than I've ever been and somehow I'm kinda liking it.

Another Update on Crime

You guys might not find this as fascinating as I do, so I will just say it gets more and more interesting and possibly sinister as time goes on. If you'd like to know the latest developments, click above.

Buses and the City Girl

I took the bus to RFK Stadium three times in seven days. Two were completely uneventful but the third (actually second in the timeline) had enough crazy for all the busrides I'll take for the rest of my life. I've attached a diagram so as to make the storytelling easier.

Tuesday I was on vacation and ended up meeting everyone at the game. I didn't have a set plan on how I was going to get to the game since I was leaving from home. I figured I would take whatever bus came first. I ran into Christine who was walking home, we stopped and chatted and while we were doing that the 53 came by so I hopped on that, asked for a transfer and took it to the D6 which goes right to the stadium. Other than being late for the game, no drama.

Last night Agie and I left from the office and decided to catch the D6 which stops catty corner from our office. Again, no drama. More on last night in another post.

That leaves us with Friday night. I again was on vacation (I had more than the max number of days you can carry over so I needed to burn a couple) so Courtney and I met up at 15th and U to catch the 96 which goes straight to the stadium. Mistake #1. Never again my friends. I don't know what maelstrom of insanity we got caught in but wow. Our ride started out peaceful enough. We sat in the front of the bus and she filled me in on the happenings I had missed out on in the office and what was going on with a couple former co-workers. A few stops later a number of people were going to get on the bus, among them some elderly ladies, so I suggested we move to the back of the bus so that they wouldn't have to maneuver through the bus and up the few stairs to get a seat. Mistake #2. We sit down and resume our chatting and among the people getting on the bus are three guys who shall henceforth be known as 'Cosby Sweater Guy' (due to the 3/4 length Cosbyesque sweater he had on - odd fashion choice given the shorts and black high tops he chose to pair it with, moving on), '40 Man' (he had a 40 of some type of malt beverage in his paper bag) and 'Gin Guy' (who had a fifth of gin in his paper bag, and it wasn't his first judging by the smell of him). Gin Guy strikes up a conversation with 40 Man about booze and Courtney and I just kinda giggled. At some point a couple got on, Big Mama and Detroit Hat Man and sat in front of the stairs. They would have completely escaped our notice considering we were being amused by Gin Guy alternately passing out and talking to himself except for their argument which escalated from a simple disagreement to a full-blown, slaps flying fight in minutes. It was bad people. Sample things we couldn't help but overhear - all from Detroit Hat Man:

"I love you. I say these things because I love you so much. You're stupid."
"When we get off this bus, I'll show you what I'll do to you. You won't be able to walk"
"I'm drunk and you're high. We should talk about this later."
"Revenge is sweet like p***y." (Sorry, just can't bring myself to even type that word)

At one point he was standing in the aisle yelling at her. He never laid a hand on her. All his abuse was vocal. She, on the other hand, got in quite a few good slaps including one where she grabbed his face and slammed his head into the window. Good times.

Sometime during this altercation 40 Man got off the bus and a nice little lady took his place. Gin Guy perked right up and came over to stand above her, essentially trapping this poor woman in the corner. Despite his best efforts to make a connection with her ("I'm from Africa and I came here to meet women" her reply "Well, you should have gotten off at Union Station. There are plenty there.") she repeatedly let him know that she did not want to have anything to do with him and that she was not available (she's engaged). Two young guys got on and sat between them and that seemed to quell his interest in anything but his empty gin bottle (he had finished it about 10 minutes after he got on the bus). Somewhere in Eastern Market he asked if there were more buses behind the one we were on. We all said yes to get him the hell away from us (enough drama with the fighting couple) and he exited the bus. I looked back and saw him open the gate to someone's yard and go in, presumably to hurl or nap. I didn't watch long enough to find out which option he went with. One down, two to go.

Two stops before the stadium, with Courtney cowering beside me (I continually asked her if she wanted to switch buses, take a cab, etc. to get away from the scary madness but she didn't want to leave the nice lady alone) the fighting couple got off the bus. As soon as they got off the bus they threw down their bags and she rushed him. She was not a small woman. He was not a large man. I turned to the three guys (two young and Cosby) and said "my money's on her - she can take him". They all agreed. The lady sitting by Courtney said "she's pregnant". We all gave the same opinion which was she was too big and jiggly to be pregnant. The woman said "No, she's pregnant. I know her.". Okay, um, if you know her how could you just watch that happen? Although, Big Mama could have taken the lady too so maybe she was wise to stay out of it. Detroit Hat Man ended up hugging Big Mama to him while she beat him around his head until she tired out and they just walked away from each other.

Upon entering the stadium, Courtney and I immediately got margaritas and tried to erase the horrors we had just endured. We watched most of the game and then headed to the concert where we encountered more odd people. Good times. Good times.

When I Hear Music

It makes me dance (that one's for you Mark). It has been a kick ass week for live music. What a great way to spend the week leading up to my birthday! Yay! I like when life likes me :)

Monday I saw Pete Yorn (he's so dreamy) at an instore at Olssonn's in Dupont. He is so incredibly good live, especially in such an intimate setting. Granted, it was stifling hot in the store, but so totally worth it to see him up close and personal. Yum!

Last night after the bus ride from hell (story to follow tomorrow) and the Nats game, Courteney and I headed to 9:30 and caught Ari Hest opening for The Clarks. I have no clue how I know The Clarks, but I love them. They are super fun and even more so live and Ari Hest is cute and talented to boot.

Tonight Melissa and I went to 9:30 to see Mae. Opening bands were good and Mae kicked ass. They were so good. I love shows like that! It was super great to hang with Mel - I haven't seen her forever so it was awesome to catch up with what is going on  with her. There are some friends that when you are with them you don't notice anything around you and she is one of them. I was so out of it I didn't even notice a super cute boy giving me the eye. Okay, chances are good I wouldn't have noticed on a regular day, but I usually catch on before it has to be pointed out to me by the guy doing the hitting. I am completely oblivious to that stuff. Regardless, it was a fun, mellow night.

Scary Senator Clinton

This is just odd. And vaguely disturbing. This bust (no pun intended) is now on display at the Museum of Sex in New York. It is by the same artist who created the sculpture of Britney Spears giving birth on a bearskin rug. I can't make this up - click on the link above for the Brit statue. If I were Hil I'd be a bit perturbed by the wrinkles but the beautiful line of her shoulder makes up for it I guess.

Update on Crime

The story about the man stabbed near my home gets stranger and more intriguing as time passes. Basic details that have trickled out over the past week include:

- He was found inside the home in a second floor bedroom.
- He was stabbed with a knife from the kitchen.
- There were no signs of breaking and entering and so far nothing has been reported missing.
- Two of the three people who live in the house have lawyered up and are not commenting while the third has seemingly cooperated with the police.
- There may have been a fourth (fifth if you count the victim) person present.

Full article above.

A Bit Too Close To Home

I joke about living in the hood realizing that I live in the safest quadrant of the city. Lately there have been a number of assaults in Adams Morgan which is a short walk from my house but nothing in my neighborhood. I'm pretty smart about when and where I walk and generally am not out alone at night after a certain hour. Other than hearing gunshots in my alley and my apartment getting slightly robbed awhile back there hasn't been too much crime in my immediate area. Until last night.

About four blocks from my house (easily a 5 minute walk) a 32 year old man was stabbed to death just before midnight. I'm not one to be too terribly disturbed by this type of thing. I'm a safety girl. I take precautions (as mentioned above) but I may start taking cabs home from 9:30 the next couple concerts.

If I Could Marry A/C I Would

A coworker and I were going to walk home from work last night until I received a call from Agie saying this:

"I am walking outside right now and can't breathe. My throat is dry and my tongue feels as though a layer of dirt is on it. And I've only gone 2 1/2 blocks. Don't walk!"

So I opted for the bus. My coworker had to stick around later than I did so I headed out on my own. Just as I began to appreciate the soft breeze blowing as I stood waiting for the next bus a man who can only be described as creepy and troll-like lit up a cigarette. There is little in this world I find more disgusting than smoking on a Code Red day with temperatures above 100 (the fact that the gas station in our neighborhood allegedly sells mayonnaise by the scoop is up there). He ruined my breeze that bastard and on top of it he kept pacing closer and closer to me. Thankfully a bus came about five minutes later. Unfortunately all the windows were open which meant no a/c. Normally it isn't too bad. You can get a cross breeze going if the bus doesn't have to stop too often. If it does it can get to be an oven inside (see previous story about hellish commute). I got a prime seat by a window and settled in with my pod for the ride home. Just as I began to enjoy the soft breeze blowing in the window the creepy, troll-like smokey man sat right in front of me. The odor that emanated from this man was a combination of not bathing and a stale, burnt cigarette smell. It was nauseating. I couldn't get off that bus fast enough.

This morning's commute (it feels odd to call it that since it's only about a 10-15 minute bus ride) was much more pleasant. The bus was cool and just a bit crowded but not too. I got off at the stop I usually do so I could cut across the park. It's a bit longer but a really lovely way to start the day. The park is so lush and green and the fountain is refreshing. Unfortunately, the fountain was being cleaned and after waiting on the corner for less than a minute sweat was forming on my forehead from just standing in the sun. It was 8:35 am.

Needless to say, I was a bit crabby. And then I saw that practically every bench in the park (it's a full city block - lots of benches) had a homeless person on it probably literally close to dying from the heat. My life is not that bad.

Reason 523 It Is Good To Be A Girl

We don't have to wear long sleeves, pants and ties in 110 degree heat. Thank goodness for skirts and strappy sandals.

When Did My Life Become This?

Not only is it hot as Hell outside but I now find myself trapped in Hell. I've spent the better part of my day researching bunting. "But you love the baseball Plan B" you might be saying. Yeah, not that kind of bunting. I'm having to find 100 yards of 36" bunting to hide a fence for an event we're doing in September. This should be easy, no? No. I am working with people who want to see swatches of each before they make a decision. Seriously.

Song of the Day

There's a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of it Yet - Panic! At The Disco

A different song from the same album came on shuffle this morning and reminded me how fun the album is (even with songs like 'The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage') and with the weather outside (hey! by 9 pm it will only feel like 106!) I need all the joy I can find in life.

Homeless Story of the Month

After the movie Thursday night Christine and I shared a cab home and had the driver drop us off in between our houses which are about a block away from each other. It has been established that I live in the hood and with the recent 'crime wave' that is hitting our city a girl needs to be more careful than usual. So I set off to walk the block and a half at a brisk pace. I've been referred to (quite accurately) as a tall drink of water, most of that being my legs, so I was moving pretty fast as was pointed out to me by the homeless man trying to keep up with me.

"I thought I walked fast! Man those legs God gave you are sure working overtime!"

I laughed which seemed to signal to him that he should continue his commentary. It was quite entertaining and completely non-threatening once he made sure I knew he wasn't following me home.

I Used to Want My MTV

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of MTV's debut. Just typing that makes me feel old. Click above for a nice stroll down memory lane with 25 memorable moments in MTV's history. MTV was a completely different creature back in the day. One could go on for hours discussing whether it is better or worse now. I don't feel that strongly about it so I won't. I will tell you about how I felt so deprived because we didn't have cable in 1981 but the much more pressing concern was not having call waiting and missing all the calls from friends talking about the latest video or how dreamy Mark Goodman was.

We finally (1983) got cable after what seemed an eternity of running across the street to Niki Londo's house to watch SelecTV (or maybe she had "ON" can't quite recall). Though we almost lost it after Madonna's performance at the VMAs that year. Luckily the grandparents didn't care for the music so they weren't paying that much attention to the writhing and dry humping on stage. Seems fairly standard and boring now, but back in the day it was outrageous for TV. You must also take into consideration that my mother was adamant that I not go see Dirty Dancing with my friends (which absolutely crushed my will to live that weekend). A week or so later she saw it and her direct quote was "Oh, it wasn't bad. I really should have let you go". Don't ever wonder why teenage girls are such awful human beings.

Anyone Want to go to Dublin With Me?

So a bookmaker in Ireland joked about holding the world's biggest strip poker tourney and it has now become a reality (press release above).

In August a couple hundred poker players will compete in the largest strip poker game and one lucky clothed son of a gun will be crowned the first World Strip Poker Champion and get a Guinness Book of Records mention. Also included is a "golden fig leaf" trophy which might come in handy depending on which articles of clothing the winner has decided to discard and about $18,000 in cash.

Snippet Turns Into Rant (I Apologize Now)

I'm sure you regular readers are aware of my...let's call it distaste for the current administration. One of the (many) issues I disagree with them on is the Defense of Marriage Act that has been making the rounds in state and federal courts. A blog I check regularly had this to say on the topic (link to blog above):

To almost no one's surprise the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act yesterday affirming that same-sex marriages are not legal here. I think the ruling was probably correct from a legal standpoint that it is the job of the legislature to define marriage, not the courts. I am not arguing today "fer" or "agin" such unions but do make one request.

Please don't be dishonest and continue to call this bill, "The Defense of Marriage Act." There is nothing in the bill that defends anyone's marriage. Whether the Court upheld or overturned the ruling it would not impact a single Washington State heterosexual marriage in any way. Why not at least be honest and call the legislation the, "'I Pick And Choose Some (But Not All) Biblical Verses To Interpret And Make Law And This Is One Of Them' Act?"

We are good friends with a couple here on the island named Jessica and Kirsten. If they could legally wed the only effect on my marriage would be that we'd have to reserve a Saturday for them and buy a gift. It might be worth it to see the bride kiss the bride.

My favorite line is in bold. I was raised in a somewhat religious household. Went to church with my grandmother most Sundays, did youth leadership in High School (which is where my idea to send all Jr. High students to boarding school developed), all in all I have a pretty strong faith. I don't go spreading this around to everyone I know. I don't try to make others bend to my beliefs. I try my best to respect others' opinions and points of view if they can back them up logically.

What I cannot abide is people who don't do these things (oh Plan B how quickly you judge). I have family members who are incredibly conservative (to the point of wearing anti-abortion t-shirts to a holiday function). For many years I've referred to them as my cult family which the rest of the family got on me for until they came around to my way of thinking and realized I'd been correct all those years. They call themselves Christians but happen to be the most judgmental, unaccepting people I have ever come across. I've long believed these types of religious people are bad apples ruining the bunch of Christians who are unassuming, everyday people just trying to lead good lives. 'Good' being completely subjective of course.

Sorry for my Dennis Leary rant which was not my intention starting this post. I just get worked up sometimes. A tidbit for those of you thinking I'm not enough of a liberal tree-hugger - I'm going to see An Inconvenient Truth tonight with some friends. Review to follow tomorrow or maybe even tonight.

The Joys of Public Transportation

Man it was a chore getting into work today. After waiting about 15 minutes in the already hot sun I hopped on the bus and actually got a seat by the window. It was lovely. I settled down, started reading and didn't look up until the next stop two blocks down the road when the bus didn't move for a couple minutes. Huh. Everyone had gotten on or off. The light was green. It only took a moment of keen observation on my part to figure out from the beeping and tilt of the bus that the driver wasn't able to raise the bus after lowering it for the passengers to get in. After a couple minutes we all got off the bus and squeezed onto the one behind us. Then we all got off that bus because it couldn't move due to it being behind the one that wasn't moving. After about 10 minutes the bus was raised and we were all comfortably on our way. Luckily most of us thought it was comical and everyone got seats on the nicely air conditioned buses. The only bad part was that it took me 35 minutes to take a 10 minute bus ride. But hey, at least I got to read more of my book.

Song of the Day

Augustana - California's Burning

Somehow seems appropriate today. Thanks for the heads up on the band Debby! Also listening to a lot of older O.A.R. today. Good stuff.

Songs of the Day

This Time is the Last Time - Mae

Enjoyably mediocre band that has some good tunes.

On a Good, Non-Complaining About the Heat Note

Last night the girls and I went to see the Pink show at the 9:30 Club. Absolutely fantastic. The opening act was this guy Matt Nathanson who is just a cute, funny guy with a guitar. Courtney is calling him Bob Saget because his banter would be crude and hilarious leading up to his songs which would in turn be soft and sensitive. He isn't the best musician in the world but you do end up having a crush on the guy after seeing him live. He's just good, not-so-clean fun.

Like her music or not, Pink puts on a really great show. Her voice sounds better live than on albums and she has more energy than anyone I've ever seen perform. You can tell she obviously loves performing and her interaction with the crowd was genuine. Before she sang her song "Dear Mr. President" she made a comment about how it is a good thing she isn't played on country radio because if she was, she'd be f*cked. Which, while funny, is true. On a side note, Suzy from Rock Star: INXS is her backup singer. Random. If you ever get a chance to see her in a small venue for $25 do it.

Hell on Earth

You know it's going to be a bad day when the heat advisory for your city is extended through 9 pm. I got on a bus this morning at 8:37 am. By the time we went the 10 blocks to my stop the entire bus was sweating because there was no air and it was so crowded there were people standing on the stairs at the front of the bus. Did I mention it is only going to get hotter this week. Ugh.

Song for the Most Humid Day Known to Mankind

Seriously. You go outside and just standing there you start to sweat. Blech. And it has been that way since 8:30 this morning. So today I needed a song that would be fun and different and settled on

Butch Walker - Maybe It's Just Me

Because maybe it is just me that hates DC in the summer. Between the oppressive humidity and the misbehaving tourist kids (I've managed to avoid them for the most part by taking the bus and not the Metro) it is a miserable season here in our Nation's capital.

On a happy note, there is a fun happy hour tonight and I found a fantastic website for super cheap music downloads. I got the Gnarls Barkley cd for $1.47. Can't beat that with a stick!

Booo Disney!

Some of you (I would hope most) have fond memories of Adventures in Babysitting, a gem of a movie from 1987. I have seen it at least 50 times thanks to my brother's still unrequited crush on Elisabeth Shue...and really? Can you blame him? I mean, I wouldn't go gay for her or anything but she's pretty hot. Moving on. I have some terrible news for you. Disney is remaking Adventures in Babysitting. As if this wasn't bad enough, there's more - Raven Symone is going to star. I don't know too much about her other than she's got a tv show where she's the sassy funny girl. This does not bode well for the remake. One of the reasons AIB was so entertaining was that Chris Parker (Shue's character) was such an everyday normal girl in extraordinary circumstances. She didn't get cutesy or sassy to get out of the scrapes she found herself in. And what exactly are they going to do with the (fantastic) scene where Chris and the babysittees find themselves in an inner city dive bar where she has to get up on stage to sing the blues to ensure their safe exit?

I generally don't like remakes at all. I can't think of a single one right now that I truly enjoyed (I'm sure you'll correct me). The movie being remade is usually dumbed down from the original or doesn't work in the current climate because what made the original so good was the commentary on society at the time. Look at some of the classic teen movies from the '80s. Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Weird Science - really any of the John Hughes movies pre-Beethoven. None of these greats would be good if made today.

Almost Makes Me Want To Downgrade the Pod

Nike has this kick ass product for running that works with iPod nanos. Why can't it work with the video ones?

Supernova

No not the Liz Phair song. So yeah, I got sucked into Rock Star: Supernova to the point that I taped it while I was at the concert. I love it. Even if you just tune in for the house band...they are incredible. There are about 4, maybe 5  good singers that would actually fit well with a band that is made up of a member of each of Guns n Roses, Motley Crue and Metallica. That said, seriously check out the house band if you at all appreciate good musicians. And stop mocking me for watching - you know I have a thing for musicians.

Tonight

So I didn't email XM last night (cue Super Chicken theme song and if you don't know Super Chicken I don't know that I want to know you...) but he forced my hand tonight. I have officially ended it (finally!!) but still feel like a complete asshat. Blech. Let's move on to more fun things shall we?

My friend James and I discovered Friday that we both adore The Weakerthans (check them out, they kick ass). I mentioned that they were playing 9:30 with The New Amsterdams (another band I enjoy as evidenced by song of the day a bit ago) on Tuesday (tonight) and we decided in our glee that it would be great fun to go to the show. Well today he realized it would be in his best interest to do his project for grad school instead of going to the concert. I would normally go by myself but it wasn't a sold out show so I didn't want to be the loser in the corner alone. I put out some feelers and Cindy decided that she wanted to go with. Thank goodness she did. The show kicked ass.  Both bands were more than fantastic live - check them out if you can. The only bad thing about the show was this kid in front of me who was about an inch shorter than me and kept backing up into me. You know someone is standing too close when you can't drink your beer without hitting his head.  I'm pretty sure it was his first concert. He made the geeky kids from Weird Science look like the coolest kids ever in the history of mankind. At one point he offered Altoids to the people he was with. I pretty much stood on my tip toes the entire night - hey Barbie calves.

All in all a good night.

Fourth of July Part Two

This one actually includes the Fourth. Honest.

Sunday BWCP wasn't feeling very social and needed some comforting after England's World Cup loss so I headed out there to have dinner and movies in with him. It was a really nice, relaxing evening which I needed after the three previous nights out.  We ordered Thai (yum) and watched The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I am and have always been a huge fan of the Chronicles and thought the movie great as far as movie adaptations go. I did have to leave the room during the sacrifice scene though. Yes, I realize it was a CGI animal but it disurbed me more than any fight or death scene involving humans I've ever seen. After the movie we watched the end of the Yankees game (BWCP is a Yanks fan). We got to talking about perfect games, which turned to a hat trick in Cricket which led me to ask about the rules. After about five minutes of wickets and bowlers and batters and running back and forth I accused him of making it up as he was going along and insisted on a diagram if the lesson was going to continue.

Monday I met some work people out for HH because it was James' last week with us. Good for him, bad for us. We met up at Bar Pilar, had some nibblies and drinks then headed to Courtney's to view the Juggs magazine the previous tenant had left behind. Totally and completely dominates in the category of "Disturbing Things I Will Never Be Able To Unsee". We're going to leave it at that. We all felt dirty in a bad way after and headed to Stetson's to try and cleanse. We played Connect Four and then made the tragic mistake of starting a game of  Life. It isn't the same as when we were kids and really sucked the fun and energy out of us. We headed to Polly's for a bit and then all parted ways.

Tuesday was the Fourth and our friend Katherine invited Jim and I along with some others over to her building's rooftop to watch the fireworks. It was great fun. From her roof we could see four or five different sets of works as well as the neighborhood ones. Luckily the thunderstorms held off and the lightning flashing across the sky during was pretty awesome.

Wednesday was spent doing stuff around the house. Yawn. And that brings us to this past weekend which was a lot of fun. Gots to wait until tomorrow for that one - bed is calling my name.

Fourth of July Part One

The Fourth weekend started on Thursday with a HH thrown by some friends of Matt, who is in Argentina for the summer. I felt an obligation to go because they are making an effort to keep Matt's friends in touch with each other while he's gone. Plus, some of the guys (and gals) can be pretty fun and it gets me out of my circle of friends. That said, I made Katie go with me because I am a total scaredy cat about going places where I don't know if I will know anyone. The intention was to go for a drink or two and then I was off to tell XM I don't want to date him anymore. As I stated earlier, I am an awful chicken and we were having fun so we stayed and I put off the inevitable yet again. Yes, I know I am not being fair to him. He is a really good guy and deserves to be treated better.

Friday was spent watching quite possibly the worst game of baseball ever. Seriously, I went to better games back in 1979 when I had to go to my brother's Little League games. I turned to my friends at one point and asked if anyone else felt like they were in the movie Major League.  Later in the inning, after the pitcher threw for 2 home runs in just 8 pitches, someone in the outfield started doing the Cleveland chop. Guess I wasn't alone. Man, it was bad but at least the beer was cold. I took the bus home for the first time from the stadium and I must say it was much better than dealing with the crowds in the metro station even if it took just a bit more time.

Saturday I met Jim, Agie and Renee in Chinatown for dinner and a movie. Good times at dinner. Jim spilled a bit on his shirt and for some reason felt the need to lick it off instead of, oh I don't know, maybe using a napkin.  Agie and I saw it happen. I started laughing, she called him "Shirtlicker" and the conversation went rapidly down hill from there. We went to see "The Devil Wears Prada" after dinner. Agie and I have both worked (and sometimes still do) for a Miranda Priestly and loved and related to the book. The movie differed from the book of course but was still enjoyable. Lines such as "I'm looking for that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday" really hit home. After the movie Jim and I went to Stetson's to grab a beer and chat. We ran into a kid who worked on the Alaska campaign with him. We got to talking with him and his friends and before we knew it, it was 3 am. Jesse and I were walking the same way when a homeless man (I'm guessing at this given my track record and his state of dress) said to me "oooh, I like your shape". I was laughing too much to get out any reply other than "then you should call my parents and thank them".

Songs of the Day

Whew! It's been a busy day. After happy hour tonight I am heading home unless Angie catches me in a moment of weakness and somehow talks me into going out with her. I have a busy weekend ahead and it's been a long (but good) day.

1. From California - The New Amsterdams
2. Let It Go - The Clarks
3. Boys Lie - The Clarks

Good fun songs for a good fun day.

The Ultimate Bi-Partisan Ticket

Vacation Backlog

I have been out of the office this week and the last thing I wanted to do was spend time indoors emailing to my blog so I've fallen behind yet again. I'll do some catch up tonight and tomorrow and tell you all about my Fourth of July five day weekend....well not all about. A girl needs to retain some level of mystery.

Ann or Adolf?

Click above for an intriguing little quiz which asks "Who said this? Ann Coulter or Adolf Hitler?". I only missed two, but I took an independent study class focused on the Holocaust so that may have helped me. God knows it isn't because I'm familiar with her writings.

Song of the Third Scary Rainy Day

Pink Spiders - Little Razorblade

I've been really close to just walking out of here today. This song has the right amount of fun and angst to fit my mood perfectly and keep me from doing something unprofessional.

Boy Update

Here's the lowdown on what's going on.

1. Boy Scout Man - I had lunch with him two Fridays ago and it was great fun. We laughed pretty much the entire time. I'm such a sucker for a guy who can make me laugh. He was an Eagle Scout and now works for the Boy Scouts of America (Ah ha! The nickname makes much more sense now they say) and really loves his job, if not the politics of the organization. That could have been a deal breaker. Remember, I'm the girl who stopped seeing someone because they had a pinky ring. He's tall, good looking, intelligent enough. Drawbacks you ask? He's basically at camp in like Manassas until August which means he gets one day a week off to be home and catch up on stuff. So we've talked a couple times since then, always after 11 pm. Good thing I'm a night owl. We may meet up tomorrow.

2. British West Coast Pat (BWCP henceforth) - I met BWCP at a friend's house three Fridays ago. I felt comfortable with him, almost like I'd known him for years. We immediately struck up a banter that amused our friends to no end. Sometime around glass of wine number 4 it hit me. He is a taller, British West Coast Pat (the guy I was dating when I moved here and still remain friends with) down to the sense of humor, gestures and even occupation. It's freaky. Seriously. I've known WCP for going on 8 years. He's a great guy, fun, not the best looking but one of the best people I've ever had the good fortune to spend time with. We don't talk as much as we used to, probably about once every 6 weeks or so. So it was very coincidental that he called the very night I was getting to know his doppleganger (or as WCP calls him, his evil twin). The randomness of this world will never cease to entertain me. BWCP and I ended up having a great time that evening and he asked if I wanted to meet up with him Saturday after the Race for the Cure. I said yes, he gave me his number and we parted ways. I ended up not calling him and emailed him Monday explaining why and letting him know I enjoyed meeting him. He called and suggested taking me to dinner that Friday night and I accepted. We had a marvelous (I can't believe I used that word either) time. I'll leave it at that. He's great fun. I just need to be careful that I'm making sure to get to know him and not just enjoy time with him because he reminds me of someone I am fond of. We're having dinner this evening after not seeing each other last weekend. He made an attempt to see me Sunday evening but I had already made plans. I'm actually looking forward to a third? date. Something is amiss at the Circle K.

3. XM - So I've been avoiding him. Look, it isn't something I'm proud of in any way. I just really, really, really hate telling people I am not interested in them as more than friends. Especially after being somewhat romantically involved with them for a couple months now. Ugh. So not looking forward to it. I feel awful about the situation. I have no clue about how to do this but I know it needs to be done. It will just keep getting worse if I don't kill it now, right? I need to keep reminding myself of that. Double Ugh.

4. The Homeless - they love me. It is the weirdest thing. I have a ton of stories of random homeless men commenting to me about how lovely I am or how lucky the guy I'm with is, but I'm going to focus on the ones in my hood. There are a number of homeless men that hang out on the block where I catch my bus. Over the two years I've lived in my current apartment we've come to know one another. When I was in that horrid boot last summer one of them would check in on me as I was hailing a cab or walking past to see how I was healing. He even told me he thought of me as a wife which would scare anyone else, but I found rather sweet. I love my homeless guys. They always have kind words for me, be it a simple "Good morning" or "You look very nice today". They notice when I have a new suit or outfit and tell me it looks good. What girl wouldn't want to start her days this way? They're also quite protective of me. One night I noticed someone walking behind me and got a bit nervous. Just when I passed my homeless guys I heard them stop the guy and call out to me "It's okay sweetie - we'll keep him from following you home" and they did. So Wednesday morning I thought nothing of it when the wife comment guy came up to me while I was waiting for the bus and asked if the strange, scary homeless guy was bothering me. I said no and he looked at me and asked "So, when are you and I going to go to dinner?". I couldn't think of anything to say but "I don't think my boyfriend would like that very much". Be quiet - he didn't know I was lying. He then went on and on about how he wasn't asking in that way and that he was just being a gentleman asking a friend out for a meal. Thankfully my bus pulled up then and I said good bye.

Okay, I've got to go get pretty(er) for my date with BWCP. This weekend should be fairly tame - tomorrow I'm hanging with Jim and Sunday I've got the wine festival with friends.

Quote of the Day

I had an evening of tapas and sangria with Angie a couple weeks ago. After giving her the lowdown on the boy situation (it was right around the time 24 and R professed their feelings for me out of the blue among other male happenings) she looked me straight in the eye and asked "Are you sure you want to get married?". I was able to honestly say "I don't want to just get married. More than anything else, I want to get married to the right guy." She said she asked because I seem to really enjoy being single. And believe me, I do. It's fun and sometimes exciting to meet new people and go places you may not think to go on your own. It also can be tremendously dull, time consuming and exhausting. My reasoning for being so sure that settling down and marriage are what I want? Well, that is the quote of the day. I recycled it a few minutes ago to a friend feeling a bit down? guilty? about the number of people he's dated.

"At least when we settle down we will be happy in the knowledge that there isn't better out there because we have dated and/or slept with everyone else".

Take comfort where you can people.

AOL Hell

Everyone has one of these stories or knows someone who does. A long, long time ago when I was younger and less wise I had an account with AOL. When I wizened up and realized I could get better service cheaper elsewhere I went to cancel my account. There was no way to do it online and the number they listed (which took forever to find and I am quite internet savvy) was always busy. On the rare occasion it wasn't I was on hold forever and one thing or another would cause me to hang up. I eventually just called my bank and told them I lost the card that AOL was charging every month.

Click above to hear a man who had way more patience than I did. Absolutely ridiculous that they continue to make it this difficult to cancel an account. And people think Microsoft is the devil.

"Life is a Banquet

And those poor sons-of-bitches are starving!"

Last night the girls and I went to the Kennedy Center to see Mame.  We met at the rooftop bar first to have some cocktails and nibblies and had a great time chatting - which set the tone of hilarity for the evening. Let's just say there was more than one Mame at the table.

Christine Baranski was the titular Auntie Mame and Harriet Haris was her good friend Vera. Harriet is Felicia Tillman on Desperate Housewives. You might also recognize her as Frasier's agent. Anyways, the show was fantastic. There were points the six of us were laughing so hard we were crying. Who knew the Man in the Moon is a Lady? Thank goodness we were in the back row and pretty much everyone in front of us was a blue hair with bad hearing.

After the show Agie drove home, we put Angie on the Metro shuttle and Sarah, Heather, Katie and I got in the cab line. Sarah ended up hopping into a cab pretty fast, sharing it with some strangers who were also going to Arlington. I hope she didn't get stolen. Heather, Katie and I eventually got into a cab (we live in a very convenient line through the city) and somehow Katie talked me into going to McDonald's with her so she could get a sundae. Man, the McD's in my hood is a creepy place at 11 pm.