my parents who put up with and love me, no matter what
the rest of my family
my friends who listen to me and put up with all my shenanigans
my wonderful, funny, smart, supportive boyfriend
Google and Twitter and the whole of the internets
Crossroads
lipgloss
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
I'm 50% White (part iii)
Just what you've been waiting for... more whiteness!
#43 plays - Who doesn't like a good play? Or a bad one for that matter.
#44 public radio - It's local. It's people you know (well, could know, if you knew those kind of people) playing music you love. I also love the scheduling of the different kinds of music. Jazz in the evenings, swing on the weekends, classical during the day, a little NPR in between. And it's local. I'm a fan of things that are local.
#48 whole foods and grocery co-ops - This goes with the being a fan of things that are local.
#49 vintage - Recycling at its best.
#50 irony - People that drive their Hummers to grocery co-op are my favorite.
#51 living by the water - I grew up on a peninsula, I've been to the beach more than I can count, vacations are usually at the beach, my dad is a captain on a scallop boat, I am convinced there is salt water in my veins. I would love to live by the sea at some point in my life (not happening anytime soon, I know). The sound of the waves crashing, watching storms roll in, seagulls (oh, how I miss seagulls - there are no seagulls in Richmond, just stupid pigeons), going for walks on the beach and collecting seashells - heaven. This quote made me laugh: "Mountain views are also acceptable, but generally seen as a poor substitute." I suppose mountains have their own allure. Maybe, one day, I'll find out if that is true.
#53 dogs - How could you not like dogs? They are adorable and, unlike cats, they are just as happy to see you as you are to see them.
#54 kitchen gadgets - I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. I try to control myself and stick to the Alton Brown rule of thumb: if it doesn't do at least three things, it isn't worth space in your kitchen.
#43 plays - Who doesn't like a good play? Or a bad one for that matter.
#44 public radio - It's local. It's people you know (well, could know, if you knew those kind of people) playing music you love. I also love the scheduling of the different kinds of music. Jazz in the evenings, swing on the weekends, classical during the day, a little NPR in between. And it's local. I'm a fan of things that are local.
#48 whole foods and grocery co-ops - This goes with the being a fan of things that are local.
#49 vintage - Recycling at its best.
#50 irony - People that drive their Hummers to grocery co-op are my favorite.
#51 living by the water - I grew up on a peninsula, I've been to the beach more than I can count, vacations are usually at the beach, my dad is a captain on a scallop boat, I am convinced there is salt water in my veins. I would love to live by the sea at some point in my life (not happening anytime soon, I know). The sound of the waves crashing, watching storms roll in, seagulls (oh, how I miss seagulls - there are no seagulls in Richmond, just stupid pigeons), going for walks on the beach and collecting seashells - heaven. This quote made me laugh: "Mountain views are also acceptable, but generally seen as a poor substitute." I suppose mountains have their own allure. Maybe, one day, I'll find out if that is true.
#53 dogs - How could you not like dogs? They are adorable and, unlike cats, they are just as happy to see you as you are to see them.
#54 kitchen gadgets - I am a sucker for kitchen gadgets. I try to control myself and stick to the Alton Brown rule of thumb: if it doesn't do at least three things, it isn't worth space in your kitchen.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Let's Make Some Lists
Things that seemed far away and omigosh they are thisclose, or have already happened
Things that seem far away
Things that are on hold
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
knitting, apples, a trip to the middle of nowhere, and lots of links
I finished knitting my first scarf. Yay! It only took a few years, but whatevs, I finished it and that is all that matters.
I have moved onto two more projects. Project # 2 is a pair of fingerless gloves I saw in One More Skein. I'm using a very pretty light grey wool. Project # 3 is a baby blanket for a friend that I'm kind of making up as I go along. It all started with a pretty pale pink wool that I found on the clearance shelf. I don't have enough of the pink to make the whole blanket so I am going to do a wide border in a dark grey. Both projects made possible because of gift cards my friends Caitlin and EB got me to The Yarn Lounge. I have discovered a few things about myself while knitting; let's make a list: 1) I love bamboo needles and hate metal needles; 2) I cannot knit and talk at the same time if there is more than one kind of stitch involved, apparently I cannot divide my attention; 3) I get no reading done when I am knitting because my hands can only do one thing at a time; 4) I knit longer when I am watching tv; and 5) I can think about absolutely nothing, my mind actually quiets down and it's quite lovely.
Now the part about apples! I went to Graves Mountain for their Apple Harvest Festival with my Buddy (my Buddy is my paternal grandmother whom I have never called "grandma" in my life), Aunt Paula, Aunt Linda, Cousin Emily and my cousin's daughter (is there a title for that? does that make her my second cousin? I don't know), Ashley. I had a great time and discovered that I had actually been there before. I've always had this memory of a creek and a bluegrass band playing by it and when we were walking around, I saw the creek and put it all together. I said to my Buddy, "Hey! I've been here before!" to which she replied, "Yeah, I brought you here when you were little." *That* would have been nice to know before.
I drank cups and cups of yummy hot cider, we looked at crafts and pumpkins, got some apples, listened to bluegrass, and hoped it didn't snow. Then we went up to the lodge on the mountain and had a very yummy lunch and the best dessert ever. It was some sort of apple cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum-o!
After finishing up with the fam, I headed over to Buckingham County where my grandfather has a little lego house. There is no cell phone reception at the house. There is one spot on the front porch, if you stand just so, you can pick up a signal. So there were some fun moments standing just so to make a couple of phone calls and send some text messages. I had two days alone and I made the most of them – I finished reading my October book club book, started knitting projects 2 and 3, ate a lot of apples, napped, did some very therapeutic writing, watched The Whole Nine Yards, and generally just stood still for a minute. It was so lovely and I am so glad I took the time to do it.
On the way back to Richmond, I stopped by my dad’s family’s homestead (the house is still standing, for the most part), stopped by the family church and saw the old folks that are buried there, from there I drove over to Scottsville for lunch/dinner at Lumpkin's.
And now, I give you pictures from my weekend in the sticks...
I have moved onto two more projects. Project # 2 is a pair of fingerless gloves I saw in One More Skein. I'm using a very pretty light grey wool. Project # 3 is a baby blanket for a friend that I'm kind of making up as I go along. It all started with a pretty pale pink wool that I found on the clearance shelf. I don't have enough of the pink to make the whole blanket so I am going to do a wide border in a dark grey. Both projects made possible because of gift cards my friends Caitlin and EB got me to The Yarn Lounge. I have discovered a few things about myself while knitting; let's make a list: 1) I love bamboo needles and hate metal needles; 2) I cannot knit and talk at the same time if there is more than one kind of stitch involved, apparently I cannot divide my attention; 3) I get no reading done when I am knitting because my hands can only do one thing at a time; 4) I knit longer when I am watching tv; and 5) I can think about absolutely nothing, my mind actually quiets down and it's quite lovely.
Now the part about apples! I went to Graves Mountain for their Apple Harvest Festival with my Buddy (my Buddy is my paternal grandmother whom I have never called "grandma" in my life), Aunt Paula, Aunt Linda, Cousin Emily and my cousin's daughter (is there a title for that? does that make her my second cousin? I don't know), Ashley. I had a great time and discovered that I had actually been there before. I've always had this memory of a creek and a bluegrass band playing by it and when we were walking around, I saw the creek and put it all together. I said to my Buddy, "Hey! I've been here before!" to which she replied, "Yeah, I brought you here when you were little." *That* would have been nice to know before.
I drank cups and cups of yummy hot cider, we looked at crafts and pumpkins, got some apples, listened to bluegrass, and hoped it didn't snow. Then we went up to the lodge on the mountain and had a very yummy lunch and the best dessert ever. It was some sort of apple cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum-o!
After finishing up with the fam, I headed over to Buckingham County where my grandfather has a little lego house. There is no cell phone reception at the house. There is one spot on the front porch, if you stand just so, you can pick up a signal. So there were some fun moments standing just so to make a couple of phone calls and send some text messages. I had two days alone and I made the most of them – I finished reading my October book club book, started knitting projects 2 and 3, ate a lot of apples, napped, did some very therapeutic writing, watched The Whole Nine Yards, and generally just stood still for a minute. It was so lovely and I am so glad I took the time to do it.
On the way back to Richmond, I stopped by my dad’s family’s homestead (the house is still standing, for the most part), stopped by the family church and saw the old folks that are buried there, from there I drove over to Scottsville for lunch/dinner at Lumpkin's.
And now, I give you pictures from my weekend in the sticks...
{Here is my Buddy rocking my first scarf}
{Emily and I in front of the creek I recognized}
{my hot cider and Buddy’s black coffee}
{pumpkins}
{apples}
{random}
{crafts}
{pretty}
{my bounty}
{the Buckingham house}
{the old house}
{Old Bryant Lane}
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Lose Some, Gain Some (Pounds)
I don't think I have ever talked about my weight loss journey on here so consider yourself warned that I'm talking about it now.
When I moved to Richmond I looked like this*:
Luckily my RVA employer participates in the Weight Watchers At Work program. So now I look like this:
In the past I went on diets and lost weight but it never stayed off for very long. My reasons for regaining the weight were: 1) I worked long hours and did not have time to pay attention to what I ate, 2) Taco Bell, and a lot of it, 3) eating late at night, 4) skipping breakfast, and sometimes lunch, because omigosh I'm so busy, and 5) maybe I'm just supposed to be fat. What I've come to find is that the reason was simple: I was in a bad relationship with food. There was a lot of miscommunication going on and the whole concept of eating balanced meals was a foreign concept. Thinking about the calories in what I was eating and drinking never even occurred to me. Joining WW was an eye opening experience. Food and I learned to talk to each and listen to what the other was saying.
I signed up for Weight Watchers and my first meeting was on June 3, 2008. In that 17-weeks, I lost 23.4 pounds. More importantly though I learned to be aware of the calories I consume and how to spread them out over the course of the day. After the 17-week session ended some co-workers and I decided to strike out on our own. We felt that now that we had this new found information that we could continue without the WW fee. We chipped in and bought a scale for the office and we weigh-in every Tuesday. We track our losses and our gains, we give each other pep talks and we talk each other down off the edge. Since going rogue, I've lost 19.4 pounds for a grand total of 42.8 pounds lost. One of my current mini-goals (because it's important to have mini-goals so that reaching the main goal doesn't seem so daunting) is to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year. September was a busy month and there were a lot of celebrations going on which means I ate a lot of cake and fancy dinners out and gained a bit more then I bargained for. All is well though, I am aware of the situation (and that's one-fourth of the battle) and am refocusing on my end of the year goal.
I'm happy with where I am (especially when I look at that first picture, it just makes me think of this) but I know I have a lot farther to go. I know I'll get there and I'm sure this past September will not be the only month when my feet hang off the back of the proverbial wagon. As long as my feet only dangle off the edge, I'm ok with whatever happens. Of course it would be preferable that they (my feet) put on a pair of sneakers and burn off some calories but that's a whole other battle.
*Sorry, I don't have full-body shots that document the loss; you'll just have to trust the cheekbones.
When I moved to Richmond I looked like this*:
Luckily my RVA employer participates in the Weight Watchers At Work program. So now I look like this:
In the past I went on diets and lost weight but it never stayed off for very long. My reasons for regaining the weight were: 1) I worked long hours and did not have time to pay attention to what I ate, 2) Taco Bell, and a lot of it, 3) eating late at night, 4) skipping breakfast, and sometimes lunch, because omigosh I'm so busy, and 5) maybe I'm just supposed to be fat. What I've come to find is that the reason was simple: I was in a bad relationship with food. There was a lot of miscommunication going on and the whole concept of eating balanced meals was a foreign concept. Thinking about the calories in what I was eating and drinking never even occurred to me. Joining WW was an eye opening experience. Food and I learned to talk to each and listen to what the other was saying.
I signed up for Weight Watchers and my first meeting was on June 3, 2008. In that 17-weeks, I lost 23.4 pounds. More importantly though I learned to be aware of the calories I consume and how to spread them out over the course of the day. After the 17-week session ended some co-workers and I decided to strike out on our own. We felt that now that we had this new found information that we could continue without the WW fee. We chipped in and bought a scale for the office and we weigh-in every Tuesday. We track our losses and our gains, we give each other pep talks and we talk each other down off the edge. Since going rogue, I've lost 19.4 pounds for a grand total of 42.8 pounds lost. One of my current mini-goals (because it's important to have mini-goals so that reaching the main goal doesn't seem so daunting) is to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year. September was a busy month and there were a lot of celebrations going on which means I ate a lot of cake and fancy dinners out and gained a bit more then I bargained for. All is well though, I am aware of the situation (and that's one-fourth of the battle) and am refocusing on my end of the year goal.
I'm happy with where I am (especially when I look at that first picture, it just makes me think of this) but I know I have a lot farther to go. I know I'll get there and I'm sure this past September will not be the only month when my feet hang off the back of the proverbial wagon. As long as my feet only dangle off the edge, I'm ok with whatever happens. Of course it would be preferable that they (my feet) put on a pair of sneakers and burn off some calories but that's a whole other battle.
*Sorry, I don't have full-body shots that document the loss; you'll just have to trust the cheekbones.
Monday, September 28, 2009
I Turned 27! (and not 28, as I previously thought)
I'm so glad that this got rescheduled because my birthday weekend in RVA was FABULOUS!!
Friday night I met Angie and Judy in Williamsburg for a birthday dinner at The Olive Garden. It was a great time (once they finally arrived) and great food!
Saturday morning I met up with EB and we headed over to the farmer's market in Forrest Hill Park. There was a nice variety of vendors selling jewelry, pottery, stained glass stuff, veggies, cookies, bread, hot dogs, turkey legs, coffee, clothing items and more! I bought a pretty pair of earrings (I'll post a picture eventually), EB bought some earrings too and a very cool necklace. I got a cup of coffee (it was Blanchard's and it was tasty, as always) and some ginger snap cookies. The cookies were spicy and chewy and so delish! The Cracked Egg Bakery is responsible for me eating cookies for breakfast. I left the Southside and headed to Michelle's over in the East End. I hung out there for a bit, headed to the West End, visited a friend at work, stopped at Wawa for lunch, a little time at the fabric store, headed home, took a shower, napped for a little bit, got ready for bowling! and then headed over to Sunset Lanes to "sco oh ore..." Sandy, Michelle, Caitlin and I had pitchers of beers, rings of onion, cupcakes from the 'krop and one hell of a good time. I had the lowest scores of the evening (I had a knack for making it into the gutter). It was hysterically funny how bad I was. My "friends" rocked it though. Strikes and the like abounded. Apparently no one got the memo that the Birthday Girl is supposed to win.
Sunday was me meeting Sandy and Catherine at Baker's Crust in Short Pump Mall for a late lunch/early dinner. The Crust was out of the dessert Sandy and I wanted so we headed over to Cheesecake Factory and OMG! they had Red Velvet Cheesecake and it was worth every penny I paid for it and every calorie I have to burn off. After a little hide-and-seek with Sandy's keys (who knew there was a customer service center there? I didn't), we sat on a bench to enjoy our cheesecakes and do a little people watching. Good times. Came home to a sink full of dishes (dishwasher is currently out-of-service) and stuff that needed to be done, I guess birthday time is over now.
{For those of you that are wondering where my parents were in all of this (you know, the people that are the reason I *have* a birthday), I assure you that I celebrated with them, too. I was in Hampton last weekend and we celebrated then. They took me to dinner at Bonefish and then we had cookie cake back at the house. Good times (and good cookie cake), too.}
Friday night I met Angie and Judy in Williamsburg for a birthday dinner at The Olive Garden. It was a great time (once they finally arrived) and great food!
Saturday morning I met up with EB and we headed over to the farmer's market in Forrest Hill Park. There was a nice variety of vendors selling jewelry, pottery, stained glass stuff, veggies, cookies, bread, hot dogs, turkey legs, coffee, clothing items and more! I bought a pretty pair of earrings (I'll post a picture eventually), EB bought some earrings too and a very cool necklace. I got a cup of coffee (it was Blanchard's and it was tasty, as always) and some ginger snap cookies. The cookies were spicy and chewy and so delish! The Cracked Egg Bakery is responsible for me eating cookies for breakfast. I left the Southside and headed to Michelle's over in the East End. I hung out there for a bit, headed to the West End, visited a friend at work, stopped at Wawa for lunch, a little time at the fabric store, headed home, took a shower, napped for a little bit, got ready for bowling! and then headed over to Sunset Lanes to "sco oh ore..." Sandy, Michelle, Caitlin and I had pitchers of beers, rings of onion, cupcakes from the 'krop and one hell of a good time. I had the lowest scores of the evening (I had a knack for making it into the gutter). It was hysterically funny how bad I was. My "friends" rocked it though. Strikes and the like abounded. Apparently no one got the memo that the Birthday Girl is supposed to win.
Sunday was me meeting Sandy and Catherine at Baker's Crust in Short Pump Mall for a late lunch/early dinner. The Crust was out of the dessert Sandy and I wanted so we headed over to Cheesecake Factory and OMG! they had Red Velvet Cheesecake and it was worth every penny I paid for it and every calorie I have to burn off. After a little hide-and-seek with Sandy's keys (who knew there was a customer service center there? I didn't), we sat on a bench to enjoy our cheesecakes and do a little people watching. Good times. Came home to a sink full of dishes (dishwasher is currently out-of-service) and stuff that needed to be done, I guess birthday time is over now.
{For those of you that are wondering where my parents were in all of this (you know, the people that are the reason I *have* a birthday), I assure you that I celebrated with them, too. I was in Hampton last weekend and we celebrated then. They took me to dinner at Bonefish and then we had cookie cake back at the house. Good times (and good cookie cake), too.}
Friday, September 18, 2009
"Well, it all started at Grace and Belvidere..."
I am usually, generally, mostly a pretty laid-back, go along with whatever is going on kind of person. I can usually find the bright side and focus on it. Not today. Today is all kinds of bad and funkiness (being funky and being in a funk are two completely different things).
It all started on the bus ride home yesterday. There was an overturned SUV blocking Grace at Belvidere. The bus had to detour over to Broad. Going up Broad during rush hour traffic and then wanting to turn left in front of that traffic is a nightmare. Granted I’m not driving but I had a lengthy list of things that had to be done that evening. Getting stuck in hellacious traffic was not on that list (neither was “take a nap” - that list had it out for me from the beginning).
I finally got home, changed, had a snack and got my stuff together so I could go run all my errands. While walking to my car, I realize that I was not dressed appropriately for the weather. I turned back around, changed, grabbed an umbrella and left again. Leaving: Take II was successful.
I headed over to The Yarn Lounge (which was a little overwhelming) and then the CVS and then it was off to Short Pump (which I usually avoid like you avoid someone with H1N1) and then the Tuckahoe library and then Joann Fabrics (which was mildly disappointing) and then Kroger (thank you baby James for trail mix and bottle water being sold by the registers) and then to a Twitter gathering (that, p.s., I was an hour late to and only stayed for a few minutes because I was in no condition to be around people and be social) and then home.
You’d think the home part would be the end of my evening, but no, it’s not. Once back in Apt. 101 I did laundry (when you live in a 7 story building it’s a good idea to remember which floor’s laundry room you’re using, playing hide-and-seek with your laundry is not fun), made and packed breakfast and lunch for today, packed for this weekend’s trip to Hampton, paid bills, balanced the checkbook, wrapped Angie’s birthday presents, made and ate dinner (at 11 freaking p.m., well somewhere there about, I don’t remember what time it was but it was way too late), took all the trash out, showered and finally collapsed in my sweet, loving, oh so comfy bed around 1:45 a.m.
Today is where the funk comes in. It’s all little things that out of context don’t seem so bad, but string them all together with 5 hours of sleep and you’ve got funkiness. This morning my hair felt weird and wouldn’t do a damned thing I suggested. It is currently being corralled by a headband. The outfit I threw on, with 2 minutes left to get out of the door to catch the bus, doesn’t fit me and I look sloppy and uncomfortable. These shoes are killing my feet. They are the most uncomfortable pair of ballet flats EVER MADE. I had to run a city block to catch that bus I was so worried about. Once on the bus I made the mistake of telling the lady with the baby “aw, what a cute baby!” She then proceeded to roll her eyes at me and shake her head. SHE ROLLED HER EYES AT ME!! What the what? I got off two stops too early to be able to go to Starbucks, unless I *wanted* to be late for work. When I decided "to hell with it, I’ll be late," I realized that my wallet is sitting on my desk at home. No money, no Starbucks. Co-worker/friend asked if we were still on for lunch. Blink, blink moment. I had completely forgotten (which is not like me) that we were going to Cap Ale for lunch. But I can’t BECAUSE MY WALLET IS ON MY DESK AT HOME.
Can I just crawl into bed and stay there until this cloud of funk takes its leave of me?
In better news, tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Go here and, by the powers!, you’ll be speakin’ pirate-like quicker than you can say yo-ho-ho! (Son of a biscuit eater is my favorite.)
It all started on the bus ride home yesterday. There was an overturned SUV blocking Grace at Belvidere. The bus had to detour over to Broad. Going up Broad during rush hour traffic and then wanting to turn left in front of that traffic is a nightmare. Granted I’m not driving but I had a lengthy list of things that had to be done that evening. Getting stuck in hellacious traffic was not on that list (neither was “take a nap” - that list had it out for me from the beginning).
I finally got home, changed, had a snack and got my stuff together so I could go run all my errands. While walking to my car, I realize that I was not dressed appropriately for the weather. I turned back around, changed, grabbed an umbrella and left again. Leaving: Take II was successful.
I headed over to The Yarn Lounge (which was a little overwhelming) and then the CVS and then it was off to Short Pump (which I usually avoid like you avoid someone with H1N1) and then the Tuckahoe library and then Joann Fabrics (which was mildly disappointing) and then Kroger (thank you baby James for trail mix and bottle water being sold by the registers) and then to a Twitter gathering (that, p.s., I was an hour late to and only stayed for a few minutes because I was in no condition to be around people and be social) and then home.
You’d think the home part would be the end of my evening, but no, it’s not. Once back in Apt. 101 I did laundry (when you live in a 7 story building it’s a good idea to remember which floor’s laundry room you’re using, playing hide-and-seek with your laundry is not fun), made and packed breakfast and lunch for today, packed for this weekend’s trip to Hampton, paid bills, balanced the checkbook, wrapped Angie’s birthday presents, made and ate dinner (at 11 freaking p.m., well somewhere there about, I don’t remember what time it was but it was way too late), took all the trash out, showered and finally collapsed in my sweet, loving, oh so comfy bed around 1:45 a.m.
Today is where the funk comes in. It’s all little things that out of context don’t seem so bad, but string them all together with 5 hours of sleep and you’ve got funkiness. This morning my hair felt weird and wouldn’t do a damned thing I suggested. It is currently being corralled by a headband. The outfit I threw on, with 2 minutes left to get out of the door to catch the bus, doesn’t fit me and I look sloppy and uncomfortable. These shoes are killing my feet. They are the most uncomfortable pair of ballet flats EVER MADE. I had to run a city block to catch that bus I was so worried about. Once on the bus I made the mistake of telling the lady with the baby “aw, what a cute baby!” She then proceeded to roll her eyes at me and shake her head. SHE ROLLED HER EYES AT ME!! What the what? I got off two stops too early to be able to go to Starbucks, unless I *wanted* to be late for work. When I decided "to hell with it, I’ll be late," I realized that my wallet is sitting on my desk at home. No money, no Starbucks. Co-worker/friend asked if we were still on for lunch. Blink, blink moment. I had completely forgotten (which is not like me) that we were going to Cap Ale for lunch. But I can’t BECAUSE MY WALLET IS ON MY DESK AT HOME.
Can I just crawl into bed and stay there until this cloud of funk takes its leave of me?
In better news, tomorrow is Talk Like a Pirate Day. Go here and, by the powers!, you’ll be speakin’ pirate-like quicker than you can say yo-ho-ho! (Son of a biscuit eater is my favorite.)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Busy Little Bee
It's amazing how busy I have been, currently am and will be. It's a good busy, but busy is busy, people.
August was filled to the gills. Car drama... painting... a wedding... trips to the beach... weekends in Hampton.
September is shaping up to be a busy month, too. Concerts... birthdays... social events... knitting.
October is not going to offer much relief. 30 Rock... more concerts... Charleston... NYC... more birthdays... more knitting... more painting.
November, I look forward to seeing you so we can spend a nice, (hopefully) leisurely thirty days together. When we go around the table at Thanksgiving and say what we're thankful for this year , I know what I'll be thankful for: family, friends and a little down time.
August was filled to the gills. Car drama... painting... a wedding... trips to the beach... weekends in Hampton.
September is shaping up to be a busy month, too. Concerts... birthdays... social events... knitting.
October is not going to offer much relief. 30 Rock... more concerts... Charleston... NYC... more birthdays... more knitting... more painting.
November, I look forward to seeing you so we can spend a nice, (hopefully) leisurely thirty days together. When we go around the table at Thanksgiving and say what we're thankful for this year , I know what I'll be thankful for: family, friends and a little down time.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I'm 50% White (part ii)
The whiteness continues.
#28 not having a tv - That's right, folks, I do not have a tv. It's like the 1930s up in my place. Want to know the news? I suggest you turn on the radio.
#35 the daily show/colbert report - Back when I did have a tv, I loved watching these two shows. If Jon or Steve didn't talk about it then it wasn't worth knowing.
#36 breakfast places - So here's the funny thing: I love to sleep late. Or all day. But if there's a good place to meet for breakfast then I have no problem waking up early. Meeting for breakfast at some great place is one of my favorite things. Well so long as I can nap when I get home.
#37 renovations - I rent an apartment so I don't do a lot on the renovation front. I like seeing other people renovate stuff and dream of renovating something of my own one day.
#39 netflix - I'm all for anything I can order on-line, while wearing my pajamas, and is then delivered to my mailbox. This also cuts back on the whole going to the video store for a specific movie/tv series and upon arriving finding out they do not in fact have it. That's irritating. Ordering the movie/tv series on-line (pajamas!) and having it delivered is not. (Unless of course your mailman is a complete idiot and always puts your movies in your neighbor's mailbox and then your neighbor doesn't bring them to you until she's finished watching it. There's always a downside.)
#40 apple products - "Plain and simple, white people don’t just like Apple, they love and need Apple to operate." Truer words, people, truer words.
#41 indie music - Don't you love listening to something that you know only a few select people are listening to? Don't you just feel like telling everyone "na-na-na-na-na, my music choices are better than yours! I'm listening to a band/artist you haven't even *heard* of yet!"?
#42 sushi - First of all, not all sushi contains raw fish. It vexes me so when I hear "I don't like raw fish so I don't eat sushi." Grrr. Pieces of raw fish are called sashimi (and is actually very tasty, even if you're not a big fan of fish). It's a whole other thing. Second of all, sushi is yummy and delicious. But beware of how much you eat because that rice will fill you up quicker then you can imagine. Third of all, pickled ginger and wasabi? Yes, please.
Don't worry, there's more whiteness to come...
#28 not having a tv - That's right, folks, I do not have a tv. It's like the 1930s up in my place. Want to know the news? I suggest you turn on the radio.
#35 the daily show/colbert report - Back when I did have a tv, I loved watching these two shows. If Jon or Steve didn't talk about it then it wasn't worth knowing.
#36 breakfast places - So here's the funny thing: I love to sleep late. Or all day. But if there's a good place to meet for breakfast then I have no problem waking up early. Meeting for breakfast at some great place is one of my favorite things. Well so long as I can nap when I get home.
#37 renovations - I rent an apartment so I don't do a lot on the renovation front. I like seeing other people renovate stuff and dream of renovating something of my own one day.
#39 netflix - I'm all for anything I can order on-line, while wearing my pajamas, and is then delivered to my mailbox. This also cuts back on the whole going to the video store for a specific movie/tv series and upon arriving finding out they do not in fact have it. That's irritating. Ordering the movie/tv series on-line (pajamas!) and having it delivered is not. (Unless of course your mailman is a complete idiot and always puts your movies in your neighbor's mailbox and then your neighbor doesn't bring them to you until she's finished watching it. There's always a downside.)
#40 apple products - "Plain and simple, white people don’t just like Apple, they love and need Apple to operate." Truer words, people, truer words.
#41 indie music - Don't you love listening to something that you know only a few select people are listening to? Don't you just feel like telling everyone "na-na-na-na-na, my music choices are better than yours! I'm listening to a band/artist you haven't even *heard* of yet!"?
#42 sushi - First of all, not all sushi contains raw fish. It vexes me so when I hear "I don't like raw fish so I don't eat sushi." Grrr. Pieces of raw fish are called sashimi (and is actually very tasty, even if you're not a big fan of fish). It's a whole other thing. Second of all, sushi is yummy and delicious. But beware of how much you eat because that rice will fill you up quicker then you can imagine. Third of all, pickled ginger and wasabi? Yes, please.
Don't worry, there's more whiteness to come...
Friday, August 21, 2009
I'm 50% White
Have you seen the website Stuff White People Like? It's hysterically funny!
I went down the list to see just how white I am. Turns out I'm 50% white. Out of the 128 things listed (as of the date of this post), 64 apply to me.
more to come...
I went down the list to see just how white I am. Turns out I'm 50% white. Out of the 128 things listed (as of the date of this post), 64 apply to me.
- #5 farmers markets - I do love a good farmers' market. There's something about buying the thing from the guy (or girl) that grew the thing.
- #6 organic food - I always thought all food was organic, until I was told it wasn't.
- #8 Barack Obama - I voted for the man. I went to his inauguration. I genuinely like him.
- #9 making your feel bad about not going outside - Doesn't everyone want to breath fresh air and enjoy the sunshine, or the rain if that's your thing?
- #13 tea - I drink cups and cups and cups of tea on any given day.
- #15 yoga - Yoga is pretty great. It can be relaxing or it can be intense.
- #24 wine - A nice glass of wine can repair a broken day. A whole bottle will make you forget all about it.
- #27 marathons - There's something about training for a marathon that makes you feel productive.
more to come...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Light Bulb Moment
Lately I've wanted to change stuff in my apartment. I want to get a new desk, I want to paint stuff, I want to do things with blank walls. Now I want to change my bedroom.
Last night I was eyeing my headboard thinking "Should I paint you? Cover you in fabric? Buy a new you? Something about you has to change" when it occurred to me that I've thought that about a lot of my furnishings lately. It's quite the unjust thought because I love my stuff. And while I would love to own a tulip table, I just do not have room for it in my tiny apartment. What gives?
I had a light bulb moment when it all became clear to me. I've been in my current apartment for one year and three months. I've never stayed put this long. Granted I'm only three months past the normal move time but three months is three months, people. Around this time I am usually unpacking at a new place and having fun figuring out what goes where. This is an interesting, and unforeseen, issue.
So what is the solution? Making little changes here and there, I guess. I'm going to paint those chairs yellow (and not black like I originally thought) the first chance I get. The desk area will stay the same because, honestly, I just don't want to spend money on a new desk or table when there's nothing really wrong with the current desk area. The headboard's days are numbered though. Either a coat of paint or a covering of fabric are coming its way soon.
Last night I was eyeing my headboard thinking "Should I paint you? Cover you in fabric? Buy a new you? Something about you has to change" when it occurred to me that I've thought that about a lot of my furnishings lately. It's quite the unjust thought because I love my stuff. And while I would love to own a tulip table, I just do not have room for it in my tiny apartment. What gives?
I had a light bulb moment when it all became clear to me. I've been in my current apartment for one year and three months. I've never stayed put this long. Granted I'm only three months past the normal move time but three months is three months, people. Around this time I am usually unpacking at a new place and having fun figuring out what goes where. This is an interesting, and unforeseen, issue.
So what is the solution? Making little changes here and there, I guess. I'm going to paint those chairs yellow (and not black like I originally thought) the first chance I get. The desk area will stay the same because, honestly, I just don't want to spend money on a new desk or table when there's nothing really wrong with the current desk area. The headboard's days are numbered though. Either a coat of paint or a covering of fabric are coming its way soon.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Let's Make Some Lists
Things that seem far away
- my car being paid off
- my birthday trip to NYC
- the release of New Moon
- Christmastime
- Summer 2010
- my move south
- getting my AAS
Things that seemed far away and omigosh they are thisclose
- The Wedding of Josh and Caitlin
- Jimmy Buffett concert
- my car being paid off
- the start of the fall semester
- reaching my goal weight for 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
A whole lotta nothing
Remember how I was going to do this? Well that didn’t work out. But I had already cleared the time off so I decided to go ahead with my day and a half off as planned. Did I have a list of things to do while off? Of course I did. Did I get any of it done? Of course not.
Let’s start with what could have been. I could have: cleaned my apartment, taken the recycling to the recycling center, gone for a walk, gone to the grocery store, painted the various pieces of furniture that need to be painted, caught up on some writing, gone over bills, taken those donations to the Goodwill, finished my art corner (more about that later), cleaned up my desk area, called some people to catch up on their lives, sunbathed and/or washed my car.
What actually happened was more along the lines of: napping (a lot), reading (3.5 books), getting dressed Saturday afternoon and going out only to drive 2 blocks and turn back around, ventured out for real Saturday night to see The Big Lebowski at Movieland with Sandy, a couple of showers, checked the mailbox, made sure Caitlin and Josh had locked their door (they asked me to check), made some meals, drank a lot of tea and watched some movies.
That’s a pretty long post about a weekend full of a whole lotta nothing. Oh well.
Let’s start with what could have been. I could have: cleaned my apartment, taken the recycling to the recycling center, gone for a walk, gone to the grocery store, painted the various pieces of furniture that need to be painted, caught up on some writing, gone over bills, taken those donations to the Goodwill, finished my art corner (more about that later), cleaned up my desk area, called some people to catch up on their lives, sunbathed and/or washed my car.
What actually happened was more along the lines of: napping (a lot), reading (3.5 books), getting dressed Saturday afternoon and going out only to drive 2 blocks and turn back around, ventured out for real Saturday night to see The Big Lebowski at Movieland with Sandy, a couple of showers, checked the mailbox, made sure Caitlin and Josh had locked their door (they asked me to check), made some meals, drank a lot of tea and watched some movies.
That’s a pretty long post about a weekend full of a whole lotta nothing. Oh well.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Chip, Lady Grey and Rice Krispies
They say it takes 21 days form a habit. I beg to differ. I think it only takes a week. One week, that’s how long it took my rice krispie treat/cup of lady grey tea habit to form.
Around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I require a snack. Instead of munching on popcorn (which just gets stuck on my teeth) or a 100 calorie snack pack or whatever, I’ve been having a cup of tea. It’s a nice little ritual. Also, my teacup, Chip, is adorable and I like to see it on my desk. (I named my teacup Chip because there’s a chip in it. Very Beauty and the Beast, non?)
So Lady Grey and I have been going for a little while now and then came along the Rice Krispie treat. A co-worker/friend had a stash in her desk and one afternoon I made the mistake of eating one with my cup of tea. I am now hooked. It’s like call and response. I taste the Lady Grey tea and I immediately want a Rice Krispie treat. Marco! Polo! Grey! Krispie! It’s really the best little afternoon snack ever. And did I mention that my teacup, Chip, is adorable? 
Around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, I require a snack. Instead of munching on popcorn (which just gets stuck on my teeth) or a 100 calorie snack pack or whatever, I’ve been having a cup of tea. It’s a nice little ritual. Also, my teacup, Chip, is adorable and I like to see it on my desk. (I named my teacup Chip because there’s a chip in it. Very Beauty and the Beast, non?)
So Lady Grey and I have been going for a little while now and then came along the Rice Krispie treat. A co-worker/friend had a stash in her desk and one afternoon I made the mistake of eating one with my cup of tea. I am now hooked. It’s like call and response. I taste the Lady Grey tea and I immediately want a Rice Krispie treat. Marco! Polo! Grey! Krispie! It’s really the best little afternoon snack ever. And did I mention that my teacup, Chip, is adorable?
Monday, July 20, 2009
We accept the love we think we deserve
A while back a secret was posted on PostSecret that I found to be very true. It was a picture of a woman's stomach and written across it were these words: "We accept the love we think we deserve."
Secrets are up for a week and then Frank (he runs PostSecret) puts up new secrets on Sunday. I read it twice that Sunday, logged off the computer, did some stuff around the house, logged back on and read it again. I went back to read it a lot that week. On Saturday night I right-clicked and saved a copy to my computer.
Someone got that secret tattooed on them and sent Frank a picture. It inspired others to go out and get PostSecret tattoos, too.
Here's why I think that secret, and really all of the secrets in general, resonate with people to the point of them wanting it tattooed into their skin: because it's everything they are feeling boiled down to a simple sentence that embodies everything they feel, but could not find the words to say.
I particularly find the "We accept the love we think we deserve" to be one of the truest things I've read. I've seen it, I've felt, I've read stories based around it, but could never find the words to express that feeling. Someone out there sees it too and boiled it down to an eight word sentence. I think it just goes to show that sometimes it really is about what you say and not how you say it. Those eight words separate and apart don't mean much, but together they mean a lot.
If you don't know about PostSecret, check it out: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/. Here's a little background information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostSecret.
Secrets are up for a week and then Frank (he runs PostSecret) puts up new secrets on Sunday. I read it twice that Sunday, logged off the computer, did some stuff around the house, logged back on and read it again. I went back to read it a lot that week. On Saturday night I right-clicked and saved a copy to my computer.
Someone got that secret tattooed on them and sent Frank a picture. It inspired others to go out and get PostSecret tattoos, too.
Here's why I think that secret, and really all of the secrets in general, resonate with people to the point of them wanting it tattooed into their skin: because it's everything they are feeling boiled down to a simple sentence that embodies everything they feel, but could not find the words to say.
I particularly find the "We accept the love we think we deserve" to be one of the truest things I've read. I've seen it, I've felt, I've read stories based around it, but could never find the words to express that feeling. Someone out there sees it too and boiled it down to an eight word sentence. I think it just goes to show that sometimes it really is about what you say and not how you say it. Those eight words separate and apart don't mean much, but together they mean a lot.
If you don't know about PostSecret, check it out: http://postsecret.blogspot.com/. Here's a little background information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostSecret.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Because of Audrey, I'm Going to NYC in October
It came to my attention a few months ago that I was thisclose to paying my car off. A couple of months ago, I decided to take myself to NYC for my birthday. Last week, I was planning my calendar out for the next 6 months (it's a thing) and I realized that my last car payment is due in September. So I decided to move my NYC trip to October as it is the first month I won't have to shell out money for a car note. Oh October, how I am looking forward to you.
Friday, May 23, 2008
oy vey iz mir
So here's the thing about moving to a new city - it takes a lot of freaking energy and time. But here I am, in my new city, with a lot of boxes to unpack and no idea where anything that I need is located. Everything is calming down and going back to a normal pace. I haven't finished unpacking but it seems to be coming along rather well. I am so over looking at boxes and wondering "Gee, I wonder if what I need is in that box or that box. Ah well, I'll just run out and buy a new [insert needed item here]."
Here are some pictures of the unpacking job that awaits me and my new city.
Seek and Try to Find Area
A view of my new city from the Belle Isle foot bridge
A view from the top of my apartment building
Here are some pictures of the unpacking job that awaits me and my new city.
Seek and Try to Find Area
A view of my new city from the Belle Isle foot bridge
A view from the top of my apartment building
Friday, February 22, 2008
I’m off to the second Capital of the Old Dominion!
I wanted to let everyone know that I am moving to Richmond this spring.
No, I don’t have a job yet (although I do have some prospects).
No, I don’t have an apartment yet (again with the prospects).
What in the hell are you going to do in Richmond, you might ask (and knowing all of you, that’s what you’d ask). Well, for the spring and summer I’m going to be working, hanging out around town, figuring out where stuff is, taking weekend trips Buckingham and Charlottesville and getting ready to go back to school. School?! Yes, school.
I will be attending J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. J. Sarge has a Paralegal Studies Program that I want to attend. At the end of the program I will be the proud holder of an Associates Degree. The program has been approved by the American Bar Association. In fact, it was the first program in the Commonwealth to be approved.
My current boss has asked that I stay on until April and I have agreed to do so.
So that’s that for now.
Questions, comments, well wishes and any insight into The Fan and Downtown area of Richmond are welcome.
No, I don’t have a job yet (although I do have some prospects).
No, I don’t have an apartment yet (again with the prospects).
What in the hell are you going to do in Richmond, you might ask (and knowing all of you, that’s what you’d ask). Well, for the spring and summer I’m going to be working, hanging out around town, figuring out where stuff is, taking weekend trips Buckingham and Charlottesville and getting ready to go back to school. School?! Yes, school.
I will be attending J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. J. Sarge has a Paralegal Studies Program that I want to attend. At the end of the program I will be the proud holder of an Associates Degree. The program has been approved by the American Bar Association. In fact, it was the first program in the Commonwealth to be approved.
My current boss has asked that I stay on until April and I have agreed to do so.
So that’s that for now.
Questions, comments, well wishes and any insight into The Fan and Downtown area of Richmond are welcome.
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