Year in Review: 2008

Just a quickie post since I've been MIA for a while. I was without a computer for about a month, but I'm back with a fancy new machine, ready to post regularly. (I hope.)

Highlights

• Trip to Chicago to support Caveat (currently performing as Horse and House) at the Chicago Improv Festival
• Being honored with an Offstage Award by the League of Washington Theatres
• Moving into my very own apartment
• Discovering that I can cook
• Learning to bike the mean DC streets
• Completing the Army 10-miler
• Serving as "the muse" and "sneakers on the metro" in Mark's film Buona Notte Bella
• The haunted forest in Maryland
• RennFest (listed at Peeve's request)
  
• Rediscovering farmers' markets
• Discovering a fabulous new curly-hair product, Kinky Curly, that is natural and ACTUALLY WORKS. And this happened just today, on the very last day of the year. It leaves my hair slightly crunchier than I'd like, but I think I can deal with it.
  

It's been a pretty good year overall, despite the horrible start. (I was so terribly sick in NYC that I looked at the clock at 11:50 PM New Year's Eve literally and feared I would not live to see 2008.) Looking forward to 2009, as I tend to do particularly well during odd-numbered years.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Disgusting vegetal functions

Last night the scallions I was chopping for my hippie meal snotted all over my counter.

Things I need people to teach me

• How to play chess

I guess that's about it for now.

Pretty things

In love with Sandra Juto's wrist worms. So sad this one has already been sold. I would make my own, but I don't have the attention span required to knit anything more than a potholder. Which is the one and only thing I have knitted. And even then, it was supposed to be a long, rectangular scarf rather than a short, trapezoidal patch o' wool.

I do, however, have great confidence that I can get it together long enough to make this. Anyone want to go to Michael's this weekend?

Something.

Today I returned eco-friendly dryer sheets I bought down the street. The fragrance was so overwhelming I could smell it through my zipped backpack from across my studio apartment. Just being in the same room with it made me feel ill. Here's hoping the new dryer sheets I picked up today are less noxious-smelling.

People of Color

Referencing a color-coded invitation list:

"Tell me again what it means when someone's white?"

Any reponses?

Cute boy on the bus this morning.

Smiled at me. Twice.

Any time something like this happens, the first thing I do is ask myself, "Did I forget to put on pants today?"

On a DIY Kick.

It started about a year ago when I decided to take up knitting. Unfortunately, I'm not the most patient person when it comes to repetitive, time consuming tasks. This is probably why I'm not an accountant or an auditor.

Recent attempts at making things from scratch include food items such as chicken noodle soup and cranberry sauce, and non-food items such as scented room sprays and all-purpose cleaners. I've actually been pretty successful with these projects, so I'm moving on to more complicated concoctions. Next on my list: bath milk. If that works out for me, I'll try my hand at home-made lotion. Think this sounds absurd? Check out Amy Karol, the craft-it-yourself queen of Portland, Oregon; she makes her own deodorant. I will openly admit that I want to be her.

While I have your attention, I'd also like to direct your ear towards Adele, a talented, new-ish singer from England. Buy her CD, dim the lights, curl up with a cup of something warm, and let her purr to you through your speakers.

Ready Made's Poster Children

A hint of hope for America: posters that help us remember what's important in life.

My computer has died.

I am not happy about this. However, I am happy about the following:

• The little brother is on his way to becoming the most badass enlisted man ever, and will probably visit for Christmas.

• Kimberpoo rang me for a catch-up call last night. Friends since 3rd grade, y'all.

• My mother is finally on email.

• The upcoming yoga workshop with Kevin at Tranquil Space actually fits into my schedule.

• I am still in love with KK's cd of "songs for sleeping in the summer." It's just as lovely at the tail end of autumn as it is in July. Mmm.

• Mandy is planning a post-baby comeback to the improv scene.

So really, the good in my life outweighs the bad. Yay.

Belated Props

Kudos to KK, who sent me a west coast music mix so lovely that when I listened to it, eyes closed, I felt like I was falling asleep on a surfboard way out in the middle of the Pacific. It's like a set of ethereal, oceanic lullabies. Mmmm.

And a comment on the turkey we had for Thanksgiving, from the insightful Mela Boyer:

"...Also, you guysz, I just bought a 10.92 pound turkey. It is a free-range turkey, which means it spent the majority of it's life in an area far larger than our respective cubes/offices, where we spend the majority of our lives. Which leads me to believe we need to lobby for free-range labor laws."

Quashing expectations

There will be no rhyme or reason to this blog. Just so you know.