serve me the sky

This is a list of goals for me to complete in approximately three years, as of today -- March 12, 2009. I will make any successes green, and bold those that I am working towards.

For My Family
1. Write my grandma a letter once a month (no excuses, have enough stationary to last a decade now).
2. Call my mom first once in a while.
3. Visit (and go drinking!) with my sister in College Park.
4. Go with my dad to a historical site (Mount Vernon).
5. Make collage of digital pictures.
6. Host a dinner at my apartment.
7. Brush up on Spanish so I can hold conversations with the older relatives on my mom's side.

For My Friends
8. Call someone who lives outside of driving distance once a month.
9. Go out to dinner with Lizzie once a month.
10. Contact someone through FB/e-mail/phone that I haven't talked to in several months.
11. Work on sftl (project that's still only in my head right now).
12. Routinely send out cards for Valentine's day and Christmas.
13. Take and post more pictures of fun outings with groups.

For My Relationship
14. Stay in and cook dinner together twice a month.
15. Go out and see a movie once a month.
16. Make the painting he requested.
17. Go on a picnic.
18. Visit at least three new Jersey wineries.
19. Take the hot air balloon ride Brian bought us two Christmases ago.
20. Lend vocals to a song if asked.
21. Be more supportive about the band.
22. Go to the gym together at least once.
23. Work on figuring out the future.

For My Palate
24. Find a go-to red wine (the winner is: Quattro Mani)
25. Buy a grill pan.
26. Find a local bubble tea place.
27. Cook something without using a recipe.
28. Bake once a month.
29. Go to Ray's the Steaks/Classics/Hell Burger.
30. Maintain a fully stocked liquor shelf for guests.
31. Follow through with the co-worker Lunch Bunch.
32. Only eat lunch out once a work week.
33. Make it to 100 reviews on Yelp.
34. Eat more green vegetables.
35. Buy frozen food with less sodium.

For My Apartment
36. TAKE OUT RECYCLING MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH.
37. Bring plastic bags to recycle at grocery store.
38. Buy/get a Roomba!
39. Keep mail organized, hit up Container Store if necessary.
40. Buy frames for posters and hang them.
41. Actually use closet shoe organizer.
42. Sell unwanted clothes at Mustard Seed, donate rest down the street.
43. Curtains! Purchase, hang, bask.
44. Buy plant. Water plant. Don't kill plant.
45. Get some sort of CD display container.
46. Stop using printer as shelf for shit.
47. Replace DVD stand with newer, taller model.

For My Love of Adventure
48. Save up for Costa Rica with Brie in September.
49. Save up for Andy's wedding down under... September 2010!
50. Take a weekend trip to the Shenandoah Valley.
51. Go camping at least once a year.
52. Visit a ski resort that is a three hour drive or more.
53. Return to San Francisco with Brian.
54. Vegas!

For My Entertainment
55. Attend a major music festival (Coachella, Bonnaroo, Sasquatch)
56. Join a book club (maybe with Lauren, since we both have the same #56).
57. Watch a Gator playoff game at an alumni bar.
58. Watch The Godfather 1 & 2.
59. Buy more board games.
60. Attend at least one Caps game a season.
61. Go to Preakness once.
62. Get a lawn seat at Wolf Trap for a summer show, bring picnic and wine.
63. Take advantage of one of the prix-fixe DC Tastings Journal deals.
64. Participate in an International Club of DC event (maybe a ball.. :D)
65. Go on a group mission at the Spy Museum!
66. Watch one Broadway show a year.
67. Explore H Street (Palace of Wonders, H Street Country Club, etc)
68. Find a good place to go for karaoke other than Peyote in AdMo.

For My Community
69. Do a breast cancer or AIDS walk to raise money for research.
70. Pick one nature-supporting organization to belong to (i.e., Sierra Club, Greenpeace).
71. Put loose change in a jar for a year and donate the savings to a charity.
72. Donate books to Books for America.
73. Volunteer at the Cherry Blossom or National Book Festival.
74. Visits more cat shelters with Brian.
75. Read to someone in a nursing home.

For Myself
76. Exercise.
77. Get into yoga.
78. Join a hiking club, or at least go on a few trails with friends.
79. Go rock-climbing (in a gym is okay).
80. Try a new hair style (maybe bangs if feeling adventurous).
81. Go canoeing/kayaking on the Potomac.
82. Buy nicer work clothes.
83. Skeet shooting!
84. FLOSS REGULARLY (post pics of gum disease on bathroom mirror if needed).
85. Wax more often.
86. Get a professional massage and stop hogging the mall chairs at Brookstone.
87. Learn to walk in heels.
88. Dr. Fish!
89. Tour Arlington Cemetery.
90. Take a trapeze class.
91. Get professional photos taken for fun.
92. Research and switch to higher-yield savings account.
93. Take swing dance lessons.
94. Join a choir.
95. Skydive.
96. Have at least one girls-only weekend a year.
97. Catch a DC Roller Derby game
98. Write a children's book.
99. Visit The Awakening statue at National Harbor.
100. Become financially self-sufficient.
101. Write a new 101.

FRIED PUMPKIN PIE

... make me some.

Lately I've been in a work funk. During my one-year review a few months ago, my boss basically told me there's nowhere my position can go in the company; that I'm stuck doing what I'm doing, which is boring, repetitive work. The location is amazing, and I like the people I work with, but this job is not challenging. To add to that, because of our financial crash last year no one was given a raise or a bonus. I'm just treading water with my salary, and that's annoying.

Now: My boss just announced ten minutes ago that she's decided not to renew our flex schedule program as of January.

The flex schedule was the one thing keeping me happy here. I only get three weeks' vacation (everyone else in my division gets four because they've been here forrrrreverrrr), but having every other Monday off made up for that. I didn't have to take sick days for doctor's appointments, and I could occasionally extend my weekends with Brian. This fucking sucks. I know I'm 26 and all, but after my boss made the announcement, I wanted to argue with her or throw a tantrum. It's not fair! You're ruining my life!

Edit: My 50-something-year-old co-worker just walked into my office, closed the door and starting ranting about the flex program, dropping f-bombs. I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't busy being pissed. She's not talking to my boss for the rest of the day. I feel better about the tantrum impulse...

You can tell I've been staying in a little more than usual lately because this post, much like the last, will mostly be media-related. I skipped the gym after work today because I was tired, but then I checked a voicemail my mom left me. Basically, she wanted to thank me for the strawberry-rhubarb pie I picked up for my dad in New York over the weekend, and let me know that she's going to eat it all because it's awesome, and that I shouldn't let myself get fat. Hilarious.

So I flipped to OnDemand, found a free 30-minute workout program called -- I kid you not -- Cardioke, and tried it out for shits. This "urban"- dressed guy was trying to get me to sing Let's Get It Started while flapping my arms and doing a side shuffle. If I had been playing a drinking game based on how many times he reminded me to breathe, I wouldn't have made it past the warmup. After thoroughly embarassing myself, I watched Glee, followed by the 10 o'clock news. Glee I watch sometimes (I can't 100% decide whether it charms or irritates the shit out of me -- it's 50/50 right now because tonight's episode felt like the world's longest thinly-disguised 7-11 commercial, but Sue made it up to me as usual); the news practically never.

On the news: 
- A man from Springfield is being charged with indecent exposure for walking around naked in his own house. Man, I'm in trouble ;).

- They're doubling the charges on the Dulles Toll Road in the next two years. Woooooo!

- A decorated Marines veteran was caught lying about being injured during combat; turns out he was stationed in a communications tower or something the whole time, and was using the sympathy to score free sports tickets and passes to see concerts, including Journey and Jimmy Buffet.
Journey and Jimmy Buffet. Years of college bars and the DC kickball scene have made me want to puncture my eardrums with a cocktail stirrer every time I hear: Living on a Prayer, Like a Prayer and Pour Some Sugar On Me. Who cares? But also, Don't Stop Believing, and I wish I could get that one back. I have always detested Jimmy Buffet. He has nothing to say to me, and his followers are frightening. Why anyone would face confinement and a $25,000 fine for that is beyond me.

Someone please come learn the Thriller dance with me on Friday? I'm not sick of that yet.

Last night I went out with a group of people to see our friend Keegan play an acoustic set at a neighborhood restaurant called Parker's. On my walk over I opened my phone to receive a text and it SNAPPED IN HALF. I was pissed (this is not the first time the same model of phone has died on me), but I'm due for an upgrade, so I figured I'd just switch sooner than I had planned. I get to Parker's, listen to the set, and decide, at 10:30, that I should head home.

I walk home, alone and in the dark. No phone. I thought to myself, thank god I chose to live in Bethesda, where the worst thing that happens is a Mercedes dings a BMW while it's circling a parking lot. 

I get to my apartment building and start rummaging for my keys. No keys.
I can't call my roommate, Lizzie, to let me in.

I run (more like sprint, then huff) back to Parker's. My friends are still there. I borrow someone's phone and call my parents' house. My mom doesn't have Lizzie's cell phone number. Brian doesn't either. I'm forced to call HER parents' house. I'm going to wake up her dad. I wake up her dad. He's bemused I don't know her cell number by heart. I halfheartedly explain about technology making it so no one has to store information in their heads anymore (if I hadn't known Lizzie since middle school, there's no way in hell I could have dialed her house phone). He gives me the number. I scribble it on a receipt from my wallet and call my mom back.

Me:       Mom, I'm going to walk back to the apartment and have Lizzie let me in.
Mom:    Be careful! I just heard on the news that someone was shot near Goldsboro*.
Me:        You've got to be kidding me.

This time I really do run home, pepper spray at the ready. Lizzie lets me in. My keys turn out to have been sitting on my bed the whole time.
_______________________________
*Goldsboro is two streets down from my building.

RECAP:
Last night I spent a half hour walking to and from my apartment, by myself, with a non-functioning cell phone and a KILLER ON THE LOOSE.

This morning I got an e-mail from Brian:

Well, now's your chance to get the ChocoRazBerriPhone you've always wanted.  In other news, I'd have come to DC, picked you up, slept with you in the car and driven off to work in the morning just to keep you company.  We could have bathed in the CVS bathroom.  Glad it didn't come to that, though.

Moral of the story: Verizon can suck it, I love my boyfriend, and should probably look into buying a taser...
                   

So, my 26th year of existence started with a piercing morning fire alarm in my apartment. They've been doing construction to rewire the electricity in the building, and the bathroom hallway and our living room is full of ceiling scaffolding. I almost ran into our not-usually-behind-the-couch shelving unit during my hasty retreat. But the office is quiet, and my desk smells like flowers thanks to Brian, who sent me a gorgeous bouquet because he's amazing <3.  

My co-workers are taking me out to lunch, and tonight I get to see Regina Spektor and Little Joy in concert. Tomorrow is Ra Ra Riot, Friday Brian drives down, and Saturday is my birthday party! If anyone has good tips on how to keep a group of approximately forty 20-somethings entertained, let me know... not sure a piñata will cut it in a lounge scenario.

I feel entitled to not do very much work today. My boss is gone for the week -- that's like giving permission, right?

I started an entry on Costa Rica and need to flesh out the details... post forthcoming.

I'm happy to be here :).

That's right, CAR PANTS.

The travel finally caught up to me last night -- I think it was the unlimited booze and food bracelets we were given when we arrived at the Double Tree in Puntarenas yesterday :(. I had to whip out the Immodium and have spent the day avoiding food and feeling like a floppy noodle. I did manage to drag my ass out of bed to visit Manuel Antonio National Park, which turned out well worth the effort - I swam in the Pacific and got to touch a baby sloth :). Tomorrow we return to San Jose so I can take a picture of a hilarious graffiti stamp I saw outside the National Museum and buy the last of my souvenirs. I'm sad the adventure's nearly over, but it will be cool to drink tap water with no hesitation.

Catch you cool cats soon.

So, day five, midway through my Costa Rican adventure, and we've been to the city of San Jose, the jungles of Tortuguero (where we were serenaded by howler monkeys and I saw a green turtle give birth on the beach), and as of this morning we are lodging next to the city of Fortuna, just under Arenal, an active volcano which is in plain view when I open the door to my cabin. I'll miss the monkeys, but I love the air conditioning. So far I've taken almost 2GB worth of pictures, so I'll have a ton to share when I get back on Sunday. Happy trails!

10 hours until I fly out to Costa Rica! I'm past the oh-my-god-I-need-to-buy-a-fanny-pack-and-pants-that-turn-into-shorts freakout and now I'm just calmly excited. My mom told me when I got to the house that she and my dad are paying for the trip for my birthday.... which is amazing. Brian tells me every now and then that I have a perfect life, and sometimes, like now, I have to agree :). What can I say, birds dress me in the morning.

Here's the path we'll be taking, and a link to the itinerary:



If I don't post pictures within a few days of when I get back (the 20th), pester me about it. I got really lazy about recording my Australia trip on here past the first few days of the visit, and I regret it.

Be good, everyone :).

My mom's so funny. She has the day off and is taking me out to lunch. She called me at work to debate where to eat, and after a few minutes she narrowed what she was in the mood for down so much that the only option in the area is Chipotle, rather than just suggest it in the first place. Fine by me!

Last night was awesome. Joe's "putting me on the list" meant Anne and I got VIP passes. We could sit or stand or dance without knocking into anyone, and we had our run of the upstairs bar and bathroom. The guy sitting near me turned out to be the keyboardist's nephew, and he was flirting pretty hard until...

Him: So, you go to school around here?
Me: No, I live in Maryland and I'm done with school.
Him: Oh. Do you mean undergrad?
Me: Yup! Class of '05!
Him: ... How old are you?
Me: 25.
Him: "..."

He was sporting an underage stamp on his right hand -- I felt ancient! He almost got kicked out of the show a half hour later because his (also underage, it turns out, LOL) friend let him have a sip of his beer. He got all indignant with a bouncer and pulled the "I'm with the band" card. I tried not to crack up.

The 9:30 Club cupcake was delicious. Mission accomplished.


 

I've stayed up past 2 for the past two nights. A normal person would stay in and catch up on their beauty sleep. I nearly walked into a wall this morning and I'm going to see The Wallflowers tonight. For those of you keeping score at home, this will be my ELEVENTH show of the year (out of 16). At least I don't have to pay for it, since I have an in with their tour manager, the always-awesome Joe D. Is it sad I'm more excited at the possibility of snagging a 9:30 Club cupcake than the possibility of meeting Jakob Dylan?

Brian and I will be staycationing the crap out of the long weekend.
On the menu:

- Crab feast in Annapolis (insert inappropriate joke here)
- Scottish Festival in Virginia (men in skirts tossing logs? what could go wrong?)
- Tubing in West Virginia (getting waxed tomorrow in preparation, wooooo)

Seven days until I flee the country, and four work days left to slog through...

I haven't done laundry in over a month, but I'm not wearing bikini bottoms as underwear yet, so I'll probably put it off a little longer. I make the best adult ever.

I subscribe to an e-mail list called Groupon. Once a day I'm sent an offer for discounts (usually 30-50% off) on things like spas, rock climbing, paintball, etc. The idea is that once a certain number of people agree to purchase the offer, the company will honor the deal. Usually the e-mails are dangerous. "$150 to whiten my teeth? And it could have been $300? Oooooh...." Today's deal, however, is six weeks of Blockbuster-by-mail for FREE. What could go wrong? I already have Netflix, so for a month and a half I'll be getting FOUR MOVIES AT A TIME, unlimited. I may not leave the house in October. Who wants to come over for a movie marathon??

In other news, I am sore all over from my second trapeze class on Saturday, and sunburned from hitting Eastern Market Sunday morning. Brian and I took advantage of restaurant week and went to Morton's -- their filet mignon was ridiculous, and at $40, a three-course dinner for $35 was an absolute steal.

I reaaaaaally don't feel like working right now. My brain's already in Costa Rica. Only a week and a half to go!

 

Someone posted a meme on Facebook asking what bands you remember seeing, and when you saw them. I couldn't participate because I (a. have a terrible memory, and (b. am a messy packrat and can never find the ticket stubs I save. Assuming LJ is still around when I'm retired, I'd like to be able to look back and marvel at how many shows I attended when I was young (I mean, just look at the insane number for this year alone!), so I'm going to keep up the running list I started here a few months ago.
To date:

3/05 Black Lips
3/14 Duncan Sheik
3/23 Cut Copy w/ Matt and Kim
4/08 Death Cab w/ Cold War Kids
5/13 The Thermals
5/24 The National
6/09 Pink Martini
7/08 Wilco w/Conor Oberst
8/01 Paul McCartney
8/05 Tinted Windows
9/03 Wallflowers
9/24 Ben Folds w/ the NSO 
9/30 Regina Spektor
10/1 Ra Ra Riot
10/20 Hanson w/ Hellogoodbye
10/29 Guster 
 

So, my co-worker and I were in the middle of chatting, when all of a sudden she says, "I think I just saw something." I look toward the corner of my office she's pointing at and see nothing. I'm about to shrug when out of nowhere this ENORMOUS BROWN MOUSE darts into the center of the room. I don't wear heels and I don't get manicures and I don't read Vogue, but damn if I didn't let out a high-pitched shriek like the hounds of hell were after me.

I'm still crouched on my swivel chair.

So far (argh) we have Ted Kennedy [77], John Hughes [59], Michael Jackson [51], Farrah Fawcett [63], Les Paul [94], Ed McMahon [86] and Walter Cronkite [92]. I know there are more, but these are the household names I recognize instantly -- I could tell you what each person was known for if you asked me on the street. With the exception of MJ and John Hughes, however, I would need to do some digging to realize the direct impact they have had on my life.

My friend Lauren just posted an entry about the theory that the world will end in 2012. If this were the end of 2011, I would be thinking these celebrities knew something we didn't. 

Dear Universe,

Stop snatching away people who make a positive difference in the world. In exchange, you have my permission to take Lindsay Lohan or Jon Gosselin.

Regards,

Me.
 

I don't usually follow celebrity news, but I was intrigued enough by the bizarre murder of Jasmine Fiore (a bikini model whose body was found in a suitcase; her teeth were ripped out and her fingers were cut off to prevent identification of the body) to do a little research. Obviously the murder was gruesome, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. The main suspect is her husband (a man taking court-ordered anger management classes), who fled the country and then committed suicide. So Jasmine moved from a small town to LA, became a Playmate and married an asshole. I feel a little bad for her. Her family claims she was a tomboy growing up, and that she was "wholesome" and "refined." I feel a little worse. But then I look up some pictures. Wholesome? Refined? Want to know how they identified her body? The serial numbers on her breast implants. Game over.

This is the most cracked-out horoscope I've ever read. Either the writer is seriously running out of material, or he's hitting the purple haze.
 
In other news:

- I stayed at my parents' house last night because the drive back from Jersey tired me out. When I got out of the shower this morning, my mom had left a sandwich in a brown paper lunch bag on my bed. My name was on the front of the bag, with a heart. My mom can be insane, but she's adorable too <3. 

- Anne and I are starting season 4 of Lost tonight. It's taken a considerable amount of willpower not to cheat and use the instant view option on Netflix. Hey, I can always pretend to be surprised...

- Brian traded in his defunct red van for a three-day, two night hotel voucher. Spots include San Francisco, Denver, Key West and Las Vegas. I was thinking maybe we could save money, though, and go somewhere within driving distance like the Outer Banks. Thoughts?

- Less than a month until I head to Costa Rica. I need to start buying severely unfashionable items like crocs, pants that convert to shorts, and a fanny pack.

- I have three summer weekends left to hit a theme park and go tubing. When I get back it'll be Fall, just in time for the Maryland renaissance festival, my birthday, and Markoff's haunted forest a little while later. How the hell is it almost 2010 already?! I'm not ready for 26 :(.

A guy goes on a 2-week trip to Europe and his girlfriend doesn't pay attention when he says goodbye. Hilarity ensues:



I have serious doubts about the authenticity of this story, but even if it's made up, it's definitely an entertaining read.

Monday: Harry Potter 6
Tuesday: Advance Screening of The Goods
Wednesday: Off for bocce
Thursday: Advance Screening of Thirst
Weekend: In the Loop?

So, Yelp has me spending more than I normally would on food (and I'm up to 91 reviews as of today. that is insane). HOWever, it also lets me see movies for free. 500 Days of Summer? Didn't pay a dime. The Ugly Truth? Nada.

With this great power comes a great responsibility.... to get excited about MORE movies. Know what looks awesome, other than Alice?





The Goods was funnier than the Hangover, IMHO -- Will Ferrell cameo and Ed Helms in a 'man band'? How can you go wrong?