Am I Mean?

Learning to date again....

He seemed charming enough. I mean, I did arrive an hour before my friend, and he didn't kick me out of the booth I'd snagged. And he was cute, so I left my business card with the receipt.  How very DC.

His first email came two days later, and despite that the subject line was "Hey Kiddo!" (a term of endearment that I reserve for my younger sister and, therefore, assume that others only use it for siblings, relatives, children, pets, and the like) I responded that it was nice to hear from him. He wrote back asking for my number so we could make plans; I obliged; then he responded saying that we should "deffanately" hang out soon.

This gave me a moment of pause. I'm a stickler for correct spelling and grammar. I can understand and forgive errors in text messages, but in this world of spell-checking smart phones, how does one get away with sending "deffanately"? (And the emails did say 'Sent From My Mobile Device').

His next email came in the form of a Facebook friend request. It was accompanied by a message that he was new to Facebook, and was he doing this right? Almost simultaneously, he sent me a text message to say that he'd sent me a Facebook friend request and had he done it right?

I ignored both. Not only do I tend to avoid making FB friends with people I don't really know (and to say that I 'know' someone includes exchanges on Twitter, regular message board interactions, and posting comments on each others blogs. Basically, if I don't know you in the real world, we at least have a sense of each other online.) but I also wondered why he didn't have any friends on Facebook to explain the rather simple process to him.

This was right before Memorial Day weekend, which included my birthday celebration, a date with another guy, spending a lot of time with friends, seeing my parents, and significant amounts of time spent doing absolutely nothing.  Then I got slammed at work. This is all to say .... two weeks passed and I'd forgotten about "Mr. Deffanately."

Then, last Wednesday night, I got a text message from him: "I thought we were gonna hang out."  I thought about it briefly, felt no desire to respond, so I didn't.

The next night, he called me at 11pm. I didn't answer the phone. I consulted with friends and asked the Twitter world for advice; the majority responded that I should continue to ignore him if I wasn't interested. And then he texted me again: "Whats up?"

I quickly typed, "Please don't call or text me again. Thank you."

His response: "I'm sorry... I thought you wanted to hear from me... Won't do it again."

Thank goodness, I thought.

Then my phone buzzed again: "Why the hell did you give me your card then?!"

I sighed and wondered the same thing. I clearly need a screening process.

DC Bloggers Happy Hour

Calling all DC Bloggers.... it's that time again...

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! 

"Stop quoting Tennyson...."

"... and fucking spill it, Jessica. I know you have some good shit to share on your blog."

Thank you, Dr. Gatewood.

My darling, brutally honest, eloquently filthy and charming boy.... what can I share with my blog readers that they don't already suspect of me, but not all of them may want to see in writing?

A few topics come to mind:

~ My social life. Because I do seem to have one, after all. Somehow, my free time is not entirely spent with the cat, the new TV and the interwebz as much anymore. But I think I'm more likely to tag my friends (or be tagged) in a Tweet about how we're a collective #hotmess than I am to sit down and write about it afterward. Still, there are more mimosa-filled brunches, dinners with coworkers, unexpected shopping trips, outings to the Mall, and afternoons spent getting accidentally sunburned with friends over beer than there have been for several months.  Perhaps they should be recorded for posterity.

~ Dating and/or sex.  This area of my life still seems too intimate for these virtual pages, maybe because I have only recently begun to venture back into the world of heterosexual relationships. I have the sense that once I have something more substantial (and more specific) to say than "I think this could be fun", I'll expand on this topic. 

~ My family. Nah, you don't need to hear about the details of my relationship with my slightly-overprotective, wonderfully generous, stereotypically-Jewish-on-occasion parents. (Or do you? They can be awfully entertaining... Maybe this is another area in which I should think about sharing more.) In the meantime, you can follow my amazing sister on Twitter, and read her blog(s) if you want to know about her life and times; among other things, she's an artist, a poet, a comedienne, a musician, a cat-lover, besides being the most genetically-similar person to me on the planet.

Walk and/or Run

~ The Cherry Blossom 5K Walk/Run is this Sunday. While the prospect of running 10 miles terrified me, the idea of a fast-paced walk for 3 and a half miles (give or take a few decimal points) on a beautiful Spring morning is far less daunting. (Wish me luck!)

~ I think know that I'm getting crankier about tourists in DC with each passing year. I know they're good for the local economy, I know they're just trying to enjoy our Nation's Capitol during a beautiful time of year. But could they at least be polite? Don't they realize that people actually live and work in this city -- and need to ride the Metro system to do so -- all year round?  I overheard a man riding the Red Line complaining loudly to his friends/family/fellow touristas: "OhmyGAWD, the New YORK subway system is so much EASIER to navigate! What the hell is with this city?" I found it hard not to turn in my seat and respond "Well, then why don't you go back there?"

~ In general, though, I'm much less of a cranky/emo bitch. I had a feeling that things would get easier once the record-setting snow had melted, the sun started to shine more often and the flowers began to blossom. And .... well, it has. 

~ If you need motivation, moral support as you try to get into shape, find a workout routine that works for you, or just want to know that you're not alone in the struggle to fit into that adorable dress that you used to look really cute in two summers ago, I highly suggest reading In It To Gym It 

My Recent Adventures

Work has kept me incredibly busy this past two weeks. It has felt as if every possible job that I usually do has been multiplied by 10, and that new responsibilities  have been added on at an astonishing rate. Not to mention the "other duties as assigned" that tend to make their inevitable presence known in my job description whenever things are at their busiest.  This is all to say that lately, it has been, in every way, shape, and form, a Non Profit Paradise.

But I've had some fun, as well.

Last weekend, I had the unique pleasure of escorting a college friend to a military ball...

Okay, more details are needed before I continue:
~ It was the annual Air Force Charity Ball
~ I attended a women's college, so my hot date was my friend M (whom, you will see, is quite hot)
~ M invited me to attend this event with her because her brother wasn't available, and her family gets a ticket for each member of the family (her father was in the Air Force)

Anyhow.

This was a black tie event. Which threw me into a tizzy because, despite all of the dresses that I own -- DVF wrap dresses, cocktail dresses, "tropical casual" dresses (and I didn't know they were called that until I had to go to a wedding in St. Kitts last summer), and countless sundresses -- I didn't have anything that was black-tie-appropriate. Besides old bridesmaid dresses, and I really, really didn't want to wear any of those.

So, first things first: M and I went dress shopping. I found an amazing dress for a mere $75. Then I had to spend about the same amount getting it tailored. But, in the end, I think it was worth it:

attempting to look sweet and innocent

M and I on our way out the door:

We drank champagne, we danced, we were flirted with by (much older and unavailable) men in uniform, we snickered at awful outfits (worn by the wives of these aforementioned unavailable men in uniform), we ate a huge meal, and ultimately, a grand time was had by all.

Then, a few days later, I decided to chop my hair off:

I'm surprised at how much I love it - it's a huge difference, as you can tell. But I'm getting used to it and am thrilled at how many positive reactions I'm getting to my new 'do. Although I've been told everything from "wow, you look amazing!" from various friends, to "my my, don't you look all grown up now - don't you feel grown up?!" (ummmm ...) to "....can I see you sometime soon?" from a guy I used to date (ha!).

And, at long last, it has finally become my favorite time of year: Spring. And in Washington, it means it's cherry blossom season.  I spent most of this past Saturday afternoon at the Tidal Basin with my friend F and her son.  Granted, it was not nearly as warm as I'd like it to be (I swear, I'll stop bitching about the weather .... eventually) but it was wonderful to see all of the trees starting to come into bloom:

This is but one of a few dozen photos I took on Saturday, of the trees, Monuments and Kite Festival -- I will share more later on!

Back to the grind. Happy Passover, everyone :)

Spring?

This post originally started as musings on the beautiful, springlike weather that we've had for the past few days. I was rhapsodizing about the sunshine, 50 to 60 degree temperatures, and the feeling that winter was almost over. I looked for photos of the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and through my own photos of springtimes past in and around DC.

Then I got distracted by work (funny thing about that) and by the time I came back to this post, I was unimpressed with what I'd written. And my usual routine of "work is busy but that's good, where's my new TV, I'm a crazy cat lady, wish I liked to exercise more" just was not going to cut it. Yes, I'm relentlessly self-editing -- but really,  if it's not entertaining to me, it's definitely not going to be entertaining to you.

I think what I need more than anything else is a re-reading of one of my very favorite books, Eloise, by Kay Thompson.

"I am Eloise.  I am six.  I am a city child.  I live at the Plaza."

 

Maybe that will help me clear my head, and help me come up with something creative to share....

In Which I Gush

Friday night, I went to a fantastic happy hour, where I met (and got drunk with) a few dozen DC-area bloggers and/or Twitter addicts. I started off feeling self-conscious and anxious: I was exhausted from this week and, as a result, was super-ADHD; of this whole group, I only knew DC Princess (but what a wonderful person to know - read her post on attending such a gathering for the first time); and I don't consider myself a blogger of the same caliber as some of these incredible writers....*cough* ihatesomuch *cough* Livit, Luvit .... sorry something in my throat.

But as the evening tipsily progressed, I found myself increasingly comfortable -- yes, the drinks helped, but this group was so welcoming, and everyone was happy for the chance to see each other and make new friends. Plus, I wasn't the only gushing, new-to-blogging girl there.

I woke up the next morning with a bit of a headache, along with new Twitter friend requests, new contacts in my phone, business cards in my jeans (and bra, of course) and silly photos in my camera. In my humble opinion, #DCHH was a huge success.

Now it's Sunday night. I need to attempt productivity. This will take the form of packing for Florida, and cleaning the apartment so my father doesn't know how much of a degenerate I really am when he comes to feed Stormy this week.

#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.

You're a Mean One, Ms Grinch

Yesterday was a snow day -- DC was crippled by the "Blizzard of 2009", but  it was wonderful to have a three-day weekend. And the excuse to hibernate was greatly appreciated.

Back at work today, as one of four people in my department, I find myself pleasantly occupied... for the most part. I've said before that I'm the sort of person who would rather be busy than not, and that has certainly been the case today. Coworkers on holiday vacations (several in warmer climates, of which I am supremely jealous) means more work for me... and again, that's fine. Keep me busy, please!

But even as I'm working away, there's a nagging sense in the back of my head that I'm missing something. Okay, the obvious being holiday plans; my family will celebrate Hanukkah when we get together, and we'll go out for dinner (and maybe even a movie!) on Christmas. But it's hard not to think of the years that I've spent celebrating Christmas with others, in other places. Particularly last year, when I was in California for a whirlwind long weekend.... But whatever, that was last year.

And, while I'm on such an upbeat note, this nagging feeling includes the fact that I am likely overdue for a serious examination of friendships. I've been known to let people emotionally plow over me in the past, and to remain in unhealthy relationships with those who don't really have my best interests at heart.  It may not be the most wonderful time of the year to jettison a worn out friendship or two, but it may be something I have to consider for 2010.

But enough about this emotional work that I have ahead of me. Right now, contemplation does no more than add to my Grinch-y attitude. No time to get emotional! I've got work to do, people. Making a difference in people's lives, et cetera.

A Few Things I Have Learned Recently

~ That I work with some amazing, brilliant and incredibly insightful people - and not just in the DC office, within my immediate surroundings. The two coworkers who were visiting last week helped me realize this... and I'm grateful to them, because it reinforced my love of my work.

~ That I can make myself heard at work, and should do so more often. Sometimes, I really do know what I'm talking about.

~ That dealing with wintry weather in DC is always going to be roaring pain in the ass, from now until eternity. Because every single winter, the fellow residents of my fair home town are shocked and terrified when it snows, the roads freeze, or the weather forecasters simply predict such astounding occurrences. It's awful and hilarious.

~ That I love having a cat -- my cat, this particular cat -- more than I had expected.

~ That I can't buy all of the shoes that I want, because there are people in my life who deserve holiday presents. Even if the shoes are all really, really cute. 

~ That my lack of patience and need for control simply cannot extend to every single aspect of my life. I know this, I've said it before, people have told me this before, this is not really something that I've learned recently... but I still need to remind myself:  There is a process. I have to do it one day at a time.

Deck the Wha?

I peered out of my tryptophan haze yesterday and realized that people were decorating for Christmas.

I know many Jewish families that have decorated their houses for Christmas, but mine was never one of them. My parents have a collection of menorahs and they stay out all year round on a sideboard in their dining room -- that's the extent of their holiday decor. My apartment building hasn't done anything in the lobby just yet, but I noticed that some of my neighbors have begun to decorate their windows. And I saw that there are other buildings on our street that are, as one would say, "decked out".

Baffled as to how everyone seemed to know that this was the time to start putting up Christmas decor, I posed the following question on Twitter: "When do ppl decide that it's time to put up their Xmas decor? Pls educate the Jewish girl"

The responses I received were varied, amusing and, in some cases, insightful:

"ASAP after Turkey Day is the normal goya [sic] tradition"
"usually 1 or 2 days after Thanksgiving = )"
"When kids beg you long enough, when you have a free weekend or whatever time was YOUR family tradition. ie: No fixed time"
"Whenever mom says"
"in my neighborhood it was the week before thanksgiving. I prefer after thanksgiving."
"When I feel like I have the patience to wrestle with the Christmas lights."
"we just leave it up all year...goes well with the siding"    
"when my kids were little, we used to put up the tree after thanksgiving dinner. we are supposed to put it up 1st day of advent"


Okay, so either there is some rhyme and reason to when Christmas decor goes up - or there is none at all. But this is the time when everyone decorates, so I feel a little less out of the loop.

Slouch

After my sophomore year of college, my first summer internship was at a Capitol Hill newspaper, where I was told to expect an "August Slump". As a fledgling reporter who spent a reasonable amount of her time chasing after members of Congress, asking substantive questions such as "Senator, what's on your summer reading list?", this meant that there would be no one around on the Hill of whom I could ask such deep questions. So, August was spent helping around the newsroom in other ways - which mostly consisted of answering phones and going through old clips for one reporter or another.

Fast forward to the internship I had one year after college, at my first public health non-profit. I was warned once again of this magical quiet time in August; but this time, as my duties were not related to Congress, my work load was more effected by coworkers vacations, rather than an absence of lawmakers. This internship became a full-time job, but when I experienced a lapse in my workload the following August, it turned out to be because I was being "phased out".

Oh well, I moved on! My next two positions were completely, totally and utterly disconnected from the comings and goings of the Hill - in fact, August was probably the busiest time for me in both of these jobs - yet I was still warned by supervisors and colleagues alike of this mythical August slump.

This will be my third summer at my current employer. Not once has anyone mentioned the slump of August. When I've asked my colleagues in the advocacy and outreach department about this so-called quiet period, they have looked at me as though I'm out of my mind. (More so than usual, okay.) My own work load ebbs and flows all year round.....

[Wed. AM]
... I had to stop working on this post yesterday because I was handed a large assignment out of the blue. And the point I was slowly making my way towards was that this may be the first summer that I've had a quiet August. Guess I was wrong. Carry on!

Only At My Office....

A group of us were watching the webcast from the Dept. of Health and Human Services about the plans for health care reform. A few comments were made about the Secretary's beautiful choice of suit and choice in shoes (by me); there were some jokes about the strange lighting on one of the speakers; and repeated observations were made about another speakers failure to answer questions directly.

Some side conversations were held between members of the advocacy team and those of us who are less educated in some areas of Health Care Reform.

Then the Assistant Secretary said that the American health care system should be changed to one of "sick care" to one of prevention, which includes community health education. And that particular areas of concern included tobacco cessation and asthma education.

At that point, my coworkers and I were cheering at the TV, giving each other high-fives, and clapping. He'd just listed most of what our office is all about.

Nothing like health care dorks who love their jobs!

Last Day in My Twenties

Tomorrow, I turn 30. As I've said before, I'm pretty excited about the next decade of my life.

In the past week, I've been told "30 is the new 17", "your 30's are the new 20's", as well as "are you SURE you're ready for 30?" (I realize, too late, that I should have responded to the last one with - "Do I have a choice?")

Seems like a lot of people (women, actually) found turning the big 3-0 traumatic. Brilliant public health professional that I am, it has only really begun to dawn on me that the emotional trauma that women experience with aging is a social and biological issue. But this hasn't been the case for me -- I had never been the kind of gal who needs to get-married-have-kids-settle-down-in-the-suburbs (although my mother and sister do remind me that I did have some strange baby angst towards the end of high school, which I really can't explain).

Edit - I realize that I did say "had".

Having spent most of my 20's in a difficult relationship and only really focusing on the whole "what I want to do with my life" issue for the past three (or is it four? man, how long was I in grad school?!) years, I feel that my life is much more focused now than it ever has been. One of those "growing up" things, I'm told.

I feel as though my achievements of the past two years are a big part of the reason why my 30's will be fantastic:
~ Started working at my current job, where I have flourished
~ Made the big move out of the parents house - and became acquainted with the true meaning of "personal fiscal responsibility"
~ Ended the aforementioned relationship and learned the joys and terrors of dating in DC
~ Finished my Masters thesis under extreme circumstances (and I've said it before and will say it again - I thoroughly believe that the broken foot was bestowed upon me in order to finish that thing)

All in all, I'm damn proud of myself.

Here's to my 30's being amazing!

Quick Updates

~ My beloved iPhone is back to normal, which makes life in general much better.

~ In the past week, I've attended two of the Stanley Cup Semi?Quarter?I'm not sure? finals to watch the Washington Capitols get pounded; nonetheless, I'm excited to go to the game on Friday.

~ Spring has fully descended upon DC. I love it, even if my allergies have been terrible!

~ So have the tourists - which I do not love. I really wouldn't care -- or complain -- so much if they could just remember that there are quite a number of us who actually live and work in this city. It's not just picturesque monuments and impressive museums, people. And I need to get to work, so please don't try to hold the Metro doors open like they're elevator doors, okay?

~ I realized this morning that I have only dissed female footwear decisions, and not paid any attention to the fashion travesties committed by the men who walk amongst us in DC. That was quickly changed this morning when I heard a jangling sound in sync with the foot-falls of the gentleman who was walking next to me. It was like a chain was attached to his shoes, or, as I realized when I glanced down... Spurs. On business shoes. Oh, how I wish I'd had the chutzpah to take a photograph! I was intrigued and baffled and tried not to laugh. Then I thought: Perhaps this was not as much of a fashion disaster as a fashion statement that I simply did not understand. I just hope someone (else) got it.

Cherry Blossoms, In the Rain, At Night

I hope to have more pics to share of the cherry blossoms soon. They're gorgeous (as always!) and I need to get out to the Tidal Basin to see them up close before they're gone for the year!

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.

Winter? Huh?

This week started with the first REAL snowfall in DC this winter. It was all iced over by the next day, and most of the roads and sidewalks remained slippery. And I noticed on my commute to and from work that a significant number of women, of varying ages were wearing rainboots or Uggs -- I counted 10 pairs of Uggs at my Metro station, and five pairs of of rainboots.

While not a fan of Uggs, I will admit that I'm rather jealous of what I imagine are the wearer's warm feet. I'm not sure how I feel about rainboots, style-wise, but I do know that they're not good on ice. I personally wore hiking boots to brave the DC sidewalks, and I'm sure I'm committing a worse style faux-pas than others.

But the most ridiculous thing I've seen this past week: Women wearing heels with no socks or stockings.

Maybe these women don't want to schlep an extra pair of shoes to the office. Maybe they don't have to be on the frozen tundra of our sidewalks very much. But shoes with no socks when it's below freezing? Maybe the answer here is that I'm more of a Jewish Mother than I've realized... but this seems absolutely, utterly and completely ridiculous.

Anyhow. After two days of the cold (and ridiculous footwear, natch) the Boy and I decided to stop talking about him teaching me to snowboard, and actually make a day trip this Saturday to a ski resort for my lesson. We started assembling gear of his that I'd borrow, talked about what I should wear (long underwear, absolutely; fleece would be better than wool; are cashmere socks a bad idea?), and looked up prices for board rentals.

But now, we have to postpone our plans: It's going to be almost 75 in DC tomorrow, and not much colder than that at the mountain. Trust me, I am the last person to complain about nice weather -- when it gets to be spring, I will spend hours rhapsodizing about the warm weather, sunshine and flowers -- but this is insane weather for March.

I suspect the tourists will descend upon us once again. Cherry Blossom season is approaching, and this weekend could be a sneak preview.

I bet they make ridiculous footwear choices, too.