Vacation all I ever wanted...

Today I'm headed south. Whew. I need to not be here. There is too much work and heat and too many people. Oh, the people. Why so many?

I've never taken a week to do anything, much less just lie on the beach. Since I decided to go a little voice in my head has been saying, "Ooh, a week-long beach vacation! How extravagant! When did we win the lottery?" (One of my inner voices is a vindictive little bitch. I know you're shocked.)

Of course, I'm taking the train down, staying in a house with tons of family, and sleeping in a bunk bed, so lottery winnings weren't necessary. But I still feel weird even calling it a "vacation." I don't take vacations. I take long weekends to go home or to explore a city. Two days in Chicago or three days in San Francisco are amazing, wonderful, and exactly what I love doing. But I never call them vacations, they're just trips.

So, here are some Things I Plan On Doing While On Vacation:

• Taking work email off phone.
• Spending no more than 30 minutes a day on laptop or iPhone.
• (Possibly) not brushing my hair or wearing makeup.
• Drinking tons of Cherry Lemon Sun Drop.
• Eating tons of biscuits, barbecue, shrimp, etc.
• Sleeping late.
• Reading tons.
• Writing for me.
• Spending lots of time with family.

A Mid-Week Fourth

First of all, I think it should be illegal for the Fourth of July to fall on a weekday. Take a few more days from February, add a few to June, I don't care, just make it so it's on a weekend. Or at the least, not a Wednesday, smack in the middle of the week.

However, that being said, I would definitely be ok with having more Wednesdays off; it's a great way to break up the work week.

Tuesday I was frantically trying to get things done, and every few minutes I'd remember that I didn't have to work the next day. Yay! I stayed up late and slept in some before starting my day of relaxation. My friend, Shana, and I had vague plans which ended up being perfect.

As I've said before, the Fourth is one of my favorite holidays. I just love it. And as much as I prefer to be in North Carolina for it, I'm happy with the way mine turned out this year.

We started on her apartment's rooftop pool, which was wonderful. It was a HOT but clear day. We laid out, talked, read, and took many dunks in the pool.

We had a late lunch at a seafood restaurant where I had very refreshing sweet tea vodka lemonade...in a mason jar! (Which I really wanted to steal but had no purse to put it in.)

I went home after that to shower, clean a little, and take a very quick nap. Then it was time to go back out, in the opposite direction of the hoards of people, and meet S in Friendship Heights for more food.

We went to Clyde's, which has several locations around D.C., but we realized we'd never been to any. It was decorated like an old train car, and had a model train track hanging from the ceiling, which was a lot of fun.

We were still too full from our lunch and opted for splitting a few appetizers, then desert and a few drinks. All whilst wearing our most patriotic attire, of course.

As we left, we could hear fireworks in the distance, but all in all were happy we chose the activities we did.

Especially when you consider that at 9 p.m. it was still 98 degrees.

Things I Learned This Weekend

There's nothing like a severe thunderstorm to help you start to get out of a funk.
I was feeling down on Friday night and was talking to my friend Jan for some cheering up when it started hailing. I love rain and I love my friend. And after those and a little mindless TV, I was back to myself. 

Attempting to take a photo of the hail through my window.
It's there, promise.

According to melatonin, my "natural sleep cycle" is to fall asleep at 1 and wake up at 8. On a Saturday.
I took melatonin, a natural sleep supplement, for the first time on Friday night. So far, I'm not impressed.

Thrifting is the best.
I hit up my favorite thrift store for the first time in a few months and got some great deals.

A J. Crew skirt, an H&M dress, and a silk blouse.
I remember trying this dress on in the store,
but didn't want to pay $35 for it. I got it for $6!

A microwaveable container, a travel jewelry case
(which may become a gift), a picture frame
(which was already being spray painted),
and a leather purse for $2.50!

My favorite finds were these two geoboards for 50 cents each.
I remember using these, with rubber bands,
in math class in elementary school to study shapes.
They're currently being spray painted
and will become necklace storage.

The best clothing label name ever is Tall Girl.
From the thrift store. I wish the pants had of been cuter.

There's a reason I don't go to Z Burger. 
These are their regular-size fries:

There are some ridiculously priced trash cans out there.
I went to the Container Store to buy a trash can with a lid. (Woo adulthood!) I got a plastic, 11-gallon one with a pop-up lid for $14.99. I passed on the $150.00 one. Yes, that's right, $150.00 for something that's going to hold your garbage.

According to a History documentary, Butch and/or Sundance may have survived the final shootout.
I freaking love Newman and Redford as Butch and Sundance, and as a result kind of love the real Butch and Sundance. I really hope they did live longer.

The only way to atone for a (yet another) 3-hour nap is to sew a bunch of stuff.
After accidentally taking another too-long nap, I made up for it by tackling some of the clothes in my mending pile.

A Sunday at the pool is just as good as a Saturday at the pool
I spent many hours at the pool today and finished a book. Perfect way to (start to) end the weekend.

I really need to start doing work before Sunday evening.
Yet again I waited until the last minute to get some work done.  It's the worst way to (actually) end the weekend.)

Things I Learned This Weekend

It is possible to spray paint in an apartment. 
I finally took the plunge and decided to try spray painting. Inside my apartment. There are so many crafts I see that I want to do, but can't because I have no place to spray paint. Well, with a cut-up Ikea bag, some cardboard boxes, and an open window, I made it happen. This is the priming stage on a few things.

Spray paint residue will get everywhere.
The hot pink paint left a light dusty layer on the floor (that was easily wiped up) and thus also my bare feet, then my socks, then my legs. The best part was not realizing it was on my feet until I got to the pool and left hot pink foot prints everywhere. And also, the next day in the shower, half asleep, watching bright pink water go down the drain.

The best Saturday plans are making no plans and spending the day by the pool.
This was my Saturday and what a good day it was. The morning was nice and cool for a little while, I got a great chair that never got shade, read some magazines, listened to Citizen Cope, and even took a few cooling dips in the too-cold pool.

A popsicle and "Ghostbusters" is a great post-pool activity.
I got back just in time to catch my absolute favorite part of "Ghostbusters" -- the Stay Puff marshmallow man. I was obsessed with this thing as a kid, and still love him now. 

My napping is out of control.
I slept off and on for 3 hours on Saturday! 3! That is just absurd.

"Spring Awakening" might just be my favorite musical.
On Sunday I went to a small theatre in D.C. for a performance of this musical. I saw it at the Kennedy Center three years ago and just loved it. It gets a lot of press because it's quite risque, and the play it was based on was frequently banned, but the story and music are just so powerful and strong that it should overshadow the rest. I listen to the soundtrack often and enjoyed seeing it again. It was a much smaller theatre and production, but was so well-done with excellent local actors.

Maxi dresses make for maxi problems.
I think maxi dresses look good on other people, but I've never been a fan of them on me. But last week I bought one at Forever 21 because the back was cute, the print was nice, and it was cheap. I thought I'd just shorten it but decided to try it out long today first. Yeah, just not a fan. It's too much fabric and my foot kept getting caught on the hem.

If at first you don't succeed and you kill 10 plants, just try, try again.
After killing all my plants last year after it turned out setting them on the radiator wasn't the best idea, I haven't had any others. Honestly, and maybe it was because I'd named them all, but I was quite upset after I killed them and not even my mom could bring them back to life. But, since I had a new pot that needed a plant, I picked up a succulent at the hardware store. Introducing Calpurnia, who won't be going anywhere near the radiator.

Things I Learned This (Long) Weekend

If you've had a long day and look tired and stressed, you won't get carded at Giant.
Occasionally I won't get carded at restaurants, but I always get carded at grocery and liquor stores. Until Friday night.

Movies about ballet are just the most greatest thing ever.
I saw the ballet documentary "First Position" on Saturday and just loved it. I also love the fact that the ticket taker guessed what movie I was seeing based on how I looked. He doesn't have to know that I trip over my own feet every day.

Margaritas and a Mexican lunch with a friend is also the most greatest thing ever.
I hadn't been able to have a real conversation with my friend, Shana, in a month, and it was so nice to sit outside and just talk and eat and drink on a slow, summer Saturday.

There is a young woman my age named Bonnie at Lululemon.
As I never meet anyone my age named Bonnie, and neither does she, this was a great thing to learn.

Shopping at a consignment store after two margaritas probably isn't smart.
But I did it anyway and got a few good deals. And a pair of jeans I may have to return.

Falling asleep to "Dawson's Creek" is a great way to start a nap.
My first of three naps of the weekend was Saturday afternoon, with the newest addition to Netflix Instant on the laptop.

The Potomac River isn't just a polluted cesspool with androgynous fish, it also produces some Great Falls.
On Sunday, I went to the National Park Great Falls with Brandie and Karey. We looked out over the falls and hiked the River Trail. It was great to get out of the city and spend some time outside. (More later.)

It's possible to go to Target and only buy two fun things.
Try as I might, I could only buy practical things like cleaning supplies and face wash. I got so fed up that in the checkout line I impulsively grabbed a Ritter Sport bar and the Rolling Stone with MCA on the cover. I refuse to be that much of a grown up!

Homemade guacamole is the perfect summer meal.
I'm not sure how many times I've had this in the past week. But I have no intention of stopping.
Two hours by the pool is a great start to the summer.
I laid out on Monday morning and even took a few dips in the crazy-cold pool. Ah, summer.

Every weekend should be a long weekend.
No, really, it should. Who can I speak to about this?

Goodbye, summer

For Christmas one year in high school, my parents gave me a CD changer that held 51 CDs. This enabled me to control my music selection with a remote from anywhere in my room. And from the right angle, the bathroom, too. It was my personal jukebox in the pre-iPod days. There was a small binder with numbered slots to hold liner notes so you'd know which slot held which CD. As a rule, *NSYNC always took the top spots, soundtracks at the end.

The CD changer got the most use in the summer, when I could spend hours lying on my stomach on my purple plaid bedspread, with a small gray chenille pillow bunched up under my chin while I read a book, the cool air from the ceiling vent pouring over me. As a result there are a number of songs that, 10 or more years later, always make me think of air conditioning. There are certain songs that I swear make me instantly cooler, just by memory.

My interest in music started around the seventh grade. I used to think I wasn't allowed to say this because pretty much all the music I listen to can easily be found on MTV (when they played music) or in the Top 40 charts (when they were still printed in the paper.) But that doesn't bother me anymore. More obscure music is great but it doesn't mean it's automatically better. Plus, I just don't think you can easily judge the musical tastes of others because you don't know what a song means to them. Don't know where they are transported to with that opening riff or soothing chorus.

So here is my summer 2011 playlist. For better or worse, there are a number of songs that I won't be able to listen to without thinking of this summer. Of sticky hot days, of rainy days in the office, of long walks in DC, of air conditioning.

Summer 2011 Playlist
Animal - Neon Trees
Hair - Lady Gaga
Call it Off - Tegan and Sara
Answering Bell - Ryan Adams
Power - Kanye West
1000 Julys - Third Eye Blind
Turning Tables - Adele
Knock Down Walls - Tonic
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Rolling in the Deep - Adele
Constellations - Jack Johnson featuring Eddie Vedder
Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart - Samantha Ronson/Mark Ronson/Alicia Keys
Why I Love You - Jay Z and Kanye West
F**kin' Perfect - Pink
19th Nervous Breakdown - Rolling Stones