I've decided to not post for a while. Nothing is going on, and even when it is, um, even I don't find it all that thrilling. Basically I want the next thing I put up here to be about the job that I get. But not too descriptive because blogging about work is a recipe for disaster. Even I'm not that dumb.
Here's what I've got coming up, so you can imagine all the fun I'm having while I sit here and refresh Idealist twenty times a day:
Recruiter interview tomorrow
Movie day with Kel and the boys on Friday
Going to Richmond on Saturday to watch the Hokies season opener with some old VT friends :-)
And at the end of the month, my godparents are visiting and I get to enjoy the guest room for two weeks.
Also:
My parents are going to Florida for a week in the beginning of November.
And Thanksgiving with the Parnhams is at our house this year.
My parents will be going down for their extended stay sometime in January.
(I'm telling you these last three things in the event that I am still unemployed and can stick to not spreading my embarrassment throughout the world wide interscape)
8.30.2009
a shower for baby foster
A long long time ago, Meredith was about ten years old, and I was nine. We were in a 4th/5th grade split class, and played on a Reston house league soccer team together - she was Goalie, I was wherever was least influential to the score. Yada Yada Yada, Kelley and Meghan threw her a baby shower this past weekend and I came too. That about catches us all up, yes?
I drove Kelley and myself to Ohio Friday afternoon, and we arrived at Meredith and Geoff’s house in the early evening. Meghan had already made it there, so many hugs and hellos were exchanged, and then we met the awesome twosome that is their dogs, Chloe and Delilah. Chloe apparently fell in love with me. They helped with my Parker separation anxiety.
Also, their house is awesome. It was built in 1924 and it has so much character and little details and things I always wanted as a kid. A huge, private backyard, lots of rooms, and my favorite, a fully finished attic room, almost like the one from Full House. We all agreed that it is perfect for a tween/teenage girl. But yeah, I loved their house and I threatened to move in several times.
Friday night we drove to this cute downtown area, but couldn’t decide where to eat so Geoff decided for us – we went to this southwestern/Mexican place called Lopez. It was…amazing. Someone from Top Chef Masters had something to do with it, apparently. Sorry Top Chef Watchers – ahem KK and Dan – I have no idea who or what or why or how…I don’t pay attention to things. Anyway we had a great dinner catching up – being wonderfully boisterous and fun to us, and probably obnoxious to the couple sitting two feet away from us. Oops? Oh well.
Saturday was the baby shower! Meghan and Kelley had done an excellent job planning and I pretended to be involved…good times. We got snacks and drinks and went to Mer’s mom’s house to set up. Kel made a diaper cake. That thing was amazing. To any and all boys that read this: it’s a gift of blankets and diapers and sometimes other baby accessories in the shape of a cake. You don’t eat it. We got a real cake for that.
The guests were the three of us, Mer obviously, her sister in law and her kids (Mer’s unbelievably adorable and smart niece and nephew), her coworkers and some of her friends from college. It was a good group! She got some sweet gifts, including stuff her mom and grandmother had made for Meredith when she was a baby. So sweet.
Saturday night we drove to another cute little downtown area (they were all over the place!) and had dinner at Mitchell’s Fish Market, again on Geoff’s recommendation, due to our split vote and apathy towards decision-making. He was two for two, because basically no one talked at dinner, that’s how good the food was.
On the way home, Geoff asked “So do you guys want to keep drinking, or are you all set?” - we had wine at dinner, and there wasn’t anything in their house because we finished their other wine Friday night. Heh, oops? – Meghan and I made noncommittal noises, and Kelley said “I could really go either way”. I added, “Yeah, me too”.
Geoff lost his mind. It was hilarious.
We had been listening to something on their iPod at the time, so Geoff made a noise that I can’t quite describe, stopped the iPod and said: “NO! NO! That’s it! No! I’m not deciding anymore!!! *whiny imitation of our voices* ‘oooh I can’t decide where to eat, ohh we don’t care, ohh ohhhh’ NO! That’s IT! You’re drinking more! Meredith, drive to the liquor store!!”
The three of us are in the backseat cracking up, and as we are driving our new route to said liquor store, we quiet down and Meghan says, “You know, Geoff, you just decided again for us.” HA!
I drove Kelley and myself to Ohio Friday afternoon, and we arrived at Meredith and Geoff’s house in the early evening. Meghan had already made it there, so many hugs and hellos were exchanged, and then we met the awesome twosome that is their dogs, Chloe and Delilah. Chloe apparently fell in love with me. They helped with my Parker separation anxiety.
Also, their house is awesome. It was built in 1924 and it has so much character and little details and things I always wanted as a kid. A huge, private backyard, lots of rooms, and my favorite, a fully finished attic room, almost like the one from Full House. We all agreed that it is perfect for a tween/teenage girl. But yeah, I loved their house and I threatened to move in several times.
Friday night we drove to this cute downtown area, but couldn’t decide where to eat so Geoff decided for us – we went to this southwestern/Mexican place called Lopez. It was…amazing. Someone from Top Chef Masters had something to do with it, apparently. Sorry Top Chef Watchers – ahem KK and Dan – I have no idea who or what or why or how…I don’t pay attention to things. Anyway we had a great dinner catching up – being wonderfully boisterous and fun to us, and probably obnoxious to the couple sitting two feet away from us. Oops? Oh well.
Saturday was the baby shower! Meghan and Kelley had done an excellent job planning and I pretended to be involved…good times. We got snacks and drinks and went to Mer’s mom’s house to set up. Kel made a diaper cake. That thing was amazing. To any and all boys that read this: it’s a gift of blankets and diapers and sometimes other baby accessories in the shape of a cake. You don’t eat it. We got a real cake for that.
The guests were the three of us, Mer obviously, her sister in law and her kids (Mer’s unbelievably adorable and smart niece and nephew), her coworkers and some of her friends from college. It was a good group! She got some sweet gifts, including stuff her mom and grandmother had made for Meredith when she was a baby. So sweet.
Saturday night we drove to another cute little downtown area (they were all over the place!) and had dinner at Mitchell’s Fish Market, again on Geoff’s recommendation, due to our split vote and apathy towards decision-making. He was two for two, because basically no one talked at dinner, that’s how good the food was.
On the way home, Geoff asked “So do you guys want to keep drinking, or are you all set?” - we had wine at dinner, and there wasn’t anything in their house because we finished their other wine Friday night. Heh, oops? – Meghan and I made noncommittal noises, and Kelley said “I could really go either way”. I added, “Yeah, me too”.
Geoff lost his mind. It was hilarious.
We had been listening to something on their iPod at the time, so Geoff made a noise that I can’t quite describe, stopped the iPod and said: “NO! NO! That’s it! No! I’m not deciding anymore!!! *whiny imitation of our voices* ‘oooh I can’t decide where to eat, ohh we don’t care, ohh ohhhh’ NO! That’s IT! You’re drinking more! Meredith, drive to the liquor store!!”
The three of us are in the backseat cracking up, and as we are driving our new route to said liquor store, we quiet down and Meghan says, “You know, Geoff, you just decided again for us.” HA!
So we got home, had some more to drink as we talked, laughed, shouted, the usual. It was a blast. There were points in the night when couldn’t breathe because I was laughing so hard. This always happens when we all get together, and I hope that never changes; both that we still get together, and that the laughs just keep on comin’.
8.26.2009
"Alma, check your battery!"
I have nothing of substance to discuss. I just feel like putting this out there:
1. You have no idea how often I listened to this soundtrack, on tape of course. I wanted to sing like the young nun (Sister Mary Robert, I believe?) so badly.
2. Meghan and I had a very serious discussion one afternoon about this number - and I was glad to see someone else shared my feelings, and maybe you do too. Don't you think that this performance is one thousand times better than the one they perform for the Pope?! They really should have switched songs. I'm in no way religious, but I think it's fair to say the man deserves some sort of, I dunno, hymn? They sing I Will Follow Him, which, I mean, I get it...but this one is just so. much. better.
3. Whoopi is many things, but she is NOT a conductor.
4. I would like to open it up to you to tell me if you think Sister Act I or II is better. I'm on Team I. But I do like Joyful Joyful and Oh Happy Day in the second one, those are good songs.
1. You have no idea how often I listened to this soundtrack, on tape of course. I wanted to sing like the young nun (Sister Mary Robert, I believe?) so badly.
2. Meghan and I had a very serious discussion one afternoon about this number - and I was glad to see someone else shared my feelings, and maybe you do too. Don't you think that this performance is one thousand times better than the one they perform for the Pope?! They really should have switched songs. I'm in no way religious, but I think it's fair to say the man deserves some sort of, I dunno, hymn? They sing I Will Follow Him, which, I mean, I get it...but this one is just so. much. better.
3. Whoopi is many things, but she is NOT a conductor.
4. I would like to open it up to you to tell me if you think Sister Act I or II is better. I'm on Team I. But I do like Joyful Joyful and Oh Happy Day in the second one, those are good songs.
8.22.2009
I am getting a little too used to the Florida lifestyle...
The days are running together, as they do when one finds oneself unemployed. We spend each night eating dinner watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, shouting profanity-laced epithets at Pat Sajak and Alex Trebek and their "smug dickishness". Well, mostly my dad does this, I sort of participate. My mom either giggles or rolls her eyes depending on what is said. My father is particularly unpleasant towards Alex Trebek. One night, as Jeopardy went to a commercial break, Alex said “Okay, relax and we’ll be back in a minute”. My father’s response? “FUCK YOU ALEX! I’LL RELAX WHEN I WANT!”
Today rolls around, and since I don’t have much concrete evidence that it is in fact Saturday, I sit down to dinner and grow concerned as the television is not switched to ABC. “Laura, it’s Saturday” my parents tell me, with a tone that says “We just had the ‘what day is it’ discussion a few hours ago, dummy”.
I am disappointed. I am actually disappointed about not being able to eat my dinner and watch my game shows. But then, huzzah! A rerun of Jeopardy is miraculously on TV.
All is right with the world. And that's when I took a step back and realized, um, wow. I need to GET. OUT.
I’ll be leaving this state before I’m in too deep, don’t fret. We’re leaving on Tuesday to come back home. I’m not waiting around for news on the FloridaJob. I’ve already missed one life-event of a friend because I waited around for a job I didn’t get, and I still feel like shit for it. I’ve got Meredith’s baby shower to attend in Ohio next weekend and I’m not going to pull any more douche moves. Also the interview was quite possibly the most disastrous thing I have ever been a part of. It’s not something I want to put on the internet for a while, but…yikes.
Honest to blog, the more I am around my father, the more I am convinced I should start a separate web site about the things my father does that simultaneously astound me, entertain me and irritate the everloving crap out of me. As I write this, my dad has switched to some golf game and was shouting nonsensicals as the golfers were taking their swing, like he was psyching them out or startling them from their focus…on television. People have blogs about the silly things their kids say and do, why can’t I have one about the sometimes-man-child, irrational but hilarious man that is my father?
Today rolls around, and since I don’t have much concrete evidence that it is in fact Saturday, I sit down to dinner and grow concerned as the television is not switched to ABC. “Laura, it’s Saturday” my parents tell me, with a tone that says “We just had the ‘what day is it’ discussion a few hours ago, dummy”.
I am disappointed. I am actually disappointed about not being able to eat my dinner and watch my game shows. But then, huzzah! A rerun of Jeopardy is miraculously on TV.
All is right with the world. And that's when I took a step back and realized, um, wow. I need to GET. OUT.
I’ll be leaving this state before I’m in too deep, don’t fret. We’re leaving on Tuesday to come back home. I’m not waiting around for news on the FloridaJob. I’ve already missed one life-event of a friend because I waited around for a job I didn’t get, and I still feel like shit for it. I’ve got Meredith’s baby shower to attend in Ohio next weekend and I’m not going to pull any more douche moves. Also the interview was quite possibly the most disastrous thing I have ever been a part of. It’s not something I want to put on the internet for a while, but…yikes.
Honest to blog, the more I am around my father, the more I am convinced I should start a separate web site about the things my father does that simultaneously astound me, entertain me and irritate the everloving crap out of me. As I write this, my dad has switched to some golf game and was shouting nonsensicals as the golfers were taking their swing, like he was psyching them out or startling them from their focus…on television. People have blogs about the silly things their kids say and do, why can’t I have one about the sometimes-man-child, irrational but hilarious man that is my father?
8.20.2009
Part Three: Meanwhile...
Alternate (and too long) title for this post: The one where cousins inexplicably have the hots for each other, short people with big feet do things and the movie should have ended seven different times, or Scott Foley isn’t dead, but IS Neve Campbell’s half brother.
Ha! Trilogy humor. I hope you get all three.
Remember when I had my interview on Thursday in NYC? That morning I got an email from an arts org for a job I had applied to months ago. I had that interview a week ago Monday, right before my lunch with my friend/coworker. I haven’t heard since and I should have, so I assume I didn’t get it. I’m not upset about it. I didn’t have some of the specific experience they were looking for. But it was still a good interview exercise, and she asked a couple of unusual questions and I am happy to report I can sort of think on my feet. All my answers were good but I just don’t have the right experience.
So not 15 minutes after I walk out of the interview, I get a phone call from another arts organization about a job I applied to in JUNE. This particular job is in Florida, about 45 minutes from the house my family has down there that used to be my grandmother’s. So I applied because I had a place to live, and my former (Masters) Program Director told me not to be afraid of the jobs that I think are out of my reach, because "You never know". I never thought they would actually call me. But they did!
(Dear Universe: Nothing for eight months, NUH-THING, and then all of a sudden I’m popular?! Not cool. I mean, yes, flattering, but…not cool.)
Thursday afternoon, when I knew what the results of NYCJob were going to be but didn’t want to fully admit it to myself, I called FloridaJob and made plans for an interview the following Friday. My family also used this as an excuse to be in Florida, so we all packed up and left Monday morning.
Spent a day and a half cramped in the backseat with no legroom and a dog wanting to do nothing but cuddle and rest right up against me even when the sun is beating down on us through the backseat windows. He’s panting like crazy but refuses to move over to his side, which happens to be shaded. Dumb dog. But it's all okay, these were the conditions I had to endure to secure a trip free of financial burdens. Also it's not like I didn’t love the fact that he actually wanted to hang out with me.
We got to the house Tuesday around 4pm. The last time I had been in my Grandmother’s house was four years ago but most of my memories of the place are from my childhood. Now, I roamed the house looking in drawers, opening cabinets, and took a nostalgic inventory of glasses, mugs, and furniture that reminded me of those summer visits as an elementary school kid. It was less cluttered and a lot cleaner. It still smelled like her house, though – in a good way. Not like my maternal grandmother’s house that reeked of wet dog and musk ten years after the actual dog passed away. So anyway, it’s been nice to be here. I have my interview tomorrow. Regardless of its outcome, it will have been nice to get down here and see the place in its new era.
8.19.2009
if this is my past, i don't want to know my future
Growing up, when I was being a pest – which I did quite well, and often – my mom would say to me “Laura, know when to quit”, because apparently I don’t have the natural ability to sense this on my own. Now I know why I never inherited such a trait.
No one has been in the house for three months, so there were 30 messages on the phone. 29 of them completely bogus.
…”Hi, this is Tom with CCS calling to remind you-“
Frank: Hi Tom, NO THANKS!” *deletes message*
…”..you don’t want to be driving without a warranty…”
Frank: “ Hey, I won’t!” *deletes message*
…”this is Steve with CCS calling to remind you-“
Frank: “You sound a lot like Tom, Steve!” *deletes message*
Funny the first three times, right? But then it went on. Twenty-six more times.
I think I can just leave it at that.
No one has been in the house for three months, so there were 30 messages on the phone. 29 of them completely bogus.
…”Hi, this is Tom with CCS calling to remind you-“
Frank: Hi Tom, NO THANKS!” *deletes message*
…”..you don’t want to be driving without a warranty…”
Frank: “ Hey, I won’t!” *deletes message*
…”this is Steve with CCS calling to remind you-“
Frank: “You sound a lot like Tom, Steve!” *deletes message*
Funny the first three times, right? But then it went on. Twenty-six more times.
I think I can just leave it at that.
8.16.2009
design on no dimes
You’ll notice I changed the design a little bit. I hope it looks as nice on your computer/browser as it does on mine. It’s my effort to transition into fall. Or boredom at 1AM. It took me longer than it really should have to do that writing in Illustrator; it’s harder than I thought to make it look like your own handwriting. So I hope it does. College Crew, you will have to weigh in and tell me if it does. Or just humor me and tell me that anyway.
In the event that it doesn’t, at least it looks like it’s written in Sharpie. This pleases me to no end. I really, really love Sharpies.
I’ve been seeing a term thrown around a lot on Facebook and I do not like it. Funemployment. I resent it. Granted, for the eight months that I’ve now been unemployed, I’ve participated in fun activities that I probably wouldn’t have been able to, had I been a working individual. Yeah, the activities were fun, but were the sleepless nights and constant worrying about money, jobs, and life a ball of laughs? And not just worrying about myself, but my family too, who are supporting me when I can’t support myself? I don’t think I have to answer that. Wow I am bitter.
Switching gears, I’m working on a screenplay now. You didn’t know? The working title is "Shit Stirrer"
The scene: Our basement
The characters: Frank, Blue, Parker, Me.
Blue: (sheepishly) So um, when you, um, go down to Florida, can I come or am I supposed to stay here with the dog?
Parker: Is someone talking about me? Can I have some food?
Frank: (chuckles) No! I thought we were all going to go together, of course you’re coming!
Me: That’s not what you said to me a few hours ago!
Frank: (sighs)
Me: Mom, Dad said to me, ‘I don’t want her to come along’ and then told me not to tell you -
Frank: I’m sure she believes this
Me: - but I’m telling you because I love you and I want you to be there.
Frank: Jesus Christ…
Me: That’s what he told me. (shit-eating grin on face)
Parker: I believe I asked for some food, assholes.
I can't wait to move to LA and shop it around.
In the event that it doesn’t, at least it looks like it’s written in Sharpie. This pleases me to no end. I really, really love Sharpies.
I’ve been seeing a term thrown around a lot on Facebook and I do not like it. Funemployment. I resent it. Granted, for the eight months that I’ve now been unemployed, I’ve participated in fun activities that I probably wouldn’t have been able to, had I been a working individual. Yeah, the activities were fun, but were the sleepless nights and constant worrying about money, jobs, and life a ball of laughs? And not just worrying about myself, but my family too, who are supporting me when I can’t support myself? I don’t think I have to answer that. Wow I am bitter.
Switching gears, I’m working on a screenplay now. You didn’t know? The working title is "Shit Stirrer"
The scene: Our basement
The characters: Frank, Blue, Parker, Me.
Blue: (sheepishly) So um, when you, um, go down to Florida, can I come or am I supposed to stay here with the dog?
Parker: Is someone talking about me? Can I have some food?
Frank: (chuckles) No! I thought we were all going to go together, of course you’re coming!
Me: That’s not what you said to me a few hours ago!
Frank: (sighs)
Me: Mom, Dad said to me, ‘I don’t want her to come along’ and then told me not to tell you -
Frank: I’m sure she believes this
Me: - but I’m telling you because I love you and I want you to be there.
Frank: Jesus Christ…
Me: That’s what he told me. (shit-eating grin on face)
Parker: I believe I asked for some food, assholes.
I can't wait to move to LA and shop it around.
Today is the day that my two beautiful friends, Ben and Jess, get married! I'm sorry I can't be there, guys (do you even read this??) and I am missing all of you today.
(We had not yet mastered the art of stealing our bride and groom friends away for a group photo.)
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