Beautiful Confederates!!

Inspirational art, nature, and architecture in this beautiful southern city. And it was so warm, too! Wish I were still there instead of this dismal snowy abyss.

I don't believe I mentioned...

Before all the craziness of The Move and The Business Trip, I went to a ballet. The American Ballet Theatre performed the classic, The Sleeping Beauty. I love a good ballet and I was pretty excited to go check it out, especially with Debbie kickin it by my side. We had a lovely pre-theatre dinner and got settled in our comfy nosebleed orchestra-view seats for the 3 hour ballet.
What I did not expect, however, was that this particular ballet would be starring the one and only COOPER NIELSON*!!! He was the Prince, and the star of the ballet. And his female counterpart? Oh, no big deal - it was only KATHLEEN DONAHUE*! You could feel the energy in the room when they were dancing together. All the pre-pubescent pipsqueaks had no idea why us twenty-somethings were watering at the mouth.

The entire ballet I was distracted with several thoughts:
--Was Jodie Sawyer waiting around backstage to later be blown off by Cooper Nielson?
--Were Kathleen and Cooper talking to each other on stage, exchanging nasty insults about their latest sexshual escapades?
--Does Cooper Nielson really drive that overcompensating motorcyle? Come ON.
--And of course, some classic lines:
Jodi: What about what I want?
Cooper: I don't give a SH*T what you want.

Jodi: Here's some cookies(for Cooper). For next time.


Seriously. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm the BEST GO* D*MNED DANCER in the ABA! Who the hell are you?? NOBODY.

*These are not the dancers actual names, but their characters as portrayed in the timeless favorite, Center Stage. To me, they are real people.

back to life, back to semi-reality

I finally got home last night after what turned out to be a tumultuous business trip. I came down with the flu the second day I was there and experienced a sickness I have not felt in years. I like to think I'm pretty healthy and I rarely get sick. But I had the chills, a fever, the pukies, and a hacking cough that suggested I had been smoking since fetus.

Anyway I don't think I mentioned that I stayed in the Penthouse Suite for the week. Hollaaaaaa. I am never going back to the common mans hotel room. Yecch. Keep your blue collars far away from these midas hands. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Don't be too jealous of my digs. Remember I spent half the week curled up on the bathroom floor.





I will show you some more pictures of the city and all the cool houses and historical architecture after I get through my 100+ emails at work.

And my stuff is STILL in piles at the house.

This is what exhaustion feels like

I moved.
Well, I KIND of moved. Most of my stuff is in the new house, lying in piles all throughout the spacious abode. But I still have pots and pans and bowls and butter dishes, along with a few other materials in the old apartment. And it's going to stay there until next weekend probably because I just left for a business trip till Friday.
Thats right. I moved yesterday and today I'm sitting in the airport hoping that I packed what I needed...I'm sure I forgot some essentials.

I feel like such a grown-up. I bought my first carry on luggage yesterday! It's actually the first piece of luggage I've purchased that wasn't from the thrift store (and not counting traveling/hiking packs). I threw a couple collared shirts and pants in the suitcase, remembered the swimsuit and zipped up. You should've seen my trying to find everything. It's driving me absolutely bonkers right now thinking of all my stuff lying in piles on the floor of my room and the living room. I hope Iggy doesn't throw all my stuff out and find another roommate while I'm gone! I swear I will clean it up Friday!

My mind is in a million pieces right now. Never move and go on an important trip the day after. I always like to think I'm superwoman, but experiences like this make me think otherwise. I'm also feeling nervous stomach-sickness because of issues stemming from a boy I like. If I let myself, I get so caught up in silly things that don't really matter. I still need that vacation.

Anyway I'm about to go spend the next week in a penthouse suite. Don't be jealous - I'll be lucky if I can get away from meetings to hang out in there. If I do, here's what my time will consist of:
1. Bubble baths
2. Room service
3. Lifetime movies
4. Knitting a scarf
5. Getting in house massages
6. Walking around in the buff

If I get even one out of these 6 items, I will be happy. Even number 6.


Ohhhhh that sounds so nice...

Apples to Apples

I'm nervous that my mac is going to crash. It's been doing funny things lately, like randomly shutting down my programs when I'm in the middle of internetting and photoshopping. I need to back everything up tonight on my external, so I don't lose all my music, pictures, and written essays.

But if I do happen to lose my computer (I hope I don't...god willing) it might not be the absolute end of the world...

Lucky for me

I got a special delivery from Spain on Monday. It's making me very happy.

In other news, our current lease is all but signed and we are preparing to move out this weekend. I cannot wait. Still buzzing about decorating and designing my perfect room. My Dad once gave me free reign over one of the bedrooms in the house and I think it turned out really cute. I'm going for something a little different in this new house, though. Something a little more personal to me, yet stylish. I'm considering orange walls! Orange like rusty orange not traffic cone orange. I need to get my hands on some decorating magazines to find the inspiration.

Here's the deal. I have been listening to some good friggin music lately. If you would like to join me, please note the following songs:
1. Phosphorescent: The Waves at Night
2. Blonde Redhead: The Dress
3. Glos: Employee
4. Bon Iver: For Emma or Wolves
5. The Thrills: The Midnight Choir
6. Beirut: Nantes
7. Albert Hammond, Jr: Hard to Live in the City
8. A Band of Bees: Listening Man
9. The National: Green Gloves
10. Jim Noir: Key of C

Enjoy (feedback welcomed)!

To purchase

1. A puzzle
2. A bookcase
3. A table for my puzzle
4. More books for my new bookcase
5. Shoes
6. Love.
(wait...was it money can buy me love or can't? Shoot. I can't remember.)

weekends without iggy

As you may or may not know, Iggy is my bff. She's my go-to, my friend on the weekends, my lunch friend, my tete-a-tete friend, my friend with whom to eat mounds of popcorn, etc. You get the picture. We're old friends.
Then there are other friends I have who join mine and Iggy's social endeavors and occasionally join me in song, dance and general merriment.

Well...apparently this past weekend was travel weekend and I missed the memo. Nearly everyone I know (read: 3 people) were out of town this past weekend and I was left to sob in the wake of their departure. I knew it was coming, however, and I prepared myself. I had 3 fresh movies from Netflix - 2 tearjerkers and an action packed thriller with my girl, Sydney Bristow Jennifer Garner. I gathered some recipes together for a practicing my Giada skills. I scheduled some appointments to fill up my days. And miracles of miracles...I actually had a super fun weekend!

Friday:
After work I came home and popped in The Kingdom. It was an ok film, even though Michael Bluth's presence was really screwing with me. I enjoy a good politically charged action flick- this one was your run-of-the-mill Hollywood flick. I mean, Jamie Foxx was in it so you know it's gonna pack that certain something into the brainwashed movie-going crowd. Later I met up with my friend, Ron. We made Rowlett cookies and went to a Mormon party, complete with trampoline where I saw Bone Malone, Jeremy Ryn, Jenny, and my old childhood friend Dan Kirk (to name a few). It was fun and the cops came because of all the devil music playing in the background. They were mighty surprised to find a bunch of sober twenty-somethings dancing and jumping on an indoors trampoline. I would even go as far as to say they wanted to join in, but who wants a bunch of pigs spoiling their party?
So Friday? Success.

Saturday:
Showed the apartment to a couple of girls who I pray and pray will sign the lease today. They seem very cool, especially for a craigslist find. Called my momma and had a nice conversation. Made some money (read: returned some clothes to H&M). Went grocery shopping for quinoa salad ingredients. Met up with childhood friend Dan for pseudo-date (we can't call it a date because we're kind of related. He is the brother of Abby's mother. My brother married his sister.) We saw The Bucket List (cried!), had an adventurous sushi dinner (I tried sea urchin which is basically a salt water gelatinous mass of disgust - cried again), then went back to my house, made some tea and wrote our own Bucket Lists. I was surprised at my 9 choices - and I've got some work to do to have a fulfilling life.
Saturday: Success.

Sunday:
Whoops - slept through church. Went shopping for new underwears. Discovered I'm never going to Victoria's Secret again because they have trashy cheap stuff that is ridiculously overpriced and never fits me properly. I'm exploring other options. Met up with Ron again to eat noodles. Made some delicious quinoa salad with red peppers and sweet corn and a lime-cumin dressing. Watched Shenandoah - a great old movie starring Jimmy Stuart as a Virginia farmer during the civil war. Netflix said it was a 4-hankie movie (whatever netflix) and I actually did cry at the end. It was great and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes war, fist-fights, love advice, jimmy stuart, and horse violence. Seriously though - watch it.
Sunday: Success.

I guess I learned this weekend that if all my bff's go out of town, I can use the time to get in touch with old friends or people I don't see that often. And get a lot of things off my to-do list. Laundry? Check! Clear netflix queue? Check! Call old friends? Check! Despite my preconceived notions of spending weekends without familiar people - I guess you could say I try to keep my glass half-full. Now if I could just find the person who took my bottle of Makers...

On vacationing

I've been thinking about the impending bikini season. Yes, yes - I realize that summer is like 5 years away (a sentiment only compounded by the fact that it is a bitterly cold week) but people. People. MY summer is going to start much earlier.

I am taking a vacation.

You can't stop me. Don't even try to stop me. I've been fighting this for awhile because I want to go to Utah to visit my family and don't feel I can afford 2 trips. But at this point in my financially irresponsible life I'm realizing that I can do both. I will take a weekend trip to Utah, visit my babies, sit around and listen to my sisters fart and exchange lame jokes, and then return home and take a trip to somewhere in the tropical region.

So where should I go? Costa Rica? Puerto Rico? Aruba? Jamaica? Oh - Something that is unbelievable to mine ears - it is far cheaper for me to fly to Puerto Rico than Utah. That makes no sense to me.

I've been on the LGN (look-good-naked) diet for the past few weeks and I should be able to fit into my pants from the bulimia-era days in another month! Those days have such fond memories for me.

Things that make Gnomie thin:

1. Drinking copious amounts of monster
2. Drinking copious amounts of liquor
3. Not eating
4. Having an abusive jackass boyfriend
5. Stressing out about school/work

There's GOT to be a better way to LGN!! I'm currently trying a mixture of methods 1, 3, and 5 and so far it's working out ok for me. Whenever I try working out and eating healthy, my body feels so good. It starts to crave food and desire bad treats and so I never get thinner. It's a vicious cycle. Atleast with the monster and stress, I know that I'm never going to feel well enough to eat a full meal OR be able to keep it in my stomach. What a deal!

Maybe I'll pick up cigarettes, too. I hear those work wonders.

New Things

1. Rowhouse
2. Couch
3. Attitude
4. Reading Stamina
5. Jeans
6. Free time
7. Being Single (the horrors!)
8. Love of the lox bagel
9. Music (blonde redhead and glos)
10. Appreciation for cold weather (invigorating!)

Some of these things are not new, but just new desires. Such as jeans and a couch. Let me know if you'd like to give me either.

Thoughts on Colors (not the band from USU)

I woke up this morning, facing the wall right next to my bed. I normally sleep on my back and therefore wake up on my back. On occasion I will get a little crazy and sleep on my side, but it is nearly ALWAYS my right side. So waking up this morning was quite unusual facing a wall. The most abnormal part of this was that my first thought was "am I inside an avocado?" We painted one of the walls in the bedroom a few months ago. I've never known what color green to call it, but this morning it was totally avocado green. So...now I know.

The reason that this color description even matters is because I am moving and need a way to describe the color to people in the ad. Do you think Avocado Green sounds enticing? Because the mere thought of being inside an avocado brings me joys unknown.

I'm already thinking of colors to paint my new room. Here's what I have so far:
I really like this red and blue together. Not sure what I would do with it, but it gives me some good ideas for decorating.
This yellow is kind of nice, but just a tad orangey.
I really like grey. This particular color is really nice.
Also like this grey.
What do you guys think? (Cara I am obsessed with the idea of painting a bathroom purplish/blue...also channeling French design.)

oh, ahem. yes.

So I'm sitting here thinking -

It'd be really awesome if there were a service like Netflix, but for books. You could read a book and have it for a few weeks, then send it back to get a new one. What a great service - you don't have to shell out all your monies to buy new books!

Then someone informed me that this service already exists and it's free. They call it the "public library". It sounds kind of strange, but I think I'll go check it out!

College: The best 7 years of my life

As per my new years goals, I am working on the grad school thing.

As of today I have applied to 5 out of the 6 schools I am interested in. They all have amazing programs and I'd be thrilled to get into any of them! Especially with some sort of fellowship (send well wishes my way, please!!!).

The last school is kind of my "if nothing else works out I'll go here" school. The deadline isn't till April, so I'm not worried. It's a fine school, but I'm not excited about their faculty or course offerings. Oh, plus about 50% of my high school graduating class went here and I don't really want to follow in their footsteps. The other 50% didn't go to college - they had babies and acquired drug addictions, I'm assuming. And most of them surely have Redskins logos and flags on their cars. And still "dip" every day. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. (Is dip a Virginia thing?)

Anyway. I really hope I get into a good school. I want the experience the sheer joy of getting an A. It hasn't happened to me since like 7th grade when I got "straight A's except for one B".

Wack back

I look pretty happy here, right? Well - I'm a good faker.
I'm still sick and not only that - I threw my back out. I got a massage yesterday and I feel a little relief, but sitting in this office chair all day doesn't help the situation. I throw a heating pad on it when I get home from work and stretch it and haven't been reckless at all (except when I wore heels all day Friday - stupid!) I have a doctors appointment next Friday, but that seems like ages away.

Any tips for a girl with a bum back?

Travel bug

I really want to get out of DC, seeing as how I haven't left for awhile. I mean, yes I went to New York in December and yes I went to Philly, as well. But I mean like "OUT of dc, out of dc".

My friends and I have been tentatively planning a trip to Europe for March. But I don't think thats going to happen due to some recent changes in job-ular affairs here in DC. Also, I really want to go to Utah and see my babies and my bebes. My sister just moved there and with the exception of my brother and sister-in law in Virginia, all my siblings are currently residing in Utah. I miss them. I want to see them but I don't see things slowing down here at work long enough to get out.
2 major meetings in the next month, 2 long trips for work out-of-town (which won't help to quell the travel bug) in the next couple of months and a possible significant change in my life. I know, I know I am the queen of ambiguity sometimes, but I'll explain if it all pans out.

Basically I wish I had more money and more free time, like every other person in the free world. How unoriginal am I? COME ON!

Not the same

You know which song will get me fired up everytime?

Not the Same, Ben Folds (off the Rockin the Suburbs album).

I know, I know. Ben Folds is really an amazing musician, but I don't feel like people usually talk about him. His music is a bit mainstream, but I've seen him live (with Cara!) and he is a great performer. Throws his bench at the piano keys, swears at the crowd, and plucks the strings of the piano. Basically I wanted him to be my boyfriend. And still do.

But that song gets me for some reason. I've recently rediscovered this artist and its an excellent trip down memory lane. At the show he had all of us "ahhhhh" along with this song. Loved it. If you have a tough stomach, listen to his cover of Dr. Dre.

Anyway. Ya'll I've been under the weather for the entire past week. wtf? I know. Usually I'm like superwoman when it comes to disease and infection. It just doesn't get me. And even when it does, I fight it off and 2 days later I am a perfect speciman of health. But my gosh. This time it's different. I came down with a cough last week and it's progressed into a nice suffocating cold. Seriously I can't get rid. I've been od-ing on healthy food - OJ, soups, veggies, fruits, protein, etc. Ridiculous. I know why I'm still sick though:

WHEATGRASS JUICE

It is my super powered elixir. I take a swig of it and I'm better the next day - no joke. I didn't get sick for 3 years because of this plan. Now I'm in DC and I have only found one place in the district that sells it and THEY ARE OUT OF IT. They can't find any "good stuff" for sale, like its effing hash or something. Don't they know I'm suffering?

Here is what I did this weekend:
1. Laid around
2. Watched movies while doing item #1
3. Drank lots of fluids and ate tofu and oranges
4. Wore clothing in the categories of "housecoat" and "sweatpants"
5. Became more and more sick.

Now its Sunday evening and there are crumpled tissues lying all around my house. I've made up my mind: if I'm not better by Thursday I will cut my nose off. It's always been too pointy anyhow.

niece time!

Another new years thing

I wonder how many other people made the resolution to start flossing? We are an unclean nation.

So far the count is up to 5...

The Anatomy of a Fight or How to Spend your New Years Eve

Oh hey, whats up Ron?
I heard you said somethin bout me.
What? You're delusional. I would never talk smack about you.
You're lying! You said my house smelled like old broccoli's!
Which is SO SILLY. Everyone knows my house smells like pancakes and nachos.
You're crazy. You need to CTFO before somebody smacks you.
Like this.


Happy New Year!!

New Year, New Post (channeling the carrie collection!)

After a much needed therapeutic holiday vacation, I feel rejuvinated! I feel ready to conquer! My teeth are sinking into 2008 and I'm really looking forward to a fresh start. 2007 was a growing year for me. Every year that passes, I honestly feel like I experienced the most growth of my life--which I see as a good thing. Change is scary, but very good and necessary.

Top Ten Highlights of 2007:
1. getting a "real job" {real meaning I have health insurance and a retirement plan}
2. becoming a DC resident and living with my bff, Iggy {although I'm beginning to rethink the high costs outweighing the good location. eeek.}
3. preparing for grad schools {actually taking the time to study for the GRE and make good contacts within the universities.}
4. increasing my cooking and baking skills {namely acquiring a pesto recipe and perfecting my scones recipe.}
5. summer reunion with my family and all the babies {i miss you guys!}
6. camping trip in shenandoah's {hiking, backpacking and using my new stove!}
7. becoming a car-less citizen and increasing my knowledge of local public transport.
8. visiting new mexico and learning how to contra-dance under the light of the moon.
9. becoming a regular at my shoe place and having a "shoe guy" who keeps me in the shoe loop {and who is also quite attractive}.
10. running 4.5 miles just for the hell of it.

So...those were my highlights. And I'm pretty sure I left out some major happenings, but give me a break. It's January 2nd and I am still trying to recooperate from the long vacation I just had.

My new years goals/resolutions were created last night, whilst I was falling asleep. My friend told me how she is interested in making attainable goals - short term and long term. I like her style, and so I'm partially copying her, but these are definitely things I'm interested in doing this year. And I hope these all happen.

1. Use my passport.
2. In partership with goal #1, go to Turkey, Greece, or Morocco.
3. Solidify my spanish. Become fluent.
4. Also in partnership with goal #1 and goal #3 - go to south america for a month or so to soak up the culture and brush up on my language skills.
5. Start grad school in the Fall.
6. redevelop my healthy eating habits {i.e. no more nacho cheese dorito binges and settle down with all the chocolate truffles}
7. use my gym membership, even if it is only $17 a year - it's still important to be physically fit and preserve this rock hard body.
8. develop my photography skills and re-organize my photos.
9. learn how to make good curry
10. work on my knitting - learn how to do a cable stitch

Already this year is shaping up to be great. I said all my swears at midnight to induct those into 2008 and went on a shopping spree at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Oh and the last 2 nights have been spent with loved ones and friends, and that will continue into tonight, when I see my friends band, The Nunchucks at the Black Cat!