Overwhelmed

Have not posted lately... this week has been overwhelming.

First off, our anniversary last weekend was wonderful! JGS came through with a B&B in Ventnor, NJ; the owners were a bit nuts, it was overpriced, and the food was terrible, but it was perfect. Saturday night (dressed in my new sexy black shirt) we took a ten minute walk down the beach to the AC boardwalk and spent the night on the town casino hopping. We had dinner at this great Irish Pub in the Tropicana that was well worth the wait and JS gave me a gambling tutorial- just what my addictive personality needs. Sunday we spent the day on the beach and returned to Philly just in time to grab dinner at the best Chinese restaurant in the city- Charles Plaza. The entire weekend was fabulous.

Wednesday brought bad news.

Death is never a particularly easy thing to deal with but this news hit me like a ton on bricks. This cannot be happening. My head echoed with doubt... this cannot be happening...I was going down to have dinner with them next week... they just found out... they just went through this... this has to be a mistake.

But news like that is never a mistake, and this time was no different. So Jenny and I will make the trip down for the viewing tonight and JS will join us for the funeral tomorrow. This will no doubt prove to be a heart breaking weekend.

All I can think about is one night in Ireland two years ago, Demiz and I, and a few friends were taking a night off from the pub crawl. Demiz, ever the romantic, was reading aloud quotes from a W.B. Yeats book he had purchased. One of his favorites:

The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time.

How true, Matt, how true.

Ladies Night

Last night I had a fabulous Ladies Night with Katie. It was damaging to my bank account, but fabulous nonetheless.

We started the evening discount shopping. I should mention that ANY kind of shopping with Katie, discount or not, is dangerous. She is able to cleverly talk me into just about anything. Granted, when it comes to clothes and accessories I am not a hard sell, but I still went home with much more than I anticipated. Perfume ("You NEED it"), a new eye mask ("look how plush it is"), coconut foot cream ("Your runner's feet are gross"), a black shirt ("you need a sexy shirt for your anniversary"), and a beautiful brown purse ("you could use this for work OR grad school- and look at the inside- its perfect). I also bought Katie an early birthday gift (a fabulous Guess purse) and finished up on some last minute anniversary items.

When we went back to my house, we banged out some rice krispy treats for me to bring to work today (last day) and then tested out my new foot scrub. It was Foot Care 101 and the scene was hysterical: Katie and I sitting in shorts and tank tops on the edge of my tub, soaking our feet and scrubbing away. I was also introduced to a tool that looks something like a cheese grater and a pumice stone- which I continually pronounced "pooooomass stone". Afterwards we lathered up and I mocked Katie aka Fashion/ Foot Care Consultant's advice to "let it soak in- your feet are thirsty". I asked if I should get them a martini.

It was one of those wonderful evenings you can only enjoy with one of your best girl friends. Katie resolved, however, that from now on, I need a professional.

Whats in your purse?

I have recently read many articles about the contents of a woman's purse. In one particular article it said, "the interior of a purse is a little like peering into their minds and souls; sort of a materialized cosmic link." This inspired me to examine the contents of my own coffers to see what it says about me.

I have about two dozen purses that I constantly rotate. My weapon of choice these days has been a faux black crocodile purse that I bought on sale insanely cheap. When I looked closely within I was greeted by a plethora of gum wrappers (evidence of my Trident addiction). I also found... well, a mess. A metaphor of my life? Quite possibly, I regret to say. I also came across:
-receipts that I always promise to put in my check book that I never do
-my check book (unbalanced)
-my empty wallet
-cell phone and ear piece
-lipstick that goes with everything
-two lip glosses (another addiction)
-nail file (doing my best not to bite them)
-a shamrock medallion (for health, wealth, and good luck)
-crumpled up to-do lists and grocery lists (all completed later than the date they were composed- holy procrastinator!!!)
-my passport (because you never know when you're going to have to leave the country in a hurry... or because I lost my license and need a way to get into bars).

The two most crucial elements in my purse are my daily planner and my steno pad. My daily planner- because I am a compulsive scheduler and it holds my existence from day to day. A good friend of mine recently graduated to a palm pilot- a sin I could never commit. I get a cheap thrill out of writing dates in my planner and an electronic pin pad could just never produce the same results. And my steno pad, well I wrote a whole entry about it, so that alone signifies its importance to me.

The best word to describe my purse would be schizophrenic- representative of the many roles that I play in life. I could only imagine an analysis of my shoes...

Anniversary Anxiety

This weekend is JGS (see hot cowboy) and I's 1 Year Anniversary. I am so very excited, but I haven't completed my gift(s)(which cannot be mentioned just in case he reads this). Hopefully we will sneak away together somewhere, but I also want to do something really special for him.

We are talking about a guy who treats me like a Princess. A guy who brings me dinner after class, comes to see my play every night, and pulls all nighters just to keep me company. A guy who takes me to Le Bec Fin for Valentine's Day, to my favorite restaurant when I am sad, and who makes everything about 1000x better just by being there. Yes I am gushing, but he is fabulous and I am allowed. He is the perfect gentleman and I completely adore him.

So what does one do for such a marveous man? I am a firm believer that every day of a relationship is something to be celebrated, but lets me serious- anniversaries are wonderful milestones. I have a few creative twists up my sleeves because I hate boring old traditional gifts, but I want to do more. As the Barenaked Ladies say, "if I had a million dollars I'd buy you the moon."

It is so incredibly difficult to come up with a gift that shows the person you love just HOW MUCH you love them...

*SIGH* I'm going millionaire hunting tonight.

My Abbreviated Life

There are three things that I take with me everywhere: my cell (see photo), my daily planner, and a little steno pad that contains... well, everything.

I realized today that I am on the last page of the steno pad. Feeling rather accomplished that I never lost interest in this method of organization, I glanced through the notebook and saw an abbreviated yet complicated account of my life. Everything from to-do lists, to birthday reminders, prospective jobs, interview details, grad school information, etc... There it was- the first hand account of the emotional roller coaster I embarked on after graduation- right there in this tiny book.

Part of me wanted to rip it to shreds.

It is a little depressing that just like when I started the notebook, I don't know what I'm doing in the fall-- going to grad school in Ireland or getting a job in the States. But I have certainly done my research; I have become more knowledgeable on both accounts, and once I hear from a few more organizations, I should be armed with enough information to make a final decision.

I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed that at the end of my first notebook I don't have all the answers... Isn't that what sequels are for?

100+ Facts About Moi

1. I have been a vegetarian all my life
2. I enjoy musical soundtracks more than regular CDs
3. I am a gemini- in the best and worst ways
4. I am fascinated by astrology and astronomy
5. I attended my first protest when I was 5- the KKK was marching in Delaware- my mom and I manned the soup kitchen
6. My parents raised us so healthy that I didnt have chocolate until I was in pre-K at age 4- I had chocolate milk at snack time and came home bouncing off the walls. I have been addicted to the stuff ever since.
7. The two people I admire most are my mom and dad.
8. I think fur is disgusting
9. When I was in kindergarden I was kicked out of the playhouse for a week because a boy tried to kiss me and I retaliated by grabbing his ear and making him bleed
10. In elementary school I chased boys on the play ground-- I also tackled them
11. When I was a senior in high school I saw a dog get hit by a car- it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life- I cried for weeks
12. I hate camping and all forms of roughing it
13. I have seen Rent five times
14. I am a Democrat and will debate anyone about anything
15. I have a very addictive personality
16. In school once I played Juliet- I have been in love with Shakespeare ever since
17. I want to change the world in a very big way
18. I love to write
19. I love learning about different cultures
20. I cannot drink Goldschlager or tequila anymore because of two terrible nights on the bathroom floor
21. I pretend I am not a jealous person but I really can be
22. I have a terrible temper
23. I adore Judy Garland but I think Liza is nuts
24. I anticipate being arrested for a great cause one day
25. I hope I am beside Robert Kennedy, Jr. when I do it
26. I have walked three NYC blocks with Liam Neeson and he is amazing!
27. I fell in love with my best friend
28. I am so obsessed with vintage (clothes, movie stars, etc..) that I think I was born in the wrong era
29. I do not think good wars exist
30. I am an animal rights activist- but not a scary one
31. I met Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones- she wears too much make-up and he has definitly had a face lift
32. I love the Barenaked Ladies
33. Sally Bowles (Cabaret) is my all time favorite theatre character
34. Favorite movie characters: Annette Benning in "The American President" and Jo March in "Little Women"- because I adore Jo March and I want to be a lobbyist that runs Washington
35. Grilled cheese and tomato soup is my absolute favorite lunch
36. My favorite restaurant is Charles Plaza
37. I love cheap wine
38. I have an irrational fear of heights and needles
39. I hate western medicine- I think its bullshit
40. I think anyone who supports Bush is either really stupid or misinformed
41. I know all the lines of Ace Ventura and Billy Madison
42. I only like old school video games (i.e. Mario Bros)
43. I get a sick enjoyment out of popping pimples
44. I am terrible about balancing my check book
45. I want to work with refugees in Africa
46. I read Vogue religiously and pray to the fashion Gods that I will one day be able to afford the clothes in it
47. I think I would be a very good cook if I had an ounce of patience
48. I believe in karma
49. I believe in reincarnation (think twice before stepping on that spider)
50. I feel an strong emotional connection and responsibility for all kinds of suffering (human, animal, physical, emotional, etc...)
51. I am the supreme bargain shopper
52. I wear pointy shoes and uncomfortable stilettos
53. I will never ever ever wear sneakers with panty hose and a dress- commuter or not!
54. I find my freckles obnoxious but I love them anyway
55. I really enjoy hard alcohol- the taste and the effects
56. I long for independence but do not usually like being alone
57. I am a feminist
58. I need coffee in the morning like I need oxygen
59. When I was in HS I had a heart problem
60. I have had knee and shoulder surgery- the scar on my knee looks like a smiley face
61. When I was in 5th grade I composed and wrote the lyrics to a song performed by my school choir.
62. I love knee socks but I look terrible in them
63. I love the TV series "Lois and Clark" so much that I have the DVD
64. I have seen every episode of “Sex and the City” about ten times
65. I didn’t get my ears pierced until I was 18 (due to my needle phobia)
66. I have a huge forehead with a widow's peak and I hate it
67. I love trashy magazines- for fashion and gossip purposes
68. The smell of leather makes me ill
69. I have been going feng-shui crazy lately
70. Cold sheets and a cool room are essential for good sleep!
71. My feel-good movies are :"Love Actually", "When Harry Met Sally", "Apollo 13", "The American President" and "Dirty Dancing"-all of which I have seen about 1000 times each.
72. I never, ever sleep in socks or sweats
73. I have always wanted a Jeep
74. I love hugs, kisses, cuddling,and spooning
75. I like big things- big jewelry, big bags, big-heeled shoes, big dogs, big plans, big sunglasses, big belts...
76. I wish I was an inch or two taller and a size or two smaller
77. I dont care what anyone says- tuna fish is cat food and should not be consumed by humans. It stinks and so do people who eat it.
78. My parents were told I was going to be a boy- my name was going to be Noah
79. I want to have a very unique, classy wedding some day
80. I have been told I look like Minnie Driver... I dont know if thats a good or a bad thing however...
81. I got on TV with my boyfriend Jared at Live 8- almost everyone I know called to tell me
82. I hate sci-fi movies... all of them.
83. I listen to Howard Stern on my way to work every morning
84. Tofu is delicious- anyone who doesnt like it hasnt had it cooked the right way
85. I hate arcades, laser tag, and amusement parks
86. I was thrilled that Carrie ended up with Mr. Big
87. I am the laziest shaver ever- I always find patches of hair in various places on my legs
88. I sing show tunes in the shower
89. I want a job that inspires me
90. I truly feel like part of my heart is in Ireland
91. In HS I passed out at a track meet and in my delirium threw a punch at an EMT
92. I refuse to spend a lot of money on underwear
93. I was voted "Best All Around" in high school
94. I never leave home without my Victoria's Secret "Very Sexy" bra
95. I am emotionally attached to my cell phone
96. I find bathing suit shopping the most depressing activity on the planet
97. Robert Frost is my favorite poet
98. Unexpected back rubs are the most romantic thing ever
99. My best friend from high school is Miss Katie Christopher-- she plans to marry royalty (and I think she probably will)
100. I played the piano for years
101. I think my hair looks HORRIBLE straight but I still try it from time to time-- always the same results however.
102. I love the smell of laundry detergent
103. I admire Sarah Jessica Parker's fashion sense
104. I am excited to buy "work" and "grown up" clothes
105. I will still always love my tight, clubbin clothes
106. I love being home during a thunderstorm
107. I pretend to like Guinness because I'm irish- in reality I hate all beer
108. I am terrified/ excited to start my new "grown up" life
109. No one makes me laugh more than Jared G. Solomon
110. I am compulsive about my daily planner and "to do" lists
111. I am a procrastinator so my "to do" lists never get done on time
112. Once when I was little I hid from my parents under a blanket- I didnt answer when they called and they thought I had been kidnapped. When I came out about an hour later my whole family was at my house, the police had been called, the whole neighborhood was out looking for me, and my mother was crying.
113. I think Monolos are beautiful but I will never spend $500 on shoes
114. Nothing stresses me out more than money
115. My mom is the best cook in the whole world
116. I find my sisters hysterical- even though they drive me nuts sometimes
117. I love tshirts with amusing phrases on them
118. I desperately want to travel the world
119. I cannot spell to save my soul
120. I love Irish music and dancing
121. When I was little I never went to camp because I would always get homesick
122. I love home videos and family photo albums (of myself and others)
123. I love the ocean
124. I am self conscious about my crooked front tooth
125. Once Melissa, Ryan, and I went drunk to a rehearsal- it was the most hilarious rehearsal ever
126. Shrinks scare me
127. I used to sleep with my shot put next to my bed for good luck- my mom told my coach and I have yet to live it down
128. When I get hot I sweat like a pig
129. My family has ridiculously intense basketball games- once I broke someone's finger
130. My house is a zoo of people and pets 24-7
131. My boyfriend is going to be President someday