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(1) Tackle my worst trait, which is procrastination. I'm not going to make a commitment on how long this will last before I put it off again.
And (2) Exercise my right to not be ripped off by reporting to the D.C. Cab Commission every taxi that, despite having a meter, tells me they won't turn it on when I try to get a ride home. In the words of Annie D. on this matter, "I want to start a crusade!" Join us!
[06.10.08]
I've been knocked off my high horse. Big time. On Sunday, I got into my new red MINI, glanced in the rearview mirror before I reversed out of my parking space, and what did I see?
A BRAND. NEW. RED. MINI. Parked not twenty feet away at a townhouse directly across the street. 30-day tags and all. The NERVE!!! Hello! I called the block! I think I should get the whooole block! Don't you? A rabid neighbor-biting silver fox on my street--that I can handle. (See the May 16, 11pm edition of WJLA's local news for more on that debacle.) But another MINI? Another RED MINI? I tried to get over the initial shock while running a few errands. When I returned, the imposter MINI had been parked on the other side of its owner's townhouse, hidden away from mine. Guitar Boy said the change of parking venue was probably made out of shame. I certainly hope so!
Anyway, peeps, it's June. Two weddings down and three to go. I keep thinking I have my rehearsal dinner/wedding/sunday brunch plans all set for the summer, but then I go back to Forever 21 and find something even MORE FANTASTIC to add to the rotation. I've told myself I can't go back there until July. Somebody PLEASE hold me to it!!
[06.03.08]
Over the past couple months, I've made it my goal to watch all six seasons of Sex and the City in order to be as prepared as possible for the movie. Thanks to a visit from Anne M., which inspired much revelry over the holiday weekend, which in turn lead to some much needed recovery time on the couch, we whizzed through all 20 episodes of the two-part final season in no time flat. Dedicating myself to this project has been a real pleasure. Not only was I reminded of what it's like to use a VCR and watch VHS (I have the first two seasons on tape--don't go bacK if you can avoid it!), but it was really interesting to watch the series as a 27-year-old. I saw most of these episodes for the first time in college. I wasn't married then, hadn't lived in New York City yet, and didn't at all appreciate how cute Miranda's cat was. Now, almost a decade after the series started, I've just seen all the episodes back-to-back, as if in fast-forward mode. I won't bore you with some BS attempt at cultural criticism, but this I will say: Carrie's definitely crazier than I remembered her.
Next up? The midnight showing on Thursday with Annie D., Potter, and Rooker, to be followed by a reprise next Friday night--everyone's invited, and encouraged to dress up!
[05.28.08]
I dedicated some time this morning to going through the fave quotes archive, laughing hysterically to myself and marvelling at the fact that none of my friends are professional comedians. I'd like to point out a few quotes that served as a sign of things to come, though we didn't know it at the time:
"Help! We're being kidnapped!"
~A passenger on the same grounded plane with Annie D. for 5 hours, back in 2003. Moments after this outburst, the man was arrested. Little did Anne know that she would dedicate years of her life to promoting the Passenger Bill of Rights!
"Too many loonies in that area."
~Ash's Dad, in 2004, on the non-profit world. Shortly after I'd escape to the world of politics. No loonies there!
"I show my love by nourishing you. And by 'nourish' I mean 'fill with empty carbs.'"
~Sarah M., in 2005. Sarah will go from banker to baker later this year when she starts culinary school!
And lastly...
"It's like my fantasy to be stalking and find something about myself...Kind of not joking."
~Habe, in 2004. KONJ: a precursor to "JKNR"!
[05.20.08]
This weekend is grad-a-palooza here in D.C. T-Didds and Potter are both graduating from law school and celebrating appropriately with burgers and hot dogs at their respective homes. AND we're proud to announce that Annie D. is joining in with a delayed celebration of the Masters she received in December. I'm grateful to them for going through the years of hard work so that I have an excuse to party hop this Saturday.
I'm not just going to take advantage of the frivolity, though, I'm also doing my part by passing around my Costco membership card. Not only that, but I'm trying to ease Potter's transition back into the workforce with a little project I like to call, "Take Your Potter to Work Day." I'm pretty sure she's only participating in order to score the Tortilla Coast lunch she's been promised. My guess is that Annie D., on the other hand, is less concerned about providing some ease for Tedd's transition. I think she's just eager for him to earn a paycheck. Not that having a house-husband around doesn't have its merits.
So if you're around this weekend, A&A hope to see you at one or both cookouts. If you weren't lucky enough to get the evites, try your chances late night in Clarendon. Odds are sky high that we'll be prowling around, tassles and diplomas in hand.
[05.14.08]
**Church of England Endorses Women as Bishops. And this, my friends, is why--though I have been called sacreligious from time to time--I still root for the Episcopalians!
**The sale of TYNKRBL! Not only did the Corolla go to a family that LOVES Corollas, but their oldest is headed off to William & Mary this fall! I asked if he had received his dorm assignment yet. The answer was no, but that he'd requested the most sought after dorm: big, air-conditioned, with two wings and a beautiful porch. Sound familar? Who would have thought, ten years after I headed off to face my destiny on Third East, that Barrett Hall would be the hottest ticket in town.
[07.08.08]
With the new American Girl movie coming out, boasting an ensemble cast and starring Abigail Breslin, a few of my colleagues and I realized that we all grew up with an American Girl doll. I had Felicity, of course: the redhead from Colonial Williamsburg. It was part of my mom's subtle indoctrination strategy that ultimately ensured my early decision application to the Harvard of the South, also know as the College of William & Mary. (See this week's fave quote.) I just visited the American Girl website. When I was little, there was no such thing. Back then I pored over the catalogues to the point that I had them memorized but kept looking anyway, dreaming of what I'd get next with my babysitting money. Seeing all the gorgeous outfits and era-appropriate furniture and accessories brought it all back. I was such a collector! To this day, I have everything I bought packed away in the original Pleasant Company boxes. American Girls have only gotten more popular since I got one. A fellow fan sent me this article from the New York Times on the phenomenon, written by a father and self-proclaimed "son and husband of feminists." It's very well done, and even if you never had an American Girl doll, I'd recommend reading it. Meanwhile, I'll be planning my long overdue trip to American Girl Place in Chi-town! Thank goodness I saved up for the doll travel set back in 1992...
[07.01.08]
Two articles for you all to ponder. As in the past, please feel free to email your thoughts and dialogue it up!!
Will Clinton Supporters Vote for Obama? This article from Salon.com starts slow, rehashing stuff you've already heard and read. However, there are parts that I think are dead-on, and since the article contains a numeric listing, it's easy to point you toward them. Check out #4, #5, #11, and #12. One of the most interesting bits is where Keith Olbermann is described as "emblematic of the unpleasant position in which Hillary-supporting feminists find themselves--members of a progressive party that doesn't seem particularly interested in their progress."
The Loud Silence of Feminists For me, this falls in the "too much, too soon" category for me. The author pounces on feminists for not vocally rushing to Michelle Obama's defense. My reaction is, give 'em a chance! We're still reeling from Hillary's exit. And, if the author hadn't noticed, it takes a long time for a ground swell of opposition to occur in the women's movement. Think about the article above--for some women, because we're so used to the sexism that is pervasive in our culture, it takes a long time to get worked up. We'll carry Michelle Obama's banner, don't you worry...
[06.24.08]
This might be the summer of music. All the big bands are dropping discs and going on tour: R.E.M., Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie...hell, even Steve Winwood is touring! BRAAANG ME A HIGH-UH LOVE! Although a few of my peeps went to the Tom Petty show, at which Winwood was the opener, none of them caught a glimpse of the ex-Traffic singer's set. Needless to say, they were NOT back in the high life again. I did see R.E.M. last week, and was interested to note the span of generations rocking out at Merriweather. In many cases, parents were there alongside their teenagers, belting out, "DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE!" I personally saved the belting for "Fall on Me," which was my favorite song of the night. Check out the Dar Williams cover, if you haven't already heard it on a mixed CD I sent you. (Transition Mix, I think, May 2002?) Coldplay is the next big show of the summer. The tickets I got were for early July, but they've postponed the concert until August. I'm blaming Gwyneth. She seems like a pain in the ***, so I'm sure it's her fault. My guess is that there's some sort of conflict with her Estee Lauder ad campaign photo shoots. But it's cool. After listening to Coldplay's brand new record just once, my bet is that it will last me all summer!
[06.18.08]
When, in the green box to the left, I say that Hillary Clinton's exit from the presidential race made us cry, I am not exaggerating. On Saturday, tears streaming down my face as I watched Hillary's speech live on CNN. Anne cried today, at work, while reading the articles we link to in said green box. We were moved. We ARE moved. Hillary is right when she said that because of her campaign, it will now be unremarkable for a woman to run for president. My hope is that this continues to ring true in ten years, or twenty. Americans tend to have a pretty short memory. My hope is also that when A&A have kids and they're old enough to understand who the president is, we will have another, more recent example of a formidable female presidential candidate to point to. [continued...]