What A Weekend

I'm still recovering from my crazy and awesome weekend.  

~ My sister was in town
~ Mom was one of three awardees at a banquet on Friday night, which the family attended together (I cried a little, I was so proud of her...)
~ My friend Alyx, one of the geniuses behind LOLFed, was also in town for a baby shower and to play tourist in DC...

Our Saturday started with  boozy milkshakes at Ted's Bulletin ....

we had the white russian ones... mmmm

... followed by an amazing tour of the Capitol

you've seen this before

that's what's under the dome, FYI

stylishly standing at what used to be the center of DC

did you know the Supreme Court used to meet in the Capitol? 

.... and then lobster rolls at Tacklebox (sorry no pics)

~ Sunday was spent at a baby shower of epic proportions, in honor of one the founders and moderators of Fashionism.org

(this photo credit goes to thumperz)

margaritas in sippy cups

~ Monday, after taking A to the airport and taking a long nap, my friend Sami took me to spend the afternoon on her father's boat as an early birthday present /getaway for me (and yes, this was an approved vacation day, kthx)

You can see the sunburn already!

And now, I'm catching up on work and getting ready for another long weekend. Which will include some sort of celebration for my 31st birthday. Or maybe several celebrations. And you're welcome to join! 

Two Quotes, No Waiting

As a chronic over-thinker, I suspect I might need to tattoo this on my forehead. 

Okay, or maybe just print out a few copies. That's more plausible.

Something else that I need to remind myself of. 

This is a borderline-depressing post, and 100% emo. So, my apologies. But I've had a frustrating week, during most of which I've felt overwhelmed, exhausted and sad. And for no particular reason that I could identify. Maybe it was the (relative) excitement of two work trips, followed by exhaustion and loads of mindless things to catch up on. Maybe it was the fact that the weather was decidedly un-May-like this week, and the cold and rain just got to me.  Or maybe the looming birthday and my lack of desire to celebrate it is depressing me. Or hey -- it could be all of these things!

Whatever the case: I'm moving forward now. It's Friday; it's sunny; my weekend is unplanned and therefore, I've decided, full of potential. 

Thank you for your patience while I have cleared my head of this garbage. Onward, upward, huzzah...!!!

Things I Learned in New Orleans (in no particular order)

 ~ Drinking a delicious, rather high-octane, drink called "Smurf in a Blender" will turn your teeth, lips and tongue bright blue

 Here I am, consuming the aforementioned drink

~ Bourbon Street can be beautiful at night

~ The beauty of Bourbon Street at night is, most likely, amplified by consuming a number of Hurricanes at the Piano Bar at Pat O'Briens. (and not all of these are my empties - I swear!)

~ Southern hospitality really does exist 
~ Deep-fried oysters are amazing
~ The cable car is a picturesque, but rather inefficient, means of travel.
~ It is possible to jam-pack your time in New Orleans with wonderful sights and meals, and still not see or consume everything that you had hoped -- which means a return tip is required
~ Smoking rates among African Americans and individuals of low socioeconomic status in our country are ridiculously, obscenely higher than the rest of the general population (and yes, I do realize that's a very general statement - but I don't quite have time or space here to share all that I learned at the conference)

I've been home for two days and am still exhausted -- and still feeling full from fried everything, rice-and-beans, Southern breakfasts, and good ol' hotel food. The conference was great, the company was wonderful, and the overall experience was unforgettable.

Edited to Add: And to quote my coworker's Facebook status: "EVERY work conference should include a live New Orleans jazz band at lunch and a gospel choir at the post-conference reception. Conference planners, please take note."

Photo Of The Day

I found this photo this AM the incredibly vague folder in my bookmarks menu called "Links". It ends up being a catchall for things that I want to see again.  Not quite as specific as "Shopping", "News", "Financials" or "Geek" (which is the folder for things related to the websites I manage, as well as important things like "How To Clean your White MacBook").

But I digress....

This image is what I work my heart and soul out for, and can't wait to see on every vending machine, on the counters in every store that sells tobacco and every pack of cigarettes sold in this country.

Quote Of The Day (and personal food for thought)

I usually say "Of course I worry. It's something I'm good at, and everyone needs a talent."

My Florida Vacation, by Jess

While Dr. Mom was (ostensibly) attending a conference, here's what I did for the past five days
(in no particular order):
~ slept a lot
~ drank various rum-based concoctions

 One such concoction

~ read "The Postmistress" and started "Grapes of Wrath"

~ sat on the beach

Windy but gawgeous

~ bought new sunglasses
~ made friends with the bartenders on the beach, at the pool and in the main hotel bar
~ bonded with my mom
~ argued with my mom
~ took lots of photos

Back deck of the hotel 

~ got a sunburn
~ ate a lot, including a fantastic Cuban lunch with my friend R
~ heard Desmond Tutu speak (he was amazing)
~ bought an absurd amount of chocolate at a local candy store
~ attended receptions with my mom and drank cheap white wine
~ watched TV (still have no TV at home, so yes, this was a treat)

Here's what I didn't do:
~ go on a Twitter/email/text message vacation
~ exercise
~ miss the cold weather in DC

It's a good thing I checked my email, because there was still an absurd amount waiting for me when I got back to the office. And I needed to be able to access Twitter constantly because.... because I say so, okay?

I have no excuse as to why I did not exercise.

#snOMG #snOVERIT #snopacalypse

Last Thursday, I left work early - I wasn't feeling too well and was croaking like a frog, which didn't sound too good. As a massive winter storm was approaching, my father took pity on me and brought groceries and medication to my apartment. (I am lucky, spoiled and blessed. I know it.)

The storm hit on Friday and the office closed at noon that day. It hasn't reopened since, as a result of the series of snowstorms that have come through the DC area.

In the past week, I've been able to recover from my cold and catch up on much-needed sleep. I've almost finished reading Bonk, by Mary Roach - which I highly recommend - and have been working on a John Irving novel, as well. My TV died over the weekend, so I've become a bit of a Hulu and youtube addict. And my usual Twitter activities have multiplied (hence the hashtag'd title of this post). I also uncovered some of my favorite Beethoven CD's from college and have been playing them in my ancient stereo. (How retro of me, I know...)

I have been out in my neighborhood to make purchases that I didn't want to request of my doting father - namely, a stop at the liquor store - and have been able to spend time with some of my friends on two occasions. I've even taken care of some work emails.

Dupont Metro 2/09/10

This is all to say that, somehow, I have not gotten cabin fever. As someone who has dealt with loneliness and anxiety in increasing amounts over the past few months, I am pleasantly surprised at how happy I have been this past week. Being sick frustrated me, but knowing that I wasn't going to be able to go to work, anyhow, made it easier for me to give up and let myself... well, be sick. Perhaps I should have taken the time to find out whether or not my gym has been open, but since I've been feeling better, this time off has felt too much like a holiday for that kind of nonsense. (Says the girl with how many weeks until the 10 miler? OY.)

 what would i do without my friends??

Of course, having Stormy here has helped enormously.

The Only Place You'll Wanna Be is Underneath My Christmas Tree

Yes, I am obsessed with that particular Lady Gaga holiday song.  No, I am not going to let the fact that Christmas is over (or the fact that I'm Jewish) keep me from playing it and quoting it repeatedly.

I think it's time for a fluffier, less emotional post. So, I think I'll share two outfits that I wore over the holiday weekend.

For dinner with my parents on Erve Christmas, a sweater dress from Forever 21 that I picked up a few years ago, along with super cute new boots that are, alas, not pictured:

For Sunday brunch, DVF Pella that was purchased last winter, but never fully appreciated until now:

Three quick photos to share...

About to run into a(nother) meeting, but it occurred to me that I had not shared any photos from my last-weekend-in-August getaway. My boyfriend and I were supposed to go on a cruise, but we missed the boat. Literally.

However, we managed to salvage our vacation by staying in the Bahamas for 3 nights, instead.

Poolside at the hotel:

The view from our dinner table at Compass Point:


I am a lucky, lucky girl.

Finally Friday

My 30th birthday celebration was a success. Well, maybe I should say "celebrations" - I was terribly, wonderfully spoiled by my friends, family and coworkers over the course of several days. This has been a long, and very busy week, but if my 30's are going to be anything like the last week has been, then I'm fine with that!

(Minus the broken (but now fixed) air conditioning. Not fun in the DC early summer heat.)

I had the pleasure of caring for my friend's cat this past week. I was nervous about the responsibility, anxious that I might have lost my touch with cats in the years since my family's own furry beasties passed away, but ultimately, it was wonderful to have a cat in my home. Even if he does weigh just over 20 pounds. And woke me up by lying on my torso this morning, purring (and drooling, which he does when he's happy) kneading his claws into my chest, fur and pudge draped over my sides. (I emailed a terrible iPhone pic to my family and a friend, saying "I'm TRAPPED!")

Here's Gatsby, not looking quite so plump, in my bathroom:

His mom took him to another foster family this AM, as I'm off to a conference in Phoenix for a week and the cat can't quite be returned to his family -- they're waiting to find out if their kids are allergic -- but I might end up fostering him for a while upon my return. I hope he can go home soon, though.

So, I leave for Arizona on Sunday. I expect the conference will thoroughly exhaust me, but I expect it to be a great experience overall. I'm leading a discussion with a smaller group on one day, but the trip will be mostly be about attending different sessions and networking. And taking extensive notes on EVERYTHING.

I also have tentative plans to meet one of my boyfriend's sisters -- which, surprisingly, I'm not anxious about at all -- and hope to see some of my friends who live in the Phoenix area. There will be cocktail hours, receptions and meet-and-greets after the official sessions are over each day, but I do want to get out of the hotel and conference center at some point; those places can get tedious, as well as really cold. (Oh, note to self: pack a few more cardigans.)

I hope to have some interesting stories to tell after this trip, although, since it's a tobacco control conference, they may only be of interest to MOI.

I'm off to a National's game with some coworkers. Lets hope the game isn't too awful and that the seats aren't completely soaked!

Spring is Starting to ... um, Spring

a small front-yard garden near Dupont Circle

I love springtime - if only it would really get warm and actually become spring...!

P.S. We went snowboarding the weekend before last. It was not a success. But at least I tried!

A beautiful Saturday in March

It was unseasonably warm this weekend, so the snowboarding trip was postponed. Instead, my boyfriend and I took a walk around the Dumbarton Oaks side of Rock Creek Park; we had hoped to walk through Oak Hill Cemetery, but it is, apparently, closed on Saturdays to all visitors. After slipping through a few muddy hillsides and admiring the suddenly-blooming flowers, we wandered around the residential streets of Georgetown, admiring the beautiful, historic homes, and joking about which one we'd live in if we won the lottery.

One of many little purple flowers that were blooming through the March mud and last fall's leaves. It wasn't sunny, but it felt and looked like spring.


I love the colors of these houses, and the vine growing up the yellow house. I really like how parts of Georgetown feel a little like a suburban neighborhood, even though it's in one of the busiest parts of the city.

We agreed that "playing tourists" in DC (perish the thought!) may be something that we will have to do as it continues to get warmer.

Quiet Day At Work

I'm ~trying~ to be productive. I swear....

My sister has a tumblr account, which is fascinating and beautiful, and after browsing through other users pages, I was quite tempted to sign up for my own account. But since I have this little corner of the internet to myself (not mention a rarely used LiveJournal account, along with my frequently updated Twitter and Facebook), I decided not to do it. Instead, I shall use this space more creatively, and with less self-consciousness.

To wit: I'm sharing some images from a new collection of amazing pre-1960 color photographs online, courtesy of the The Library of Congress and their new Flickr page


I am just blown away by these (sorry, gonna be cheesy) "captured moments". Maybe it's nostalgia of some sort, maybe it's simply respect for the artistry, maybe it's a combination of a few things. But I am just amazed by these.

I used to imagine myself quite the amature photographer. In 7th or 8th grade, I had a photography class at camp and was given a secondhand Minolta. I treasured that camera and would take with me everywhere, even after the class was over, using up roll after roll of film as I took photographs of the most mundane aspects of my daily life. I know my parents weren't exactly thrilled about processing all that film.

In high school, I took a chunk of my savings (mostly Bat Mitzvah money) to contribute towards a new Nikon. And I was taking photography classes again, so my shutterbug habit was less expensive, and more focused on completing class assignments.

And now, I'm addicted to my digital camera. I have so many random pictures and and videos from my daily life... perhaps I will have to start sharing them more often.

Yard Sign

scenes from my neighborhood

It's hard to believe it's October. Even though the trees are changing, so many of the flowers in my neighbor's gardens are still in full bloom. But it's a gorgeous combination.