So if you know me, you know I like to plan. Yeah, I may procrastinate when it comes to school work and stuff like that, but in terms of "events" I love planning. A friend recently reminded me of a brunch Ame and I had here about a year ago. "My God, it was so AMAZING" she wrote. I had forgotten about it a bit, and then thinking back I thought "Damn, that sh*t was amazing if I do say so" saved mostly by Amy's scrambled eggs after I ruined a dozen that I made by keeping them in the oven to warm while the boys looked for champagne. Seriously though, that brunch was planned to hell, as was our recent PartyLite party, about which the rep said "your party had the best food ever." Hee.
Basically I like to plan more than parties, so I am probably well-suited to be planning for a wedding, even if it is years away. In the past two days I've pretty much picked out a reception site that I looove (hopefully Jam will like it too! otherwise it'll be back to google lol) and have formulated a few other ideas. Planning makes me happy. Planning makes me feel secure. I LIKE PLANNING.
I have a friend getting married soon who is a planner as well, but I don't know if her planning has fallen by the wayside or if she is planning only for herself or WHAT but the planning seems distinctly crappy in this case. Her wedding is 80 or so days away and I have no idea what is going on, except that I'm in it. That's about it. Everything about it makes me uneasy, not because I don't think it will be a fabulous time, but because I'm worried about the day living up to the bride's expectations in light of the fact that no one seems organized. In desperation, I looked up her gift registries in hopes of pinning down a gift. I had visions of grandeur for a gift, an art print I had seen a few years ago, but it's out in Saratoga Springs, and with graduation (I hope) finals, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, another wedding and two christenings in my midst I don't envision making the trip out to Saratoga to fetch the gift (it's too large and fragile to be shipped) so I turn to Macy's, Crate & Barrel and Bed, Bath and Beyond for inspiration. I find a large ticket item on sale and potentially splittable, so I email two of my fellow friends and bridesmaids.
One emails me back and is like "this is great, but can we include more people, or plan for xyz."
I like, FREAK OUT my reply. FLIPPAGE. I'm like "this wedding is driving me crazy, it's unorganized, I only have three free weekends left between April, May and June, it's going to be expensive, the hotel is going to be costly, blah blah freaking out blah, and I just want to get ONE THING accomplished."
My friend then replied with an equivalent of the fish slap in 50 First Dates, seen at 2min20sec in the video below
She basically said that the wedding is THEIR day and if they EFF it up it's not our fault. It's no one's fault. They never asked for help, and there comes a point where you need to let go. We're totally stressed about school and money and our own lives. If she doesn't have a shower, she doesn't have one. If the bachelorette party is a slumber party the night before at the hotel, so it goes. It's out of our hands.
I don't know why I didn't think of that. I mean I guess I did because I always say to Jam "It's not my problem" but I was making it my problem. A big part of me was stressing because I want her day to be perfect for her own sake....but I'm not in charge of planning, so why the eff am I so obsessed?? I needed fish slap to make me calm clearly, LOL. I'm going to take my friend's advice and help if asked, but otherwise, sit back, chillax, and try to get through my own stuff....I really think that's the best thing I can do for me right now, too...summer school isn't exactly appealing!!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Oh Fair Controversy!
Yesterday Jamaal sent me this article, with "I don't see the reason for the controversy" written above the link. Controversy?! Woohooo I smell a blog post!
Turns out this incredibly articulate piece is a response to this article, criticizing Vogue's LeBron James/Gisele Bundchen April cover:
Critics are saying that the cover, shot by the famous Annie Leibovitz, "conjures up images of a dangerous black man" showing LeBron in a "Gorilla-like pose, baring his teeth" and Gisele looks all "Fay Wray." I cackled for a few minutes at this criticism. Then I thought "hold up, this is serious!" We're talking racial stereotypes, how media portrays black men, and how the world is completely overreacting here!
I cannot write as eloquently as Jason Whitlock about this whole issue, so I seriously recommend reading his take on the whole deal, but I'll share MY OPINION (hahahahaha) with you.
When I saw this cover I thought "mmmnnnn. I would sure like to be in the middle of a LeBron-Gisele sandwich." This cover is sexy - c'mon it's the "Shape" issue!! Vogue wanted two people at the top of their game, and what's more impressive, a woman AND a man, as Mr. James is only the third man to grace the cover of Vogue magazine, and the first African American man. I wonder if they put a female athlete on the cover, would there be such a controversy? Or a black supermodel? I wonder what Tyra would say about this incredible juxtaposition of sheer strength/athleticism hotness and supermodel good looks?
And in the end - why are we caring so much? Critics say that the photo is stereotypical. Is it, or are there criticisms the same old tired arguments that are so passe, they're becoming cliche? "LeBron looks like Godzilla, Gisele is a damsel in distress." *yaaaawwwnnn* Whitlock asks, "Are we only bothered by negative images of black men when the primary/sole consumer of the image is white people?" He then brings up movies that are targeted towards black people, yet are stereotypic and "simple-minded"....but they aren't criticized because they're "made for us." He further points out that LeBron himself once stated that his goal was to be one of the richest men alive, and he is therefore equivalent to a "child celebrity" and "He's in very good and very deep company when it comes to being unconcerned with and unqualified for the job of representing black men in a positive light." Ouch! He makes an excellent point though, even if he makes me feel somewhat guilty of my love for this magazine cover on the purest of pure superficial level (it's attractive to the eye). While I'm sure Whitlock will take the heat for his biting commentary, I think this needed to be said (I also love his shot at the Clinton campaign....*ZING*) especially since this is an issue people don't like to get into: white people are uncomfortable about it. They think "sh*t. is this offensive? is this wrong and we didn't see it?" I say this from experience, as I said to Jamaal "this may be easy for me to say, because I am white, but i think the controversy is weak" to which he replied "No I think it's pretty easy to say period" LOL rationality will bring us all together.
I don't mean to sound like an insensitive jerk here, or to sound like just another person who doesn't have to deal with the "stereotypic criminalization" of my demographic....actually, I'm writing as someone who tends to by hypersensitive about certain things. I am still reeling from the "stuff white people like" blog, because I visited it and found it boring and stereotypical, and hell, I hated half the sh*t on that blog! But seriously, I know I was being completely oversensitive...so I've chosen to ignore it. I realize that's a lot different than seeing this magazine cover in stores, on newsstands and billboards everywhere, but do you get the gist of what I'm trying to say? We all need to caaaaalm down. A lot.
While the rest of the world is calming down, I'm going to go buy Vogue. Normally, I only read vogue at the nail salon, when it's well-thumbed and seven months old, but this purchase will be on principle this time around. Why? Because the cover is hot and I like seeing diversity featured on such a prominent magazine cover. Diversity is SEXY (and if you interpret that as "Jamaal and Allison are sexy," that is OK!!! Also, having the issue will better help me imagine myself in that Lebron-Gisele sandwich about which I was talking earlier....yummmmm.
Turns out this incredibly articulate piece is a response to this article, criticizing Vogue's LeBron James/Gisele Bundchen April cover:
Critics are saying that the cover, shot by the famous Annie Leibovitz, "conjures up images of a dangerous black man" showing LeBron in a "Gorilla-like pose, baring his teeth" and Gisele looks all "Fay Wray." I cackled for a few minutes at this criticism. Then I thought "hold up, this is serious!" We're talking racial stereotypes, how media portrays black men, and how the world is completely overreacting here!
I cannot write as eloquently as Jason Whitlock about this whole issue, so I seriously recommend reading his take on the whole deal, but I'll share MY OPINION (hahahahaha) with you.
When I saw this cover I thought "mmmnnnn. I would sure like to be in the middle of a LeBron-Gisele sandwich." This cover is sexy - c'mon it's the "Shape" issue!! Vogue wanted two people at the top of their game, and what's more impressive, a woman AND a man, as Mr. James is only the third man to grace the cover of Vogue magazine, and the first African American man. I wonder if they put a female athlete on the cover, would there be such a controversy? Or a black supermodel? I wonder what Tyra would say about this incredible juxtaposition of sheer strength/athleticism hotness and supermodel good looks?
And in the end - why are we caring so much? Critics say that the photo is stereotypical. Is it, or are there criticisms the same old tired arguments that are so passe, they're becoming cliche? "LeBron looks like Godzilla, Gisele is a damsel in distress." *yaaaawwwnnn* Whitlock asks, "Are we only bothered by negative images of black men when the primary/sole consumer of the image is white people?" He then brings up movies that are targeted towards black people, yet are stereotypic and "simple-minded"....but they aren't criticized because they're "made for us." He further points out that LeBron himself once stated that his goal was to be one of the richest men alive, and he is therefore equivalent to a "child celebrity" and "He's in very good and very deep company when it comes to being unconcerned with and unqualified for the job of representing black men in a positive light." Ouch! He makes an excellent point though, even if he makes me feel somewhat guilty of my love for this magazine cover on the purest of pure superficial level (it's attractive to the eye). While I'm sure Whitlock will take the heat for his biting commentary, I think this needed to be said (I also love his shot at the Clinton campaign....*ZING*) especially since this is an issue people don't like to get into: white people are uncomfortable about it. They think "sh*t. is this offensive? is this wrong and we didn't see it?" I say this from experience, as I said to Jamaal "this may be easy for me to say, because I am white, but i think the controversy is weak" to which he replied "No I think it's pretty easy to say period" LOL rationality will bring us all together.
I don't mean to sound like an insensitive jerk here, or to sound like just another person who doesn't have to deal with the "stereotypic criminalization" of my demographic....actually, I'm writing as someone who tends to by hypersensitive about certain things. I am still reeling from the "stuff white people like" blog, because I visited it and found it boring and stereotypical, and hell, I hated half the sh*t on that blog! But seriously, I know I was being completely oversensitive...so I've chosen to ignore it. I realize that's a lot different than seeing this magazine cover in stores, on newsstands and billboards everywhere, but do you get the gist of what I'm trying to say? We all need to caaaaalm down. A lot.
While the rest of the world is calming down, I'm going to go buy Vogue. Normally, I only read vogue at the nail salon, when it's well-thumbed and seven months old, but this purchase will be on principle this time around. Why? Because the cover is hot and I like seeing diversity featured on such a prominent magazine cover. Diversity is SEXY (and if you interpret that as "Jamaal and Allison are sexy," that is OK!!! Also, having the issue will better help me imagine myself in that Lebron-Gisele sandwich about which I was talking earlier....yummmmm.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Back In the Saddle
Oh *sigh*
It's been back to school this week! It really sucks up all of my focus too, giving my family a good break from wedding talk (of course Jamaal is not spared, that'll teach him for asking me! lol). I have a mere 37 days until my final, a number which I am finding QUITE terrifying. Never have I been so scared to fail...ok that's a lie, I was scared witless I would not get into my top choice school, not necessarily because it was my top choice and somewhat hard to get into, but because I did NOT like any of my other options (note to those looking at colleges: look at more than 5 if you can stand it. HAVE OPTIONS!). This I'm really freaking out about, and I'm not sure why. I mean, of course, I WANT to be done, but no one is really banking on my finishing in May. Some friends have made plans to come up for the graduation, but it's nothing set in stone and they could just as easily stay home, and since my family is local, it's no biggie to them. Why am I freaking out? I think it's because I have such high expectations of myself. The only person I'll really be failing if I don't pass plant phys is myself, and the person who will be most disappointed is me.
I feel I have two options in dealing with this. One option was suggested by Jamaal: focus on the positive. Good advice given my predilection for associating all things Tufts with doom and gloom. My second option is to let go. Just to let go. What is that blessing about God granting me the serenity to accept things I can't change? It's along that line. I think I might aim for a combination of the two options. Oh, and email the professor and make him tell me the secrets to passing his class...and by passing I mean getting a B- or above.
Let's see. So this week has been fun and exciting because two people have asked me for my address for wedding invitations. Hurrah! And Jam might be able to join me, definitely for one, maybe for both. WOOT! Plus we're both in the same wedding in June. Guess it's that time of life, though one couple is in their 50's. All of these weddings should be particularly enjoyable as one is in Maine over Memorial Day (you just can't beat Maine in May, just so lovely) and one is very local in October, but will have a special flair as the couple is living abroad and will have all sorts of guests. Plus my sister will be there, as well as some of her oldest friends, so it's guaranteed to be a rockin' good time, plus we're staying in a hotel all together. Let the Captain Morgan FLOW!
Also, today I donated to the Obama campaign. Can you believe it? ME? DONATING? TO A POLITICIAN?! It just goes to show you that I hardcore *believe* in this guy. Cause I'm not writing a political blog here I won't go into the gory details of why I know he's more than qualified and capable of becoming our next leader, but I totally wrote on the submission form something to the effect of "I DON'T DO STUFF LIKE THIS EVER." Translation: Don't mess up. Please!
What else? Oh yes, I donated something else today too, but not money, PLATELETS! My donation was flawless and I got to watch a decent chunk of Little Miss Sunshine too. This was definitely my speediest donation at 1 hour and 20 minutes. The blood was literally flying from my veins. I also had a massive Hgb (for me) a whopping 13.8! Who is badass? ME!!!!! Well ok, not me, but my blood is kind of a rockstar right now.
I think that's it. Life is rather mundane now that I'm not hanging out in restaurants where devilishly handsome young men are on one knee asking me to be their wedded bride and all :D Actually both Jam and I are back to being buried by work and school. Yes, most definitely anticipating a Memorial Day in Maine....as long as the transmission in my Subaru doesn't bottom out. But that's another story.
Happy Hump Day, readers few and far between!
It's been back to school this week! It really sucks up all of my focus too, giving my family a good break from wedding talk (of course Jamaal is not spared, that'll teach him for asking me! lol). I have a mere 37 days until my final, a number which I am finding QUITE terrifying. Never have I been so scared to fail...ok that's a lie, I was scared witless I would not get into my top choice school, not necessarily because it was my top choice and somewhat hard to get into, but because I did NOT like any of my other options (note to those looking at colleges: look at more than 5 if you can stand it. HAVE OPTIONS!). This I'm really freaking out about, and I'm not sure why. I mean, of course, I WANT to be done, but no one is really banking on my finishing in May. Some friends have made plans to come up for the graduation, but it's nothing set in stone and they could just as easily stay home, and since my family is local, it's no biggie to them. Why am I freaking out? I think it's because I have such high expectations of myself. The only person I'll really be failing if I don't pass plant phys is myself, and the person who will be most disappointed is me.
I feel I have two options in dealing with this. One option was suggested by Jamaal: focus on the positive. Good advice given my predilection for associating all things Tufts with doom and gloom. My second option is to let go. Just to let go. What is that blessing about God granting me the serenity to accept things I can't change? It's along that line. I think I might aim for a combination of the two options. Oh, and email the professor and make him tell me the secrets to passing his class...and by passing I mean getting a B- or above.
Let's see. So this week has been fun and exciting because two people have asked me for my address for wedding invitations. Hurrah! And Jam might be able to join me, definitely for one, maybe for both. WOOT! Plus we're both in the same wedding in June. Guess it's that time of life, though one couple is in their 50's. All of these weddings should be particularly enjoyable as one is in Maine over Memorial Day (you just can't beat Maine in May, just so lovely) and one is very local in October, but will have a special flair as the couple is living abroad and will have all sorts of guests. Plus my sister will be there, as well as some of her oldest friends, so it's guaranteed to be a rockin' good time, plus we're staying in a hotel all together. Let the Captain Morgan FLOW!
Also, today I donated to the Obama campaign. Can you believe it? ME? DONATING? TO A POLITICIAN?! It just goes to show you that I hardcore *believe* in this guy. Cause I'm not writing a political blog here I won't go into the gory details of why I know he's more than qualified and capable of becoming our next leader, but I totally wrote on the submission form something to the effect of "I DON'T DO STUFF LIKE THIS EVER." Translation: Don't mess up. Please!
What else? Oh yes, I donated something else today too, but not money, PLATELETS! My donation was flawless and I got to watch a decent chunk of Little Miss Sunshine too. This was definitely my speediest donation at 1 hour and 20 minutes. The blood was literally flying from my veins. I also had a massive Hgb (for me) a whopping 13.8! Who is badass? ME!!!!! Well ok, not me, but my blood is kind of a rockstar right now.
I think that's it. Life is rather mundane now that I'm not hanging out in restaurants where devilishly handsome young men are on one knee asking me to be their wedded bride and all :D Actually both Jam and I are back to being buried by work and school. Yes, most definitely anticipating a Memorial Day in Maine....as long as the transmission in my Subaru doesn't bottom out. But that's another story.
Happy Hump Day, readers few and far between!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A Week!
So this whole engagement thing is really starting to settle in. I *think* I've been looking at the ring less....it's hard not to though, lol, because at some points I'm still in this state of complete disbelief :D In a good way
Anyways, I have to get back to reality now. I've got a pile of bills, a mountain of homework, and a stack of correspondence that I need to see too - plus it's Easter weekend! It's weird having it so early this year - usually we celebrate my birthday on Easter (every 11 years it's ON Easter) and it's always "get ready for spring" time, with the forsythia out and the daffodils blooming. Patriots' Day is usually spring cleaning at my house, and usually that coincides with Easter and everything, so I really feel this urge to get out there and rake leaves and uncover all my little plants. It's too early though!! I did see some crocuses this morning by the school of public health, and it brought a smile to my face, even though they're earlier than most due to the heat given off by the building. Ah well.
Now I am at work and it is so boring it's painful. One of my really irritating coworkers is gone, which is amazing because it is tranquil and quiet in this office without her. On the other hand, her blabbing made the day go by much faster. Now it draaaaags.
In other news, I am once again partaking in the International Scarf Exchange. Exciting! I have my match and emailed her and got some great feedback, so I went and bought yarn for a scarf yesterday. I am making the Fling (left) in two nice browns, a khaki and a rich chocolate, as my pal likes natural and cool colors. The thing is that this is very basic and will knit quickly. I wanted to make her another little goody, like this cashmere
neck warmer (right). The thing is, I can't find suitable and affordable yarn easily. I looked on eBay but I don't trust the color swatches. I might try and find something else...but I love the idea of making a decorative scarf for wearing around and a neck warmer for legitimately cold days. Plus my pal is petite, so a neck warmer would be great and not so bulky! Hmm I guess I'll have to think on this one. Perhaps make a special trip to a fancy yarn shop? We'll see......
Hahahahah RAVELRY VICTORY! I think I've found a nice compromise in terms of the neck warmer, with a better pattern and some fabulous yarn. YAY! Heh heh I like it when things WORK. Of course I better knit while I can, school resumes Monday (boooooo!)
Anyways, I have to get back to reality now. I've got a pile of bills, a mountain of homework, and a stack of correspondence that I need to see too - plus it's Easter weekend! It's weird having it so early this year - usually we celebrate my birthday on Easter (every 11 years it's ON Easter) and it's always "get ready for spring" time, with the forsythia out and the daffodils blooming. Patriots' Day is usually spring cleaning at my house, and usually that coincides with Easter and everything, so I really feel this urge to get out there and rake leaves and uncover all my little plants. It's too early though!! I did see some crocuses this morning by the school of public health, and it brought a smile to my face, even though they're earlier than most due to the heat given off by the building. Ah well.
Now I am at work and it is so boring it's painful. One of my really irritating coworkers is gone, which is amazing because it is tranquil and quiet in this office without her. On the other hand, her blabbing made the day go by much faster. Now it draaaaags.
In other news, I am once again partaking in the International Scarf Exchange. Exciting! I have my match and emailed her and got some great feedback, so I went and bought yarn for a scarf yesterday. I am making the Fling (left) in two nice browns, a khaki and a rich chocolate, as my pal likes natural and cool colors. The thing is that this is very basic and will knit quickly. I wanted to make her another little goody, like this cashmere
neck warmer (right). The thing is, I can't find suitable and affordable yarn easily. I looked on eBay but I don't trust the color swatches. I might try and find something else...but I love the idea of making a decorative scarf for wearing around and a neck warmer for legitimately cold days. Plus my pal is petite, so a neck warmer would be great and not so bulky! Hmm I guess I'll have to think on this one. Perhaps make a special trip to a fancy yarn shop? We'll see......Hahahahah RAVELRY VICTORY! I think I've found a nice compromise in terms of the neck warmer, with a better pattern and some fabulous yarn. YAY! Heh heh I like it when things WORK. Of course I better knit while I can, school resumes Monday (boooooo!)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Eeehhhhhh
Perhaps Jamaal and I have found the answer to some of these problems. I don't really know, but as we embark on this journey together, I hope we represent a certain type of change and not just an anomaly.
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Play by Play
It's long, but it has a good ending, I promise!!
Thursday was an insane day.
It started with me oversleeping....by two whole hours. This left me with an hour and a half to shower, get dressed, pack up my stuff, and get to Tufts, a drive that took me two hours in the morning rush hour traffic last time I was dumb enough to drive there. I was panicked, but I had to look good that day because Jam and I were going out to dinner at Taranta for restaurant week. EEK!
By some miracle I got out of the house in about 20 minutes, leaving only one hour and ten minutes to get to class. I pulled into the Tufts garage at 9:06 and ran to class, only to find the professor profoundly disorganized trying to set up a movie and half the class milling about. Phew! The movie helped me stay awake through class, then a trip to Dunkin Donuts between BSC and Plant Phys perked me up (no pun intended). After Plant Phys it was time to find a place to settle down where I could do some work and take a conference call. I found the Tower Cafe and settled on a big comfy couch, all by myself (most of the students had already left for spring break), and worked until 2pm, then dialed in for the conference call. Things were going fairly normally, until I wiped my dripping nose. My hand came away covered with blood. There I am in the cafe, laptop on lap, bluetooth in ear, cellphone in one hand, holding nose with the other....insanity! Luckily the girl sitting across from me noticed and ran to get me some napkins, something for which I have a distinct appreciation because a lot of students would not have been that nice!! After the call I said "f*ck it" to doing more work and decided to get on over to Babson so I could iron my clothes in Jam's room and then beat it to Boston for happy hour.
Happy Hour my A$$. I made it problem-free to Rt 30 in Weston, then hit a wall of traffic, most of which was trying to get on 128-S, exactly where I needed to be. No problem! I thought, I have a GPS, I can NEVER get LOST again! I take the ramp to Rt 30 which is backed up but only because of a pesky and particularly long traffic light. I'm soon on my way with the GPS directing me...til I realize it's taking me in a giant circle, trying to get me to go onto 128! Argh! I enabled highway avoidance and was once again on my merry way, til I hit a wall of traffic in Newton. Once again, I used the GPS to navigate around it (the route included a dirt road too. Good Lord.) and made it to Wellesley Center, but once there I realized that I should buy some deodorant. I had run out that morning and the drive had made me a wee bit sweaty, plus I'd need it the next day. I also figured I could use a new pair of stockings too. And chocolate. GPS to the rescue again! What I did not realize was that rush hour in the middle of Wellesley is like a 3-ringed circus on speed without the large pachyderms. Holy hell, the drivers were fiendish, the pedestrians completely oblivious to the traffic, and Allison more stressed by the minute. When I finally got to Rite Aid, I bought four Cadbury Cream Eggs (2 for me definitely, 2 supposedly for Jam, though I secretly hoped he'd let me have them. He did. Tee hee.).
When I arrived at Babson I was weary, but really in a good mood. Jam can attest to my moods after challenges with traffic - I tend to be really bitchy. But I had made it in one piece and I was REALLY excited about the restaurant we were going to. Taranta is in the North End (Italian district) and had great reviews and a fantastic restaurant week menu. It even had reviews saying it was a romantic date spot. Score!!! Of course, when the door to the executive center opened and a black man stepped out, I eagerly rushed toward him, thinking how sexy Jam looked in a tie. Suddenly I caught an accented voice speaking in rapid Creole on the phone. Sh8t. Put on my glasses. Not Jamaal, but a man looking at me puzzled. I smiled and backed away. Real Jamaal came out, also looking sexy, laughed at my mistake, and led me to his room. As I put my stuff down (and of course peed, because that is the first thing I do!) he was busy in the bedroom. When I came out of the bathroom he had some red roses. "This is to make up for the Valentine's Day flower disaster" he said. Awwrrr. We all know I was slightly immature about that, so I did appreciate it very much, though I told him he had already compensated with those amazing Lush soaps. He said he knew but wanted to give me flowers nonetheless. I put them in a cup of water, then we both started to get ready for the night out!
We headed out at 5:45 for a 7:30 reservation, with hopes of hitting up happy hour at the Ruby Room, where Jam and Amy and my friends all took me for my 23rd birthday. Madame GPS said I would arrive in town at 6:05. Score! Plenty of time! ahahahahh yeah, plenty of time unless they're fixing potholes on Rt. 9. Bitches!! We sat in traffic for a while, despite some aggressive driving (Jam just kept patting my knee saying "calm down, dear") and by the time we made it to Boston, the driving was equally as ugly, especially since the GPS sent us Storrow Drive (eeecchhh) which meant I took Rt. 9 all the way to Storrow, hitting someone's tailgate with my mirror on the way in (if you're reading this, person I hit, I know your car wasn't damaged, and that's why I didn't stop. please don't sue me!!) Then once we finally made it into Hanover Street, there was no parking....and don't get me wrong, I did not expect to be able to park in the North End, I'm not that dense, but I didn't expect to be trapped going one way and not able to take a left onto the streets with the big garages. Finally I got so pissed I parked in the Government Center garage. There were supposed to be valets, but they had disappeared, so I was left to find a spot where I wouldn't be blocked in. There was much flipping out on my part. As usual, Jam was his calm self. When we couldn't get out using the elevator, I kind of FREAKED OUT and stomped out of the garage in my four inch heels and started making my way to the restaurant. Jam sort of followed in this "my girlfriend is crazy but there's not much I can do about it" way, and eventually I calmed down, linked my arm with his, and told him I'd be fine once I had a drink.
We found the restaurant right at 7:30. Perfect timing. The maitre'd was super nice and was like "oh your table is waiting" He asked if he could take our coats and I was sorta like "ummmmm" but Jam said "No, I'm good" so I decided to keep mine too, noticing that there was quite a draft from the door. We got seated at a cozy little table on the right wall of the restaurant, it was perfect. We ordered martinis (actually Jam ordered for me. I like it when I don't have to talk, hahaha) and relaxed (finally). I think we probably kind of nauseated the people next to us because Jam was like 'oh you look so pretty' and I said 'well you look so handsome' 'I love you' 'I love you!' Whatev, they got over it. We chatted throughout appetizers (mussels for my, a duck tamale for Jam) and dinner (salmon for Jam, pasta for me) and after we finished dinner Jam said "Close your eyes, I have a present for you." Hmm. Ok. Jam always makes me close my eyes for any gift, so I complied, though I was dying to peek! 'Maybe he got me an anniversary present!' I thought. When I was told to open my eyes Jam had a piece of paper in his hand. Hmm again. "I wrote you a poem" he said "describing our relationship" "Wow!" I said "Read it!" It was a wonderful poem, talking about the day we met, the evolution of our relationship, how we fell in love. Really lovely and heartfelt. Of course the waiter came in the middle, and Jam just leaned in and spoke louder. 'Wow' I thought 'he is intense about this poem!' The poem went on to talk about us in the present tense. Jamaal read "So could this be the moment," and whips his napkin off his lap.
In my head I went "whaaa????"
He gets down on one knee and says
"that I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me?"
And opens a box with THIS in it:
I said "OH MY GOD JAMAAL!!!"
He said "Will you marry me?"
I said "OF COURSE"
Then proceeded to weep. I think we kissed, but it's fuzzy, it was all such a shock!! I think I said "Oh my God" several times, you know starting the engagement off on the right foot by using the Lord's name in vain as much as possible, LOL. Wow. I was so surprised and happy and weepy. The waiter came over with dessert and was kinda like "what's up?" and Jam said "I just proposed to the lady and she said 'yes!'" The waiter was like "OH congratulations!!" and took our picture a couple times and had limoncello sent over. I just remember putting my head on the table and holding Jam's hand and basically repeating "Oh my God, Jamaal, I can't believe you!" hahahahahhahah so eloquent. Finally when I got my wits about me, I said "do my mom and dad know??!" He said "I spoke to your father in January, didn't you know that" I'm pretty dense I guess, cause I had no idea! I thought the weird moods they were both in that afternoon after I caught them having a man to man over beer in the basement were reflective of the NFL playoff games we were watching!!! Jeez!! We began making all the important phone calls, calling parents and people we weren't sure we'd be seeing soon in person, but mostly savored the moment. Of course we got a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate and killed that, and then lingered at the restaurant til I felt sufficiently sober to drive. While we were sitting and talking about lots and lots of stuff (the beautiful life we're going to have together, the tan babies, Jam moving, new jobs, finding a place to live, the wedding, etc) a waiter came over to see the ring. He said to Jam "Damn. You have good taste." ha ha of course, he picked me!!
Needless to say, we didn't really sleep that night, then spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday traveling around visiting people to tell them the news. My grandparents were very happy when we stopped by Saturday night, and my friend Jenny and her family and my aunt, uncle and cousin were really excited when I broke the news (it was a secret!) Everyone thought the ring was fantastic, then wanted to know when we were going to get married, then asked where we were going to live. Funny.
We've still got a lot to do before anything gets off the ground. I have to graduate (eeehhh), Jam has to graduate (Sept 2009!), he has to move (bless his soul, he's coming here) and we have to basically get our lives together and budget etc. Besides that, we're still trying to bask in the glory of engagement! It's really fun. I want to do something dumb like send postcards to everyone being like 'WE GOT ENGAGED' but seriously, there' s not need to rub it in, LOL. Don't want to be a jerk about it. It's hard for me not to want to celebrate with everyone. For a year that start off a bit rough, this has been the true silver lining, and I just can't wait for the future and all it has in store for us - a life together! Hooray!!!!
Thursday was an insane day.
It started with me oversleeping....by two whole hours. This left me with an hour and a half to shower, get dressed, pack up my stuff, and get to Tufts, a drive that took me two hours in the morning rush hour traffic last time I was dumb enough to drive there. I was panicked, but I had to look good that day because Jam and I were going out to dinner at Taranta for restaurant week. EEK!
By some miracle I got out of the house in about 20 minutes, leaving only one hour and ten minutes to get to class. I pulled into the Tufts garage at 9:06 and ran to class, only to find the professor profoundly disorganized trying to set up a movie and half the class milling about. Phew! The movie helped me stay awake through class, then a trip to Dunkin Donuts between BSC and Plant Phys perked me up (no pun intended). After Plant Phys it was time to find a place to settle down where I could do some work and take a conference call. I found the Tower Cafe and settled on a big comfy couch, all by myself (most of the students had already left for spring break), and worked until 2pm, then dialed in for the conference call. Things were going fairly normally, until I wiped my dripping nose. My hand came away covered with blood. There I am in the cafe, laptop on lap, bluetooth in ear, cellphone in one hand, holding nose with the other....insanity! Luckily the girl sitting across from me noticed and ran to get me some napkins, something for which I have a distinct appreciation because a lot of students would not have been that nice!! After the call I said "f*ck it" to doing more work and decided to get on over to Babson so I could iron my clothes in Jam's room and then beat it to Boston for happy hour.
Happy Hour my A$$. I made it problem-free to Rt 30 in Weston, then hit a wall of traffic, most of which was trying to get on 128-S, exactly where I needed to be. No problem! I thought, I have a GPS, I can NEVER get LOST again! I take the ramp to Rt 30 which is backed up but only because of a pesky and particularly long traffic light. I'm soon on my way with the GPS directing me...til I realize it's taking me in a giant circle, trying to get me to go onto 128! Argh! I enabled highway avoidance and was once again on my merry way, til I hit a wall of traffic in Newton. Once again, I used the GPS to navigate around it (the route included a dirt road too. Good Lord.) and made it to Wellesley Center, but once there I realized that I should buy some deodorant. I had run out that morning and the drive had made me a wee bit sweaty, plus I'd need it the next day. I also figured I could use a new pair of stockings too. And chocolate. GPS to the rescue again! What I did not realize was that rush hour in the middle of Wellesley is like a 3-ringed circus on speed without the large pachyderms. Holy hell, the drivers were fiendish, the pedestrians completely oblivious to the traffic, and Allison more stressed by the minute. When I finally got to Rite Aid, I bought four Cadbury Cream Eggs (2 for me definitely, 2 supposedly for Jam, though I secretly hoped he'd let me have them. He did. Tee hee.).
When I arrived at Babson I was weary, but really in a good mood. Jam can attest to my moods after challenges with traffic - I tend to be really bitchy. But I had made it in one piece and I was REALLY excited about the restaurant we were going to. Taranta is in the North End (Italian district) and had great reviews and a fantastic restaurant week menu. It even had reviews saying it was a romantic date spot. Score!!! Of course, when the door to the executive center opened and a black man stepped out, I eagerly rushed toward him, thinking how sexy Jam looked in a tie. Suddenly I caught an accented voice speaking in rapid Creole on the phone. Sh8t. Put on my glasses. Not Jamaal, but a man looking at me puzzled. I smiled and backed away. Real Jamaal came out, also looking sexy, laughed at my mistake, and led me to his room. As I put my stuff down (and of course peed, because that is the first thing I do!) he was busy in the bedroom. When I came out of the bathroom he had some red roses. "This is to make up for the Valentine's Day flower disaster" he said. Awwrrr. We all know I was slightly immature about that, so I did appreciate it very much, though I told him he had already compensated with those amazing Lush soaps. He said he knew but wanted to give me flowers nonetheless. I put them in a cup of water, then we both started to get ready for the night out!
We headed out at 5:45 for a 7:30 reservation, with hopes of hitting up happy hour at the Ruby Room, where Jam and Amy and my friends all took me for my 23rd birthday. Madame GPS said I would arrive in town at 6:05. Score! Plenty of time! ahahahahh yeah, plenty of time unless they're fixing potholes on Rt. 9. Bitches!! We sat in traffic for a while, despite some aggressive driving (Jam just kept patting my knee saying "calm down, dear") and by the time we made it to Boston, the driving was equally as ugly, especially since the GPS sent us Storrow Drive (eeecchhh) which meant I took Rt. 9 all the way to Storrow, hitting someone's tailgate with my mirror on the way in (if you're reading this, person I hit, I know your car wasn't damaged, and that's why I didn't stop. please don't sue me!!) Then once we finally made it into Hanover Street, there was no parking....and don't get me wrong, I did not expect to be able to park in the North End, I'm not that dense, but I didn't expect to be trapped going one way and not able to take a left onto the streets with the big garages. Finally I got so pissed I parked in the Government Center garage. There were supposed to be valets, but they had disappeared, so I was left to find a spot where I wouldn't be blocked in. There was much flipping out on my part. As usual, Jam was his calm self. When we couldn't get out using the elevator, I kind of FREAKED OUT and stomped out of the garage in my four inch heels and started making my way to the restaurant. Jam sort of followed in this "my girlfriend is crazy but there's not much I can do about it" way, and eventually I calmed down, linked my arm with his, and told him I'd be fine once I had a drink.
We found the restaurant right at 7:30. Perfect timing. The maitre'd was super nice and was like "oh your table is waiting" He asked if he could take our coats and I was sorta like "ummmmm" but Jam said "No, I'm good" so I decided to keep mine too, noticing that there was quite a draft from the door. We got seated at a cozy little table on the right wall of the restaurant, it was perfect. We ordered martinis (actually Jam ordered for me. I like it when I don't have to talk, hahaha) and relaxed (finally). I think we probably kind of nauseated the people next to us because Jam was like 'oh you look so pretty' and I said 'well you look so handsome' 'I love you' 'I love you!' Whatev, they got over it. We chatted throughout appetizers (mussels for my, a duck tamale for Jam) and dinner (salmon for Jam, pasta for me) and after we finished dinner Jam said "Close your eyes, I have a present for you." Hmm. Ok. Jam always makes me close my eyes for any gift, so I complied, though I was dying to peek! 'Maybe he got me an anniversary present!' I thought. When I was told to open my eyes Jam had a piece of paper in his hand. Hmm again. "I wrote you a poem" he said "describing our relationship" "Wow!" I said "Read it!" It was a wonderful poem, talking about the day we met, the evolution of our relationship, how we fell in love. Really lovely and heartfelt. Of course the waiter came in the middle, and Jam just leaned in and spoke louder. 'Wow' I thought 'he is intense about this poem!' The poem went on to talk about us in the present tense. Jamaal read "So could this be the moment," and whips his napkin off his lap.
In my head I went "whaaa????"
He gets down on one knee and says
"that I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me?"
And opens a box with THIS in it:
I said "OH MY GOD JAMAAL!!!"He said "Will you marry me?"
I said "OF COURSE"
Then proceeded to weep. I think we kissed, but it's fuzzy, it was all such a shock!! I think I said "Oh my God" several times, you know starting the engagement off on the right foot by using the Lord's name in vain as much as possible, LOL. Wow. I was so surprised and happy and weepy. The waiter came over with dessert and was kinda like "what's up?" and Jam said "I just proposed to the lady and she said 'yes!'" The waiter was like "OH congratulations!!" and took our picture a couple times and had limoncello sent over. I just remember putting my head on the table and holding Jam's hand and basically repeating "Oh my God, Jamaal, I can't believe you!" hahahahahhahah so eloquent. Finally when I got my wits about me, I said "do my mom and dad know??!" He said "I spoke to your father in January, didn't you know that" I'm pretty dense I guess, cause I had no idea! I thought the weird moods they were both in that afternoon after I caught them having a man to man over beer in the basement were reflective of the NFL playoff games we were watching!!! Jeez!! We began making all the important phone calls, calling parents and people we weren't sure we'd be seeing soon in person, but mostly savored the moment. Of course we got a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate and killed that, and then lingered at the restaurant til I felt sufficiently sober to drive. While we were sitting and talking about lots and lots of stuff (the beautiful life we're going to have together, the tan babies, Jam moving, new jobs, finding a place to live, the wedding, etc) a waiter came over to see the ring. He said to Jam "Damn. You have good taste." ha ha of course, he picked me!!
Needless to say, we didn't really sleep that night, then spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday traveling around visiting people to tell them the news. My grandparents were very happy when we stopped by Saturday night, and my friend Jenny and her family and my aunt, uncle and cousin were really excited when I broke the news (it was a secret!) Everyone thought the ring was fantastic, then wanted to know when we were going to get married, then asked where we were going to live. Funny.
We've still got a lot to do before anything gets off the ground. I have to graduate (eeehhh), Jam has to graduate (Sept 2009!), he has to move (bless his soul, he's coming here) and we have to basically get our lives together and budget etc. Besides that, we're still trying to bask in the glory of engagement! It's really fun. I want to do something dumb like send postcards to everyone being like 'WE GOT ENGAGED' but seriously, there' s not need to rub it in, LOL. Don't want to be a jerk about it. It's hard for me not to want to celebrate with everyone. For a year that start off a bit rough, this has been the true silver lining, and I just can't wait for the future and all it has in store for us - a life together! Hooray!!!!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
The Opera!
Last night I decided it was high time I hauled my butt out of this house. In the last week I think I've been home every night by at least 7pm, playing the "I'm too sick to venture out" card. My friend EE is in an opera (Egisto), and she (FINALLY) remembered to call and tell me about it, and it just so happened that I had Saturday free. Excellente.
Of course the weather last night was monsoon-esque. I don't think I've ever seen that much rain fall all at once......ok, so I have seen that much rain fall at once twice, once in Costa Rica, the night we went to Costa Verde and it thundered and lightning-ed and rained so severely I thought the taxi was going to drive off the road, and once in Kenya, when I had to stay in my banda even though the whole school was in the chumba because it was too dangerous to make the 20 yard dash to another building, given the severity of lightning. In both of those cases, however, the rain was very much that equatorial rainy season effect, where it pours for a little bit then stops. It had been raining here for 24 hours straight, with increasing severity. Around 4pm I had noticed the wind picking up too. I didn't have to leave at 6:30, so I figured maybe the rain would let up. Ha ha. It did not let up, in fact, it worsened, and with the wind whipping across the highway, there was water everywhere. I literally thanked God several times for giving me the sense to get a pair of glasses - I think I would have had to turn back and stay home without them, as I could not see well at night, but rain exacerbated the vision problems. I felt invincible with my glasses on. Grr! Anyways, I somehow managed to avoid all the flooded potholes (I saw 7 cars with flats) and made it to JP to pick up my friend Rachel.
The opera was at an older theater in Boston that is right smack in the theater district. There's something about going to the theater in Boston that's distinctly special to me. I suppose it's because the city itself is so old, and I think of the old Boston money that used to go to the opera and shows and such. Perhaps it makes me feel worldly, LOL. Of course then there is the whole element of actually knowing someone in the show. That makes me feel SUPER-WORLDLY. I'm like "oh yes, and the role of Hero is actually played by my good friend and collegemate. yes, indeed, it is fabulous" *sticks nose in air* Tee hee.
Of course EE was incredible. I mean, she sings amazingly well, but when she is on stage, she brings her dramatic flair in a way other singers just...don't. I don't want to sound bitchy about that because the singing last night was absolutely fantastic. It's just that the acting is sort of flat sometimes, but in a way that you overlook because it obviously eclipsed by the singing. I can always tell my friend apart from the others by the expression and body movements on stage though. You can tell she has a crapton of acting training, which I can't explain in great detail because it's kind of vague to me exactly what she can do (but she did take stagefighting. ARGH!) but let's just sum it up by saying she stands apart. When my sister and I saw her opera scenes that was one of the first things Amy mentioned. She puts her heart into the role. Anyways, last night EE was playing a heroine that died for love. I imagined this as a sort of romantic and angelic role, but you can imagine my surprise when she appeared in the second act, dressed like this, holding cupid captive in chains.
(this is hijacked from someone's facebook, heh heh heh)
Elizabeth is secnd from the left (the hot one, though she has an "I smelled a fart" face in this pic, ahahahahha) Anyways, the costumes, as you can see, were great. Very sparkly, for which an opera novice like me has a special appreciation. There were also men in gold sparkling hotpants. Excellent. And the sets were fabric, and therefore GORGEOUS. Oh, and did I mention that knowing a cast member means that you get free tickets and amazing seats? Hhahahah there's that perk as well.
Anyways, seeing the opera last night reminded me of Elizabeth's recital in a month's time. I can't wait because I haven't really seen my friend sing alone for an extended period since we went to Smith. It's also sort of my bday weekend (I guess?) and while I don't really have anything specific planned (dinner with Jam and maybe something else) it's just going to be an all-round fun weekend with lots of friends near and great entertainment :D Yay.
Well. Clearly that is what I needed. A fun night out with friends to put me back to right. Though I think I terrorized them with my driving. Though Elizabeth and Rachel seem slightly more acclimated to it, since Elizabeth just says "Go, Crosby, Go!" Her mom was more like "um so have you been in an accident with this car?" (I forget how scary the front seat can be) I wanted to say "Not recently" but I didn't want to scare her, hahahaha. Now I have to finish up my paper before going to a candle party. We had one here last month, so now we get to go to all the parties people scheduled through our party. The candles are somewhat pricey, but I figure it's most likely a short-lived obsession as the PartlyLite hostess (who is so great) is moving to Australia in June!!
Now I'm rambling. Sigh. Back to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership!
Of course the weather last night was monsoon-esque. I don't think I've ever seen that much rain fall all at once......ok, so I have seen that much rain fall at once twice, once in Costa Rica, the night we went to Costa Verde and it thundered and lightning-ed and rained so severely I thought the taxi was going to drive off the road, and once in Kenya, when I had to stay in my banda even though the whole school was in the chumba because it was too dangerous to make the 20 yard dash to another building, given the severity of lightning. In both of those cases, however, the rain was very much that equatorial rainy season effect, where it pours for a little bit then stops. It had been raining here for 24 hours straight, with increasing severity. Around 4pm I had noticed the wind picking up too. I didn't have to leave at 6:30, so I figured maybe the rain would let up. Ha ha. It did not let up, in fact, it worsened, and with the wind whipping across the highway, there was water everywhere. I literally thanked God several times for giving me the sense to get a pair of glasses - I think I would have had to turn back and stay home without them, as I could not see well at night, but rain exacerbated the vision problems. I felt invincible with my glasses on. Grr! Anyways, I somehow managed to avoid all the flooded potholes (I saw 7 cars with flats) and made it to JP to pick up my friend Rachel.
The opera was at an older theater in Boston that is right smack in the theater district. There's something about going to the theater in Boston that's distinctly special to me. I suppose it's because the city itself is so old, and I think of the old Boston money that used to go to the opera and shows and such. Perhaps it makes me feel worldly, LOL. Of course then there is the whole element of actually knowing someone in the show. That makes me feel SUPER-WORLDLY. I'm like "oh yes, and the role of Hero is actually played by my good friend and collegemate. yes, indeed, it is fabulous" *sticks nose in air* Tee hee.
Of course EE was incredible. I mean, she sings amazingly well, but when she is on stage, she brings her dramatic flair in a way other singers just...don't. I don't want to sound bitchy about that because the singing last night was absolutely fantastic. It's just that the acting is sort of flat sometimes, but in a way that you overlook because it obviously eclipsed by the singing. I can always tell my friend apart from the others by the expression and body movements on stage though. You can tell she has a crapton of acting training, which I can't explain in great detail because it's kind of vague to me exactly what she can do (but she did take stagefighting. ARGH!) but let's just sum it up by saying she stands apart. When my sister and I saw her opera scenes that was one of the first things Amy mentioned. She puts her heart into the role. Anyways, last night EE was playing a heroine that died for love. I imagined this as a sort of romantic and angelic role, but you can imagine my surprise when she appeared in the second act, dressed like this, holding cupid captive in chains.
(this is hijacked from someone's facebook, heh heh heh)
Elizabeth is secnd from the left (the hot one, though she has an "I smelled a fart" face in this pic, ahahahahha) Anyways, the costumes, as you can see, were great. Very sparkly, for which an opera novice like me has a special appreciation. There were also men in gold sparkling hotpants. Excellent. And the sets were fabric, and therefore GORGEOUS. Oh, and did I mention that knowing a cast member means that you get free tickets and amazing seats? Hhahahah there's that perk as well.
Anyways, seeing the opera last night reminded me of Elizabeth's recital in a month's time. I can't wait because I haven't really seen my friend sing alone for an extended period since we went to Smith. It's also sort of my bday weekend (I guess?) and while I don't really have anything specific planned (dinner with Jam and maybe something else) it's just going to be an all-round fun weekend with lots of friends near and great entertainment :D Yay.
Well. Clearly that is what I needed. A fun night out with friends to put me back to right. Though I think I terrorized them with my driving. Though Elizabeth and Rachel seem slightly more acclimated to it, since Elizabeth just says "Go, Crosby, Go!" Her mom was more like "um so have you been in an accident with this car?" (I forget how scary the front seat can be) I wanted to say "Not recently" but I didn't want to scare her, hahahaha. Now I have to finish up my paper before going to a candle party. We had one here last month, so now we get to go to all the parties people scheduled through our party. The candles are somewhat pricey, but I figure it's most likely a short-lived obsession as the PartlyLite hostess (who is so great) is moving to Australia in June!!
Now I'm rambling. Sigh. Back to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Sometimes I Bemoan Our Society
Not that watching golf is in my top 50 fun things to do on a Saturday afternoon, but this makes me never want to watch it again. Who the f*ck does stuff like this - and I ask this as a member of Ducks Unlimited, an organization that supports hunting?!? What a jerk. I adore the red-shouldered hawks that live in our yard, as they are majestic, beautiful, and an essential part of our local ecosystem (my mother and neighbor love them specifically due to the fact that they consume snakes at an amazing rate). Sigh. I think I will put out some raw meat or something for our hawk, just to compensate for this a-hole. Sometimes I wish I didn't keep up with the news....
(Amy's pic of our hawk. It's fuzzy, but as you can see, he is badass, which is why we love him. Or her. Whichever.)
(Amy's pic of our hawk. It's fuzzy, but as you can see, he is badass, which is why we love him. Or her. Whichever.)Thursday, March 06, 2008
Driving While Doing....
In our family a great source of entertainment whilst gathered 'round the dinner table is to recount the day's experiences. This usually involves a tale or two about what we saw while driving to/from work/school. My father usually kicks it up a notch because he gets to pull over and ticket some of the lunatics you see out there, and pulling over people doing stupid sh*t is, I think, one of his favorite things to do, not because he actually enjoys the process because honestly, I think he'd rather just get in the car and drive to work like the rest of us. It's because he 1. stops someone from doing something dangerous that could hurt someone else 2. stops them for hurting themselves 3. gets an entertaining story to tell at dinner that night. Sweet.
He tends to see what we all do, the typical reading the paper, reading books, doing makeup, typing on a laptop while driving. And I'm not talking about "driving" as in sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, I'm talking about "driving" as in going 50mph+ It's insane. He gets to hear all the lame comments too. He stopped one guy recently and said "Sir I pulled you over because you are going 65mph and reading and weaving all over the road endangering other drivers" The guy looked right at him and said emphatically "I am reading RELIGIOUS materials!" My dad did the smart thing and said "Oh. Ok...." and wrote him the ticket.
The other morning in my fog of nasal congestion, I decided that I would in fact go to school and not confine myself to bed for another day. I had a route planned because a drive to Medford in rush hour traffic would require some more gas, I had to mail a birthday present to a friend and I needed some decongestants and kleenex and cough drops. I also wanted Whole Foods brand Cranberry Cocktail because little elves and fairies frolic through the forest picking berries just for that juice it is THAT GOOD. I get in my car and as I make my way to Whole Foods I notice a red old-style camry-ish looking car weaving everywhere. "Jesus!" I think as they almost shear off my front bumper, re-switching lanes to be in front of me again. I notice the driver's right hand flailing in front of her face. "Putting on makeup" I think. The driver continues to weave and drive erratically, almost sideswiping someone as she checks her face in the rearview. She puts her directional on at a red light and I decide to use the next entrance because I want to see what this maniac is doing, I want to see how good her makeup is.
But she wasn't putting on makeup. She was shaving. HER FACE. Now I have nothing but sympathy for the women of the world who have unwanted facial hair. I imagine that if you have a 'stache and don't want one, that it probably kinda blows (I had my "imaginary" 'stache waxed once. It hurt like a mofo and I got a rash, so I get it, though probably not really because despite the Vietnamese waxing tech's insistence, I don't have a visible 'stache....I don't think) I also get the fact that sometimes, you do have to throw on some lipgloss in the car, though I usually wait til I'm parked in the lot to do it, but I'll even let a little makeup touch up while driving slide. It's the combination of the shaving and driving that disturbs me though. Don't you think that's one thing you'd definitely take care of at home? You know, so you don't show up to your job with like, half your lower lip dangling cause you had to swerve to avoid Squirrel Nutkin on the road? I just don't know.....
He tends to see what we all do, the typical reading the paper, reading books, doing makeup, typing on a laptop while driving. And I'm not talking about "driving" as in sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, I'm talking about "driving" as in going 50mph+ It's insane. He gets to hear all the lame comments too. He stopped one guy recently and said "Sir I pulled you over because you are going 65mph and reading and weaving all over the road endangering other drivers" The guy looked right at him and said emphatically "I am reading RELIGIOUS materials!" My dad did the smart thing and said "Oh. Ok...." and wrote him the ticket.
The other morning in my fog of nasal congestion, I decided that I would in fact go to school and not confine myself to bed for another day. I had a route planned because a drive to Medford in rush hour traffic would require some more gas, I had to mail a birthday present to a friend and I needed some decongestants and kleenex and cough drops. I also wanted Whole Foods brand Cranberry Cocktail because little elves and fairies frolic through the forest picking berries just for that juice it is THAT GOOD. I get in my car and as I make my way to Whole Foods I notice a red old-style camry-ish looking car weaving everywhere. "Jesus!" I think as they almost shear off my front bumper, re-switching lanes to be in front of me again. I notice the driver's right hand flailing in front of her face. "Putting on makeup" I think. The driver continues to weave and drive erratically, almost sideswiping someone as she checks her face in the rearview. She puts her directional on at a red light and I decide to use the next entrance because I want to see what this maniac is doing, I want to see how good her makeup is.
But she wasn't putting on makeup. She was shaving. HER FACE. Now I have nothing but sympathy for the women of the world who have unwanted facial hair. I imagine that if you have a 'stache and don't want one, that it probably kinda blows (I had my "imaginary" 'stache waxed once. It hurt like a mofo and I got a rash, so I get it, though probably not really because despite the Vietnamese waxing tech's insistence, I don't have a visible 'stache....I don't think) I also get the fact that sometimes, you do have to throw on some lipgloss in the car, though I usually wait til I'm parked in the lot to do it, but I'll even let a little makeup touch up while driving slide. It's the combination of the shaving and driving that disturbs me though. Don't you think that's one thing you'd definitely take care of at home? You know, so you don't show up to your job with like, half your lower lip dangling cause you had to swerve to avoid Squirrel Nutkin on the road? I just don't know.....
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Hell Piss Cold
I am at home watching Oprah for the second time this week because I left work early. At least I tried to go today but it didn't work out too well. I made it til 1:30 then my cold got the best of me and I felt as though I was being hit in the head with a hammer. Never mind the goo in my sinuses that leaks out almost constantly, even in my sleep. Ew. What is more irritating than anything is that I don't know anyone who is sick except my aunt, who has bronchitis, which I am sure I don't have. Errr. Of course taking the subway, which at times, positively festers with germs, like on rainy and snowy days when the floors are covered in swill, is enough to expose anyone to sufficient pathogens to make them ill. I suppose I don't have SARS this time, or MRTB, but this has been enough to make me was my hands with greater diligence and invest stock in Purell (which does not cause resistant bacteria). I also have a great fear of making the people around me sick. Not the people who flip the f*ck out, like the lady at the storage unit place who screamed at me as I handed her my check and said "don't come ANY closer I've been sick ALL WINTER!" I kind of wanted to cough on her...I worry about my coworkers (who will blame me if they get sick) and obviously my family and friends because this is one of the most foul colds that I have had in a long time. Sigh.
Well. I best do some grad school work. Cause school has not stopped. And I can't call in sick from school. Ehhhhhhhh.
Well. I best do some grad school work. Cause school has not stopped. And I can't call in sick from school. Ehhhhhhhh.
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Doctor
Have I ever mocked the teen girls who reported incredibly negative side effect from Gardasil on this blog??
If I have, all mockery is sincerely withdrawn. Oi. It HURTS. And I'm feeling vomity and sick, though of course I have a cold which adds to crappiness. And the nurse was mean to me. WTF?!!? I'm here to have my boobs prodded, my va-jay-jay probed, my innards squished, a SHOT and blood work. You could be nice to me JERKSTORE! Ah well. The doctor yelled at her though. She did not provide the proper light to illuminate va-jay-jay probing. She got into trouble for that one, heh heh heh. Still though. Ew. Bottom line: shots beat HPV. So I'll take what I have to.
The good thing? I got to sleep for a while today and now I get to watch Oprah. LOL, not too shabby. Though I feel another nap coming on. Uggghhhhhh.
If I have, all mockery is sincerely withdrawn. Oi. It HURTS. And I'm feeling vomity and sick, though of course I have a cold which adds to crappiness. And the nurse was mean to me. WTF?!!? I'm here to have my boobs prodded, my va-jay-jay probed, my innards squished, a SHOT and blood work. You could be nice to me JERKSTORE! Ah well. The doctor yelled at her though. She did not provide the proper light to illuminate va-jay-jay probing. She got into trouble for that one, heh heh heh. Still though. Ew. Bottom line: shots beat HPV. So I'll take what I have to.
The good thing? I got to sleep for a while today and now I get to watch Oprah. LOL, not too shabby. Though I feel another nap coming on. Uggghhhhhh.
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