It’s the day of marginal disappointments. June 28, 2007

Disappointment #1: I went to Barnes and Noble and bought this gorgeous planner. It’s a really soft red leather cover and pretty ivory pages, and the packaging said it was July 2007 to December 2008, so, I’m like, PERFECT. Perfect. Get home, take the packaging off, hand it to my mom so she can look at my precious planner, and after a minute she says, “it starts in December.” December? What? No. It starts in July. It has to start in July. She says, “no. It starts in December.” So, I get semi-hysterical, or as hysterical as you can get over a planner, and I take it back and sure enough, it starts in December, though it does have the month-by-month planning pages from July 2007 on. A. Why would I want a planner whose week by week pages start in December and whose month by month pages start in July? Why would you do that? Seriously? B. Um. Not cool, because my current planner dies halfway through July. So, this means I don’t have a real planner from two weeks from now until December. Sadness.

Disappointment #2: Boy has an early call of 10 am on Tuesday, which means that he won’t be coming over Monday, his day off, because apparently driving an hour each way for just a day is a waste of time. I’m slightly pissed at the boy, although the pissyness is lessened considerably by the fact that I’ll be seeing him Tuesday night, anyway.

Disappointment #3: So, last night, my mom mentions something about looking around for new bedroom furniture for me. I’ve had my current furniture since I was eight, so it’s starting to show some wear, and it’s ten years old and kind of immature, so I’m pretty excited, right? Today, I come home and she starts talking about it, and this is how the conversation goes: “Would you like new bedroom furniture?” Me: “Well, I’ve had mine for 10 years and it’s starting to look old, so, yeah, it would be nice.” “Well, I would be making most of the decisions, remaking your room, but we have similar taste, so…. Since you won’t be here for much longer.” Me: “Okay…” So, we start talking. She doesn’t like the light wood that I have now, so she thinks maybe dark stained wood or painted wood. I don’t think dark wood would look good in there since it’s such a bright, light room, so we decide on painted wood. Probably. Although, knowing my mom, it’s quite likely that I’ll come home some time to find dark wood in my room. Anyway, we start talking about what she’d like to see…two smaller bedside tables instead of one big one, like I have now…and, ha, no bookshelf over my dresser. I keep waiting for her to say, maybe we could put a bookshelf by the desk, or something like that. But no, it’s maybe you could put your books in the closet. No. No. My books don’t go in the closet, they go on a bookshelf, dammit. I said that I wanted a bookshelf, and she said that we’d have to look around. No, darnit. I want a bookshelf. What’s next? No desk? Are desks too childish for a proper, grown up bedroom?

All I can say is that there is no way in hell that I am working in the office. It is icky since Nick is in there 24/7, eating and getting greasy ickiness everywhere.

I shall keep you updated.

That’s what I like about you. Yeaaaah. June 26, 2007

So, after my last post, you all know everything there is to know about me, so why continue writing? This is my last post.

Goodbye.

Ha. Right. If I stop now, what else would I do at 2 in the morning when the boy isn’t on? Ummm. I don’t know, captain.

Anyway, I have a very intense week. Yesterday was the day of fabulousness with the boy and his mama in the most fabulous city. Tomorrow is another day in the most fabulous city, but this time with Laura before she goes a-biking. Thursday is the day of Crash. Movie (Nancy Drew!! Mwahahaahaha) + lunch. Friday is D-day. I.e., I have to get work done. Oh crap. Have to work Wednesday night too for Thursday update. Yeaaah baby. I did actually get something done today, although it is kind of subpar. S’about why I chose co-ed over all girls.

Anyway, Monday might bring the boy down here for a visit, and then Tuesday, I’m up there to see Midsummer Night’s Dream at NJ Shakespeare’s outdoor theater. And then, either that night or in the am but prob. that night, we drive (he drives, I sleep) up to Dobbs for the fourth and go see fireworks on the river! Good fun. Then back do Drew the next day, early, and I drive myself home. Early. Probably. Except, there’s a mall on the way back, soooo I might get sidetracked

10 Things You May (or may not) Know About Me June 25, 2007

1. I hate the way toes look. I think they are unnatural, inhuman, and, unfortunately, rather necessary if one plans on walking.

2. I was a state-ranked equestrian in my high school days. A (very close) second in my division.

3. I still sleep with Snuggy, a sheepskin blanket like thing that has definitely seen better days, almost every night. I’m probably on my fourth Snuggy, too. They were originally called “Snugglies”, but I couldn’t say that when I was an itty bitty tot (no jokes about my stature, please), so it was named “Snuggy” instead. Snuggy is a boy, and always has been. (whoo..it feels good to get that off of my chest)

4. The last issue of my high school newspaper when I was editor-in-chief almost caused a lawsuit.

5. I have this stuffed animal horse that looks a lot like my old horse, Mo, and before every horse show, I would talk to it. I thought it brought me good luck. My mom told my trainer about this, and my trainer said: “Good, tell her to keep talking to mini-Mo. It’s working.” I heart her.

6. I swore more in eighth grade than I do now.

7. I was Charlotte in my fourth grade class’ production of “Charlotte’s Web.” My co-star, Wilbur, who was played by a girl, called me Char-Char for the rest of fourth grade and all through fifth. Our librarian was the director of the show. She held auditions during our math class (well, our usual math time, I guess), and everyone who wanted to audition read parts of the script in front of everyone else. I wasn’t planning on auditioning, but I did anyway because I felt that all of the other Charlotte wanna-bes weren’t good enough. I had a kick-bum costume, too, that was designed by my best friend’s mom. It was kind of spider meets witch meets swamp. Twas cool, I say! And I still have my script.

8. I’m going into New York today at 10:44 and I have to be up at nine, and I can’t go to sleep, darnit!

9. There are 92 people on my AIM buddy list, but I probably only talk to about 10 of them.

10. I remember the first time I met the boy and el-boy-o, and I have a great plan for our reunion back at school. It will take place on Sunday, August 26th–which is coincidentally the boy’s and my eight month anniversary –on Westhampton Green, on the side of the side walk between what I think is Westhampton Way and Booker, right where the bushes are. Actually, that’s not where I first met el-boy-o, but it’s pretty close. Anyway, picnic, probably early dinner, there. Ten points to whoever can guess the original occasion

Food for Thought June 24, 2007

Here’s a poem I hadn’t seen before that one of my interns quoted in an article. I was surprised, actually, because it’s written by one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson. Here you are:

Poem XXIX “Ghosts”
One need not be a chamber to be haunted,
One need not be a house;
The brain has corridors surpassing
Material place.

Far safer, of a midnight meeting
External ghost,
Than an interior confronting
That whiter host.

Far safer through an Abbey gallop,
The stones achase,
Than, moonless, one’s own self encounter
In lonesome place.

Ourself, behind ourself concealed,
Should startle most;
Assassin, hid in our apartment,
Be horror’s least.

The prudent carries a revolver,
He bolts the door,
O’erlooking a superior spectre
More near.

How to, how to succeed! June 24, 2007

I have a job offer. I am shocked. Come September, I will be a paid writer/editor. Wow. It just makes me feel warm and happy inside, that, you know, even if it isn’t a lot of money, my skills are developed enough and worthwhile enough to be payed for… That was a great sentence, wasn’t it?

Anyway, so my father has to come in and try to deflate the bubble. Not working. I’m rather pleased

Love to you all, whoever you all may be

He’s got the whole world in his hands June 23, 2007

It’s a GORGEOUS day here in NJ, in the 70s, blue skies…absolutely fabulous. My mom is having a dinner party tonight, so I went with her to run errands. We went to West Elm, to get some lanterns for our table outside, and they had these cans of San Pellegrino Limonada on display. Now, my dad is addicted to Limonada and has taken to complaining that they should come in larger sizes, since the ones our local grocery store sells are in itty bitty bottles. So, you know, when we saw normal sized cans there, we had to find out where they got them. Whole Foods. Who’d a thunk it?

So, I pretty much coerce my mother into going to Whole Foods, and I decided I had to record our maiden voyage for posterity: Walk through the doors into a GORGEOUS display of flowers. Massive pink peonies. To die for. Had to leave that area quickly, obviously. Too bad. Anyway, we start walking around and we find the Limonada fairly quickly, stock up. Four six packs = yumminess. Mama also needed paper towels and sponges, so we locate the single paper goods aisle, and it’s hysterical. There are more Luna bars than there are paper towels, and of course, the towels are that scratchy, recycled brown paper kind. So, whatever. We get some of those. Move down the aisle. There are two choices of tin foil (since, you know, tin foil is non recycleable), about five boxes of saran wrap, and a few boxes of plastic bags. And then, there are a few scrubby sponges shoved in next to them. My mom and I are looking at each other ready to start laughing. We continue down the aisle to find that the only other sponges they have are shaped like animals and have the ability to hang from the faucet, if the consumer so desires.

Which consumer wants an animal shaped sponge hanging from a faucet?

We pass on the sponges, make it down the rest of the aisle, and my mom stops and looks at the list: Four D Batteries. “Surely, surely they have batteries,” my mom says. She turns around and asks the sales person if they have batteries and the person’s face goes blank. “Batteries?” she replies. “I don’t think we have batteries.” At this point, my mom and I just look at each other and try not to laugh. She sales person consults a bagger, and says, “We have rechargeable batteries. I guess you’ll just have to go back to Staples, right?” Snooty sales person. Right. Staples. Sorry our batteries are killing your Green philosophy.

After that, we go to the check out and the woman who is scanning everything cannot manage the Limonada. Just can’t do it. The cans keep on scanning individually, so she has to delete the can, scan the box, rinse, repeat. After she’s done, my mom and I look up at the screen that shows what she scanned and the price and what not, and we’re like, “That’s not right.” She had scanned three of the four Limonada packs and a can, instead of just four packs. We point it out to her three times, and she just doesn’t want to hear it, so we give up. And then the bagger asks, you know, “paper or plastic.” When my mom said plastic, I was so sure the entire place was going to stop and stare. Honestly. We pretty much high-tailed it out of there after that, and burst out laughing in the parking lot.

I love my mama. And I think I’m going to have to examine Whole Foods and see what lies within… And probably buy some flowers, too.

Life is just a bowl of cherries June 21, 2007

I don’t like cherries but I LOVE my LIFE! :happy dresser dance: I have another internship! And I’m sooo frickin excited!!!

Okay, so, settling down temporarily. This one is with Hidden River Arts, which is a non-profit, internationally recognized arts organization that fosters artistic growth. So, every year, they have a fiction contest and a full length play contest, and they need interns to read them and judge them and I am one of those interns! I sent this massive email in response to the ad, explaining all of my experiences, my classes, what I read, what I write, and my resume, a short story, and an article, and the founder and director of Hidden River emailed me back and said I was just what they were looking for! Huzzah huzzah!

And, to top it off, she loves Richmond and has a really good friend in my town (who is a CW instructor at a university…). It’s Fate, I tell you

Oh Oh! And, they’re planning an anthology for winning entries and I might be able to work on it!

Mwahaha :runs away giggling:

Ok, I’m back. I wish I could get in touch with the boy and tell him. Merr. I’ll talk to him soon. Yes, soon. Okay, off to go respond

Loves love loves loveeee

Oh, here’s a site for you: www.cancerschmancer.org

Dream dream dream when I want you in my arms… June 18, 2007

So, loneliness has taken a vacation, hopefully for awhile, after a great and rather interesting/insightful conversation with the boy last night.

I’m up until at least midnight tonight, making sure the hangPROUD update goes through okay. It’s always when I have to stay up that I really want to go to bed. Weird, eh?
In other HP news, all of my interns and I have BYLINES now! Proper bylines! Bylines that say By____. At the beginning of the article. Right beneath the headline. For some reason, coding I guess, they aren’t showing up on the homepage, but I’ll bring that up. We’re also trying to put together some interactive quizzes for the PROUDgirl section of the site, so, if you have any unique ideas, please let me know! Carla’s hoping for one each week from each intern, so we’ll see how that goes. I’m thinking we’re going to run out of quiz topics, but we’ll see…

So, I’m watching Bridezillas on WE…and damn, this bride is bitchy. But anyway, bride and mother are talking about said bride being walked down the aisle by both mother and father. Thoughts, anyone? I feel like the aisle would be crowded. It’s sweet, but not traditional. I don’t know what I think…I mean, if I did it, my mother would be bawling. Well, she’d be bawling anyway…and my dad would probably be teary too. I’m kind of hanging on to the idea of daddy giving me away. And here’s another one: Is your wedding day the most important day of your life? I mean, it’s important, but is it the be all and end all of important days? What about the birth of your children? And if you say that the birth of your children is the most important day/days of your life, then is that a slight on your marriage? And what about…I don’t know, big life-changing career days? Promotions? Job offers? Aren’t they important too? What thinkest thou?

To add to the jumble, I’m also reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I’m over 300 pages in, about half way, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. First off, Vampires is a totally new genre or subgenre for me, but I do find it to be fascinating so far, because I know so little about the history of vampires and the legends that exist. I’m not sure how I feel about how Kostova tells the story. Maybe it’s just me, but over the first 150-200 pages or so, when we’re reading the letters, I had problems separating the lives of the father and Rossi, the professor. I can figure it out when I get confused and have to add another detail into the mix, but the problem is that I have to pause and concentrate on which character did what 25 odd years before the story is actually taking place. The other big problem I have with the telling of the story is the way the father tells stories and writes letters. It just isn’t realistic. No one recounts that much detail, no one. I know that we’re supposed to be stepping into the memory, but the suspension of reality is, in this case, hard for me to believe. Of course, it is a story about vampires, so their goes reality, right (hopefully)? But since we’re on the subject of vampires, here’s a question: Why is no one FREAKING OUT about people being BITTEN BY FRICKIN VAMPIRES? Um. I’d be flipping out. Like, hysterical. And the wife of the guy in Istanbul is all, oh what a shame, I’ll go make him dinner. I mean seriously!

/rant.

I do like it though. Really

We’re living in a material world and I am a material girl June 16, 2007

I’m the walking example of retail therapy. I start feeling lonely, and then I started thinking about what I could buy. I mean seriously. I want to slap myself. If Ryan was here, I would have him slap me, but he’s not here. Hence, you know, the loneliness. It’s a vicious, vicious cycle.

All I wanna do is find a way back into love… June 16, 2007

I miss my boy.

That’s all I have to say at the moment.