the latest news
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I'm behind on a couple of cork trays I'm working on for Mother's Day.
I'm behind on putting photos in a few frame ornaments I got for Christmas. I guess I should have been doing that while I watched Project Runway. :-\
I'm behind on some spring shopping I really don't need to do, but I guess that's okay seeing as how spring itself is behind on being warm...
Which is why my bulbs are behind on blooming. My guess is that they'll get to it right around the time I'm catching up on my skiing, thousands of miles away.
[04.03.08]
A good chunk of the A&A crew learned a valuable lesson last weekend: the number one proven-to-be-effective way to instantly feeling old is to visit a college town while school is in session. We all thought Charlottesville would be safe--it's a highly-ranked public school, after all, there is certain to be a good ratio of nerds there. Oh no. BLONDES. Lots of them. In sundresses. And cowboy boots. COWBOY BOOTS! Every single one! Like, not just a good percentage, but pretty much all of them. They even infiltrated the wineries at one point. I though Forever XXI was the fountain of youth, but apparently it's rural footwear and a good dye-job. You may feel old when you look around the 80s dance party and note that your fellow boogiers weren't alive when this music was on the radio, but just having the realization--and the scoff that accompanies it--is what makes you not just old, but bitterly old.
But screw that. The scoffing is funny, and the resentment is genuine, but in the end you just have to take a minute to realize you are STILL in your 20s, and to most of the planet, that's still pretty young. Oh, btw, Happy 30th Bday, K-dawg! ;)
[03.20.08]
I've been really good about updating A&A.com this week--I did it on Wednesday, Thursday, AND Friday! You can't tell, of course, because the first two attempts were lost to the dreaded "unexpected error" Internet Explorer likes to thrust upon us every once in awhile. But enough whining!
I wanted to point you all in the direction of a written women's forum on Hillary's candidacy in this week's Newsweek. I was delighted to find that many of these short essays offered more than I was expecting. I thought I'd flip open the magazine and read some hackneyed, over-simplified, stereotypical "what women want" BS. Instead I encountered layered perspectives and healthy introspection. Several of the nuanced topics were the same as those that my lady friends and I have been discussing for a few months now. These writers touch on feminism and feminist issues, but not in an alienating manner. A lot of men and women lack understanding of or are turned off by feminism because they think about it in a vaccuum, and it's no wonder because that's how the press generally writes about it. But these essays talk about feminism's intersection with reality, politics, and even emotion. It's refreshing and honest. And it makes me realize how thankful I am that Hillary's candidacy brought these topics of conversation back into my life--with my friends, with my colleagues and, just this once, with the press.
[03.14.08]
I struck up what I thought would be an uncontroversial topic of conversation at lunch today with two coworkers. I mentioned that no matter how the Texas and Ohio primaries turn out, and no matter when and if Hillary drops out of the race, the fact of this campaign for the democratic presidential nomination is that the press developed and has repeatedly exhibited a clear bias for Obama. My lunchmates weren't buying it, which shocked me. I thought it was clear to anyone who has watched the news or picked up a paper over the past two months. So naturally I went on a fact-finding mission. The first thing I found was this study, completed by the Center for Media and Public Affairs. The conclusions support mine. Putting the statistics aside, I think the interesting thing is that the accusation of press bias is so strongly supported that it is being addressed by the mainstream press NOW. Dan Abrams of MSNBC has been talking about it on his show, the NYTimes has covered it, as has the Associated Press. And of course it's a popular topic in the blogosphere. While it seems there isn't a clear cut conclusion, the fact that it's being discussed DURING the campaign, as opposed to years later in a hindsight-is-20-20 situation (see this Vanity Fair article on how Gore was treated by the press in 2000), is really telling.
[03.03.08]
With the upheaval going on at W&M, A&A have been tuning into the Flat Hat's website for all the latest news. Today a BOV member resigned. Last Friday the Wren building was tagged with anti-BOV graffiti. (By the way, reckless vandals: defiling historical landmarks with spray-paint is sooo UVA. I can't stand that crap! Cut it out!) And the comments posted after these articles are often just as informative as the articles themselves--though also over the top at times.
Anyway, we're both glad that the Flat Hat is back in our lives. Is it too late for us to be "That [Collective] Girl" or "That Website"? Do yourself a favor and check out this HILARIOUS article about Steer Clear. Anne says she thinks it was probably a smart move to take this drunk trolley away from the sororities. Ash recalls fondly Ryan B.'s story of watching Jason G. commando roll out of the van, choosing to risk life and limb in order to free himself from Ryan's slap-happy wrath. Sigh. The good ole' days.
On a heavier note, Mama G. compiled some interesting thoughts after several days of interviewing and speaking with BOV members and sundry other concerned parties. Click here to read her reflections on the W&M debacle.
[02.20.08]
[05.06.08]
A&A had a heart-wrenching adventure this past weekend: we took our last road trip in Ashley's 1997 Corolla. [More on that next week!] That car has taken us to and from some of the most fun we've had. This weekend was no exception. We drove down to Portsmouth to celebrate Jen "Doesn't-Look-A-Day-Over-29" S.'s 30th birthday soiree. Let's continue the theme with list of top five moments:
(5) Classifying Jen's proclamation that turning 30 felt pretty good as "Tales from the Crypt."
(4) Having Adrienne's parents notify us on their way out the door that she was passed out in the guest bedroom.
(3) Hatching a plan to relieve the horrifically-bad DJ of his duties by "pants-ing" him (Kristen's idea) and pushing him in the creek.
(2) Convincing the bartender to join us in our revolt against the DJ.
(1) Finally beating all creativity out of the DJ until he finally started behaving the way we had wanted him to all along: as a glorified iPod.
AAAAND, BONUS ROUND: When asked where our husbands were, Adrienne declared, "We don't need boys." To which Jen's mother-in-law replied, "You must be Jen's friends..."
[04.28.08]
Maggie's wedding was damn fine, we have to say. A&A showed up with their best tan-out-of-a-bottle look (see pic below; we are so much paler in real life), managed to nab seating at the cool table, and proceeded to douse the dancefloor (and each other) in champagne. Champagne has cleansing properties, right? Because at least one of us was still wearing some at work on Monday. Here are the top five moments from Saturday night:
(5) Susanna generally spazzing off, which prompted some much warranted hazing.
(4) Adam enlightening us about "dress brokers" because he thought Ashley's dress (an Anne hand-me-down!) was couture.
(3) Alfredo telling us about the two-headed girl(s?) who has/have her/their own tv show: "They go driving... they go to school... they go to the pedicure..."
(2) Honoring Habe's legacy by harassing/befriending (such a fine line) the photographer.
(1) Clarissa's maid of honor speech. What a pro!! You made us proud...
BONUS: Handling Sunday, which was plagued by the shakes (Ash) and an unfortunate and untimely--yet nonnegotiable--exit from the Teeter (Anne). Looks like Jill's up next :)
[04.21.08]
One of the favorite things about traveling is picking up on local customs, trends, and habits. It's not as easy to do this abroad, because often so much of the culture is different. Within the states, though, idiosyncracies come into relief if you pay attention, and sometimes they are so stark that they slap you in the face. Recently I commented on the cowboy boot with sundress look that the coeds in Charlottesville were sporting (something that Potter is gutsy enough to try). On last week's trip to Utah, I encountered a more surprising trend: the goggle tan. I use the term "trend" purposefully. It's not just an occurrence--it's worn (earned?) it seems as a badge of honor. But it's SO HIDEOUS! Sure, if you're a ski bum, swooshing in down the blinding slopes for many hours a day, several days a week, and as many weeks as the season will allow, then it's not a shock that the part of your face exposed to the elements will get darker and ruddier. But people--it's not attractive! Use some sunblock! If that doesn't work, use MORE. All the waiters and waitresses had them--I could barely focus long enough to choose an entree. There was a snow bunny waitress who didn't sport one, so I asked her about it. She explained that she wore 45 SPF everyday. Now is that so hard? Naturally, she was a ginger like me. :)
[04.14.08]
I'm a little bit behind. I'm behind on Project Runway Season 4, which I finished up this week just shy of a month after the rest of the world did. No one TOLD me that Posh Spice was the guest judge!! Agh!!! There she was, reminding us that Easy V doesn't come for free, she's a real lay-dee. She even smiled. I died a little and then squealed "Guhl Powuh!" from my couch.
I'm behind on skiing for the 2007-8 season, so I'm getting some in just under the wire this weekend in Utah. [CONTINUED...]