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And I know you think I'm beating a dead horse. I mention my Aaron Sorkin obsession bimonthly. But what I haven't addressed yet is how, by comparison, everything else is crap! How can we stomach it?? How did it get so bad? How did it come to be that I am excited about the new crappy season of Private Practice, simply because it's at least slightly better than the absolute sewage Grey's Anatomy has become? Why can't Hollywood find someone to write good story lines, great dialogue, and make us laugh, cry, and learn something all at the same time? People, it's formulaic! It should be easy! Jerk my tears! Pull my heart strings! Cast Allison Janney! Bring the bar BACK UP. PUHLEASE.
(**I must note that The Wire is the only show excepted in this rant. Alas, it, too, is no longer on the air.)
[10.29.08]
Holla! This past weekend, Guitar Boy and I made our annual trek to Chicago. Only this time, Annie D. was there to share hosting duties with Ner! She decided we needed to have our own little Oktoberfest, so we headed to a bar called Prost. Many of you probably know that "prost" is the German word for cheers. Anne should have known, because--a chump like me--she also took German in high school. However, as we walked Lincoln Park in search of it, she insisted on calling it "Prahst." But don't worry, after a few hyuuuge beers, she got the hang of it! Then we just had to get T-Didds to stop calling it "Proust."
Anyway, it was a fun-filled visit and the weather there prepared me for the frost that has descended over D.C. When I got back home on Sunday, I turned on the heat for the first time this season. Nothing says fall like the smell of burning dust in your heating ducts! Loves it! ;)
I had a lot of gracious invitations from enthusiastic friends to join them in the 'burg this weekend for W&M's Homecoming. I love the 'burg, I love fall in the 'burg, and I love Homecoming... what could be better? Well, I'll tell you what could be better: last year's Homecoming! Since we're here at the one-year anniversary of the world's most fantastic carbon-neutral tailgate, take a second to relive the glory through photos.
[10.22.08]
Here are some detes and updates in nugget-sized servings:
**First, I've returned from a nice, long vacation in Ireland, where they have more ancient stone walls and structures than Virginia has Republicans. Oh snap! That's not saying much anymore!! [Evil laugh.] They definitely have more ruins than they have redheads though. Kind of a letdown for this proud ginger kid. :(
**Next, hizzle bidizzle to Potter and Clarissa, and happy engagement to Zack and Libby! We're all settling into our mid-late twenties quite nicely!
**I hope you all enjoyed Annie D.'s update while I was gone--but, wait! There's more! She got a JOB!! A really SWEET ASS JOB! You can ask her more about it over the interwebs, but I am so pumped for her!
**K-dawg, Guitar Boy, and I saw "W." last night. While Oliver Stone didn't hit us over the head with any conspiracy theories (which I would have gladly and immediately subscribed to!), I did enjoy the movie and thought Bush came off as a more sympathetic, yet still pathetic, character than I'd expected. Guitar Boy disagreed: he thought Bush simply came off as the total bumbling a-hole that he we all know him to be.
**Finally, new pics below! And I hope to have more after I visit Annie D. in Chicago this weekend!! YAY!!!!
[10.15.08]
About two months ago I did the unthinkable and moved away from the center of the political universe and, much more tragically, the other A in A&A. The good news is my new hometown is doing its best to win me over. Possibly home to the next president? Possibly home to the next Summer Olympics? Possibly home to the next…errr…GO CUBS! Not bad Chi-town. So fine – I admit it: There is life beyond the East Coast. Here are a few things I’ve learned about the Windy City. Yes, people do seem a tad friendlier out here. But Chicagoans take some perverse pleasure in reminding me how unhappy I’ll be here in the winter. Just about every time I tell someone I just moved here, they say: “You’ll love it. But you’ll be miserable come February!” I get it. It’s bloody cold here. Stop reminding me! And while I am totally digging Chicago’s efforts to be an uber green city, there are so many people zigzagging in and out of traffic on bikes that I sometimes think I’ve really moved to Hanoi. But props to them for risking their lives just to reduce their carbon footprint. So my verdict is in: Chicago rules. It would just be a whole lot better if all my friends moved here and I didn’t have this to look forward to.
[10.01.08]
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[11.25.08]
Here in D.C. many of us are eagerly awaiting any tidbit or leak about who will serve in Obama's cabinet. It's like waiting for the cheerleading coach to post the new team listing after week-long try-outs! Okay, that's a bad example. Maybe Annie D. can offer a better one. After all, one of the best little-known factoids about Annie D. is that she participated in EVERY extracurricular activity known to man at one point or another during her middle and high school careers.
Ashley: did you take fencing?
Annie: huh?
Ashley: in high school. i'm writing about all your activities on A&A.com. can you list your strangest? didn't you do ballroom dancing? clogging?
Annie: pole vaulting
Ashley: RIGHT. i knew it was something with a pointy stick!
Annie: noooo dancing
Ashley: oboe?
Annie: wait, you're doing a post on how geeky I was? Greeeaaaat. field hockey is COOL!
Ashley: i never said geeky! you said geeky!
Annie: please pad oboe with guitar and piano
Annie: orchestra, not cool
Ashley: didn't they affront the oboe?
Annie: that was marching band. which is how i was forced to play the cymbals in 7th grade. which I promptly quit from the indignity
Ashley: didn't you take etiquette or something?
Annie: oh yes - Barclay - ballroom dancing and etiquette. i was 5'6, all the boys were 4'10
Ashley: see! i said dancing and then you said no dancing
Annie: the foxtrot counts? fine. :)
Ashley: oh, it counts double friend
Annie: but you better believe i know the proper way for a boy to get me a cookie and punch
[11.19.08]
A new term was coined by Christina last week: "friendiversary." Seven of us went down to Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate ten years of basking in each other's awesomeness. And, boy, did we discover a love for the south! It didn't hurt that our hotel, the Planter's Inn, made a very saavy move in hiring all cute young guys, several of whom delivered room service at our whim. Sorry to say, we did pick a favorite. (See photo below.) Who else among them would dote on us on and off duty? Bo, that's who!
We also discovered a love for rickshaws, or "bike taxis" if you please. Cute boys drove those too. Anne almost lost her life (or maybe just her pasta dinner), but the rest of us couldn't get enough. Jen was so excited, she threw her purse over board!
But seriously, folks: good weather, fantastic accents, sweet tea vodka, and an appreciation of the artts and alternate lifestyles? What more can you ask for? Oh wait, I know: Bill Murray on your plane ride down. CHECK!! Enjoy the pics!
[11.12.08]
Obama Freaking Won Edition!
Having a convertible is essential for times like these. This morning I got in, put the top down, and cranked Paula Abdul's "Promise of a New Day." HOW AMAZING DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW? Thankfully, they called Virginia for Obama right before they called the election for him, too, which made it easy to decide when to pop the bubbly. Gotta give a shout-out to Guitar Boy for turning the commonwealth blue with his tireless work knocking on every single door in Norton! In addition to the excitement of what I hope will be eight years of an Obama administration, I'm super pumped to hear less from Palin. People think she's going to haunt us for awhile--Cecil's conspiracy theory is that she'll appoint herself to Ted Stevens' seat--but I think her fifteen minutes are up. Fingers crossed! So soak up this moment and enjoy a few bonus quotes from last night's celebration:
"Don't let me pull up both shirts when I do that later." ~Libby, lifting her sweater to reveal her Obama tshirt underneath
"That's funny, cuz I went as Potter as Tina Fey as Sarah Palin." ~Viv, in response to Potter saying that she dressed up as Tina Fey as Sarah Palin for Halloween
"It says, 'My fashion statement is more important than the state of the country,' and I don't think it is." ~Carter, commenting on why it matters if Biden's daughter wore footless tights vs. regular tights
[11.05.08]