Not So Guilty Pleasure

Flowers and Thunderstorms

2009-04-22T14:47:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I ran into Giant to pick up a few groceries for dinner. I made it just in time as the big black storm clouds were just rolling in across the sky. As I shopped I could hear the thunder and teeming rain. During my stroll through the store I had to stop by the flower department. It was the happiest and most vibrant grocery store flower department I have ever seen. I have to imagine that no matter how sad you are, just walking through there would lift your spirits. It was so colorful and alive! The picture doesn't really do it justice, but take my word for it, it was colorful and bright and there were balloons and everything. I was in awe.

I managed to prolong my shopping trip long enough to outlast the rain. The parking lot was filled with water and jumping through puddles in my heels was no easy feat. I can't complain though, I love big thunderstorms like that. Northern Virginia is good for their t-storms in the spring and summer. We had a ton last year, I loved it. I do love sunshine, but a good deep rumbling thunderstorm and pouring rain (when you don't have outdoor plans of course) is hard to beat.

Penn State vball vs. GMU

2009-04-16T14:18:00.003-04:00

Nothing short of addiction

2009-03-11T11:51:00.003-04:00

I have what most people would consider an "addictive personality." I remember in my younger years thinking that addictive personality meant you were so stellar that people would just be addicted to you. Oh, to be so young and naïve. Suddenly, as I’ve grown up my “addictive personality” has become apparent in the way that I find something I enjoy for the moment and latch on for a couple of weeks I get “hooked” on things for short bursts of time. Most notably: projects and random TV shows. In terms of projects, I sometimes get in scrapbooking fix, and it’s all I can think about, all I want to do, constantly thinking of page layouts and what pictures to put where. Last fall I became addicted to watching “The Office.” Every day for who knows how long, I rented disk by disk, the entire DVD series from Blockbuster. I would watch every night while cleaning my room or just sitting on my bed. I’d stay up until 2 o’clock in the morning, always wanting to watch “just one more.”

Now my latest addiction is the Navy crime show, “NCIS.” I have my Dad to thank for this one because last time I was home visiting he made me watch an episode of his “favorite show.” And one episode was all it took. It’s a pretty easy show to get in to; you don’t need to have watched the past five seasons to feel up to speed. Its like “Law and Order,” some character development, but mostly just crime solving. Anyway, this show has, like so many others before it, taken over my life.

I’ve discovered that through my Netflix subscription I can watch them for free online through the Netflix website. AND, it’s commercial free, which is infinitely better than sitting through commercials on the CBS website. I do find myself staying up till all hours watching episode after episode. Then I dream about them, dream about the characters, and dream about being an NCIS agent myself. I also fall asleep planning how I could possibly be murdered and leave the agents clues to find my killer. Slightly demented? I can see why you’d think that, but it’s harmless, I’m not really worried about being murdered. My roommate and my cat will protect me.

While I can easily get hooked on things, I can also easily “unhook” myself. When I finish the TV series or the project, I’ll feel a little lost for a day, but I’ll get over it. And then I’ll move on to my next fixation. It’s a cycle, it’s a fault and I’m okay with it.

Watching history

2008-06-04T13:24:00.003-04:00

Last night, Senator Barack Obama was declared the presumptive nominee for the democratic candidate for President.
It was a momentous occasion marred only by the immediate question of Hillary's fate. I'm not her biggest fan by a long shot, but if having her on the ticket will help Obama get into the White House, then so be it. I am also confident that he could beat McCain without Clinton's name on his ticket. That said, here's the clip of CNN announcing their projection last night. Enjoy this moment in history.

Mother's Day without a Mom

2008-05-15T12:57:00.004-04:00

Shame on me for not writing in a few weeks. Life has been insanely busy for some reason so please accept my apologies.

This past weekend was Mother's Day. And as you may or not be aware, my mother died very suddenly and unexpectedly just shy of two years ago. It was without a doubt the single most defining time of my life. My mother, as with many mothers, was my core, my constant, my reason. She was the one thing that remained steady when everything else was up or down. I counted on her to be there when I complete grad school, when I get married, when I have children... and for all the moments in between. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have to tackle those events without her.

The first year was the worst. No surprise there. It was the Year of Firsts (Without Her). The first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas, the first birthday (mine and hers), the first Mother's Day. Each holiday providing its own unique reminder of what was no longer there. I'm a big card giver and so for that first year I continued to buy her cards. Call me crazy, I really don't care. It helped me. As I would stand in Hallmark amongst the other card purchasing customers, I felt like I had a huge scarlet letter on my chest. I felt like everyone in the store knew my secret, that the card in my hand was for a mother I no longer had. The scarlet letter is still there, I know I still wear it, but I've gotten used to it. And I know now that my scarlet letter is not visible to strangers, but only to those who know me, and know what happened. I will, at least for the next several years be the "girl whose mom died." That is my scarlet letter.

After I survived the first anniversary, August 26, I felt like a huge weight was lifted. It no longer preoccupied every moment of everyday. In my head, my every thought was no longer followed with "and my mom died." It sounds strange, but that's how it was. My inner monologue often sounded something like, "What should I have for dinner tonight? Mom died." "I need to get that report done for work. And moms gone." And I don't know how the switch flipped, but it did and on August 27, 2007 I woke up feeling like a new girl.

Now, don't get me wrong. Its still far from over. It will never be over. I will always miss her. I will always wish that she was here. I will always have my scarlet letter. But its a matter of acceptance now. And what helped me the most was allowing myself to feel. I think my mom taught me to be strong. I've never felt more strong and accomplished in my whole life as I do now.

And so as Mother's Day this year came and I went, I realized that everyday is Mother's Day to me. Every day I think about my mother, and every day I miss her. Every day I think about how much I love and appreciate her and how I wouldn't be who I am today without her. Sunday was the day Hallmark tells everyone else to do what I get to do every day.

Happy Belated Mothers Day :)

David Cook is still rocking my world

2008-04-23T09:15:00.002-04:00

Last night's Idol was particularly bad. Brooke forgot her words and had to start her performance over, about which even Paula couldn't muster up a nice thing to say. The kid with the dreads that everyone loves (I don't get it?) wasn't very good. David Archuleta annoys me all the time so nothing new there.

But ahh, my breath of fresh air, David Cook. He was good, I wasn't crazy about the song, but he did well with what he had to work with. Also, I got a kick out of Andrew Lloyd Weber telling Dave to "pretend I'm some hot little 17 year old," to which Dave quickly quipped back "ha, well, I'm 25 so I don't think that's a good idea..."

One of the bloggers over at Mollygood posted an old video of Kelly Clarkson on Big Band Night during Idol Season 1. What happened to the good old days? Contestants used to dress up in whatever theme that night was, and was really something different and fun to watch. Now they all just wear regular boring clothes.

My old roommates and I used to say that Idol should have a "Best of" Season. Bring back all the big hitters. Don't vote anyone off, even make it just a one night show where they each sing their one or two best Idol songs. This inspired me to get on youtube and make my very own lineup for this Best of Idol show. Please sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the good old days and the rare, decent talent.

Clay Aiken “To Love Somebody”

Kelly Clarkson “Surrender”

Tamyra Gray “Minnie the Moocher”

Carrie Underwood “Alone”

David Cook “Always Be My Baby”

David Cook Rocks my World

2008-04-15T21:14:00.004-04:00

Holy crap.

David Cook needs to either win Idol or get kicked off now so he can start work on an album which I will be first in line to purchase.

I've been following Idol pretty casually this year but I do consider myself pretty familiar with all the contestants. I've always been a big fan of David Cook, Michael John and... sometimes the blond girls (neither of which mind you hold a candle to Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson).

I'm a sucker for celebs and Mariah Carey was the guest coach this week so of course I tuned in. The first six were average, forgettable, nothing special. I had been waiting for David Cook to come on because I knew his brother was going to be in the audience and I figured it would be emotional given the circumstances (his brother has brain cancer, I think? Its really sad and I read that family and friends chartered a private medical jet for him to be able to attend the taping tonight). So I was a little surprised when David chose "Always Be My Baby."

However, I was floored by his performance, he absolutely blew me away. His interpretation was so original and creative and so well done, it was brilliant. All the judges agreed that he is ready for the big time. Their feedback was so positive it left Dave with tears in his eyes. Personally, I think they were happy tears that he rocked so hard the night his brother was in attendence. I am still just in awe over his performance, thank god I Tivo-ed it because I've already watched it 4 times since the show ended 15 minutes ago.

Okay, that's my freak out over David Cook. I cannot wait til he puts out an album and goes on tour. He's amazing. Ok, goodnight.

Update: Someone put the video up on Youtube, mind you its 7:30am when I'm adding this and already over 30,000 views.

Make Like a Starfish

2008-04-14T10:36:00.004-04:00

This post is inspired by a funny little article I read on MSN last week which was a list of things all single girls should do before they get married. You can read it here. And I do recommend reading it.

My favorite piece of advice they gave was “Take advantage of the whole bed. You have the rest of your life to stick to "your" side when you sleep next to your man. Right now, place your pillow smack-dab in the center and make like a starfish.”

Make like a starfish. This is now what pops into my head every night when I crawl into my big empty bed and it always makes me giggle. I’ve shifted my pillows and I sleep right in the middle of my bed. I admit it is slightly annoying when I have to crawl across to hit my alarm clock in the morning, but it’s a small price to pay.

The article also suggests traveling a lot now, sans man. I think this is a great idea. I’ve done a lot of traveling and I love having that under my life belt. I wouldn’t suggest going on a world tour however, because I once dated a guy who had been practically everywhere and the thought of never going somewhere new to him was a little discouraging. Its fun to explore new places together, but it also doesn’t hurt to have a little extra world flavor in your column. Plus it makes for great conversations and stories.

I think a lot of girls my age are afraid to take risks. There is that fear that “something bad could happen.” But how else will you learn how to make mistakes and pick yourself up and dust yourself off if you never let yourself fall? I can’t imagine you’d be a very interesting person if you’ve never gone out on a limb for something, or made a decision that could drastically change your life. Those experiences, those ups and downs, the good times and the bad ones, make us who we are. As corny as it is, I’m a firm believer that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. And more interesting.

I also think teaching yourself to cook is a great idea. I know, I’m sure all the feminists hate me for that one, but I’m a traditional girl. My mother always cooked dinner and I have no problem doing the same. If I find a man who loves to cook- great! But if not, I have no problem assuming that duty. And I love cooking- even if it’s just for me. It’s a great time to experiment and burn things and screw up.

“Want a cat? Heed this advice: Buy it now. Call it Snowflake. Let it sleep next to you in bed. If you wait to get a pet with your betrothed, it will end up being a big, slobbering Lab called Bif.” Ha- this one of course made me laugh. Although I do want a dog, I think that would be a more fun “we” project than a “me” project. Plus, I’m traveling too much right now to have a dog ;-)

I'm still voting for Obama

2008-04-07T13:43:00.001-04:00

SNL loves Hillary, but this skit is still pretty funny.

Ellen cracks me up

2008-04-07T10:01:00.002-04:00

I am a huge fan of Ellen. I think she is hysterical. I love that I could watch her standup show with my parents and not feel awkward because she took it to that level. She's clean and she's so funny because she speaks the truth - people laugh at what they know is true. That said, I saw this clip from her show online today and had tears from laughing so hard. Its just a segment about an actual product she saw an infomercial for, a special chair if you will. Anyway- if you need a little laugh for the day- watch this:

A Brief Hiatus

2008-04-03T11:32:00.004-04:00

Yea, sorry about that, I got very disenfranchised with Top Model so I boycotted my own blog. I lost all motivation to write about anything at all. Sad, really.

But, I'm back- at least for today. I'll do a Top Model post after this one. For this post however, I just feel like rambling a bit about the past few weeks since I last posted.

Politics

The election is moving along, Hillary is still Hillary and Barack is still fabulous. McCain is still trying to ruin everything. This whole Rev. Wright this is really bothering me. Not so much what he said (while, yes, it was some pretty horrible stuff) but the fact that people are trying to tear Obama down for it. Obama did not say these things. Wright is not running for President. Perhaps if Rev. Wright was one of Obama's policy advisers I'd be a little more concerned. But you don't get to where Obama is by agreeing with Rev. Wright. I understand he was the leader of Obama's place of worship, but again, that does not mean that Obama is going to become President and regurgitate everything he heard on Sundays. Believe it or not, some people, particularly the intelligent ones, are capable of hearing things and still forming their own opinions. They are not not carbon copies of the people in their lives. So relax folks. Obama is not out to get us all. McCain on the other hand...

I dare anyone who has not yet watched Obama's "race speech" in Philly to do so. It's long (40 mins) but worth it. It obviously made me sad that he needed to give such a speech, and that the people who should listen to it the most, will likely not (i.e. the people who won't vote for him for no other reason than because he's black). Ignorance is unfortunately alive and well in this country.

Life in General

So when I was in college, I used to talk to my mom and occasionally mention a concert or event that I didn't attend because I didn't have the money. She always told me to forget the money, and go to the show. She always wanted me to take advantage of opportunities and go see everything the world has to offer. In the end, money is just money. I don't suggest being frivolous and blowing it on useless crap, but I most definitely encourage people to live their lives. Not to be morbid, but our days are all numbered, and we don't know what that number is. So life life now, while you can.

DC Cherry Blossoms

Every year, the cherry blossoms bloom in DC and the tourists take over. I consider it the official kick off to Tourist Season. No longer can we walk freely through the streets or through the Mall (the one with the monuments... not stores). It usually falls in late March or early April depending on temperatures. If you've never been, I highly recommend putting it on your schedule for 2009. Many years ago the Japanese gave us all these trees as a gift, and now the surround the Tidal Basin and line some of the most picturesque places in DC. Definitely worth seeing, even if you do have to fight the crowds. If you can- avoid going on a weekend, try it out during the week when the crowds are less intense. Also- pick the best weather day you can during "Peak Week" for the best pictures.

That's all I have for now. Top Model post will be up soon.

It's a hot tranny mess up in here

2008-03-11T10:02:00.011-04:00

Alright, so in addition to every other show I love to watch, I love me some Project Runway. I really enjoyed this season more than past ones for a few reasons. One, I like when the designers get along. I don't do conflict and I really don't enjoy watching it. Two, I think they were undeniably some of the most talented designers to ever grace the show. Three, Christian (the winner) and Chris. They both brought so many hilarious moments to the show, not to mention fabulous designs. Four, Heidi and Tim. Everyone knows about Tim Gunn's fabulousness and Heidi? Well, I'm German and I just love her. Or maybe I just want to be her, I'm not sure which. My money is on the later.

So, SNL recently did a skit about Christian and I've posted below. Amy Poehler's impression of Christian is spot on. As is the Tim Gunn impression. Check it out.

Alright, I can't get the video to embed, so you'll have to go to NBC and watch it: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/#mea=227155

Who are these people?

2008-03-11T08:28:00.006-04:00

A few nights ago I was out to dinner and we parked next to an minivan. Nothing too unusual there. But then, I'm climbing out of our car and my eyes focus on something on the minivan. That something was fake bullet holes. Really? My brain flooded with questions- Why?? Who does that? What type of person thinks fake bullet holes are a good idea? Are they trying to look like they were in a drive by shooting? Is that a desirable look for a vehicle? Do their friends think they're cool because they have bullet hole stickers on their car? Do they want people to think they're bad ass because their car has been shot up?

I've seen these stickers before- so I'm not sure where the mental outrage came from this time. Its sort of like the people with fake legs hanging out of their trunk, or the fake baseball in the window. Maybe I'm just being a car snob. Or just a snob in general, which is far more likely.

In my googling for pictures to accompany this post, I found that there is in fact a whole world devoted to fake bullet holes... interested? Check out www.bullet-hole-decals.com/ "You've seen people here there and everywhere with them, and now you can have them for yourself on your own bus, truck, car, suv, motorbike, even your bicycle or helmet - It's the really cool Bullet Hole Decals...Check out the cool real-life picture over there to the right (left) of a Honda motor vehicle with several bullet hole decals attached. Forget big mufflers, stereo equipment and those other complicated and expensive ways to customize your car. These fake bullet hole stickers are a truly inexpensive and fun way to customize your car and add a little 'shock effect' to motorists that may pull up beside you."

So according to this website, its for shock effect. I've never really had a desire to "shock" other drives. I suppose if I did though, I'd come up with other ways to do so.

I'm not sayin... I'm just sayin...

2008-03-08T16:43:00.002-05:00

So I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO last night and he was interviewing Terry McAuliffe, Hillary's campaign manager. A few minutes into the interview which was clearly not going in the direction McAuliffe wanted, they "lost the feed." Hmmm. I'm not sayin, I'm just saying.

McAuliffe was getting trampled by Maher who has previously expressed his support for Obama. It had the potential to be a great, enlightening interview, but no such luck.

Quarter Life Conundrum?

2008-03-05T09:35:00.008-05:00

Everyone has surely heard of the quarter life crisis. Usually hits around the early 20's - a time when you are out of school but not yet sure what to do with the rest of your life. It seems like no one else understands, no one "gets you"... yada yada yada. I think I already had mine. At least I already had the panic that accompanies the quarter life crisis.

I panicked that I had no idea what to do with my life, where to live, how to live- I felt very lost in the world. Well, maybe I'm over the crisis or maybe I've just learned to live with it, but I'm at a place where I'm okay with not knowing. I've embraced my lack of certainty. I realize that I'm only 24, I'm still relatively young and there is no rush.

Admittedly, I do have moments where I think "Gosh, so many of my friends are married and seem to be on a track, am I falling behind? Am I never going to have that?" But then I get over it. I really don't want to be married right now. Sure, the stability and companionship would be nice and if I found it tomorrow I wouldn't object, but at this point in my life- this very day, this very moment- I'm enjoying having the freedom to do whatever I want. Don't get me wrong, I'm not some selfish punk who doesn't want to get married for fear of losing my "freedom." As I said, I will gladly embrace that situation when it presents itself. But I digress, this post is not about stability, its about instability.

I'm at a point in my life where I don't know what to do with myself. I have so many brilliant ideas and the only thing that scares me is not being able to fulfill them. I want to live in Europe. I want to become a history teacher. I want to get a high level degree in military psychology. I want to live in DC. I want to move back to NY. I want to be near my friends. I want to be near my family. All glorious ideas, however I must pick and choose because I can not, logistically, have it all.

I love my job. As much as anyone could love their job, after all, they have to pay us because it is in fact "work." Would I prefer to jet set around the world taking pictures and learning foreign languages? You bet I would, but that won't pay the bills. So in the meantime, my job is just great. Which makes it very hard to leave to pursue any of those previously mentioned ideas. And I like it where I am, I have friends here but I do miss home. But I do long to live in Europe or go to school full time. I just can't make up my mind what to do. No matter what, something will be sacrificed. I guess it will come down to which sacrifices I'm willing to make. And the fear that I will pick the wrong one resulting in a life of perpetual 'what ifs' is always present.

So here I am, stuck in my quarter life crisis. Although crisis implies panic and stress, of which I am neither. So less crisis, more conundrum.

----------------
Post Script: When I googled images of "quarter life crisis" my results yeilded a picture of Britney Spears. Ha! Thanks for making me feel better, Google. :)

I've lived to tell about it...

2008-03-01T00:21:00.006-05:00

I finally had it done! My wisdom teeth finally came out today after last week's postponement.

Needless to say, I was extremely nervous but my best girl pals gave me pep talks and lots of encouragement to assure me I would infact survive. The doctor was wonderful and made me feel very comfortable. He was funny- but not in that corny doctor way. It all happened pretty quickly- he explained everything to me for about 10 minutes, then they took me into a different room and took off my glasses (which was a blessing b/c I was then unable to see what was going on- you know, all the huge pliers and giant needles there were about to use in my mouth).

They then put the oxygen on my nose and very gently inserted the IV sedation. Clearly I'm a lightweight having never been a drug user, and the meds hit me pretty quick. I told all the doctors over and over how funny it was that since today was Feb 29, leap year, next year I wouldn't have a anniversary of my wisdom teeth extraction (because at this point in the sedation I was pretty certain i would be celebrating this joyful occasion... yea.) After that I was out like a light. When I woke up it was all over. Apparently I then proceeded to thank all the doctors and nurses profusely for being "so nice." Ha, very typical of me.

I'm all home now and have been all day. Also in a lovely amount of pain. My swelling is pretty minimal at this point, although my post-op instructions say the 3rd day is the worst for the pain and swelling.

So that's all the news about the wisdom teeth. I'm just glad to have it all over and done with and now hopefully all my teeth and sinus problems will be alleviated. I also want to get those clear Invisiline things to straighten my teeth, but that's a story for another day. Time to zonk out on my pain meds.

Thanks so much for everyone's encouragement and for refraining from telling me their horror stories until after mine op was all over :)

That cute little picture is from Goodbye Wisodom Teeth!

Tacky Christmas Yards

2008-02-28T11:39:00.004-05:00

This site is too funny. They have pictures of homes decorated for Christmas that are rather excessive. The captions and titles are the icing on the proverbial gingerbread house. Check it out at http://tackychristmasyards.com/

LA25

2008-02-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Len has been "busy" so I wrote another entry for him for Life At 25. Check it out here.

She's f*ing Matt Damon

2008-02-25T14:23:00.005-05:00

Two videos that you must see.

A little backround if I may... Jimmy Kimmel and Matt Damon have this on going "fued" that is more of an on going joke. Kimmel ends his show each night with something along the lines of "Apologies to Matt Damon, we've run out of time again..."
So Matt Damon got together with Sarah Silverman (Kimmel's long time girlfriend and comedian) and made this little video...
Personally, I love how excited Sarah looks as she sings... I mean, who wouldn't be thrilled about that? Matt does look mighty hot. Then Jimmy Kimmel responded last night...

Both videos are hysterical and Jimmy's features some major A-listers... can you spot them all??

I'd write about the Oscars but they were so boring I fell alseep.

2008-02-25T10:01:00.006-05:00

Alright, I didn't really fall asleep, but in hindsight I wish I had. I suffered through the entire show including Red Carpet on E!. I must say, the red carpet coverage with Ryan Seacrest was the most entertaining. Most notable was when weirdo Gary Busey attacked Ryan and Jen Garner. They all felt so uncomfortable and Ryan tried his best to contain the situation but even he had to laugh it off eventually and admit to not having a clue what was going on. Video footage of the trainwreck below.

Speaking of Jen Garner, I've always been a little reluctant to give in to her charm, but she won me over last night. She was best dressed in my eyes- she looked stunning in a beautiful black gown with her hair tied loosely back. Very glam, yet very Jen. Bravo Mrs. Affleck.

Johnny Depp was also there, nominated for Best Actor for Sweeny Todd, and he looked as sexy as ever in a handsome tuxedo with his hair shorter than we've seen lately, looking oh so hot. And of course his signature glasses.

And that's all I remember about the Oscars. I did watch the Jimmy Kimmel videos this morning (see above) and all ten minutes of them out-entertained me compared to the 3 and half hour Hollywood love fest.

http://www.wireimage.com <--source of pics

People will complain about anything

2008-02-14T10:59:00.009-05:00

Seriously? People need to stop being so offended. This latest story from MSN discusses Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito giving a speech to Rutgers University students about how the HBO hit series "The Sopranos" is guilty of stereotyping.

"Alito complained that the hit HBO television drama not only associated Italian-Americans with the Mafia, but New Jerseyans, as well."

Well, Your Honor, its called entertainment. I'm pretty sure there isn't one person out there who, by watching "The Sopranos," is now under the impression that all Italian-Americans in North Jersey are mobsters. Again I ask, seriously? By your own suggestion however, I should assume that all women who live in NYC are bed-hopping shopoholics, all doctors in Seattle sleep together and have intra-hospital relations, all 20 somethings in Manahattan live in huge apartments and work in coffee shops and anyone who is the "boss" of an office must be horribly awkward and innapropriate.

Sure, that makes sense.

I hold my ground that its entertainment. How would he suggest they make a series about a mafia family that he doesn't find offensive?

Stop complaining.

Obama 2008

2008-02-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

This is a video released by will.i.am from Black Eye Peas in support of Barack Obama. Pretty awesome little video... check it out.

My LA25 debut

2008-01-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

Len is letting me write for his blog, Life At 25. I've finally taken the time to write a little something. I kept it short and sweet, I'm still getting my feet wet with this whole blogging thing. Check out my debut here. Neato.

Shampoo and water not allowed; Kittens OK

2008-01-28T08:24:00.000-05:00

Found this on MSN this morning and thought it was the cutest thing I have ever read...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22784854/

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - How many lives did kitten Gracie Mae use up when she crawled into her owner's suitcase, went through an airport X-ray machine, got loaded onto a plane, thrown onto a baggage belt and mistakenly picked up by a stranger far from home?

"She's got to be at four or five now," Seth Levy said after his 10-month-old pet was returned Sunday night by a kind stranger who went home to Fort Worth, Texas, with the wrong bag and Gracie inside to boot.
The last time Levy's wife, Kelly, saw Gracie was before she took her husband to the airport. The 24-year-old went back to her house in Palm Beach Gardens late Friday to find the bottom step, where Gracie would usually be waiting, empty.

She tore the house apart looking for the cat, who had been spayed just days before. She and her dad took out bathroom tiles and part of a cabinet to check a crawl space and papered the neighborhood with "lost cat" signs.

Then she got a phone call.

"Hi, you're not going to believe this, but I am calling from Fort Worth, Texas, and I accidentally picked up your husband's luggage. And when I opened the luggage, a cat jumped out," Kelly Levy quoted the caller saying.

Rob Carter said he made it home with the suitcase before realizing it was not his — and there was a big surprise inside.

"I went to unpack and saw some of the clothes and saw it wasn't my suitcase," he said. "I was going to close it, and a kitten jumped out and ran under the bed. I screamed like a little girl."

Carter said that he eventually was able to get the cat to come out from under the bed.

"In the morning, I got close enough to see its collar and the phone number on it," he said. "So I called the number and got a hold of the crying wife of the traveler."

The tabby made the 1,300-mile trip home on an $80 plane ticket. Carter said he considered keeping the cat before he knew she had a home.

"We were going to name it Suitcase," he said.

And in honor of this adorable story, I will share a picture of my darling, Lincoln, who, not unlike Gracie Mae, also enjoys hiding in my suitcase as I pack. Fortunately, we've never taken it to this level. Here he is under the Christmas tree during a brief moment of calm.

All things great in 2008

2008-01-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

It's now 2008, which is so very strange. So many things happened so long ago, that I'm starting to feel old. And yes, I realize how ridiculous that statement sounds. But its true. I think about things that happened in 2000 and it seems like yesterday, but it was 8 years ago, holy crap.

I feel like I've finally started "life." I'm working, paying bills, cleaning my apartment, paying rent, paying bills, paying more bills, having a little fun and paying bills. I worry about things like taxes and health insurance. I stress about the price of gas. I watch debates on CNN and hunker down to watch the news at night. There are times I would rather watch Wolf Blitzer than Carrie Bradshaw. What the hell.

So anywho, 2008 seems to be off to a great start. Nobody has died yet. Haha, sorry. Apparently my awkward sense of humor regarding death is still lingering. But seriously, 2008 is so far, so good. 2006 was horrible for obvious reasons (if you're not sure why, check out the link for "my mom's site" to the right), and 2007 was basically a get fat and recover from 2006 type of year. Then to cap off the great year of '07, my Grandpa died. I did not like 2007, I will very easily forget that year. Or else, remember it as the first year I lived without my mom. Now its 2008, those two years are well behind me and I feel so alive and ready to live again.

I feel excited. About a lot of things, and I haven't felt excited in a very long time. I'm excited for this to be a great year, and to bring great change, and great progress. I feel stronger. Stronger than ever.

And I wish you all (whoever that may be) the very best as well. I hope that you feel rejuvenated and excited. I hope that you find something that refreshes you and brings you new life. I hope 2008 is a good year for you, with no major obstacles that you can't handle.

All the best,
e

HappyBirthdayMerryChristmas!

2007-12-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

My birthday is December 21st. Here is what I know to be true of this day.

- It is the Winter Equinox. Meaning, it is the shortest day of the year, in terms of sunshine.

- It is the last day of the Sagittarius horoscope. Sometimes, it is considered Scorpio and that really throws me for a loop. I consider myself a Sag no matter what "they" say.

- It is annoyingly close to Christmas. So much so, that after the age of 16 I stopped having Birthday parties. Once I got to college, everyone was gone back home for the holidays. No birthday recognition. Even in grade school, most years we were off on the 21st for Winter Break. Now that I'm all grown up, everyone still goes "home" for the holidays and I am left birthday-less. Every year I think I'm going to be surprised and get a party, and every year I am left with no Birthday celebration. I used to consider celebrating in the summer just so I could have a party.

- And yes, just like most other December babies, we are stuck with the Happy Birthday/ Merry Christmas presents/cards. I'll remember that when your birthday rolls around. No present/card? Sure, I gave it to you on Christmas when you gave me mine, remember?

- This year, on Dec 21, there are lots of fun movies coming out that I want to see. I'm almost considering taking the day off from work and spending it at the movie theatre. Alvin and the Chipmunks, Charlie Wilson's War and National Treasure 2 all come out on December 21st. I consider it Hollywood's personal birthday present to me. Honestly, its the least they could do considering all my shows are now in reruns until further notice.

- Dec 21, 2007 is a Friday. That's super in and of itself.

- Its the last day of work for most people until after Christmas.

- It will probably be a really bad day to drive out of DC for several reasons:
1. Its a Friday
2. Its a Friday in DC.
3. Its a Friday in DC of a major holiday weekend.

As you can see in the picture, last year I was in Germany for my Birthday. We did in fact celebrate there. Dave made me a special dinner and even got me cake! It was very lovely. One of my favorite birthdays! Ok, that's all I have for now. Thank you for coming to my pity party. Rest assured, I will have a small celebration this year with a few near and dear friends who are so graciously sticking around to celebrate with me. I'm not even going to require presents...merely their presence :)

Rest in Peace, Grandpa

2007-12-13T12:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts- my grandpa passed away and I don't feel like writing much. I will, just not right now. That's all.

Things that are yummy... Life snacks

2007-11-28T07:59:00.001-05:00

So I've been in a particularly nostalgic mood lately. Thinking about old flames, old friends, old memories and Johnny Depp. Granted, Mr. Depp does not necessarily belong grouped with the others, he is devastatingly hot and I like think about him too :)

In thinking about old memories and old boyfriends and the such, I found that daydreaming about these great times in my past were like tasty little treats in my day. I don't normally find myself digging up these old memories, but once and awhile its fun to see what you can actually remember. Moments I thought I would never forget, I seemingly have! Things that at the time I thought were monumental in my life- were actually very inconsequential.

Anyway- my point is, that I wanted to make a list of Things that Are "Yummy"... my tasty little zero calorie treats. Life Snacks. Things from the past that are fun to think about and also, current situations that are actually a pleasant diversion from the mundane routine we all get stuck in. Enjoy!

Things That are Yummy.

1. Johnny Depp. Lets just get that one out of the way. Move over Matt Damon and People magazine, Johnny Depp wins my sexiest man EVER award. No contest. Moving on.

2. First kisses. And I don't even mean your very first kiss. In general- the first kiss with a new person. Often forgettable, but once in a while, if you're very lucky, you get one that you won't ever forget. First kisses can be very yummy.

3. Those little raspberry candies... you know, the ones that come in red and purple (or are they blackberries? I never can tell). Anyway- they're totally yummy. Okay- not in this list's definition of yummy- but when I thought "yummy" they are what came to mind. :)

4. Cpt. Jack Sparrow

5. Random college memories that I thought I forgot until I uncovered a forgotten photo album. Pictures from my skinny days.... sigh. And to think, I thought I was fat back then. Ha. What I wouldn't give to be that "fat" now! I digress... this post is about fun yummy memories. LG. I mentioned him once before. He's a great college memory. He was my best friend. He really was my best friend. I wish he still was, but sadly he had some crazy fiance who he met after he graduated (I was still in college) and she wouldn't let him talk to me anymore. Needless to say, that ended and we're friends again, although sadly, I don't think it will ever be the friendship that it was :(

6. Man, I get so distracted in my thoughts. I really need to learn to focus. Ok, so number 6 on my list of things that are yummy. Orlando Bloom in the last scenes of Pirates 3. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch it. You won't regret it.

7. Walking at night after a big snow fall. Everything is quiet and calm. Oh, gosh that is one of my very favorite life snacks.

8. Flowers, when you don't expect them. Florist flowers are great, and I love those, who doesn't. But what inspired this entry is the little plant I have on the windowsill in my office. When I bought it, it had a few flowers, but then the flowers went away and didn't come back. The plant was alive and flourishing, but not flowering. Then one day, I noticed a little flower bud. Then another, and after a week, there were 7! Then 10! And it kept flowering and to this day it always has flowers on it. Always makes me smile.

9. Turning on the radio in the car and hearing your favorite song, or better yet, a favorite song from years ago! This often brings back memories which presumably are good since it was your favorite song for a reason. And good memories are always great snacks.

10. Speaking of songs, how about those songs that you associate with a sad time? And yet, instead of making you sad, they remind you of just how far you've come. Those are just as yummy as the happy songs.

That's all I have time for now, many more to come...

Gobble Gobble!

2007-11-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Woo hoo! It's almost Thanksgiving! Just a few more days at work and then its all the turkey and mashed potatoes I can cram in my happy little face!

Those who know me, know of my love for turkey and mashed potatoes. Gravy and corn complete the equation very nicely.

I'm hosting my first Thanksgiving this year which should be interesting. Last year was our first without Mom and we went out to my Aunt and Uncle's place and it was fine- but it wasn't my mother's Thanksgiving. My mom loved to play hostess. She could coordinate a turkey dinner for 10 people without setting one timer or burning one dinner roll. Well, I think there may have been a dinner roll or two sacrificed to the turkey gods over the years, but the point is- she was great at orchestrating a huge dinner.

I somehow had the foresight to watch her for 21 years (well, I probably only watched for about 15 of those 21), but I watched enough to learn exactly what she did. And now its time for me to try it on my own. I did a trial run for my boyfriend over the weekend and all went well. We had the turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy, etc. I didn't prepare all the sides because that would have been a little crazy, but I got the hang of it.

My Dad will be coming down from New York (with Herbie!) and then my Aunt and Uncle who live nearby will be coming as well. I'm very excited. I hope I can live up to my mom :)

I've gone a little nuts getting table decorations and festive things to make my apartment a little more comfy-cozy. I was actually in the checkout line buying some table linens a few days ago and this lovely older woman behind me started to chat with me about the holiday. I told her it was my first time hosting and she said "Oh your mother must be so proud!"

Deep breath.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure she is," I said with a smile.

Oh I hear the weathers nice in California

2007-11-11T19:43:00.001-05:00

I wrote a title for this blog, but never wrote an entry.

So I just came to "catch up" and am left trying to figure out what exactly I had in mind with my title. This much I know...

I have recently been watching Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" performance on the CMAs on youtube.... (**Backstory: Kellie wrote this song about her mother who ran out on her and her dad when Kellie was two years old. She currently has no relationship with her mother**) I feel some weird connection to it, although I had a great mother, she never ran out on us. I was very impressed with Kellie's performance. Its not often today that you see someone in Hollywood wear their heart on their sleeve like that. It was quite touching. I give her a world of credit. It was like she was there having a therapy session with the world, feeling these emotions for the very first time. So raw. I'll try to attach the video, or at least a link. You should see it.

I guess I relate to the song for other reasons. Reasons that I'll get into eventually, but not right now. But I would like to say how wonderful mothers are. In general. If you have a mother, you should count your lucky stars. Especially if she is a mother like mine. One who loves you no matter what. Will give up her own happiness and convenience to make your life easier. One who will endure you as a teenager, because she knows that once you grow out of this "phase" you'll have no greater friend in the world. One who will be there when you have babies and get married. A mother who will listen to you cry on the phone when that boy breaks your heart. Or listens when you try to figure out what to do with your life.

Get recipes from her. Ask about HER family. I think a lot of us don't realize that our mothers were actually people, with actual lives before we came along. Find out what she was like before you. Ask her everything you can think of. Find out as much as you can, discover exactly why you are HER daughter. What part of her is so very YOU?

And take pride in that. Embrace it. You only get one mother. And she won't be around forever. So get to know her while you can. Tell her you love her. Tell her you appreciate everything she's ever done for you, and especially everything she's ever given up for you.

I can imagine no greater accomplishment that to be exactly like my mother.

Love you, Mom. :)

The Long and Short of Things... namely my hair

2007-11-09T08:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had a hair appointment at a new salon in town (new to me, not new to the town). The last time my hair saw a pair of scissors was back in January. I took off a good 6 inches at that time and have been patiently waiting for it to grow back. Well, it finally has, almost... close enough.

So I decided that now that my hair is getting longer, it needed a trim. I needed layers put back in to it so I don't get triangle hair. So I'm all excited for my new salon, its a spa, by the way. I feel like I should mention that since it was super fancy, and I shit you not, the last haircut I got was at the Haircuttery. So I sit in the chair and Song (that's his name) introduces himself and we talk about my impending haircut. It went a little something like this:

Song: So, what we do today?

Me: I just need a trim and I want some long layers put in (I fluff my hair and point).

Song: Ok, so how much you want off?

Me: Oh, I don't want any length off! I'm growing it out, so I just want layers, keep the length.

Song: Ok, so I take about 2 inches.

Me: ...uh---

Song: Maybe 2 and half.

Me: No, no, see I want to keep it long. I don't it cut short.

Song: Lets go wash hair now.

And that's where I cowered and went along with Song to get my hair washed. It was one of the better washes I've ever had. They use this aromatherapy shampoo and it smelled so good and made my head all tingly... in a good way.

Long story a little less long: he cut off about 2 1/2 or 3 inches. I hate it. I like the layers (sort of) but I HATE the length. He cut me to the "in between length." You know what I'm talking about. That length you can't wait for your hair to grow out of. Right in between really short and pleasantly long. Nobody actually goes in and asks for the "in between length."

Fortunately hair grows. Ho hum.

Keep Thinking BIG PICTURE

2007-11-07T17:53:00.000-05:00

That's what I have to tell myself when I work myself into a tizzy over nothing. Literally, nothing. My best friend in college, we'll call him LG, always used to joke with me that I would cry if I didn't get enough pink sprinkles on my ice cream cone. LG and I had some good times in college, I still don't think anyone "gets me" like LG did. But that's a story for another post. Another post where I don't want to talk about the craptacular day that was today.

My bad day started yesterday. I have theses bizarre wisdom teeth that sort of come and go. They'll pop up and say hello! Cause some major headaches for a week and then go back down where they came from. It's been happening once a year maybe for the past few years. I've been able to grin and bear it simply because I'm too big of a baby to have them extracted. I'm pretty sure I was traumatized as a kid when I had to have 12 of my baby teeth pulled. Yea, that's what I said. 12. Count em. I was some weirdo whose baby teeth just would not fall out, so in order to get my braces on I had to have them all pulled. It sucked, I can tell you that. So now I have dentistphobia.

photo credit: http://www.dentistchristchurch.co.nz/graphics/wisdom.jpg

So all that said, yesterday one of my wisdom teeth decided to show up. Oh and not only is it going to show up, but its going to get infected. So not only do I have a sore cheek and rockin headache, now I have a lovely fever to boot. Super.

I made an appointment with a new dentist today and I swear my insurance only covers the most run down dumps. I went to a new GP last month and what a mess that place was, the waiting room for the lab was basically some folding chairs in a closet- I'm not even kidding. But while the office of my new dentist leaves a little to be desired, I actually really like the doctor. He was very nice to me and very gently told me about the 8 cavities I have. Holy shit. Am I brushing with sugar cubes twice a day or toothpaste?? He promised me that 3 are so small they don't need to be filled (...yet...) but 5 are a teeny bit bigger and should be filled. Super. Again.

So in the madness surrounding my apparently cavity laden mouth, we completely skipped over the whole wisdom tooth problem. There as brief mention that I should get it pulled but that's where the conversation ended and turned over to scheduling my fillings. At the very least, he did remember to write me a script for amoxicillian to kill the infection, thank god.

And my day keeps getting better. Through no fault of anyone but yours truly here, I have a huge term paper due for my US history class tomorrow night. I'm about 2 pages into it. Its an easy paper on an interesting subject, but the motivation is so not there. Its no where to be found.

And I have a big exam on ancient somethingorother next week in my Western Civ class but I'm going up to Philly this weekend to see my gal pals so studying is out of the question.

There were lots of other terribly annoying things that happened today to make me burst into tears when I got home, but they've temporarily flown out of my head. No doubt they will return when I finally find some motivation to do my paper. In the meantime, I keep reminding myself that these stupid little "obstacles" are definitely not worth crying over, maybe I'm PMSing. I tend to cry when I'm PMSing. LG always used to know that I would get horribly irrational around that time of month. I wouldn't doubt that at some point in my life I have actually cried over a shortage of pink sprinkles. But I try to think BIG PICTURE... these little things that have me in tears today will mean nothing a year from today. I once heard a quote that I loved! I don't remember it exactly, but to paraphrase...

If something has you worried today, try to think back to one year ago, what were you worrying about then?

And of course you probably can't remember. Which is exactly the point.

:) Thanks for listening.

Home, sweet home.

2007-11-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

Today I decided to start a blog. Well, technically I decided yesterday but never got around to actually writing anything until today. I tend to have a severe procrastination problem. I work best when I'm under pressure. Give me a lot of time and I'll give you a million other things I'd rather be doing. It's so bad that I will actually do things I previously put off just to further put off what it is that I currently don't want to do. So I guess in my own world, I work things out.

Now what was I saying?

Yes, my first blog. I feel like a lot of blogs today sound exactly the same. Personal blogs that is. Personal blogs that I actually read. Which isn't very many, so I'm not really basing that on anything, other than the fact that I'm usually always right.

I shit you not, its almost a problem. My boyfriend hates it. Ha, do you blame him? Its like a hidden talent I have, I'm just always right. And in terms of test taking and opinions I'm usually wrong- but if were talking door A or door b, I always pick the better door. Except if I actually had to pick a door on a game show, I'm sure in that case I'd pick the one with nothing behind it. But you know what I'm saying.

Anyway- there I go getting all distracted again. I guess I'm starting this blog because I love to write. I don't really expect anyone to read it, because quite frankly I can't promise it will be all that interesting. I guess I'm looking to get things off my chest. Its been a tough year and perhaps other could benifit from any insight I may have gained during that year. I suppose I could start at the beginning.

I'm a relatively recent Penn State graduate (We are!) and I'm living in the DC area. I grew up in a teeny town in New York and I miss it terribly. Well, I don't miss the town, there really wasn't anything there (still isn't anything there) but I miss my family and that comfort. I've been way out of my comfort zone ever since graduating, and while I've adapted quite well, sometimes I long for the comfort of just being "home." You know what it feels like to be home, its the best feeling in the world. And my home is the best home in the world. I grew up there, my entire life in one house. Everything I know for sure, I know in that house.

Coby and Herbie, an integral part of being "home"