so far

Thursday, January 1: Drinks with Scarny, Caro, KM, Z, others at Boat. Trip to diner for some of the worst food ever eaten.

Friday, January 2: Drinks with Scarny, Caro, Z, others at Black Betty and elsewhere.

Saturday, January 3: Cooking class with Mom & bro. Consumed delicious corn smut.

Sunday, January 4: ...

Monday, January 5: ... (Besides work, mais oui.)

Tuesday, January 6: Purchased thigh-high socks from American Apparel.

Wednesday, January 7: Date with a comedy writer. He hates sports, loves "Sex & the City", and called me "honey". Obvious closet case.

Thursday, January 8: Annual company party in the red dress.

Friday, January 9: Successfully pulled off an hour-long presentation in front of 90 colleagues. Celebrated over wine at Moran's. Enchilada casserole later.

Saturday, January 10: Aerobic striptease and pole dancing. Firefly!

Sunday, January 11: Heartbreaking Big Blue loss.

Okay, folks, I think you're relatively caught up.

memorable moments

(In no particular order.)

1. Obama! And the entire campaign season!
2. Pan & James <3
3. Quitting my job
4. Acquiring my new (old) job
5. Acquiring my new (one bedroom) apartment
6. Brunch Club revival with Scarny
7. The Mystery Trip
8. That text message in September (and, a few days later, that phone call)
9. Beginning 2008 at Moonshine
10. Reading all of "Eat, Pray, Love" in the sky
11. A NYE picture with Andrew WK
12. Southern-themed housewarming
13. Second-Annual Summer Breeze Potluck
14. New Jersey pool party
15. "Heaven" by Bryan Adams
16. Meeting and bonding with Di
17. Tim Russert's death (which surprisingly made me bawl)
18. My bro acquiring that 90210 ZIP Code
19. Love Zap
20. The Satellite Dish Fiasco
21. The Newark Experience
22. Brian the Shy Lion
23. Completing three races
24. All-Star game with Josh
25. Ikea trip with Paul
26. FBPC & C4 & AL & other dark places
27. My BlackBerry
28. My bout with food poisoning
29. Football games galore (and a Giants win in February!)
30. Hip hop dance class
31. Nan Goldin exhibit at the MOMA (with Scarny on the floor)
32. Paul singing "Rosalita" during karaoke
33. Attempting to implement the Get More Awesome Plan
34. Cecil the Siamese Fighting Fish
35. Frank the Personal Trainer
36. Cross-stitch
37. Trimming the fat (and then taking it back)
38. Twilight Delirium Weekend
39. Drinking wine and eating chocolate cake in the bathtub
40. Binging on "Twin Peaks" and "Weeds" and "30 Rock"
41. Appearing on MTV2
42. Throwing roses on my birthday
43. The "LOST" finale
44. "Celebrity Rehab" and "Rock of Love 2"
45. Voter registration at the Atlantic-Pacific stop
46. Giving up on my useless therapist
47. My NYT subscription
48. The planetarium
49. Making copies of my keys
and...
50. Scrabble in our pajamas on our Christmas Eve

I'm sure there were more. Many good, many bad. Either way, I'm terribly ready for this New Year.

Happy 2009.

okay, okay

So, here's the scoop. I know that someone from my office is reading my blog on a regular basis. (Yep! I know you're doing it!) I track this stuff, you see. However, I don't know who you are.

I know who it is not, but I know not who it is.

The truth: I am more likely to censor myself and/or not blog at all because of this, hence why I haven't written much of substance as of late.

So, hey. Listen. Tell me who you are and maybe I won't care what I write about and I'll happily continue to blog freely! Otherwise, maaaaaaan. I may have to move my blog to another undisclosed domain.

And that's that.

Oh, and by the way: Happy 29th to my bro.

so proud

I sort of cannot believe I haven't blogged the big news yet, but rest assured that it's only because I was terribly hurtin' yesterday after throwing an Obamarama Tuesday night.

He.

Actually.

Won.

I am so proud.

vote

i'll make it so that we don't have to

I don't blog anymore.

A lot of that has to do with things about which I refuse to blog.

I'll tell you one thing that is blog-worthy, however, and that is the amazing adventures of my new friends, Pan & James.



Another is the fact that Obama has this shit on lock and come next week, I'll be crying tears of joy.

Others: "Heaven" by Bryan Adams, taco-style salads from Sam's House on 48th Street, a Georgia defeat over Florida this upcoming Saturday, the fact that I haven't yet decided upon a Halloween costume, the fact that my mom turns 56 tomorrow, the fact that her mother died at the age of 57, the fact that I'm already thinking about Thanksgiving (though I know not where I'll spend it nor with whom), the fact that my brother is moving to the 90210 ZIP Code on Friday, my makeshift office on the F train (complete with Post-It note), wearing the Red Dress last Friday, and how I am running a race on November 16th.

Last but not least, I received this message from an individual on an old dating site that I haven't used in months:

"Whats wrong with you? You are so beautiful and you are on online dating. You must possess some defective personality trait --cuz youre gorgeous. Please excuse the word cuz. im' drinking tonite. its an honest letter. so-what's wrong with you? All chicks online dating are defective. (yes--your'e a chick) I'm not perfect either. Your pal, mike"

There. You'll all caught up. Sort of.

debatinggggggg

I'm watching this shit in HD and how the hell does Tom Brokaw have less wrinkles than I do?

OMG Obama is going to WIN WIN WIN.

McCain looks like a walking corpse.

Castellanos loves our guy tonight -- a Republican strategist! He loves Obama! I mean, he's a button masher, yes (hey hey Paul) but honestly. It's 9:32 PM and we're at 17+ blue and 8+ red. Not too shabby.

I only wish this was an Obama/Palin town hall meeting. Doggone it!

Why do people say that Obama doesn't excel in this forum? He's excelling! He's excellent! God above, if this man doesn't win on the 4th, I'm moving to Malta.

!!!

recommended

i'm easy

I watched this scene six times in a row tonight.

desperation is a tender trap

Your most marked characteristic? An unfortunate penchant for the dramatic.

The quality you most like in a man? Sense of humor.

The quality you most like in a woman? Sense of humor.

What is your principle defect? See my most marked characteristic.

What is your favorite occupation? Personal business on company time.

What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes? To live without love.

What would you like to be? Settled.

In what country would you like to live? I haven't fully explored my own, and thus it presently suits me fine. Ask me on November 5th.

What is your favorite color? Kelly green.

What is your favorite flower? Hydrangea.

What is your favorite bird? Swallow.

Who are your favorite prose writers? Gabriel Garcia Marquez, J.D. Salinger.

Who are your favoite poets? e.e. cummings, Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Ignatius J. Reilly.

Who are your favorite painters? Magritte, Munch, Kandinsky, Chagall.

What are your favorite names? Atticus, Judah, Holden, Stella, Bixby, Georgia.

What natural gift would you most like to possess? I should like to be proficient in creating visual art.

How would you like to die? Without fear.

What is your present state of mind? Planning for the worst; hoping for the best.

* * *

You know, sometimes on a Sunday evening, it's good to just take stock.

Things are fiiiiiiiiiiner than they've been. Big changes on the horizon. Possibly two weeks. Possibly four weeks.

The weekend was spent watching football (OMG DAWGS I CAN'T EVEN GET INTO IT), eating tarts, drinking red wine, talking by candlelight until 4AM, listening to Lindsey Buckingham, and other sappy sick sweet sillinesssssssssss.

When one is giddy and high and in The Fog, one tends to type out words and add superfluous letters, you see.

!!

Oh, lest you think I've lost myself, I also had Necessary Brunch with Scarny, hit the gym, did the dishes, avoided laundry, ate a hummus sandwich on Macdougal Street in the West Village, shopped for groceries, and talked to SM, and now I just must must must start "Nashville" if I'm going to return it tomorrow.

Swooooooooooon.

it's hard to believe

I know I should quit smoking. I'm here watching YouTubes of Tina as Sarah and waiting for the phone to ring. It'll ring eventually. Maybe in six months. Maybe in six minutes.

I can't tell you how I feel. It's nervousness and excitement and happiness and wonder and fear all wrapped up into one Bloody Mary.

(Scarny, you get me?)

I've painted my nails a garish shade of red and sloppily so.

I AM SO HAPPY I LIVE HERE.

shhhhhhhh

Football-filled weekend, what with my Southern-themed housewarming on Saturday and carafes of Bloodys at 200 Fifth on Sunday to watch the Giants slay the Rams. Fast forward to me sleeping on a rooftop in Sunset Park and taking a car home this morning at 6:30 AM. Lord, for how long can I keep up this pace? Thank you to those of you who made it out to Kensington to eat my pimento cheese sandwiches and biscuits with peach jam and pecan pie bars and to drink PBR. (Oh, and Justin, I still have a pot full of oil on my stove that you need to take care of.)

DFW is dead. I still need to finish "Infinite Jest".

familia

My mother confessed to me that when I was an infant, she left me in a hot locked car, windows rolled up, for thirty minutes.

"What? Why in the world would you do that?" I asked.

"Well, you were asleep and I had to run in to pay rent and then realized there was a long line and if I got out of line, I'd have to stand in line again, and I kept all the windows rolled up because I didn't want anyone to steal you and oh-my-God when I got out and back to the car, you were so red but still asleep and oh-my-God, I was so scared!"

I texted this to Scarny, to which he replied, "Explains it all!"

Over dinner, I was telling my parents that y'know, who knows? Maybe in a few years, if I haven't met a dude or whatever and I'm itching to have a baby, maybe I'll just have one and a friend or something will help me conceive and raise it or something?

I mean, you never know.

To this my stepfather replied, "CHILDREN NEED A FATHER AND A MOTHER WHO ARE HUSBAND AND WIFE -- NOT TWO 'GOOD FRIENDS'"

Explains it all!

pix pix pix

From the wedding! Here! Yay!

hammjamm

Okay, okay, so here's the update.

A) Had a great (fantastic! wonderful! lovely!) weekend in Georgia and North Carolina. Attended one of the best weddings ever. Pictures to follow. Wore a dress that I adore. Held that cute baby whose legs I wanted to gnaw on, due to their adorable chubbiness. Danced until I was soaked. Ate until I was stuffed. Drank until I was horizontal. Almost missed the plane with Scarny until we realized that not only were we at the wrong airline's ticket counter, but our flight didn't depart for another two hours. Scarny lost his bag, only to find it again. Ate waffles and grits and biscuits and drank Bloodys and wiiiiiiiine. Had to fly 1000 miles to meet a handful of folks who live five minutes away from me. Had to fly 1000 miles to see KM, whom I hadn't seen in two months. Did I mention I danced until I was soaked? Did I mention that coming back to NYC is always hard after a weekend down South?

B) My satellite dish has been held hostage by my super. This, because the original installer "threw away" the dish of my neighbor. Now I must somehow get their dish replaced before my super will give me back my own. Oh, and on top of that, my Internet is screwy. Oh, and on top of that, I have to return my old cable box to some drop-off office on Avenue H and where the fuck that is, I have no idea. It sounds far away.

C) Work is fine. Ho hum.

D) I must go to the gym (see A).

E) I think I shall leave town this weekend, as I am in need of a detox. As I told SM upon my departure, I need a vacation from my vacation.

F) I want to go to Montauk to go fishing with Justin and Paul and Josh.

G) I want to go on an African safari with Scarny (and we would entitle the episode "JBD and Scarny Go on a Safari")

H) If you didn't know: Still Flyin' fucking rules. They make me want to jam brews and be deliriously happy all the time.

cliched horoscope entry

"If you are in a relationship that is a struggle these days, it may be time for a reevaluation of its pros and cons. There are problems and benefits that you bring to one another, and you cannot make a definitive decision about whether or not to continue on your current path. For now, talking it over is wiser than taking direct action."

Thanks, Rick.

All I do is talk, though. Perhaps it's time for some direct action.

aural masochism

"In Your Eyes" -- Peter Gabriel
"Why Do They Leave" -- Ryan Adams
"Willing to Wait" -- Sebadoh
"Debonair" -- Afghan Whigs
"What a Fool Believes" -- Doobie Brothers
"Baby Come Back" -- Player
"Heaven" -- Bryan Adams
"Jolene" -- Dolly Parton
"The Lure Would Prove Too Much" -- Twilight Singers
"Kind Woman" -- Buffalo Springfield
"Purple Rain" -- Prince

try this

According to the training I (outsourced and) scheduled today for my staff, to help manage depression and anxiety, engage in the following behaviors:

Wake up and go to bed at roughly the same time every day.
Eat a small amount of protein before sleeping.
Use your bed for sleep only.
Reduce caffeine intake.
Eat three meals and three snacks per day.
Eat within a half hour of waking in the morning.
Reduce alcohol and nicotine intake.
Exercise 30 minutes/day most days of the week.
Implement a plan to work on an activity (or towards a goal) about which you are passionate.

"first of all, where did you sleep? give me the dirt."

It's been quite a week, my friends. I've been all tuckered out. I've realized, however, that I don't want this chaos to end and that, compatriots, is Problemo Numero Uno.

I am now a proud solo renter of a large 1 bedroom apartment in Kensington, Brooklyn. Last night, Paul, Justin, and Mindi came over and assembled my IKEA furniture. (Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you, because if I had done it all by myself, it would have been a fast track to sobbing in the corner, shaking my fist toward the sky.) We ate pizza from a local joint, drank cheap beer, hung out on my fire escape, and played Monopoly until 2:30 AM.

Now, look, even though I ended up giving away my ten properties toward the end, I'll just go out on a limb and say that I won the whole sha-bang, if only due to the sheer entertainment value.

Oh, and yes: a very happy birthday to Justin, who turned 30 at midnight.

battlez

Cassettes Won't Listen vs. Kanye West.

See more here.

the images go way beyond

I blog because I am tired of packing.

Truth be told, I have spent the last hour not packing, but rather going through a previously taped-up box of photographs spanning the last fifteen years. I had moved it into my apartment, never opened it, and stored it in the back of my closet. Tonight, when I should be closing up boxes, I instead sliced it open and got lost in Georgia and Texas memories galore: Scarny, KB, SM, KM, Amber Bear, J.Ro, Ice, Coke Bref, Sean, Mindy, Crogers, Crews, Dark, Psmee, Emma, Laura, Sonia, Allison, Lydia, Alex, Kevin, Amy, Stevie, Matt C, The Billings, Carly, Robbie, Bren, Dan, Coley, Chris-in-Texas, Caro, Z, chubby me, average-sized me, skinny-sad-break-up me... all in this box that I hadn't opened in nearly two years.

And now I must force myself to sleep so that I may arrive to work prior to when Miley-Cyrus-Hannah-Montana gets on the stage in Rock Plaza and all shit hits the fan and I can't reach my building.

We've been warned there will be a heavy police presence.

summer! brought to you by: mother nature

Paul + Justin + Porkchop + Colleen + Bro + Vedette + Chrissy + Tim + Thim + Mom + Jim + Coronas + Sam Adams Summer Ales + pina coladas + margaritas + pretzel chips + hummus + grilled pizza + burgers + hot dogs + salads + sunshine + pool floats + noodles + backyard tent + bugs + birds + Maggie-the-Long-Dog + swimming pool...



SUBURBAN SLUMBER PARTY!

the house that ruth built

Me, Josh, All-Star Game, Yankee Stadium, tonight.

sushi, apple

Got incredibly, disgustingly, violently ill yesterday. Probably food poisoning. Couldn't keep anything down and have probably dropped five pounds in water weight.

(Yay!)

((I'm kidding.))

Seriously, though, that shit knocked me out, son. I'm just now able to stomach something other than a handful of Cheerios and small sips of Gatorade.

(Emma, I'm sorry about my mix-up in emails; I was obviously out of it.)

Ho hum. That's all. I haven't gotten out of bed much at all today and I just wanted to share with you my unfortunate malady.

Oh, other goings-on: saw "Hancock" with Justin on Thursday and it actually surprised me: it wasn't that bad. Jason Bateman, of course, played THE JASON BATEMAN CHARACTER, but I'm a fan, so I wasn't complaining. Tomorrow brings Bastille Day on Smith Street with Scarny, to which I will drag my ass no matter how I feel. After that, The New Guy and I will attend Boobiecubes at Noreen's new place, where he will meet the crew and be sized up. Poor guy. I wish him luck.

truth

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

big spender

So, perhaps Ikea isn't for masochists if you go on a weekday. This is the trick, you see. Also, be sure to go with someone with whom you enjoy spending time and who will tell you "My God, that is the ugliest rug ever -- you should NOT buy it", just so you can buy it and make him carry it around.

Remember that there is a FREE shuttle that takes you from Park Slope to Red Hook and not only that, but the seats are upholstered and you won't have to stand up.

Remember that even if something is listed as in stock, it probably won't be and you'll have to send your shopping companion around to seek out alternatives.

In other news, note to self: Asian food five days in a row is the epitome of good livin'.

rococcoesque

"Did you just complain about him wanting to take a nap with you?"

I replied, "Yeah, I did."

"Girl, you totally do not like this boy."

I think that's how it went, anyhow.

My future life shall include a floppy hat, big sunglasses, Scarny, and Morocco. Oh, and lots of booze. And Momofuku. Maybe we will bring ramen noodles to the Moroccan masses, just like we'll bring pornography to LA someday.

Ikea is for masochists.

The bar bathroom is for masochists.

Stalking old classmates in the East Village is for masochists.

Johnson's in the daylight, however, is forever!

sugar coma

Mom and I went to the Javits Center today for the 54th Annual Fancy Food Show and OMGWTF! Miles and miles of fancy food was to be found!

(Mom's a florist and her store does the gift basket thing, hence how we were able to snag tickets.)

I delightfully fell off the Health Wagon for the day and sampled little bites of goat milk ice cream, black truffle butter, caffeinated jelly beans, jalapeno-stuffed olives, banana peanut butter, apple rosemary preserves, chocolate-covered potato chips, wasabi mustard, fig jam, Israeli couscous, Kona coffee, raw honey, Bellini preserves (can you tell I like my condiments?), and on and on...

The best thing I put in my mouth all day, however, hands down, had to be a piece of Collier's Powerful Welsh Cheddar. It practically made me tear up.

Oh, and I snagged some peanut butter and chocolate candy samples for the guy I went out with the night before, aaaaaaaaand with whom I'll go out again tomorrow night.

Yes. I'm apparently not playing it cool at all.

running!

This is what running in the heat on very little sleep looks like:

i got it

From KM:

i promise i'll even pretend it's reaganomics trickling down from the 80s

So, like, things have been busy.

Monday I hit the gym after work (that lil' Nike+iPod gizmo really motivates!) and then went home and draaaaaagged my ass out on a date... which ended up being a nice surprise. We're going out again on Saturday.

I put no stock into these things, by the way. I don't mean to sound bitter and jaded, but I'm perpetually underwhelmed and have become so during my 5-year stint in singledom. This guy seemed pretty okay, though, and he shares my love of "Lost" and my guilty pleasure of occasionally listening to the Counting Crows, so...

(Yes, I really liked "August and Everything After" so suck it.)

Tuesday was a trip to Shea Stadium with Paul, Josh, Porkchop, Colleen, and others to see the Mets get CREAMED 11-0. I think I stopped paying attention to the game around Inning 5.

Yesterday I checked out an apartment. I'm moving in by myself for the first time ever, and as you probably have heard, gentle reader(s), the New York apartment hunt is ruthless. (Four figures a month just to have a roof over my head! What is this world coming to?) This unit, however, seems pretty pretty pretty good and I'm going back tonight to be interviewed by the building owner. Fingers crossed, good thoughts, prayers, chants, etc. plz.

Just got back from lunchtime trip to the gym and my hair is still wet and I feel totally unprofessional.

Le sigh.

ticky tacky

I was talking to KB yesterday on his birthday (happy birthday, KB!) and he mentioned that I seemed to be on-track with nutrition, exercise, etc. as of late, according to my last blog post.

Oh, but I know how to self-sabotage! Read on...

Friday was happy hour instead of the gym, and then a platter of Mexican food with Paul and lots of wine and hangout time 'til 5am. Saturday morning started with a text to Scarny that read: "brunch plz" or something along those lines. Had a waffle (?! -- I never eat a sweet brunch!) with creme fraiche, banana, and real maple syrup with the requisite Bloody or two. Needed more sweets later in the afternoon and treated self to vegan cookie from Whole Foods. Dinner was a vegan tempeh burrito from Burritoville. (My body must be craving sugar and Mexican food.) Met up with the gang at the bar at midnight and drank many a vodka soda and crashed at home around 4:30 AM. Sunday was a platter of (yes, yes) Mexican food and a bowl of fresh cherries and vegan chili with brown rice for dinner.

WTF, I ask you.

Back on the 6" Veggie Delite (no cheese) Subway Diet today, which includes a much-needed dose of a 3-mile run and hour-long strength training class after work.

I told my friend Pat that I'm "good" during the week and I undo everything on the weekends and he found this sensible.

(I apologize for turning this blog into a food diary, but it's a bit all-consuming right now. It's gonna be either that or how I'm stressed out about finding an apartment by the end of July or how much I loved the first season of "Weeds".)

consumption!

Maybe I've been reading too much KERF, but I have the overwhelming desire to share with you, gentle reader(s), what I've been consuming and sweating off my body as of late.

Woke up at 6:00 AM and watched 45 minutes of Scarny's show while doing some weight training on my stability ball. All the while, consuming 16 ounces of French pressed unsweetened black coffee. Yeah, simultaneously.

Breakfast today was a cranberry-flavored (vegan! raw! cold-pressed!) Organic Fiber Bar, which is tastier than it sounds. 14 grams of fiber! In! One! Bar! I paired that with a 24-ounce cup of unsweetened black coffee.

Mid-morning snack was a banana, which had been purchased at my local gas station, before I hopped on the train at 7:45 AM. As usual, listened to yesterday's "TOTN" on the commute. (Hi, Sarah!)

Lunch was a walk from my office at Rockefeller Center to the SECRET SUBWAY ON EIGHTH AVENUE (roughly 15 minutes away by foot), where I purchased a $5 foot-long Veggie Delite on wheat bread with no cheese, all the veggies in the house, spicy mustard, vinegar, S&P, and dried oregano. (No oil. No mayo.) Ate only half, but paired it with a bag of (vegan!) Glenny's Soy Crisps in caramel flavor. A bit too sweet for the middle of the day. Should have stuck with my old S&P standby, and yes! I'm the director of a nutrition counseling program and understand glucose spikes! So, it was no surprise that later i craved...

My mid-afternoon snack, which was an impulse buy: (vegan!) S'mores Luna Bar. I had left the office briefly to run to Duane Reade with J ('Member him? I feel like he and I make a joint trip to the DR daily.) so that I could drop off my prescription for my weird photodermatitis-related rash. (Never mind that; I'll live.) He and I also bought one large unsweetened black iced coffee each. (Do you think I drink too much coffee? Don't answer that!)

!!!

Went to the gym after work, decided to skip Vinyasa Yoga and instead, ran on the treadmill for a half hour, alternating between 4.5 MPH and 6.0 MPH every two minutes. Only reached 2.5 miles total, but used my Nike+iPod which I highly recommend for it's lowlowlow price of $20ish, as well as all of its bells and whistles.. Also did some more light weight training. (Off-topic: I lovvvvvvve the lotion that is provided post-shower in the NYSC Rock Center locker room. I can still smell it on my skin, hours later.)

Had a Gala apple after work on the train ride home, and while perusing the latest issue of "Food & Wine" and decided that yes, I needed some. Food. And wine. Bought a bottle of Domaine Brusset Laurent B. Cotes du Rhone and had the other 6" of my SECRET SUBWAY (WHICH IS ON EIGHTH AVENUE AND 47TH STREET) Veggie Delite sandwich, this time with an Okara Courage Burger added to it, while watching Chris Matthews on "Hardball".

And here I am.

(Gratitute: Big ups to Kath -- you make me wanna eat kale chips and wheatberries daily! And thank you, J, for enduring my work-related venting on a daily basis. And thank you, Justin, for providing me the location of the SECRET SUBWAY ON EIGHTH AND 47TH STREET IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. And thank you, Pauly, for being my constant, even when I am judgmental. And thank you, Scarny, for getting me out of bed at 6:00 AM so that I can watch your show.)

(More gratitude to come.)

thank my potlucky stars

What a spread!



Clever stand-outs included Scarny's "Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie" (though he succeeded in bringing the temp in my apartment to the triple digits -- hotttt!), KM's "Strawberry Fields Forever" Salad, DMcG's "Put the Lime in the Coconut" Chicken & Tofu & Rice, Heather's "Mean Mr. Mustard" Potato Salad, Colleen's (who was missed) "Margaritaville" Cookies, and (ain't no shame in my game), my "Cheeseburger in Paradise" Cookies...



Other yummy contributions included Bethany's ceviche, Paul's paella and sangria, Josh's jambalaya, Mindi's figs and prosciutto, my bro's Hot Pockets & Juicy Fruit gum (!!!), Brandon, Justin, and Noreen's wings, Porkchop's traditional (mayo-based) potato salad, my tempeh "chicken" salad, Devang's guacamole, and Pam's Greek salad.

And thennnnnnnn... we had a dance party in the dark and I shattered my roommate's glass blender jar and and Justin wiped blood off of my toe and peeled skin from my arm and popped my blisters and a crazy actress crashed the joint and I drank full cups of white wine and then hit the wall and slept in my clothes.

Good times!

r.i.p. russert

My Sunday mornings won't be the same.

on my mind and what is happening now

"Top Chef" finale

Cava

Paul with pita chips and pretzel rods

Kayaking

Curly hair

Potluck planning

Solo vacation planning

Many balls in the air at work

I need a pedicure

I am peeling

Coney Island Sundays

Impress during impromptu "Jeopardy" sessions

$5 footlong Veggie Delite (no cheese) from Subway

Spike

Pineapple boat

Lifting heavy weights

Not really caring about "SATC"

Hawaii

Moving forward with the Paperback Bestseller Plan

Moving forward with career change plan in L.A. (This means you, Rippy!)

Etc.

clinch!

Onto November!

there's no place like home

This post isn't spoiler-y unless you click on the links. Don't worry.

For "Lost" enthusiasts, tomorrow brings a bittersweet day: hopefully the best episode of the season but also the final one.

From 8pm-9pm ET, last week's episode "There's No Place Like Home (Part 1)" will be rebroadcast, though this time with extra footage. From 9pm-11pm, "There's No Place Like Home (Parts 2 & 3) will be aired.

TV Guide is noting that for full finale-viewing pleasure, please be sure you are up to date with the goings-on in these six episodes:

"Pilot" (Season 1)
"White Rabbit" (Season 1)
"Live Together, Die Alone" (Season 2)
"Through the Looking Glass" (Season 3)
"The Shape of Things to Come" (Season 4)

I'll be geeking it out at a "Lost" finale party (but of COURSE) for the second year in a row.

Don't tell me what I can't do!

endless weekend

Friday was 1-2-3 and girls in b.o.o.t.a.y. shorts with Scarny, TRich, DMcG, Paul, Josh, Justin, et al. Fast forward to me singing "Hangin' Tough" and (naturally) "Against All Odds" in the East Village while drinking overpriced wine. Was simply knocked -- knocked! -- off of my feet by Paul's rendition of "Rosalita". Seriously, you should hire this guy to sing at weddings. He also does a mean Morrissey.

Saturday was gettin' roots done and gettin' the fear of God put into me by my stylist, who warned me that my hair was on the verge of serious breakage. Like, you're-gonna-have-to-pull-a-Britney-Spears-and-shave-that-shit situation. Frown. Ran home, baked vegan blackberry oat bars, and made it to P'chop & Colleen's for graduvacation party with green-ish (but yummy!) Tofurky Beer Brats in tow.

Sunday was Coney Island and sunburns and snacks and Cyclone.

Monday was drinking in Central Park with Scarny in the morning and then a pound of cherries at P'chop & Colleen's with Paul and Justin and Mindi and Josh and more Tofurky and more light beer and more sunshine and...

Tuesday was exhaustion.

climb climb climb

As part of my Get More Awesome plan, I'm getting more active at the gym. I've seen Frank-the-Trainer twice now, have taken kickboxing and yoga and total body conditioning... but nothing scares me more than what I'll be experiencing tonight:

My first spinning class.

My goal isn't too far out-of-reach: I just want to be in the best fucking shape of my life. Forever.

Or at least, you know, get to the gym a couple times a week and stop eating crap.

makes me feel fine

For those of you not in the NYC area next month, here's what you'll (unfortunately) be missing:

THE SECOND ANNUAL SUMMER BREEZE* POTLUCK.
*Note: May or may not feature Summer Breeze.

If you recall last year, Summer Breeze was the drink concocted by the fellas and mixed in a victory cooler in my bathroom for the First Annual (So Icy/Stuffed) Summer Potluck. It included Coors Light, vodka, Red Bull, and other beverages that escape me at this time. It was (surprisingly!) tasty.

This year, piggy-backing on the fact that the drink of yesteryear was named for a brilliant Seals & Crofts song, I'm declaring the theme to be music-related: your contribution to said potluck should be inspired by a song.

For instance:

"Pour Some Sugar on Me" -- Def Leppard
"Scarborough Fair" -- Simon & Garfunkel
"Savoy Truffle" -- the Beatles
"Mashed Potato Time" -- Dee Dee Sharp
"Know Your Chicken" -- Cibo Matto

You get the idea.

This stomachache-waiting-to-happen goes down on Saturday, June 14th. I've already thought of one or two dishes, myself. We'll see what others come up with.

(And, boy, I've never realized how many songs refer to candy until today.)

get by

The Get More Awesome Plan (which brings to mind Kanye and Talib):

1. Get a pet: Mine is a Siamese Fighting Fish. He is purple and his name is Cecil.
2. Get your own place: As of August 1, I will live alone for the first time in my life. Apartment will be decorated with milk crates and cinder blocks.
3. Get a personal trainer: He is muscular and his name is Frank.
4. Get your learn on: I'm finally tackling "Crime & Punishment", which most of you probably read in 11th grade.
5. Get a new hobby: Mine is cross-stitch.
6. Get a new kitchen tool: Mine is a French Press.
7. Get an indulgence: Mine is semi-regular manicures.
8. Get rid of your bad habits: Mine shall remain nameless here.
9. Get an ashram: I'm visiting an ashram in NYC, yes, but an ashram nonetheless.
10. Get some perspective: I may not stick with all of this in the long run, but I'm on a kick to try.

jet set domino

Taking a personal day because the last four were some of the most ridiculous in recent memory.

Between two flights on Friday, a sub-par Greek salad in Detroit, a Derby party, nonsense nonsense nonsense until the early morning, recovering on Sunday, two flights on Monday, dinner with Dennis the bartender in Irvine, a bath of tears, broken wine glasses, two flights on Tuesday, and devouring "Eat Pray Love" in 32 hours, I'm a little out of my gourd.

road azz

Going to Detroit and back tomorrow and then off to L.A. (yay!) (I mean, actually Irvine -- boooo!) on Monday. Will return on Tuesday night a very weary business traveler.

Somewhere in between those two grown-up trips, I shall find time to don a hat, drink a mint julep, and bet on a horse.

But right now, first thing is motherfucking first: TAE-BO. Like it's 1999.

every day is a wasted day

What a weekend. Time to eat salads and drink sparkling water for oh, twelve days.

skytopless

T-minus 20 hours or something and counting, and what does T stand for again? Scarny & I will be in the sky and three Bloodys deep in no time flat.

baby come back

"I want you to find someone who makes you as happy as I wanted to make you."

even steven

Boating season again. GYC. A gaggle of us drank pitchers under the Christmas lights and then went in various directions; five of us ended up at a party in the Burg or the Wick or somewhere that is apparently ATM-free and then I found myself in a sketchy SUV at 2am. Watched the Peaks extras when I made it home, as I've completed all 30 episodes at a lightning-fast pace. (Damn good coffee - and hot! The owls are not what they seem! Fire walk with me! I could go on.)

Awoke and met Scarny for a brunch of trout and egg and horseradish cream. Enjoyed one of the best Bloodys ever at the Johnson's -- perhaps in future times we'll say 'fuck the pomp and circumstance', grab a Subway 12"er and once again fawn over Nancy Wilson's high note with the bartender.

	Heart - Alone
	Found at skreemr.com

Taking it easy tonight. Will soon be knee-high in a Lynchian film festival in my bedroom.

xxi

This is what shopping sounds like.

	Kleerup ft. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
	Found at skreemr.com

lol bob lol

KB came to town last week and we had two Mexican meals, a Vietnamese dinner, and a few beverages. Snagged a garden table at La Palapa and enjoyed the Bloodys.

Josh turned 30 and I made a chocolate and cinnamon and espresso four-layer cake with mocha buttercream frosting, adorned with coconut marshmallow cookies. (It all fit together surprisingly well.) Ended the night at a pool hall in a horseshoe-shaped booth, attempting to not elbow Paul in the eye as I devoured the fried calamari before me.

I have a terrible addiction to "Twin Peaks" and have successfully, within two weeks or so, caught up to Scarny -- who has been watching for months. I do this every so often, as you know: binge on the television shows via Netflix ("The Wire", "Lost", "Battlestar Galactica" -- yes, I have impeccable taste) and then my world is colored with the characters, settings, and storylines and it's nearly all I can think about.

I head to Georgia for Twilight Delirium 10 in 10 days. Prior to that I shall spend some QT with AC in NYC and wait patiently for Episodes 23+ to arrive in the mail.

Let's rock.

a b & c

In the end, it all works out the way it's supposed to work out, yes, but this middle part is murky.

where the new york city winters aren't bleeding me

Things are good.

Heading to Georgia in less than a month. Saw Wuxtry and the REM office on CBS's "Sunday Morning" today. Remembered the time that AC and I had to drop off a cat carrier to the latter establishment when he was doing community service for the Humane Society. (It was to be autographed by the band members and auctioned off for fundraising purposes.) I volunteered a few times, just because I enjoyed being around him. He drove the red Cavalier and would ride his brakes, making me nauseous.

I haven't thought about that in years.

I also heard "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel today and thought about drinking Zima-with-Jolly-Ranchers in Creswell and listening to AC's roommate sing the praises of the saxophone in the song. We were in the dark, sitting on the floor. I was 17.

Now the years are rolling by me
They are rocking evenly
And I am older than I once was
And younger than I'll be, but that's not unusual
No, it isn't strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

I guess that time has been on my mind. It's not often that I take trips that far down memory lane anymore.

Things are good.

faaaaaamous

Okay, so I look lame, but I've made it to MTV.

I'm one proud sister.

it's the smile that does it

Perpetually tired-ass-tired. Almost fell asleep on the train on the way to work this morning, if only because I could. (One train!) Watched "Meet the Press" and pondered Tim's diet.

Didn't fall asleep on the way home, though, as I had company.

Despite the exhaustion, I like my new digs. Quite a bit. The proverbial view is spectacular.

It's like Bizarro 2006. Or 2005. Or something. It's like the same, but different. No more trips to 2112, no, but J and I discussed the blessed '90s today and oh, how nice it was to discuss even the Gin Blossoms with a coworker. How nice it was to discuss anything with a coworker. How nice it was to hang with J again.

After two days, I already feel out of touch with my GChat friends, sadly. How dependent upon GChat I became in the last twelve months! My God. Hitting up the Big East tournament tomorrow night at MSG with Josh, however, so all is not lost.

KM and Scarny say I'm a grown-up. I guess I'll try it on for size.

last day last day last day

('Twas I.)

No more workin' in Brooklyn. No more three trains in the morning. No more Dunkin' Donuts for lunch.

fierce!

i've sunshine enough to spread

Scarny and I kicked out the birthday jamz this weekend, what with the shopping, the haircut, the double-trip to Esperanto, Bloodys, pigeon fights, cupcakes galore, THERE WILL BE DRAMA, new iPod, reading material, "Twin Peaks", vid chat with KB, dance party on the couch, UES vacation, maddening Dean Martin loop over omelettes, coffee brandy, lotto tix, taking cabs like I got some money, quotable stoop-dwellers of Alphabet City, my viewing of Da Gremlins, and this jam:

	Van She - Kelly
	Found at skreemr.com

Happy birthday to us.

Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you to everyone who came out on Saturday night, to everyone who wished us well, to Josh & Mindi & Porkchop & Colleen for the delicious cupcakes, to my friends for dealing with me when that Jameson hasn't exactly done me right, to Scarny for being the best birthday buddy ever, and now-I'll-stop-before-I-sound-like-my-blubbering-mother.

yessssssss

primo!

Holy snow! KB is making a last-minute appearance in NYC for the big birthday weekend! What a fabulous surprise!

drift away

Wanna see a teaser of a video in which I appear? Yes. Yes, you do.

improvements

Porkchop blogged about my silly "American Idol"-esque idea to boost ratings for the Oscars.

I, personally, watch the Oscars every year no matter the length of the show or movies nominated, but I know that many people do not. Many seem to dig the "American Idol" concept, so why not blend the two?

It could be argued that this idea would effectively dumb-down what should be a classy show... but I think that perhaps this has already been done by having that perky Hannah Montana show up to the party.

oscahs

My favorite dress of the night!



Safe, yes, but I love it.

Now, seriously, what was Diablo Cody thinking?



(I mean, Tilda's dress wins for Most Atrocious but it was sort of expected.) She looked great at the Spirit awards a mere 24 hours earlier! Le sigh!

Javier Bardem looked ridiculously hot, after frightening the pants off of me on Saturday afternoon when I finally got around to seeing "No Country". Clooney looked dapper, as usual. Daniel Day-Lewis looked a wee bit too Beethoven-y for me. (That hair! Yikes.) I thought Penelope Cruz was smokin'. I thought Amy Adams could have pulled off a brighter green. I thought Helen Mirren's dress fit her like a glove. I thought Ellen Page's choice was poor.

Remember, I know nothing about fashion.

ta da!

Well, I'm plum over the moon. Lemme tell you why.

My hair (on no 'poo day two) looks good. It's snowing outside and looks like a movie set. I'm wearing my new favorite shirt. J.Lo had her babies.

These all pale in comparison, however, to the fact that I got The Job. I'll return to my old company, but this time with a staff and a pay raise and a real challenge. I'm thrilled. Even better? I found out yesterday (via BlackBerry -- man, did it come in handy or what?) while on the way to a second date that went smashingly well.

(Oh, no "Lost" spoilers, please. I didn't watch yet. I was too busy celebrating.)

I hate to flaunt all of this and jinx it but man-oh-man, things seem good.

no poo

I read this article in today's NYT and decided to consult with AB. When I told her that I, indeed, wash my hair every single day, she replied with an exasperated, "That's ridiculous!"

Apparently shampoo just strips your hair of the oils that you inevitably replace with conditioner.

Who knew?

My hair has been bleached, dyed, fried, permed, blown out, flat ironed, and even clothes ironed throughout the years. I started dying it when I was 12. It's been chocolate brown and platinum blonde and (ugh) red and (ughhhh) purple in my day. I think I need to treat it with a bit more respect.

I'm going to try to give up the sham (HA!) for a bit and see what happens.

More info here.

neo-cons unite

In case you haven't clicked on the link in my sidebar.

Ten years ago today, Perle, Abrams, Armitage, Bolton, Kristol, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, et al gave us a peek at what they were planning.

hmog

Friday: Mixes (Chex, 90s) and clutching cereal boxes 'tween the teeth and hiking up the tight jeans and a melee in the street and asparagus and stuffed mushrooms and friendsssss.

(Side note: Let's talk the 90s for a second, okay? Can you send me a list of songs that would be on your definitive mix tape? Here's one to get the creative juices flowing!

Nutshell - Alice in Chains
Pretend We're Dead - L7
Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam
Mayonaise - Smashing Pumpkins
Alien She - Bikini Kill
Chloe Dancer / Crown Of Thorns - Mother Love Bone
Kid Candy - Seaweed
Violet - Hole
Suck You Dry - Mudhoney
Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog

90s music is really the only thing I want for my birthday-which-arrives-in-a-mere-thirteen-days. Okay, now, back to the weekend.)

Saturday: Enid's and potential claustrophobia and $3 Bloodys and free coffee and college talks and Laura Ashley flannel sheets and mechanical bulls and potential coke-heads 'cross the table and hugs at the train stop.

Sunday...

Oh, wait.

This was the day of Enid's and potential claustrophobia and $3 Bloodys and free coffee and college talks and Laura Ashley flannel sheets and getting my financial shit IN ORDER.

So what was Saturday?

Cleaning house, sleeping in, devouring the NYT, running in the park, (ah, and then...) mechanical bulls, potential coke-heads 'cross the table, hugs at the train stop.

(Forgive me; this weekend was a jumble of various good times.)

Monday: Lodge, KM!, tea, walks, talks.

Hello, Tuesday.

PS: For reals. 90s mix. Do it.

PPS: I will bake those cookies for you, KB, soon-soon-soon. I'm sorry I've been such a bum about it. And I'm sorry about not getting back to you. XOXO.

PPPS: Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage.

what's gonna set you free

Happy VD and all that jazz. I'm going to spend it with Jack and Sawyer and maybe I'll bake myself a single serving chocolate dessert and drink a glass of wine and toast to singledom!

That's not meant to be a fish for pity, by the way. Things are good. I'm grateful. As a good friend remarked, "I'm in love with myself, so I'm my own valentine."

Thank you for your thoughts on Tuesday. They worked. (OMG, "The Secret" changes liiiives! -- "Reno 911" reference, there.) My second interview is next week. I'll give you more details when things are finalized, but let's just say, I'm almost all growns up and shit. No more Google searches for day spas and mindless GChats and arts and craft time to fill up my work day. (At least for a while.)

Instead, I may be able to finally buy a real chest of drawers and a real bed and maybe some clothes from a store other than Old Navy.

Huzzah!

the serious comeback

So, I'm onto the next round. The CEO round. Fingers are crossed. Think good thoughts.

Other things that have clogged up my headspace as of late:

"Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" (and Mary Carey, God bless her, in particular)
"LOST"
"In Treatment"
"Inland Empire"
The Law of Attraction
Obama's winning streak
cookiemadness dot net
Solo vacations
The UWS
Hair extensions
Being the boss-lady
Women in the conservative movement
Investments
Oliver Peoples sunglasses
New furniture
New hair dryer
Mechanical bulls
Julia Phillips' "You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again"
Hidden restaurants
Making time to see "There Will Be Blood"

all together now

Please think good thoughts for me at 4:30 PM ET today (for my interview). Perhaps collectively we can create a rope to pull me out of my current dark well (that is my job).

...

I will now choose to believe in the Law of Attraction. Thanks, Oprah!

with 30 points

Congrats to KB, who won the first annual Super Duper Tsunami Pick'em.

Cookies!

i love sex workers

VOTE

shrove monday

I'm no Catholic, but deprivation is totally my style. The Lenten season is just another way for me to appropriate a religion for my own selfish purposes.

One year I gave up dairy for Lent. Another year it was chocolate.

I'm going to skip the diet-related vices this year and go with social networking sites. No more MySpace, no more Facebook. I don't think I will wither and die without them, though it will admittedly be a challenge.

So, y'know, if my zombie doesn't attack your werewolf during the months of February and March or whatever, you know why.

superb

Just a reminder that your Tsunami Tuesday Picks are due today!

Final candidates in the running:

Democratic Party: Obama, Clinton, Gravel (he's still in this thing?)
Republican Party: McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Paul

Good luck.

In other news, I fucking sprained my motherfucking knee while running a fucking piece-of-cake 4 mile race yesterday. Fuuuuuck.

I ran a course the day before that included a steep downhill, and while running said course, felt my knee starting to ache. (Like it needed to pop, but, like, wouldn't?) I bought a brace and said to myself, "Self, even if you have to get a fucking knee replacement, you are running this entire race tomorrow. No walking allowed."

So, sure enough, around mile one (c'mon!), the knee started aching again. And then hurting. And there were hills. But I kept running. I crossed the finish line with my pride intact but my knee a mess. I iced it up for most of the rest of the day before heading to watch the G-Men kick out the jamz.

I wanted to be tough like Plaxico but I guess I ain't no footballer.

yessssssssss

the wait is over

"LOST" begins again tonight and oh-what-a-hiatus-it's-been. (Not sure how many times I need to stress that.) Phew! Glad that's all done and over with! Back to some normalcy, for Christ's sake. Fuck this regression bullshit.

With "normalcy" comes hanging out with the Doc. My emotions have ranged from yes-I-am-interested to no-we-don't-need-to-hang-out to yes-I-could possibly-be-interested to no-we-should-be-friends back to yes-I-am-interested -- and it is there that they currently reside. He's nice. Like, nice-nice. Like, I don't date dudes like that. Like, I am an asshole-magnet.

Or was. Or whatever.

I am running a race on Sunday. The Doc is meeting me there to take me to brunch afterwards. I will hobble, sweaty and spent, toward a Bloody Mary any day, thank you. He's scoring some points for suggesting it.

And so, yes, fittingly, "LOST" begins tonight. When it last aired, I had a regular date with the gym and was more sober than not. I felt pleased most of the time, or when I did not, you know, it was all my doing. (I mean, who are we kidding? I can usually make myself feel horrible enough on my own -- I don't need someone assisting me.)

And so, yes, things are fine. Normal. Even-keeled. I am not waiting for that other shoe to drop on a daily basis and it's hard to believe I endured the nonsense for as long as I did.

Trim the fat.

Watch "LOST".

Run, don't walk.

Be nice to the Doc.

Yes.

well, duh

Me: i mean, seriously -- for someone who puts a lot of emphasis on intelligence, i certainly don't demand it from the boys in my life.

Friend: NO SHIT!

shameless plug

Check out my brother's single, from his upcoming release "Small-Time Machine", out March 11th.

(I'll be in the video.)

breaking news

With Edwards and Giuliani out, we'll have to revise that Super Duper Tsunami Tuesday Pick'em, kids.

Wow, what a shake-up. (Though we saw it coming.)

Will Edwards' departure help or hurt Obama? On the one hand, Edwards was splitting the anti-Clinton vote with Obama, but on the other, his supporters are more demographically-aligned with Clinton's base.

Seems Edwards is gonna have to endorse Obama pronto if we want this to help us.

i've been running hot

I'll go on the record to say that "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones is the best song ever recorded.

That's saying something, because I just finished dancing around my room to Ram Jam's "Black Betty".

the round-up

I am running a race on Sunday.
I am in dance class tonight.
I am walking to work on a regular basis.

"LOST" begins on Thursday.
Super Tuesday is a week away.

I am playing trivia tomorrow.
I am drinking less.
I am happy more.

I am watching "In Treatment".

TSUNAMI!

Super Duper Tsunami Tuesday is upon us and in the spirit of KB's College Pick'Em, I present to you the...

OVERUNDULATING FEVER SUPER DUPER TSUNAMI TUESDAY PICK'EM 2008

Please pick one candidate from each of the Democratic and Republican parties (as applicable; some states are only holding a primary/caucus for one party) for the following states:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Delaware
Georgia
Idaho (Democratic Party Only)
Illinois
Kansas (Democratic Party Only)
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Missouri
New Jersey
New Mexico (Democratic Party Only)
New York
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Utah
West Virginia (Republican Party Only)

Candidates are as follows:

REPUBLICANS
Mitt Romney
Mike Huckabee
Ron Paul
Rudy Giuliani
John McCain

DEMOCRATS
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Dennis Kucinich
Mike Gravel

Remember, don't necessarily vote for whom you want to win, but rather for whom you think will take these states on February 5th.

Each correct pick will earn 1 point. The person with the most points on February 6th will receive two dozen cookies of your choice (my usual prize, yes?) baked by moi. (Sent via FedEx for those of you outside the NYC area!)

Picks must be submitted via email by Monday, February 4th at 12:00 (that's noon-time, folks) PM ET.

GOOD LUCK!

the after-school special

It's been that kind of day.



Great in '08.



Thank you, AB.

slusho

I spent Friday night with the "Cloverfield" monster and a karaoke machine, Saturday night on a barstool with K, Sunday night jumping around in a circle thanks to the G-Men, and Monday recovering while watching that nasty debate.

I also ran 6 miles this weekend.

Yay.

#

I made a $100 bet that I could lose 10 pounds by my birthday. Please be very encouraging.

If I win, I am 10 pounds lighter (but not $100 richer).
If I lose, I am $100 poorer and a terrible failure.

Let the games begin.

(PS: Emma, I made this bet an hour before listening to my saved copy of the Talk of the Nation podcast where it was discussed. Must be in the collective unconscious right now!)

look

Ran this weekend 'round the park. Twice. Listened to many a podcast on the elections. Watched the politico shows. Watched "The Wire". Met up with Josh, Tom, and Hilary at R&B to see the Giants beat the Cowboys. Drank a Bloody Mary. Baked a pina colada cake. Made vegan jambalaya. Read the Times, now that I am a weekend subscriber, while drinking strong coffee on my couch. Re-watched "BSG" episodes.

Crossed my fingers. Made some progress. Put it out there.

Lyndia says, "Let's eliminate negative thinking."

47 days until 30 is up.

the architect

Why is Karl Rove being so sympathetic to Hillary Clinton? Calling her "appealing", acknowledging her "powerful moments", and admitting that her playful responses at the New Hampshire primary "couldn't help but [make one] smile"?

Why is Karl Rove harshly criticizing Barack Obama? Calling him "lazy" and accusing him of "saying one thing and doing another"?

Has Karl Rove found a soft spot in his hardened heart for Hillary? I mean, even his BFF admits that he thinks she'll scoop up the nomination.

Those Republicans -- they really believe in Hillary?

Not likely.

Call it sexist if you will, but the GOP needs Hillary to be the candidate.

girl girl girl

Have you noticed that the introduction to the Milli Vanilli gem "Girl You Know It's True" sounds something like this?

Sexy female voice: "So, what are you doing back?"

Not Rob or Fab: "Well. I. Sat. Back. And. Thought. About. The. Days. We. Used. To. Do. It. Really. Means. A. Lot. To. Me. You. Mean. A. Lot. To. Me."

Sexy female voice: "I really mean that much to you?"

Not Rob or Fab: "Girl. You. Know. It's. True."

Well, you've convinced me.

between two ferns

(Thanks, Scarny.)

yes, we can

Last night, T.Rich and I had a nice Thai dinner, discussed our Career Advancement Plan, and then headed to the Riviera for a returns-watching party.

Hillary upset Barack, yes. Onto Nevada.

I must say, it was a joy to be back in that sort of environment, the room buzzing with excitement and hope and determination. I hadn't been a part of something similar since watching the 2004 debates at Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta.

After the networks projected McCain as the winner and we had each finished one glass of the house red wine, we agreed to go our separate ways. I would finish up the night on my couch, flipping between MSNBC and CNN, diligently working on my knitting.

(Oh, and before heading to the train, we stopped by a palm reader. She was closed for the night. Next time.)

After a lot of back-and-forth over the last couple of months, I have finally – on this, New Hampshire Primary Day -- decided upon a candidate.

Some of you may be surprised that I'm not supporting Hillary, as I volunteered briefly on her senatorial reelection campaign, attended a fundraiser, and fully supported her husband (even volunteering on the 1992 campaign when my Republican parents had to drive me to the HQ). I believe in a lot of what she stands for ideologically, but I worry about her electablity: I feel she is far too polarizing of a candidate to win in the general election. Many Republicans are so fed up with the Bush administration that they are willing to cross party lines -- for anyone but Hillary.

Some of you may be surprised that I'm not supporting Edwards, as he was who I had predicted would win the nomination months ago. (One, unfortunately, can never underestimate the power of racism and sexism, even within the Democratic Party.) I voted for Edwards in the 2004 primary and supported his run for VP. My friend, Susie, has been working on his campaign doing advance work in New Hampshire for many months now. She believes in him, and I do, too; I think he's completely believable as a populist candidate, looking out for the working class, $400 haircut and all. After his relative failure in Iowa, however, I think it’s time to wake up and smell the future.



Obama.

The man embodies change. It has been said before, but he’s Kennedy-esque, no doubt about it. (In fact, he’s been described as JFK-meets-MLK – not too shabby of a hybrid.) When I re-watch his speech at the DNC in ’04, I still get chills. I remember that night, and I remember that speech, and I remember having that reaction at the time.

The man is special.

The man is inspirational.

Tonight, I’ll be attending a party to watch the returns in the West Village. I think New Hampshire voters are going to go with Obama and I think it’s the right move.

candidates

84% Hillary Clinton
84% Chris Dodd
84% Barack Obama
83% John Edwards
79% Mike Gravel
78% Dennis Kucinich
75% Joe Biden
74% Bill Richardson
47% Rudy Giuliani
37% John McCain
27% Mike Huckabee
27% Mitt Romney
27% Tom Tancredo
20% Ron Paul
16% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

grand old party

7:19: Giuliani doesn't believe that our foreign policy instigates Islamic terrorism.

7:30: Huckabee says, "I'm not running for George Bush's third term." I'll agree he's a likable guy, even though I think he's nutty on the issues. On Leno last week, he argued that most Americans would rather have a president who looks like someone they work with (himself), rather than one who looks like the guy who laid them off (Romney). Clever. It got a laugh.

8:08: Romney doesn't believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the country. Where do the American-born children of illegal immigrants go?

8:12: McCain and Romney are getting into it. It's rather annoying. I haven't heard from Huckabee in a while.

8:16: Now we're parsing what amnesty really means.

8:19: Honestly, I still don't buy that Thompson really wants to be president. I'm surprised he's still in the race. I would have thought that the day after Iowa, he would have awoken and remarked, with that whistle-ly voice, "Well, shucks. Looks like I didn't win. Okay, no more of that!" and moved on.

8:22: Ron Paul is a funny guy. I don't think any of the other candidates take him seriously. McCain just shot him a look of complete confusion. I think Ron Paul is the Dennis Kucinich of the Republicans.

8:28: Ah, a question about Obama. Since the campaign's infancy, the candidates assumed Clinton would be the nominee, and most pundits assumed they hoped she would be. So, Charlie's question is: Why should America vote for a Republican over Obama? (The question the candidates are thinking actually is: Is it easier to beat a woman or an African-American?)

8:27: McCain is taking pot-shots at Romney again. Yes, Romney is a threat, but honestly? This strategy isn't effective. It sounds like little boys on the playground. McCain is so pleased with himself. I thought he was doing quite well in New Hampshire polls, but now he's acting like he's got nothing to lose.

8:31: Huckabee gives props to Obama and recognizes his threat.

8:35: Listen, I don't agree with him on the issues, but Romney just looks presidential. I'll admit it: I find him attractive. Shoot me. I was telling Josh and Paul last night that I also have this unfortunate crush on Tucker Carlson. Sheesh.

8:41: Republican debate is over. Charlie is talking all about unity and bringing all of the candidates onto the stage now. Hillary and Giuliani are talking and I'd love to hear what snarky remarks they're exchanging, both with smiles plastered on their faces. I like that Charlie did this. Obama and Romney are chatting, too. Hill is laughing. Edwards and Huckabee look like they are about to smooch. The audience is still clapping, though growing tired.

8:50: The pundits are saying that John McCain had a great night. I'm not sure we were watching the same debate.

No more live-blogging. Settling in for the Democratic debate -- the one to which I really must pay attention.

electability

me: did you see that obama won?

Jason: i heard, didnt even know it was going on

me: welcome to america, son!

Jason: what did he win? a prize?

me: ?!
are you serious?

Jason: he won to be da prezidant?
iowa?
primarys?

me: dude, you gotta read a newspaper!
he won the iowa caucus.
and huckabee won for the republicans.

Jason: so what does that mean?
hilary aint running?

me: hillary came in THIRD.

Jason: so she cant run?

me: no, she can run -- it's just that iowa and new hampshire are big b/c if you win those, you have more momentum in the other primaries.
obama will raise more money now.
makes him a more viable candidate.

Jason: snoozefest. wake me up when the real deal is happening

me: also, people who thought he couldn't win and were gonna go with another candidate may change their minds now.
THIS IS AWESOME. THIS IS DEMOCRACY IN ACTION!
this isn't the super bowl, yo!

Jason: so snoozefest. let me know who our next president is. i've lost faith in democracy

me: i wish there was an emoticon for : eyeroll :

jameson!

Date went well.

But, I woke up on New Year's Day on a pull-out couch, sandwiched between two dudes, so I think it might just be that kind of year.

PS: Hillary must be losing her shit right now.

ce soir

Another top list of 2007.

Does anyone else agree with my assessment of "Juno"?

25

I like this mash-up because, yes, I like some of those songs.

with or without my best intentions

I bought a BlackBerry. I am thrilled with the purchase because I can never be too connected to God and everyone.

I have a date tonight. I want all that stupid old shit, like letters and sodas.

i'd make wine from your tears

2008 began at Porkchop & Colleen's apartment, with a glass of pink Cava in hand, while wearing a party dress and 3" heels. Many kisses and hugs and smiles followed. Was joined in revelry by Scarny, Josh, Paul, Noreen, Tom, Zoe, Hilary, Mindi, Meg, Garett, Carol, AssCobra, and a bunch of people I didn't know.

We cut Josh's dreads off.
We danced to Peter, Bjorn & John.
We watched the sun rise.
We slept four to the bed.
We ate bacon and eggs and lard bread and drank Bloodys in the morning.
We watched "Knocked Up".

I think 2008 will be the year I have a baby.