So if it seems like we've been a little light on the postings this week, it's because it has been. I've been carrying the "cupcake" this week as Amanda is vacationing with her family in Maine.
She certainly deserves this vacation - away from home, work, and a week with her husband and family, but I miss her.
I had to take hip-hop without her on Monday. It wasn't too terrible as class was light on attendance and I actually got all the moves down to the new routine. But when she made us go down for those coffee grinders (ie - helicopters), I thought I was going to die. I came out of Monday's class with really sore upper thighs and no one to commiserate with.
I also usually manage to see Amanda some other time during the week - like tonight would've been a good night to see her because a bunch of friends are meeting at the Bottom Line for my husband's birthday. The Bottom Line is THE Purdue bar in the DC area.
I was hoping to hit the Leesburg Outlets to do some light furniture/house shopping, with maybe a stop at Homegoods - that's another trip that I could've taken with Amanda. Still don't know if I'm going to go but if I do, it will be lonely...sigh.
On my drive home yesterday, I saw a car with Maine plates and the tag line for the plate - "Vacationland." That made me think of Amanda more....but then I thought it was end of the day and she would be home soon...hallelujah!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Color Me Scottish
Had I been able to take a longer vacation to Europe, I would've liked to venture up to UK's northern neighbor, Scotland - Land of the Highlanders and tartan plaids in every manly color you can think of. After all, they would have to be manly for the kilts that they wear.
I was trying to figure out where I would like to venture to next. Other places I was thinking of: Iceland, Costa Rica, Germany, and Austria. Scotland just came into the picture less than two days ago so I decided to go to Wikipedia (love that site) to get some background information.
Wikipedia provides me with all the high-level information I need to know, as well as some history. It even includes the flag. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw that the flag is a royal blue with two white diagonal lines....so it's like a big white 'X' on a blue background. Kind of like the confederate flag, without the stars. I honestly had no idea what the Scottish flag looked like prior to yesterday but I thought it might have been either a traditional tartan plaid (but I guess that would cause fights among clansmen over whose clan colors were being used) or something darker, like black, forest green and red.
I guess it's true that you do learn something everyday - cause then on my drive home, I saw not one, but TWO cars with a Scottish flag sticker on the back windshield (yet another kind of sticker on the back of a car) within the span of two minutes. One car had a burly looking man - totally passed for a Scot. The other, I didn't get a good look, but who knew that Vienna was populated with all these Scots? You better believe I'll be on the lookout now for those Scottish flags.
Of course, my fantasy boyfriend #1 is a Scot (Gerard Butler - sigh) - maybe that could have something to do with my inkling to explore the land of the Highlanders.
I was trying to figure out where I would like to venture to next. Other places I was thinking of: Iceland, Costa Rica, Germany, and Austria. Scotland just came into the picture less than two days ago so I decided to go to Wikipedia (love that site) to get some background information.
Wikipedia provides me with all the high-level information I need to know, as well as some history. It even includes the flag. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw that the flag is a royal blue with two white diagonal lines....so it's like a big white 'X' on a blue background. Kind of like the confederate flag, without the stars. I honestly had no idea what the Scottish flag looked like prior to yesterday but I thought it might have been either a traditional tartan plaid (but I guess that would cause fights among clansmen over whose clan colors were being used) or something darker, like black, forest green and red.
I guess it's true that you do learn something everyday - cause then on my drive home, I saw not one, but TWO cars with a Scottish flag sticker on the back windshield (yet another kind of sticker on the back of a car) within the span of two minutes. One car had a burly looking man - totally passed for a Scot. The other, I didn't get a good look, but who knew that Vienna was populated with all these Scots? You better believe I'll be on the lookout now for those Scottish flags.
Of course, my fantasy boyfriend #1 is a Scot (Gerard Butler - sigh) - maybe that could have something to do with my inkling to explore the land of the Highlanders.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Get It Together, Girl!
So last Sunday was the beginning of the 11th Annual CAN Softball tournament. Tournament time for softball is always fun, especially the big tournament weekend (this coming weekend) because there's a beer truck with taps hanging out the sides, good food and just a whole mess of people drinking and carousing. This year, we'll be in the middle of nowhere, just like last year, which was great. Except for this year, I'm hoping we don't have to sit next to the team that kept playing Journey's Greatest Hits, on repeat (nothing against Journey - just after the third replay, it started getting too much).
After playing our game on Sunday, and ALMOST pulling out a win against the higher seed (Michigan), someone from our team had the duty of keeping score book for the next game. I wanted to do it because I like doing the score book. The only thing is that it's not as fun as keeping a baseball score book cause I can't score errors. Anyways - I got to score for UVA vs. Baylor. I was already worried about keeping score because I have self-diagnosed A.D.D. I like to see what's going on around me....see who is out and about, etc. But I swore to myself that I would concentrate.
It started getting on my nerves the way one school kept coming over to me to check on the score, making sure I was counting the correct outs for the other school...'I got it, Bobo. Relax!' (Bobo was the head "noisy" guy.)
The other thing that annoyed me about this school was their catcher. I can't remember her name but she had just about the most annoying voice you ever heard. It was like a high, shrilly, breaking glass kind of noise. We'll call her 'Banshee.' For one play in the game, Banshee was on first and the batter behind her hit a high flyer into the outfield. She proceeded to second and the batter proceeded to first. When the ball got away from the outfielder and you knew they could keep running, she stopped at second - the runner at first started proceeding to second. All her teammates on the bench kept yelling at her to run. She didn't move. Well - the other school got them both out and that was the end of the inning...you just can't have two players on one base. On the way back to her bench, Banshee YELLED at her teammates, 'People on the bench...do not yell at me. I was looking at my base coach to tell me what to do. You guys need to shut up. This wasn't my fault.' And it was all in an angry, still shrilly tone. I thought I heard dogs barking in the background (it was actually gun shots from the nearby shooting range). I looked at my friend, who was sitting with me and we gave eachother this look like 'Uhhh - a little too much drah-mah?!' Wow - who knew softball could be so emotional.
Then in another play, Banshee missed a pop up behind home plate and let it drop when it could've been an out had she caught it. That was embarrassing for her. Not the fact that she had a mental breakdown in the middle of the softball field just a couple of minutes before - the fact that she didn't catch the pop up was embarrassing. Umm...okay.
DISCLAIMER: Banshee is a made up nickname ... Bobo is not...this is what was on the guy's jersey. And I didn't name the schools specifically in the situations above in order to keep it mysterious. But if anyone reading knows about CAN and the people in it, then they'll already have a good idea of whom I write.
After playing our game on Sunday, and ALMOST pulling out a win against the higher seed (Michigan), someone from our team had the duty of keeping score book for the next game. I wanted to do it because I like doing the score book. The only thing is that it's not as fun as keeping a baseball score book cause I can't score errors. Anyways - I got to score for UVA vs. Baylor. I was already worried about keeping score because I have self-diagnosed A.D.D. I like to see what's going on around me....see who is out and about, etc. But I swore to myself that I would concentrate.
It started getting on my nerves the way one school kept coming over to me to check on the score, making sure I was counting the correct outs for the other school...'I got it, Bobo. Relax!' (Bobo was the head "noisy" guy.)
The other thing that annoyed me about this school was their catcher. I can't remember her name but she had just about the most annoying voice you ever heard. It was like a high, shrilly, breaking glass kind of noise. We'll call her 'Banshee.' For one play in the game, Banshee was on first and the batter behind her hit a high flyer into the outfield. She proceeded to second and the batter proceeded to first. When the ball got away from the outfielder and you knew they could keep running, she stopped at second - the runner at first started proceeding to second. All her teammates on the bench kept yelling at her to run. She didn't move. Well - the other school got them both out and that was the end of the inning...you just can't have two players on one base. On the way back to her bench, Banshee YELLED at her teammates, 'People on the bench...do not yell at me. I was looking at my base coach to tell me what to do. You guys need to shut up. This wasn't my fault.' And it was all in an angry, still shrilly tone. I thought I heard dogs barking in the background (it was actually gun shots from the nearby shooting range). I looked at my friend, who was sitting with me and we gave eachother this look like 'Uhhh - a little too much drah-mah?!' Wow - who knew softball could be so emotional.
Then in another play, Banshee missed a pop up behind home plate and let it drop when it could've been an out had she caught it. That was embarrassing for her. Not the fact that she had a mental breakdown in the middle of the softball field just a couple of minutes before - the fact that she didn't catch the pop up was embarrassing. Umm...okay.
DISCLAIMER: Banshee is a made up nickname ... Bobo is not...this is what was on the guy's jersey. And I didn't name the schools specifically in the situations above in order to keep it mysterious. But if anyone reading knows about CAN and the people in it, then they'll already have a good idea of whom I write.
First Timer
I became a first time home-buyer/home-owner yesterday...it was so exciting. Of course the weeks leading up to the closing were pretty hectic but the closing couldn't have gone more smoothly - it was all done in under an hour.
The Title Company, where the closing was held, even had beverages, chips, candy and fresh baked cookies. Who can concentrate on eating when you're signing all those papers and forking over a huge check? But it was great.
Now the real work begins. We're having a pretty hot and dry summer in NoVa and we don't officially move into our place until mid-August so we have to keep watering and mowing the lawns, watering the plants (this is where they'll begin to die at my hands), and making sure that everything that needs to be done gets done until we officially occupy the place full time. I've already brought in the trash cans for the first time. It's a good thing the house is only three miles away from where we live now.
I have the cleaning people going in on Monday to clean the air ducts and steam clean the carpets - the previous owners (I can call them that now since we're now the owners) had seven cats...yikes! So if I want my husband to survive the first year in the house, it's just something that has to get done.
I just finished going through my wallet and my list of places where I need to get address changes....pretty standard - even got my new license. And while doing this, I figured out that I have a lot of accounts out there - Neiman Marcus, Barneys NY, Banana Republic, Nordy's, etc. craziness. Too bad I'm getting put on a budget now so I probably won't be visiting those places very much....sigh.
The Title Company, where the closing was held, even had beverages, chips, candy and fresh baked cookies. Who can concentrate on eating when you're signing all those papers and forking over a huge check? But it was great.
Now the real work begins. We're having a pretty hot and dry summer in NoVa and we don't officially move into our place until mid-August so we have to keep watering and mowing the lawns, watering the plants (this is where they'll begin to die at my hands), and making sure that everything that needs to be done gets done until we officially occupy the place full time. I've already brought in the trash cans for the first time. It's a good thing the house is only three miles away from where we live now.
I have the cleaning people going in on Monday to clean the air ducts and steam clean the carpets - the previous owners (I can call them that now since we're now the owners) had seven cats...yikes! So if I want my husband to survive the first year in the house, it's just something that has to get done.
I just finished going through my wallet and my list of places where I need to get address changes....pretty standard - even got my new license. And while doing this, I figured out that I have a lot of accounts out there - Neiman Marcus, Barneys NY, Banana Republic, Nordy's, etc. craziness. Too bad I'm getting put on a budget now so I probably won't be visiting those places very much....sigh.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Hold That Elevator!!!
I think there is a severe lack of common courtesy in this country. I admit that when it comes to driving, I don't have a lot of courtesy. But what I lack on the roads, I more than make up for in other places like holding doors for people, allowing elderly people to take my seat on public transportation (I'm kind of 50/50 on this) and holding the elevator for people that are clearly on their way to the elevator bay.
This past weekend, I think I saw the most obnoxious human being ever. My husband and I were leaving our condo, heading towards the elevators to get downstairs (we live on the 9th floor). Outside of our elevator bay is a little lounge-y area and then it splits off into the three wings of the building. From the elevator bay, you have a clear view into our wing. My husband was standing in the lounge area waiting for me because I had forgotten something in the condo. I could see someone waiting for the elevator when I was making my way towards them. The elevator came and I was just entering the lounge area when the waiting guy hopped on the elevator and promptly shut the door without waiting for us. We were a mere 10 (TEN, diez, one-zero) paces from the elevator door and he DID NOT have the common courtesy to even wait. It was ridiculous. So of course, when I'm THAT CLOSE to the elevator and you purposely shut the door in my face, I know you can hear me, so I yell, 'Thanks a lot, A$$hole!' That just makes me SOOOO angry.
I have had people, on my floor, see me coming out of my condo (three doors down the hall) and actually wait for me with the elevator. Of course when I see them waiting, I feel obligated to start running down the hall so I don't inconvenience them, but that is SO nice. Not this guy - this guy was a total jerk.
What is the common courtesy protocol here? I guess if I'm in a rush and you're still quite a ways away, I don't tend to wait....unless you're a good looking guy (just kidding!). But if I see you coming down the hall and I know you're heading down as well, I will hold it. No questions asked. I don't want people cursing at me, behind my back (or in front of my face) for being discourteous.
Same with holding the door. If I know someone is walking closely behind me, I will hold the door open for them. More often than not, people tend to do this...NICE people tend to do this. I have been behind idiots that don't bother holding the door even though I'm right behind them. That's a mistake on their part because I open up that door and I yell, "Thanks for holding the door - you're too kind."
What is wrong with people? I'm afraid it just shows people's indifference to their fellow human beings.
This past weekend, I think I saw the most obnoxious human being ever. My husband and I were leaving our condo, heading towards the elevators to get downstairs (we live on the 9th floor). Outside of our elevator bay is a little lounge-y area and then it splits off into the three wings of the building. From the elevator bay, you have a clear view into our wing. My husband was standing in the lounge area waiting for me because I had forgotten something in the condo. I could see someone waiting for the elevator when I was making my way towards them. The elevator came and I was just entering the lounge area when the waiting guy hopped on the elevator and promptly shut the door without waiting for us. We were a mere 10 (TEN, diez, one-zero) paces from the elevator door and he DID NOT have the common courtesy to even wait. It was ridiculous. So of course, when I'm THAT CLOSE to the elevator and you purposely shut the door in my face, I know you can hear me, so I yell, 'Thanks a lot, A$$hole!' That just makes me SOOOO angry.
I have had people, on my floor, see me coming out of my condo (three doors down the hall) and actually wait for me with the elevator. Of course when I see them waiting, I feel obligated to start running down the hall so I don't inconvenience them, but that is SO nice. Not this guy - this guy was a total jerk.
What is the common courtesy protocol here? I guess if I'm in a rush and you're still quite a ways away, I don't tend to wait....unless you're a good looking guy (just kidding!). But if I see you coming down the hall and I know you're heading down as well, I will hold it. No questions asked. I don't want people cursing at me, behind my back (or in front of my face) for being discourteous.
Same with holding the door. If I know someone is walking closely behind me, I will hold the door open for them. More often than not, people tend to do this...NICE people tend to do this. I have been behind idiots that don't bother holding the door even though I'm right behind them. That's a mistake on their part because I open up that door and I yell, "Thanks for holding the door - you're too kind."
What is wrong with people? I'm afraid it just shows people's indifference to their fellow human beings.
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