things

1. I got hit on today. By a 23 year old named Eugene. While on the bus. So...there's that. Other things related to this: when he first sat down next to me, he kept SHIFTING and kind of crowding my space. I'm generally used to men doing this - there's some weird social thing about men taking up space while women compact themselves (Meghan? Back me up on this?) but...it was annoying. So I was already displeased with him. But really, dude is either REALLY brave or REALLY socially inept. I had my headphones in and was messing around on my phone, what part of that says "I am open for conversation!" ? But dude just said excuse me and asked me "if i was a grad student" (Personally, I would have asked about my phone, since that's what I was actually focusing on, it would have been a better intro, if we're in the business of critiquing others' bravery) and then kept asking questions and answering the same about himself. I was polite and nice but didn't ask him very many questions. I mean, I don't care how hot a person is, if the following interaction happens, game OVER:

him: when did you graduate?
me: 2005
him: that's when i graduated high school!

no, just...no.

The final weird thing was that once he started talking to me, this older woman sitting in front of our row switched to a seat on the other side of our aisle, looked back at me and - though she was wearing sunglasses - I could tell she was giving me this "OOOOOH GIIIIIIIIIIIRRRLLLLLL" look. I just kind of stared at her and hoped I could convey my "Eh? He's sweet and I don't want to be a bitch?" face.

2. I got glasses. I am bespectacled. Old Four Eyes McGee. Missy helped me pick the glasses. I ended up choosing the same frames in different colors as part of a B1G1 promotion...and yeah, I went with one of the first pairs I tried on and "didn't really like" and then proceeded to try on about twelve hundred other pairs, only to come back to the ones I now own. Missy is a saint.

3. I started singing lessons about a month ago. I'm not very good but I've always liked singing, it makes me happy. And it's tough when your friends are in chorus and theatre and can sing the pants off anyone and then you're like "I like it too, secretly" but you're not confident and you just want a pleasant singing voice, not the pipes of your Christinas or your Whitneys or Mariahs or your Rebecca Blacks. (HA, I'M HILARIOUS). So it's fun. And no, I won't sing for you or sing vocals on Rock Band or Guitar Hero. But if we're driving somewhere and the radio is on I might be singing along and you can listen a little. BUT ONLY A LITTLE. Ugh.

UPDATE: one more thing!

4. I added something to the mystery gift hall-table! a box of mini-farfalle, sealed and unopened of course. Was that a good thing to give? I hope it's gone by the time I get home!

Friday

GET READY TO RUUMMMBBLLLLLLLLE DROOL.

Avocado fries. Franklin, Ben, Jess and I made them and then Rosa joined us for the eating after her long trek from NYC. Franklin also busted out a lime sriracha sauce that was stellar. Also eaten that night: sushi, guacamole, and baklava. It was a fantastic night with food and friends. 

(and Top Gear)

changing the zeitgeist, one emoticon at a time.

Meghan:  thanks L:)

the L means nothing

me:  HA

i was like "?"

Meghan:  no no no

it means combover!!

do you see it??

me:  OOOOH

NEW EMOTICON

Meghan:  i should get royalties

things i've done recently

1. went to new york city.

      1a. and while i was in the neighborhood, produced a classical music recital at weill hall at carnegie hall.

2. bought plane tickets to prague and california.

3. decided to learn how to sew. (like, tailor clothing, make own clothing and purses sewing)

4. been at a loss as to how to learn how to sew (on the cheap, people. on the cheap!)

5. moved on to sending an email to BREW (beagle rescue, education, and welfare) about volunteering

       5a. spent 4 minutes looking at the "available beagles" section and almost cried
       5b. okay, maybe they have an OFFICE i can volunteer in.

6. decided to judge the "The Family With The Kid That Throws A Tantrum Unless He Can Watch His Dad’s iPad And I Silently Judge Their Parenting (Even Though I Have No Experience In This Area)" bus stop people a little less, because yesterday they let him watch despicable me on the iPad and i totally watched too.

silly amazon

Please note product...and then product features. That is some impressive coffee.

(yes, this is how busy and thrilling my Sunday is so far.)

It's the little things

1. There’s a little grocery-thing-place (yep, that’s what they’re called. I know things.) on my walk into work; I stop there all the time because they make a hell of a bagel sandwich, and I can’t resist a good bagel sandwich. They also sell other grocery-thing-place-type-foods (yep, that’s also the technical name for that. I know more than you thought.) including pre-made fruit salad. Normally it has grapes, kiwi, honeydew melon, and cantaloupe. I…do not care for cantaloupe. It’s not that I don’t like the taste, but it bothers me. Unless it’s wrapped in prosciutto, I don’t want it. Anyway, what? Oh – so, there are some magical days where, I don’t know, they run out of cantaloupe or something, and substitute MANGOES! This is the equivalent of me winning the lottery. So, this morning, I am a proud owner of a delicious bagel sandwich and a perfectly assembled fruit salad.

2. When you step off of the elevator on the 15th floor, where I reside, there is a small hall table in the “waiting for the elevator area” (wow, I am full of vocab today). When I first moved in, there were 3 cans of vegetables sitting there. And then they were gone. And then came a book*. And then a small vase. And then a loaf of bread. And then one package of pancake mix. I am beyond fascinated with this – I can’t wait to see what comes next!

3. People I wait with at the bus stop sometimes: The Family With The Kid That Throws A Tantrum Unless He Can Watch His Dad’s iPad And I Silently Judge Their Parenting (Even Though I Have No Experience In This Area), Lesbian Couple From The Other Building, Guy That I’m Pretty Sure Wore Those Sketcher Toner Shoes, And Even Though He Is Really Nice And Dresses Really Nicely I Can’t Get Those Shoes Out Of My Head. I wonder how they view me? Probably “The Girl Who Always Has Earphones In And Plays Angry Birds and Never Really Talks To Us Much”

What I’m saying is, I love the little things. Whether it’s a place, or people, or cans of vegetables on a hall table. The little things that, when they change, you suddenly realize are a part of your life, albeit weirdly so.

*I walk into the apartment like 4 days after seeing the book on the table, only to see that book on our dining room table. I ask Courtney, “Is that the book from the hall table!?” She says excitedly: “ YEAH! I have the other one in the series by that author, so I grabbed it!” So now that our apartment has benefitted from this crazy thing, at what point do I/we need to donate something? And what should I donate? The more random the better – I want to be a proponent of this Hall Table Gift Mystery!

ponder on, south lakes... title option two: it's funny because it's true.

I wonder how many romantic relationships that otherwise would have been really successful fail because during that crucial time of “we’ve hung out a few times, but I’m not sure I want to continue to do so”, the girl suffers major PMS, goes batshit crazy (in every area of her life) and returns to human form only to find it’s too late for damage control.

(in other news, in the last hour and a half I have: hated myself, almost cried, decided it's inevitable I will get a brain tumor from stress,  took deep breaths, actually cried, hated single men, eaten all carbs within a ten mile radius of my face, hated married men, felt extreme rage at a person for moving too slowly into a metro car, realized this too shall pass, eaten more ice cream than you can find at a midwestern state fair, and realized THIS WILL NEVER FUCKING PASS! And not necessarily in that order.)

It'd be funny if I didn't want to punch everything that moved, and then cry over it. BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME.

**I wonder, part two: when will I regret posting this?**