2011 By The Numbers

800+ personal emails sent
694 tweets
323 items watched in Netflix Instant history
262 Pinterest pins
204 listens of the most played song on my iPod (Save Me by Nicki Minaj)
168 Gchat conversations
158 blog posts
55 books read
42 songs bought through iTunes
41 Facebook status updates
37 sub folders in my "2011 Pictures" folder
27 years
20 miles walked each week (if I don't cheat and take bus)
20 albums bought through Amazon
13 plays, ballets, or concerts
11 Amazon orders
11 book club meetings
8 hours in several happy "hours"
6 albums bought through iTunes
6 personal essay classes
5 trips home
5 "I'll be late because of metro" work emails
4 doctor visits
4 major sporting events
3 days in San Francisco
3 days in Pennsylvania
3 haircuts
3 first dates
2 fights in stairwells
2 critiqued essays
2 $35 cab rides
2 natural disasters
1 huge leap
1 bruised heart
1 night at the Carolina Inn
1 telephone number given to a boy on the street
1 suicidal mouse
1 severe burn
1 case of pink eye

Scenes From My Childhood Bedroom: 2

When we moved into our house the walls of my bedroom were, very aptly, Carolina blue. Some time in high school the parents decided we should paint my room. I wanted purple, like the apartment on "Friends," they wanted white. So we painted the walls white.* But as a compromise, they let me paint the doors of the clothes and linen closets purple. 10ish years later and they still make me smile.

*Except for the wall where there were two very large bookcases. Me and mom wanted to paint around the bookcases. Daddy wanted to move them out and paint the whole wall. As a compromise, we didn't paint it at all. Now that the bookcases are moved, the room has multiple white walls, one blue wall, and two purple doors.

Scenes From My Childhood Bedroom: 1

When I moved to D.C. four years ago, I pretty much turned my childhood bedroom over to my mom. I still have stuff in the closets and the dormers, and probably will until I have my own home, but for the most part it's not my room anymore and most of my stuff is gone. But there are a few things hanging around that are holdovers from my child and teen years.

For starters, this Tar Heel pennant that has been hanging just slightly off center above one of the dormers since before I started high school, so at least 15 years.

It's got a fine layer of dust on the top edge and, as mentioned, is off center, but I like that as much as the room has changed in 15 years, it hasn't moved.

Wednesday Words

"Writing is the underpinning, infrastructure, point of departure, reason, and pretext for all of it."

-Diane Keaton, Then Again

Subtlety

While shopping today with Mom, she wanted to buy me a winter coat in a neutral color since my current coat is bright red. The pretty camel coat she found was too big though so I suggested this one:

A faux leopard fur coat is totally a "neutral," right? However, considering that even my beloved red coat seems quite loud some days, not sure this would work. And since mom refused to buy it just so I could wear it in my living room, it's still on the rack at Penney's for a braver soul than me.

Gone to Carolina

Today I'm going here:

To see them:

And stay here:

To do this:

I haven't been to Chapel Hill since January. January, people. That's two weeks shy of a year. That's double my previous record of six months. To say I need Chapel Hill isn't strong enough. I crave it. And I need my best friends. In one time zone, one place, one room. This year has been awful and amazing, stressful and wonderful, debilitating and exhilarating. But this year hasn't had Chapel Hill and hasn't had the four of us. Yet. And it's going to be amazing, wonderful, and exhilarating.

Photos: mine, mine, here, mine, mine, here.

Wednesday Words

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill

I could see the city light

Wind was blowing, time stood still

Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe

Came in close, I heard a voice

Standing stretching every nerve

Had to listen had no choice

I did not believe the information

[I] just had to trust imagination

My heart going boom boom boom

"Son," he said "Grab your things,

I've come to take you home."

To keepin' silence I resigned

My friends would think I was a nut

Turning water into wine

Open doors would soon be shut

So I went from day to day

Tho' my life was in a rut

"Till I thought of what I'd say

Which connection I should cut

I was feeling part of the scenery

I walked right out of the machinery

My heart going boom boom boom

"Hey" he said "Grab your things

I've come to take you home."

When illusion spin her net

I'm never where I want to be

And liberty she pirouette

When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes

Who close their eyes but still can see

No one taught them etiquette

I will show another me

Today I don't need a replacement

I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant

My heart going boom boom boom

"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,

they've come to take me home."

-Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel

As a writer, I always want to be the one to perfectly describe a situation or a feeling. But sometimes it's just best to acknowledge that someone else has done it perfectly. And Mr. Gabriel has done so. This song has been my go-to going home song since my sophomore year of college. (Even before "Carolina in my Mind" since "Carolina" was always Chapel Hill until I left the state entirely.) I've bolded my favorite lines but all I really need is that line at the end. Throughout the song it's someone else saying, "Get your things, I'll take you home," and at the end it's the narrator saying, "I don't need my things, I'm going home." And that just says it perfectly.

What working from home looks like...

...when there's a Peanut in the house.

Monday:

I was trying to do work at the dining room table and she just wanted to be petted. So I threw the blanket on her to keep her occupied. Isn't that the cutest nose ever? (My parents are putting down new hardwood floors, thus the plywood above. See glimpses of the pretty new floor in the photos below.)

Tuesday:

Staying warm in her new outfit. Don't let the sad face fool you, she's a good Southern girl and loves her argyle.

Wednesday:



She's not playing around anymore as she plants herself directly between me and my laptop. (Yes, I was working on the floor. I think better lying on my stomach, seriously.)

Luckily, I'm free from work in about two hours for the next two weeks and can giver her all the attention she rightly deserves and needs.

Lists of Things

Things about leaving DC that give me a thrill:
• Putting my metro card, work door pass, and work key away, knowing I won't need them for 2 weeks.
• Knowing I won't need my metro or bus apps or bookmarked metro and bus web sites for 2 weeks.

Things I'll miss about D.C.:
• My queen bed
• DVR

Things I hate about travelling:
• My inability to not overpack. (Two suitcases, a book bag, and a purse=100 lbs. of stuff.)
• The travelling public and their inconsiderate slow walking and over sharing phone conversations.

Things I'm looking forward to at home:
• Reclining couches
• Wedding soup
• My parents
• Spending potentially days in my pajamas and glasses without brushing my hair or putting on makeup.
• Spending an hour travelling and ending somewhere that's more than just 10 miles away.

Things I'm looking forward to about my 2 days in Chapel Hill:
• Everything

Things I'm not looking forward to at home:
• Turning almost 30.

The thing I hate most about Union Station:
• The pigeon that just waltzed on by like it belongs here.



Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone.

Things That Adults Do

• Try on the next day's entire outfit, including tights and shoes, the night before at 11 p.m. (Extra points if done several times a week.)
• Zone out completely at a happy hour and accidentally yell "No, don't!" at the Orlando Bloom-lookalike waiter because you thought he was trying to take your drink. (He wasn't.)
• Fall asleep for a few minutes on the metro and get off one stop early.
• Get drunk on a Monday and spend $17 at CVS on toothpaste and toothbrushes.
• Clean spray snow off a window with a Q tip for office decorating contest.
• Cry every time you hear "I'll be Home for Christmas" even though you've been going home for Christmas for almost 10 years.

Thankfully, my friend who is a very good adult and generally a classy lady who may or may not have done these things, is going home soon and leaving all her cares and idiocy behind.

Wednesday Words

"I'm not frightened of what people will think any more. Because, when you're a teenager or in your early 20s, you're always frightened of what people will think. When you're young, you're trying on lots of selves. And then suddenly at about 28 all the pieces of the jigsaw start to
fit together comfortably."

-Rosamund Pike

In two weeks I'll be 28. The first part of this is already true. And I fervently pray that the second part will be true by January 10. Ok, fine, I'll give it until the end of the month. Then my puzzle pieces better be fitting together.

Life Lately According to my iPhone

Told you that eventually I'd get back to detailing the mundane details of my life via iPhone. So here we go, glimpses of my life for the past few months, brought to you by poorly lit photos.

My neighborhood has so many beautiful tree-lined streets that are gorgeous in any season, but perhaps especially in fall. This is one of my favorite streets. It was better before a storm when the trees on the right were also full of leaves, forming a golden canopy.

An outpost of the famous New York City restaurant Serendipity 3 opened in Georgetown recently and I went with a friend for dinner, drinks, and desert. This is the chocolate chip cookie dough sundae we split. We only made it about halfway through before crying uncle but it was delicious.

My annual contribution to our Thanksgiving dinner: the relish tray. It really is quite an art form at this point.

The brother in law, sister, mom, and niece dog making T'giving dinner.

Daddy helping me supervise.

Totally random but this good deal had to be blogged about. I've been using Biosilk Silk Therapy for years to prevent tangliness in my hair. I usually get the smaller bottle, which is less than half of this one and still costs $16. (But it lasts forever.) I found this huge bottle, which retails for $40, for just $19.99! Amazing!

The little tree and adorable Christmas skirt I picked up at Target for my office. It makes me and my officemates so darn happy. (Also pictured: our chocolate "presents," the Angel drawn by one of my officemates, and our SAT vocabulary flashcards that we quiz each other with. Because we are amazingly, awesomely cool.)

For the Kentucky bball game last week -- which I don't want to talk about -- Karey, Brandie, and I gathered at mine and K's apartment. I made crescent roll pinwheels or "meat twirls" according to Brandie. They took way too long to make but were really good. (From left: bacon, cheddar and ranch; spinach, mozzarella, and garlic; and turkey sausage, cheddar, and ranch.)

We're having an office decorating contest at work. This is a glimpse of what we're working on.

And that's my life.

Holidays in DC: Newseum

Last Monday I attended a holiday reception for members at the Newseum.

 I've mentioned this museum several times and it's probably my favorite in the city. I became a member earlier this year through Groupon. The reception had appetizers and an open bar. Only a few of the floors were open, and none of the exhibits, though they did have some artifacts out that are not usually on display. Brandie came as my guest and we had a fun time exploring, having food brought to us on trays, getting moderately drunk on a Monday night, and browsing in the gift store.

We kept our wine glasses in hand as we shopped. And as we posed for photos in a random British telephone booth. I'm not sure if it was for sale, but I've blogged before about my desire to own one, so it's best if I don't know.

I really need more events in my life with free wine and food brought to me on trays.

Dimples

I won't say much because I don't want to upset my family that reads this, but on Friday my family had to put down Dimples, one of our border collies. It wasn't expected.

She and her sister, Peanut, have been in our family for 10 years. She truly was just a wonderful dog. Whereas Peanut is like a human and makes you work for her love--and holds a grudge while she's at it--Dimples just loved everyone. Yes, she was skittish, with the sound of her own butt hitting the floor scaring her sometimes. And yes, she was a bit of a ditz. But she also had the happiest smile, sweetest demeanor, and most intense tail wagging you've ever seen in a dog.

She was also my New Year's Eve company last year and I'll be hard pressed to find a more loving date anytime soon.

Wednesday Words

"Writing is risk.  If you don’t feel that when you’re writing, for god’s sake stop.  It’s a shitty job.  Give it up if you can. ... Risk entails writing what scares you most—pushing beyond the perimeters of just telling a story via plot and pretty words, and instead reaching something deeper, more frightening and profound. Write until it hurts, and if you don’t bleed a little, it isn’t worth much."

-Gina Frangello, Risky Writing

Sunday, Sunday

It's Sunday evening, I'm curled up on the couch with my belly full of Dominos, watching the Giants/Packers game, with the lights from the Christmas tree reflecting off the laptop screen and the scent of fake pine in the air.

I haven't blogged in more than two weeks and haven't really missed it. I can be crazy self-involved -- rarely on purpose, I swear -- but sometimes I just need a break from "I." Sometimes I don't want people to ask me how I am, don't want to have to talk about my weekend, don't want to have to talk about my life at all. Honestly, as sick as you are about hearing about me, I promise that I am, too.

I'm taking a personal essay class -- which may be another reason I'm sick of myself -- and in one guy's essay he pointed out that when typing, in order to select the "I" key, you use your middle finger. So, basically, you're giving the finger every time you type "I."

There really is no point to this post because we all know I'll soon get back to posting about the mundane details of my life supplemented with poorly lit iPhone photos. While giving myself the finger in the process.

Wednesday Words

"People are looking for a way forward--and it's not with grand ambitious gestures, it's with little baby steps, little incremental changes. People are searching for happiness and moments of fun to help them through the dark times. So, the point of that was just to say...baby steps, incremental changes, little moments of happiness and fun...and it will all be okay."

-Jan Ward,
in a Gchat conversation with me

Sometimes you have days where nothing's really wrong and nothing's really right. And on those days you should have a friend like my friend, Jan. Because after I Gchatted her something along the lines of, "no reason, just tell me everything is going to be ok," she came back with the above. Like a writer, like a genius, like a best friend.

My life...

...is a little nuts right now. Work is never ending. Writing class is wonderful but taking up more time than anticipated. Friends are amazing and thus I keep doing happy hours, dinners, and nights out. Basketball just started which makes me insanely, deliriously, unabashedly happy. And a week from today I'll be home and able to take a break from all of this madness. Phew.

I went out on Saturday night with some friends to the concert of a coworker who is also a musician. In between errands on Saturday I tried to find a new top to wear because, well,  I love buying new clothes. But after an absurd number of stores I couldn't find one I liked enough to justify buying this close to the holidays. So instead I went with this. (And I found out later I played a very small role in a little bit of a fight that happened after I left, so, good or bad choice?)

Blazer: Pretty People Vintage in Old Town; Sweater vest: The Limited, almost four years ago; Jeans: Forever 21 for $10.25; Shoes: Ferragamo by way of Ebay; Clutch: Loulou Accessories; Hair: Straightened with a straightener for the first time, just to see if it could get any straighter.

Things I Should Stop Buying: Magazines

I've always been a big magazine reader. As a teenager I got all the big ones: Teen, Seventeen, YM, Teen People, and Cosmo Girl. Then I picked up Entertainment Weekly and kept it until a few years ago when I also had Vanity Fair, Time, and Glamour. But I wasn't reading them so I cancelled them all. However, being such a voracious 'zine reader for so long, I started to miss them, and got a few subscriptions for Christmas last year. And then I added a few more and that bring us to this dilemma. (I couldn't find my ruler but my foot is about 11 inches long.)

That's about two and a half feet of unread magazines. Yikes. So I sat down last weekend and attempted to read as many as possible. It's slow going but I only have the top row left. I think I'm caught up on cultural references from six months ago, and expect to be caught up on today's references in another month. Hopefully.

Wednesday Words

"I'm only marginally qualified to give advice at all. My body mass index is certainly not ideal, I frequently use my debit card to buy things that cost less than three dollars...and my bedroom is so untidy it looks like vandals ransacked the Anthropologie sale section. I'm kind of a mess."

-Mindy Kaling,

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

I had been looking forward to this book of essays for months and read the bulk of it on Saturday. Basically, I want to kidnap Mindy and make her join my circle of friends. When I'm willing to commit a felony, you know it's serious.

Did you ever see such a sight in your life?

Last week was...intense. There was a lot of work work, work for my writing class, and then a few social activities, some of which I had to cancel. But the week started off well, and in costume, for our annual work Halloween party. I mention every year that I don't like Halloween so I won't mention it again. But this year was really simple and dressing up with a group is more fun. Thus I present the Three Blind Mice of Alexandria:

And to show the level of commitment, me and my tail. Miraculously, I only had the tail (gently) grabbed once and heard the comment "nice tail" just twice. (During college Halloweens, sans tail, I had my "tail" grabbed way more times and heard many more suggestive comments. Work Halloween > Franklin Street Halloween.)

Thanks to this job I've acquired a ladybug's tutu, antenna, devil horns, a giant hat, and now mouse ears, nose, and tail. I'm quickly becoming a one-woman costume shop.

Wednesday Words

"Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending
is a very powerful thing."

-Snow White, Once Upon a Time

Pinterest Challenge, take two

Back in August, I linked to/participated in the Pinterest Challenge started by two of my favorite bloggers, Katie from Bower Power and Sherry from Young House Love. They’re doing it again so last weekend I got to work crafting something I’d pinned.

For months, many of the craft blogs I read have worked with ruffle fabric. I finally got around to ordering a yard of the smoke more than a month ago.

This one was my main source of inspiration:

 

And I loved the styling on this one: 

I thought it would be a good light fabric for the warmer months and then, paired with tights and boots, good for the winter months.

I sat down shortly after I got it to make it wearable, but then got scared. I’ve been sewing off and on for several years now, but am still very much a novice. However, thanks to the Pinterest challenge, I finally committed to fashioning myself a skirt on Saturday. I think one of the tutorials said it only took her 45 minutes. Well, mine took half a Carolina football game, an episode of “Friends,” and the majority of “Hocus Pocus.” But it really wasn’t difficult, just a combination of my less than perfect sewing skills and a few mishaps.

1. Taking awhile to lay it out and pin it so the ruffles all laid flat.

2. Putting the pins in wrong and having to sew like this.

3. Cutting off too many ruffles and having to re-attach some.

4. Having to thread the elastic through the waistband 3 times before I could do it without it rolling. (Of course, I made it more complicated by sewing the elastic inside a casing instead of attaching it to the top like in all the tutorials.)

But I stuck to it and didn’t curse or get frustrated once. And here is the end result:

    

    

It’s a bit more ruffley than I thought it would be, and I’d still prefer it a bit shorter, but it stays as is for now. I wore it yesterday with the tights and shoes above, plus a blousy, white, long-sleeved t-shirt and my yellow belt. No one screamed, “Gross! Homemade!” at me so I take it as a good sign.

Things I Should Stop Buying: Chapstick

For as long as I can remember, I’ve needed chapstick. There’s just no way around it. I NEED chapstick. But do I really NEED all the ones I have?

Once I gathered all the ones around my room and in my purse, and placed them in my designated chapstick jar, I couldn’t get the lid on. Time to clean house.

   

And this doesn’t include any lip glosses or lip sticks, of which I probably only own about 10. It also doesn’t include the 6-10 chapsticks in my desk drawer. Oops.

All of them laid out, nice and pretty. I think there’s about 40 here, though I tossed a few more after taking this picture.

I’m definitely missing some Burt’s Bees, as my favorite is the pomegranate and that is mysteriously missing. I used to use Softlips exclusively in high school, and I still purchase them occasionally for nostalgic reasons. But, my absolute favorite, are the three at bottom center, my Bebe from Germany. My friend got me hooked on these and when I went to Germany I bought probably 10. They lasted for awhile but I have since had to have other friends procure the goods for me when they go.

All cleaned up, with the lid on. Which just means I can go buy more!

Some people call this an addiction, and that’s fine. When you consider all the things I could be addicted too, especially considering how all or nothing I am in general, I think an addiction to chapstick is perfectly ok.