Monkeys, Ninjas & Mexican Masked Wrestling School

first year is done...

2006-05-19T08:22:00.000-05:00

so, i have officially completed my first year of optometry school. while i'm not a straight A student, i somehow managed to end the year with a 3.16 (on 4.00 scale). kind of surprising considering how hard this past quarter was. nevertheless, i am officially a 2nd year student. next year at this time, i will be starting in clinic, working on actual patients. are you scared yet????

New Verb - Shiver

2006-02-22T13:24:00.000-05:00

Thursday
Carol, Michele and I try to leave for Chicago to visit Melly Mel. Due to some interesting weather in the Greater Chicagoland Area, we were canceled. Oh joy - We were cool - we had a place to stay and apparently we were the only nice people in line at the United Counter. I think our jocularity and good spirits helped our United Shiney Headed Guy work harder to help us, which we higly approved of. "Screw them" we giggled of the mean folks. =)
As follows, a wee pictorial of our adventure

Friday =)
are we there yet? Mind you at this point we've been trying to get to Chicago for 24 hours and there was NOTHING to eat and the 15 minute cab ride was an hour. Poor Michele, Me and Carol

Can we eat yet? - Poor Michele

From 2707

Interesting Illumination

Saturday =)
Preparing to go outside - This was not the weather of my people

Hey, a robot, he's being all flurty

Hey, a robot makers fanny, now I'm being flurty

The ZarnChiCago chapter of MENSA meeting will now begin. President Girl Next Door, VP Surly and Secretary Queen of the EYE Ball
The Water Tower - a ghost lives there, right in front of a mall, so that's good realestate for him

Cab ride home

Sunday =)
Viewing of the bean - Carol and Michele

We're in the bean - Carol, Michelle and Me

Ah... Hey Carol, look at the skaters..

Yeah Michele, they're ass cold like we are

skaters in the bean - you can just make us out in the bean too, 3 little spots

waiting..... Carol & Michelle

Amazing Grace

From the L

The sign is so right

Home from 8F

i haven't QUITE fallen off the face of the earth

2006-01-26T18:08:00.000-05:00

so, school is hard. i'm kind of in hiding right now. i will surface soon. i promise. until then, here's a lovely pic of my and my buddies from school.

anne is in the back; stacy and jeff are on the right.

happy (ugh) new year...

2006-01-09T09:34:00.000-05:00

so, thrilling start to the new year. back at school. two tests down. fire in the church across the street...http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-060106fire,1,5281826.story?coll=chi-news-hed
terrible stuff. luckily no one was in the church, so the only injuries were some firefighters who had heat exhaustion or inhalation injuries (i think). the church is directly across the street from the residence hall for my school. luckily only 18 of the ~150 residents got displaced.
in other news...um, well i really don't have any other news.

Uber Yummy Pumpkin Cookies from Cookiefest 2005

2006-01-05T14:41:00.000-05:00

Shout out to Lauren H - New Addition to Cookiefest 2005 - this was sooo yummy!!

Pumpkin cookies with icing

Cookies:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup reg pumkin pack (like Libby's)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup golden raisins
Cream together shortening, sugar and pumpkin. Add egg and mix well. Mix together dry ingredients and blend with the wet ingredients. Stir in raisins with a spoon. Batter should be fluffy and WILL NOT TASTE GOOD. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees. Bake 9-12 minutes. Use about 1 TBSP of batter per cookie. Cook until the edges turn brown. Cookies must be fully cooked.

Icing:
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP real butter
4 tsp milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
Dissolve butter, milk and brown sugar in a saucepan on fairly low heat.Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar and keep warm on lowest heat. Drizzleon cookies while they are still hot on the cookie sheet.

Ah to be a super hero...

2005-11-28T14:18:00.000-05:00

You scored as Lara Croft. A thrill-seeking, slightly unscrupulous, tough-as-nails archaeologist, Lara Croft travels the world in search of ancient relics perhaps better left hidden. She packs two Colt .45s and has no fear of jumping off buildings, exploring creepy tombs, or taking on evil meglomaniacs bent on world domination.

Lara Croft

83%

William Wallace

83%

Captain Jack Sparrow

79%

Indiana Jones

75%

Neo, the "One"

75%

James Bond, Agent 007

71%

The Amazing Spider-Man

71%

Maximus

67%

The Terminator

67%

Batman, the Dark Knight

63%

El Zorro

50%

Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com

breakity break break break

2005-11-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

so, today is the last day of my thanksgiving break. it was a good one. i got some things accomplished which made me happy and gave the illusion of productivity. i spent some time with my buddy stacy who is cool. i got to work at a vision screening which was cool. dad and bonnie came through on wednesday with big news. they are getting hitched on 8 april. thursday i got to volunteer at the church for the dinner for seniors and clients of the food pantry. it was cool. there were some really nice people that i got to meet. it was big for the church because the governer came (along with news and security and entourage). so my church (http://www.stjamesonwabash.com/) got some great publicity thanks to the chicago food depository. i had dinner with a few classmates at one of our professor's home. we got to play with her 2 1/2 year old daughter. kids crack me up! friday i (gasp) organized my apartment. i'm almost done. really, i swear. then dad and bonnie came back on saturday and we hung out & went to dinner with some of my school friends. it was pretty fun. i'm waiting for the photographic evidence.

ok...so, i know that may have been kind of boring writing, but i'm tired and hungry, so that's all you get.

Halloween!

2005-11-16T16:56:00.000-05:00

OOOOOOo scaaarey fire...
...and our friends have new suits...
...and new facial hair
Oh my, what a suit! Dude where did you get that suit?
Adam is only going to tell us one more time - his mommy made it
Ward likes Adams suit but his is slime proof Tyvek
"But Ward, did you not see may fabulous shoes?"

(that his mommy made for him)
"Adam, that's some mighty fine foot wear..."
"... but look at what I can do!"
SO SCAREY!

Ward's Egyptologist Yalie Hairy Caveman
Raven may require some dental work
Raven shares a photo op. I'm Twister the Movie
Get it? Twister...

farm equipement and animals glued to my chest... never mind
Yeah, we get it =)
I don't think we've had enough to drink, do you?
Hmmmm? have we?
Nope, let's get some more
Michelle doesn't think this is enough to do the trick

I have been a wee tardy with post Halloween pictures - sorry!

crazy family (the good kind)

2005-11-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

so, i just got an email update from my cousin christie who is volunteering in miami for a christian outreach program. since volunteering full time isn't enough for my little driven one, she has decided work on two huge projects. 1 - she wants to start a music magazine devoted to christian music. i'll be posting a weblink when she gets it going. 2 - she's starting a book about her volunteer experiences. she's only 22! my little cousin is growing up and it's kind of scary. i am so very proud of her! but, i still remember (and have photographic evidence) of her running around with a bucket on her head at age 2. even though we spent many years not being very close, i still feel like a proud mama when i think about what she's accomplished so far and what she's going to do in just a few short years.

done, done, done!

2005-11-05T11:20:00.000-05:00

yay! first set of finals is done. i have a RIDUCULOUS amount of energy right now but i know i'm not going to get anything done because i no longer have focus! however...in my yahoo account, i have the best spam i've had in a while. the "you'r being set up on a blind date" one is just tempting me like crazy...haha. it makes me think that blind dates have to be the most horrible things in the world. as much as i think i'd like to find someone, i hope i never have to get set up on an actual blind date.

i'm going out with some classmates tonight. hopefully i don't make too much of an ass of myself. wish me luck...

Ridiculous

2005-11-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

So, the nursing department decided that we need to register ourselves for the next semester (they registered us for the current semester). But, instead of being able to register for everything, we can only register for 2/6 classes. And, we are only allowed to register for one of the sections. What's the point? Is it really that much for them to register us for the other classes?

Anyway, school is going well. I might have an A in every class, at least so far. But, I'm only at the halfway mark.

mid-finals blues...

2005-11-02T09:48:00.000-05:00

so, i think i'm getting a C or C+ in anatomy which makes me happy because i didn't get a C-. possible A- in biochem & possible A in optometry. three more exams to go - physio, sensory, and optics. we have a break today, which kind of annoys me. when i spend to much time alone, i start thinking. which can be bad. i tried calling about 10 people on monday but no one was answering. which led me to think that no one really likes me and i have no friends. even though i know that's not the case (at least i hope it's not!), i can't stop myself from being all negative. i can't wait to see you guys next week. i need a friend-fix bad! on a happy note - i might get to perform with my dance troupe on thursday. so excited! i haven't been dancing much so it will be good to get moving.

halloweenie

2005-10-29T16:28:00.000-05:00

one final down, 5 more to go. it's going to be a long week. but! tonight i get to carve a pumpkin. my pumpkins always come out looking cheesy, but i really don't care. it's more about the process anyway.

i'll be thinking of my halloween crowd - been with you guys for the last 4 years. i hope you have a wonderful party. i will kick your butt if you didn't take a crap-load of pictures to share with me!

happy halloween.

finals

2005-10-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

one quarter (almost) down and 15 more to go. plus boards and externships and possibly a residency. hmm...they say when you're done it's supposed to seem like it flew by. ok, sure.

anyway...if you didn't notice...the white sox swept the world series. i almost wouldn't have known except that my friend from church who apparently noticed i don't pay attention texted (word?) me that they won. chicago is a happy town.

in other news: my laptop is patiently waiting to return to the mothership. there was an unfortunate incident earlier this week. sad really. i was hoping she'd be available to help me study for finals, but i guess she just need a break. hopefully my hard drive isn't totally fried. mainly just for the fact that i hadn't gotten around to backing up my music files...dumb!

and - my brother called (tuesday?) to say that they were fine. the conversation was "hi" "hi" "everyone's fine" "that's good" "just called to tell you everyone's fine, go study" "ok". it was like a breakthrough for both of us. usually we have to gab, gab, gab until one of us annoys the other before we can hang up. quite possibly the shortest zarn-to-zarn conversation in the history of the universe.

ok...off to try to study.

pray for the safe passage of my family

2005-10-24T11:42:00.000-05:00

i got this amazingly acurate satellite picture from a friend i used to work with. currently my brother & his family and my grandparents are sitting under this (or waiting out the passage). i can't believe she even has a smile on her face! how cruel.

More from the Chicago Land area

2005-10-21T00:37:00.000-05:00

city in a bean

not sure where this is, but I liked it

Me and the Bus of my People...

...and apparently my own fencing and potty company

Mel play Godzilla

Canadia Jeff and Melly Mel

Somewhere between Chicago and Heaven...

2005-10-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

Flying into O'Hare at 10:50 PM

City ready for Halloween - Downtown Chicago

Fall Garden in Millennium Park

Top the Sears Tower facing north east

Giant Shiney Jelly Bean in the Park

Wee Trees in the Park

Mel and Michael - BFFE!

Under the L

Roosevelt Stop on the L

Very tall - near Navy Pier

Seriously... it was in the Sears Tower Promo Video.

perfect...

2005-10-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8335653541#descript

fear

2005-10-17T07:13:00.000-05:00

the primary reason people don't do the things they want to do is fear. it has really little to do with intention or laziness or whatever else you can think of. however, fear can also make you do things. like changing your life. the equation has to be fear of the unknown < fear of the known. this year (my 30th and most fabulous year) is all about change. yep, it's scary as hell. but it's a lot less to fear than being stuck where i was hating my job and floating in empty promises. so don't avoid your fear. embrace it. find out where it takes you.

3 weeks to go

2005-10-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

first quarter is over in a few weeks. i can't wait! maggi is visiting this weekend. we will hopefully be up to no good.

good news...i finally did really well on a physio test. now i just have to kick anatomy in the butt.

the other melissa...

2005-10-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

this is my new friend melissa. she also has an undergrad in engineering; she's a second-year student here. she's cool. she's much taller in person, she was just being nice in the picture so i didn't look so short.

Parents in for a visit

2005-10-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

So, my parents were in town this last weekend. For the whole weekend. I love my parents, but I'm not an only child, I'm #2 of 4, so all that individual attention is hard to deal with.

The visit went well, we went to some museums, the mall and the zoo. The SolarDecathalon was on the mall, very interesting. It rained almost the whole weekend, so that made some fun DC things out of the picture. They left this morning for the airport around 10am and I left for school at 6:30am, so I just have to assume that since they aren't here, they made it to there OK.

chicago in the fall

2005-10-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

it's freakin' chilly. today, mid-day, it was 48 degrees. last week it was 90. i hate when the weather changes that quickly. i still don't have an official "winter" coat. i was at target today and saw an adorable red coat with a faux fur collar. it would have looked fabulous on me, however...only in small. damn!!!!

anyway...school is trudging along. monday we have the mother of all physiology tests. it's on about 1/3 extra material than the other 2 tests, so it's going to be a bitch. wish me luck. i need to pull up my grade a whole lot in that class. currently in the "c" range. while lovely when sung by a soprano, not so cool when you're trying to do well in school. i'll be studying tonight and tomorrow like mad.

so, since i've been in chicago, i've gotten pretty good at going to mass. last night i went to eucharistic adoration. i cried like a baby. lovely. but, i miss you guys so much and i miss my mom, and i need the feeling of home. the organizer said at the beginning that you were supposed to think about and thank him for the sacrifices he made. i was thankful for the church i found because they make me feel like family already and i've only been there about 2 months.

anyway...not to get all religious on the blog, i just wanted to share. i can't wait til next weekend...maggi is coming to visit!!!! i'm checking into cool site-seeing things that wouldn't be too ass-cold.

ooh...and another thing...what is this crap about george bush outlawing daylight savings time?

Whore Moans

2005-10-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

Is everyone just pissing you? Will the milk container just not stop leaking? Can you hear your neighbor two flights up brushing his teeth? Do you feel the need to mutter "bastard" to every man who walks by you? Do you feel like there is no bra in the world that could possible help?

The solution is clear and swift...

In the interest of saving women from donning postal uniforms and registering for small assalt weapons, I will open A chocolatier for all those afflicted, Whore Moans

Dropping a class!!!

2005-09-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

I've convinced the school of nursing that I do not need to take a basics of research class!!! But there is a stipulation. Instead of a 3 hour boring as hell class, I can take a 1 hour independant study class. The research that I have to do for independant study will also be used for a summer class----so I will be ahead of the game!

Unfortunately, I have one day to drop and add a course and get all of the necessary forms and signitures. wish me luck!

i love the grace

2005-09-28T19:14:00.000-05:00

my buddy called me the other night to say she couldn't come visit in october because she's swamped. we chatted about the weekend. i saw an ex (from several years ago) this past weekend. i told her i wish i was a bigger person and that i wish i acted like i was over him, but i see him and i have no desire to speak with him and i can't bring myself to go start a conversation. she said all that is required of me is to not be rude if he comes to talk to me. that is all that's necessary to be the bigger person. sometimes you jsut need someone to say something that simple to make things ok. i'm glad she called!

protests

2005-09-26T18:28:00.000-05:00

check out some pics my friend john took at the dc protest this weekend:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wideopen/sets/1009951/

i forgot about the protests when i was travelling back to dc this weekend. i don't know if it's that i'm so disconnected that i didn't know or i'm so desensitized that i didn't know. either way, the protesting is well documented.

happy weekend

2005-09-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

in honor of the cuties who got married this weekend and the cuties who celebrated their anniversary this weekend. i love you guys.

Quote of the day

2005-09-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

"CaptMnky: It's sad. I can no longer listen to the Jackson 5 without feeling somewhat creeped out."

people are crazy

2005-09-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

So, I have this peds class. There's quite a bit of information that we need to know for the final, in Dec. I'm not really that concerned with it---it is 3 months away. But, everyone in my class is freaked out about it. There are currently 10 emails in my inbox on how to study and that we should form a giant study group to go over the information. With each of us making notes and copying them so that we all have each other's notes. Granted the professor is a bit disorganized, but the stuff she goes over she covers well and she has stated numerous times, that if it is presented in class it's important. Are these people overly crazy or am I too relaxed?

arrgh! how did we miss this?

2005-09-19T18:51:00.000-05:00

apparently it's international talk like a pirate day. i feel so out of touch with reality...

convention

2005-09-19T08:48:00.000-05:00

this past weekend was convention for usana. it was pretty cool. although, my body doesn't like flying and i was nauseous when i landed; and the air is too dry for me out there, so i was feeling crappy most of the time. but, i learned some cool things and met some amazing people. i also made some decisions. 1-i will start eating better and i will do it now. 2-i will try to figure out if i have an allergy that's causing my sinus issues. 3-i will share more and share more often. ok, so not quite the best order in priority, but if i'm not taking care of myself, how can i help others take care of themselves?
my friends, i love you all. don't forget that. you'll need to remember it when i'm being a crap-head and you want to kick me...

me = crappy test taker

2005-09-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

i've always had a really easy time on standardized tests and really anything multiple choice. what happened? is it just age? i totally suck. and all our tests are multiple choice. and we have like 2 every week. and homeworks on top of it...grr...

Aloha!

2005-09-11T21:32:00.000-05:00

Aloha means Hello and Farewell - As The Flea is My Piko Sister of Hula - I share the photos of her Northern VA Ohana and their Ahola Luau for the Flea =)

and then on tuesday...

2005-09-10T11:03:00.000-05:00

so, we joined the "private practice club". the first meeting was with a speaker, dr tracy williams from the white sox. he's the O.D. for both the sox and the bulls. he had lots of stories to tell about how he got from being an ico student to where he is now. after the talk, we all scooted over to the game. the white sox were playing the k.c. royals. it was a fun game. we sat sooooooo close...check the picks. we were ~5 rows back and directly in line with 1st & 2nd base. and beside us was the bullpen. being a student is fun!!

jazz fest

2005-09-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

labor day weekend in chicago = jazz fest. since we're new and still trying to check out every little thing that happens, me and some friends decided to head down there. check out how cute we are! that's stacy, anne, and me. we had fun at the festival part of jazz fest. we didn't get to catch much music, but we enjoyed our own company. and really, what more could you ask for?

One week down 51 more to go

2005-09-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

So, the first week was pretty good. Things that I thought that I would have problems with are not a problem. Most of my classmates are friendly and a little crazy--traits that I approve of. There is a lot of reading to do. We'll see how that goes.

The major problem with my new life is that we have no computer access at home :( I have to do all computer stuff on campus. At least the computers are nice.

My Cyborg Name

2005-09-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

Yes,I know I'm a total dork!

the price of revelry

2005-08-31T20:17:00.000-05:00

pharyngitis and otitis media. or a sore throat and an ear infection. dammit. it's only the second week of school!

well...we got our exam schedule for the quarter. we have about 2 tests every week starting next week. i think everyone is freaking out a little. but i'm sure we'll all figure it out soon enough.

classes and concerts and beer, oh my

2005-08-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

so, my frist weekend "in school" was pretty eventful. went out with some friends on thursday. my new buddy casey is definitely helping me adjust. he's crazy enough to hang out with me when i don't know what to do with myself. friday was a school social and then the students' play. we ended up going out after. (read - too much cheap beer!) saturday was the ICOlympics. each of the 4 classes competed. my class was totally in the lead, but due to some faulty scoring and some accidental bad sportmanship we came in 2nd. it was still a lot of fun. saturday night i got to go to pancho pistola's - my new favorite mexican restaurant. it was fabulous. we went to another house party on sat night (again - too much cheap beer).

and then on sunday...

another new buddy, natalka, and i decided to try to get tickets for the jack johnson show at northerly island. we went down to the marina and walked around until we found someone willing to sell us 2 tickets for $80. we finally got in, got our "concert gear" and made our way to the GA seating area. about 20 min later, matt costa came on. he's totally fun. great first set. ALO was next. kind of jammy (sorry carol), but great fun. they have a song "about ah-nold" called "do you like my pecs?" jack johnson came out and did a song with them before their set ended. so cool. then when his set started, the keyboardist from ALO came out and played piano. he called up ALO's guitarist for 3 or 4 songs. then matt costa came back and jack & matt did and acoustic beatles song. fabulous, fabulous, fabulous! so the icing...wait for it...

during his encore, jack played 3 songs accoustic and then said: "i usually play this song during my sets. tonight, i'd like to bring out the man who wrote it." enter JIMMY BUFFET. ok, never been a parrot head, but holy crap! that was awesome. they played "a pirate looks at 40" as a duet.

and that was fun as crap weekend!

First Day of School!

2005-08-29T06:48:00.000-05:00

So, today is my first day at George Mason. I'm pretty excited even though I was up before the sun. Let's see how long this lasts.

current mood

2005-08-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

holy crap it's wednesday!

2005-08-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

yeah, wednesday. can you believe it? today is the mid-point of my first week of classes. so far, so good.

during orientation, i was elected the student note-taker coordinator for the first year class. it was really a grueling election, as i was the only nominee. so, part of my first week is trying to make sure i know what everyone (of my note-takers) needs to know before they think to ask me. ah...it's almost like being back at work and dealing with my boss.

we have had optics, anatomy, sensory aspects of vision, and biochem so far. today is physiology and pathology, more sensory, and optometric procedures. how cool is that? i'm totally psyched for today.

in other news...i went to a dance workshop this weekend. it was fun. i got to dance to live music. i turn into a total spaz with live music. i kept hopping and bopping around waiting for the "slow part" that never showed up. i can't wait to see the video so i can see what it really looked like. the good news is that i decided to take some classes at this studio. so i (at least for the mean time) have a new dance home. which means that i actually stand a chance of maintaining my sanity this quarter!

i still don't have computer access at my apartment, but i think i'm just going to break down and get it. i can't stand not being able to just check the internet when i feel like it. i'm a total junkie!

oh well...i miss you guys. when are you coming to chicago???

For the religious left and right...

2005-08-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

I just knew it...

If The Flea were a Poster....

2005-08-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Learn something new everyday

2005-08-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

Look what I can do!
LOOKIT MOM!LOOKIT!

Danke to the KABBU - my chapeau is off to vous

Holy Super Asian Shirt Folding Batman!

2005-08-19T16:11:00.000-05:00

Ok, I can't figure out how to get this video on my blog but just click here and watch

laundry may never be the same again

Current Mood

2005-08-18T14:37:00.000-05:00

An optometry student, a brit and a brasilian walk into a bar...

2005-08-17T07:20:00.000-05:00

It's 1 AM, and I am just falling asleep.... aaaaaaahh... sleep... I like sleep...of my many talents, sleeping is one I'm good at and like to practice often. Waking up - that is still tricky with me, not a good waker upper, especially when awakened by "Sweeeeeeeeeet Home Alabama! Lord, I'm comin home to yooooou" [my cell phone ring]... Who is calling at 1 AM? I see it's The Flea. Is it an emergency? is she ok? so i answer.

Five minutes earlier, somewhere in chicago....
"wait a minute, wait a minute, you're brasilian??? dude you gotta call my friend maggi!"

Do I hear The Flea on the other end of the phone? yes, yes I do, but it is not she calling....
So it's 1 AM, I am on the phone with some brasilian dude, The Flea laughing her ass off in the background and then John from Manchester is on the phone, who can't understand me b/c I'm speaking American. "DUDE, maggi, I met this guy and he was all my friend is brasilian and I was all, and we were drinkin', right?..."
All of this - 6 hours before I need to get up and get to work.

Apparently, The Flea is doing just fine in lovely Down Town Chicago... it's her kind of town =)

one more day

2005-08-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

orientation starts tomorrow and i will FINALLY start meeting people. i'm so bored with myself. my apartment is - shockingly - still a giant mess. my grand plan was to get it all squared away before orientation. unless i work like a fiend tonight, that's not gonna happen. oh well. more later....

if you can't trust the government, who can you trust?

2005-08-13T13:33:00.000-05:00

ok, that's one of my all-time favorite movie quotes...thank you, mr. serious. it came into my head when i was driving to chicago. right now, i'm not sure who i'd trust. well, i guess i should trust my dad since he helped me move all my crap out here. and maybe the nice security guard at my school who hooked me up with a "hall pass" on friday.

interesting events since moving in. well, the highlight is probably getting stopped on the street walking from the library to school and getting asked out by a random stranger. so as not to seem too creepy, he did point out that he was driving his mom and her boyfriend somewhere as a favor. i seriously doubt i'll call, but it was sweet of him to offer. and admittedly, probably the first time in about 14 months since anyone's asked me out. (ex-boyfriends trying to hook up with me don't count).

this morning i went to millenium park for exercise in the park. i tried Zumba! which is like latin dancing in an aerobics format. i'm going to hurt in a few hours. i may even have to go to bed early. it was fun, and i might try it again, but my back was already sore from moving, so it probably wasn't the best idea. dammit, i love commas!

millenium park is awesome. if you come to visit, i will take you there. then we can walk down to roosevelt and go to the huge-ass target. and then, we'll hit the white castle on the corner of the shopping center by my apt for a snackity-snack.

ok...trying not to make this too long. more later. maybe even photos. if it ever stops raining!

Current Mood

2005-08-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

Shocker at work

2005-08-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

So, as you may know I'm quitting my job in less than 10 days!!!!

HR claims that they never received my resignation letter. My boss claims that he gave it to them and they confirmed it. Who's to blame?

Who cares?

The best part is that the guy that my boss is trying to hire won't be able to start for 14 days, because the job needs to be posted before he can get it. That's right kids, there will be 4 days with no one working at my job:)

What's a girl to do?

where's the ton of bricks that just hit me?

2005-08-05T14:13:00.000-05:00

oh, yeah...here it is, all over my floor. i hate packing. i hate moving. most of all i hate finding out at the last minute that i have to pay $200 more to move into my new apartment. seriously. i move in like 5 days. if i didn't believe in karma, i'd thumb my nose at the universe right now!

priceless...

2005-08-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

i found this when i was tooling around checking up on some blogs that i like to read. hope the link works:

http://spaces.msn.com/members/jennif/Blog/cns!1p3p-1Jc6IFgmJvpz9ziA7YQ!816.entry

important information about blogging & depression...

Wouldn't we all?

2005-08-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

"There are very few people I dislike in this world - almost none actually - but I would pay good money for the opportunity to punch this person in the nads."
August 4, 2005
Sancho "Barty" McMastersonisky Panza
- while discussing certain coworkers
(name has been changed to protect the guilty)

Current Mood

2005-08-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

Oh Sweet Marie

current mood

2005-08-03T12:35:00.000-05:00

current mood

2005-08-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

baby food coma

2005-08-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

so, i'm visiting my family in florida. they are all completely insane. it's true. (and by no means am i exempting myself from the insanity.)

however, my niece makes it all worth it. she will be 5 months old in just a few days. i remember holding her in the hospital and when she first came home and she was tiny. she fit on me without legs hanging over every which way. now when i hold her to feed her, her little chunk-master legs wrap half-way around my body. i bet if she tried she could grab her toes on the other side. and she pushes all over the place, hands and feet going at the same time. when you put her on her tummy she twists and scoots, almost crawling, i CAN'T wait! when you put her on her back, she sings. she's got the crazy purr/gurgle thing going on. it's the cutest thing!!! (i am not biased.) but my favorite thing is when she's laying in your lap eating. she gets so wound up before she starts to eat that she does this "mmmaaahhh" sound like she's being tortured - even though there's a full bottle hanging out of her little mouth. then she settles down and closes her eyes. but not if there's any noise around; she bolts up and flaps those eyelids open at the slightest stimulation. the best, best, best moment is when she's totally asleep, still sucking on the bottle and you try to take it away from her. she will, without opening her eyes, force a scowl on her face, open that little mouth and tell you, forcefully, to put it back. she's truly a master. she is 100% in control of everyone who is in her vicinity. it brings me such joy to see her manipulate everyone to do her bidding. my little girl, she's going to be such a heart-breaker. of course, she's got several years of training, but she shows such strong skills already.

her latest trick, sticking her face in the water when she's in the pool. her grammy dunked her for the first time the other day. she came up with a look that said, "hey, what was that??" but no coughing, choking, or swallowing of water. she's a natural...swimming lessons here she comes! shortly after the dunking, she was in her floaty rafty thing and faceplanted into the water. twice. or maybe even three times in a row. totally on purpose. when we got her sitting up again, she just smiled at us like we did exactly what she wanted. she's just about freakin' perfect.

it's so cool to look at her with those tiny little hands and think that's 1 complete person in a tiny little package that's going to grow into an adult eventually. holly crap, i think i just scared myself out of having babies...

Melly Dancing

2005-08-01T01:46:00.000-05:00

Shout Out to the Flea!
Dance Baby Dance!

i'm sorry, what?

2005-07-26T23:24:00.000-05:00

Today, 3 people all said the same thing to me: You should date and meet someone and make babies

I beg your pardon?
I'm cool with just me.

My dear friend is marvoulously in love, so now she's after me to start dating
I said, Why is it not ok that I'm happy by myself, it that wrong?
She said, yes, you should be with someone, start dating
OH,
I should start DATING,
I thought,
all this time,
everyone has been telling me to start RATING,
which is why I'm so critical with I go out with men
He's a 2
He was 7
He's more of a 4.5 who thinks he's a 9.5, which really makes him a 3.87

Another dear friend, we'll call him Ceasar, whom I hold dear to my heart and gladly accept his wisdom, and I chatted about this just this evening.....
Ceasar : fuck people telling you to date
ever so eloquent
Ceasar : you know what happened to me today?
Ceasar : my mom
Ceasar : IMs me
Ceasar : she just got back form a massage
Ceasar : and thinks
Ceasar : hey, I should hook up my massuese (in NC) with Ceasar
Ceasar : so she gets the womans e-mail addy
Ceasar : and makes me promise to write her
SIEIRO : NO! that's me
Ceasar : WTF?
SIEIRO : OMG
Ceasar : the woman is almost 40 and has 2 kids

integrity finally overcame desire

2005-07-26T22:52:00.000-05:00

i went to see ani difranco tonight at wolftrap. holy crap, i love her! she's amazing. i went with my friend haley; we've been to several shows together (we think we're up to 4 now). it's become our little annual "date" night. her friend kim met us there tonight - first time we've had another person join us. it was so much fun. i'm going to miss going to see ani with her. she's trying to get into the peace corps right now. i think it will be at least 8 months before she's got an appointment, but i'll be in chicago, so we're not sure about catching another show.

before i get too carried away...erin mckeown opened. she was fabulous. she did a solo set for about 30-40 minutes. she came in at the end of ani's show and performed "32 flavors" with ani. she's incredibly talented!

so, the title of this blog is from a song i'd never heard by ani - i assume it's a new one. the chorus was about finding a book given to her by a former flame and wanting to throw it away, but realizing the value of the book. i'm kind of in the middle of crap like that. not that my exes have been all that generous, but i'm trying to get rid of so much, i'm sure i'm also trying to throw away any evidence that they existed.

for now the culling through belongings has ceased. i'm off to florida tomorrow to go see my baby (check out the zarniverse...pictures of my baby in the pool with her mommy and daddy will be posted soon). packing sucks and i'm no good at packing all of my belongings. i want to leave so much behind, but i also don't want to lose anything.

i'm not sure what to do sometimes. i'm having a hard time right now, like i usually do when my life is being uprooted. being single, i realize that i am no one's first choice. i'll never be that. it hurts sometimes because i just want to know that my family and friends love me. sometimes i feel like i have to be chosen over everything else for that to be true. but then, everyone i know has someone or something they would chose over me. so it's never going to happen that way. i hate that feeling. i actually really like being single. i'm always much healthier single than in a relationship, so i don't know why it makes me sad. but it does.

bleck. enough of that crap. so my new favorite musical obsession is gavin degraw. my favorite line (from "meaning") is "sometimes the only way is jumping, i hope you're not afraid of heights".

back to ani...she's totally into this nuclear political thing right now. i'm terribly a-political, so it's hard for me to get excited about stuff like that. but she talked about going to senators' offices and getting the same crap line..."the senator really doesn't have that much power". then she said "it turns out we, the people, have the power". ok, not political me, but totally loving her for that statement. don't ever forget that you have power. especially when you unite for a cause.

she did some phenomenal spoken-word pieces. this woman is my absolute idol. she started as a wee (she's just 5 ft tall) 18 or 19 year old trying to make as a musician and she's now (i think) a 32-year old queen of her own domain. she's the epitome of indie. she just kept recording, producing, and publishing her own music and has built this following that is truly amazing. she's done it all on her own drive without some record company with crap-loads of money and media control backing her. i love that. there it is; the power of the indiviual in this great country.

ok...time for bed.

i have the chair!

2005-07-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

in a major coup, i have finally gain ownership of the beloved chair. yesterday i was supposed to be going to vb to see dad and pick up his futon for my new studio apartment (aka - melissa's chicago couch and coffee). he called me on wednesday and said, "i guess you don't have room for THE CHAIR, so i'm not sure what to do with it" "I'LL TAKE THE CHAIR" "are you sure you can fit it with the futon?" "CHAIR YES, FUTON NO".

let me explain...this is the COOLEST chair in the world. my parents got this chair back before they had me, and i think before they had the original center of the zarniverse (3.5 yrs older than me) along with a 7-ft tuxedo sofa. it was blue and green swirly crazy 70's print. unfortunately they decided to get "nice" furniture at some point, so the couch had to go, but not the chair. the chair got to be re-upholstered in beige-on-dark-beige check print.

the chair spent some time with the brotherman until he decided he didn't have room in his bedroom for it. then, it spent some time with the flea. then it spent some time in the den (as charlie's favorite seat - 50 lbs of black mutt curled up on the chair was a great site!). during it's time in the den, many sat in the chair and loved the chair. after charlie passed, the brotherman brought home mischka.

mischka was about 5 lbs when he came home. his favorite game was to run full tilt under the chair. then he started to grow (about 5 lbs/week). it didnt' take long until running full tilt at the chair resulted in smashed head or stuck under the chair.

the chair retained it's place of prominence after mom passed and even after dad moved. but it was always a source of contention from the day it moved from the brotherman's room "i'm getting the chair when i move out." "you gave up the chair, it is mine." the battle has raged for almost 10-years.

how could i POSSIBLY say no to the chair???? victory is mine, miNE, MINE!!!!

(pictures will be posted of the chair)

if you have any poop, fling it now!

2005-07-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

i think that is my new favorite movie quote. i went to to see madagascar yesterday with francesca and sofia. sofia turned 5 yesterday. she is SUCH a diva.

surprise! the good, the bad, and the ugly

2005-07-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

so, tonight i was supposed to meet up with my halawah sisters to "watch a movie". they are sneaky! it was a surprise dinner gathering with dancing afterwards. my favorite dancing girls and the boys they are attached to. it was great. dinner and dessert and a fabulous middle eastern restaurant. great conversation. yummy food and wine. balloons! dancing plans.

and then it wasn't great. ex-boyfriends need to learn the following rules:
1) you don't exist to me. you never existed.
2) if you show up somewhere that i am, do not expect me to talk to you let alone be nice.
3) you are not allowed to look good.
4) your life is crap without me, so should you ever be seen in my presence, you should express your misery, not try to flirt with me.
5) do not give me puppy-dog eyes when trying to win my favor.

however, the good to come of that is that i finally had some closure and got to tell him a few choice words. and with the move, i probably won't have to run into him again. ever.

other than the shock of the ex-boyfriend meeting, it was quite a pleasant evening. i think i have the most wonderful friends anyone can have! i am going to be so sad to leave them. i hope they all come to visit soon. everyone keeps telling me how cool chicago is; they need to come hang out! i will post tempting pictures of my view of the lake!

alexis

2005-07-14T22:39:00.000-05:00

so, i mentioned in a previous blog that i would have to tell you about my new friend alexis. she is so cool. i think she's like 24 or 25. i love this girl. she is such a bad-ass dancing queen. you can check out her website (www.tribalfusionbellydance.com). i met her in dance class and we just hit it off. i love meeting people and i love when you have that instant click where you know that you were meant to be friends. she's got a heart of gold and a drive like nobody's business. but i think what impresses me the most is her openness. she's going through a lot right now; partly i think it's the point she is in her life. why is that age so painful? she in the transition now from student dancer to activist and teacher. she's making great strides in creating a community - which in this area for a belly dancer can be difficult. there's so much negative energy that you have to weed through in getting the goodness out of this. which is something that is so confusing for me. dance is supposed to be about joy, right? how can you bring joy and give joy to others if you're negative?
anyway...so alexis is awesome. if you're into dance and in the dc area, you should definitely check this girl out. she's the real deal.

mmmmmuffins

2005-07-13T08:29:00.000-05:00

cranky sleep
cranky wakeup
cranky morning
cranky coffee
ziploc with muffins
not so much the cranky

Thanks Flea!

my baby

2005-07-12T07:58:00.000-05:00

new pictures of my baby have been posted at the Center of the Zarniverse. she's cute. i get to see her in about 2 weeks. she's so big!!!! look for changes to the Center in about 8 or 9 more months...hee hee.

in other news - i still haven't gotten my last paycheck. kind of sucks bad when you have stuff set up under the pretense that you will actually get paid. i had been lulled by direct deposit. damn! but, i did get my apartment cleaned up in time for guests to come over last night. it was cool - spa facial party. sometimes you just gotta do girly crap. now the adventure begins in earnest to organize and purge out all the unnecessary stuff. starting to freak about moving.

lu-cha-ran!!!!!!

2005-07-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

i've realized that not enough has been said about masked wrestling recently. especially with the recent turmoil at the WB. why, oh why, did you have to remove mucha lucha from the line-up???? it was the best cartoon you had on saturday morning. xiao-lin showdown is good, but nothing compares to mini-luchadores learning their trade! plus, you could have ditched any one of the craptastic shows like pokemon or something equally lame. mucha lucha had so much more to offer - good versus evil, moral instructions, gaseous expulsions...what more, really, could one ask for? now, mucha lucha is only available on the cartoon network. great - but it sucks for those of us who don't get cable! this is a sad time for luchadores in training.

yes, i am the most sheltered person in the universe

2005-07-07T22:46:00.000-05:00

so, i'm not working now. which means, i don't have to EVER be exposed to the news if i don't want to. and mostly, i really don't want to. i woke up late (9:30) with the intention of finishing my "bedroom organization project" (loosely translated - put away your friggin' clothes!). and i was supposed to be meeting a friend for lunch at 11:30. as with most mornings, i checked my email, trying desperately to avoid reading any of the headlines on yahoo. london bombing, blah, blah, blah. i try to avoid reading any headlines when logging in to yahoo mainly because it is about 90% of the time about someone or several someones being blown up. i tried to call my friend to make sure lunch was still on, but for some reason, my cellphone wasn't working. well, i'm a dumbass! of course it wouldn't work. not when i live right next to a huge army base and under a flight path for the airport. not when horrible things are happening in the world. i didn't even realize what actually happened until i finally got out of my apartment and was forcibly fed the news with lunch. i cannot believe that after all the pain and suffering that we put each other through that shit like this continues to happen. it is still beyond me to kill for the sake of proving your point. how exactly does that prove anything except that you know how to put explosive stuff in a package and detonate it? how does blowing up things prove that you care about your cause? how does it even indicate that you have a cause? and don't you remember, we fight back. this attack will do nothing but piss off a whole slew of folks who are coming back at you. why? why? why?

please let me go back to being sheltered from the news and having not a clue as to the goings on of the outside world!

2005-07-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

these shoes would only cost me about $600 which is not quite a month's rent, but they are fabulous.

stupid horoscope...

2005-07-05T22:12:00.000-05:00

Melissa's Daily Gemini Forecast
Quickie: Don't spend too much money. Or go shopping at all. You already have great clothes.
Overview: Making your home into a nest is your primary focus, and it won't be easy to distract you. Keep in mind that sorting, fluffing and rearranging can actually be more satisfying than shopping.

except that i'm cranky because i have a cold and so much snot in my head right now that what would really make me happy is a new pair of shoes!

unemployed

2005-07-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

it's official:

I AM NO LONGER EMPLOYED!!!!!!!!!!!

so the next few weeks are to be dedicated to organizing my life and preparing for the move. the first step of the process occurred tonight when beth and i went to see khaled in concert. OH MY! it was a fabulous show. musically as well as for people watching. i lost count of how many people jumped up on stage to hug and kiss khaled. he was great though. he bounced around dancing and laughing when he wasn't singing. and even played the piano at one point. he's awesome!!! and sweaty. he changed shirts 3 times during the show and then again to sign autographs. beth and i waited to get some stuff signed. it was cool. it took a really long time, but now i have a cheb i sabbah autograph for alexis and a signed print of khaled i think i'll give to bonita. the coup almost was...beth spied a VIP pass on the ground in front of us and snatched it. i almost got khaled to sign it for us, but he thought the marker would rub off. that's how i ended up with the print. he totally cracked up when i handed him the pass. we didn't use it for evil. we promise!

now i am sleepy. it's been a very eventful day.

beans?

2005-06-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

monkeys don't like beans. it makes for a huge mess when they have to resort to poop-flinging. although, the flea, in his revelry in all things gross would enjoy the beans as it would make "what's een-side" all the more disgusting and powerful.

anyway...so, yes, i found an apartment. i will not be homeless in chicago. thank goodness. because without a car it was looking pretty grim for staying on the streets.

my apartment is going to be a wee studio with a balcony and a view of lake michigan. HOLY CRAP I'M EXCITED!

let the purging begin!

Watch your step

2005-06-29T12:27:00.000-05:00

Flea - I believe you have bean to spill across the floor as well, no?
about a certain location.... that will house your things.....

Ask me now before I am no longer insane!

AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHH

2005-06-24T07:47:00.000-05:00

dad and i are headed to the airport in a few minutes. off to chicago. please don't let me be homeless...

in other news - carol, are you going to post about school or do i have to spill the beans???

holy crap i can't wait!

2005-06-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

so, this is my first year cirriculum for school:

http://www.ico.edu/ico2/prostud/accpro2/firsty2.html

dad and i are heading to chicago this friday. we'll tour the school and then look at places for me to live. hopefully i won't be homeless.

it's a little crazy and overwhelming for me that i'm going to be starting school in another state in about 8 weeks. life is good.

How does the monkey feel today?

2005-06-22T08:58:00.000-05:00

the true motivation for last night's impromptu gathering...how can an email that starts with

how does the monkey feel today? Party on our
patio and find out!

be refused??? we can use all the excuse we want. but when it comes to monkeys, we like to drink.

toasted

2005-06-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

hee hee...waiting for maggi to call to tell me she made it safely on to the metro so i don't have to go out in my pj's. not that i would care at this point. if i did have to go pick up miss maggi from the metro, i wouldn't be taking her to vienna, that's for sure. we had beers. and horny monkeys. a mini drinkfest in honor of getting your feelings hurt for no good reason and to celebrate the first day of summer. which also had a full moon i believe. is it always like that? it was kind of cool. i had too many beers. i have the warm fuzzy feeling in my limbs. haven't been indulging much lately, so i'm unfamiliar with the feeling.
maggi, carol, raven, and adam, i think they are the best. i am going to miss them so much. it's very strange for me to think about not being able to call them and just hang out. i'm not sure i'm ready for it. tonight was good. we got a lot of making fun of each other in. expecially the boys...talking about their matching shoes. i even laughed out loud driving home thinking about it. they are silly.
i'm hoping for at least some good drunk phone calls once i'm in chicago. maybe even a visit...
smoochies.

i'm a unit of measure

2005-06-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

yes, i realize it's lame to google search oneself. however, it's entirely sweet to find things totally not related to anything:
http://www.galactic-guide.com/articles/8U29.html
i know, you envy me. having an entire system of measurement named after me. and i'm not even dead yet!!! feel free to incorporate the zarn unit of measure into your daily life.

p.s. - i love my carol and am totally pissed about the nursing school situation. however, we discussed and i agree with her. when things don't work out, there is always a reason. something else is in the plans for her. maybe a move to chicago so she can keep me company. maybe i'll even introduce her to vince vaughn (after i stalk him and become his new best friend).

so sad......

2005-06-17T07:36:00.000-05:00

So, as you may know I did not get into George Mason's nursing program. I went to talk to the admissions person yesterday and she basically told me that I obviously am very smart and would do well in the program, but they've had problems with researchers in the past and they have no desire to train nurses who do not want to work in a hospital.

I was very sad yesterday, and a little blue this morning, but I just saw this story on the news about this man whose pregnant wife is in a coma and he is keeping her alive only to save the baby. Needless to say, that gave me the perspective I needed and I'm not sad anymore, just dissapointed.

So, the new plan of action. Apply to Marymount and Georgetown, but dear God, say that I want to work in a hospital. Marymount feels that I should be able to go there in the fall, but I don't know if the timing will really work out. Georgetown has people entering in the spring semester, which is doable, but way more expensive.

I'm also going to try to find a new job--assuming that none of these schools work out and I end up working. So, my resume is being updated, and I hope to not be working in my current job for more than 6 months.

Carol

the story continues

2005-06-13T19:05:00.000-05:00

yes, believe it or not, the story continues after that exceptionally long post! where was i? i made it through friday eve. saturday, got up kind of early and tooled around. went to target. it was one i hadn't been to, so i really stayed too long. i was able to get out of there without buying too much crap. they even have pink-handled tools in the dollar spot which i did not purchase!
after target, i went to meet my dad to "strategize" about the move and upcoming plans for the semester. this strategery session consisted of my dad telling me that he's not ready to sell his place, so he wouldn't have the money to buy something in chicago. ok. i was surprised at what a relief it was when he told me that. but, that settled, we talked about timing for the move and ways i could throw in a trip to see my baby before i move. and my brother, sister-in-law, and grandparents, too.
after we coordinated our efforts (this took about 20 minutes total), it was time to eat. we were at my cousin christy's for a cookout. i got to see her babies - and watch them play in the pool and the sprinkler. they are so cute! ashley starts kindergarten in the fall. i can't believe she's so big! and my cousin helen came with her grandson benjamin. hadn't seen either of them in some time. benjamin is a cute little guy. a bit of a devilish grin; his mom will have her hands full when he grows up!
i only got to stay for a little bit at the cookout. i had registered for a dance workshop in dc. the workshop was intro to popping (break dance isolations) and bellydance-breakdance fusion. can i just say ouch! my arms were so sore after the first session. the popping was taught by phil thorn. he is adorable! and such a great dancer & teacher. great energy. he's at dc dance collective. i think his classes are on sundays. if you're interested in learning how to breakdance, i would highly recommend. the second part was taught by kaeshi chai. she's a belly dancer with a crazy-impressive resume. she has a troupe (belly queen) and has danced with the belly dance superstars and started a dance movement called pure (i think the website is pure.org). very cool. she showed us some great moves and fun combinations. all stuff i have to practice and play with.
the workshop was organized by my new dance friend alexis. i met her in faten's class. she's fabulous. i will have more to say about her in a later post (maybe called ode to alexis...this girl is cool "and by cool i mean totally sweet").
anyway...after the workshop, i went to a wine tasting hosted by kate and andrew. got to see a cute pregnant lady (mrs. kim fleming) and some friends that i don't get to talk to much and some people whose names i can't remember. i drank too much wine. i knew i was drinking too much, but i haven't been drinking much at all since january and i'm in a fairly self-indulgent mode right now. ok, ok. who am i kidding...i'm generally in a self-indulgent mode.
kate and i got to chat a bit which was cool.
sunday...the big day. i got up and started walking around from point to point in my apartment. i was totally unorganized. i had to finish fixing my skirt for the show. i had to lay out all my costumes. collect my makeup. gather up my snacks. shower! pack my bag. and get out of my apartment by 10:00 am. walk-through started at 10:30. high stress. we were jittery and some of the steps got messed up. i think this was the most stressed out i have seen faten at any of the three shows i've performed in with her. i felt very odd. i wanted to hug her and tell her i would do my best to make her proud. but i always worry that i'm going to look foolish and strange in comparison to the other dancers. i still have a pretty warped self-image when it comes to performing. i know i'm good, but it's hard when you're the short, stocky, squishy one among the lean, tall, muscular girls. plus, i totally wimped last year when she tried to put me in the front. i wanted to be in the front this year. so the one piece i was in the front, i flubbed and it was with the cane. i accidentally hit katie with my cane. i felt really foolish. i tried really hard to pull it together and finish strong. i want to see the video to see how it looked from the audience. also, when i did my solo, i had a really hard time. that was the first thing i did for the show, and i knew it would set my tone for the rest of the pieces. i tried really hard to make a connection with the audience. bonita tells me that this is a weakness i have; that and i need to be more confident. so i was trying to put myself out there completely and trying to connect with the audience. most of the people i tried to smile at and look at returned cold, stern faces. it was probably the worst reception i've ever felt while dancing. the people i got the best energy from were my friends who dance, my friend michele who came to see me, and the table of faten's guests. her friend karima was there. karima is so sweet! she smiled at me a couple times when i was performing. roger (the photographer) asked me why i was so stressed. i couldn't verbalize it well then, but i tried. it's really hard for me to know that this was my last chance for some time to make faten proud of me as her student. and to have danced to an audience primarily of unsmiling faces was really painful.
so, that's enough of the whiny, sad stuff. overall, the show went well. i think faten was happy and relieved when it was over.
after our show was wrapped, i grabbed a shower and headed over to joy of motion for the performance class showcase. i got to see my buddy mindy in a "bollywood" piece. it was so cute. choreographed by laurel victoria grey. lvg has a quirky, offbeat side to her. i like to watch her choreographies performed. the other pieces i've seen have been more traditional. it was great seeing the bollywood set.
so that in a (rather expansive) nutshell was my weekend.

holy dancing queen batman!

2005-06-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

i have to talk about my weekend. of course...it's my post, so i can say whatever i want. so it may not be as exciting for everyone as it was for me, but whatever.
friday i headed down to francesca's to hang out with her and the girls. sofia is my buddy; she's such a little booger!! we went to barnes and noble trying to go to story time, but the newspaper was wrong and there was no story time. so we hung out a bit and went to lunch. after lunch we rented harry potter 3 and watched that. i didn't read the story, so i didn't know what to expect. it was pretty good.
isabella had an upset tummy, so she was cranky. being that she's the new one, she needs to be held more. unfortunately, sofia feels a little slighted. francesca called isabella a mama's girl at which point sofia broke down and said "i'm your girl, too". anyone who knows sofia knows that this was a big deal. sofia is the epitome of independence. she's not even 5 yet and she already knows that she doesn't want to be married (married people are boring, according to her wisdom). she fired francesca multiple times on friday (before the comment). so it was so precious when she needed her mama. even if it was only for a moment when she decided it was ok to sit in mama's lap and be held.
from there i went to dance practice. getting ready for the show on sunday. there was a lot of stress going into the show. one of the girls in the other class dropped out at the last minute, so our teacher was upset. plus we had a choreography that we'd been working on during our classes, but were supposed to perform as a group. the two classes only had one rehearsal together, so everyone was a little nervous about that one. and this group i danced with is all very sweet and very concientious. everyone wanted to do their best to make our teacher happy. after practice, i drove out teacher home. she's egyptian and has been in the states as a permanent resident for about 4 or 5 years. she is such a treasure. it's truly an honor to dance under someone who can truly express the power of middle eastern music. there are some excellent teachers in the dc area, but for true egyptian (cabaret, folkloric, oriental) faten is by far the best. other teachers will instruct you to hold your hands just so, check your posture, mechanically check your execution of a movement. but faten expects you to dance. when you hear the music, you feel the music and your body moves to the feeling. not just how someone told you to move your body. it's amazing the power you have in your dance when you work with someone like her.
i am unbelievably fortunate to have found faten. bonita has been such a good dance mama! she not only taught us the basics of the movement, she worked us into learning to handle choreography that's "flexible" and she taught us to work together. and then she kicked us out! but she still lets us come back and learn from her. through bonita, i met faten and artemis. artemis is very much like faten in terms of skill and teaching style and expectation; she's the turkish version. i gotta get these ladies to chicago!!!
ok...i know i'm long-winded. i'll have to continue this later.

Ok, I get that, but it's a really good album!

2005-06-10T08:55:00.000-05:00

So, three nights ago I broke down, I heard it again and I just had to. I just had to hear it when ever I wanted, as it goes, the whole album is really good and fun.

Despite her launch to fame began with American Idol ( a show I detest with all that is in me), the new Kelly Clarkson album is pretty damn good.

I'll admit it, I bought the album, I listen to is bunch.

However, I bought it in the shroud of night and the anonymity of the iTunes Music Store.

Are you kinding? Let someone SEE me buying it? no way

yes, i'm a dork

2005-06-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

so, i like to read my horoscope. it's good stuff. i missed checking my horoscope on my birthday because it was a saturday and i tend not to be on top of things on a saturday. i just looked up my birthday horoscope on the post:

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (June 4). All the various elements of your life come together for one shining purpose. You are spiritually centered and give from the heart. A move is featured before September. Lifestyle changes put you in a whole new group of people. Singles find many dates in this crowd, and eventually, love comes to stay. Aries and Scorpio are particularly passionate. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 20, 45, 21 and 24.

how fun is that??? yes, i will be moving before september. they must be stalking me. lifestyle changes - no more defense contractor job...hello optometry school! they always throw in that love crap. i don't really have faith in that part of the horoscope. but sometimes, it's nice to fanatansize that i'll actually have a date...

practice makes crazy

2005-06-09T21:34:00.000-05:00

dance practice tonight. it was good, but long and tiring. we have a show on sunday. my 3rd with this group. it's very strange for me to be in recitals this summer when i know it's my last for some time. i'm going to miss my dance community so much. luckily i have a jumpstart for starting over in chicago. i'm trying to keep in contact with the girls i met memorial day weekend. i'm very fortunate with the dancing. i have had some amazing instructors. i'm going to miss especially bonita - my dance mama - and faten - my favorite egyptian. these ladies have been such amazing inspirations for me. they pour themselves into their creations. i've been honored to dance in their recitals and just to be their student.
the show this weekend includes some pieces with live music. it's always stressful because we don't have regular practices with the band. but the group feels really tight this year. i think it's giong to be right on with the musicians.
i'm doing a solo this year; hopefully i won't look too out of place. there's some fabulous performers on the schedule.
ahh...wish me luck.

sugary goodness

2005-06-09T10:13:00.000-05:00

rice krispie treats is food of the gods. buttery, surgary yumminess. i am reminded of my favorite mucha lucha episode: the fundraiser. flea and his romance with the churro. a reminder that too much of a good thing can be painful. but if you really love something, your love will overpower the pain. or your stomach will explode.

2005-06-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

me & linda at the birthday party. she was totally rockin' out!

f'n thunderstorm!

2005-06-06T23:46:00.000-05:00

ergh!!! so it's not even 1 am and i haven't been asleep for more than 3 hours. and now i'm wide awake. i just had to run around my apartment and close all the windows. ok, so it's only a total of about 5 windows and my apartment isn't THAT big. but still. i'm out of bed and now i'm awake because it's too hot. i turned my window unit ac on for the first time this year; now i'm just waiting for it to cool off. i'm going to be such a brat when i have to get up for work! i even had a glass of wine with dinner, so i was good and sleepy before i went to bed.
i used to be totally fascinated and awed by thunderstorms. tonight, i am supremely annoyed. don't be screwing with my sleep getting!!!!

best birthday ever!

2005-06-06T05:29:00.000-05:00

saturday was my 30th birthday. it was awesome.
my dad and bonnie came up on friday night. we met for dinner after my dance practice. lebanese taverna...i love that place. there are 3 in the area - 1 in dc and 2 in va. i especially love the one on washington blvd. we went there. i had basically decided that my diet was on hiatus at the beginning of the week, so i totally went for the fried cheese pies...yummy.
but that's not the best part. we got back to my place after dinner. i was totally trying to get them to go back to their hotel so i could clean like a crazy person. my apartment is quite messy right now. well little did i know it was about to get messier...
dad was being all weird. on the phone and at one point opening the door to my apartment. um, dad, what are you doing??? i thought i heard something in the hallway. sit down you wierdo! about a minute after dad opened and closed the door, the door opened again. in walked my sister-in-law, brother, and baby. it was a total surprise! they came up from florida to surprise me for my birthday.
my birthday morning was spent snuggling on the couch with my niece. she is so damn cute it hurts! she turned 3 months old on my birthday, so we talked about birthday plans and what kind of presents she wanted from her aunty missa. she's so alert and so sweet!
i had to leave to go to a rehearsal for a dance performance we were doing on sunday. ok...totally amazing opportunity. at first i was wishing i had bailed because it was my birthday weekend and the show was in loudon. so, it's really not as far away as you would think. but the show was in a really nice theater with a great stage. and the organizer/teacher is a friend of our teacher's and totally cool. the actual show was sunday and it was great. we're supposed to get a dvd of the show. i can't wait!
back to saturday...i got home and we got ready to head out to the party. linda had her bath earlier, so she was ready to go when i got home. the four of us scooted on over to rock bottom for the birthday luncheon. by the way, they did a really great job with everything.
my friends are awesome. i had some people show up that i hadn't see for months. it was great. except for the fact that my friends seem to divide into groups...we had the family table, the dance table, the work table, and the people that i picked up in a bar table. some mingling occurred after people got some grub and beer in their bellies, but it was totally amusing for me.
saturday evening was spent watching saved at my place with robyn. then heading over the c&r's for wine and watching scrubs. i think my friend adam is slightly crazy. carol, raven, and i started watching scrubs when i got there. we also started drinking some wine. i think i got 6 phone calls from adam in 20 minutes. he has been to their place before, but forgot how to get there. dear lord, please understand that, while adam is a dear friend, interrupting scrubs is a heinous offense. luckily it was the dvd, so we could pause it.
michael and adrienne and the baby got there just before adam, so we all hung out and laughed and were silly.
and that was the end of my birthday day. sunday i got more baby snuggly time with linda and we went to brunch, then the family was off on their way home and i went to the show. and then to the pool with c&r.
so, in summary, the best birthday ever.

this one time at dance camp...

2005-05-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

this summer has started off with a bang. i just got back from dance camp. it's hosted by folk tours and organized by artemis (she's amazing!!!), a dance guru based in the d.c. area. my two halawah sisters made it up on friday night, and i got there saturday morning. i finally learned some dabke steps. it's a lebanese line dance that i should have picked up at some point in my life, but somehow managed to remain inept at line dancing. the dabke that was taught was palestinian style. soooo much fun. and so much work! i was exhausted. i haven't gotten that crazy of a workout since my biking days.
i overheard someone say something about how we all turn into goofy kids when we're at camp. it's so true. hmm...and another thing i overheard - "women are more flexible than men because they're muscles aren't as well developed as men's." um, i don't know about you, but i've seen some women who were more muscular than most of the men i know. not in the steriod-lost-their-femininty type of way either. plus, i think every woman who spent 5 hours in one day dancing has a significant amount of muscular development in at least the leg region. people say stupid things sometimes.
anyway...back to being a kid...camp was so much fun. there were some amazing teachers. and! i met two dancers from chicago. i was so excited! it's my first contact with people who are going to be in my new town. they dance and teach at the studio i was checking into, so now i have a better connection to the chicago dance scene.
overall, a great weekend. i can't wait for next year. i have to start putting $5/week into my savings account now!

5 weeks

2005-05-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

it's down to 5 weeks until i'm unemployed. and, in case you forgot, it's just 1 more week to my birthday!!! i love my birthday.

Got the giggles

2005-05-26T13:50:00.000-05:00

Question: Where does the sense of self-importance prevail from and why should it, in some human, supercede general politeness to other human?

It's kind of funny, the folks I talk to from day to day. Some of them handle Billions of dollars a day and are down to earth and genial. Others have a funny self inflated sense that b/c the have a Wall Street address, they are the most important person and must speak with whom ever they please and when ever they please.

They make me giggle=)

helter skelter

2005-05-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

so, 6 weeks left to go for work as of this past monday. i had visions of skating. surfing the internet, talking to my friends, gossiping about work. then, monday i get into work...late for the 7:30 mtg as usual...and walk into someone coming out of the meeting. "hey, did you hear the annoucement?" so my boss was removed from his position on friday. my direct co-workers and i had no clue. it was pretty bad the way everything went down. now there's a new boss. i don't like change. isn't it enough that i'm packing up my whole life and leaving the state of virginia? not sure i like the new boss; he seems to be a closet bully. but the VP totally loves this guy, so it doesn't really matter what i think. thankfully, i only have 5 weeks starting next tuesday (i love holidays!!!). if i didn't need the money for rent, i'd probably walk.
thank god for dancing. this weekend is dance camp. 3 full days of dancing and music and glorious revelry in the woods. or something like that. not sure what to expect. i only know one of the instructors and i'm sure i'll know people when i get there - plus going with 2 of my halawah sisters. so, no matter what, it should be fun. just not looking forward to packing.
packing....i really hate packing. i like to take as little with me as possible when i travel. but dance camp - costumes, makeup, practice clothes...on and on. holy ghawazee batman! which leads to an even bigger dilemma...i'm a total packrat and i have to undertake a giant purging effort before packing to move to chicago. give me strength! and a couple of bossy friends who want to tell me what i don't need...
side note...if you noticed the contradiction that i like to pack light when i travel, but at home i'm a giant packrat - i say this to you: i'm entitled; i'm a gemini.

LOOOOOOOvin YOOOOOU is easy cuz yoe beau TI ful....

2005-05-24T16:31:00.000-05:00

la la la lala
lalalala la
lalala lala la laaaaa

WHY IS THAT IN MY HEAD?!?!?!
DEAR GOD HELP ME!

salmon

2005-05-23T19:08:00.000-05:00

so, having been a veggie (no beef, no pork, no poultry, no fish) for ~9 years, i started eating fish. the fish thing has been going on since last august. so far my extravagant fish-eating includes mostly tuna salad sandwiches. occasionally, i would even order fish at a restaurant. today, i mark my first adult meal, cooked by me, to include flesh-food. i baked a cut of salmon. all by myself. and i wasn't even that grossed-out by it. feel free to be stunned and amazed by my skills.

work sucks

2005-05-23T08:12:00.000-05:00

I cannot bring myself to go into work today. It's 9:15 and I need to leave for work, but somehow I cannot. So sad:(

On a happier note, I leave for St.Louis on Thurs and will get to see my neice and nephew, aka the cuties.

buena or no buena

2005-05-22T20:48:00.000-05:00

sometimes people say stuff to you that you take the wrong way and even if it wasn't intended to hurt you it does. when that happens i wonder why i'm so psycho. then i remember...it's hereditary! i come from a line of folks who like to make themselves crazy over stuff. it's just the way it is.
ok, now that that's done...i was totally loving buena girl on this week's mucha lucha. when asked to translate something..."...or something like that; my spanish isn't that good." when we all know of course her spanish is buena.
buena...i bought scrubs on dvd!!! i love that damn show.
no buena...i fell asleep watching it on friday night.
buena...dance recital tonight. it was fun. i love it.
no buena....that's probably my last recital with this group. i'm going to miss it a lot.
buena...my friends & family are the best.
no buena...i'm going to be sad without them in chicago...unless they come to visit a whole lot!!!
buena...despite getting sad and upset for no reason, this was a good weekend.

AH HA! the flea has arrived....

2005-05-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

The Flea
Originally uploaded by sieiro.