Not to be a Grinch but...

Note to all public transportation users in the D.C. metro area: that solid, albeit boney object that your elbow/bag/foot/arm/entire side of your body is repeatedly hitting, is ME. Yes, allowances are made in tight quarters at rush hour. The personal bubble area is significantly smaller, occasional bumps and bruised toes are the norm. But when you consistently hit someone, keep your deadweight arm on their lap for an ENTIRE bus ride, something is wrong.

And while we are at it, as I continue inching myself away from you, trying to meld into the window to get you out of my bubble, do NOT follow me. I'm doing it to get away from you, not to give you more room.

But on the upside, my morning bus driver gave everyone a peppermint this morning. City life isn't all bad.

One more week until Christmas. Four more days to home...

La Maison Blanche

In preparation of a year of new things, today I did a new thing. I went inside the White House. Yes, despite my voting record and the fact that I own Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto," they let me in so I could see the Christmas decorations. I'm still on cloud nine about it. Full details, plus pictures of the lovely SNOW that covered our area this week, in next entry. Lovely weekend wishes for everyone!

A New Purpose

Exactly one month from today will be my favorite day of the year - which is foolish as there are 364 to follow - my birthday. But as I have become one of those people in recent years who have grown resistant, and quite bitter, to adding another candle to the cake, I don't really look forward to it as much.

(That's not entirely true. I love how I always end up with multiple cakes. How my mom always color-coordinates the wrapping for her anal-retentive middle child. And never ever having to work or go to school because it's a holiday, all over the world!)

But anyway, I briefly contemplated holding off on turning 24 - still collecting the cake and presents of course - and staying 23 for a few more months, because I do not feel I've gotten the most out of this year as I should have. The words "squandered" and "wasted" actually, come to mind.

But instead, I've decided to say good riddance to 23 in one fail swoop. Au revoir, you silly odd numbers! Arrivederci 2007, you kind of sucked!

In order to ensure that 24/2008 is more productive and appealing, I've decided to embark on a project, blatantly ripped off from here: http://jen365.blogspot.com/

Her explanation:

Last year for my birthday, I decided to do something I'd never done before, and I traveled solo to Paris. This year, I want to do 365 things I've never done before. Starting the day I turn 29 I will do one new thing every day until I turn 30. The things I've never done can be as simple as "wear a Florida Marlins hat" or "skip across Sheep Meadow in Central Park." I'm more interested in small, interesting weird things than big things like "skydiving" or illegal things like "drugs and stealing" or completely not-me things like "tattoos."

Thus, I have decided to do something NEW every day of 2008. No, really. I'll chronicle it all here, a post a day, if all goes correctly. I am getting rather excited about this and have already jotted down a few ideas.

But I need more! So please, whoever you are, whether we share the same blood or you have never ever met me before, suggest something. Anything, within the confines of decency, my morals, and my (meager) wallet. And preferably easily photographable to make this blog more bearable. Jen has done everything from showered with her clothes on (a possibility) to serenading a customer service rep (awesome but probably not happening). All ideas welcome.

To get it started, a list of a few things I HAVE done:

• Taken a vacation by myself.
• Rode in a pace car at a race.
• Walked barefoot in Chapel Hill, Durham, London, Paris, and Washington D.C.
• Gotten stamps at a non-stamp giving ATM when I wanted cash.
• Pulled an all-nighter. Or 20.
• Written in a paper journal every day for the last two years.
• Seen the Pope.
• Slept in the street for football tickets.
• Danced with an Argentinean.
• Gone to a hairdresser and just said "cut it all off."
  

Home sweet home

I write now from the comfort of home. Home home, as I like to distinguish from wherever I am currently living, and the place that remains home no matter where I go. I'm not a Thanksgiving person, but I am a home person, a family person, and it just feels good.

I like dogs at my feet, a pantry and refrigerators - yes, plural - packed to the brim. I like ridiculous conversations that no one else would get. I like how familiar everything is. I even kind of like my twin bed. (But only for the next few days.)

Yes, the slowed pace is already driving me crazy. And I can feel my accent getting thicker, which will only lead to teasing from those not lucky enough to be from here, but oh well. I get homemade rolls, a relish tray, and the Macy's parade. Carolina basketball coverage and lots of hugs. And of course, where else would I get to contend with a (self-appointed) Supreme Overseer and Dictator of the Clover Dinner Roll Distribution* and his attempts to impose a TATT -- trans-Atlantic traitor tax on me -- for missing last year's festivities?

Nowhere, thank goodness.

Welcome home, Bonnie. And thank you, God.



*AKA SODCDRD, AKA my little brother, Joey.

This is my life

At about 2 p.m. today I realized I only had blush on one cheek. Thus I either looked lop-sided, with one incredibly-defined cheek bone. Or like I'd been slapped. Which would explain why the people on the metro this morning were extraordinarily pushy: they thought I could take the abuse.

"Worrying is like a rocking chair; it swings you back and forth and takes you nowhere." - Kenyan proverb

I am three minutes away from my self-imposed "must start packing" deadline, but I wanted to write. Why am I packing? Because I am headed for my sweet Carolina for Homecoming weekend. :-) It has been 5 months and 2 weeks since my last visit to Chapel Hill. The longest I've gone since I first stepped foot on campus in August 2002. And yes, I keep track.
This week started out with me tired, and is about to end with me finally not as tired. I remember from psyc 10 that we can accrue a sleep debt of up to two weeks. I swear I just accrue and accrue and accrue. Mine tends to drag on for weeks, where I just need sleep. It always tends to be around this time of year. I just have to fight fight fight it.

Last Saturday was a day I fought and won around 3 p.m., when I finally left my apartment in need of a meeting with my old friend T.J. It was nice to see him, and a photogenic wedding party too.

An hour and six minutes after my deadline started, I actually am almost done packing. I'm trying this thing where I only pack what I need. Crazy talk, I know. I'm sure I'll regret it come Saturday morning, if not sooner.

Are you ready for some football?

Thanks to my awesome roommate and her generous employer, I got to go to the Redskins v. Cardinals football game on Sunday - for free!

My last and only NFL game was a Panthers game ages ago, before I even cared about football, or knew about that whole offense/defense two teams in one thing. So I was quite excited to be at one and actually care what was happening. Sort of.

The downside was not really caring who won or lost. :-( But I got to see players like Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis and Santana Moss. I got to see a blocked kick*, but no sacks unfortunately. Saw a player knock out a ref - kind of awesome, not going to lie.

*This is still so rare to me that I think they are quite cool.
Of course I got to listen to the multiple belligerent drunks scream obscenities at players, and fans. Interesting fact: if you leave a game early, you have no soul. (While I have spent many Carolina sporting events bemoaning the quitters who prefer to beat traffic than support their team to the end, I have NEVER bellowed it for thousands to hear.) Also, apparently being named Neil makes you less of a human being.

Drunk Redskins fan to Cardinals kicker Neil Ruckers:
Hey, Neil! You suck! Your name is Neil! That's almost as bad as being named Carl. Or Dwayne. Neil, Neil, Neil, Neil...

And on and on. I have to say, it made my previous attempts at trash talking - i.e. dissing Duke's Gothic architecture - sound not so lame after all.

All in all it was a fun day. Even with the oppressive heat, hellacious traffic, and Brady/Patriots trash-talking on the shuttle to parking. And I do actually have a picture of me at the game, but it's on the roommate's camera. Will post later.

Movie Review: Michael Clayton

Saturday night I went with the roomie to see "Michael Clayton."

I give it 3 stars. The plot was original and engaging. It could have been a John Grisham thriller. The book version, as the movie versions never reflect Grisham's talent, at least in my opinion. The camerawork was different, with unique angles and a less polished picture. It made it seem very real and up-close.

The acting was excellent. The reason I wanted to see it was George Clooney, and he did not disappoint. The supporting cast was good as well. Tom Wilkinson was the most impressive

The main problem was that the middle dragged and only redeemed itself because the ending was so good. It may have been because I was quite tired, but had I rented it I may have been tempted to turn it off. But I'm glad I paid X amount of dollars to see it and stuck with it.

It's not a must see, but it would be worth renting.

And there's about two minutes where it's just George in a cab. Just George. (It's not as boring as it sounds.) I probably would have paid just to see that.

Intermission

A push for everyone to watch CNN's amazing documentary "Planet in Peril." Airing Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 p.m. And if you can't watch that, at least watch the panel of experts on Thursday night, discussing how all of this really does affect everyone.

CNN takes viewers around the world in a two-part, four-hour documentary that examines our changing planet. This worldwide investigation, shot in high definition, looks at four key issues: climate change, vanishing habitats, disappearing species and human population growth.

To tell this story, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin traveled to some of the most remote and remarkable places on Earth. From exposing illegal wildlife trading undercover in Southeast Asia to seeing first–hand the devastating effects of deforestation in Brazil, they have gathered evidence on the unsettling changes taking place all around us.

Planet in Peril premieres October 23 and 24 at 9 p.m. ET.

Source: CNN.com


Off soapbox now. Real entry coming tomorrow or Wednesday.

"It's not strange, unusual maybe, eccentric in a quaint way, like dessert spoons." -Ned, Pushing Daisies

I'm sure I've written about it before in here, but I love rain. I like the way it sounds hitting the window. (Even better when it hits a skylight.) I like the way it smells. I like how everything looks after a good shower. I like how it cleanses everything it touches. I like to put on a hoodie and PJ pants and curl up with a cup of tea and a movie or book.

Or, you know, I like to get up at 6:30 in the morning, trudge to work, freeze half-to-death for 8 hours, have my commute time doubled because the metro is stuck for 30 minutes on the track one station before I get off due to another train having mechanical problems. Then walk a mile home with increasingly wet jeans, missing taking a shower in street water by inches, and still get whistled at by idiots in a pickup truck.

But really, I have had way worse experiences. Last summer's fall in mud/soapy shoe/missed bus/refusing to cry on side of street debacle comes to mind. And even more incidents, sadly. (All of which would be obsolete were either of my 2005 rainy day inventions to come to fruition: shower curtain/umbrella hybrid, and giant "hamster" ball. And these aren't some harebrained schemes, I have drawings.)

However, I am now at home in front of a heater, sprawled on the living room floor with tea and my blanket, watching "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" and listening to the traffic outside my window rush through the rain. A satisfying sound.

Now a brief rundown of the past week:

Old friends: Saturday, at two separate meetings, I got to spend time with my best friends from high school, Brett and Genie. They are my oldest friends (known since 5ish and 14ish, respectively.) and I love that as much as some things change, this never really does. I had lunch with Brett and his wife and her parents downtown. It was really great to just chill and catch up, and get to know each other.

I then met up with Genie and two of her friends. We went to Union Station, and then to King Street in Alexandria for some shopping. I had never been here before but I will definitely be going back. It had cute and unique boutiquey type shops, but also some chain stores. We had dinner at a casual Italian restaurant, and ended the night gossiping and laughing.

All in all it was just really great to catch up with two of my most favorite people.

Sunday: *Warning Shannon: Mention of sports. Skip ahead to next section.*
Yes, I planned my Sunday around the Patriots/Cowboys game, as they were indeed showing it here. I have no idea how I became that person who schedules things around sports. I really really don't. But it was a good game and a great end to the weekend.

Work: I am still at the same temp job and it is getting better. I'm getting to write more. Granted it's just writing letters, but every letter has to be different, so there's room for creativity. And I'm certainly learning a lot. I never thought I'd know so much about patent reform that is for sure. And no, I don't really want to know about patent reform, but oh well. Though, with all this newly acquired patent knowledge, I should begin to explore patenting my rainy day inventions before someone steals my idea. Of course, this would be pointless if a certain bill is passed which would weaken my patent's validity and stifle innovation. (And that's a preview of what the 42 letters I wrote on the subject were about.)

Ok, this is far too long. No pictures because I forgot my camera last weekend. And all attempts to take pictures of the rain outside my window tonite failed. Potentially picture-worthy weekend coming up, so we shall see. Lovely weekend wishes to all.