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Tuesday, 24 June 2008

So yesterday was the Big Two-Five which means I'm a quarter of a century closer to death.  This is particularly terrifying since I just discovered Atul Gawande which means the rest of my life will be spent in OCD-like anticipation for whatever flesh eating disease I will contract, or the explicit and painful details of my first childbirth experience, as described by Mr. Gawande.  Sigh.  So much to look forward to. 

I was blessed with many wonderful gifts and treats and dinners, but honestly the thing I could really use right now is dedicated time to turn off my brain.  How do you people do it, you people with kids and a million things going on and never taking a break to practice the mental equivalent of eating junk food?  Last weekend I had classes both days from 9am to 5pm, Saturday night I drove down to Richmond and back in a 6 hour span, and I have a paper due Thursday that I've been working on sporadically.  I spent my day off yesterday working on it, picking up tickets to an event and looking at fabric to reupholster my couch.  I'm pooped.

The highlights so far were dinner at Granville Moore's on Friday, dinner at The Majestic on Sunday evening, with yummy New York strip and birthday cake and cocktails, sushi at Kaz last night, my new camera from The Boy, a set of flatware from my parents, and a purse from my aunt and uncle.  Also, I got to wake up and watch Golden Girls yesterday, which: HIGHLIGHT OF MY MONTH.  I miss being an unemployed college slob.

Now the current task involves surviving the paper and presentation on Thursday, and then, uh, packing, since I'm moving on Sunday and I'll be doing a packing blitz all day Saturday.  At least, I'll do it before I head out for my weekly meal at Granville Moore's with an friend from out-of-town and then going out for a few beers to toast my newfound Olddom.  Sunday is all moving, all day.  And probably last minute trips to Target when I realize that I don't have a trash can or toilet paper.  Or a television.

Wish me luck! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! You guys are the best!
by: DJGroovySlug at June 24, 2008 19:39 | link | comments (6)

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

Since I announced my impending move to Casa Arlene, a lot of people have asked me why I didn't just move in with The Boy?  After all, we've been together for a couple of months now and it would save us so much money.  Which leads me to wonder: how many relationships out there move to the next level because someone's lease is up? 

The truth is, Adam is made up.   I don't actually have a boyfriend.   Not unless you count my stamp collection.  I just got a hold of this fantastic Ghana 1/127 from 1954.  Ohhh yeah. 

My friend basically implied that the lack of interest in cohabitation and marriage was the first sign of impending doom.  Clearly, he's not The One.  What "One"? I didn't know this was a carnival game where I have to pick the duck with the special number on his bottom from the artificial river in order to win the giant stuffed bear (presumably The Gods would send a sign directing me to The One.  Perhaps, a carnie spouting out random garbage, like" Don't be fooled by their size, the best one wins you the prize" and I think "Size? Size! The smallest one!" And sure enough, that's the winner! Ding ding ding! You have found your life's partner!)

The truth is, relationships are ridiculously dull.  And not just every relationship.  Your relationship.    And I don't mean that in the "you have a boring relationship" way.  I mean that the very idea of relationships is dull.  Wow two people with stuff in common who commit to each other.  No one's tried that one yet!! 

More aptly, relationships are the 401ks of your social life.  They are safety and comfort and maybe a little bit of excitement when the portfolio does really well for the year. No one wants to hear about the performance of your funds anymore than that one day when both of you realized you had the same song stuck in your head and found out that night. ZZZzzzzz.

So outsiders focus on the big events.  It's only a matter of time before the questions become "When are you going to get married already" and then "When are you going to have kids already?" And then "When are you going to die already, Grandma?  You know how traffic is in this part of town and what with soccer practice starting again..."

So, for all you Nosy Nellies, here is the reason why The Stamp Collection and I don't cohabitate: we just don't.  There's no plan.  There is no wistful anticipation of The Next Big Thing.  We're just kind of....being.  Together.  That's about it. 



Well, that, and the fact that I'm so excited that I'll be able to use the bathroom with the door open anytime I want.  Freedom! I imagine the experience will be exactly like running through a field of flowers while singing highlights from the rock opera "Tommy."
by: DJGroovySlug at June 11, 2008 16:16 | link | comments (2)

Monday, 09 June 2008

Weekend Update

I was in class from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.  Misery.   Honestly, it was a mistake and I don't know what I was thinking, from a sanity standpoint.  The Boy tried to convince me that once the weekend is over, I'd be a third done! But the fact is, I can't handle the workload: we have a huge project due in six weeks, which would be fine if I didn't have two other very large projects due in six weeks.  I spoke to the professor and, (after he called me an idiot in so many words), he practically forbade me from dropping the class.  He told me to just come to the lectures and turn in my project whenever.  Whenever!?  So once my kids graduate high school, then.

To make me feel better after class, The Boy took me to my little scrap of heaven on earth, Granville Moore's, which is slightly less heavenly when you consider the ca. 1913 building doesn't have a scrap of air conditioning.  But that's what the beer is for!

That night we watched Into The Wild (The Boy is on a Really Huge Campaign To Get Me To Alaska, which will ultimately fail).  Has anyone seen this film? I thought it was very well done but I definitely don't feel like Alex was some sort of revolutionary hero escaping the materialism of the world.  What an idiot.  And so selfish. 

I signed my lease which means I can officially start obsessing about every possibly detail about my new place.  I'm so in love.  It's all interior design blogs for me.  I already have some really fun ideas, mostly DIY projects.  It's becoming a total distraction from actual work and school.

Finally, it's no secret that I'm pretty much a hardcore hypochondriac.  I'm currently convinced my hair is falling out (it's not) and tried to get The Boy to check the back of my head for bare spots.  He absolutely refused.  WTF!  True love is checking the back of your lover's head for her delusional bald patches.
by: DJGroovySlug at June 09, 2008 09:24 | link | comments (1)

Thursday, 05 June 2008

Thank you to the previous commenter, I'M LOOKING AT YOU ANDY, who insinuated that my eating habits mirror that of a pregnant woman. 

First of all, my toppings are not the mad slapdash of some pedestrian, rather, they reflect the refined taste and palate of a true gourmand.  You'll see that my selections utilize all possible taste bud senses as well as multiple textures.  Your hot dogs with ketchup and falafel with hummus are inferior.  I want every meal to be a party in my mouth.  Studio 54.  Minus the drug overdoses. 

Secondly, I can confirm that I am not pregnant, since in order to be pregnant one would need to procreate, and this may be too much information...but I'm saving myself for Christian Bale.  He'll come around.

As far as my Big Doings, I wanted to wait until the papers were signed, but I'm moving! Yay! I looked at an apartment on a whim and they accepted my application out of everyone else's!! They did mention that everyone else was super strange, but at least that makes me the least strange person! Yay!

So now it's downtown I go, although I guess not downtown since downtown is like, the pits.   I'm moving to Adams Morgan, which is truly surprising because Adams Morgan was the last place on my list I thought I would ever live.  Okay, well, maybe last place after Maryland, and the Orange Line corridor, and Georgetown/Foggy Bottom/West End area.  And Capitol Hill. 

It's a wonderful little english basement, which a lot of people seem to hate on but I can't see what the problem is.  It has every possible amenity that I wanted and is really huge compared to some studios that cost the same price. It's a block from the grocery store and two blocks from the main drag, or "Herpes Canyon" as I like to call it (I kid, I kid.  I love Adams Morgan!  Or, I better damn well start, because I'm stuck there for a year).   Plus they are thrilled to meet Gadget.  What more could I ask for?

BBQ in my new backyard sometime this summer, heeeyyyyy
by: DJGroovySlug at June 05, 2008 14:05 | link | comments (2)

Wednesday, 04 June 2008

I'm noticing a theme where I only blog when I have exactly 1.2 billion other things I should be doing.  I think it's because I get into list mode when I'm busy and somewhere on the list I put "post on blog" and suddenly that option seems most appealing out of all the other options.  Every other day I always think "eh, I can blog tomorrow" but when I have a million things to do, it's important I knock that out of the list right away.  It's a very important Getting Things Done mantra:  track your accomplishments.  Annnnnnnd done.  Look at me!! Gettin Things Done.   The rest of you slovenly blobs should be ashamed of yourselves.

So a while back I went to NYC and Atlanta....when was that?  March? 
 
As far as New York, we didn't really DO anything besides eat and plan our next meals.  So I I'll say three things about that:
    1. MOMOFUKU SSAM BAR: Mission, accomplished. Smiley face smiley face grinning smiley face.
    2.  Damn, we sure did eat a lot of pickled things.
    3. Did you know in NYC they have a cream cheese with garlic and herbs?  Fresh garlic?  OMG we reeked for the rest of the day but it was amazing.

I experienced Atlanta for the first time and, frankly: meh.  I mean I'm sure it's great but I'm patently designed to dislike a city where a car is an absolute necessity.   And I didn't have one.  So the only thing I managed to see (granted I was there for work, so that's how I spent most of my time) was the Georgia Aquarium. 

Here's the thing about aquariums.  They are usually located in B-class cities.  They all have a few large mammals.  They go through the various ecosystems.  Gift shop with magnets that have floating fish.  The End.  That describes probably 90% of all aquariums in the world. 

THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM IS SO COOL. There were so many times that I was just so wowed by the things I saw.  I don't want to spoil anyone's trip if they actually go but I will say they had two kinds of otters.  TWO.  That's 100% more cuteness than the average aquarium.  Plus, they had whale sharks.  WHALE SHARKS?  I mean, they are huge:


This image was taken with my cell phone since The Boy stole my his camera for his trip to Alaska.  LOOK AT HOW BIG THAT THING IS.

Okay I'll stop yelling.  The other highlight about my trip to Atlanta is that I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton which is easily the nicest hotel I've ever stayed.  So now I know what it's like to have servants.  Disconcerting.

So that takes us into the weekend, where my biggest accomplishment involved getting a hot dog at M'Dawg, throwing on a ton of bacon, mayo, banana peppers, and saurkraut (I call it the Arlenener) and then, immediately after, trooping across the street in the rain for an Amsterdam falafel (with crazy spicy green Sauce of Awesomeness, cucumber and tomato salad, pickled cabbage and tzatziki - the Falaflene, naturally).   There was a brief moment when I said to myself: wow, we're disgusting.  Brief.  Very brief.

Actually there is some Very Big News from this weekend but I'm feeling inclined to hold off on telling it.  Until I have pictures at the very least.  And can get over this month of stress.  Big Doings.  YAY.  I love that it's probably totally not what any of you are thinking right now.  There's your hint of the day.
by: DJGroovySlug at June 04, 2008 13:43 | link | comments (2)

Tuesday, 03 June 2008

June 2008 Snapshot

wearing: A lot of Theory.  I'm so work appropriate now.  Huzzah.
listening to: I can't lie to your monitors.  I pretty much listen to M.I.A. on repeat. 
reading: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.  Pretty good so far.
watching: It's summer! There's nothing on tv anymore.
craving: It's about time for my monthly trip to Granville Moore's, so I think I'm hitting that up this Friday.  Also, sushi.  MMmmm sweet sushi, with your carbs and your mercury fish.
wondering:   Am I losing my hair?  Do people shed when it warms up?  I seriously think I'm losing my hair.
wishing: I was Super Woman who could do everything like go to the gym, take two summer classes, still see my friends regularly and always pack a lunch for work.  Can you believe there are people out there who do all that and have kids!?
lusting after: After my Spring 2008 Clothing Over-Purchasing Fit, I'm done shopping for a really long time.   There won't be any vacations for a while and the recession makes me feel like I need to save.  So what I really want is a porch, where I can sit outside and read all summer.
loving: Is it not utterly gorgeous outside?  Also, I bought a stuffed otter at the Georgia Aquarium.  It's wearing spectacles.  Can you not think of a better purchase, ever?
hating:  Did you ever notice that as soon as you clean and get comfortable, everything gets messy again?  I wish I could get rid of all my clutter and stuff, but everything is so essential to my life, like the stuffed, bespectacled otter.
missing: Hmmm I miss Gossip Girl.
impatiently awaiting:  Summer BBQs and July when this entire mess is done.
dreading: Gas prices, still.  I only filled up my tank half way and it cost me $35.  I don't drive that much but I will this month with all my school commuting.  Ugh.
by: DJGroovySlug at June 03, 2008 10:25 | link | comments (1)

Monday, 02 June 2008

I'm definitely going to report on last week and our trip to New York City and my trip to Atlanta and maybe for shits and giggles I'll throw in The Boy's trip to Alaska which ran concurrently with my trip to Atlanta.  I swear we never go anywhere but look at us!! Jetsetters!!  Sweet. 

But it's Sunday and who can ever get to sleep on a Sunday night?  Did you know that TNT shows an 8-11pm movie and then an encore of the same movie from 11-1am?  I have now watched "Pretty Woman" two times in a row.  And while I think it's fantastic (Julia Roberts and whatshisface have such great chemisty) but man, she is one smart prostitute, which has always bothered me.   Are there really witty, cute, and self-aware call girls walking the streets of Melrose?  Really?

So anyway, tonight's post is just to say: And It Begins.  This week I start a weekly Tues/Thurs class AND a Sat-Sun 9am-5pm class every other weekend for the next six weeks.  Throw in my birthday and the requisite planning, an extended visit from out-of-town relatives, Father's Day,  Independence Day, my dad's birthday and for some reason The Boy's mom wants to have a giant BBQ including my parents which is just -UGH- right in the gut, oh and I noticed today that my inspection and emissions stickers expired yesterday.  Nevermind that everyone and their mom wants to do happy hour during the month of June, I'm already missing two very important social engagements because of this schedule but I'm really hoping by working this hard I will make another part of my life in the future easier. Hoping.  Just in case, I've notebooked several fine handbags in a "Purchase In Case of Emergency" folder, as both an incentive to do well and a treat for when I inevitably become unbalanced.  And cry! Don't forget the crying. 
by: DJGroovySlug at June 02, 2008 00:32 | link | comments

Wednesday, 21 May 2008

I'm soooooo excited that school is done and I'm ready to start my mini-holiday, which includes taking Friday off for important things, like going to the dentist.   Yes I made a dentist appointment at 9:30am on my day off. 

Crap.  I completely forgot Golden Girls is on from 9-10am.  Well now the whole day is ruined. 

So in terms of good news, you'll be happy to know that one of my school projects was nominated for and won First Runner-Up for the Dean's Award in my program.  Huzzah!  I treated myself to two new pairs of shoes.  It's only right.  

I'm carefully plotting our Vacation Eating Strategy (VES) for NYC this weekend and it requires that I completely put off actual work, work that honest to god needs to be done TODAY but....PRUNE!! Do I need reservations at Prune or can we just show up?  It's important questions like these that make me say the newsletter can suck it.

I'm in a fabulous mood, I feel like making cupcakes for all of you.  Cupcakes for everyone!! Send me a self-addressed stamped box and you will receive your cupcake in the mail.  Baker is not responsible for integrity of cupcake upon arrival.  It may have snuck out and had an affair and then cheated on its taxes.  Nyuck nyuck.  (ed. note: apparently snuck is not a word, according to the spell checker on here.)

Don't you wish you could bottle up these really good days and then be able to take a sip from it on those really crappy days?  I imagine it would taste exactly like a pina colada at the beach.  There are some days I can't even believe I'm alive, sitting here, unhappy for whatever reason or another and then I blog and complain and everyone has pretty much already stopped reading this thing, mostly because I don't post anymore and when I do it's like utter blah.  Like taking a sip from the misery bottle.  I bet it tastes like rotten onion. 

So here I am, proving to you that sometimes I can be ridiculously happy and goofy and not even have to post a picture of a hamster to do it.  What? You want the hamster pictures?  Hoo-kay!

"Huh?"

I aim to please.
by: DJGroovySlug at May 21, 2008 14:19 | link | comments (2)

Monday, 19 May 2008

Things have been fairly chaotic around here, at least by my standards which means that sometime between my nap and watching Iron Chef last night, I heated up some food.  BIG NIGHT.  I know.

Last week I had a final and a big presentation and now I have one more final tonight and then I'm done wee!!! For two whole weeks!! And one of those weeks will be in Atlanta, for work!! Yay vacation!!  To sort of negate this, I'm taking off Friday and giving myself an extra long weekend.  And during said time, I am going to New York City, where I WILL eat at Momofuku Ssam Bar so help me god.  At least one of those damn resolutions will be fulfilled.

This weekend was busy.  I spent practically all of Friday and a good portion of Saturday wandering around H Street.  This meant moules frites and biers at Granville Moore's, a martini next door at the H Street Martini Lounge, PBR and shots at Rock and Roll Hotel, where my friend and I sat uncomfortably since the band playing was just soooo not our kind of music, and thusly neither was the crowd, and finally watching some burlesque at Palace of Wonders.  Highly successful night.

Saturday we headed over the the Leesburg outlets, it was a nice day for doing so and we even took White's Ferry across the Potomac, which sickened me a bit, crossing the river on this beautiful day while people fished and picnicked and we were on our way to go shopping.  At least I finally have some new work clothes.  It's easily been a year since I've bought any. 

Then it was a backyard BBQ for a friend graduating law school, and they are Russian which meant caviar and vodka shots coupled with BBQ.  Odd.  The weather was gorgeous so we decided to go ahead and hit up the rooftop birthday party of another friend in Columbia Heights, except then it went from gorgeous to windy, cold and rainy and Arlene had no more fun at that point. 

The next morning was the regular bagel visit and another trip to a shopping center, well Bloomingdale's which is mostly prescient because The Boy is looking for a new suit and mostly because I just want to let ya'll know that the woman told us that Bloomingdale's is having a huge sale starting Thursday.  I don't know what that means, "sale"-wise but it sounds like if you are into sales, it could be a good thing.

Now I'm trying (failing) to concentrate on this final and clearly procrastinating by writing this wordy and useless blog post about my weekend.  I'm still actively trying to come up with other things to say but honestly, I got nothing. 
by: DJGroovySlug at May 19, 2008 09:53 | link | comments

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

As we move into day 27 of Cold Watch 2008 v.1 I have reached the point where I would sell my purse collection for some decent decongestant.  Luckily my body feels fine, for the most part,  but in an effort to quell the godawful sniffling, stuffy itchy nose symptom, I may have taken a double dose of sudafed.  Maybe.  So now I feel like, well, complete and utter crap. Genius of the Year: ARLENE!! YAY!

So.....did you watch Gossip Girl last night? 
by: DJGroovySlug at May 13, 2008 09:52 | link | comments (2)