When in Rome...

Five Reasons I Can't Sleep

2011-05-27T00:59:00.004-04:00

It's been months since my last blog (which happened to be a Friday Five), so here we go:

It's 1am and I have to be up in 3.5 hours for my Super Shuttle pickup.
There's no A/C in my bedroom right now.
The fan is ridiculously loud.
I'm nervous about anything I haven't packed.
In 7 hours I will be en route to San Diego for a glorious 5 day weekend!

Tell me your Friday Five!

5 Things That Made Me Smile Today

2011-02-18T23:45:00.003-05:00

It was Friday
Temps were in the 70s and sunny
I have a fabulous weekend planned
My roommates are some of the best around
The realization that life is good, and I am so lucky to live the life I do.

August

2010-08-31T23:04:00.004-04:00

Someone asked me today why I was wishing the month of August away. The simple answer?

Because I hate August.

Historically, it's never been a good month for me. August signaled the end of the Summer vacation, the beginning of long practices on the concrete slab in the Florida heat, and worst of all, the start of school. August meant the end of fun summer nights, and the beginning of 5:30am wake up calls. Nights out with friends were replaced by nights spent doing homework and writing essays. WHO in their right mind would enjoy any month that brought all the crap?!

This August, in particular, has been especially terrible. Nothing went the way I wanted it to, and I felt like everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. I understand not everything can go your way, but hot damn, a little bit would have just fine with me. I've heard of people hating the month of January, and I understand that. January is like the Monday of the year. But to me, August is like the never-ending Thursday; the kind that feel like they last all week long, with no end in sight. Yes, you know good things are on the other side, but damnit, getting there is going to be no easy battle. I was ready to give up two weeks ago and just have someone wake me when September started. I was promptly called Ohmy-emo-i. Thanks.

At a party on Saturday night, a friend and I were comparing terrible months (his was July) and he told me that he had a good feeling for me, and that Saturday was my turning night. I tried to keep that outlook in mind as I went into the week, and I like to think it worked. That being said, I'm excited for the month to end, and to shake this month off and move on to September. I happen to have almost a full week of fun activities planned starting tomorrow, which I like to think is nature's way of helping me celebrate.

In 30 minutes, this dreadful month will be over. I'll wake up in the morning, and August of 2010 will be a thing of the past. New month, new hopes. Don't let me down, September.

The ANTIsnowpocalypse

2010-07-05T17:24:00.007-04:00

It's hot here. SUPER SUPER HOT. Like, not even this hot in Florida, hot, and at least there you can escape to the pool in on the back porch, or the BEACH which is only 45 minutes away (and then you can pick up some Frozen Gold on the way home!)

But here, there's nothing. No New Smyrna Beach, or sparkling pool to stay cool in. And what makes it worse is that most of us have to rely on WMATA and their less than stellar service which means waiting outside for a bus that may never come, and if it does, then it might not have air conditioning....

That "feels like 99" number is a LIE I tell you! It's at least 100 degrees and feels like HELL ON EARTH.

102 on Tuesday...just thinking about it makes me sweat.

Remember when DC looked like this, and we were all like OMG!:

Yeah, me neither.

I miss you, Snowpocalypse.

Getting older sucks

2010-07-04T00:50:00.002-04:00

"Yeah. Age is a bitch..."

"HAHAHAHHAAAA"

"...I better not see this on your facebook, twitter, or blog..."

"..............."

(402) Days of Summer

2010-06-09T22:46:00.004-04:00

When I graduated high school, I had these grandiose plans of going to college and coming out with an AMAZING, well-paid job, and would be living The Dream. That would be that. Life would be started, and there would be no looking back.

Fast forward 4 years and 1 economic crisis later, I found myself sitting front-row at my college graduation thinking "Hmm...this is now how I imagined this would go...". Needless to say, I've spent the last year nannying my way through unemployment. It's been an unforgettable experience, to say the least. I've met some of the most adorable, and intelligent little kids, and I've even made friends with (most) of their moms. Being a nanny is so much fun. The hours are great, the pay is fabulous. But it's not what I went to school for, and most certainly not what I dreamt about those 5 years ago when I was gleefully accepting my high school diploma.

It's all coming to an end. You see, I've been keeping a secret from you. I got myself a really sweet internship, doing exactly what I want to be doing, at a company that could not be more perfect for me. Tomorrow is my first day. I've spent the past year looking for this opportunity, and I beyond thrilled that it finally came through for me. While it means saying goodbye to some awesome families I've been working with, it also means that this could finally be the jumpstart I've been anxiously waiting for. I'm nervous, excited, and yet scared to death of how tomorrow is going to go. I'm starting a week after the other interns, so I'm the new girl coming in, after they've already had time to bond and make friends with each other. I've never been good at the first day, let alone being new.

Despite that though, I've been counting down the days until the 16th, and now it's finally here!

After 402 days, my summer vacation is finally coming to an end.

Little Miss Grumpy

2010-05-18T23:25:00.002-04:00

Today, I am Little Miss Grumpy. I have this little raincloud following me around, raining on my parade. Let's go over why:

It's been cold, rainy, and gray for two days straight now.
The Orlando Magic lost Game 1 and are about to lose Game 2.
I'm the only one that seems capable of filling the Brita water filter in my house. And it's always empty when I want some water.
I've been expecting a phone call for days, and it still hasn't come.
I didn't workout today, even though I should have, and I had no reason not to, except that I just didn't feel like it.
The money I deposited on SATURDAY, still hasn't showed up in my bank account yet.
I'm broke, broke, broke!

BLAH!! I'm just so GRUMPY!

5 Things - Weekend Edition

2010-05-09T14:00:00.003-04:00

Things I learned this weekend:

The rate I can consume Wheat Thins is alarming
3 iced coffees between 7pm and 10pm is not a good idea
Listening to your neighbor's bbq, just makes you feel creepy
The last few episodes of Private Practice were about as interesting as watching paint dry
The Amazing Race can easily disappoint you

Here's a bonus, and you can thank me later:

Walk on the Wild Side is a brilliant show

House Arrest

2010-05-08T17:49:00.008-04:00

I'm on a self-imposed house arrest for the time being. Mainly because I have no money...like none at all. Last week, when the new and improved Social Safeway opened, I could hardly contain my excitement. I intended to go and "just take a look around", fully intending to do just that. Let me just take a second and discuss how amazing and beautiful this new Safeway is. It's huge, it's got a sushi bar built in, a temperature controlled wine cellar, a wine bar, a Starbucks, a Suntrust, a nut bar, a huge produce section, a gelato bar (!!), the people who work there are absolutely delightful, so many more awesome things, and a genius marketing department. Who rents out the empty store across the street from Whole Foods, just to deck it out with ads for the Safeway just down the street? A genius, that's who. I might have fallen in love with the place.

Anyways...1 hour, a handful of delicious cheese/bread/steak/cake samples, and $30 later, I was on my way home. Everything was on sale! How could I NOT buy the blueberries when they were $.89 a pack? or the wheat thins because they were two-for-ones. It was all stuff I NEEDED, therefore, I must buy. It pained me to not buy any of the wine that was 30% off, only because I was walking home, and didn't need the extra bottle(s) of weight.

So, I spent $30...but I saved $11! SCORE! WIN! I merrily made my way home, basking in the glory that is this new, glorious place, not even a mile away from my house. Goodbye gross Giant! Goodbye over-priced-not-always-worth-it Whole Foods!

Until the next morning when my mom calls to let me know I overdrafted my checking account. Bollocks. Lucky for me, I was able to use my sweet, innocent, I-have-no-idea-how-this-happened voice, and they credited me back the overdraft fee. (Really, I think it was because my mom's been a customer there forever. Like, from back when Dinosaurs ruled the earth.)

I'm so broke, I can't even buy myself an ice coffee. It kind of sucks, and I'm so not digging this whole "being broke" thing. I will say though, on a positive note, I got a lot done today. The DC weather is absolutely divine, and being at the house all day inspired me to get some chores done. I "cleaned" my room, I did laundry, I hand-washed a few of my dresses and shirts, I opened the windows, I caught up on my missed tv (on the porch!), and I cranked out a blog post. However, as awesome and productive as my day has been, I'm sure I won't be able to keep up the productivity for long, and I'll soon be itching to reacquaint myself with civilization.

Even more reason to keep my fingers crossed for a big opportunity hopefully in the works for my (dear God please near!) future. Until then, I'll just have to stick to my homemade iced lattes. Have any awesome, cheap (ie free!), fun things to do?! I'm looking for ideas!

please excuse my naked bed, like i said, i did laundry. it's now fully clothed, i promise

What I've been up to

2010-05-04T11:31:00.005-04:00

Was my last post confusing enough for you? Yeah, sorry about that. I had to go light on details to avoid more catastrophe, and I had had just enough wine to fuel an emotional driven post. Ah, Friday nights.

So it's Tuesday, May 4th. Um...holy crap 2010 is almost half-way over. It's been almost a year since I graduated, and I've gone absolutely nowhere with my life. Do you know how incredibly depressing that is? I find myself getting overly-excited about finding 40 cents in my bed. Most days are spent tooling around the internet, willing myself to get up and workout, and doing absolutely nothing. But hey, at least I'm not out spending money, right? Except those days I go to lunch, or dinner, pick up a starbucks, or grocery shop. Those are the days I think "I have PLENTY of money in my bank account!" and then promptly freak out and hole myself in my house for the next two days because I'M BROKE. It's a vicious cycle. Oh to be me.

I'm in that point of my life where it's always wedding season. So let's talk for a second about that. Why is it that there are so many damn rules when it comes to weddings? Why does it matter whether you give the gift before the wedding or after? Why are there certain "price" codes you have to follow? Is it acceptable to give the gift in a bag? They sell wedding gift bags, so why wouldn't it be? Do I buy only from the registry, or do I branch out and get them something else in addition? I have decided though, that I need to get married ASAP. The loot these people come out on the other side with is ridiculous. I'll gladly take six months of wedding planning headaches in exchange for a kitchenaid mixer and some other shiny new toys. Not to mention the gorgeous wedding photos. So not fair, you engaged people have all the fun!

In other news, I'm still unemployed. I still have my "part time nannying" gigs, which keep me afloat for now, and have provided some pretty sweet opportunities (hello England! I'm comin' for you in a few weeks!) but I really wish I had something a little more...valid. Hear of opportunities in the Advertising/PR/Anything business? Because I'M AVAILABLE!

Anyways, I've spent way too much of my time being productive here, so I'm off to will myself out of bed and perhaps even shower. Try not to be jealous of the lifestyle I lead.

Drained

2010-05-01T01:43:00.008-04:00

When I was little, I used to try and make my mom make promises to me.

"Can we go tomorrow?"

"Maybe." she would respond

"Why only maybe?" I would ask

"Because I don't like to make promises I don't know if I can keep."

I was always taught that once you've made a commitment, that's it. You're in it til the end, and unless there are absolutely unavoidable circumstances, you're bound to meet those requirements. I always try very hard to follow through with what I promise. I've never made plans with the intention of breaking them. I've never intentionally stood someone up. Until tonight.

Things happened so fast, I barely had time to process them.

"Don't go. Don't call. We'll take care of it." I was instructed. And I listened. I ignored phone calls, and I let messages go unanswered. It's like I disappeared.

I don't know what to do. I feel helpless, and terrible for my actions, despite the fact that I'm told I shouldn't, and I did nothing wrong, and there's no one to feel bad for. Naturally, that just makes me feel bad about feeling bad. I know that the way things unfolded tonight were not planned, and the decisions that were made were done so with the best of intentions at heart. I trust them, and I love them, and their opinions mean everything to me. But still, I can't help but feel sad about everything.

All night long I've been struggling with "did I do the right thing?" or "did should I gone about it differently?" I think I made the right choice. I want to believe I made the right choice. But every few minutes, my mind changes again, I'm not quite sure.

5 Things that will get me through today

2010-04-23T05:35:00.000-04:00

Kicking my day off at 5:30am isn't something I've done since high school. I'm afraid it just might kill me.

Coffee
The promise of a PARTYYYY tomorrow night!
Coffee
PAY DAY to help cover the massive expenses of said PARTYYYY.
Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee.

I think that covers it.

Funny Business

2010-03-27T12:00:00.001-04:00

Making friends is a funny business. There are certain people that have been in my life for so long, I don't even remember meeting them, they've always just been there. And then there are others that I only just met, that I've become fast friends with. I've never understood that song "Make New Friends". You know, the one that says "one is silver and the other is gold..." to me, all of my friends were on the same level. I thought it was pretty mean to classify your friends as either being silver or gold, because one is obviously worth more than the other. I mean, hello! if it were an Olympic competition, I definitely want the GOLD and not the Silver. That song just seemed mean.

That quote, "some people are meant to stay in your life while others are just meant to make an appearance", I couldn't agree more. I like having friends. They are what make my life complete. I recently ran into someone I used to be good friends with while on the metro. It was the most awkward 90 seconds of my life. Here was this person sitting directly across from me on a crowded metro car, that I haven't seen or spoken to in years. It was a jam-packed car, but really, it felt like it was just us. We used to share everything, and we were the best of friends, but now we couldn't be any farther away from what we were. We exchanged pleasantries, briefly inquired about each others lives, and then the car filled with even more people, my stop came up, so I just got off the train. I didn't know what to say after that. "It was nice to see you" didn't really seem appropriate, because I didn't really know if it was. Seeing her that day completely threw me off. I would like to say it was great, but you could cut the tension between us with a knife. It was weird, and awkward, and kind of sad. I was reminded of all our great memories, and then our sad ending, all in a span of a minute in and a half.

I know that not everyone that comes into our lives will stay there. In fact, different people fit as friends at different points of our life. Certain people leave bigger imprints on our hearts than others. We need different people at different times.

And I'm OK with that.

Golden Moments

2010-02-19T01:51:00.004-05:00

I think it's safe to say that the Olympics inspires us all. Whether you're four years old and make that life-changing decision to be just like the athletes on tv, or you're 45 years old sitting back in awe of the huge stunts performed by the 21 year olds on the half-pipe, we get inspired. Every two years, we glue ourselves to the television set for fourteen days, and watch as the world competes for the title "Olympic Champion". We come together as a nation. It doesn't matter if we're Republican or Democrat, or what our personal thoughts are on Torte Reform. We all raise our hands in the air and scream wildly at the sight of our home flag rising above the rest. We tear up at the sound of our National Anthem, playing so sweetly to the intimate audience of 4 billion. And although we watch from our living rooms, bar stools, and dorm common rooms, we watch together, and we feel just as proud and ecstatic about the medals earned as the athletes do. Because, while they win for themselves on one level, they also win for us on another.

Really, so few of us will grow up to compete in the Olympic Games, and even fewer will be coronated as"Olympic Champions". And the truth of the matter is, if you're reading this right now, your shot at an Olympic medal is probably nothing more than a distant fantasy of "what might have been". But that's ok. We move on to other dreams and goals. We push ourselves in different ways, and we leave the medal winning to other people.

But.

Just because we don't have the title of "Olympic Champion" on our resumes, doesn't mean we don't have Golden Moments. Sometimes, they come in small packages like making it to the gym 5 out of 7 days. Or when a 2.5 year old tells you she missed you. Maybe it'll be finally getting that promotion you worked so hard for. Or maybe, it'll just be one of those days where everything falls into place perfectly. So, for the rest of this year, I challenge you to look for the Golden Moments in your lives. I can guarantee they won't come daily, maybe not even weekly, but they'll be there. And when they come, soak them up. Absorb them. Feel great about yourself, and don't let anyone knock you off the podium.

Afterall, we may lead ordinary lives but we can certainly have extraordinary days.

Snow Camp 2010

2010-02-11T23:11:00.012-05:00

The Blizzard is coming! The Blizzard is coming! It's ~~Snowpacalypse!Snowmageddon!~~Snowdiculous! It's SnOMG!!!!

When the weather-man tells you that "20-30" inches is expected on Friday, and then another "10-20" inches again the next Tues-Wednesday, don't be down on yourselves! Gather up your housemates, invite a few friends over, stock up on food, booze, games, and toilet paper, and hunker down for SNOW CAMP! Activities include, but are not limited to:

Family dinners

1200 piece Jigsaw puzzles

Drunken midnight snowball fights

Morning hangovers complete with souvenir pancakes

Arts and Crafts

Yoga and Shredding

Game nights!!!

Unlimited recreation time for the INTERNET and Facebook!

Full-time photographer and videographer

Lots of fun and tons of memories

Snowdiculous

2010-02-09T15:50:00.005-05:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled hibernation to bring you Snowdiculous. Not to be confused with Snowpocalypse 2009, or Snowmageddon 2010. No. Those storms are both over. We've moved on the Snowdiculous, which is a mere minutes away from starting to drop 10-20 more inches on the already snowy district.

DC Residents, is this photo not one of the most terrifying ones you've ever seen? IT'S COMIN' FOR US!!

RUN!

Sneak Peak

2010-01-26T21:57:00.012-05:00

Monday's weather was a glorious 61, and somewhat sunny depending on what side of the district you were on. Sure, it looked sunny and gorgeous blue sky in Georgetown, but 3 miles up the road in Friendship Heights, The Clouds of Doom lurked. It was as if Mother Nature was giving us a sneak peak of what Spring would be like.

Photo by: kkairies

The mix of dark clouds and brilliant sun made for a gorgeous sunset over the Nation's Capitol last night, and my twitter feed came to life with mentions of brilliant oranges and reds filling the sky. Colorful sunsets are one of the things I miss the most about Florida. It may be hot as hell, but I'll be damned if they don't get some amazing color at dusk. And if you're on the coast? Forget All You Can Eat Crab night, you're too mesmerized to do anything other than stare at the bright pinks, purples, oranges, and reds that highlight the horizon. It's like God let the baby Cherubs go to town with the Crayola crayons in the sky.

When I first read that the weather would be all the way in the 60s, I was slightly disappointed. I'm the girl that moved away from Florida to avoid warm Januarys, what the heck is DC doing by warming up so much?! But then I realized I could leave without my coat, and you might as well have told me Chick-Fil-A was opening up next door, because diggity, my mood instantly skyrocketed.

Just like I wait for Christmas with baited breathe, come middle of January, I'm counting down the days 'til spring. Those delicious temperatures where it's not too cold, but not too hot. You'll want to take a sweater with you, but you don't have to worry about burning up the second you even think about putting it on. Mmm mmm good. But I digress...

I have some obvious trust issues, and I was too nervous to wear the summer skirt, in fear that the Weather Man was indeed lying to me. Instead, I pulled out the khaki capris (I don't care if you dislike them. They are love.), grabbed a short sleeve shirt, and a light sweater.

Did you read that? A light sweater. In January. In D.C..

I stepped out into that warm sunshine, felt that cool breeze, and it was total bliss. Seriously, how does anyone live anywhere where it's NOT like this all the time? I kick myself everyday for not applying to UC San Diego. I was all smiles all day.

Alas, as all good things do, the day had to come to an end. As soon as the sun set, we were back to the miserable cold. Someone obviously reminded Mother Nature, that it was actually still January, and happiness is not allowed in these parts until at least March. So she rounded off the dropping temperatures with rain. And wind.

And all I had was a light sweater.

Curses.

Teetering

2010-01-23T13:39:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, I'll be sitting on the bus and I'll suddenly realize "whoa, I actually live here. In Washington D.C.." Do you ever have those surreal, I can't believe I'm a big girl, moments? I feel like I get them all the time.

A lot of the times, I feel like I'm still 12 years old, trying so hard to disguise myself as a grown-up. I've always ALWAYS wanted to play with the big kids. The little girl I work with is the exact same way. She's absolutely fascinated by the big girls at her playgroup. She'll follow them around and constantly ask if they want to play with her. Sometimes, they'll humor her, and play with her for a few moments, and then there are other times when they'll simply brush her off. This does not deter her. She'll march right up and ask them point blank what their problem is, and why are they being so grumpy?! I've got 20 years on her, and I'm only just now learning to stand up to the big girls!

Sometimes, I'm afraid I'll be found out, discovered as an imposter in this world full of adults and grown-ups. I'll have to explain myself, and hope that they understand I just wanted to be like them! The life they lead is so fancy and grown-up I just wanted to play in their world for a little while! I'm afraid people will think "Oh she's so young! She doesn't know anything about real life". Then I'm hit with the sudden realization that I am a grown-up. There's no pretending, and I have my own set of real, grown-up problems to deal with, and wow this is so not as fancy as I originally thought it would be! Sure, getting dressed up to meet for cocktails is fun at first, but then it's not so fun when you realize just how much money you spent on a single night out in the city! And Daddy is SO NOT willing to help you out. Yikes!

And then there are times when I think I'm a lot older that I really am. So many of my friends are getting married, and having babies, I feel like I'm way behind on the curve. I have to physically stop myself and say "Ohmygoshi! Get a grip! You're only 22!". I just can't win!

I'm teetering on the edge of being a kid and being an adult. I feel like it's a thin line between being too young and too old (and for the record, I'm not calling anyone in my life old!). But so often, we want to be the person next to us, and not the person staring back at us on the other side of the mirror. Please tell me I'm not the only one that struggles with feeling too young or old! If I am, I think I may have to invest in some serious therapy.

And that will only make me feel older than I really am!

A late night does of envy

2010-01-21T00:32:00.004-05:00

"Oh, your brother is off skiing with the youth group this weekend" she says offhandedly.

"What?! Skiing?!" I say.

"Yes. And not only did he get someone in the church to sponsor him, but his friend also lent him some top of the line snow ski gear. Complete with the snow suit, face mask, iPod, and special headphones"

"WHAT?! That's crazy! I don't want to talk about this anymore, it's making me so jealous!!!!"

"Oh, don't be jealous, be happy for him!"

It's taken me a few days to recover from that last statement there. How many times in our lifetime have we been oh-so jealous of someone in our lives? I've been sitting here mulling it over, and the I've come to the realization that the more independent I become, and the more of my own money I spend, the easier it is to be swept up in a wave of jealousy for all the things I don't have.

It's incredibly difficult to be HAPPY! ALL the time! for everyone around you. Granted, I'm not always stewing in this pot of jealousy every minute of every day, but I'd be lying if I said that I was never jealous of some of the things that my friends have. And I'm not just talking about material items either. Also, I'm incredibly grateful for what I do have. I'm lucky enough to have a warm bed to cuddle up in, comfy sweats to relax in, and make enough money to get by. But, it's not my dream job, and it's not what I insisted on going to my fancy private university for.

It takes a lot to swallow that pill labeled JEALOUS on one side and PRIDE on the other, and just be happy. It's not that I don't love everyone in my life, I do. And I really am truly happy for them when great things happen. I am. I promise! It's just that after the excitement dies down, and it's back to just me and my crazy thoughts, I start to feel that sad feeling creeping up on me. Am I the only one that struggles with this?

This post isn't inspired by any one person in my life. It's not even inspired by a particular event either. Merely just taken from something a very wise person told me about not being jealous, but just being happy.

Together again

2010-01-18T02:42:00.006-05:00

I suppose it's about that time that I do a post for 2010. So far, we're 18 days in to the new year! Congrats to making it this far!! So, tell me all about it, old friend. How've your last 18 days been?? Did Santa treat you well last Christmas? How are those resolutions coming? I think my favorite story was from my cousin who's New Year's Resolution lasted all of 45 minutes into the new year. Oh well, what can you do? Sometimes the drunk munchies are just too overwhelming, and the wings are powerful!

I kicked the new year off with a wedding (not mine, sadly enough. But I did manage to catch the bouquet that was thrown DIRECTLY AT MY FACE). After that, I hightailed it back to snowy DC, where I've spent the last two weeks hanging out with the most adorable, and articulate 2.5 year old and her 3 month old brother. Seriously, this kid is 2.5 going on 35. She speaks in full, clear, paragraphs, and if given the opportunity, I could quote her for days. I get chastised for being too silly, and she has to remind me that strollers are NOT race cars, and do NOT go vroom! You know it's bad when the little kid is telling you to be mature. We do all kinds of fun thing together, because I can only stand to read so many books and play with her play farm animals for so many hours, so we've taken field trips to the zoo, All Fired Up, and various play places. She's a hoot, and I'm so lucky to have found her, her rocking mom, and her sweet (albeit extremely cranky at times) brother. This little person provides endless entertainment, and countless laughs. She's a constant reminder to just how awesome little kids can be.

Is it just me, or does 2010 (twenty ten? two thousand ten?) seem to be The Year of The Wedding? As I mentioned, I was already at one wedding this year, I know of two more happening in April, I have a Save The Date on my board for May, I know there are multiple ones taking place in June, and at least one other friend is expecting something sparkly sometime this year. Um...hello single friends, where did you all go?? Not that I'm against getting married! I'm all for it, and all the lovely, mushy stuff that comes with it!! Yay for marriage! But really, did y'all have to go and do it at the same time? Oye! I only have one request: don't forget us single ladies and please make sure to invite all the groom's hot and single guy friends! This. Is. Key.

This year, I have narrowed it down to three areas of my life that need improving:

Job
Gym
Love life

The JGL, if you will (NOT to be confused with The Jersey Shore's "GTL: Gym, Tanning, Laundry". That's an entirely separate post). That's all I want. Really. Is that too much to hope for? I certainly don't think so! This year is already starting to fly by. January is already half over!!! Before we know it, it will be April, and then June, and then October, and then Christmas again! Dear Father Time, please slooowww down a little, and give us some time to breathe! Who knows where I'll be this time next year. While I'm exactly where I wanted to be location wise, I'm certainly not where I wanted to be career wise. But, life happens, and I can't really remember the last time life actually went the way I originally planned.

Ohh how I've missed blogging. I really have. One would think that if I missed it so much, I would blog more often, but like I said to my mom about coming home "I have to leave in order to want to come back". It's true! The weight and pressure of having to post everyday is absolutely draining. It's nice to know, however, that when I do need it, my blog is still here for me to post all my mundane thoughts. So with that, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from my new favorite 2.5 year old:

Her: Did you miss me?
Me: I did! Did you miss me???
Her: Yes. But, now we found each other, and we're together again.

Seriously, does it get any cuter than that?! Goodnight, folks!

In Review

2009-12-31T01:37:00.004-05:00

This year has been a whirlwind, and to be honest, it kind of sucked. I'm more than ready to say goodbye to 2009, and HELLOOOO 2010! I know that every year will have it's ups and downs, but in my naive little heart, I like to believe that this year will have far more ups than downs. Here's a quick review of Ohmygoshi 2009:

Realized just how much my college career came full circle: Have you ever had these moments when you realize certain sections of your life have been completed?

I anxiously awaited the big day to get me out of the waiting place (although let's be honest, I think I'm still there.....):I've realized that, right now, I'm in a holding pattern. I'm in that brief moment between being in the tunnel and barreling out at 60 mph.

I shared some dreams of mine: There are so many things I want to do, and yet so little time.

I blogged about my dislike of Mondays:It's Monday, Monday morning to be exact. I must be late.

Took some time and GRADUATED COLLEGE! and then took some much needed time off, and handed the reins over to some of my favorite bloggersThese past few weeks have been a blur. A good blur, but a blur nonetheless

Hit a real low and struggled a bit with the whole lack of job thing"Whoa, what about all the GREAT things I can do! Look at me! Please?! No? Ok....". I'm going stir-crazy right now
Engaged in an EPIC battle with Dell, and came out with a new computer!:Today was no exception. I got a phone call this morning from my Magic Dell Fairy, saying he'd be by sometime between 11am and 1pm

Contemplated Christmas in August:Sitting in a dark room, illuminated by a glowing fire and Christmas tree is one of my favorite favorite things to do all year long

Took a minute to take the scenic route and was reminded of all the beauty my city holds: The weather was great, but the view was something else entirely.

I got real pissy with WMATA, and made sure everyone knew: DC's Metro system is pretty stellar in comparison to some other places. However, that does not stop them from absolutely sucking on certain days

Had only one November Post: Speaking of Thanksgiving, this year the Ohmygoshi family (and extended family) will certainly have an interesting one

And finally, I witnessed first hand the great SnOMG of 2009: Ohhh Winter Blizzard of 2009 (Snowpocalypse, if you will), how you ROYALLY messed up my holiday travel plans is ridiculous

I know 2009 sucked for a lot of people this year. Economically, physically, emotionally, there was a lot going on this year. That's why I'm ready to leave it all behind and look forward. Here's to a clean slate, and fresh start.

Happy New Year.

SnOMG

2009-12-20T11:08:00.004-05:00

Ohhh Winter Blizzard of 2009 (Snowpocalypse, if you will), how you ROYALLY messed up my holiday travel plans is ridiculous, and you cut my vacation time at home by 4 days so far. Ohhh JetBlue, thanks for not doing a damn thing and making things worse. Let's go through this blow by blow to see just how much fun Ohmygoshi has been having:

8:00pm Friday night: Jet Blue has cancelled my 6:20pm flight for the next day because of snow.

8:20pm: Scramble to find a new flight. Manage to get the last seat on on the last available flight for Sunday at 9am.

8:21pm: Breathe sigh of relief.

8:22pm-9:00am the next morning: Drink wine, play games, and enjoy the falling snow

9:00am-6:00pm: Flitter about, watching it snow, worrying about just how exactly I'm going to get to the airport tomorrow....

6:45pm: Use Craigslist to enlist the services of someone with a truck to drive me to Dulles (not kidding here, I really did!)

6:50pm: Have minor freakout over the possibilities of being kidnapped on the way to Dulles, and sold into slavery.

7:30pm: Decide to brave the still falling snow (22 hours now) and go out for dinner and drinks.

9:30-11:30pm: Packing

12:01am-6:00am: try to get some sleep.

6:30am: Check my flight status: ON TIME!

6:31am: Realize I'm checking TOMORROW's flight status. Today's flight status: CANCELLED

6:32am: CURSE THE WORLD

6:33am: Try to rebook flight on JetBlue. Nothing is available for THREE DAYS

6:34am: Wonder out loud why the hell JetBlue wouldn't just delay the flight rather than cancel it. Maybe customer service can tell me more.

6:35-7:05am: On hold with JetBlue

7:05am: Get into an argument with the customer service lady about their poor management of the day. I do feel bad about this, it wasn't her fault. But seriously, they don't offer to book me on another airline's flight, and were not very apologetic about the whole thing. Her attitude was "well, that's too bad, that's all we got!" What about all those passengers actually at the airport? Are they stuck there for days too?? JetBlue is making no effort whatsoever to remedy this situation for all of us. Instead, they are scrambling and cancelling flights. It stopped snowing 12 hours ago, the airport is open, there are other flights taking off, why was the flight not just delayed?! I WANT A DETAILED EXPLANATION!

7:50am: Call my mom in tears. It looks like I won't be back until Wednesday.

7:51am: Start looking around for other flights on other airlines.

7:52am: SUCCESS! There's a flight going from Dulles to Midway to Tampa TONIGHT!! For cheap! I must be on that flight!

7:52:30am: Flight is full. I'm not on it. Curses.

7:54am: Find nonstop flight from Dulles to Tampa tomorrow afternoon.

7:54:15am: BOOK THE FLIGHT

7:55-8:23am: On hold with JetBlue to cancel my flight

8:35am-11:00am: SLEEP

So the nightmare seems to be coming to an end. I'm on a flight tomorrow, that should get out without being cancelled. It cost me an extra $80, and gets me in to Tampa, but it's direct and leaves Monday instead of Wednesday, so I guess it's worth it. Metro is still only running underground with a few bus lines running, but I think they're planning on being open for rush hour tomorrow morning, so I should be able to get to the airport without a problem.

Here's hoping.

Motherly Concern

2009-12-15T19:20:00.002-05:00

Mom: It'll be Forced Family Fun!

Me: (currently suffering from a cold) If I'm not dead by then...

Mom: Don't say that....the tickets aren't refundable!!

Gratuity

2009-12-12T14:24:00.003-05:00

When we go to a bar or restaurant, we leave a tip to the waiter/waitress or bartender as a way of saying "thanks for the service!". How much we leave is generally dependent on how satisfied we feel. The better we were treated, the more we leave.

Is that how it works in our friendships and relationships as well? Do we only repay according to what we were given? Or do we willingly do things for the people we call friends, but do we expect grand gestures as methods of "thanks" in return? In general, when I do favors for friends, it's because I want to, not because I'm expecting something in return. I like to go out of my way to do things for others because I care about these people, and I want to make sure they know it. I try my hardest to be friendly when I first meet someone, but my personality can be so loud and outgoing at times, that I usually hold back until I feel comfortable around new people. This often comes across as harsh and unfriendly, I've been told on more than one occasion. But once I've forged a friendship, I hold on to it for dear life. I'll listen to their problems day after day, and always avail myself to them. I really don't expect much in return, except maybe honesty.

Is there a barometer to measure the proper way to say "thank you" to someone for a simple favor? What are your thoughts? How do you let your friends know you're thankful for the favors they do for you? Do you expect people to do certain things to show they are grateful to you? I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts!

We interrupt your regular programming

2009-12-04T10:16:00.004-05:00

...to post a screen shot of the weather outlook for Saturday:

My November Post

2009-11-12T23:29:00.004-05:00

Have you started listening to Christmas music yet? Because I have. I've had Pandora or Napster going almost all the time, and I only occasionally pause the yule tide greetings to listen to Justin Bieber croon about his first "love" or Mariah sing about her creepy stalker. Yes, I have both going in my rotation. Don't judge me, I know you do too.

I'm itching to start decorating for the season. Even though we're still two weeks out from Thanksgiving, I just want to put lights up in my room, and around the house. Our neighbors two doors down already adorned their porch with white lights, and I'm all "OMG when can I go buy white lights?!" My roomies seem to think I should wait until AFTER Turkey Day to go all Christmas Nazi on the house, but really, that's so far away!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, this year the Ohmygoshi family (and extended family) will certainly have an interesting one. So my brother goes to school in NYC and happens to have an apartment right on 6th, and right in front of Macy's. How did he score such a fabulous deal when he's in college, you may ask? I don't know, I keep wondering the same thing myself. I suppose it's not the most ideal situation since he shares his tiny 1 bedroom with 3 other dudes, but it's "student housing"...My mom and youngest brother (and our two dogs!) are driving up here next week, where we'll all meet at my uncle's house. On Wednesday, the family will catch the Bolt bus up to NYC, meet my mom's BFF and her daughter (who are flying in from FL) and crash at the Fabulous Apartment on 6th. Have you kept up with the numbers? That's a total of eight (8) of us in the Fabulous Apartment on 6th that can barely hold 4. YIKES.

We'll watch Snoopy and all his buddies float by our heads, officially welcome Santa Claus, and then we'll make our way back down to DC again, and probably die of exhaustion. The next day will be our big dinner, complete with friends, a DVRed parade playing in the background (because watching it LIVE and IN PERSON isn't good enough I guess...?), Beef Wellington, multiple types of pies, and lots of booze.

It's going to be a crazy shit show. I, for one, can't wait.

PS. what are some good "Thanksgiving" songs?! What do you play on Thanksgiving? Do you just play holiday music? I tried that last year, and I got comments that it felt more like Christmas dinner than Thanksgiving. Suggestions?!

The one where I hate on WMATA

2009-10-07T18:11:00.003-04:00

DC's Metro system is pretty stellar in comparison to some other places. However, that does not stop them from absolutely sucking on certain days. Here are my peeves for WMATA:

It irks me to no end when I've been waiting for 30 minutes for a stupid bus, and then THREE show up at the same time. I understand that sometimes traffic causes delays, therefore buses catching up to one another, but there is NO EXCUSE when you're only a couple miles out from the start of the line. None.
When the sprite fifty something wearing yoga pants, a tank top, and a baseball hat gets on the bus, don't give me a dirty look for not getting up for you to sit down. You can obviously handle 90 minutes of sun salutations, a few more minutes standing isn't going to hurt. Consider it another glute exercise. You're butt will thank me later. In fact, I'm only willing to give my seat up to you if you meet the follow preques: a). You're pregnant or have small children with you. b). You are disabled and have a cane or walker. and c). You're old enough to get the Senior Discount at the movie theater without showing I.D.
That being said, when a person with a cane gets on the bus, and you sit there with your headphones in looking like you hate the world while the person next to you gets up to give this disabled person your seat, you do not look good. In fact, you look like a jackass. Way to go.
Mean bus drivers. You do not make the ride pleasant. Don't yell at the poor kid who obviously can't comprehend what a broken SmarTrip reader means. Or get annoyed with the out of towners who aren't really sure where to go. You make me want to pull the Stop Request cord for every stop just to annoy you.
When I'm standing at the bus stop (after waiting HOURS! it seems like) and then the bus just flies right by me. So unacceptable, I want to scream. And the bus driver looks at me like "Hey girl!" No no no...NO. Before I even begin to entertain the idea of smiling at you, you need to back the bus up and come pick me up. Because just driving past me like that? Does not make me all warm and bubbly inside.

So those are my peeves with the WMATA's bus system. Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? What are your peeves?

Monday nights

2009-10-06T02:30:00.005-04:00

On Monday nights, I have this group. We all meet at the same bar, with the same people, and order much of the same things. It's the start of the week, but for us, it's when we fill each other in on what happened the week before. Often times, we've seen each other over the weekend, but Monday nights always have a different vibe, and I don't know why.

I look forward to these nights. I like the stability that comes with it. The fact that, on Monday nights we'll meet at the bar, and laugh, and drink, and just enjoy each other. It's just what we do. We plan around it. Monday nights are (usually) reserved. Stories are told, gossip is shared, but most importantly, friendships are created. Sometimes, new faces make appearances, and sometimes they turn into regulars. We make plans, and we talk about goals and current events in our lives. We commiserate our yoga pains and growing pains, getting older is something we try to do with grace. We roll our eyes at comments and argue our points, but in the end, we always come back the next week. When life gets in the way, and one can't make it out that week, we notice the absence. The bartenders are now our friends and laugh along with us. They help us come up with new drinks, and they are willing to be try crazy things and then conveniently forget to put it on the tab.

We've been this group for about a year now, and I know that eventually, people will start to taper off as they leave the district for bigger and better dreams. Who knows where we'll be next year. Maybe off in New Mexico trying to write the next best seller, or saving lives in Africa. Maybe we'll be teaching others new things, or playing a game of soccer on the mall. Maybe traveling the world and seeing the sights of Europe and Asia. Who knows. We certainly don't. What we do know is that next week, we'll be right back at the bar with the same bartenders, the same drinks, and the same group of amazing friends.

On Monday nights, I have this group.

Boo Hiss with a side of Hulk SMASH

2009-09-30T22:52:00.005-04:00

I had plans for today. Big plans. They included things like getting dressed! and going to the grocery store! and the library! and working out! But no, none of those things were accomplished. You know what I did instead? I sat in my PJs feeling like someone lit a match and threw it in my mouth, watching a boring episode of General Hospital, and eating Spiral Macaroni and Cheese. Now it's the late hour of 11:00 pm, and I'm ready for bed.

A few weeks ago, one of the people I babysit for says to me, "Kay tested positive for strep throat again! She just can't seem to shake it! Tee hee." While she may think this is amusing that her 2.5 year old is sick for the millionth time because she's never exposed to any of the right germs, the only thing I can think of is "WHY THE HECK AM I HERE?! Your kid is sick, with the only cure being antibiotics prescribed from the Doctor for which I have no insurance! ACK! DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO OUT FOR A MOVIE?!" From that point on I attempted to keep the child at an arms length distance, but I'm sure she managed to breathe in my direction at one point or another.

Yes, I'm one of those "40 million without health insurance" and yes it sucks. While the Dems and Repubs can't seem to get their act together long enough to put together a coherent sentence, I'm over here trying to not catch strep throat from snotty toddlers. This post isn't going to turn into anything political. I'm just going to leave it at that. This system is broken. SOMETHING needs to be done. And Nancy Pelosi is an idiot.

I went against my better judgement and googled the symptoms of "Strep Throat" and was horrified at the any number of diseases I could have. For about 5 seconds, I was pleased to see that usually strep does not come with a runny nose or sneezes, which I had, but have now mysteriously disappeared. Great.

If these kids were anywhere close to being nice and fun to be around, I might just be like "ah, these things happen when you work with kids." But these children are the spawns of all things evil. Everytime I walk out of there, I've been kicked, punched, molested, spit on, and little less sane than I was when I walked in. I try to explain their awful behavior to their parents who just laugh and say things like "oh he's going through a phase" or "oh kids! har har har. Doesn't this make you want to have them?!" No lady, it doesn't. In fact, it makes me want to rip my uterus out so children will NEVER happen to me!

You know what else I had big plans for? My life. Yeah. The plan was to go to my expensive 4 year college in NW Washington DC, major in something fabulous that will make me lots of money to pay back all the loans I took out, and then get a job after I graduate so I can start making all that money. Instead, I'm a nanny. A freaking nanny. Sure, the money is good, but it's not what I want to be doing! I'm supposed to be saving the world, one business problem at a time! I'm supposed to be having the time of my life, with a disposable paycheck! I'm supposed to be a big girl! I am so frustrated with the state of my life right now, it's ridiculous. This stupid economy is screwing up everything. And then they kick me off of my parents insurance to boot. I don't understand how that makes sense at all. I'm hating on life right now, I know. I don't need to be told, I know I'm acting like a raging bitch. It's the meds talking I tell you. The two nyquill I popped earlier are killers and make me say things out of rage. Wait, why are you laughing? That's all I can afford right now, OKAY?!

Right now, I'm going to go and watch last week's GLEE (because it, and only it, has the power to make me feel better right now) and try to get enough sleep so I don't want to kill myself tomorrow morning when I have to be up and babysitting at 7:40 in the morning. Please pray for me.

Single Babies

2009-09-29T19:40:00.002-04:00

I'm SURE most of you have probably seen this video already, but I just couldn't resist. It is so adorable, I had to put it up here. It makes me laugh out loud everytime I watch it! Enjoy!

5 Things I Remember About That Day

2009-09-11T12:37:00.003-04:00

8 years is a long time to pass, and yet there are certain things I think I will always remember.

That morning at the bus stop, my friend had told me about her crazy dream where planes exploded in the sky.
Instead of watching morning announcements that day, we took a test. It wasn't until after that we learned what happened.
4th period was Biology. We watched the south tower fall.
My teacher was near tears because her mom was a Flight Attendant, and she couldn't get in touch with her.
When I got home, my mom was sitting on the floor in front of the TV.

The scenic route

2009-09-02T19:13:00.006-04:00

It seems like just yesterday that the lovely Magda was counting down the days til the end of January, with February bringing the hopes of flowers and spring in the near future. Now here we are in September, where we're closer to February of 2010 than we are to the one of 2009. It's funny how fast time flies.

I'm tickled by the idea of Fall right around the corner. As Summer struggles to hang on to it's final days, there are whispers of pumpkin lattes, fall festivals, and cooler tempatures. Air conditioners are being turned off in lieu of open windows and cool evening breezes. Football is gearing up for it's annual takeover of Sunday afternoons and Monday nights (GO REDSKINS!). As visions of boots, and scarves dance through our heads, we roll into the final quarter of the year. After a trip to the post office (and the library!), I decided that instead of taking the bus back to the house, I'd walk the 1.7 miles. The weather was great, but the view was something else entirely.

Sometimes I forget exactly where it is I live. As I walked past the National Cathedral, Russian Embassy, and the old G.C. Murphy Co store, I was reminded of all the glory that this city holds. Just down the road you can find the streets that Langston Hughes looked out on as he wrote, and beyond that is where a President lost his life while taking in a show. Up further is where thousands gathered to hear a speech on freedom. And at the bottom of Wisconsin Ave., if you make a left on M St., you'll find the oldest standing building in D.C. The sounds of the street worked as my soundtrack today, with impatient drivers too important to be held up by someone attempting to turn, friends enjoying meals outside in a last minute attempt to savor the last of summer, and parents with babies and pets alike, all peppering my walk home. The sidewalks were crowded with joggers, and the air was softer than usual.

With the holidays right around the corner, it's easy to get swept up in the excitement of it all. We'll rush through October, November, and December, in a swirl of oranges and browns, greens and reds, only to find ourselves back in gray January anxiously waiting for Spring again. Our closets will be innundated by sweaters and coats, and our bank accounts will take an extra toll "because it's Christmas". While the late autumn and Christmas season are certainly my favorites, this year I'm in no rush to get to them. This time last year we were in the heat of the battle for race to the White House, and this year has proved to have many ups and downs. Who knows where we'll be in another 365 days. I've found that planning far in advance, doesn't do much, so now I just want to sit and enjoy.

Sometimes it's nice to just take the long walk home.

A Dance 'Round The Memory Tree

2009-08-30T21:11:00.012-04:00

Words we had said

Grow in my head

Colored my thoughts

Sang me to bed

There have been certain people on my mind lately. The ones that I used to know, but now are strangers. It's weird how these people that we worked so hard to forget can easily pop back into our minds at the blink of an eye, or a flash of memory.

Lost memories

Grew into trees

Covered the doors

Swallowed the key

I've tried to reach out to them, let them know that I'm thinking of them and miss them, but so far there is very little to show for it. A friend request that lasted for weeks before eventually being turned down; messages unreturned. When we met, we had been thrown into brand new lives with only each other to cling to, we thought that friendship would last forever. How could it not?

Winters have come and gone you know

But I'll meet you, young and free

For a dance 'round the memory tree

I've long since moved on to new friends and memories. I've lived new experiences, and traveled new places. I don't remember every word spoken, or every joke laughed. The secrets we shared with each other are no longer precious, and words have been whispered in the wrong direction. There's nothing to be done now, it doesn't make a difference to be mad or sad, because what's done is done. There is no "Undo" button.

Said I forgot

But I did not

Dreams we had

Play in my head

I've mentioned similar things before. And really, these things don't plague my thoughts often. But there are times, when a certain song plays, or a person passes by and I'm suddenly sideswiped by memories of friends that are no longer mine to claim anymore. It sucks, plain and simple. Friendships are so precious and fragile, it takes one misunderstanding to ruin it all. When a friendship, or any relationship for that matter, dissolves, rarely is it to be blamed entirely on one party, but not everyone sees it that way. In my opinion, it takes a lot of strength and courage to admit when you're part of the problem. I guess that's a quality that not everyone has. Or maybe they just haven't found it yet.

Did we believe

The cry of the leaves?

Did we regret?

Would we forget?

I've been considering hopping over to Wordpress so I can initiate the "password protect" posts, a feature that Blogger lacks. I know there are eyes peering in that I would rather not. It's a chance you take when you put words on the internet for all to see. But still, there are certain thoughts I'd like to block ceratain people from reading. It's not fair that they can cut me out of their lives entirely, while still reading up on mine. Is that passive agressive? I don't know. I've reached out, and got nothing in return. I feel like I'm beyond the point of trying. I've done my part in trying to mend the broken. But still, if and when the day comes that these certain people decide to reach back to me, I'll gladly take a dance around the memory tree.

Winter has come and gone you know

But I'll meet you young and free

For a dance 'round the memory tree.

*"A Dance 'Round The Memory Tree" lyrics written and performed by Oren Lavie

Twitter me this...

2009-08-24T16:38:00.001-04:00

Ah, guys...is it just my computer or is Twitter down again?

Cue massive panic attack by all of the Social Media world!

What are we all going to doooo??

Christmas in August

2009-08-16T02:48:00.004-04:00

The other night I had a dream in which someone had a red Starbucks cup. I remember distinctly thinking "Red Starbucks cup!! That must mean Christmas is nearly here!"

The thermometer may read 88 degrees Farenheit, but the trees are saying something different. They are beginning their journey to a long winter nap. The leaves are starting to fall off the heavy branches, and if you look closely enough, you might be able to spot a red or yellow leaf here or there. Every so often, there is a slight breeze in the air that lets you know that Fall is not too far away. This has been a moderate summer here in DC. The weather has been agreeable for the most part, with only a handful of unbearable days.

But still, I find myself counting down the days til I can start wearing my warm sweaters and jackets again; the days when it's cold enough to wear boots and jeans. I'm anxious for Pumpkin pie and warm apple cider. I miss the crisp air and the orange and red glow that radiates from the trees as a result of a perfect combination of sun and trees. I love the idea of Fall festivals, hay rides, and pumpkin picking.

I can't wait til Thanksgiving, when people get together to do nothing more than enjoy each others company. The Christmas season may still be months away, but it will be here before we know it. Sitting in a dark room, illuminated by a glowing fire and Christmas tree is one of my favorite favorite things to do all year long.

Cliche as it may be, the stockings hung by the fireside, the bubble lights glimmering in the dark, and soft Christmas caroles playing in the background, that's my idea of perfection.

Growing up isn't easy

2009-07-31T01:24:00.005-04:00

I often see myself in her. We don't look alike. I have brown hair, hers is blonde. She's tall and lanky, and I was always on the shorter side. It's not because of our similar DNA that I see so much of myself in her, because really, we share very little. Instead it's because of everything she's trying to be right now, and everything she's not. I don't mean that in a negative way, not at all. I remember so clearly wanting to be grown up. I wanted so desperately to be older than I was. Her determination is not unlike my own. I remember the scheming and plotting with friends to arrange sleep-overs, and the thrill of excitement when our plans worked. I remember summers spent putting off homework and dreading the return of school. The excitement of the sixth grade is still so fresh in my mind.

I want to whisper in her ear and tell her it's OK to be a kid, and that growing up is something she'll have years to do; that she doesn't have to wear high heels around the house, and that the copious amounts of blue and silver eyeshadow can wait. But I know that will just lead to eye rolling and dismissal, it's a lesson we simply cannot learn until we've lived it. We look to the other side of the pasture and want to be over there, but we never want to be here. You never think to enjoy it until it's much too late. The truth is, some of my fondest memories come from those years when I could still count my age on two hands.

I am not old, not by a long shot. But I think we can all agree that there's something special about those years. If we could, we'd tell every little girl not to grow up too fast. It's in the back of the huge folder of responsibility we received upon entrance to The Big Girls Club. We know all too well the trials and tribulations that come with being a teenager, and I'm sure that there are a few things we wouldn't mind saying to our younger selves, if given the opportunity.

As I sit here typing this, there are two little girls upstairs giggling their way into the morning. They're watching Twilight and squealing with delight everytime Robert Pattinson comes on screen. The pink walls are adorned with posters of The Jonas Brothers and Edward Cullen. The corner is filled with rarely used toys that are much too childish to be played with by girls of such mature age. They are, afterall, nearly middle schoolers. It makes me smile to think of the fun they must be having, the secrets they must be sharing, and the bond that they are creating. I want to tell them to hold on to those memories and friendships as tight as they can, because so many of them come and go. I hope they remember the fun they had tonight when they are 15 and fighting over something silly. And if they go their seperate ways, I hope it's only to go to different schools. So few of my friendships survived into adulthood, but those are the ones I cherish the most now.

Eventually, her years will come, and she'll be watching TV while the next generation is upstairs swooning over the latest heart throb, sharing secrets in the dark, and giggling all night long. They will be trying so so hard to be older than their years will allow. While she may be tempted to roll her eyes and sigh loudly, she'll hesitate and remember all her own memories as they come flooding back to her mind.

And that will make her smile the warmest of all smiles.

Goodbye

2009-07-27T14:35:00.003-04:00

Not for reals y'all, just for the week.

Dell finally broke me. After many calls to Dell, and three days of the Magic Dell Fairy trying to fix my poor computer, Dell broke me. I agreed to send it in to be looked at by "professionals".

They shipped me a box. I backed all my files up. And now I'm going to shut it down (and by that I mean, move it two inches, since it goes kaput when I do that...) and pack it up. They promised to have it back to me in "five to seven days", so hopefully I'll be back around these parts in no time.

Until then, bloggy friends.

Ohmygoshi out.

Fail Whale.

2009-07-20T17:18:00.005-04:00

tip tap tip tap go the keys of various keyboards around me.

I'm back on campus right now, seeing as my Dell is following it's annual Summer tradition of being stupid and not working properly. In my family, our big "high school graduation gift" is a sparkling new laptop to accompany us on our journey to college. I remember the day it arrived, in it's big brown box. I was just bubbling with excitement over the fact that I would no longer have to share a computer. Finally, something that was all MINE. Being the oldest of three, the word "SHARE" has been drilled into my brain since I was 2.5 years old. I password protected that thing so fast, my brothers never even had a chance. (Though, I will admit I've since been way too lax on it, and often find all my sites logged out and certain other family members logged in...).

My Dell is just another reminder of how much time has passed since Summer of '05. My Mom, being the computer nerd that she is, purchased the super-duper all covering warranty for a few extra bucks, and since then I've had just about everything replaced. I got a new harddrive last summer, a new screen last fall, a new fan a few months ago, and then today, a new motherboard and monitor frame (which is essentially the top of the laptop). My warranty is super handy because not only was all that stuff FREE, but they also dispatched a friendly technician to do all the replacing. I like to call him the Magic Dell Fairy.

Today was no exception. I got a phone call this morning from my Magic Dell Fairy, saying he'd be by sometime between 11am and 1pm. He shows up, dismantles my computer, installs all things NEW, pieces it back together, and boots it back up. After a minor glitch with the keyboard and mousepad not being properly reconnected, it works like a dream, and looks like one too!

Off he goes on his merry way to wave his screwdriver, shout "Reparo!" and magically fix other people's computers.

I know you are all thinking, But wait, Ohmygoshi, didn't you say your computer wasn't working? I don't get it....

Three minutes after he leaves, the computer just turns off. Cue my "WTF?!" reaction. I try again with the same sad results. I frantically race upstairs to my cell phone, and dial his number to explain what happened. He comes back and tries a few things, only to end up on the phone with some other dude, saying "I don't zink we can trust zis mozerboard" (he had a French accent). He said something about the memory sticks maybe being a problem too.

Lovely. The only thoughts going through my head are "CRAP, I forgot to backup my harddrive, PLEASE OH PLEASE don't let it all be gone!". I've lost my umbilical cord to the world, which is just another reason why I need a phone with internet access on it. So tragedies like this don't happen anymore. I'm not one of those people that can just "disconnect" and be okay for a few days. I get antsy if I don't check my email every hour. And let's not even think about Facebook, can you imagine all the updates I'm going to miss?! The mere thought is already killing me. Gone are my plans to watch my latest Netflix movie. My Reader is sure to be overflowing with things that will take me days to catch up on. I can't even Google. Woe is me.

He promised to be back tomorrow with brand new parts (including a new bottom piece because mine is cracked in three different places, and new screws because I'm short a few. I'll let you laugh at the implications of that for a few moments...). The only original parts of my Dell will be the keyboard and mousepad.

So, that brings me back to the computer lab on campus. I was in the area anyways to run a few errands, so I figured I might as well stop in to reconnect with the world and share my sad sad story.

Let's all pray for a happy ending with new parts and all my files intacted. Otherwise, you just might hear me scream from my little Glover Park neighborhood.

I wish...

2009-07-01T00:36:00.003-04:00

There are times when I wish...
...I had the stomach to be a doctor, the brains to be a biochemist, or the grace to be a ballerina.

...I had the timing to be a comedian, the courage to be a soldier, or the vision to be an architect.

...I had the talent to win an Olympic gold-medal, the charm to be an actor, or the knowledge to be an inventor.

...I had the patience to be a teacher, the powers to save the world, or the money to feed the hungry.

...I had the words to write a novel, the money to see the world, or the ears to hear music before it's written.

...I had the creativity to be a designer, the spontaneity to be an adventurer, or the camera to be a photographer.

There are times when I wish I had 10x more than I do now. I wish for the skies and the stars to all be mine. I wish for the ability to fly and be free from the gravity that is pulling me down. I wish for money in the bank to cure all my problems.

But then there are the times when I look around and see my friends waiting for our next adventure through DC, or my family with their arms wide open for me. I see the filled photo frames and the diplomas as missions accomplished. I see the uncertainty of what's next as a blank canvas ready to be explored and painted with the colors of my choosing.

So, I tuck the wishes and dreams away, saving them for shooting stars, birthday candles, and wishbones. I already have more than I could ever wish for.

5 things I could live without

2009-06-20T11:34:00.003-04:00

Humidity
Frizzy hair
Unemployment
Rain that seems to NEVER end
Hangovers

Make the most of all this sadness

2009-06-18T02:53:00.009-04:00

What's your favorite song? What makes it your favorite? Is it the lyrics? The music arrangement? Maybe it just touches you at the right moment, and you fall in love. For me, that song is John Mayer's Slow Dancing In A Burning Room. From the very first second, the guitar sounds like it's crying and it sets the mood for the entire song. It's not a happy love song, but one that so many of us can relate to. That raw feeling of knowing it's ending, but wanting so desperately for it not to. I connected with this song right as my relationship was falling to pieces, and it fit so perfectly into every emotion I was feeling. One might think it's a masochistic tendency to keep going back to it, but something about it just draws me back in. I'm done with that part of my life. I've locked the door and thrown away the key. It was a wild and crazy relationship that was filled with so many emotions, but in the end, it wasn't working.

...

Tonight I was perusing the So You Think You Can Dance forums. I came across a discussion about the Katee/Joshua routine by Wade Robson set to Slow Dancing In A Burning Room. While I loved the routine, and the dancers, it left me wanting more. It's not that I didn't enjoy it when performed by Katua (Katee and Joshua's nickname, of course), but I felt like it lacked something. I then found out that Wade had actually choreographed a longer piece and filmed it with Pam Chu and Ben Susak:

I fell in love with it instantly. Everything about it is filled with so much emotion and intensity, it's almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen in fear that you might miss something. There's a raw, intense passion between the dancers and it's captivating. It's the small things, like how she pounds on his chest at 1:24, and he kicks her from behind at 1:33. The jumping from fighting to loving in a matter of seconds is so powerful. The pain they express is impossible to deny, and your heart breaks for them a million times over. I've watched it at least 10 times tonight already, and everytime I see something new that I hadn't seen the 9 other times before.

It's a dance of destruction, and it couldn't be more beautiful.

Ohmygoshiification

2009-06-10T01:37:00.004-04:00

I think it has a certain ring to it...no? What about Ohmygoshiify? Let's just say that choosing my facebook vanity URL just got a lot harder!

At a loss

2009-06-09T02:53:00.006-04:00

Lately, I've been at a loss of things to write about. Perhaps it's because I'm feeling slightly on the down side of life right now and I don't want to bring all that negativity here. No one likes Debbie Downer. Four years ago when I started school, I had grand plans of coming out with a fabulous job and doing something GREAT! But then the whole recession thing kicked in, and the markets plummeted, and suddenly it was all "Whoa, what about all the GREAT things I can do! Look at me! Please?! No? Ok....". I'm going stir-crazy right now. It's nice to sit around and do nothing for the first week, maybe two. But after that, the novelty of the idea wears off. There are only so many TV shows I can watch and Tweets I can read without feeling exhausted from doing absolutely nothing. I get tired of looking through job listings all promising "$1000 a week! Entry-level!".

Two nights ago some friends and I ventured out to see good ole' Abe. We had a private showing of some of the nation's great monuments, and it was pretty cool. I sat on the cool, grey, marble steps, looking out at the illuminated Washington Monument and Capital Hill beyond that, and I just took it all in. The sky was dark blue with a pink and orange glow from the city lights. It was cool enough to keep most of the mosquitoes away, but not enough to be cold. I'm tired of being sad and feeling like a huge disappointment. I want to do something GREAT this summer. I don't know what that's going to be yet. I'm thinking of maybe taking a picture everyday and posting it as a sort of memoir for this Summer. Or maybe I'll try to go to a different museum everyday. Maybe I'll try to discover a new musical artist every week. I want to do something different. I want to learn and explore and take advantage of this freedom I've been blessed with. I'm working on a couple of different photo projects right now. I have frames all laid out on my floor as a constant reminder to get it done and up on the wall. Who knows, maybe I'll find my fabulous job on accident while on a great adventure this summer.

What should I do? Help me think of some fun (and cheap) activities to fill my days as I continue to look for a job.

Kindly shutup.

2009-06-03T14:29:00.005-04:00

I'm not going to lie...I am really REALLY tired of people asking me "SO! How's the job search going?!". Trust me when I say, that when I get a job, the whole entire world will know. I will shout it from the rooftops and be overly ecstatic about it. But until then, let's just assume I'm still working on it and not bring it up anymore. I get that it's the question everyone wants to ask any new college graduate. But as someone who is currently living it right now, it gets old. It's bad enough that I have panic attacks every day about not being gainfully employed, but when I get questioned about it everytime I talk to someone, it damn near maddening.

Now, moving on to a topic that doesn't involve the letters J-O-B....wait, I don't have much else to talk about. It's kinda boring here in Nowhere Land. The good news is, I'm almost completely caught up on all the TV I missed this season! Just a few more shows to go. I don't know what I'll do when I run out. Anyone have any good ones they can recommend?

Gosh, I'm so pathetic.

Cue the music, I'M BACK

2009-05-21T13:23:00.005-04:00

why hello sweet blog o' mine! oh how I've missed you! First and foremost, a great big thanks to all my guest bloggers! y'all rock. Let's do a quick recap of what the past month has been like for me:

FINALS
got sick
Family came into town
GRADUATION
Packing
Moving
Grad Party
Summer

These past few weeks have been a blur. A good blur, but a blur nonetheless. I'm now officially and totally moved in to my new digs, and I'm loving it. The roomies are all really cool, and the house is awesome. My room is awesome. It's just good stuff all around. It's strange waking up and realizing "hey, it's Thursday, and I have NOTHING to do today!". It's also pretty boring, although I will admit I've caught up on a lot of my favorite tv shows thanks to all this free time. I've been spending my days looking for a job (hello Unemployment. I don't like you), and enjoying this absolutely MAGNIFICENT weather we're experiencing in DC. I'm back just in time for the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance tonight on Fox. Get excited!

Since I've been gone so long, I thought I would host a giveaway as a sorts of apologies. It's for all my movie lovers. I have THREE seperate Free Month Trial cards for Netflix that I want to give to you! I, myself, am a big fan of Netflix and all that they offer. Not only is the delivery super fast, but there's also a TON of streaming movies/tv shows available through the website. So, if you've been on the fence about whether or not to sign-up, here's your chance to try it out for free for a month!

Here's how to enter:

Leave me a comment that includes the words "I love movies!"
For two entries you can tweet about it
For three entries you can blog about it
And for an automatic win you can find me a sweet job in the Advertising/PR industry

Make sure you let me know each time you enter so I can accurately keep track.

So there you go. What better way to enjoy the summer than with a free month of movies? The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on May 31. I'll pick three winner at random and have them sent off by the 1st of June!

Happy Thursday!

The World Spins Madly On…

2009-05-08T14:42:00.009-04:00

Yay for besties!! I hope all of you have one as awesome amazing as I do! I was wondering what to write about for today’s post…I was supposed to write it yesterday but I had a freak-out moment about my lack of employment and didn’t write it. Instead I spent a little time dry heaving with fear that I will be poor and living in my parents’ house for the rest of my life.

As I was sitting at the computer today, I started thinking of all the things I could write about…the Josh Groban concert we attended, the Girl Scout Olympics events we would compete in as partners (3-legged race champs, don’t you know), and then I realized something pretty funny: we’ve been friends for eighteen years. Yup, our moms met when my mother was rather pregnant with my younger sister…who turns 18 in less than a week. So, it’s funny to note that our friendship is (finally) of age. I figured there would be no better story to tell on this momentous occasion of our friendship’s 18^th birthday than the story of what she and our other best friend (we’re quite the trio) and one other friend did to me for my 18^th birthday.

I was the last one of the bunch to turn 18. Pancakes’ (name changed to protect the very, very guilty) birthday was (is!) March 26^th and Ohmygoshi’s was (is) April 8^th (and don’t you dare forget it), so as the August 5^th baby, I’m always the last to celebrate everything. I’d planned to have a quiet night in with my family for my 18^th birthday…I’d never been one for clubs (still not), so I figured I’d hunker down for an episode of Law and Order: SVU and chill out for the evening.

Until my friends showed up at my door and announced they were kidnapping me. They made me change into “club clothes” (or as “clubby” as I could get after spending the summer working at Jesus Camp), put me in Ohmygoshi’s car (it was your car, right?) and blindfolded me. Awesome. Thirty minutes later we arrived at our desired location and I figured they’d taken me to Club Paris or Firestone or someplace downtown.

Nope. They’d taken me to Parliament House. If you live in Orlando, you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, I’ll give you three words: Raunchy Gay Bar. That’s right, I spent my 18^th birthday in a gay bar watching drag queens lip synch to Gloria Gaynor and Cher, getting leered at by suspicious-looking individuals and just generally enjoying the shirtless men dancing on platforms, etc. Too bad they were all uninterested in me.

All in all, it was a hilarious night in which Pancakes was asked to dance several times by a guy that was incredibly creepy (and, I guess, bi), I saw my first drag show, and I laughed harder than I ever thought I could. So, when Ohmygoshi comes home next, we’ll have to celebrate the 18^th birthday of our friendship.

We’re just not taking it to Parliament House.

The one where Dr. Bolte takes over

2009-05-06T13:22:00.002-04:00

so when ohmygoshi asked me to guestblog during her last few weeks of college (congrats! you're amazing!), i at first thought that i would be pretty bogged down myself--wedding planning, finals by proxy for the bff, work, dissertation, etc. etc. etc.--but when the smoke cleared a little bit and i had some time to breathe, i thought it would be a fun way to help out a bloggy friend.

then came the dilemma...what to write about? i thought about doing something deep and meaningful, about perhaps the rather discouraging job market, which i knew would resonate with several of her readers for whom this particular issue is throwing curveballs into a life already planned. serious is good, i thought. serious can make people think.

and then i wondered what on earth i, who is just trying to take a step of faith at a time myself, could possibly offer anyone. so amid all of this subconscious musing, the answer presented itself this morning, as i was doing my hair.

(don't doubt the power of uninterrupted bathroom time.)

i was putting a headband in my hair, a stopgap measure because i a) didn't want to blowdry it completely and b) didn't want it to just hang there like a dead animal. (my hair tends to do that when i'm growing it out...) and i realized....i have never truly understood nor mastered the art of the headband.

thus we come to my topic, which actually might be a little anticlimactic after all of this lead-in, but here we go: fashion trends that i've never really understood or have been able to successfully introduce into my life.

1--the headband.

i like them, i really do. i quite admire them when successfully worn by others, usually girls who have exceptional style. they can be thin or quite thick, and can add so much to an outfit.

but how do you know what to do with your hair? how do you get them to not plaster your hair down and give you the equivalent of helmet head? except, of course, it would be headband head? is there a particular head/face shape that makes one more successful than others?

2--uggs.

i know many before me have philosophized on the merits of uggs or the lack thereof, but i just don't understand why ANYONE would wear them. let me back up. if i lived in the Great White North, i might embrace the idea of them. but really? all i think about is how smelly those things must get with the sweaty feet that inevitably result in a FLEECE-FILLED BOOT. maybe it's the florida in me. but it just doesn't make sense.

plus, they're ugly.

and i have now been the very last person to have talked about this.

3--bubble dresses.

okay, way back in the day, bubble dresses REALLY looked like bubbles. i probably have the terminology wrong for what i now am referring to as bubble dresses, but i mean those short dresses that are baggy until they reach the hem, which is several inches thick, and gets tight around the thighs. you know what i mean.

i don't get it. i don't understand why anybody really wears them. i'm sure i'll offend someone here, but i just think they're hideous and i haven't any idea why anyone would think that they were attractive?

i suppose i could go on and on, and those who have seen my addiction to cardigan sweaters could critique my fashion sense, but there you go. things i don't understand, can't embrace (and don't want to embrace), or wish that i could integrate into my own wardrobe.

as if life wasn't tough enough, you know? why does fashion have to be more difficult?

Pony Tails

2009-05-01T16:15:00.003-04:00

The lovely Ohmygoshi and I connected via TwentySomethingBloggers and Twitter sometime last year. I don’t keep up with 20SB as well as I should, but Twitter and I are still tight. When she asked me to guest blog I was excited because I never guest blog and the content on my blog, Thoughts from Meggie Poo, has been sparse since I apparently prefer TV and sleeping more than sitting down and cranking out a post or two. I’ve decided to write a post similar to one Amanda wrote a little bit ago, and also similar to a running commentary in the fab book I’m reading by Jen Lancaster (Bright Lights, Big Ass). So I’m writing an Open Letter Post.

An open letter to my sisters:

Dear Big Sis 1 and Big Sis 2,

I love you dearly. And I love my name. I am well aware that my life would have been drastically different without your influence and friendship. I am also very grateful that even as two and five-year-olds you knew not to give me a crazy name when our parents let you have the honor of naming me, your forever cute and adorable little sister. With this gratitude you should also know that I feel huge amounts of relief that there was a human on the show “My Little Pony”, which was your favorite cartoon. Had there not been a human named Megan living in that magical land full of colorful talking ponies, I would not have been given my name: Meghan. Your sweet little bubble gum filled brains could have given me the name Starlight, Bright Eyes, Clover or Bon- Bon- just like the lovable equines- but instead, you chose Meghan. So thank you, sisters. Thank you.

Love,

Starli… errr Meghan

I often think about what my life what have been like had I been named Starlight. I don’t think my parents would have let the situation get that far, but what if…

Final Push

2009-04-23T11:56:00.004-04:00

In high school, our coach used to make us run a mile twice a week. I hate running. With a severe passion. I've always been jealous of those folks that I see running up and down Embassy Row. "Oh, I think I'll go for a jog" say my friends, while just the mere thought of running gives me chest pains.
As I would come around the final bend of the last lap, I would pick my (painfully slow) speed, and sprint my way to the end. I don't know where I got all that energy from, but all I knew was that I was almost done, and the faster I went the faster I would reach the end.

I'm going AWOL for a little bit. I'm coming around that last bend and I'm ready to sprint. All that stands between me and that diploma are two finals, in quite possibly the hardest classes ever (for me at least...). But don't tune out just yet! I've asked around to some of my favorite favorites in the bloggy world and ~~begged~~ kindly asked for their assistance this week. I'll be back in a couple weeks after I have time to process everything that's happened over the course of this week and the past four years! Much love to you all!!!

Blog Swap 3.0

2009-04-22T11:53:00.004-04:00

It's blog swap day!!! Please welcome Brittany from Kendalling Love! This super-cute newlywed has a GREAT post that is exactly what I need right now - a guide to less stress!

Howdy to all readers of "When in Rome!"

Miss Ohmygoshi and I were paired up on 20-something bloggers a few days ago so that we could randomly switch blogs for a day! As soon as I saw a few of her posts, I figured we were a good match :)

My name is Brittany, and my husband and I have a blog (more so me, less so my husband :)) at http://briandbritt.blogspot.com called "Kendalling Love." We are graduates of Texas A&M in Biomedical Science (we met in class!). He was in Albania for the Peace Corps, while I was in graduate school in Miami... one thing led to another and we were engaged one week after our first kiss, and married seven months after that! We've been living a huge blessing in Miami ever since... enjoying the beach and sun when we're not working or in school. In the next few weeks, life's about to change drastically for us. Brian will be finishing up his teaching job. I will be getting my Master's in Biomedical Science. We will be moving to Texas for the summer to live with my family. And then... we start medical school this fall! It was his individual dream, and my individual dream, to become doctors when we "grew up." :) After meeting, we realized we had the mutual dream, and so ever since we went on our first real "date" as boyfriend/girlfriend (which... was via phone... because he was in Albania and I was in Texas... see how silly our relationship was?!), we have prayed every night that we could get into the same medical school and fulfill that ambition together. Dreams came true- and we found out in December that we will be attending the same medical school... at the same time! We're thrilled and know that even with all of the challenges we'll face, the rewards will be so much greater!

With that being said... there's been a little stress in our life lately, to say the least!... and I realized that EVERYbody- readers of When in Rome and Kendalling Love alike :) get SUPER stressed at one time or another. So I wanted to pass on this great forward with wonderful ideas about how a well-rounded person can adequately handle stress and be able to take a big deep breath and know that life is too short to spend worrying!

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will
compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time;
don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out
what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do
anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key
buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent
an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible or othe inspirational book with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Ty to nip small problems in the bud.
24. Make friends with good people.

25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is
often a good 'Thank you God.'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36 Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've
never been grateful for before.

MAKE it a great day!

Blessings,
Brittany

No title, just sadness

2009-04-16T03:06:00.000-04:00

I am not a mother. I don't have funny stories about the adorable things my baby did, or fond memories of pregnancy and I don't own any onesies, strollers, or formula. And the only pump I've ever been familiar with is the one at the gas station. Yet, last week, my heart broke for the loss of a beautiful baby girl. Madeline Alice Spohr passed away last week. She was 17 months old. I don't know the Spohrs in person, and up until last Tuesday night I had no idea who they were, but upon hearing their story, my heart shattered into a billion pieces.

Sometimes, Death is a welcome relief to the pain and suffering of our loved ones, but other times, it sneaks up on us and steals those who are most precious without any warning. It is truly heartbreaking to read the posts, and see the pictures of a small, tiny being who was here so briefly, yet touched the hearts of thousands. Life is our most precious commodity, but we take it for granted so easily.

It's a very strange feeling to grieve for a family that you don't know, to mourn the loss of a life you had no connection to. Upon reading what happened, I spent hours reading previous posts, adoring pictures, and felt the sudden sadness that she was gone. I can only imagine the pain that her friends and family are going through. I have nothing to give except my words, my thoughts, and my prayers for them. It's amazing the power of the internet has. In less than a week, over $30,000 has been donated in Madeline's name to the March of Dimes Foundation. News spread like wildfire, and the internet as a whole came together in support.

It's inspiring.

If you're interested in donating to the March of Dimes, please go here.

Open Letter

2009-04-15T21:39:00.003-04:00

Dear Mother Nature,

I think you must have lost the memo that said Spring has begun. That means coats should no longer be required, and seeing your breathe when outside is illegal. I know the whole "april showers brings may flowers" thing, but really? I'm over it. Please bring the real Spring back.

best,
Ohmygoshi

To the JERK who left their PUPPY outside in the rain,

Why did you do that?! I understand that puppies need to be walked in the rain, but did you really have to leave him outside without any kind of sweater or raincoat? Poor thing was sitting there SHIVERING and looking so so sad! You are so lucky I didn't scoop him up and take him home with me!

HMPH,
Not so pleased bystander

To all the companies I've sent emails and resumes to,

Thank you for NOT responding to my emails. Really, I appreciate it. I love not knowing anything and continually feeling like I've been ignored. It's the highlight of my day.

Sincerely,
Disgruntled soon-to-be-graduate

Dear Heidi,

You are awesome. And your Contest is even more awesome! If you're in the DC area and want a shot at an EXTRA 20% discount card to select stores during Downtown ShopAround, then go visit Heidi.

xoxo,
Ohmygoshi

Dear Self,

You only have eight more days of class left. EIGHT. Try not to die before then. And please remember to eat. Food is good.

xoxo,
Me

The one where I wish myself a happy birthday.

2009-04-08T10:14:00.008-04:00

Birthdays are kind of a big thing at my house. My mom wasn't the type to just buy us whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. She would listen carefully to our ~~demands~~ requests, and then buy them for us for either our birthday or Christmas. Our birthdays were always a day dedicated to us. I remember that the night before, my mom would braid my hair after my bath so that my hair would be all wavy the next day. The restaurant was decided by the birthday kid, and presents were waiting at home along with our choice of cake (mine was always Chocolate Cheesecake with a cookie crust mmmm). Unlike some families, presents were reserved for after dinner and before cake. I think it's all in my mom's desire to make things last as long as possible, "If you open them in the morning then you'll have nothing to look forward to for the rest of the day!" she would tell us.

In high school, I was notorious for having a countdown to my birthday. I would usually start in January, since it's the next big thing after Christmas. I had no shame in announcing that it was ONLY SIX MORE WEEKS til my BIRTHDAY! This year, I felt the pangs of adulthood, and didn't want to annoy anyone with such childish things. Birthdays are no longer supposed to be fun, but dreaded. Another candle on the cake, another year to your age. Last year's birthday was the ultimate one. The big, forever coveted, twenty first birthday. When the anxiety over fakes and lurking police officers finally dissolves, and you proudly hand over your ID with confidence and pride because, Yes, you are indeed allowed to be here.

Still, despite the fact that "all the exciting birthdays are over" I still got pretty excited at the thought of my birthday. Last night, I enjoyed a glass of wine at midnight and I was pretty stoked. I don't mind wishing myself a happy birthday, it's my day of celebration, just like your birthday is one for celebrating as well! Some may think it's tacky to blog about yourself on your birthday, but I don't care. In my opinion, it's important to know and acknowledge, there are 365 days of the year, it's ok to take one day and celebrate yourself. I plan on instilling that to my children. Birthdays are special, and they always will be.

Happy Birthday to me!I think it's safe to say I demolished that cupcake

A few of my favorite things

2009-04-07T09:30:00.005-04:00

I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Both in my normal every day life, and here in my blog. My blogiversary is coming up and I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I've been here! That's my longest commitment to date! While most of my writing is pretty mundane, I've had a few posts that I think were pretty good. I think we can all relate to the troubles of writing. Sometimes it comes so easily, while other times it's like pulling teeth. As a result, every so often we come up with a piece of writing or two that we're particularly proud of.

What are yours? Post links to them! I'd love to read them! :)

Here are mine:
The Waiting Place
The Vacation Life
Letting it roll off my shoulders

Mondays

2009-04-06T15:47:00.007-04:00

There's something buzzing in my head. No wait, maybe it's in my pillow? Oh, it's my alarm going off on my phone, under my pillow.

It's Monday, Monday morning to be exact. I must be late.

8:59 am, not too bad. Class starts at 9:55, I've got plenty of time.

Coffee. I need coffee. Delicious coffee.

I wonder what's happened overnight. Anything new in the news? Maybe someone wrote on my wall, or sent me a message! Perhaps my professor finally answered that question I emailed him a week ago. Maybe someone left a comment on my blog.

Nothing. Oh well, maybe later.

The blog reader is next. I've been waiting all weekend for updates from some of my favorites. I'll check out Apartment Therapy since I haven't done that in a while, and still haven't added them to my reader yet.

Interesting. That looks cool. I like the colors of that print. I wonder how much it would cost to do that in my place. I like that photograph. The lighting is nice there.

9:20 am - I should get up...but my bed is so comfy and warm. It's not as bright in here as it is normally, it must be raining. Great. Nothing better than a grey start to the week. What should I wear today? That depends, what do I have going on this week? I want to wear this top tonight, but not today. I wore that one last week, so I better wait a few more days til I wear it again. I have too many clothes and nothing to wear.

Such a first world complaint.

I guess I'll just settle for t-shirt and jeans, I'll throw a sweater on over it.

9:46 - shoot. I should have left a minute ago. I still need to brush my teeth and put my contacts in...I guess I'll skip the coffee for now. Breakfast too. Maybe later.

I'm out the door by 9:52 and making the 5 minute walk up the hill to my first class of the week.

It's Monday morning, I must be late.

Making a week of it

2009-04-05T20:05:00.005-04:00

This weekend was great. On Friday night, I met up with awesome Ms. Argument for crepes and drinks, and we went on an EPIC quest to find just one beer more. Yesterday was a lot of fun too, but oh what a day it was. I got to hang out with some fabulous people, picnicked by the Washington Monument, enjoyed some good food, questionable drinks, and endured several uninvited gusts of strong winds.

I did get a few good photos...yay

We walked around the Sakura Matsuri...yay

Didn't have to work last night...yay

Discovered Vapiano...yay

My phone was hijacked and had inappropriate texts sent in all kinds of directions...BOO

Rocket Bar...yay

Adams Morgan...tired yay

Walking around all over for almost 9 hours...boo

Getting back to my apartment 15 hours after I left...boo.

It was a long long day, a lot of fun, but very long. Once you get to a certain degree of tiredness, the people that were fun just 2 hours earlier are wasted, and all you want to do is go home, it's not so much fun anymore. Today was spent recovering and doing nothing. I have nothing profound to write, no basic theme to follow, just writing for the sake of writing. Writing to avoid my mother's phone call informing me that I haven't updated in a while.

In other news, my birthday is this week! I've decided to expand from celebrating just one day, to the entire week. I think everyone should celebrate the entire week of their birth. We spend the other 51 weeks of the year celebrating others, dealing with crisis after crisis, and making sure we survive to see the next day. Why not take a week out to celebrate yourself? You've worked hard since last year! You've earned at least a week of being treated special just because! It makes perfect sense to me! Who's with me?!

a note to self...

2009-04-01T01:41:00.003-04:00

...Do not start googling your favorite Japanese recipes at 1 a.m.

It will make you very hungry.

But instead of cooking, you must sleep.

And that will make you sad.

Sakura Matsuri this weekend! Come play!

Sakura Sake

2009-03-31T07:00:00.001-04:00

This? This is a picture of an azalea. Despite the fact that this is my fourth cherry blossom season, I have no pretty pictures of Cherry Blossoms. This makes me sad. Let's try to change that this year. Next Saturday (the 4th) is the annual Sakura Matsuri or Cherry Blossom Festival in downtown D.C. Are any of you D.C. bloggers (or random readers) up for a day spent eating delicious Japanese foods, walking up and down the festival street, and then seeing some Cherry Blossoms? We can even have a picnic under the trees and drink like all the real Japanese folks do!

Yes? No? Maybe? Let's make it happen!! :)

A birthday tribute!

2009-03-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today, is Momma Ohmygoshi's birthday! I won't say how old she is, mostly because I value my life and the money she puts in my bank account, but I will say that she's lookin' pretty young these days! I just spent hours trying to find an e-card that I liked best, but then decided to go with a homemade one instead!! My mom has been one of my best friends, and I get all my best qualities from her. She's always made sure that we were happy and loved. She successfully balanced recitals, soccer games, competitions, baseball games, field trips, drama rehearsals, sleepovers, birthday parties, pickups and dropoffs, parent meetings, and more between all three of us. She teaches us responsibility, and honesty is always best. We've called her from over 6000 miles away to tattle on each other. She's taken us on vacations and trips all over, and made sure we always have something to remember them by. She enforces Forced Family Fun Nights when we're all home, and insists we go to the movies together, despite our protests. Over the course of almost 22 (!) years, she's always been the person I can go to no matter what, and I always will.

And what would a good birthday tribute be without a few photos to go with it?

Here she is in Kindergarten or First grade. (She's 2nd row up, fifth one from the right)Here she is with her dog, Happy, and her not too pleased brother. Check out those wings on that station wagon!

She's the little one

Forced Family Fun night. That's my brother, he's a winner, I know. The other brother. We end with one of my favorite photos. One baby, two mothers, three daughters, three generations.

Happy Birthday, Mom!
I love you!

Dreams of mine.

2009-03-27T11:36:00.001-04:00

There are so many things I want to do, and yet so little time. If I could, I would move from place to place, always trying something new. I want to go on an archeological dig. I want to unearth a piece of clay that represents thousands of years of history. I want to be mystified by the towering bricks of triangle that seem impossible to have been man-made.

I want to count the stars. I want to witness the beauty of a dying star's last breathe and final burst of color. A star that has been gone since before the dinosaurs walked the earth, but its light is just now getting here.

I want to plant something and watch it turn into something beautiful. I want to go to Africa and play soccer with kids. I want to have photos published in National Geographic. I want to be part of the wine making process. I want to be the one who cuts the trailers for movies and makes them look so good. I want to to take photos that people ooh and ahh over. I want to swim with the dolphins. I want to go on an African Safari. I want to teach English in Japan to little kids. I want to fly an airplane. I want to jump out of an airplane. I want to go to Thailand. I want to be part of a team that comes up with a brilliantly successful ad campaign. I want to be a spy.

I want to have that moment where I know it's going to be Forever, and plan a wonderful, fabulous wedding. I want to see the Northern Lights. I want to win an Academy Award, and thank my Mom for always believing in me. I want to take a totally spontaneous road trip. I want to go to sleep with a fabulous view of the neon city skyline.

I want to live and love and feel.

I want to.

First meets!

2009-03-26T16:28:00.005-04:00

I had a date last night!!

Ok, not that kind of date, but a Blogger one! Last night I made plans with the lovely Magda to meetup for wine and flatbreads at the delicious Enology.

One of the great things I love about blogging is the relationships you build with others through a few tip taps on the keyboard. Friendships made through the bits and pieces we choose to share with each other. Friendships not based on status, or money, or a "popular" factor. It's wonderful, and when those friendships can translate over from the computer to real life, it's even better!

It was nerve wracking at first. What if she thinks I'm weird? What if we have NOTHING to talk about?! What if she thinks I'm nothing like she thought I would be?! Luckily, last night couldn't have been more fun. We sat and chatted for hours, enjoying cocktails, wine, yummy Pesto Flatbread, and eventually margaritas. We exchanged blogging stories, and swapped favorite memories and Christmas traditions. We filled each other in on details that had been purposely left out before. It was such a great time! She promised to introduce me to some of the other bloggers, and I can't wait!

Yay for meetups!

Now all I have to do is figure out how to stay in DC past May. Got any ideas??

Hands

2009-03-15T01:48:00.002-04:00

Every Wednesday (or so) Roxy, one of the lovely Chickbug ladies, posts a Def Jam Poetry video from Youtube. This past week was one I enjoyed, and watched a few others by the same poet. That lead me to another poet featured on the show, Sarah Kay. I was struck by how her words fit so well with her voice and her movements. Something about her drew me in, and I ended up watching several of her performances. While I found all her work to be awesome, I keep coming back to two different pieces in particular. Maybe it's because I can so relate to one of them, or that I so want to be able to relate to the other. I'm not sure. But here they are for you to see.

1460

2009-03-13T00:39:00.005-04:00

exhausted doesn't begin to describe how I feel right now. In a matter of minutes, no seconds, I went from fine, to surprised, to disbelief, to excitement, to anger, to sadness, to fear, and back again. I am emotionally exhausted.

You can't just call and say you're a mere drive away, and expect me to drop everything for you. I haven't seen you since I dropped you off at the airport that cool morning in May, 2005. That's almost one thousand four hundred and sixty days ago, just in case you weren't keeping count. Just a recap on what you've missed out on: 2 freshman years, 5 Family Weekends, 6 opportunities to see us shine, 4 Christmases, 11 birthdays, 1 graduation, thousands of laughs, and hundreds of days that went without even a phone call.

I love you because I have to. I am one half you. What more do you want from me? It's a fine line between hate and love, and I walk it on a daily basis. How can you stand to be away from 3 parts of you that introduced you to the realm of fatherhood? The first one to call you "daddy", your first son, and the one that's always adored you from day one. You don't even know who we are anymore. How can you stand to realize that you haven't been there to shape us, and make us, and mold us to who we are today?

There will be times when I'll be walking and a smell will catch my nose and bring me back to years ago, and my heart will physically hurt for all the missed memories that could have been made, and all the pictures that could have been taken, had you just...been around more. I choke back the tears and fake a yawn to cover my slip-up. Big girls don't cry over broken promises and lost daddies.

You call, and we rearrange our schedules to see you. We call, and can't get a hold of you for days.

You may send relief in the form of dollars, but in the end, it won't be the number in the bank account we remember. It will be those vacations we took, and the family game nights we had, and the movies we saw, and the photos we smiled for, and the dinners we shared, that we remember.

And your face, will be the only one that's missing.

July 17

2009-03-03T09:23:00.001-05:00

I think we've waited long enough....no??

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Do you think I can buy my tickets now??

The Waiting Place

2009-02-28T02:43:00.008-05:00

The first roller coaster I rode was The Incredible Hulk at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando. We were in the sixth grade, and thought we were on top of the world. We decided to be daring and go for front row. I was pumped. It wasn't until we were about two or three sets of riders away when I suddenly felt queasy. As we moved up to the front of the gate, we were all giggling with nervous excitement. We were putting on a brave face for each other, while inside each one of us was terrified. As the car pulled up, we settled in to our individual seats, pulling the large green harness down over ourselves and buckling it on both sides. I was dead center in the front row, that's when it hit me. I was NOT ready for this. I had never done anything like this before in my life! What in the world was I doing now?! It was too late, and there was no turning back. The car started to move and began to slowly ascend the long purple tunnel or "gamma tube" in front of us. My mind and my heart were racing. I couldn't believe I had gotten on this thing! Just as I was starting to process everything that was taking place, the car lurched forward and hurtled through the rest of the tunnel, did an immediate zero-g role, and plunged down the 105 ft hill. It was the thrill of a lifetime, and one that we repeated five times that day, and countless times in the near ten years since.

When I graduated High School, my mom gave me a special copy of Oh, The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss, one that came with it's own holder, and a hand written note inside. I often find myself reading the book as a reminder for all the things I can do. The colorful pictures and comforting rhythm ease my anxiety and bring me back to Earth. What I love about the book is that it doesn't present life as being happy and fun and easy all the time. It warns of the Bang-ups and Hang-ups that are bound to happen, and the difficulties of un-Slumping yourself. Usually when I'm reading the book, I've hit a slump of my own and it's nice to be reminded that I will come out of it, even if it's Dr. Seuss doing the reminding.

I've realized that, right now, I'm in a holding pattern. I'm in that brief moment between being in the tunnel and barreling out at 60 mph. I've waited in line, I've done all the pre-reqs and strapped myself in, now I'm just waiting for takeoff. I'm in The Waiting Place. My mind is racing and my heart is anxious with excitement and fear, sometimes I can barely catch my breath.

I've been waiting for school to be over. I've been waiting for life to start. I've been waiting to not be scared anymore.

"NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of guy.
...
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"
- Dr. Seuss Oh, The Places You Will Go!

But now I'm ready. I'm ready to catch my breath. It's going to be tbe thrill of a lifetime.

five things I would rather not live without...

2009-02-27T11:16:00.002-05:00

Today's post is lifted straight from Kelly

My phone
The internet
My Friends
The weekends
Days filled of laughter that I'll never forget.

Who would your Amazing Race partner be?

2009-02-26T11:16:00.005-05:00

I'm a big fan of the show The Amazing Race on CBS. I often watch and try to picture myself in the situations and challenges. Sadly, many of them end with being frustrated and yelling

"I told you we were supposed to go the OTHER way, and now we're going to be eliminated. Stupid!"

Yeah, I'm pretty competitive like that. I get all kinds of nervous just watching that show, yet I come back season after season. Have you seen some of those challenges they do? Doing the second highest bungee jump because you HAVE TO for the sake of $1 million, I'd totally do it. Along with my fantasy Amazing Race challenges, I'll wonder who I would want to be my partner. I've decided my Mom is a no. I love her to pieces, but we'd kill each other in a matter of days. I'd get frustrated with her, she'd make me feel guilty, and then we'd both end up in tears. Yeah. NO. I also don't think I would want to partner with any friends, namely because of my competitive nature. I have a feeling I could lose a few friends by barking orders at them in the name of WINNING. I've narrowed it down to being one of my two brothers, whom I'll affectionately call Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Thing 1, is the older of my two younger brothers. He's determined and SMART. Homeboy reads A LOT and could list all the different types of dinosaurs when he was three. He's got a lot of book knowledge, and can be charming when he wants to be. He's pretty devious too, and can easily outsmart the others. We get along much better now than we did when he was going through his "moody teenager" phase. He's much more laid back and would be more willing to do challenges like, "bungee jumping" or "hang gliding" (Thing 2 is a wuss when it comes to exciting activities). I also think he'd be better at consoling me after I've burst into tears of frustration. He's a sucker like that.

Thing 2 is the baby of the family. He's exactly like me. So much so, I tease him about because I know he hates it. Muwahahaha. He's also incredibly charming, and a good-looking kid, which would be useful in getting information out of the dumb blonde girl team (there's at least one every season). Everybody wants to be his friend, and he works out, so he'd be useful for challenges like "carry 200 pounds of cheese down the swiss mini slope". Thing is, when two positive charges come together, they tend to EXPLODE, and he has a very low threshold for being bossed around. Just like I can't stand his incredible cocky nature.

In the end, I think I would ask Thing 1 to be my partner. I feel like he would be less apt to trying to ditch me somewhere in the middle of Africa.

Who would your partner be for The Amazing Race?

New Digs

2009-02-24T10:26:00.001-05:00

I got a new look.

I kinda love it.

How about you?

My weekend/some Grace in Small Things

2009-02-23T19:24:00.003-05:00

Yesterday started out with so much promise...and then quickly went sour. I'm not going to talk about how I got on the wrong bus and then ended up going in the opposite direction I wanted to go. I won't say a word about how this little mishap caused me to miss out on the dance class I was trying to get to by 5 minutes. Not even a peep about how all I really wanted was a cup of coffee, and got all excited about FREE coffee at the grocery store only for there to be no more left. I won't go into detail about how I discovered the can of tuna I was going to use wasn't the pop off top and I had no can opener, until AFTER I had already added all the other ingredients. Let's forget that I have 2 weeks to find a new roommate and ZERO possibilities right now.

No. I'll talk about the happy things instead. Because that's what I'm trying to do, focus on the happy.

SO...

I now know EXACTLY how to get to the Atlas studio.
I got everything I needed to get from the grocery store yesterday.
I continued my annual tradition of chatting with my mom online while we both watched the Oscars.
Hugh Jackman was on TV last night. Lookin' mighty sexy if I do say so myself.
Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up at the Oscars last night.
My midterm could have gone a lot worse than it did today.
I ate an apple today.
Spring Break is JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

Grace in Small Things 12/365

2009-02-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Mint Bliss
A bug free kitchen
Naps
It's almost THE WEEKEND
A new project with a great friend

To tell or not to tell?

2009-02-19T10:55:00.005-05:00

I'm at the point in every college student's life, where I'm starting to get very anxious about the future. I want to go into the marketing/advertising/PR field, and I've reached a dilemma. Do I tell possible employers about my blog? I know it makes me look super connected with the interwebs, and I'm a Social Marketing GENIUS, but at the same time, I don't know if I want them to read my personal blog. I could start another blog, one that I wouldn't mind employers reading, but I don't know what I'd post in it, and I don't want it to be blank.

If I do make mention of my blog, where do I do it? In the cover letter? Or is it better saved for an in-person interview? Do I casually slip it in, or drop the bomb as soon as I get there?

"Hi, I'm Ohmygoshi. So nice to meet you. I have a blog." Ok, so I probably won't do that.

I want to do show off that I'm the one to hire, but is exposing my personal space to the people I work for worth it? What are your thoughts on this?

Catch up

2009-02-18T14:06:00.004-05:00

A quick update while the bosses are away:

It's been a rough few days, and I haven't been in a real "Grace in Small Things" mood. Even though, that's the main point, to see the good stuff despite of the bad. I put together a small list of things that HAVE been good these past few days:

BROWNIES
Daisy shaped cookie cutters
Good friends
I've made my lunch every day
Jack Johnson
Checks with my name in the "Pay To" line
Ghost Town was hilarious
Homemade Tres Leches
~~Good~~ Great friends
Family

I know that this is a major cheat, but if you don't like it then you can go get your own blog and write about how much you hate me there.

kthnxbye

Grace in Small Things 5/365

2009-02-12T18:53:00.002-05:00

More beautiful weather. It may have been a little windy, but still warm enough for just a sweater.
Finding something that I thought I'd lost
I woke up in an unusually good mood
Someone who is more than an acquaintance but not really a friend did something really nice for me today. (could i BE more vague?!)
2 classes and 4 internship hours away from the weekend!

Grace in Small Things 4/365

2009-02-11T23:54:00.002-05:00

I knew I'd be bad at this...ah oh well.

The weather today was absolutely G O R G E O U S. I'm talking like high of 67.
A grade that is worthy of a "woot" and a sigh of relief in a difficult class.
Good friends and Happy Hour
Ghost town just arrived today!
The weekend is almost here!

Housekeeping

2009-02-09T01:04:00.005-05:00

A few different things to post tonight.

First, a friend of mine has submitted an audition tape for the best job in the world. Seriously, it's the best job in the world. For six months, you get to live in a beautiful house on an island in Queensland, Australia and pretty much create buzz through a blog and other social media tactics. So be sure to go and check out her video here, and vote for her!

Secondly, there seems to be someone who's not very happy with me at the moment, leaving nasty comments here and there. While I don't know who you are exactly, I'll share some details that I do know about you:

You are either from or in Boulder, CO
You subscribe to Comcast
You have a Mac
Your preferred browser of choice is Safari 1.3
Your screen settings are 1280 x 800 with a color resolution of 24 bit
You started looking at my blog at precisely 8:49:11, your time of course.
You don't have much of a life as you're a frequent visitor to my blog, sometimes visiting upwards of 5 times a day, looking for, what I'm assuming, new reasons to come here and hate one me.
Oh, and I have your IP Address too.

While I would rather you say nice things, I guess I can't be too upset with you for taking the time to think of me and visit so often. So, thank you! I can't say I've been to Boulder, or that I know many people from there, but I have heard wonderful things. You obviously have a grudge against me, although I can't really figure out why. What did I do? If you're going to step into my space and be rude, the least you could do is give me a reason why. I would love to talk to you about it, so please, feel free to email me at missohmygoshi@gmail.com I wish I could say you had a real big impact on me and my night, but the truth is, you didn't. Sure, you inspired me to sit down for 10 minutes and write to you directly, but you'll be long forgotten by morning. I hope you're having a lovely evening, and you're feeling better after getting those thoughts off your chest.

Grace in Small Things 3/365

2009-02-09T00:58:00.002-05:00

Sleeping in on Sunday
Getting a box of stuff from home
My DELICIOUS roast beef, tomato, avocado sandwich
My new Ansel Adams calender hanging up on my wall

Grace in Small Things 2/365

2009-02-06T19:28:00.002-05:00

My boss asked for my permission to make some changes to some things I designed.
I'm on a great team for my extra credit/project/competition for the weekend
I'm learning so much from my internship
I found out that I get to take as many dance classes as I want FOR FREE.
It's FRIDAY.

Grace in Small Things 1/365

2009-02-05T11:09:00.003-05:00

I don't know if it's seasonal depression or what, but man, I have been in a crappy mood lately. With the months beyond May being a black hole of question marks, I feel myself getting more and more anxious and nervous. School is stressing me out, and my classes are just awful and boring. Sometimes I feel that my friends take advantage of my niceness and use me for favors that they know they'll never return. As soon as I make money, it's gone, *POOF* slipping through my hands like sand. I haven't been shopping since November, and I'm in desperate need of some new clothes. Just the thought of spending money on things (like groceries) makes me cringe.

I've decided that I need to start seeing the grace in small things in my life. For the next year, I'm going to TRY and post a list of five things a day that are good in my life. I'm sure you've seen the trend around the interweb, and now I'm picking up on it too. If you don't like it, you can suck it.

It's sunny outside, it may be cold, but at least it's not raining.
I only have one more class today.
I got The Duchess from Netflix yesterday.
I'm working on a project that will earn me extra credit in a couple classes.
I discovered my professor posts class notes online.

I'm cold

2009-02-05T10:07:00.004-05:00

I think it's safe to say that almost the entire continental United States is pretty miserable right now. Even Florida is cold, I could have sworn I heard them whining this morning, but then I realized it was just the wind.
What's the weather like in your part of town? Rainy and cold with a side of miserable? Perhaps sunny and below freezing with side of 17 mph winds?
Let me know.

Champs

2009-02-02T02:39:00.006-05:00

If I was ever offered an opportunity to re-live a moment or two of my past, a top moment would be from the four years I spent on the dance team in high school. It was some of the best parts of my high school experience, and I miss it so much. The lights, the cheers, the music, and the feeling of letting my body do the moves it had worked so hard to remember, nothing beats that feeling. I will never ever forget that feeling of walking behind stage to the warm-up area right before Nationals. I had worked so hard the past three years to get there, and I was so excited and nervous and scared all at the same time. It didn't help that in our last run through behind stage I had fallen in a transition move, or that I was the leading the team on to the stage in a matter of minutes. My coach was next to me as we lined up to go on next. I'm pretty sure she could feel the nerves radiating from my body. We didn't say much in those moments, but I knew she knew I could do it, or else she wouldn't have put me on the floor in the first place. As we were called to attention, I remember thinking, "this is it. here we go."

Three minutes later, we were done. The routine had been performed, our legs felt like lead, and we were all out of breath. The adrenaline was still pumping and the knowing that we had done the best we could was empowering.

As I watched this year's team's performance last night on-line, I could feel the excitement and energy, and it instantly brought back all those emotions of competition season. Although I only recognized one or two faces, I saw them all as teammates. I knew what they had gone through to get there. I knew that dance camp was a stressful three days, and that those practices in the Florida heat during football season were long and hot. I knew what it was like to give up every Friday night for a football game. I knew that by the end of the routine the girls were fighting to get their legs up in the air. Two minutes flies by for spectators, and leaves them wanting more, but for those performing, it's the longest two minutes ever.

Although I don't miss high school at all, I do miss being a part of that organization. I miss the thrill of competition, and I dare say, I even miss the practices. They were sometimes long and grueling, leaving me exhausted at only 3pm, but they were great (and talk about a great workout!!).

So now, I leave you with the clip that was posted online, just to give you a little taste of what I'm missing:

ETA: I couldn't figure out how to embed the video, so just click the picture. The fun starts at the 6:20 mark :)

Full Circle

2009-01-29T23:13:00.003-05:00

As my college career is coming to a close, lately I've become more acutely aware of my surroundings. I've found that, in a way, a lot of things are coming full circle for me. It's interesting to look back 3 and a half years and see what's changed. Let's look at some comparasions:

2005

My first semester, was the general business class with all the freshman and Professor S.
I had four classes my first semester
My roommate was from South Korea
The Veronicas had a "'hit" song out
My group of friends was relatively small
I was oh-so-very-single

2009

I have class just for seniors with the same Professor S
I'm only taking four classes my last semester
My roommate is from Brazil
The Veronicas reappear after a 3.5 year absence with another "hit" song
My group of friends, while different, is still pretty small.
I'm still oh-so-very-single...

While you may not think these are at all significant, they are to me, and they're things that I've been thinking about lately. I don't know if I'd consider these to all be "signs" or what have you, but I do think that it's a nice way to come to the realization that college is over. I've had 3 and a half really great years. I learned more about myself and met some great people. I don't have many regrets, and I'm still confident that my school was the right choice for me. That being said, it's almost over now, and it's time to move on. And I get it. Just as I was four years ago when I was ready to graduate High School, I'm ready to move on past College. I think that this reappearing "pattern" of events in my life, is closure and, in a way, it's perfect.

Have you ever had these moments when you realize certain sections of your life have been completed? Did they present themselves in a nice little package?

He's watching you

2009-01-19T01:40:00.002-05:00

I was trolling around the blogosphere and found this over at Thoughts From Meggie Poo. Enjoy!

Kitty owners beware! they're watching you!

10 Reasons Why

2009-01-18T13:20:00.003-05:00

Today there is a huge concert on the mall. Every big name artist is going to be there. Everyone from Josh Groban to Bruce Springsteen. It sounds like it's going to be awesome. I'm not going, and here's why:

My brother's friend is coming in for the inauguration, and I have to meet her at 6ish.
It's 35 degrees outside, and feels like 30.
My friends left for the concert at 4am. They walked. Gates open at 8:30. Concert starts at 2:30pm.
My bed is so much warmer.
A million people are going to be there.
Netflix is calling my name.
I'm Churching it via the interweb.
I enjoy having feeling in my fingers, toes, and face.
I slept in. And loved every minute of it.
I prefer using my own private bathroom, as opposed to sharing one with 5000 people. Because that's the ratio of porta-potties to people.
Bonus* it's going to be broadcast on HBO, which means I'll find it somewhere on the interweb in a matter of days.

The Friends Zone

2009-01-16T00:20:00.002-05:00

The other night at dinner, some friends and I were chatting and one of them posed a question about the "friends zone". She said that her brother argues that once a guy enters the "friends zone" that's it. He's there forever, and there's no chance for getting out.

What do you think? If you like a guy, but he either A). doesn't show interest immediately, or B). just wants to be friends, and you put him in the friends zone, is he there permanently? What do you do if he suddenly shows interest? I kind of think it's not. If I really like a guy, and he doesn't show interest back, I'm content with being just friends. But then if he changes his mind later, I would at least give it a second thought. I don't know if I would jump into it immediately, but the possibilities would cross my mind.

What are your thoughts? Once you've put a guy there, is it possible for him to get out of the "friends zone"??

Hell Week

2009-01-15T11:36:00.004-05:00

Sooo I don't know if you all have heard, but this weekend is the beginning of this teensy tiny event also known as Inaguration Week. It's when millions of people swarm our tiny district and stand outside in below freezing tempatures for HOURS with hopes of seeing the President-elect being sworn in to office.

Oh joy.

Are any of my DC bloggers going to any of the festivities this weekend? Are you booking it and getting out of town ASAP?? Are you coming IN from somewhere else for the event??? I know that there's a HUGE concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, and I think it's really cool, but I bet so do two million other people, and I'm not toooo sure if I want to go.

Yeah, I get the whole "historical value" of the whole shebang, but 23 degree weather and millions of people do not entice me to go. The Secret Service is closing the bridges between VA and DC starting Monday night, which in my opinion is a STUPID idea...we're going to be trapped in the district! That makes me feel so uncomfortable! I'm the type of person who will willingly do anything, but when you FORCE something on me, I get angry. Really, I had no plans to leave the district next week, but just taking that option away from me? Makes me annoyed. Traffic is going to be a nightmare because everyone wanting to come in will be forced to go around and down either Wisconsin, Connecticut, or Massachusetts. Everyone.

My friends' plans are to wake up at 4 am and WALK down to the Mall in order to stand in line to hopefully be one of the 300,000 people that they let in. I mean, I get a much better view of the whole thing from my couch in my warm apartment. Officials are telling residents to "prepare like you would for a blizzard. Stock up on foods and water, because everything is going to be ridiculous." My mom got emails from my university telling her to warn her student about taking precautions and to always have a buddy and make sure we bring lots of food and water with us. Yikes.

One last thing, bars are getting special hours and are going to be open til 5am on some nights. Which sounds like it's going to be AWESOME. Except the fact that people will already be emotional from the whole experience, and there will be a lot of them crammed into this tiny area of a district, and to add liquor to the whole equation, does not give me warm and fuzzy feelings.

What are your plans for Inaguration day?

5 signs that you need to blog again

2009-01-12T10:34:00.003-05:00

You forget what your blog looks like
Your site visits dwindle down to single digits
Your mom starts saying, "you know, you haven't updated your blog in awhile..."
It's the 12th day of January, and this is only your first post of the year.
You just overslept and missed your first class on the semester, and you know it's just too good not to blog about.

I'm back. I promise.

In review

2008-12-31T12:52:00.004-05:00

Um hello last day of 2008...when did you get here?!
In 2008 I...

This year was finally my year to turn 21! I said goodbye to the fears and anxieties of fake ids and said hello to many more hungover mornings. My brother graduated high school in May and started his first semester in NYC. It's kind of surreal to think that all the younger people I grew up with are graduating and college-bound.

I learned that, to some, the word "friendship" doesn't mean much. It kind of sucks to be so easily de-friended. I guess I don't understand how someone just stops being friends with another person. But you live and learn, and with that comes new friends. This year I made a lot of new friends (both in person and through the blog!). They are people that I treasure and I'm so thankful to have found.

I've had some trouble writing this post because I feel like 2008 was mainly a filler year for me. Sure, there were some big events, but for the most part, it was the transition from college to the real world. I've been preparing myself mentally for life after college all year long. It's difficult for me to think that this time next year I will only have a few days for Christmas and New Years, if that. I won't be spending three weeks at home. All my friends will be spread out across the country and we'll all be heading in different directions. For some, it's medical school, others law, and some others will be getting jobs like me.

All in all, I consider 2008 to be very successful. I look at my life and see all the treasures I'm lucky enough to be blessed with and I'm so so thankful for everything God has given me. I hope that 2009 continues to be full of life lessons and growing. I know it's going to be a whirlwind of a year, and I'm excited for what is to come.

Happy New Year.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2008-12-25T00:52:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Ohmygoshi family to yours!

Christmas Glow

2008-12-19T01:10:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting here in the family room, with all the lights out, and the Christmas tree is glowing in the corner. I have a glass of wine to my right, and my favorite Christmas songs playing on napster. It's so peaceful and calming.

In this very moment, everything is perfect. I hope it never ends.

them apples

2008-12-15T21:36:00.010-05:00

How do you like them apples?!?!

Success never tasted so sweet.

Recipe for Disaster?

2008-12-05T18:37:00.003-05:00

Has anyone heard about this?

Pretty much, DC bars are getting special permission to be open til 5am during inauguration week. While I do appreciate the extra time to ~~drown my sorrows~~ celebrate the "change", I'm not sure if it's really the smartest idea.

Emotions + alcohol + millions of people crammed into a small district does not a happy ending make! They're estimating up to 5 million people swarming the district for the week. 5 million! holy crap. Who wants to start a betting pool as to how many accidents there will be? I get that everyone's excited, but dude, those of us that have to conduct normal every day lives here will not be excited to see you.

I haven't decided if I'm going to venture out of my apartment that week. We get the actual inauguration day off, and the day before is MLK day, and the day AFTER I don't have classes anyways, so I pretty much have a 5 day weekend. haha are you jealous yet? I've also considered renting part of my apartment out. Hotels sold out around November 5th, and people are willing to pay huge amounts of money. I've seen houses going for $11,000 for the week. People are going as far out as PENNSYLVANIA, like the state, not the avenue. I live in the district! I could at least get $500 a night with a three night minimum. I think I'm going to conduct experiments and see just how much I could get.

And for an extra $50, I'll even decorate it from ceiling to floor in Obama paraphanalia.

Oh the things I do for a free month of rent!

Five things I could really use...

2008-12-05T16:17:00.004-05:00

Taking the idea from kelly, I'm doing a "five things" day...

1. A time turner
2. A caffeine drip
3. "A+" on my two finals and three papers
4. For it to be Dec 16th already
5. A brain that comes fully loaded with everything I need to know about Marketing Research and Macroeconomics...

still here

2008-12-03T23:32:00.004-05:00

oh hai.

I'm sorry i haven't been around much. I looked at my calender and my eyes bugged out as to how much I have to do and how little time I have to do it. I miss you all very much, and my reader is approaching the 150 mark, so please bear with me here as I finish up this semester.

Keep me on your readers! I promise regular posting will resume shortly!

Happy Holidays!

Movie Monday!

2008-12-01T18:09:00.003-05:00

Aaaaand we're back! I hope everyone had a lovely and relaxing Thanksgiving! I did! I've got all the pictures to prove it and I can't wait to share the awesomeness that was the Ohmygoshi Thanksgiving!

But here's my newest choice for Movie Monday:

Duplicity
Staring: Clive Owen and Julia Roberts
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Release date: March 20, 2009

It's so fresh, there's not even a movie poster for it yet! Two former spies share a steamy night in Rome and decide they could get used to a life like that, and come up with a huge con for $40 million. {Trailer!}

What's not to love?

Julia Roberts - Good!
Comedy/romance/spy goodness - Good!
Clive Owen - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Will it win an Oscar? Probably not, but it still looks like a good movie. What are your thoughts?

Movie Monday!

2008-11-24T03:53:00.000-05:00

Yay for not being so busy that I completely forget! This week's pick:

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
Starring: David Thewlis, Asa Butterfield, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Directed by:Mark Herman
Genre: Drama
Release Date: November 14, 2008

Get your tissues out for this one, just the trailer makes me tear up. Ok, so this one is already released, but I haven't seen previews for it on normal tv, maybe I'm just not watching the right channels.

Pretty much, it's the story of a friendship between the child of a Nazi soldier, Bruno, and a young boy in a concentration camp, Leon. Bruno has no idea what's going on, and has led a completely innocent and sheltered childhood. [see the trailer here!]

What do you think guys? Looks like one that's designed to make you cry, eh? I'm not sure if I'll catch it in theaters, I hate leaving the theater depressed. But still, some people may enjoy it immensely!

Bonus! Because I missed last week...here's the NEWEST Harry Potter trailer!

Update!

2008-11-23T12:13:00.003-05:00

Man I've been busy, did you miss me? I sure did miss you! I could chronicle everything that I've been up to these past two weeks, but that would just be depressing. Let's just say, it's involved a lot of time in the library, a couple all-nighters, and a lot of stress. How've you been? I've been keeping up with my Reader, so I'm not completely lost on what's been going on!

This week is Thanksgiving (yay!) and one thing I'm thankful for? A ONE DAY WEEK! Yeah, that's right. Yours Truly starts the holiday on Monday at 5pm! I am SO excited for this year's Thanksgiving. First of all, I don't have to travel. Second of all, my mom and brother are driving up from home, and bringing the two puppehs with them! Third, my other brother is Bolting it down here from NYC, and we're all meeting at my uncle's place in VA for one very merry happy Thanksgiving! So it'll be 8 people, 5 dogs, and then 2 guests for dinner on Thursday. And did I mention that I don't have to travel?! Yeah. Totally winning at life right now.

I, personally, am a big fan of big family gatherings. I think it's because I don't have a huge family. I have a total of 4 cousins, and I don't think we've ever had a family reunion. Don't get me wrong, I love my small family, but I've always wanted that big family dinner kind of thing filled with music, laughter, and wine, don't forget the wine!

This year, we have Thanksgiving break, a week of class, and then finals start...um hello end of the semester, where did you come from?! Yeah, I'm not feeling it at all. It's just one more marker close to Real Life which starts in May. Yikes. There's so much more work to be done, I'd rather not think about it, I like to enjoy my time off thank you very much.

Stay tuned for another Movie Monday (sorry I missed it last week...). I've got so many good ones I'm not sure which one to pick!

What's this week shaping up to look like for you guys?!

Big Blog Swap round 2!

2008-11-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

Happy blogger swap day everyone! I'm Lauren from Half Deserted Streets and I'm excited to take over this blog for the day. Don't worry, I'll be gentile.

When speaking with ohmygoshi, I learned that she's currently swamped with school work, with a (and I quote) " caffeine drip permanently attached to [her] arm." I sympathize with her, I really do, because we've all been through the horrors of cramming for exams. Some people take it calmly - worrying a bit, but convinced that their semester of studying will pay off. Some people ignore books and classwork up until the night before the exam. I was more like the former, whereas my friend Joe was definitely the latter.

During my sophomore year of college, Joe and I had Irish Literature together - a class that focused on plays written by Irish writers. I only remember She Stoops to Conquer so clearly I learned a lot in that class. As the final exam approached, Joe and I started to cram each night. Knowing his way of studying, I forced him to come over and go over notes with me. We'd reenact the plays and use different voices for each character. We'd attempt the Irish accent, but that never went well. Mine always came out sounding like a southern version of Lucky, the leprechaun. "She stoops to conquer...me lucky charms!"

The night before the exam was memorable. I had just finished up a final essay for my Literary Theory class when Joe came over. Holding something behind his back, I knew he was up to no good. With a glimmer in his eye, he presented me with it... a tiny white bottle of NoDoz.

"Oh no. I can't, Joe!"
"Why not? We can stay up all night!"
"I don't drink caffeine." I protested, "Imagine me taking these? I'd foam at the mouth or something." I had given up caffeine in high school. After learning I was hypoglycemic by fainting from lack of food while ordering a meal at a Subway sub shop (true story) the doctor said I should lay off the caffeine.
"Fine, then, more for me!"

With that, he popped five pills in his mouth.

"Joe. Seriously. Are you crazy?"
"YES I AM!" And then he had three more.
"GIVE ME THOSE!" I yelled, grabbing the bottle. My roommate Amy heard the commotion and came out of her bedroom.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Joe's trying to overdose on NoDoz." I matter of factly replied.
"Sweet! I want in!" Oh Amy, she always wanted to join. With that, she took two pills. Joe grabbed one more out of my hand before I could say anything. I had the last one because I didn't want him to die.

After preparing some snacks, we finally got to reviewing the ten plays we had to know for the exam. A few hours later all plans backfired. Joe went crazy. Now, to be honest, Joe was known for doing some insane things. He jumped out of a second story window into bushes just for fun. He belayed off the top of our dormitory down to the ground. He ate the mystery meat in the cafeteria. Nothing ever surprised me when it came to Joe, except for this night. Grabbing some orange electrical tape I had left over from a Halloween costume, he taped his fingers together and ran down our dorm's hallways creaming "Lobster lobster lobster! I'm a lobster man!" He jumped on my bed for ten minutes straight. He grabbed a water gun and ran up and down the stairs, looking out for "suspicious people." I followed him the entire time, making sure he was okay. He had so much energy that nothing could contain him. But with all highs come lows and a bit later a very large low hit.

Joe thought he was going to die.

Sitting with my head in my hands wondering if we'd ever get back to studying, he crept over to me and said, "Lauren? I, um, I think I need to see a doctor. I think I had too many pills. I'm dying. Yes, definitely dying."

At 19 years old, what do you do when one of your best friends admits to you that they think they're dying? That's right, you freak out. As Joe's face grew whiter and sweatier, I grabbed my keys and roommate and ran to my car, holding on to Joe, acting as his support. Amy drove and I silently prayed for Joe to be okay.

At the hospital Joe told me that at his funeral he wanted the song "California Love" by TuPac played. I filled out forms and answered questions while he planned what foods were to be had. I answered every person, assuring them that No, he was not trying to commit suicide, we just had a test. A very hard test. He likes life, he wants to keep living.

Still jittery, Joe tried to concentrate on the doctor as he said that everything would be fine. Joe got an injection that sped up the NoDoz and he was prohibited from ever touching it again. I thanked the doctor and told him that I'd watch over the patient. To this day, I'm almost certain he hasn't had NoDoz again.

Back at home, I let Joe sleep in my bed as I cleaned up our living room when hurricane Joe pummeled through. I sent a quick e-mail to our teacher letting her know that we wouldn't be at the exam due to a hospital visit and asked when we could make it up.

Hours later Joe woke up in a haze. He found me reading the teacher's response, telling us that we were fine and to find her later that day to schedule a retake. "What happened?" both her e-mail read and Joe asked.

"Oh, not much. Just your average NoDoz overdose. You know, the usual."

Movie Monday

2008-11-10T15:43:00.004-05:00

I've decided to start a new series entitled Movie Mondays.

Every Monday I will post a new trailer and description of an upcoming movie. I decided to do this, because A) Mondays SUCK. and B). to give you all bragging rights to scoff and say "Oh! I saw that trailer MONTHS ago! I'm so excited!" I'll do my best to post trailers directly, but I want you to get the best viewing experience, so I'll most likely direct you to the official website or Apple Trailers.

So...without further ado, today's pick of the week:

Marley and Me
Starring: Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson
Directed by: David Frankel
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: December 25, 2008

"The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life." {see the trailer here!}

I saw this trailer last night, and immediately thought "AWWWWW" I mean, who wouldn't love a puppy like that?! It's the typical "feel-good" movie, that I'll be recommending to the fam for one of our Forced Family Fun events over the holidays.

A word

2008-11-09T21:04:00.004-05:00

shuffles in looking extremely disheveled, hair a mess, wearing red sweatpants, a blue t-shirt, an ITALIA zipup sweater, and purple flats. blank stare.

Ahem:

AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

shuffles out

end scene.

Reactions

2008-11-04T23:09:00.008-05:00

Well, it's about 11:35pm and John McCain has just given his concession speech. Barack Obama has just been ~~projected~~ announced as the next President Elect of the United States of America.

I am, needless to say, disappointed.

I'm disappointed in the way I was treated today for voting how I did. I'm disappointed in the remarks that were said to me, things like "I hope that every woman that voted for McCain needs an abortion sometime soon." I'm disappointed in the awful things that were said about John McCain tonight. For a party that screams for all things fair and equal, some certainly don't show it at all.

However, I do hope for the best for this country. There is nothing else I'd rather be than an American citizen. I hope that Obama lives up to everything that people believe, and he turns this country around in a good way. I hope that in two years I can say, "I was wrong, Obama was just what this country needed." I pray that he keeps this country safe, and that terrorists don't see this as their opportunity to attack with no consequences. I pray that his lack of experience doesn't hurt us. I hope that he doesn't rush the troops out of Iraq and collapse everything that has been accomplished. Our government is going to be mostly Blue, and that worries me. I wonder how effective a two-party government is when it's entirely controlled by one.

I think McCain gave a very graceful and inspiring speech, and I can't blame him or Sarah Palin for being a little teary eyed, as I myself teared up a bit. It was an emotional ride and a battle well fought. Still, I know some people will laugh at it, and continue to make rude and disrespectful remarks.

In all fairness, Obama delivered an amazing speech tonight. I heard Obama speak to me directly as an "un-won vote" and I can only hope that he hears me the way he promised to.

I've been praying for the outcome for several weeks now, and I'll continue to pray to God for the safety, guidance, and wisdom for our new President. I am so blessed to be given so many freedoms and rights in this country simply for being born within it's borders, something so many people in this world don't have. Tonight was indeed a historic night, and despite my disappointment, I'm still so so proud to be an American.

I hope you are too.