Sunday, March 15, 2009

Bike Ride

I took a bike ride today. I'm not sure how cold it was but I could see my breath and by the time I got to my destination my fingers were bright red and I could hardly feel them. It was drizzling a little bit. It has been for the past two days. My hairstyle was completely ruined and my hair was starting to curl into itself. There was hardly anyone out, just a man walking his two small dogs and a couple walking together up the river path looking very much in love with each other. The dim, yellow flicker of oil lamps punctuated my ride. I could smell the river today - a complex and tantalizing smell of wild life and decay, earth and water. It was probably one of the best bike rides I've ever had. There is something beautiful in the starkness. Through it, there was the unmistakable smell of flowers as the daffodils and crocus gently push through the earth and the cherry blossoms begin to unfurl.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Things I did today

* stomped on snow, noted crunchy noise...also how it sparkles in predawn light.
* missed second bus, ran to work
* witnessed lady singing several stanzas of a song in checkout line to coworker for no particular reason
* got a nosebleed
* made and consumed new favorite snack - fluffernutter
* talked to Jen
* looked at 10 day forecast, 67 on Saturday. I have the day off! made note to wear capri-style pants that day and a t-shirt
* missed you guys

Friday, February 27, 2009

I bought a new pen!

It's one of the old fashioned kinds that you have to dip in ink. I bought it to draw with. I hope I draw this well every time I use it. I love camels. I'm going to name this one Herbert. I love my new pen.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Here's what I'm looking like these days, in the room I'm renting. Go eat a sammich, girl!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Have you ever been hit in the eyeball with a big, wet, cold snowflake? I missed my bus today and had to walk in the snow. I can now say with authority that snowflakes to the eye are rather unpleasant.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

You know how the shower is one of the few places your mind truly wanders because you really haven't much else to do? I was having one of those random trains of thoughts that started out feeling frustrated how people often think I don't know anything about anything because of my age. Then I thought about what my mom was doing at my age. She had two children, tended to a house and had been married for 5 years. I started thinking about how someone in that position would probably start to command some respect for people and then I thought about what I was like at age 20 and wondered how my mom dealt with the challenges of being a wife and pregnant and a mother at age 21. How she dealt with the morning sickness and worrying about how to pay for me, whether I would be healthy, what I would be like as I grew. And when I was born having to deal with the demands of feeding me, changing me and tending to me when I cried. It's weird to think of myself as the way we all were once: tiny, helpless and the center of someone else's universe. Not only did my mom do all these things, but she did them really well. It was amazing to read some of the things she wrote about me in my baby journal once several years ago, talking about how much she loved me and how perfect she thought I was. Being a mother seems to be something she was born to do because she seems so natural at it. Even as an adult, whenever I feel stressed out or upset I know I can talk to her and she somehow always seems to have the right thing to say to make me feel better. My mom is amazing.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Food and Presidential Estates

I just ate a veggie dog with garlic aioli mustard from Trader Joe's. It didn't taste that strong but when it hit the back of my throat and up into my sinuses I thought I was going to bleed to death. Awesome. I'm going to go look at a house today near Mt. Vernon. That's where George Washington lived. I love how steeped in history Virginia is. I pass by Robert E. Lee's childhood home on the way to work every morning. I walked by Falls Church, a church with an ancient, crumbling graveyard established in 1734. It's still operational. Neato.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

I miss her very much today. It feels like one of my limbs is missing.

Monday, February 2, 2009

I need to be more motivated to finish things

Yet another drawing I have never finished.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Today was, relatively speaking, a rather balmy day. The high when I got off of work was around 63, so Monica and I went for a walk up the Potomac trail. All the leaves are off the trees but it was nice nonetheless. When I woke up this morning I felt like complete crap, just feeling utterly overwhelmed with everything. Fortunately there are a lot of nice people where I work so I cheered up as the day progressed. I got to try some ports today. I tried a 10 year old tawny, the name of which I forget and two newer ports. One was a Zinfandel port, the name of which I also forget and the last one was a Bogle Petite Syrah port. They're interesting drinks, but I can't imagine anyone really wanting to drink them in any great volume. They're incredibly sweet. The 10 year old tawny tasted like raisins, maple sugar and almonds. I could almost imagine drizzling it onto ice cream or something. The others had much fruitier notes. The one good thing about working at a grocery store like Trader Joe's is that you have ample opportunity to learn about the finer points of food and beverages. I have been trying to absorb everything I can like a sponge. Champagne is made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon has notes of black fruits like plum and blackberries. Merlot has fewer tannins than Cabernet. A young wine will not linger on the back of your tongue as long as a mature one. A Pinot Noir can be paired with blackened fish with pepper. I always wanted to go to culinary school, maybe this will be a way to pick up a thing or two for free.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Purpose


This blog is for those people out there who sort of like me. I'm going to try to write a little bit daily. I say this knowing already that this probably won't happen. Washington DC is a great city but it's strange to be so disconnected from everyone I know. I think it was okay for a while there because it sort of felt like a vacation or something but now that I'm working and looking for places to stay, it's starting to sink in a little bit more that there is no point where I'm "going home". It has been weird experiencing a real winter. Starting out I was wearing two layers of pants everywhere because I couldn't tolerate even 40 degree weather. Now I routinely go outside in 30 degree weather with just a hooded sweatshirt. I guess that's the blood starting to thicken. It snowed a few days ago and then rained, turning the snow into sheets of ice on the ground. The sidewalks are treacherous where it is usually shady as there is a thick, slick layer of ice remaining. They cancelled school for two days in some places. I guess DCers aren't used to the snow either. Work was pretty  insane today. Since it's the day before the Superbowl, the aisles were packed with people trying to buy their avocados, sliced meats, chips and salsas for the big game, I sort of hate that I'm a blue-collared worker again. I guess I feel like I am above it but with this economy I suppose I should be thankful that I have employment at all. Wish me luck, hopefully I will get a better job soon. I miss you all. The photo I posted is some George Washington Masonic something or other. I see this often when I go into Old Town in Alexandria. It gives me the creeps. I hear that I should take a tour as it's even more disconcerting inside.