Monthly Archive

Between E and Law School Friend it can easily be said that some of the best people come from Minnesota.

Where does this all come from, well Law School Friend is spending the summer in the same city as me, YAY! And E, well I think out conversations can be summarized as “seriously ridiculous.” Which is a result for our shared love of dark humor, but the fact that we actually talk about life. So in her honor I blog the following:

- Life is fantastically better then it was a few months ago: The job switch is one of the better decisions I made in life. The change in denomination and finding a church (5 months and going strong). And then this weekend a happy single revelation. But in true honor of E, I’m going to jump off the dock…and she better hold me to it, cause I may just need someone to push me. :)

Since Saturday night, all I’ve wanted to do is bake…something new preferably, because it was one of those mentally conflicted weekends and then my boss was back in town for 2 days and that was insane.

On the mentally conflicted weekend, of I have this soulmate. He’s been around for a while and it was one of those things that from day one there was a “hey, you’re fantastic and I could spend my life with you.” However, I’m a wuss and could never act upon that thought, especially since I knew that he had heard about that thought. But in spite of that, we’ve been friends…he’s seen me at super highs and super lows and hasn’t rejected me thus far. Problem? He is moving…several states away, and while I’m still fully processing it before I have a full freak out moment, I’m still starting the “what ifs.” And nothing, bugs me more then “what ifs.”

Law School Friend is encouraging me to forget about my dignity, pride and virtue…and just jump him…sadly, I may have considered it. :) But that’s all of that for now, cause this is going to be a reoccurring subject I’m sure.

Second subject: My poor boss had a wretched two days…which meant I had two crazy busy days. Really, I kind of just want to put them out of my mind and bake, but sadly, I don’t feel so hot…maybe tomorrow.

Today was a crazy day, and it started at 8:00 (when I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep), till right now as I type this post. Details?

9:00 am-3:00pm: Preparations for brunch began bright and early at 9:00, which really was more me getting me ready for the first hour and then splattering grease on myself afterward. The baked french toast was fabulous (super simple: lay the bread in a pan, and what you would normally dip the bread in…pour it over the top, refrigerate overnight and bake for 30 mins at 400F). And there was bacon, sausage, eggs, and fruit, all so yummy. And the people meshed well: Church Boy, Work Boy, A, H, K, Agent M (still chuckle over that one), the HD, B, and so many more (including the infamous duo that call me walnut). All in all, about 19 people in my smallish one bedroom apartment…it was fantastic.

3:00pm-8:40pm: A family friend got married. Before anyone asks…it was an awkward ceremony and nope, it didn’t at all make me want to get married.

Which leads to a random tangent: So, nothing shames me more then moments where I reach the point of being super happy to be single and then some attractive conservative boy comes along and turns my head. It is a point of contention that normally ends with me staring up at the sky and shouting, “I know you have a sense of humor and want me to laugh at my life…but this is just ridic.” But today a turning point hit, all the random head turners, the inappropriate crushes of life, it’s really for nothing more then a good laugh and a move on. Because when it came down to it, I surveyed the room this morning and had a quick thought of, could I see myself forever with one of the guys in this room…and with the exception of my soulmate (who I consciously chose to not act on), I came up with a big nah. So, I finally realized that I am indeed much happier with my life now, even more then I normally give myself credit for. And it’s amazing **tangent over.

9:00pm-11:30pm: I went over to E’s for, what else, beer and inappropriate jokes from her and her roomies. It was fantastic and exactly what I needed to not come home and fall into a teary state a la the last two evenings.

And to end this, A brought the following to my attention and all I have to say is Electrolux…you so owe me, cause that was my claim before it was yours…and the Cake Throwing title is all mine.

To the people who have read the blog 1,141 times. And for the people who comment, those I know and those I don’t…cause tonight I was having a horrid emotional downer (and I realized I forgot to take the bacon out of the freezer for brunch tomorrow).

So in the middle of my meltdown, a comment popped up from someone I don’t know about my favorite thing ever, Kitchen Aid Mixers. And I remembered my bright Green Apple Stand Mixer…(and to respond to the commenter, you don’t have to get married to get one, I swung mine for a college graduation present) and the happy blog…and things were a little bit brighter. (And it isn’t just cause every light is on in my apartment) :)

I have the oddest thoughts at the oddest time…and lately it’s like absurdity in my life has doubled. And I can’t help but chuckle at it (or cry about it, cause if the mood strikes, the tears will flow).

First Odd Thing:
Last night if you had told me to explain myself based on 2 things, and 2 things only, I would have said: I bake and I don’t pack lightly. (First off, what was wrong with me last night…baking and packing?? So pretty much I have no idea what goes on in my head but alas, apparently images of cakes and overstuffed luggage reign supreme).

Second Odd Moment:
I take stories far to, well pretty much I internalize fiction. So I read this book, great book till the end when the woman dies of cancer. Then I’m watching a movie tonight and a woman undergoes massive surgery due to cancer. And all I could think of was, I scoff whenever people are like “ooo, that can lead to cancer.” Because all of the sudden I had this mental picture of being (this will sound pathetic)…but sick and alone.

Now, just to clarify, it wasn’t like I was alone cause I was an old conservative cat lady that conservative boys wouldn’t date because I work for the “progressives,” nope…it was like in a moment of running away, I ran away from the world. So yes, my second odd moment was about death

Third Odd Moment:
I was cleaning my apartment because I am having company over on Saturday, and I definitely hid all of the copies of People Magazine, US Weekly and Entertainment Weekly…only it was totally a subconscious decision cause I did it without thinking while I was on the phone with my mother. I believe the conversation went something like:

Me: Oh my Gosh! I’m so one of them!
Mom: One of who?
Me: One of the people they talk about on Stuff White People Like!!
Mom: What??
Me: Remember that blog I read you, they had this dinner party post…
Mom: You read me that one
Me: Did I?? Well remember the part about one stray “bad” magazine and you fail…
Mom: Yes, what about it?
Me: I was trying to rearrange all the magazines in the basket, and I put all the People Magazine, US Weekly and Entertainment Weekly in a stack in the closet and let out Vanity Fair and InStyle.
Mom: Yeah, you’re one of them.
Me: But the real question…should I hide the InStyle too??

The question still remains

1. The weekend started out with a variety of emotions ranging from: frustration, exasperation, hilarity, and a tad more frustration. Really, the highlight of the first frustration was when I was running late to get across town for Sketchy Law School/Church Friend’s play and I realized that I had left my cell phone charger at work. This meant running back to work at 7:20 and still being on time to the play (which started at 8).

2. So plays/musicals, I love them. Sound of Music…one of my many favorites. But when it comes down to it…I would never be in one, scares me to death. (Yes, for those that know me…14 years of ballet did come with stage time, no lines though…no audience interaction…no fear). However, I made the cupcakes for the play…I felt famous by cupcake association. Actually the cupcakes appeared on stage and I may have squealed and been like “ooooo! it’s my cupcakes!!” I was thoroughly mocked for this moment. I was proud though.

3. The blog has had 996 hits since it’s conception…all I have to say to that, is either my friends have wayyyy too much time on their hands, or other people are reading (that may unnerve me a tad).

4. Guy on the bus today…he and his girlfriend (the odd couple). She was in mesh red athletic shorts and a big t-shirt, oh and Grecian looking sandals (which I can’t mock because I own a pair from Greece). He…khaki pants, brown loafer shoes, and a button up shirt that was buttoned to right above his belly-button (no shirt underneath). Obviously we can see the problem here…I mean of course the brown loafers :)

5. Good conversation with A, where she talked me off a ‘bringing harm to peeps’ cliff. Overall it was a hysterical walking on a street downtown at midnight moment. We should do that more often.

6. Have we mentioned my cupcakes were in a play?? :)

There are just some stories that can’t wait until you have that quiet moment to blog. So you minimize the spreadsheet, stop thinking about interns and login to wordpress. This is one of those stories.

So this guy comes into the office today and my managing director (MD) is talking to him, they introduce him to me and that is where the conversation takes off and I alternate in storytelling mode…

MD: Have you met [guy]
Me: Nope
shakes his hand
Guy: Oh nice to meet you
walks away

MD: [Guy] is one of the smartest online organizers you’ll ever meet. (insert look of awaking toward me) You would find him fascinating. He’s working on an ethnographic look at Young Progressive Evangelicals.
walks into the office he went into
Are you still working on that project…cause you know [Me] is…
(enter another outreach staffer)
Staffer: …a young progressive evangelical.

So, at least I’ve learned my office overall day 4 view of me…I’m a young progressive evangelical, not so much the conservative, Anglican-leaning that I’ve been lately. Although when it comes down to it, I don’t quite fit in any of the molds, not stereotypically conservative, and yet not overly progressive. But it was funny, cause we then chatted about my “faith tradition,” where I go to church now, was I raised Anglican, what evangelical movement was I actually raised in. It was pretty hysterical…still chuckling.

If you’ve asked about the inappropriate crush, I can tell you two things 1. I’m not telling you about it, and 2. I promise, it’s not you…everyone else, you’re fair game :)

Now, moving on. I started the new job this Monday and it is fantastic. Pretty much it is the change that I needed, like whoa. So to amend my “and I work in the government,” I took a job with a grassroots, non-partisan political organization. Now, I will admit openly that they lean kind of left, and I may lead a tad (maybe more than a tad) right. But everyone has been great with the fact that I am the most conservative hire that they have.

The environment is hectic and fast-paced. It is pretty great when a huge project is handed to you and an hour later someone asks if it’s done. The look of shock that crossed my face must have been comical. But it’s now exciting me, cause I have real work to do…in an environment that lets me wear jeans. Cause that ‘rocks’ my world…

Talking to B tonight…who was watching the HBO John Adams’ movie (which I desperately want to see). The following lines were typed by her fingers, and I thought the people of Charlottesville were crazy to refer to Thomas Jefferson like he was still alive

Me: How was John Adams
B: Still on. Oh, George Washington…take me now, you man of conviction
Me: hahahaha
B: you anti-party stud
B: you bi partisan hunk of manly glory

Apparently Washington has something going on that I never saw in him…obviously i spent too much time focused on TJ

Two things…first, my gChat conversations are getting more and more random. And second, I have some serious word vomit issues. Both issues also involved friends in Law School…maybe I should just avoid the future lawyers of America. :)

Let’s start with the first point, the following is a conversation I had with Law School Friend care of gChat. What is sad, besides the absurdity of the topic, is the fact that the conversation spanned almost thirty minutes. Yep, thirty minutes…about a goat.

Law School Friend: that’s my goal
Me: okay….I read that the first time and thought it said “that’s my goat”
Me: and needless to say, the goat bit confused me
Law School Friend: don’t touch my goat
Me: oh I want your goat
Law School Friend: well, I’m bringing my goat to DC< but you’d better keep your hands off
Me: as we can see by the inappropriate crush, i don’t take well to such things :)
Law School Friend: hahaha
Me: a sad, comical reality
Me: so to that all I can say is, you better what your goat closely
Law School Friend: hahaha, point taken :)
Me: wonderful
Law School Friend: how great would it be if I really had a goat? and kept it in my apartment
Me: my mom had one growing up
Law School Friend: hopefully not in a city
Me: an LA suburb
Law School Friend: wow
Me: big yard…greek family…recipe for disaster
Law School Friend: did they eat the goat?
Me: Nope. It was a pet, my uncle used to butt heads with it
Law School Friend: hahaha
Me: Yep…And people wonder why I turned out the way I am

Pretty much, this conversation was almost more ridiculous then the triangle birthmark convo with H. But that is just the first of two ridiculous moments of my Sunday, because on my way home from church I dropped off a birthday cupcake with Sketchy Law School/Church Friend. We were chatting about life, he had a word vomit moment…I was okay with that as I have them all the time. And then it hit.

We were discussing my new job. There were jokes of conservative me working for “progressive” them…and somehow in that he decided to refer to himself as a Cute Conservative Boy looking for a nice conservative girl. I almost decided to change his blog nickname, except I refuse to let him win and increase his ego. Instead, somehow a word vomit moment hit me and I spouted out the line (or something like it): “For heavens sake, I’m conservative…I mean if some nice conservative guy came along and popped the question now, I’d marry him and be a stay home mom, I mean I’d join the Republican Women’s Club, volunteer somewhere…cause all I want is to pop out babies.”

I have no idea what came over me. I mean first off, I hope to never join the Republican Women’s Club…cause that is just scary and Junior League-ish. And second, it seems the urge to have babies, has overcome the sensible filter in my brain. Although, I’m not quite sure if I ever had a real filter. But anywho…apparently all I want to do is pop out babies…this is obviously a sign that I need a vacation, or for someone to come and smack me with a healthy dose of reality. I’m leaning toward the vacation…too bad I don’t have any vacation time at the new job.

This is my weekend of unemployment, and how have I spent it…let me count the ways:

1. Ending Work: Government job is over and done, which is about the most amazing sounding thing to my ears, mind and soul. Not because I disliked my office, I seriously just needed a major change. *Semi-tangent alert* Every few years I have this impulsive need to make life changes (the first one fortunately came senior year of high school…not much damage in that one: made out with a boy, moved across the county and started college). But then I hit a level of semi-contentment, mostly because I spent a good amount of time talking myself off of ledges in college. But with this job switch, I feel like the need for change, which I was at first trying to route into guys, was instead directed to finding a job that made me feel necessary…hopefully, mission accomplished **end of tangent**
But work ending was sad for leaving the people, and on Friday they packed it all in. Including a lunch with my boss, an office party and government out-processing. Pretty much it was a fun last day, and I left the office about an hour and forty-five minutes after I had intended.

2. Dinner: Friday night with one of my frosh from last year. There was thai food, ice-cream and hysterical conversations. Pretty much it couldn’t get any better then that. But it was also decided that I apparently am functioning super well in life, which is always a wonderful thing.

3. Saturday Wedding: So, two friends got hitched in the chapel on our college campus, and that was fantastic and yet kind of didn’t seem real. Also fun, my junior year crush was threre…who I am totally over (I am, I swear), but there was a little part of me that wanted to be like “look how cute I am in my fancy dress.” When all was said and done, it was a fantastic wedding, and a beautiful day.

Now I get to go and contemplate my singleness with the single friends from the wedding. This could turn out poorly and yet, I think it’ll be very fun instead :)

Today for work I made a cake (and technically I made Sketchy Law School/Church Friend a cupcake, but somehow I don’t think he’s going to get it). But back to the cake, I made my own going away cake. Kind of as a gift to the office, and somewhat of a “don’t hate me for leaving.” Now, this goes beyond work as B has been asking for pictures of the baked goods and recipes to go with them. On that note, I don’t share my cake recipe…really it’s not a recipe, just a family secret that only people who have lived with me know. But, I was totally ready to have a picture of my lovely, lopsided yellow cake w/ a caramel filling and buttercream icing…covered in chocolate/butterscotch/white chocolate chips. However, we all know where this is going, the cake was devoured by 9:30am, well before I was awake enough to register how to use my camera phone. So here is the aftermath of a good cake, that was thrown at pretty boys :)

I couldn’t help it. Yesterday while bored at work I started perusing Time, who has their Top 25 blog index up for people to vote. And I stumble across a gem…which really just points out that I have a pretty big love of Venn Diagrams. It’s sad, but true and this one was pretty special and maybe, just maybe, explains my life at the moment in a nutshell. (It comes care of Indexed, a fantastic blog that exploits my love of the diagram)

And on a totally unrelated note, today is the birthday of my Sketchy Law School/Church Friend. Maybe for his birthday, I’ll come up with a better nickname for him…doubt it though. Happy Birthday!

There is a wedding this weekend. My second since graduation, and while I haven’t hit the “oh why isn’t it me” point, I have hit the “oh crap what am I going to wear point.” And that is really the reality of my life…forget lamenting over a guy, because my wardrobe has obviously taken center stage. Okay…maybe that is a bit of a false truth…or I’m outright lying.

What really comes to mind…let’s take a trip into my random line of thinking:
–> my life is crazy
–> hopefully, this will be a slow week
–> oh, weekend wedding
–> what am I wearing
–> cute black J.Crew dress that I got on sale a couple months back
–> shoes? patent leather heels
–> why can’t cute church boy or inappropriate crush see me all cute and dressed up
–> I should try on the dress
–> I need to go running
–> I need to lose weight for boys to like me.

Really with such focused thinking it’s a wonder that I’m not running the world, or maybe I should admit to have a brain that jumps topics far to quickly (which I’m pretty sure was apparent in how random my blog posts are). But in all this, my only defense of my mind is weddings didn’t lead me to think about boys…dresses led me to think about boys, and that is far more acceptable.

A random Sunday night post, I pity Law School Friend (LSF) cause the poor girl deals with every random issue in my life. Although, now she brings in on herself. Just the other day I tried to limit my commentary on inappropriate crush by saying that I’m not talking about it to anyone. Her response: “I’m not just anyone.” Yep, I had no comeback cause she was right. So tonight I bombarded her with my absurdity and by the end of our conversation we had chatted boys, tazers, my ridiculous life and how she was laughing at me from halfway across the country. (Sad thing: I was laughing pretty hard at myself right from my living room).

So this is the beginning of the last week of my wonderful government job. Pretty much I’m at the place where I am going to miss my office, but not so much with the actually job. The new job is going to be fantastic, and while come people may make jokes about my conservatism and the “progressive” nature of my new employers…really I’m trying to let it all roll off my back. (Mind you, the person who had to deal with my freakout at 1:30 in the morning Friday/Sat probably thinks I’m not doing to well with that roll off my back thing). But all in all, I’m going to do my best to put the mocking to the back of the mind and just be super thrilled about the job that I am starting!! Cause let’s be honest, it may take over my life…

But beyond that nothing fun and exciting in my life. So I think my weekend could be easily summarized by the vast amount of movies that I’ve watched. Thus far, movies watched: Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Becoming Jane, North Country, and The Luck of the Irish (A Disney Channel Original Movie). Pretty much it is safe to say that I haven’t left my couch and in return have nothing interesting to blog about…

…Oh, except a fantastic link. So in the aftermath of the Obama race speech (which actually bothered me…but what else is new) the NY Times had a video link where students talk about living as a multiracial person. A had sent the link to me earlier in the week and I’m glad I waited until this weekend to actually watch it. Generally when I’m in the midst of a racial rant its one of those things where you want to vent, but people don’t necessarily get it, and when it comes down to it I don’t expect them to cause for the most part, I don’t really understand. That the issue is being discussed, and is getting more public response (thank you NY Times). But all in all, in the midst of an ethnic crisis it was a pleasant thing to hear.

 So, all I have to say is this is what you get when you combine a girl with a slow job and an ear infection(me!), one procrastinating masters student (H) and Gchat (the invention of the gods (Greek ones of course)).

H: So I have 3 dots under my chin, like I got bit by a 3 toothed vampire
Me: What?
H: Like 3 tiny dots/bumps all in a row
Me: I only get birthmarks in 3’s on my face in a triangle pattern, since we’re sharing randomness
Me: Yours, however, can be taken care of if you stop making out with vampires
H: Yea, I guess I made out w a vampire w/o knowing about it
Me: My mom used to joke I was marked with a sign
H: hahaha
Me: Cause I have one triangle lower cheek and I have one to the side of one eye
and a third set popped up one day and my mom was like…is something going on. She thought I had drawn it on to mess with her
H: haha…amazing
Me: But no
H: You should look in a book of “signs”and see what it means
Me: Always 3. Always a triangle. It’s weird, I tried not to think about it for a while cause people would point it out and then someone was like, I have something that can lighten those…and I got protective of them and embraced them
H: haha, nice. We should make up a story of what they symbolize
Me: I think I may blog about them
H: Like how many children you will have
Me: Ummm, that would be 9…no
H: or
H: Something relating to the trinity
Me: I’m the kingdom of God….and my face portrays the trinity, I think not
H: You will be a subject of the next Dan Brown book
Me: No words

 **note, my thesis adviser would have freaked out at the Dan Brown line…she hates him, every fiber of his being. Like forbade his name in class with threats of docking people’s grades if they mentioned him ever. So someone always made sure to bring him up once a class session…it was cruel, but I loved her reaction every time**