Blame It on the Heat: The Broken Things Edition

It has been hot here. I bet if you're in the northeast, it has been hot where you are too. And I bet if you're in northern New England, you've been hanging out at home without air-conditioning, right? I don't know that I've ever lived in a place with air-conditioning (and I mean more than a window insert in one bedroom) in New England. It's just usually not necessary. I have central air conditioning. So, I really have no right to complain. And I'm not really complaining. I live in DC. I expect it to be hot. I spend 99% of my time in air conditioning, so it's not as though I'm really dealing with the heat.

Until things break.

I'm pretty sure everything has broken the past two days because of the heat. Here's a non-exhaustive list of things that have broken the past two days:


1. Metro Red Line -- My twenty-ish minute commute to work became an hour+ commute yesterday morning because the Red Line tracks broke. Or something like that. I just know I would hate to be a sardine.

2.  Elevators -- All four elevators at work broke. All at once. Thank goodness I don't work on the twelfth floor.

3. Water Cooler -- Okay, so it didn't exactly break, but we did run out of water yesterday morning and didn't get an "emergency water delivery" until this afternoon. Which means we spent the majority of the two hottest days so far this year having to buy water at CVS. The tragedy!

4. Electricity -- Yeah, our office building (all twelve floors) lost power yesterday afternoon and it didn't come back until 10pm. We got out of work early, but today was a marathon trying to cram days of work into twelve hours.

5. Dupont Circle Fountain -- Um, I think the drains were clogged? I don't know for sure, but water was streaming down the side, covering the sidewalks, and making mini-lakes. Not so bad on a hot day, I guess...

6. Twitter -- I can't actually confirm that twitter did in fact break or that it was due to the heat, but I heard a rumor it broke today and I'm gonna go ahead and blame it on the heat.

7. Good Spirits -- Holy guacamole, am I tired and grumpy. If anyone sees my sense of humor, please direct it back to me. And maybe my smile too. I really need to get a grip or it's going to be a looonnnggg summer.

And that abruptly concludes my random, uncorroborated list. Sponsored by high humidity and scorching temps.

The End

List #487

Things I start writing about that I can never seem to actually find the words for and end up sitting as unfinished drafts (hardly started drafts, really) in my gmail account:

- I work in non-profit! Undying hope to save the world! (kids! poverty! rural! difficulties opportunities, and strengths!) And the harsh realities of working in this sector. And how that dichotomy shapes my. entire. life. (almost.)

- Have you seen Matt Nathanson live? Every note, lyric, movement, joke is saturated authenticity. That’s hot. And inspiring.

- Online dating. #omgpleasedontmakemeagain #iwantsomethingmore #imkindofahypocrite #sigh

- I love my roommates. The end.

- I changed my “about” section. Let me know what you think? I have big plans for small changes to the blog design but I just can’t seem to get my act together to implement them. And I had this grand plan to change the “remember this?” link each week, but, um, I haven’t changed it since I put it up. Which I did without mentioning it weeks and weeks ago, because I’m not the best blogger when it comes to that stuff. But that’s okay, right?

- Hey, stop calling us the “lost generation”! It’s not over ‘til it’s over. And not everything is measured by bank accounts, mortgages, marriage certificates, occupational titles, and 401ks. Yes, the economy changes everything for us (devastating, yes, it is) but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have so very much to offer.

- Sometimes I can’t tell if I am 28 or 22. This current phase of life is... interesting. (In the best possible way.) And probably much-needed.

- There is one tree in my nine-ish block neighborhood radius that has even considered changing color. I miss New England. And the season formerly known as fall.

- I am going to Seattle for nine days for work and I have one day to sight-see. Any suggestions for Seattle must-sees?

- Also, I have no idea what is going to happen in this space between now and the end of October. Consider yourself warned and expect the possibility of loopy, sleep-deprived posts. (See above.) (See also, the past two days.)

- I think you’re pretty awesome.

things (more than)

things i have been craving this past week:

the weight of my camera in my hand
the exhale that comes with writing
time to watch my thoughts wander
long phone calls to faraway people
meals, especially dinner, away from the office
the feel of book pages between my fingers
disappearing into a fictional world

***

things i am grateful to have experienced this past week:

a breeze cool enough to give me goosebumps
an evening picnic in the park
live music - a small band with a strings section
a top five most comfortable bed ever
^ the fact that it is mine
iced venti vanilla lattes twice a day
commutes that end before i notice they have begun
space for pandora 9am - 5pm
hallway acoustic concerts

wishing i could be here more
but so grateful for silver linings

Things That Are Overrated

[Nicole sent me an email the other day that would have made me spit milk out my nose had I been drinking any. Hilarious. It pretty much sums up how I will remember my mid-twenties. They are/were nothing like I expected (but perhaps so much better? Maybe? Or not?). As a side note, I have no memory of participating in writing the below list, but I am 100% certain that I did because it mentions matching socks. And without further ado, Nicole's email:]

So I was looking in google docs just to run through our tax outline and found this and died laughing:

Things that are Overrated:
1.      a full 8 hrs of sleep
2.     showering every day
3.     getting dressed in clothes you can wear in public
4.     shaving your legs
5.     eating healthy food
6.     paying bills on time so you don't need to scramble & do it over the phone
7.     physical movement
8.     doing laundry
9.     making your bed
10.    eating food with silverware
11.     wearing matching socks 
12.     going to law school
13.    grocery shopping
12.    taking the bar
13.     wearing a bra instead of a bathing suit top (see #8)
14.    putting your clean laundry away
15.    studying instead of playing with various furry friends
16.    eating foods that do not consist solely of sugar

things i LOVE right now

 Experiencing the same weather as NYC.

No more watching NYC splashed all over the media and wishing that I was a little closer to the warmer weather, the city lit up in the rain, the blizzards (last winter)... Oh, and friends & family, of course.  Now I look outside, check the NYC weather, and close my windows, because it's headed this way.  Love it & everything it stands for.

My mom's cooking on weekends.

Delicious.  Fresh.  Amazing.   Isn't a love for cooking supposed to be genetic?  Maybe it skips a generation?

My friends have desk jobs that allow for string emails or unconventional schedules that allow for unconventional times for phone chats.

Seventeen seems to be the lucky number that sit in the parenthesis next our names.  Mid-afternoon and mid-morning I'm reaching for my phone.  My gmail inbox & cell phone say my friends love me and I agree.  

My friends let me write emails with hash tags, three letter phrases usually without vowels (FTW!), and other social media/urban dictionary lexicon.

 And they still email me back! 

Caramel Macchiato Creamer.

I heard a rumor that there is a pumpkin spice flavored creamer.  Is this true?  Bee, can you verify this?  That may be even better, but I'm totally diggin' the Caramel Macchiato right now.  

The sheets of rain and whipping wind that make me feel cozy and safe inside.

I love rainy days.  With one exception, I have always loved rainy days.  Feeling warm and cozy in today's rain means that one exception has faded, and that may be the best thing ever.

The sound of a car outside that won't start and knowing that it isn't MY car that won't start in the rain. 

I know I shouldn't take pleasure in another person's distress, but did I ever tell you guys about the car I once had that would not start if when rained?  Oh, it was fun...  and no worries, that car outside did eventually start....

The fact that my car is parked in a garage right now, and I won't get soaking wet getting in and out of it. 

This one I'm gonna bookmark for mid-January also, when I'm loving that I don't have to clear the six inches of snow off my car every. single. morning.  (Hello, memories from Maine winter 2008/2009.) 

This article on introverts and the pages of info on INFJ career choices.

I took the MBPT my first year out of college, and it helped explain about 99% of everything I do, say (or don't say), and feel.   Although I'm a big advocate of not being boxed in by "labels", INFJ (and introvert) research helps me highlight my strengths and adjust for my weaknesses.  

This blog and YOU.

Thank you.

For My Twenty Seventh Year

My Twenty Seventh Year Shall Look Like This:

• I'll just put this up at the top to get it out of the way - employed with health and dental insurance.  (A dream come true!  Ha.)
• Honest writing consistently.  (Does this list count? Ha, again. )
• Quality time with best friends. (Quality rather than quantity b/c we're far away & busy!  of course the internets help with that.)
• Lots of puppy kisses.  (She's a love bug.  So am I.  It's the perfect match.)
• Books and books and more books. (And drooling over kindles and ipads.)
• Adventures in NYC.  (If I'm not living there, there's always Metro-North & I have lots of couches to crash on!)
• Large quantities of family time.  (Making up for years spent living hours away.)
• Community service.  (I always get more than I give.)
• Many clicks of the shutter.  (This is already a certainty.  I'm determined.  Click here.)
• Quit the worrying habit. Or at least scale back. (It's a habit, I swear.)
• Work in my career field, even if I'm not getting paid for it.  (This is how I know the past 4 yrs were not a massive mistake.  #truth.)
• More flirting than the past five years combined.  (This is not as lofty a goal as it appears, trust me.)
• Enjoy holiday seasons!  (No more finals ever, ever, ever.)
• LOVE HARDER.  (I love hard.  It's time to embrace it.  And it's time to love harder.)
• Dismiss the opinions I think others have of me.  (So much easier said than done, right?)
• Take more risks.  (It's worth it, I know.)
• Lots and lots and lots of lists.  (Visual prioritizing - totally works for me.)
  
• Hang out more in the blog community. (I'm learning how a-ma-zing and inspiring the people can be in this community.)
• Enjoy the moments I have been waiting years for. (It's true.  I've put my LIFE on hold for too long.  I have 365 days of my twenty seventh year to change that.)
• And that word up there in large letters.

A couple of weeks late in sharing, but I know, I know, I know that I will make this year a good one. I have been waiting for you, Twenty Seven.  Welcome to my life.  =)

Iced Coffee

i got an iced coffee at dunkin' donuts today. i got an iced coffee at dunkin' donuts today, because:
- it was in the mid 60s in december. (december average here is usually 25.)
- i can fiinnaallyy pay my bills and not think twice about buying a coffee.
- immediately following my purchase i had to convince my advisor (and whomever else) that i do have enough credits to graduate in may, once again pioneering my way through what I thought was a well established program. (wrong.)
- i am stressed out over inconsequential work "details" that are not part of my job description.
- i have to attend a prestigious, all day event tomorrow and put on a smile for too many high profile people that have come to know me as cool, calm and collected, when all i really want to do is sing "i've got a lovely bunch of coconuts" in falsetto while standing on my bed.
- it's almost finals time. i'm not sleeping much. i'm listening to modest mouse and the killers, pretending it is '03 and '04 when i liked finals, didn't worry about grades, loved my classes, and didn't have to concern myself with enduring anything else during finals.
- i'm trying to find a job that will launch a career in may. enough said.
- i'm worth the chance. i am worth the risk. i'm not apologetic that i do not come with a light-up billboard. it's not my style. i am worth investing in.
- i haven't gone grocery shopping since before thanksgiving. i have entirely given up on cooking. my meals are once again from whole foods' buffet supplemented by random items from my bare cupboards. i know i have to go soon - i am actually dreading it.
- i haven't cleaned my bathroom as recently as i would like. i share a bathroom with a boy. enough said.
- i know i am not the only twentysomething with these reasons.
- i know i am not the only one who got an iced coffee on this december summer day.
- sometimes the only thing left to do is get a coffee.

Other Plans

I make plans. I list. I organize goals, priorities, action-steps. I always have a five week plan, five month plan, five year plan... ten year plan. I calculate course credits, finances, time. And then I dream... in the recent years it is in the form of craigslist.org apartments, realtor.com properties, google maps of cities, potential weekend activities and evening events. My ten year dreams usually include furniture, travel, financial investments, clothing...

At fifteen, my ten year plan included an office with bookshelves from floor to ceiling and a desk with student midterm papers dispersed among my own research.
At twenty, my five year plan included a gorgeous condo in southern CT and an office with views in Manhattan. A publishing hot-shot, I intended to split my time between the states and London.
At twenty five, I spent most of my time in sweatshirts carrying heavy books, drinking too much coffee, cherishing the time spent with friends, and proudly walking across a stage, diploma in hand.

Sometimes my plans unfold as orchestrated. Often my plans meander and morph as new opportunities emerge. Occasionally I run face first into brick wall. Ouch. Although the brick wall collisions don't occur frequently, I have hit them enough to know that I'll eventually get my breath back. So, I still run full force ahead with plans, knowing that the fork in the path and the brick wall emerge eventually.

In the past year, craigslist and realtor searches have spanned multiple cities, and calculations have accommodated many altered finances and time frames. Five week and five month plans remain in tact, but the one year plans change and fade... The one year plan fades, and the ten year plan becomes abstractly more vivid - a comforting occurrence. The forks in the road, the detours in life, the brick walls - they may change geographical locations, budget restrictions, and short-term time frames, but they do not change goals, priorities, or dreams.

I plan. When life directs me, I readily alter my course, but I plan again. I will always be a planner. My dad constantly tells me, "Emmy, life is what happens while you're making other plans." And I'm okay with that.

New Beginnings

I have freshly painted peach walls with white trim. I have translucent white curtains swaying, slow dancing with the wind. Smooth wooden floors bounce the sunlight onto the peach walls. New, warm, inviting. A new room to match my new beginnings. New space to breath, to dream... to list, to plan. The romantic notions of beginnings and endings always seem to wrap themselves up with the unromantic practicalities. Arranging the to-do list of items that never change - grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, oil changes. New beginnings always come with organizational hazards, planning dates, re-configuring communications... I just want to dream. I just want to lay back on my bed, stare at my peach walls, and watch my dreams paint themselves across the ceiling.

Another List

I really do like lists. However, I promise that this blog will not become a compilation of the many lists in my life. (Although, that is a neat idea...) This is the 25 Random Things About Me list that everybody is posting on facebook. I love, love, love reading everybody's lists, but I can't bring myself to post mine on my facebook page. The reasons why I hesitate could probably be covered in no less than three hours of analyzing with my girlfriends, so I won't try to go into it here - but I will post my list here.

1. I love fried green tomatoes, but I've only had them once, and I can't remember when it was or who made them for me.
2. The Kogod Courtyard is one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon with a cup of coffee and a pen in hand.
3. I have an extremely high tolerance for sugar and probably eat more candy than most people you know.
4. I can't wait for Midnight Sun.
5. I hate to clean. Unless something is bothering me, then I clean compulsively and excessively.
6. Going to William Smith was the best decision I ever made, going to law school was the best mistake I ever made.
7. I am fantastic at living in small spaces.
8. I want Stacey London's wardrobe.
9. The year I spent in "Rural State" as an AmeriCorps VISTA was one of the hardest, most rewarding, and most worthwhile experiences I have ever had. It has become a core portion of who I am.
10. I have given some serious thought to becoming a truck driver.
11. I slept through the entirety of Red Dragon and the remake of Chainsaw Massacre (which we saw in the theater). This sleeping-through-movies-habit is part of the reason why I have probably not seen most of your favorite movies.
12. I could write pages about the amazing people in my life. I am trying not to reference anybody in this simply because there are too many important things to say about so many people that there is not enough time or room. That being said, I have amazing people in my life.
13. I learned to drive on a standard car, took my driving test on a standard, and have now driven a standard for about 10 years.
14. I love the hws bank of Seneca Lake, especially on a clear night.
15. I once taught a course called "LifeSkills" to middle schoolers. But I learned more from them than they ever learned from me.
16. I have an infatuation with capitol buildings and the work that goes on in them.
17. I've never been to Alabama, but when my cellphone is on "ring," the tune is "Sweet Home Alabama." (And has been for years.)
18. Oh, I could tell you stories...
19. Pandora's avant garde jazz station and a cup of coffee make Sunday afternoon homework tolerable.
20. Currently in my bag (aka purse), I have my keys, cell phone, wallet, LLBean slippers, and a Research Design text book. Normal, right?
21. I have had 18 roommates since I graduated high school, and I think that every single one of them would agree on at least one thing - I am never home.
22. I spent a semester in L.A. learning how much I hated the inner workings of the entertainment industry, a lot about myself, and not much of anything else.
23. I'm not "well traveled," but I hope to be someday.
24. I love to read, but I can't find the time to read during the semester without cutting into precious sleeping time. Blogs almost fill my cravings and allow me to sleep.
25. There was a time in my life when I could rotate my own tires, change my own oil, and predict an appropriate play during a football game. That time has passed.

By 30, You Should

Mid twenties and I have many lists of goals to accomplish by thirty. There is one list that always stands out with personality. Ripped from the pages of Glamour magazine and color photo copied, framed, tucked away in the corner of my room. Found by a friend, ripped by a friend, framed by a friend and gifted by a friend - yet it is this list, my adopted list, that stands out among the many, many lists I have. A cartoon image of a fabulous woman in stilettos and a peacock feathered skirt, carefully holding a martini glass, sits fashionably on her very own modern, pink chair. It exudes glamour and sophistication. In my over-sized, gray, AmeriCorps sweatshirt and LLBean slippers, I do not. But this list has become one image for the future and at the very least, something to think about...

By 30, you should have:

1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to, and one who reminds you how far you've come.
2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family.
3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dream wants to see you in an hour.
4. A purse, a suitcase and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying.
5. A youth you're content to move beyond.
6. A past juicy enough to look forward to telling in your old age.
7. The realization that you are actually going to make it have an old age - and some money set aside to fund it.
8. An e-mail address, a voice mailbox and a bank account - all of which nobody has access to but you.
9. A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded.
10. One friend who always make you laugh and one who lets you cry.
11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill and a black lace bra.
12. Something ridiculously expensive that bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.
13. The belief that you deserve it.
14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30.
15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship and all those other facets of life that do get better.

By 30, you should know:

1. How to fall in love without losing yourself.
2. How you feel about having kids.
3. How to quit a job, break up with a man and confront a friend without ruining the relationship.
4. When to try harder and when to walk away.
5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn't like to happen next.
6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmother and the best tailor in town.
7. How to live alone, even if you don't like to.
8. How to take control of your own birthday.
9. That you can't change the length of your calves, the width of your hips or the nature of your parents.
10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it's over.
11. What you would and would not do for money or love.
12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs or not flossing for very long.
13. Who you can trust, who you can't and why you should not take it personally.
14. Not to apologize for something that isn't your fault.
15. Why they say that life begins at 30.

[Glamour Magazine, September 2005, p379]

Two-Thousand Nine Begins...

I usually make my new year resolutions in March. It works so much better for my inner calendar. While the rest of the world contemplates the best steps for self-improvement on January 1, I spend most of my January on a nice break from reality. I eat home-cooked meals made by somebody other than myself (usually a two-step improvement from my daily diet); sleep at least two, if not three, times more than usual; watch more television than the rest of the year combined (usually in the form of marathons); and spend time with friends and family that too often wonder whether or not I have lost their phone number. Expending energy on anything other than eating, sleeping, visiting, and watching mindless television just doesn't happen. When March rolls around I'm finally in a place to make resolutions, and expend the energy necessary to attempt holding on to them for the certain whirlwind of the next ten months.

This year I have decided to come out from under the pile of Christmas cookies and turn off the John and Kate Plus 8 marathon long enough to make some resolutions. "Renew some resolutions" is perhaps a more appropriate phrase to use. I did not do such a fantastic job of meeting any of the resolutions I made last year - although I'm not particularly worried about it; I met many more important personal goals in the past year. As a product of getting older (I think), my internal calendar has started to work on January to December framework rather than a September to August framework, despite my never-ending full-time student status. It finally feels natural to make resolutions on January first. So, without further ado, my new year resolutions:


Resolution #1: Write in the blog I created years ago. At the rate I am going, I will be thirty-something before I have two consecutive posts within six months of each other. Must write more in the new year.

Resolution #2: Take more photos. My favorite photos taken by others are of simple, everyday life. I don't have (or want) a lot of glamour in my life, so I shouldn't wait for it to appear before pulling out my camera.

Resolution #3: Invest in healthy habits. Oh you know, the usual, eat better, exercise more, stop drinking so much coffee. I can't even type that last statement with a straight face. With the help of a close friend, my infatuation with coffee has become a sincere love affair that I'm not willing to part with anytime in the near future. I will have to stick with eating better and exercising more - I have high hopes for these!


We'll start with those, and perhaps re-visit them in March... Happy New Year to you and yours!