Some things you just can't pass up...

Over the past few months I have taken a brief hiatus from blogging, but fortunately for my adoring fans, I have recently jumped back in. Now perhaps I am alone on this, but after these breaks (i.e. not focusing on what I might want to post on my blog) I become a bit rusty even unsure of what still meets the mission of my blog which is to provide: Thoughts and musing from a twisted and sporadic.

Therefore in the absence of witty musings or legitimate content about my personal life, professional life, and the every entertaining Republican Party I will do the ole standby: Post a picture for comment....I will go first.

Adarsh inflating Matt.

John and Mike Protest...

It took more than two years, but Michael and I attended our first protest in Washington DC this weekend and man was it a learning experience. The event took place this past Saturday and to be quite blunt, we really did not know what we were getting into.

More late, but for now a cute pic of my lil protester.

The Wonderland Ballroom...

I want to give a big shout out to the management of The Wonderland Ballroom because this past week they made a business decision that I am sure will have immediate if not long term returns on their investment: The Fired Kara

I want to be the first to congratulate them on this business defining decision. You see for the most part I really don't care who works behind the bar, regardless of the establishment, because frankly I understand the relationship and it is pretty simple; I want a beer; they hand me a beer; I give them money for the beer and something additional as a tip. Don't get me wrong, I do not think that the relationship needs to be that sterile, but it is the foundation. That said, I have been to a lot of bars in the DC / Northern Virginia region (yes, I do stay out of MD) and have experienced many different types of bartenders (good, bad, mediocre) but I have never experienced anything quite like Kara and honestly it is a story in itself.

I have been going into the Wonderland for nearly two years now. Me and my friends were originally turned onto the place by other friends who had been going since the bar opened and we liked it a lot. I would not call us frequent visitors, but we did go on Saturdays for a little dancing, Monday's for trivia, and an occasional after work drink. Now I tell you about the frequency of my visits and the time frame for which I visited because they will become an issue later in the story. As the story goes, one mild DC afternoon some friends and I walked (dragged) our asses down to 11 th and Kenyon for a bit of the hair of the dog that bit us. In addition to our small group (5ish), because of the bars close proximity to us, we convinced three other friends to make the trek to Columbia Heights to meet us. We showed up about ten minutes late as they already had their drinks. I made my way to the downstairs bar and patiently waited at the end of the bar. I was in no hurry, so I just kinda stood there and waited for the bartender to make her way down the relatively empty bar. What came next I can only recount as my mind will let me. This bartender, Kara ( (see Rosmary's Baby) lost her GOD DAMN MIND. Standing no more than the width of the bar from he she screeched to me (paraphrased):

"Who the fuck do YOOOOUUU think you are? I have customers at the other end of the fuckin bar, go down there if you want something"

(Internal Voice: Despite not seeing a trailer anywhere in the neighborhood, I'm sure I recognize her from Indiana, possibly Corn School, the county fair, or was she one of those frequent guests on the Jerry Springer Show /Maury Show where she spends the entire show trying to figure out which of the 18 guys on stage that have been in her are the father of her baby? Hint: I am of the feeling that the ladder doesn't apply in this girls situation.)

However, being the nice "midwesterner" that I am, I simply gave her the stink eye and walked back out to the patio where I encouraged my entourage to finish their drinks. We abruptly left and headed over to this lovely place on Georgia Ave. However, as we were waiting for our friends to finish their drinks, I couldn't contain myself. I was in shock and and as I relived the nightmare to my friends the bar helper leaned into me and whispered, "at least you don't have to work with her". So we left and you would thing the story would be over, right? Clearly not or this would be a pretty lame story.

This past weekend one my friend who was sitting with us that afternoon sent me a link to a myspace blog (public and open mind you) that he had run across. At first I didn't really consider it as I get a lot of Myspace and Youtube e-mails. After boredom set in I finally clicked the link...oh, it was pure joy. It seems that Kara got her as shitcanned. This of course was no news, but she broadcast it to the world through an myspace blog rant. Unfortunately you cannot read it any longer because she locked her page, but if you ask nicely, she may make you a friend and you can read it (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14986890) . Her rant was pretty predictable (unfair management, fuck head this, dick head that...), but what was most interesting was one comment she made that seemed to be the only bit of honesty in her tirade. That she was fired because the neighborhood was changing and that the Wonderland management wanted higher standards for the treatment of their customers...WOW. She actually understands she was fired because she is a horrible human being and she still doesn't get it. Immediately following her speech were several comments from her loyal patrons that have committed to following her to next haunt. Well, as did another, felt compelled to share our experience with the little skank. So I basically recounted the above mentioned story to her and informed her that while I sincerely hope that she lands on her feet, I really would like to know where so that I will not make the same mistake of ordering a drink from her again. The following is her e-mail response to me:

And, in the event you can't ready it...here is the transcription:

"who the fuck asked you?

midwestern whities like you would have been eaten alive in that neighborhood 5 years ago. now you thnk you own the city. im sure you and your friends bored me to tears at that bar and got me depressed about what the wonderland was coming to. btw, there was no patio service there, so youre damn right you got your drinks from inside! sorry that was such a burden, fatty. you dont know me, so stay the fuck away from me and my myspace. "

I won't say anything else (spell check), because honestly, this chick is such an easy target. However, to the management of The Wonderland Ballroom, I say congratulations and after a long drought, We'll see you soon.

Somethings are just...Funny!

For those of you that have no idea what is going in my personal life, this will make absolutely no sense to you. However, for those few that are "in the know" this entry is absolutely hysterical.

First let me state that in no way shape or form do I believe in astrology...but for some reason I always read the horoscopes, and not just mine. I read all of my friends in an attempt to gain some sort of insight as to how I should interact...bizarre, I know. That said, per Friendster.com below is my horoscope for yesterday, Sunday, July 29.

• Try not to resist transitions in any of your relationships -- especially the romantic ones -- right now. If you can stay open to changes a little bit longer, then you will benefit from some important new information. Feeling uncomfortable for a short period of time is a small price to pay for an enlightened sense of who you are, and what role you are meant to play in this partnership. Just let things take their course, and you will be able to bob and weave along with the changes.

There are several reasons this makes me laugh. The first is timing, and frankly that is what the horoscope is all about. The second is patience. If this is MY horoscope, then they should know I have zero patience. Finally, this is the same conversation I have had with everyone that I am close to. Its funny how life just keeps pounding on you til you really get the point....got it!

Something new

Since I cannot think of anything to blog about in my personal life, I have decided to try something new in hopes of curing my writers block and to hopefully learn something along the way. What I am going to try to do is provide an online progress report on the home renovation project.

The house was purchased in May 2006 and we moved in early July of 2006. Because of the extreme cost of homes in the District of Columbia, a starter house needing improvements was the only realistic route. The result was the house that is pictured above. Since moving in last July, we have made some changes, however we still have a long way to go. Below is a summary of what has been done to date and below that what still needs to be done:

Performed to date:

• Hardwood floors have been sanded and stained
• 8 Windows have been replaced

Evolving list of tasks to be performed:

• 4 Windows need replaced
• Renovate Kitchen
• Gut and renovate bathroom (upstairs)
• Gut and renovate dining room (50% complete)
• Gut and renovate living room
• Paint 2 bedrooms
• Gut and renovate 1 bedroom
• Add additional electrical outlets throughout the house
• Add heating and cooling ventilation systems
• Replace plumbing as needed
• Renovate basement (convert into apartment)
• Install new gutters
• Repair garage roof
• Repair front porch
• Landscape the yard.

Wow, I have never really put all of that down on a list before. But there it is. My intentions are to upload pics of each room and the progress as it happens. Then, once complete, I will provide a slide show of the before and after. Mind you, this is my intention. Assuming this whole effort will take a couple years, it could change.

So, until improvements have been made...

Oh, and I'll still write about other things when I'm feeling the vibe.

Still waiting...

...for what, I am not sure.

Favorite Song day...w/lyrics

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

Something new...

Ok, heres the thing I have not written anything new in about a month. Even the last few entries have been youtube videos to entertain the masses. I have tried for over a week now to put something worth while in a post and I just can't. I don't know why, I'm not a good enough writer to actually have writers block, so this draught is unexplainable.

OMG, I just got it...I'm afraid to write about my life over the past few weeks because a) it will be a lie, or b) I don't want to face it...

Mood: Not sad, not happy, not stressed, not elated....I am absolutely blah!

Braces, Diet Pills, and Capitol Hill...

I haven't posted anything significant in a while so I feel like I owe some news to the faithful. As you can probably tell from previous posts, I have been going through a lot lately on the personal front. To protect the privacy of others, I won't dwell on that too much. However, I will share with you this, without the unrelenting support of Michael and the wisdom of Stephanie, I would have gone completely nuts a week ago. So, as the heading suggests, I do have a few pieces of news to share.

Braces - The orthodontist removed my bottom braces yesterday afternoon. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting much except the wisdom from another that they would "be slimy". Well, they are not slimy and they are beautiful!! I can't wait to get the tops off.

Diet Pills - I have been running for over a year and not just a casual trot. I spent most of last year running 20+ miles a week. While I am very proud to have been able to run a marathon last year, I really wanted to shave off some lbs. Well, it didn't happen so I have recently resorted to Lipodrene. I know this is going to draw some criticism (KT), but I'm not crazy. I am being very careful. Let me tell you this though, these fuckers make you nuts!

Capitol Hill - I am moving out of the house in NE DC and back to Capitol Hill.

Lazy saturday post...

Videos that I have to sit and wait hours to see on MTV...brought to you with one click...

Fergie - Hate the girl, love the song:



Snow Patrol - Awww, hidden meaning song:




Blue October - Love, Alcoholism, Drugs, Suicide = Intense Self Loathing:



Hoobastank - The words more than the video (its lame):



Jennifer Holliday - This Folks is Pain!:



Ok, thats it for now. I am looking for a few others, but with little success. This does irk me a bit, because I give myself a lot of credit for knowing music. Therefore, when I do find them I will certainly make a big deal out of it.

Its Saturday morning and the weather in DC is pretty good. Headed to they gym then a long run. Have a good weekend.

Mood: Pretty Good!

Back to the grind...

Since coming back to work this past Monday I realized something; this whole being out of college and working and being a responsible really sucks.

On a positive note, I have now received feedback and scores on all of my annual reviews (mid-year engagement review, year end engagement review, annual performance assessment). I received "exceeds expectations" across the board, which based on the recent challenges made me feel pretty good. What does exceeds expectations really mean you maybe wondering...well, its a good question. Based on past experience, it is a trivial score used by my firm to allocate % increase in annual salary and your share of the bonus pool. However, this year the scores hold a slightly different meaning for me as I am putting myself up for a promotion.

Unlike most private companies or even the federal government, at my firm individuals must petition to be promoted, it is not involuntary nor automatic. The process for petition for promotion is a promotion package similar to the security clearance package I completed last year. It is insane and what they fail to tell you is that everything that you have ever done (proposal work, special projects, community / professional events) must be documented with all of these forms that you have never seen before. You try remembering why you went to some lame ass lunch discussion by some tool from the OMB...they explain what you learned...but I did it...all of it. I obviously never given birth, but I imagine it feels similar to what I experienced over the past fee weeks.

Other than that things are good and by good I mean I'm not dead and that's good...LOL Some days I have moments of crystal clarity that really surprise me, others are mundane and "going through the paces" kinda thing, and still others are a complete fog.

Picture of the day: For you clown lovers...

Another reason to like beer...

Kissing the ex...

I don’t care who you are, each one of us has that one ex that we keep safely tucked away in our past. If you are completely honest with yourself then you are very familiar with this person. He is the first person you think of when times get rough; the one that understands you when the rest of the world seems to have gone nuts; the one that you know for certain that if things would have been a little more different he would still be at your side; the one that made you understand the bliss of true love and then as swiftly made you feel the hollowness of a broken heart. I will call this the Phantom Ex, or in my case, David R.

The dictionary defines a phantom as “a person or thing of merely illusory power, status, efficacy, etc”. Therefore, the Phantom Ex as I described above does not actually exist to the extent that you remember them; rather they only exist as you remember them. Meaning; all of that understanding, compassion, intimacy, and love while real in your memory might not necessarily be real, rather it’s a wanton desire to remember things they way you wanted them to be. For me, one of my fears was facing that reality because so much of who I am is tied into who I thought I was and how far I have come…if that makes any sense. Well, I did not have to wait long to face this fear.

This past weekend during at brief visit to Indiana to take a break from DC life, a stressful job, and relationship issues that have provided their own challenges in recent months I was faced with the opportunity to spend some time with my Phantom Ex. Because we have maintained a friendship, though distant, over the years, it was an easy decision to meet for a few drinks, or so I thought.

It is really hard to explain the flood of emotions when I walked into that nasty little bar this past Thursday night. He was sitting at the end of the bar smoking a cigarette; making it look good. I walked toward him and he stood and gave me the biggest hug telling me “you look good baby”. My first though was “god damnit, will you ever age!” – I think I actually said that. My second thought was a lot more telling of my inner perceptions as I thought “why are you here…in this dump?”

We began our pleasantries and as we sat chatting, drinking, taking pictures, and playing pool my mind would spin back to that person that I had put on an unachievable pedestal and wonder where is he now. While he was distracted or talking to another patron I would steal glimpses at him and different scenarios would run through my head…if the stars were more in line would this be my life?...what I am going to do if he says that he always loved me and wants to run away with me tonight…doe he still think I’m hot?...what did that comment mean?...etc.

In looking back on that evening I realized how much time we spent talking about our lives today and what we are doing to achieve success and happiness and very little time talking about our life back then. And even though I now realize that my Phantom Ex does not exist to the extent the way I remembered him, I did learn that 1) David has always been there for me during my low periods, 2) he does know me a lot better than most, 3) thank god those stars were not in line all those years ago, and (4) you don’t need to be in love with someone to love them.

For those waiting to hear salacious details about the rest of the evening, I have to disappoint. We drank, laughed, and genuinely had a great time. I won't deny the that some subtle flirting too place, but nothing sorted or unhealthy.

(Two of my goodest friends; David and Andrea)

The Indiana Trip...

As wrote last week, I am back in Bloomington this week to relax and spend some time with family and friends. The drive was smooth and went by quickly; which I attribute to anticipation. My time here has been great. It is certainly the break I need from work and DC in general.

One of the great things about Bloomington is that it changes very little. Within the parameters of the University (five blocks each way), IU is truly a campus in a college town. Whether you are jogging down 3rd street past the fraternities and sororities after class or stumbling up Kirkwood toward the Sample Gates on your way home from Nicks after few failed rounds of Sink the Biz, the campus has that special vibe. In visiting Blooming this week, I had two goals. The first was to spend time with friends and second, was to spend some time on campus.

This first night in town I stayed on campus in the Memorial Union (hotel). Since graduation took place earlier this month, securing a room was not difficult at all. Becoming accustomed to nicer hotels lately, I wasn't expecting much from the union so the surprise when I walked into the room was even more rewarding. Not only was the room amazing, but the windows looked out across the campus, particularly over the Beck Chapel and the main creek that runs through campus. The first few hours I laid in the bed with reading a book with the windows open listening to the sound of the water running over the rocks below. That bliss was briefly disturbed by one of Indiana's other great attributes, the beetle. This damn bug flew into the room and like all idiot beetles, started running into things. For the most part, I have no problem with insects. I do draw the line with landing on me, but other than that, "mi casa, su casa". So I lay and read and this god damn thing keeps hitting the wall, TV, lamp, door...everything. Being the passive nature lover I am, I moved toward the insect to escort the little fella out the window, then quickly realized that I'm a DC'ite now, so I whacked it....done, back to reading.

Monday I woke up at 6:30 and started my own personal tour of campus. I was going to do a quick jog for old times sake, but I'm on vacation, so I walked and walked then walked more. After hitting the highlights, the Kelley School of Business, SPEA, HPER, and the fountain, I made my way down to Starbucks for morning coffee. Kirkwood was exactly as I left it two years ago and I couldn't help just walking down the street. The only thing that was missing from my adventure; friends. Rarely did I ever do anything in Bloomington without friends. I couldn't help thinking about Steph, Elena, Jessica, Josh, Chester....

After my trip down memory lane I fed my affinity for IU by stopping by every campus bookstore, the TIS bookstore, and anyone that sold anything with IU on it. I will come back to DC truly "representin" the IU.

Well, theres been a lot more, but I will share that later.

Caution...too much clicking on myspace leads to this...

Your Heart Is Purple

For you, love is about establishing and developing a deep connection. If it's true love, it brings you more wisdom and inner strength. Your flirting style: Sincere Your lucky first date: An afternoon at a tea house Your dream lover: Is both thoughtful and expressive What you bring to relationships: Understanding

What Color Heart Do You Have?

I have been living in Washington DC for nearly two years now and it never really occurred to me that I have not been back to Indiana since moving out here. I have made one day trips for Christmas or other special occasions, but never because I wanted too. Well, I want too.

I've thought some about it and I realized that I really miss the Hoosier State. At first I thought that I just missed the people like my cool as hell former boss Judith, my ex-best friend Andrea(we're friends now), and even an ex David, who despite a ridiculous relationship and the passing "X" number of years has turned out to be a bizarre life coach to me in recent years. What I miss is my former life, I miss the simplicity of making a quick dash to the grocery store or the ability to drive through the streets without having dodge taxicabs. I miss people like Chester and Jeremy who are the kind of friends that just want to sit, have a beer and chat about how fun this or that was. I feel like I'm a character in a Lifetime Movie and have to go home to get in touch with who I am.

Now I feel like I need to give DC a "shout-out". I do love DC and even as I eagerly await my journey this week, I know that the likely hood of me ever living in Indiana again is pretty slim...but I can sure sit at Yogi's and have a $2.00 beer

I'll take pics for all you IU Fans.

One Fun Sunday...

I am not a big fan of crowds at all and for the most part have successfully avoided events like Taste of Arlington in the past. However, since Alberto was leaving for two weeks (PA then South Africa), we said hell with it, and headed toward the metro.

It was a blast. Perhaps its because the girl at the beer truck screwed up and didn't check off our first two drinks or maybe because P.F. Changs had a stand, either way we had a great time. So, to Alberto, Michael, Andrew, Charlie, and Rudi...holla!

Below are some pictures from the event. Enjoy.

The hardest thing I've ever done...

There's a Hole in My Sidewalk
by Potia Nelson

Chapter One
I walk down a street and there's a big hole. I don't see it and fall into it. It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to find my way out. It's not my fault !

Chapter Two
I walk down the same street. There's a big hole and I can see it, but I still fall in. It's dark and hopeless and it takes me a long time to get out. It's still not my fault.

Chapter Three
I walk down a street. There's a big hole. I can see it, but I still fall in. It's become a habit. But I keep my eyes open and get out immediately. It is my fault.

Chapter Four
I walk down a street. There's a big hole. And I walk around it.

Chapter Five
I walk down a different street.

A friend sent me this poem earlier today. At first I thought of it like every other"pep-talk" e-mail that is circulated, but then I read it. It's pretty amazing in that it illustrates that as complicated as we make life out to be, in the end it is amazing how simple it is.

I said good-bye to Stephen today, one of the hardest things I have ever done. Stephen is a great guy that I got to know over the past six months. During that period I learned a great deal about myself and the world around me and for that I cannot be more grateful. I wish him the best in his life, love, and career.

So the hard part, Chapter 5, walking down a different street....

Hmmmm...

There is not really much that I can add here except that I thought that V.P. Cheney had straighted out the Iraqi Parliament a week or so ago. I mean, hell, he scared the shit out of me, and he was thousands of miles a way. Perhaps he should take a couple of these boys out on a "Texas Style" hunting trip...that should do the trick.

For Stephanie...

Ok, I couldn't resist seeking this video out and posting it for you. Our mutual love for this song only demonstrates how strange we really are...



Also, we had a great time last night with Nicki. Ryan was very successful in keeping it a surprise. Of course our group gave her liquor. It was also interesting sitting with a group of Hill Rats that work for Hil. Even our usually composed KT fell into the trap "OMG, you work down the hall in blah blah dumb asses office"....OMG, do you know who I rode in the elevator with??? Oh and finally, the Cuban gets big props. Not once did he point at something and fart and he gave everyone a ride home. You would have been proud!!

Anyway, love ya...come home soon.