1. Friday = drinks and dinner with grad school buddies. Went to Maggianos in Tysons II and openly judged the prom groups. Some were tasteful, some...were horrifyingly inappropes. When did we become the "kids these days!" people? But, seriously, kids these days.
2. Saturday morning/afternoon: Tara and I went to U street to window shop, and then to H Street NE/Atlas District for lunch/errands. Had lunch at Taylor Gourmet. Delish. Had my first Water Ice! It's like a slurpee but thicker. Then went to pick up pies Tara had ordered from a place called...wait for it...Dangerously Delicious Pies. Unfortunately named considering their location. (read: H Street NE..not quite revitalized yet...or at all) After DC adventures we went to Tara's place to catch the second half of the USA/England game.
3. Sunday = Brunch with Franklin, Ro, Missy, and Jess! Went to Community Canteen in Town Center. Cheap and delicious. The best part was the on-tap sparkling water and lemons. Fancy! I got a wedge of french toast, literally, a wedge. It was basically cake, therefore, amazing.
4. Sunday = I may or may not have bought Hanson's new album. I cannot believe I am admitting this.
5. Sunday = went into work for a couple of hours. Got some stuff done, also brought home more to do before tomorrow morning. Somehow despite all of this I still love it. I wonder when that will change.
6. Sunday = tonight - TRUEBLOODOMGSQUEEECANNOTWAIT.
6.13.2010
6.06.2010
H is for Holy Crap: I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
"Yeah, sure honey, I’ll help you move all your shit.
….
I mean, all of your things.”
-Frank Benson, 6/5/2010
So far in my 27 years on this planet, I’ve identified as my parents’ child. Not as myself, mind you, but as being completely and wholly tied to my parents. That's really a few years too many. While I am proud to have the parents I do, because they’re fantastic, it takes a toll emotionally if I’m being honest. Imagine being 27 but still be in the same exact living situation you were in when you were 16. It is le suck.
In less than a month, that all ends.
Moving!
Found a place in Alexandria via Craigslist. Two roommates – Courtney and Emily. They are awesome. Upon meeting them we mostly talked about Glee and True Blood. Could I ask for anything more?
My room isn’t anything fancy – it’s smaller than my room at home, but that’s okay. Big section of windows. Which, is nice, except for the fact that I generally like to sleep like vampire with as little light as possible. But that’s what curtains are for, so, easy fix. I’ll be sharing a bathroom with Emily. My closet is about the same size as mine now, which is good – no downsizing there.
The rest of the apartment is nice. All hardwood – er – fake hardwood. But whatever. Big open living room and dining room, completely lined with windows. Cute balcony. Small kitchen, but we’ve got a dishwasher. In-suite washer-dryer. Extra closets for storage. And the unit is at the end, on the corner – and on the other side of us is a storage closet, so…no real neighbors, other than above and below, of course. But we’re on the 15th floor, so it’s reallllly quiet.
Nothing about it screams luxury, but I don’t need luxury either. I want nice, and I want safe – and I’m getting both! And when I saw the place, I could see myself living there, and being happy. I had seen a couple other places over the last few weeks, and while they were also nice, I felt no connection to them. I guess I’m putting more than an average amount of stock in that intangible, indescribable gut feeling (for all I know, I could have been hungry at the time) but…it just seemed like the perfect situation for me.
The building is a high-rise right near the Duke/Van Dorn St. intersection. Which is also right by Landmark Mall. My initial reaction before seeing it was…”there?” (think Arrested Development’s “…her?”)
But it’s actually nice. And I did a little driving around the area today. There’s a CVS and a library half a mile from my building, and a little less than another half-mile from that is a shopping center with a Harris Teeter, Chipotle, ABC Store, and various other typical-shopping-center-stores. I’m about 10 minutes up Duke Street from the Masonic temple – I tell you that for geographical purposes only, not because it means anything to me. I just hope my dad doesn't start making various The Lost Symbol references.
The other thing that’s probably good for me is that there isn’t really a nearby Target. Let’s be honest, I need to spend a little *less* time in that store. Maybe we’ll get an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing going, that would be helpful.
Work wise, it’s also a sweet deal. A bus line that goes to Pentagon metro runs every 15 or so right by our building – and Pentagon metro is about 15 minutes away from my office’s stop. So it’ll cut my commute almost in half – in time and expense. Those WMATA assholes can’t count on my $8,000 a day anymore!
I’m moving July 4th weekend, probably. The lease (which I will hopefully sign this week) starts July 1 so I’ll have the long weekend to get settled. I’m probably going to do a few runs after work that Thursday and Friday, just taking over clothes and pictures and stuff. As much as I can cram into my little Corolla and carry up myself. The weekend will be for bookshelves and dressers and whatever other furniture I actually have to contribute.
Pictures will come as soon as I’m settled.
Um…I don’t really know how to end this…other than:
HOLY SHIT I’M FINALLY MOVING.
….
I mean, all of your things.”
-Frank Benson, 6/5/2010
So far in my 27 years on this planet, I’ve identified as my parents’ child. Not as myself, mind you, but as being completely and wholly tied to my parents. That's really a few years too many. While I am proud to have the parents I do, because they’re fantastic, it takes a toll emotionally if I’m being honest. Imagine being 27 but still be in the same exact living situation you were in when you were 16. It is le suck.
In less than a month, that all ends.
Moving!
Found a place in Alexandria via Craigslist. Two roommates – Courtney and Emily. They are awesome. Upon meeting them we mostly talked about Glee and True Blood. Could I ask for anything more?
My room isn’t anything fancy – it’s smaller than my room at home, but that’s okay. Big section of windows. Which, is nice, except for the fact that I generally like to sleep like vampire with as little light as possible. But that’s what curtains are for, so, easy fix. I’ll be sharing a bathroom with Emily. My closet is about the same size as mine now, which is good – no downsizing there.
The rest of the apartment is nice. All hardwood – er – fake hardwood. But whatever. Big open living room and dining room, completely lined with windows. Cute balcony. Small kitchen, but we’ve got a dishwasher. In-suite washer-dryer. Extra closets for storage. And the unit is at the end, on the corner – and on the other side of us is a storage closet, so…no real neighbors, other than above and below, of course. But we’re on the 15th floor, so it’s reallllly quiet.
Nothing about it screams luxury, but I don’t need luxury either. I want nice, and I want safe – and I’m getting both! And when I saw the place, I could see myself living there, and being happy. I had seen a couple other places over the last few weeks, and while they were also nice, I felt no connection to them. I guess I’m putting more than an average amount of stock in that intangible, indescribable gut feeling (for all I know, I could have been hungry at the time) but…it just seemed like the perfect situation for me.
The building is a high-rise right near the Duke/Van Dorn St. intersection. Which is also right by Landmark Mall. My initial reaction before seeing it was…”there?” (think Arrested Development’s “…her?”)
But it’s actually nice. And I did a little driving around the area today. There’s a CVS and a library half a mile from my building, and a little less than another half-mile from that is a shopping center with a Harris Teeter, Chipotle, ABC Store, and various other typical-shopping-center-stores. I’m about 10 minutes up Duke Street from the Masonic temple – I tell you that for geographical purposes only, not because it means anything to me. I just hope my dad doesn't start making various The Lost Symbol references.
The other thing that’s probably good for me is that there isn’t really a nearby Target. Let’s be honest, I need to spend a little *less* time in that store. Maybe we’ll get an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing going, that would be helpful.
Work wise, it’s also a sweet deal. A bus line that goes to Pentagon metro runs every 15 or so right by our building – and Pentagon metro is about 15 minutes away from my office’s stop. So it’ll cut my commute almost in half – in time and expense. Those WMATA assholes can’t count on my $8,000 a day anymore!
I’m moving July 4th weekend, probably. The lease (which I will hopefully sign this week) starts July 1 so I’ll have the long weekend to get settled. I’m probably going to do a few runs after work that Thursday and Friday, just taking over clothes and pictures and stuff. As much as I can cram into my little Corolla and carry up myself. The weekend will be for bookshelves and dressers and whatever other furniture I actually have to contribute.
Pictures will come as soon as I’m settled.
Um…I don’t really know how to end this…other than:
HOLY SHIT I’M FINALLY MOVING.
5.10.2010
H is for Holy Crap: The Squeakuel
I don’t even know how to start this one. Here are some options:
1: 16 months. Sixteen. Months.
2: That far-off shouting you heard a couple of weeks ago was me.
3: I wasn’t crying, it was just raining on my face. I had something in both my eyes.
4: There’s a reason I got a Droid Incredible.
Pick your favorite, and proceed.
So, I don’t really know who reads this, other than, like 4 specific people. But I can guess that anyone other than those 4 people probably knows what I’ve been going through for the past 16 months: lots of frustration, tears, hope, disappointment, learning, building of character, and unequivocally the craziest and unbelievable-est amount of love and support from friends and family.
It all came to a head a few weeks ago, when I found out I had actually done it.
I finally got a job. In the arts.
I’m trying to not put too much stock in one job, but…this sort of validates everything I’ve been doing and going through for the past two and a half years. Yes, it was that long ago that I chose to quit my job and go back to school for something I truly cared about; two and a half years of trying to start a career.
It’s finally starting.
It feels so good to just say that. It feels better to tell you that today was my first day, and it went great. I can’t wait to go back tomorrow.
1: 16 months. Sixteen. Months.
2: That far-off shouting you heard a couple of weeks ago was me.
3: I wasn’t crying, it was just raining on my face. I had something in both my eyes.
4: There’s a reason I got a Droid Incredible.
Pick your favorite, and proceed.
So, I don’t really know who reads this, other than, like 4 specific people. But I can guess that anyone other than those 4 people probably knows what I’ve been going through for the past 16 months: lots of frustration, tears, hope, disappointment, learning, building of character, and unequivocally the craziest and unbelievable-est amount of love and support from friends and family.
It all came to a head a few weeks ago, when I found out I had actually done it.
I finally got a job. In the arts.
I’m trying to not put too much stock in one job, but…this sort of validates everything I’ve been doing and going through for the past two and a half years. Yes, it was that long ago that I chose to quit my job and go back to school for something I truly cared about; two and a half years of trying to start a career.
It’s finally starting.
It feels so good to just say that. It feels better to tell you that today was my first day, and it went great. I can’t wait to go back tomorrow.
5.01.2010
H is for Holy Crap
Tara and I ventured to Annapolis today. I could make up a much more normal story about why we went, something like - exploring a new place - but, I'm going to tell you the ridiculous reason we went. Because I keep it real.
When Tara and I were in school (during which we were inseparable, did you know? If our classmates saw one of us without the other, they would instinctively ask where the other one was. This really happened...several times.) we spent many afternoons at Metro Diner, right in what I call Old Timey Fairfax, what I think normal people call Old Town Fairfax? Downtown Fairfax? Whatever, it's Old Timey to me. Metro Diner, I believe, is an off-shoot of Silver Diner. It had free wi-fi and cheap but decent food and Diet Coke and it was our little place. We spent an unusual amount of time there.
Uh, what? Anyway, Metro Diner was awesome. And don't even think we didn't tell the first employee we saw where we were from and why we were there. We expected free cupcakes and possibly the opportunity for us to sign a framed 8x10 of us to hang on the wall...but neither of those things happened. But the food was good and Diet Coke was cool and bubbly and we had a good time.
After going to Target we stopped by this cute little stationery store, and I got the CUTEST greeting cards. 5 of each of the designs below. They are by a person named Marc Johns, and he calls them "serious drawings". Marc, I think you and I might be soulmates.
The banana one is my favorite :-)
Part Two of H is for Holy Crap will be revealed in a few weeks. There even might be a part three!
When Tara and I were in school (during which we were inseparable, did you know? If our classmates saw one of us without the other, they would instinctively ask where the other one was. This really happened...several times.) we spent many afternoons at Metro Diner, right in what I call Old Timey Fairfax, what I think normal people call Old Town Fairfax? Downtown Fairfax? Whatever, it's Old Timey to me. Metro Diner, I believe, is an off-shoot of Silver Diner. It had free wi-fi and cheap but decent food and Diet Coke and it was our little place. We spent an unusual amount of time there.
Several months ago, sometime in the fall, Tara and I made plans to go again - we were feeling nostalgic and wanted to relive the good days of Metro Diner. Well we show up and GUESS WHAT. It's not there anymore!
But! Posted on the door is "Come visit us in our other location!" - Well! An invitation so welcoming and friendly must also mean that they must be right down the street, right?
We were 0 for 2 at that point.
Yes, I know this story is about as transparent as an episode of CSI. Whatever.
Annapolis. That's the other location. We were so sad! But we vowed to go there and make a big deal of it.
Well friends, that day was today. We drove up there (took about an hour) and we found our little place, RIGHT NEXT TO A TARGET! I know, I know, it's not like I've never been to Target, but I always get excited about new ones. It's like traveling for me. It's a new and exotic Target! It's like a really cheap plane ticket to Europe without being stuck Coach, forced to sit through Big Mama's House 4 times in a row! And also, if one of our favorite places can be next to another one of our favorite places? Well, Annapolis, you are saving the day.
Uh, what? Anyway, Metro Diner was awesome. And don't even think we didn't tell the first employee we saw where we were from and why we were there. We expected free cupcakes and possibly the opportunity for us to sign a framed 8x10 of us to hang on the wall...but neither of those things happened. But the food was good and Diet Coke was cool and bubbly and we had a good time.
After going to Target we stopped by this cute little stationery store, and I got the CUTEST greeting cards. 5 of each of the designs below. They are by a person named Marc Johns, and he calls them "serious drawings". Marc, I think you and I might be soulmates.
The banana one is my favorite :-)
Part Two of H is for Holy Crap will be revealed in a few weeks. There even might be a part three!
4.22.2010
I think Missy is on to something when she says Franklin and I share a brain...
GChat. 1:41pm
me: do you think it's possible that during the draft (either tonight or following rounds) that instead of getting drafted, someone will just punch tim tebow in the face?
Franklin: right in his scripture eye black?
me: do you think it's possible that during the draft (either tonight or following rounds) that instead of getting drafted, someone will just punch tim tebow in the face?
Franklin: right in his scripture eye black?
3.15.2010
Hi there.
I can't sleep, so, I thought I'd stop by.
-Still temping at that same place - Thursday will mark my two-month anniversary there. I thought about bringing this up to my coworkers and then leaving them with "I like funfetti cupcakes" to see if they'd actually do it. However 1: I gave up sweets for Lent* and 2: I would be horrified if they actually did it.
-Every Tuesday Franklin and I (and Missy, when WaPo isn't cracking the whip!) get together to watch Lost. 'Cause we're nerds. Totally awesome nerds.
*In addition to no sweets, I also added "Do something job-search-related every day" to my Lenten goals. I needed a little kick in the pants, to be honest with you. I got a little complacent in my temping, which may only last a week or two longer anyway. I'm hoping that I'll get a little Lenten Momentum. No new job opportunities yet, though. Still trying, every day.
-Went down to Richmond last weekend - I had lunch with Chris and Dana (Dana is my little from PSE and Chris is her husband, who was also in PSE) and then went to Allison's (one of my old roommates) for her birthday party! It was a lot of fun; got to see some familiar faces. Played beer pong. It was like college all over again! But with a much smaller hangover.
Talking to old friends, catching up and such, I had a realization: right now my life is a giant game of pretend. I have a pretend job - it's full time, and I work hard and get paid, but it's not permanent. it's not real. And I live in a nice house all by myself - and I don't pay for it, and my parents will be back in a month from now. My pretend job and my pretend house.
...I guess it really all comes down to wanting something of my own for once. Needing it, even.
-I'm going to Richmond again this Saturday - lunch with Vince, afternoon birthday party for another former roommate Shannon, and then a St. Patrick's Day party with Chris and Dana! I outsource my social life to Richmond, apparently. Basically seeing the exact same people I saw two weeks ago, but in a new rotation. I'm looking forward to it, especially seeing Vince. I literally cannot remember the last time I saw him.
*****
Okay, there aren't enough exclamation marks or emoticons in this post. I'm doing okay, I guess I'm just tired. I blame Daylight Savings. Wait...make that:
I blame Daylight Savings!!!!!!! :-) :-P :-* (yeah, that's right, that last one was a kiss. OW OW!)
-Still temping at that same place - Thursday will mark my two-month anniversary there. I thought about bringing this up to my coworkers and then leaving them with "I like funfetti cupcakes" to see if they'd actually do it. However 1: I gave up sweets for Lent* and 2: I would be horrified if they actually did it.
-Every Tuesday Franklin and I (and Missy, when WaPo isn't cracking the whip!) get together to watch Lost. 'Cause we're nerds. Totally awesome nerds.
*In addition to no sweets, I also added "Do something job-search-related every day" to my Lenten goals. I needed a little kick in the pants, to be honest with you. I got a little complacent in my temping, which may only last a week or two longer anyway. I'm hoping that I'll get a little Lenten Momentum. No new job opportunities yet, though. Still trying, every day.
-Went down to Richmond last weekend - I had lunch with Chris and Dana (Dana is my little from PSE and Chris is her husband, who was also in PSE) and then went to Allison's (one of my old roommates) for her birthday party! It was a lot of fun; got to see some familiar faces. Played beer pong. It was like college all over again! But with a much smaller hangover.
Talking to old friends, catching up and such, I had a realization: right now my life is a giant game of pretend. I have a pretend job - it's full time, and I work hard and get paid, but it's not permanent. it's not real. And I live in a nice house all by myself - and I don't pay for it, and my parents will be back in a month from now. My pretend job and my pretend house.
...I guess it really all comes down to wanting something of my own for once. Needing it, even.
-I'm going to Richmond again this Saturday - lunch with Vince, afternoon birthday party for another former roommate Shannon, and then a St. Patrick's Day party with Chris and Dana! I outsource my social life to Richmond, apparently. Basically seeing the exact same people I saw two weeks ago, but in a new rotation. I'm looking forward to it, especially seeing Vince. I literally cannot remember the last time I saw him.
*****
Okay, there aren't enough exclamation marks or emoticons in this post. I'm doing okay, I guess I'm just tired. I blame Daylight Savings. Wait...make that:
I blame Daylight Savings!!!!!!! :-) :-P :-* (yeah, that's right, that last one was a kiss. OW OW!)
2.08.2010
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
