Possible Weekend Plans

I've been hunting for a new art project to get into and think redoing my floors this weekend might scratch that itch:


via http://mdashing.wordpress.com/

I love the look of painted floors, though sometimes feel like they can look cheap especially when they start to get dirty. This one however, is incredible. The best part: this guy did this to a rental. In one night.

This man is my hero.

another option:


via apartment therapy


I'd definitely lose my deposit, but it might be worth it just to see the look on my property manager's face.

James Meyer

According to this I write like either James Joyce or Stephenie Meyer.

I don't know if I should be really impessed or really offended.

My mind is blown

First of all by this Gaga video. I know I’m pretty late to jump on this video’s bandwagon, but I just gotta say: girl be crazy.



On another note: life is funny how it can occasionally take you completely by storm. As much as I look for the unusual to fall into my lap I for the most part feel my surprises are planned out or I see in advance where they are coming from. Lately I’ve been feeling stuck and in a bit of limbo of trying to figure out what I’m doing next. Tonight though I came home to find an e-mail from a friend/connection I’d made randomly at a birthday party (can I also just say how new friend dates are as awkward as real dates? another blog post for another day) and out of the blue have an offer for some freelance writing work.

I’m not sure how long it will last or where it will lead, but it all seems so kismet. Things seem to pop up right when you’re feeling cornered and not sure where to turn. Which sounds incredibly zen of me and anyone who spends more time with me will wonder where it came from since I NEVER remember this little gem when I’m not having things pop into my life.

But tonight I’m well aware of this truth and am enjoying marveling at how random life is and how, at times, it gives you a new direction you never saw coming. That and Lady GaGa videos that leave you saying, “oh no she didn’t”.

image from ffffound/

Hrumph

I'm such a bad Millennial.

I’m such a bad Millennial I didn’t even know the term for my generation was Millennial not Millinium, (thank you wikipedia!). I also seem to have an unnatural distrust of new technology. Case in point: I recently joined LinkedIn and am now echoing the sentiment my mother e-mailed in response to my friend (link?) request: Sorry sweetie, I deleted your e-mail because I didn’t understand what it wanted.

This is where I come from; is it any surprise I don’t understand technology?

My plan for the evening was to spend it making sense of LinkedIn and improving the blog. Unfortunately blogger keeps crashing on my changes and my mind is blanking every time I attempt to read what code will add new gadgets to my sidebar. Gah!

So instead I think I will try a few more things and then give up. I have a new book I'm excited to get to and it's looking better and better the more confusing this computer thing gets.

image from fffound

Reason 1213 Why I Love Seattle

http://reggielove.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/10-reasons-why-guys-run-away-from-relationships/

Yesterday while outside weeding my garden two cute boys ran by and I heard this line from their conversation:
“Is it anything you think greater, more in-depth communication would solve?”

I love this city.
(Sorry for the false excitement; there was no actually naked running)

promises, promises

I was out the other night when I found myself fascinated by a conversation between a friend and boy she was interested in. The conversation itself wasn’t particularly exciting, but something about it kept me watching them until finally realizing what it was: her flirting tactics were (unfortunately) ones I myself had employed not that long ago.

Among other bad habits I used to have was finding everything a possible crush said to be INCREDIBLY funny and using an ungodly amount of hairography while talking. At the time I didn’t realize how much this made me look like a slightly deranged epileptic and since have thankfully have moved beyond such techniques.

However the night got me thinking about other things I’d like to change about myself and I realized my follow through could use some serious help. Honestly, I’m terrible at it. I start things, and then get distracted by others, leaving half finished projects all over the place. Case(s) in point: in the middle of this post I went out and weeded part of my garden; I’ve lived in my current house for almost a year and only recently finished decorating the bathroom.

The point of this rambling post is my blogging follow through needs some attention. So here’s my electronic version of crossing my heart and promising I’ll start making sure I actually do some writing on this, my little corner of the blogsphere.

Image from fffound

Spring Break 2010!

I have a confession to make: last week I un-ironically used the word, “yippee”. I’m so ashamed.
It wasn’t because our CSA box has begun bringing the first of its summer strawberries (though yippee to that), instead I’d been blindsided by an old acquaintance from college. This is the type of girl who seems to have exclamation points following her every sentences, wears more pink than a six year old and the only word you can honestly think to describe her would be “sunshine”.

This girl is incredibly sweet, but so full of excitement about all things in life I feel like I need a nap after talking to her. And so I used “yippee” to throw excitement into our conversation when really what I was feeling was far from yippee-esque. This past week has changed all that. I have had the week off from work and spent it road tripping around the Olympic Penninsula; seeing the sights in Forks, the Hoh rainforest, Port Angeles and Port Townsend. It’s been a much needed break when I didn’t even realize I was craving one. My week of freedom continues and after drinks and bingo tonight, I’ll be on my way to Spokane for a sweet little 12k and some quality time with old Spokane friends. Yippee to that!


photo via fffound

Gah

The last few days have been rough; my computer has been on the fritz and I've discovered a reliance on it I never knew I had.
It all started a few nights ago when in the middle of this, computer demons shut down my internet and held it hostage. They claimed unless I bought their virus protection, ranging in price from expensive to very expensive, I would never see my newest blog obsession again. Needless to say I was distraught.

After racking my brain for a solution besides Best Buy, who last time I entered their doors with a computer problem suggested I "just buy a new one", I made my way to the local University to see if I could wrangle help out of a bored, easily flirted with 19 year old computer science student.





Determined not to lie if asked outright, I was in the clear up until almost the very end when the faculty manager asked me to enter my university ID number to log onto the internet. Positive I was sunk I began to imagaine myself being, if not physically escorted, shamed out of the building. In an effort to distract him I turned bright red and stuttering out stories to prove how terrible my memory is; at one point I even restarted the computer in hopes of buying myself more time. Smooth criminal, I am not.
In the end my endeavor worked. However by the time my three hours(!!) of watching a computer run diagnostic tests was over I had convinced myself I had a massive crush on all three of the oh so helpful computer boys and felt I desperately a drink from the stress. Such is the price I pay for free computer help...

I heart books

If you’d asked me in elementary school what my favorite subject was my answer would have been S.S.R (that’s silent sustained reading for those of you who didn’t grow up in my time or area) and today my answer would still be the same. I’m a pretty big book nerd in general. I have dreams of someday working in book publishing, like to spend my free time cruising through bookstores and often pepper my speech with phrases like, “that’s like in this one book I’m reading…” So imagine my excitement with this week, and with Seattle in general, as it gives me the chance for two (TWO!) dorky book events. The first was a grown up round of S.S.R at the Sorrento Hotel bar in Capital Hill and the next is today at the Edible Book Festival. Sorrentino offered me the chance to drink wine and read in an organized, silent environment and today lets me eat cake representing book titles. I think I might be in heaven...


image from allposters

A 21 cupcake salute…

Did you know April 4th is the day:

• The U.S flag was designed? (1818)
• Blues singer Muddy Waters was born? (1915)
• Author Maya Angelou was born? (1928)
• NATO was created? (1949)
• Martin Luther King Jr. was killed? (1968)

It’s also the day my favorite older brother was born! (okay so he’s my only brother, older or otherwise). In celebration of the day I made these Guinness cupcakes topped with Bailey’s frosting. The frosting was a little too sweet for my liking, but I’ve taken to eating the left over cupcakes plain and they’re pretty incredible without anything on top.



Contrary to this post title Phil’s a few years past his 21 run, which is weird since I still remember well his sixteenth birthday. I’m not sure what his twenty seventh year holds for him but I found some pretty great examples (minus Jimi’s) of what others have done while twenty seven:
• Charles Schulz first debuted Peanuts.
• Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio
• Jack London wrote The Call of the Wild
• Jimi Hendrix died from an overdose
• Che Guevara met Fidel Castro
• George Washington married Martha

Happy Birthday!

p.s- I know this is a day late, I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather and wasn’t up to posting yesterday. sorry.

Reason 456 Why I Love Seattle

Time: last night, around 11:00 p.m.
Scene: A Citizen Cope concert at The Showbox at the Market.

Girl 1 stands next to girl 2 and waves her hands in the air like she just doesn’t care. Boy 1 (actually only boy in story) turns and begins mocking the dance moves of girl 1.

Girl 1 and girl 2 begin loudly expressing their dismay at boy’s mocking imitation.

Girl 2: oh you have some GREAT moves!

Girl 1 (yells): She was being facetious; do you know what that means?

Boy 1 mocks girl 1 longer then whips around: Oh no the hot girls (points with exaggeration at the girls 1 and 2) don’t like me! Ha! The hot girls: I was being facetious!!

Girl 1 in aside to girl 2: well at least in that context he did use facetious correctly…

Dammit Seattle you’ve ruined me! My book nerd/ word obsessed little heart will never be happy anywhere else now I know there’s a city where people use SAT words to drunkenly insult each other. Buy me a working umbrella, it looks like I'm here for the long haul.

Hunting for Puddles

Today Seattle has been doing its best to prove that in spite of this past week’s weather it still deserves its rainy city moniker. The gray skies have put me in a sleepy, lazy state and instead of cleaning out my car or going to yoga I’ve spent the afternoon curled up on the couch with coffee and a new book.
I’ve also been dreaming of rain boots. Since I never think of them until too late (when I wake up needing them) I’m trying to be proactive for what is supposed to be a wet week and find a cute pair. I haven’t gotten much further than Target, but I’m already in love. If I have to live in a perpetually soggy state then I’m doing it in a pair of these:



photo from Refinery29

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin'...

This is my newest instrument of torture. After a run last week made my left knee swell to porportions never before seen on a left knee or any knee for that matter, I've taken to bike riding for some much needed knee rest. The only problems so far: I'm afraid of hills, my quads have not worked this hard since I trained for a half marathon and I have what looks like a small six year old's bike complete with sweet purple and teal colors. So far my solutions are these: I'm working on getting more comfortable going downhill (though I still squeeze the brakes like my life depends on it), I'm working on toning up my quads and I am just accepting the fact I look like I stole a little kids bike (I figure the helmet takes away any dignity I once had anyway).
Today I am proud to announce big news on the bike riding front: I passed my first fellow rider. Granted he was slowing down to answer his cell phone (how this works I doubt I'll ever know) but still, I'm taking it for the victory it was. With my confidence boosted I'm now on to bigger and better things with my eye on someday completing this or this and, as a shout out to my days in Colorado, this

Of course before I complete any of these I should probably start here to look for a bike that doesn't look like I should have an angry first grader chasing after me...

See you in the bike lane!

Why'd you break it down when I'm not in the mood?

The inspiration for my blog name came one night after repeatedly watching the Scissor Sister’s “I don’t feel like dancin” video on youtube. I’m not really sure why; I don’t have any close affinity for this song though it is one that regularly squeezes its way into my subconscious while I’m sleeping, leaving me to wake up and sing it All. Day. Long.
Today though for some reason I’m in a bit of a funk and so it describes my current mood. I feel like a petulant three year old sitting in the corner with my arms crossed, a scowl on my face loudly declaring: “I DON’T feel like dancin’!” (Apparently I’m a three year old in the habit of dropping my G’s.) It’s not a fun place to be on a sunny St. Patty’s day and I’m doing my best to improve my outlook. So far I’ve been listening to Scissor Sister’s on repeat, have made plans to drink wine and eat cookies after work and am staring at this incredible Helen Levitt photo. Things are starting to look up as I write this so I think the next time that old Joanna (whatever that is) plays, I’ll be ready.

On the Road Again

Today while online at my volunteer job I was reintroduced to William Jennings Bryan (he's the dreamboat on the right). Bryan is a history class staple; he stands out from the crowd for being the least successful presidential candidate ever (he ran on the Democratic Party ticket three times and lost each time), arguing against evolution in the Scopes Monkey Trialof 1925 and being the one to modify the Democratic Party with his idea of expanding Federal Powers to help the common man.

Ignoring his evolutionary beliefs, I admire Bryan. The man seems to either have had some serious mental delusions or some serious gumption. Either way running for president three times and failing (and then not curling up into a corner and become a nonworking member of society) says something about your resolve. Currently I am in a seemingly perpetual state of underemployment, trying desperately to break into my preferred field and being told again and again I am in the wrong city/time/career to be young and looking for a job. On the days when being a full time nanny (a step up from my part time status) seems to be the only thing my future has in store, I need a good William Jennings Bryan example in my life.

On the days when even William Jennings Bryan and his dedication of steel can’t pump me up, I turn to travel blogs and my dream of chucking it all to travel the world for a year or two. While cruising my favorite blogs I came upon this, which would be an excellent way for me to prove my dedication if banging my head against the proverbial closed door of publishing doesn’t work out. How amazing would a walk around the world be? You could listen to every single This American Life podcast! For that matter you could probably listen to every podcast ever created! Think of the physical benefits! You could get rid or your gym membership and practically pay for your entire trip! (Okay not true, at all, but you definitely wouldn’t need a gym with this work out plan).

It was while the fantasy of me walking around the world played in my head I found this, which has left me overcome with jealousy and a new life plan: I will bike around a country! I will become the William Jennings Bryan of the biking world, letting my dedication overrule reality (I only own a used mountain bike, get sore after riding six miles and am incredibly scared of going down hills). I feel if Bryan could keep going, ignoring reality and the overwhelming odds against him,then so can I; it's time for me to start picking out my country.

A beginning...of sorts

So I had big plans to start this blog this weekend, but then on Saturday, this happened:

And this:

Oh and especially this:

And Sunday was a lot of this:

So now my reasoning is...I'm missing Saturday and tired from Sunday :)

Talk to you later this week!