Here I Am

I’m alive! I’m alive! And I should be alive for a while since my crazy project is (more or less) over. It was so much work and so much stress, but overall I was happy with the product and thought it was a good experience. Until this week when it came crashing down a bit and now I want to use certain people’s names/faces as targets on a dart board.

But I’m trying not to think about that because it really is just the nature of the line of work I’m in. I sound very adult saying that but truth be told there was some holding back tears, biting my tongue, and partaking in comfort shopping the past few weeks.

I feel like it's been so long since I wrote anything substantial, I almost don't remember how to do it. I hate that. So I'll start small. Very small. And I'll start selfish.

This is what I wore today. I ordered new boots on Monday thanks to a crazy sale at Bloomingdale's and the assistance of my Mom. They were delivered yesterday and I love them like a child. (Also wearing a Gap dress I bought at a consignment store and clock hand* earrings I made.)

Can I brag about the boots? They were originally more than $300 and I got them for just over $100. I'm more of a clothes person than a shoe person but, seriously, I get why people spend hundreds on shoes now. (Though my feet are quite sore now, I hope I just need to break them in.)

Now to counteract some of this vanity. I spent so much time on the computer and typing on the crazy project that my left wrist started hurting. I've self-diagnosed myself with a little carpal tunnel and had to buy a wrist brace. Yep, I've been rocking this super sexy thing most of the work day. And then at night for the bowling league I joined.***

*For the wedding shower my sister and I threw for our almost sister-in-law -- which I will blog about -- I ordered 60 clock hands off Ebay for use in one of the favors. They were delivered late so now I have 60 clock hands to work with. So if you have a desire for some clock hands, let me know.
**Wow you can tell how torn my earring holes are. They've been like that since I was a kid, I think because I slept in earrings one night and got them caught on a pillowcase. I'm so used to buying mostly post earrings and never buying heavy ones that I forget how bad they are. I'll get them fixed, one day.
***Ha, no. Have I ever written about my disdain for bowling? I should.

Life Lately

I know, I suck. But in my defense I had a crazy deadline last week that had me taking my computer home every night and working over the weekend. But it was all worth it because the client loved the work and had minimal changes. Which never happens. Ever.

So get ready for a whole bunch of "Ooh, I should blog about this!" stuff from the past two weeks.

March Madness
It's that time again! And even though my Heels have been up and down this year, lately they've been more up than down. This was the ladies and I watching the State rematch at B's.

Best. Trial. Ever.
I've become completely obsessed with the Jodi Arias trial. It's just riveting and disturbing and amazing. I can't wait for it to become a Lifetime movie. She's just so clearly guilty and crazy. And, also, a guilty crazy liar! She's changed her story so many times on the stand, in ways I thought only happened on courtroom TV shows. If she isn't convicted, I will go to Arizona and protest outside the courtroom.

Wedding Fever, part 1
Karey and I are just in love with "Parks and Recreation" and the main characters Leslie and Ben. When they got engaged earlier this season I said we were going to throw a party for their wedding. Well, the wedding was a lot sooner than I expected, so no party, but we did have Funfetti cake and ice cream. If you don't celebrate the wedding of two fictional characters with a bestie/roomie, I feel sorry for you.

Jennifer Lawrence is perfection
I'll join the throng of ladies who want to be her best friend. I have 3 best friends already, but I would really love her for a fourth. I think she'd work really well in our group.

"The Book of Mormon" better be good.
The play is coming to the Kennedy Center next year and I was in charge of getting tickets for me and two friends during their member presale. (I got a membership for my birthday, thanks parents!) A full 24 hours after they went on sale, after hours and hours of refreshing the site, and having the entire site crash, I finally procured three tickets for August. Whew.

Wedding Fever, part 2
On our first group trip to David's we settled on a bridesmaid dress. I don't know the rules about revealing wedding details on someone else's wedding, so I won't say which one, just that it's in one of the pictures and we love it.

Audrey, re-incarnated
The sons of my idol, Audrey Hepburn, authorized a digitized Audrey for use in a British chocolate company commercial. I must say, I don't hate it. I actually kind of love it. It makes me wish I could have been alive, even just for a day, when she was at her peak in the 50s or 60s, so I could see her do things new.

Forgetful Fran
I felt the need to name the forgetful side of me. Because when she shows up, she does it epically. Like the day last week I didn't have my wallet. The day that also happened to be "deadline" day. The day that also happened to be when I forgot my lunch. Oh, and also the day where I had no money on my metro card to get home. Thankfully, I have ample people in my life at work I knew I could lean on. One officemate gave me a $20 without hesitation, and another bought me a drink and dinner when I wanted to celebrate my deadline. (I gave him $20 the next day.) So Forgetful Fran became Grateful Gail.

Good and Bad Showers
This weekend I'm very excited to go home to North Carolina for the wedding shower I'm co-hosting with my sister for our future sister-in-law. I'm not excited, however, for the snowstorm (not really a shower) we'll be getting tonite. In fact, I'm quite pissed about it. Please send me all your good travel vibes, if you will.

The End
Hopefully only for a day. 

First Day Back

I got back to D.C. yesterday evening after 2 and 1/2 weeks at home in North Carolina. (Which I'll be blogging about plenty in the weeks to come.) Today was my first day back in the office since the middle of December. I'm tired but need to get back into blogging so here are some random bits about my first day back:

1. Nearly died when my alarm went off. Yes, DIED.
2. Was not only ON TIME to work for, like, the first time in a year, but I was EARLY. 
3. But I forgot my non-commuting shoes. 
4. And my lunch.
5. So I bought black boots at Ross for $16.99 and then, going back up to office, FELL very loudly up the stairs and 4 people came out of their offices to see if I was ok.
6. My right knee is now a bruise. 
7. When I went to get lunch at the sandwich place that knows me only as "primo ham and cheese, sub roll," I walked in and saw 2 of my coworkers. 
8. Said coworkers told the owner it was my birthday and she gave me a free cookie.
9. Ran a few errands at mall--which means I bought things--and while at American Eagle got "ma'amed."
10. But then I got 15% off since it's my birthday month so it was worth the "ma'am." (And the comfy slippers I bought.)
11. Decided that given how busy this year is going to be, I need to go back to using a paper planner, and found a Moleskine one on sale at Papyrus for $4.73! YES, that is correct.
12. I bought 4 pairs of tights at 2 different stores for $40. (All but one pair will go back.) And at Nordstrom there was ONE pair of tights for $40. I can't even.

Full Disclosure

• I worked from home on Friday because I didn't feel good. Luckily it hasn't progressed beyond a sore throat and sporadic stuffiness, but I sound like Kathleen Turner.
• I went out with Brandie and had too much fun, thus preventing me from doing anything I was supposed to do on Saturday.
• I've bought myself things at Banana Republic and Paper Source instead of buying Christmas gifts.
• Making Christmas gifts and decorations = crazy messy apartment. Especially the dining room table. (See below.)
• Instead of buying peppermints for my advent calendar, I'm using leftover candy corn. (Also see below.)

• I have so much I want to do and see this season but all I am doing instead is watching "Homeland." Which is unbelievably good while also being unbelievably stressful and disconcerting.
• I've always been an "I need four seasons" kind of lady, but these last two days of 60 degree weather is making me realize I really am more of an "I need one week in each of the four seasons that is that season, but the rest can all in the sixties" kind of lady.
• For the first time in years I can listen to "I'll Be Home For Christmas" without crying and I don't know what that means. (Though I'm hoping it means it's just not making me cry yet.)
• I need this tea towel, yesterday:

• I thought I was making progress on my last things to blog about list, but now I'm not so sure:
• My jury duty experience
• Capitol tour with mom and her sisters
• Wii night with the ladies
• Pumpkin carving party
• Hurricane Sandy
• Work Halloween party
• Various happenings: New office, award, Lauren's birthday, etc.
• Old theatre
• Things that are and aren't worth the money
• Thoughts on energy and healthy eating
• Thoughts on anxiety
• Thanksgiving
• The time I used a saw
• Night out with Brandie
• Pinterest party
• Christmas decorations 
• This wasn't the original intent of this post and I can't remember what it was.

Fancy Goods

Harper's Ferry, WV

This is so going to be the name of, and advertisement for, my first illegal endeavor. I'm leaning toward high-class escort service because, come on, that's a great name. But I'm also considering import/export or money laundering. It's good to have options.

*Note: While I don't condone any of these endeavors, that is especially true of the escort service. Yuck. However, I would like to point out I would just be running the service, not participating in it. That should totally make the parents proud.

Thoughts I've Thought and Things I've Done This Week

• If we have to have a new month at least this is my calendar page for it. (I wrote last year about how this belief governs my life.)

• Allergies are just the worst and I'm tired of a runny nose, sore throat, and itchy eyes. But the nose isn't runny enough, the throat sore enough, or the eyes itchy enough to justify staying home, sleeping more, or taking allergy medicine. Especially since all allergy medicine makes me crazy. 
• If I get selected for a jury when I have jury duty in 2 weeks, I'm going to cry. It's just going to mess everything up.
• Nothing improves a yucky Monday like printing and hanging the UNC b-ball schedule:

• Apparently I'm the only one in the city who is always late and always trying to get somewhere. I'm so tired of people, especially in the metro, walking so slow that sometimes I doubt they're even moving. Not to mention the people too busy reading their phones to walk and the people just standing in the middle of any location doing nothing.
• This kind of creeped me out when I looked at my phone yesterday:

• I feel slightly better about Mitt Romney's various displays of idiocy if I refer to him as "Mittens." I know this is disrespectful, but it's not nearly as bad as the sundry Republicans that refer to PRESIDENT Obama simply as OBAMA, no matter the setting. Over and over again. You may not respect the man, but respect the position. And respect the fact that the people spoke and voted him into office. (He didn't have to have the Supreme Court hand it to him. No, I'm not still bitter.) 
• If I don't get a good, full night of sleep soon, I'm going to go crazy. 
• I'm glad I'm going "home" to NC tomorrow, but I'm sad that it's the second trip in the past month that won't involve me actually going home home. 
• In keeping with my all or nothing personality, I've scheduled 4 doctor's appointments in the next 3 weeks. Adulthood=blah.

Some Potpourri. (With neither fleeting expletives nor momentary nudity.)

It's been another stressful week with not a lot of energy to expend outside of work. So here is a mixed bag of the week's thoughts, going-ons, mishaps, etc.

• I've found the secret to not using one's credit card: Accidentally cut up a non-expired one when you meant to cut up an expired one.

• If being 28 and painting polka dots on my fingernails is wrong, I don't want to be right.

• Wearing yoga shorts under my skirts while commuting has completely changed my life. I no longer have to fight to keep my skirt from flying up every time I walk on an escalator, pass a moving metro train, walk on a windy day, pass a bus, etc.

• It's nice when a stranger or a friend tells you that you look good. But it's really, really nice when your doctor, who's treating you for anxiety and other things, tells you that you look good. (One day I'll write about my anxiety issues and how I'm dealing with them, I'm just not quite there yet.)

• I still really, really don't like baseball. At all. But I do love good seats, good friends, good food, and good giant-headed mascots. Which is why I attended my second game of the season this year, Nats. vs. Rays.

• In a Supreme Court decision today, they ruled that the FCC can't fine ABC and Fox for "fleeting expletives and momentary nudity." This is now my new favorite phrase. In the history of the world.
• I really do love Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show." I've been watching for 10 years but I got out of the habit for a few months. But now I'm back watching again and I just love it. That's all.

Thoughts I Thought Today

• Even though it's my job to care if two words should be one word or connected with a hyphen, sometimes, I just really, really don't give a damn.
• McDonald's employs lying bastards and I'm a gullible idiot. Exhibit A:
• McDonald's employee: [handing me my order] Quarter pounder with cheese?
• Me: Without cheese?
• Employee: Yes.
• Little voice in my head: You know he's lying.
• Other little voice in my head: Meh, maybe not.
• [15 minutes later at home in my apartment as I'm scraping two slices of American cheese off my quarter pounder] Me: expletive deleted! expletive deleted! expletive deleted!
• American cheese truly sickens me.
• If I ever actually put my belongings where they belonged I wouldn’t know what to do with all the extra time I’d save not looking for my belongings. Most-often misplaced belongings include my:
• Perpetually missing “other” shoe
• Spare iPhone charger
• Earbuds (Which are always at the bottom of my bag, just to the left of where my hand didn’t graze.)
• Sunglasses (Which are always at the bottom of my bag, just to the right of my where my hand didn't graze.)
• Eyeglasses (Which are always on my nightstand yet I insist on fumbling half-blind around my bathroom and bedroom pawing at different surfaces for them. What’s that? Perhaps after 15 years of wearing glasses/contacts I should locate the glasses BEFORE removing the contacts? Well, aren’t you a smug bastard.)
• I'm so grateful for work from home days. So grateful.
• I'm also grateful for blooming cherry blossom and dogwood trees, which are all over my neighborhood.
• This actually isn't sarcasm: I really do need more Carolina blue clothing, specifically, shoes. In picking out clothes for tomorrow's game day, I've already worn it all, twice. Perhaps that's just a pitfall of my team making it to the Sweet 16. (That last part is sarcasm.)
• "Community" is too weird now and "30 Rock" isn't as good as it used to be.

Slow down, 2012

I’m a bad blogger. But I’m an excellent iPhone picture taker. (Probably due in large part to upgrading my phone last month.) So what better way to ease back into blogging then with some of the most random and mundane photos of my life from the past month. And maybe some actual words of my own, too.

I’ve been a New York Giants fan since Eli joined the team and was very excited for the Super Bowl this year. I made myself – and also shared with the roommate – mini pigs in a blanket, spinach dip, and a cheesy bean dip for the occasion.

I believe in celebrating my birthday the whole month. So on the last day of January, on a freakishly warm winter day, I treated myself to froyo and a trip to Anthropologie. (Where I only spent $5 on these two bowls.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m really bad at re-decorating a space once it’s decorated. I get it set a certain way and could leave it for years. (Were I actually ever to stay in a place for years, that is.) But I decided to get crazy and make a few small changes, like reorganizing my bathroom counter and adding a small rug from Pier 1 that so perfectly matches my room.(The bowls were purchased at the Anthro that opened 2 blocks from my office that I’ve only been to once and only spent $10 at. I’ll take my medal for self-control now, please.)

The first week of February marked the 4 year anniversary of being at my job. One of my co-worker’s started the same time as me and bought us each a mini bottle of champagne to celebrate. I was on a call when she brought it and I had to stare at it for a half hour before I could partake. Maddening. We got a drink together after work too and cheersed to the 4 years.

Back to re-decorating, I finally hung one of my Christmas gifts from the roomie: A wordle using the lyrics of the “Alma Mater.” I thought it only right to hang it above the Top of the Hill menu and across from the 2005 national championship newspaper.

Also on the re-decorating list, replacing the photos in two frames that have hung in every bathroom I’ve had since I was 22. (The frames and photos were a 22nd birthday gift from my friend, Ashley.) (I don’t know why I’ve always hung them in a bathroom, that’s just where they go.) But I decided to replace the photos from our Europe trip with two of my photos of D.C.: A column from the Lincoln Memorial and a window from the National Cathedral. (The latter is a bit too dark, though.)

For President’s Day weekend my sister came up to D.C. We’ve never hung out in the city just the two of us and it was really nice to have some one-on-one time. On Friday we had dinner, talked, shopped, and saw “The Vow.” On Saturday we went to Eastern Market, the Portrait Gallery, and then Michael’s. We bought a kit to make our own bath salts, which we did while recovering from our busy day.

While at the Portrait Gallery, we came across Katharine Hepburn’s Oscars. This is me doing a terrible Vanna White impression. 

The past month or so has just been very up and down, good and bad, calm and crazy, chaotic and twirly. Thus I present my purchases on two different Friday nights, about two weeks apart. First, after a particularly bad week, I had to pick something up at CVS and ended up picking up the following, too. Can we say, pathetic? (But exactly what I needed.)

Last Friday was much calmer and after finishing work a bit early I decided to spend some Target gift cards. I bought some wonderfully sparkly shoes and finally got my hands on a Jason Wu piece.

For Fat Tuesday I went with a friend to gab a drink and then she found us a cute Cajun place for dinner and beignets. It also marked my last soft drink for 40 days as I’ve given them and pizza up for Lent.

Finally, even though January was my birthday month, one of my friends is helping me prolong my celebration by giving me a belated gift last week. Both the gift and card are just so perfectly me – according to her, not just me – and I can’t help but smile when looking at them.

And that’s the past month or so. Where I apparently just bought a lot of random things and took a lot of weird pictures. Though it really only covers a fraction of my life. There was dinner and manicures with a friend on Valentine’s Day, book club, breakfast and mimosas at a screening of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” with some girlfriends, award show watching with the roommate, outlet shopping with a friend, basketball games, basketball games, basketball games, drinks with friends, drinks with coworkers, conference calls and deadlines, a visit from a college friend, and a non-terrible haircut. Did I forget anything? Probably so.

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.

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.

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.

Things That Happen

These are some things that happen that may or may not make me a terrible grown up.

To see if a shirt is see through, I go around to the different windows in my apartment holding a mirror in natural light to check.

Related: If I'm just running an errand, sometimes I don't care if it's a little see through.

To avoid going to the grocery store, I will walk to a restaurant almost at the grocery store to buy dinner.

Related: I won't make a grocery list but will make a Sephora list.

Instead of hanging up clean clothes after wearing or trying them on, I pile them on the bed to hang them up, and then move them from bed to floor and back for days on end.

Related: Since I wear skirts every other day in the summer, instead of hanging and rehanging, I've been keeping them in a pile by the bed.

Deciding at 9 a.m. that I'm going to have champagne and a cupcake for dinner and being really excited about that choice.

Related: Worrying that outsiders don't understand that I love my life and the choices I've made and that even though it's never pefect, it's where I want to be. And that champagne and a cupcake for dinner is fucking awesome.

Scenes from my 'hood

When cleaning photos off my phone, I came across a few that had yet to be shared. Thus I present weird things around my apartment building.

I stepped off the elevator about 9 p.m. one night and saw this shopping cart in the hall. My apartment building is clean and tidy and in a good area so this was a bit odd. I'd expect this in my old neighborhood, where someone once pushed a diabetic kit through our mail slot, but not here.

While sitting in my living room one Saturday afternoon, watching TV, there were some loud noises outside. But since they've been working on some of the sidewalks they didn't bother me much. But then there was an especially loud bang and when I looked out the window there was this building, hovering in the air. My area's primarily residential but there is a school nearby and it looks like they are putting portables in.

Apparently Elmo lives in my neighborhood. So that's cool. It was late or else I may have been tempted to look for him. And maybe punch him because I'm a Grover girl.