What's Goin' On

Not much is happening here in our fair nation's capital, aside from humidity and horrific Metro crashes and, as of last week, CONSTANT RAIN. The Month of Nothing is puttering to a close, and The Month of Everything looms, menacingly, just a few short days from now. I spend my time alternately contemplating my wardrobe for the wedding weekend in Georgia (which involves three separate dress-wearing occasions) and being daunted by the (albeit premature) exhaustion of it all and taking to my couch with a bowl of blueberries and some ginger ale.

Recent weeks have included the following activities:

Tubing on the Shenandoah near Harpers Ferry, WV, an activity that I consciously did not mention to my aquaphobic mother because of her apparent belief that I would sink like a stone if I fall into a body of water, which I discovered during a discussion about G and Ryan's kayaking excursion.

Mom: "You don't know how to swim."
me: "What are you talking about?"
Mom: "If you fell into the river, would you be able to get to the shore?"
me: "Yes!"
Mom: "I mean more than just treading water."
me: "Yes!"
Mom: "Like, you can swim laps?"
me: "YES!"

Opera Ball (my fifth!), this year at the German ambassador's residence. Super fun, as always, and hopefully no one noticed that I was wearing the same dress that I wore for the past, uh, two years.

Hours spent arranging and rearranging my NetFlix queue. I found out that Season 2 of Everwood just came out. My world was rocked. The entire paradigm of my summer TV-on-DVD-watching schedule shifted.

Experimenting with yogurt/topping combinations YogiBerry. For months, I thought that the new shop in my neigborhood was a yoga supply store. It's not. It's a frozen yogurt place. Which is obviously far more exciting. I have learned that a) marshmallows are surprisingly unsatisfying as a topping, and b) when ordering raspberries, you only get about five, which yields an undesirable yogurt-to-topping ratio. (Val, our resident YogiBerry Expert: "You have to mush them up and swirl them around." Me: "But who wants to do that?") So far, chocolate with chocolate chips and walnuts is the winner. I will keep you posted on developments.

Getting jury duty. Because it's not like I have anything else going on July. I'm trying to muster some sense of civic pride, or something, but so far I've been unsuccessful.

That's pretty much it. But July starts in six days, and I will undoubtedly have much to report, between the road trips and the baseball and the weddings and everything. Stay tuned!

Guess what time it is?!

Summer is upon us, as evidenced by the unrelenting frizz that the humidity is wreaking on my hair. With summer come large stretches of spare time in the evenings and on weekends, sitting on the beach or the porch (theoretically…if I had a porch) or in my soon-to-be-stifling apartment. With the exception of The Closer and So You Think You Can Dance, the evening TV schedule is void of anything worthwhile. What to do?

Well, I’ll tell you!

It’s SUMMER READING TIME, ya’ll.

I don’t know what it is about summer that makes me INSANE about reading, but I find myself making endless lists of books, assisted by the ubiquitous “Suggested Summer Reading” lists provided by everyone from The Washington Post to Entertainment Weekly. Nothing makes me happier than a Sunday afternoon spent wandering through the stacks at the tiny library branch across from my house, and in the past two weeks I’ve accumulated a giant stack of library books, just waiting to be devoured (or discarded, if they turn out to be boring. Which does happen, occasionally).

While reading a truly awesome book is, you know, truly awesome, I also get great joy from sharing those books with others. And so! I present to you today...

Books You Should Read This Summer Because I Said So,
Categorized for Easy Reference

The One On All The Best-Seller Lists: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Schaffer/Annie Barrows)
I have to give my mother credit, as she discovered this book last summer, long before it hit the New York Times best-seller list. She picked it up--if I'm not mistaken--simply because of the quirky name. The epistolary novel, primarily set on the small English island of Guernsey during WWII, tells the story of a book club born as an impromptu alibi when its members were caught breaking curfew by the Germans occupying the island. And boy, is this a delightful book.

The Literary Book: The Tender Bar (J.R. Moehringer)
This book was recommended to me by three people who could not be more different—my old roommate Al, my friend J, and my former boss. These three could probably not agree on a pizza topping, let alone a book, which only illustrates the quality of this memoir. The author tells of his fatherless childhood on Long Island and the community that helped raise him—most notably, the men who frequent a bar called Dickens. Frankly, I think this is a book that college lit classes will be discussing in years to come, full of richly-drawn characters and vivid prose. My copy has been continuously on loan for over a year.


The Girly Book: I Was Told There’d Be Cake (Sloane Crosley)
This isn’t really chick-lit, but it’s not really a guy kind of book. Crosley’s essays (“The Pony Problem,” “Bring-Your-Machete-To-Work Day,” and, uh, “F*** You, Columbus” are my favorites) are full of irony and self-deprecating wit. For any female who came of age during the 1990s, this book is sure to prompt the kind of hysterical laughter that comes from completely and utterly identifying with a character.


The Book About a Book: People of the Book (Geraldine Brooks)
My literary tastes are wide-ranging, but I love books about history and books about books. This is both. It follows Hanna Heath, a rare book conservator, and the Sarajevo Haggadah that disappeared during the city’s siege in 1992. The story traces the history of the book from its creation in the 15th century Seville through WWII Bosnia as it passes through the hands of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. My book club read it a few months ago and it was unanimously enjoyed. It’s a quick read, and a good one. Highly recommended!


The Page-Turner: The Romanov Prophecy (Steve Berry)
This book is probably not going to win the Pulitzer or anything, but I just finished it, and darned if it’s not a great read… even if you’re not a Russian history nut like me. Sort of in the vein of The Da Vinci Code—a fast-paced, globe-trotting thriller—The Romanov Prophecy brings the intrigue of Nicholas and Alexandra’s Russia to the 21st century.


The One I Haven’t Read, But Am Most Excited About: The Angel’s Game (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)
About three years ago, I stumbled across a book called The Shadow of the Wind. I don’t remember how I found it, nor do I remember much about the plot, but I LOVED IT. It was spooky and romantic and utterly gripping —and about a book! yay—and I could not get enough of it. Every so often I see someone reading it on the Metro or wherever—often in the original Spanish (La Sombra del Viento sounds so much more exotic, doesn’t it?)—and it makes me want to read it all over again. Which I may do this summer. But anyway! Two days ago, I discovered that the author has a new book coming out this week! It’s like CHRISTMAS! I’m so excited.

Coming soon! Summer TV on DVD recommendations. Because periodically you just need a break from all that reading.

Friday ramblings

On my way to work this morning, I discovered a few things:

1) Summer is here. Well, ish. It’s here today, at least, with the HUMIDITY and the elusive smell of sewage. I got dressed in my nice, lightweight pink dress and thought, “Eh. Too summery.” And I changed. Into jeans and a black shirt. UNWISE, this was. On the upside, I have gotten several compliments on my hair. Thanks, humidity, for the curl.

2) “The piping plover, a small sandy-colored bird, is endangered and can be seen on Nantucket.” I learned this following my regular morning coffee run, and by “regular” I mean “second day in a row,” and by “coffee” I mean “apple juice and biscotti.” Anyway, my juice bottle informed me this fact about the piping plover. Also, that a piping plover exists. Google then informed me that the piping plover is damned cute. To wit:

Cheerio there! I am cute and fluffy and endangered.

3) …

…

… there was another thing, but I have forgotten it.

Anyhoo, Monday commences The Month of Nothing, inasmuch as I have no trips or visitors (EDITED TO ADD: except Uncle Chris!) booked during June. So far my plans for the month include a) haircut hair trim (or possibly cut, if the attempt to grow it out fails. Which it may).

AH HAH! That was number three.

3) I may not make it to the end of the summer without cutting my hair off. Because of the HOT and the HUMID and other such things.

Right. So. Plans include a) hair trim, b) getting bridesmaid dress tailored (which I have been putting off), c) reading copious numbers of books, and d) seeing how long I can go without putting my window AC unit in.

I know. You WISH your life was this exciting.

Heard...

...at Mom and Dad's yard sale this morning
Old man: D'ya have any guns for sale?
Dad: No, I'm sorry, I don't.
Old man: Are you sure? I'm paying good money.
Dad: Uh, yes. I'm sure.

Here, have some photos

I know, I know, I'm sorry. Since my mini-vacation and the preceding Week O'Grandparents, I have suddenly developed a social life. No idea where it came from, but between that and our big gala (for work) last weekend, I have barely been home in the evenings.

Anyway, I promise to post something interesting soon, but for now I shall (hopefully) appease you with these delightful photos from my Florida trip. Enjoy (and please pardon the weird formatting)!


Obligatory castle photo

You might think it is difficult to mount a carousel while wearing a dress. And you would be correct.









The Flower and Garden Show was happening at EPCOT. Pretty flowers everywhere!















Snow White and dwarves

We found Nemo!

[Untitled post about Jules]*

I'm leaving tonight for Florida, where I will be visiting BFF and college roommate Jules (and Miguel, of course) for the next three days. I could not be more excited. I booked this trip several months ago, during the height of the insane period at work, and the anticipation has kept me going through some stressful days.

I HEART VACATION.

Anyway, today also happens to be Jules' birthday. The trip is fortuitously timed.

Do all of you know about Jules? No? Well, I was going to regale you with the story of how we met (our eyes met across a crowded room and....wait, no, wrong story). It's a good story. Jules likes to tell it to people, even though it makes her sound like high-maintenance priss and me like a judgemental fool. (No comments, please.) Anyway, it's all typed up and ready and and everything... on my computer at home. Where I am not, and won't be for several days, at which point the moment will have passed. So anyway, remind me to tell you about it sometime.

Instead, I offer you this, a snapshot of Jules:

LIKES
~ice cream
~the Cleveland Indians
~Muppets, specifically Kermit and Pepe
~Miguel (hopefully, since she's marrying him)
~me
~Friends reruns
~pajama pants that are not too short for her

[Above: We are a special brand of crazy. The bows did not come with the dresses.]

DISLIKES

~eggs

~tuna

~bananas

~meat on bones (ie. fried chicken)

~many, many other foods

~Bob Costas

~geography

~stores that don't carry her shoe size (11)

~rude people

Stories about Jules and me (and Ash, the third in our rather loud trio) could fill an entire separate blog, but not everyone would find them as entertaining as we do. Alas. So I shall wrap this up and say FELIZ BIRTHDAY, OHKEH, Jules. I will see you in a few short hours!

[Right: See those feet under that box? They belong to Jules. I am the weirdo in the pink shirt.]

*Holy Pete, I seriously couldn't come up with a clever title for this one.

And then we lived long and prospered

It’s possible that I’ve been watching too much TV, because I have had two very odd dreams in the last week.

The first was on Saturday night, and all I remember is that it featured Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy, Chuck from Gossip Girl, and Mia from One Tree Hill. I remember nothing about this, except that I was aware of how odd it was that my subconscious should form a scenario with these three characters, particularly as I have not watched the latter two shows in at least a year. And if you know anything about them--the shows and the characters--they have absolutely nothing in common. Also, Mia is, like, not even a regular on One Tree Hill.

Anyway. So that was weird. Last night’s dream, however, I remember in detail.

(cue wavy, fog-like atmosphere of dream sequence)

I am at the beach (Edisto) and am sitting alone at the bar at the Sunset Grill nursing a pink lemonade. It is in a martini glass with an umbrella, which, in the dream, seems totally normal. Anyway, I strike up a conversation with a handsome young fellow named Chris. In the course of the conversation, I learn that he is from California and he is an actor.

“What kind of actor? TV, film, theater?” I ask.
“Mostly film, but also some theater,” he replies.
“Would I have seen you in anything?”
…and the conversation continues, until it suddenly hits me.
“Oh. You’re Chris Pine!”

And then we got married and, because of the lack of flights from Los Angeles to Tri-Cities Regional Airport, Chris Pine chartered a plane to bring various stars and Hollywood-types to our wedding. And I moved to California, where I worked for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Maestro Gustavo Dudamel became a close family friend and came over for the fabulous dinner parties that we hosted in our Hollywood Hills bungalow.

Here’s why this is weird: Chris Pine is an actual actor, and he is about to play Captain Kirk in the new Star Trek movie. According to IMDB, the only thing I have ever seen him in is The Princess Diaries 2 (WHICH I ONLY WATCHED BECAUSE OF JULIE ANDREWS, thankyouverymuch). He had a rather big role in that movie, but still.

Um, okay. Where in the world galaxy did THAT come from?