our one year anniversary.

It's Halloween 2006. I'm a little down because my party plans fell through, so I head to Goodwill because I'm broke and bored. I'm a little embarrassed to be doing "real" shopping with all of the people looking for costumes, but considering I furnished my apartment through these stores in Atlanta, I know I can always find some goodies. As I'm on my way up to the checkout counter with my vintage hammered Coke glasses, I see them: 3 and a half inch delicate heels, shimmery pewter Italian leather, sexy wrap around slingback strap at the ankle. I look closer and my dreams are confirmed as the simple white and black label runs down the sole. That's right. Manolo Blahniks. I run to them, eyes on the prize, knocking down small children and elderly women on my way. As I slip them on and realize they are exactly my size, I get goosebumps and tears begin to well in my eyes. I turn my new prize over, examine the barely worn leather sole, and shriek with utter joy. $5.99. As I run to the checkout counter in complete bliss, I can't help but hug the cashier. Vowing to return once a week, I flit out of the store and proceed to call everyone I know to tell them about this miraculous day.

go me!

Well, apparently I've hit the big time and received a shout-out from dcblogs.com. Hooray! It's a big week for me. In addition to the blog love, I got quoted by a pretty decent environmental org. in some of their workshop materials. I'll keep the details to that one to myself in an attempt to somewhat protect my psuedo-anonymity, but it's all pretty exciting. I'm sorry, just give me a minute to toot my own horn.

toot toot..... toot.

Okay, I'm done now.

For those of you just joining us, stick around a stay a while. I'd love to be able to write something fabulous for you all, but it's 4:00 on the Friday before my gargantuan work event and I'm tapped out. Plus the Chimay and Delirium (on TAAAAAP!) at Matchbox are calling my name.

Y'all come back now, ya hear?!

an ode to stupidity.

So today it's raining. It rained yesterday, too. To be honest I'm cool with it because it's starting to finally feel a bit like fall. The whole point of this little weather report is to validate the point of this point, which is that Crocs remove humans' ability to be classified as intelligent beings. You may think this is an outlandish statement and for that I will tell you that you are WRONG you Croc-lover.

This morning, as I'm waiting for the bus (ps. I HATE you this week, Metro. Come back to me soon.) I see a relatively cute guy who's dressed all outdoorsy: North Face coat, cords, backpack, etc. But his shoes. Oh dear Lord his shoes. Baby blue Crocs with woolen socks underneath. Now I ask you, dear readers, to please explain to me why on EARTH someone would look outside, see that it's raining, and decide that this was the perfect opportunity to don his shoes that have HOLES in them. Aren't his socks going to get all gross and wet? I'm aware he's wearing wool socks that wick moisture, but why would he even put himself in this position? It hurts my head to think about.

After staring (not inconspicuously) at his shoes for a good 10 minutes, I came to the realization that I just don't think I could be friends with someone who wears Crocs. It's not a "I can't be friends with non-fashionable people" thing at all. It's a difference in thinking, in brain function. I can't look at Croc-wearer and respect them as an intelligent human being. I just can't do it. I know we've all made our own fashion mistakes due to trends, but this is one that I'll just never understand. Rubber shoes with holes in them. At least the jellies that I lived in as a young girl were sparkly! The justification of them being comfortable or whatever is just shit. I don't believe it. I don't care if it feels like you're walking on clouds, mister: your shoes still have gaping holes in them.

Stupid quote of the day (courtesy of Bex):
"Many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals" -- WH press sec. Dana Perino, staying positive ( Examiner).
*she's probably a Croc-wearer. Because creating ugly ass shoes out of fossil fuels is even MORE genius!

mooooooooovie.

Ok, The Loff sent me this link and well, I'm excited, to say the very very least.



I mean, Johnathan Rhys Meyers is a hottie, Keri Russell is my BFF, Terrence Howard is gorgeous, and it actually looks like Robin Williams will be cute and funny again! Yay! Plus that little kid was Peter in Finding Neverland!!! How precious is he?!

back to life, back to reality.

I'm on my 5th mug of green tea for the day (yay antioxidants!) and I feel like a new woman. Except when I move. Then pain shoots through my neck and shoulders and makes me want to cry/get a serious massage. I remember driving from ATL to Ohio solo with no problems. Oh, my youth.

The weekend was awesome, except for the whole driving through massive traffic/torrential downpour part. Margo's place is oh-so-awesome, as were her pumpkin muffins. We had to go to a leadership summit for all day on Saturday but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I had great fun catching up with Baderg and Jimbo (former bosses) as well as all of the other Funders. Denison looked as beautiful as always and Granville is just the cutest thing ever. Sitting outside of Whit's after a stroll down Broadway made me seriously consider quitting, packing up, and moving to Granville. It's hard not to love, especially when the leaves are changing. Besides the pumpkin crop being so terrifyingly low, Ohio was in it's full fall force.

After the summit on campus and the Whit's downtown, we met up with Andy and Co. for a quick beer at Brews (CHIMAAAAY!). Quick dinner with all the ladies at The Happy Greek and then more Chimay along with some Catchphrase and re-connecting with The Loff (yes roommate, that's my new nickname for you. Rhymes with The Hoff. Pretty awesome, I know). We imbibed a bit in the Arena District, hit up an awesome gyro cart, set off some security lighting, and finally made our way back to the Loff's house. I've got to say it was nice to be in a "real" house. I know I live in a house, but it's never the same when you're renting.

The Loff's parents provided us with a pretty awesome breakfast, complete with cupcakes, and then we set off on our journey to find the best Halloween costumes of all time. I'm not going to give away what we're going to be, but let's just say: mission accomplished.

So now it's back to the grind. Today was going okay until I got a skeezy phone call about an hour ago. It was a guy that I had met at the Yelp Elite party 2 weeks ago. He's not a Yelper-- I just ended up talking to him at the restaurant for a bit, he was with friends, I was drunk and telling them about Yelp. Well, I apparently mentioned where I worked because HE TRACKED ME DOWN. I did not give him a card, a number, my last name, anything. He called the main number and somehow got transferred to me. I gave him zero signs that I was interested, except maybe in my drunken antics he was mistaken. Well, he wants to take me out to dinner and apparently won't take no for an answer. I think I've bought myself some time (like 2 or 3 days) until he calls back but I don't know his number so I can't screen. Ugh. Why do normal cute guys not track me down? I suppose because tracking a girl down after she mentions where she works makes you so not cute and normal.

rooooooaddddd tripppppp.

feeling productive.

Today, I have shown my boss how to:

1. Access the network folders.
2. Save a document.
3. Close Microsoft Word.
4. Count.



Oy.

so true.

the last thing i should be doing right now.

Ok, I promise-- I'm really, really busy. My computer freaked out on me this morning and I spent 2 hours with the lovely tech guys trying to fix it. Not fun. I've been working like crazy and being really productive until I decided to take a break, pull up Johanna's blog, and find THIS. Oh my goodness. I can put outfits together online? Just like a little paper doll? Heaven!

So, in honor of the first real day of Fall (as in, the temperature will not surpass 90 degrees), I've made a lovely fall outfit for all of you to enjoy. This is something that I hope to do more often (especially when I don't have, you know, a JOB to focus on) and I promise the outfit will always cost less than $200. I know it'd be a lot more fun to put together couture, but I know that my readers (myself included) appreciate a good buy. My closet consists of Forever 21, H&M, and Target and I still love it. See Mom, I'm a bargain shopper, just like you! :)

daily randoms.

1. I am terribly hungover. The Yelp Elite event at Mio last night was awesome awesome, but I imbibed a bit too much in caipirinhas, which is apparently not a good idea. I don't think it was so much the amount of alcohol as the amount of sugar that killed me, although the gin and tonic at Stan's may have done me in. Oops. Needless to say, I woke up this morning feeling like absolute death, almost passed out in the shower, and had to get off the bus early in an attempt to keep myself from getting sick. Not a good start to the day.

2. Up until lunch about an hour ago, I hadn't eaten in about 24 hours apart from 3 or 4 little hors d'oeuvres I had at Mio last night. This might explain the way I was feeling this morning. At around 12:30, on the edge of passing out, I decided to make my way down to the Corner Bakery for their Turkey Frisco sandwich. This is not a meal I usually partake in-- it's carby, fatty, oily, but oh-my-god-so-freaking-good. I was pretty excited about the artichoke hearts, sauteed onions, and yummy bread. I walked in and looked at the menu and couldn't find it! It's been replaced by some crap-tastic Turkey Harvest sandwich. Ew. So disappointing.

3. I was just invited to a fashion show at Neiman Marcus that's hosted by Paul Hastings. I'm going.... with my boss. It was really sweet of her to invite me as she knows I love fashion, but I still can't see how this isn't going to be awkward. Just a little too worlds-colliding or something like that. I mean, it's not like she and I ever hang out outside of the office. Ever. She's nutty. And more importantly, what the hell am I going to wear!??!?

4. The girlies begin to arrive on Thursday! Woo! I can't believe its already here and October is nearly half over. It's been so busy that the time is seriously flying. It also doesn't feel like October outside (cough 90 DEGREES cough) but I'm hoping that changes over the weekend. I'm so excited to have all of the girls in town (we'll miss you, Jenni!) but to be honest I have no idea what we're going to do, besides play Kings and make goals, of course.

Quote of the day: My grandmother, while I'm driving down a cobblestone street in Georgetown: "Oh, wouldn't this just be an AWFUL street to ride on if you had hemorrhoids?!"

My family is one of a kind. One. of. a. kind.

monday. ugh.

It's only 11:15 and today is already not going well. Shall I count the ways?

1. Slept through the alarm. Hair is now a curly frizzy mess.
2. Super-glued my fingers shut. Oops.
3. My pumpkin muffin was frozen in the middle. I ate it anyway.
4. My bus was not running this morning because it was a "holiday." Bastards.
5. Because of bus problems, I arrived to work late and completely forgot about a meeting. Luckily made it just in time.
6. There was lots and lots of fighting at the meeting among my bosses. Eeek.
7. Left my headphones at home and will therefore have no music today. It's gonna be hard to get through!

I'll give an update on the weekend post-lunch (or maybe tomorrow) when I'm in a better mood. I hope I hope I hope I hope!

daily randoms.

1. 'Splain this one to me. I ordered some stamps from usps.com because we like to use the pretty environmentally-conscious ones that come in a big pretty panel and the ladies at the post office always give me dirty looks when I ask for 20 sheets of them. The website informed me that the stamps would ship within a day, I ordered them on Wednesday early morning. I received a tracking number late yesterday afternoon and get this... it doesn't work. The freaking United States Postal Service can't manage to ship their own package. I still have not received the stamps, which is problematic because I have eleventy billion letters to send before the weekend. Oops. Stupid post office. Argh.

2. I have been working all day. Yes, actually working. And talking to Camille. But still, majority working. What have I been doing that's oh-so important? Addressing envelopes. Yes folks, I have my college degree and I have spent the last 6 hours addressing envelopes. I have to change my handwriting to keep myself entertained. It's painful. I've just completed one set for one luncheon, now on to another! Sick.

3. I am so unbelievably happy that it is Friday. This weekend's going to be a little crazy as the famdamily is in town and let's just say we put the fun in dysfunctional. Eeeesh. It's going to be insane. I'm also working on Sunday-- not sure why I thought that would be a good idea. I could *really* use a day off, especially after this hellish week.

4. The boutique had its grand opening party last night and it was fab.u.lous. Lots of pretty people, pretty clothes, and pretty drinks. Good good times. I do love all the girls that work there, so we have a good time together. While being surrounded by pretty things. Not too rough. :)

5. Do you get Columbus day off? Yes? I hate you. I hate living in DC where people actually get those ridiculous holidays off. No break till Thanksgiving! Wooooooooo.

At this point I'm about to fall asleep at my desk, so I should probably try to keep moving with this addressing envelopes fun. I'm such a lucky girl. So this doesn't become a complete Debbie Downer entry, I'll leave you all with this:

Yaaay SatC movie! I'm a little weirded out that I like Miranda's "look" the best though. Her hair is outstanding.

eeeeeeeeeeeeek.

It's only day 3 of October, aka the month of insanity, and I'm already exhausted. I was at the office until the double-digit hours last night (yuck) and back again early this morning. I try and I try (and I screw around on the internets) and the work continues to pile up. I'm broker than broke (will be drinking water tonight) and all kinds of cranky: I'm angry at my supervisors, the weather (when will it get cold, please?!), myself, and my toe (how can you hurt and be itchy at the same time?!?! how!?). At times like these, I have to remind myself of the good things:

1. I still have one of Erin's pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes in the fridge. I've already eaten 3. I love Erin.
2. Trivia tonight. Richard is coming all the way from Baltimore-- glorious!
3. I am so loving my latest manicure: OPI's Siberian Nights. My hands look oh-so-goth with my big black rose ring.
4. Barley the Labrador Retriever.
5. It's pumpkin season. My most favorite season of all. Pumpkins galore!

Quote of the day (actually from yesterday)
Christmas trees were not meant to be on display from Jesus' birthday to his resurrection. That's just not right. *I promise I'll have it down early this year, roomie!!*

helllloooooo.

Ok, things are crazy busy around here so I don't have a whole lot of time to chat (yes, I feel like I'm chatting with you wonderful readers. At least the ones who post comments. 'Cause chatting is a two-way thing. But whatever.) but I just wanted to let y'all know that I had a splendid time in the Chi-town. Got to catch up with my boy Andy and see my sister, which is always good times. We feasted on deep dish pizza, shopped till we dropped, and watched an awesome Lifetime movie. A pretty sweet weekend in my opinion.

However, I returned to DC realizing that I had absolutely failed in one of my fall goals. I took 2 pictures. The entire trip. And one is a super dark and therefore unrecognizable shot of the Harpo sign. Here:

Perhaps my goal should be to work on my photography skills? Ooops.

But, in better news, I did manage to capture this one from the Safeway parking lot:

Oooooooooohh. Aaaaaaaahhhhhh. The Safeway parking lot is oh-so scenic.