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.