A to Zed

I'm not usually a big fan of the internet meme, but it's been a long week, and this seems good for a lazy Friday afternoon.  (Hat tip to Jules, who got it from Leah.)


A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: Full
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning out the fridge. Usually I just wait until Jules visits and she does it for me. (Kidding. Sort of.)
D. Dogs: Love 'em, but don't have any.  I have dog yearning the way some women have baby yearnings.
E. Essential start to your day: Juice, preferably orange or cranberry.
F. Favorite color: Yellow, unless I have to wear it.
G. Gold or Silver: Silver, though I've started wearing gold jewelry on occasion.
H. Height: I always say 5'8", but in reality I'm a hair shorter than that.
I. Instruments you play: Piano, french horn, recorder (seriously!). I'll also rock a xylophone if given the chance.
J. Job title: Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications (My boss likes to refer to me as Assistant "to the" Director, etc, like Dwight from The Office in reverse. I've assured him that someday it will come back to bite him.)
K. Kids: 0
L. Live: Washington, DC
M. Mother's name: Susan/Sue to most people, Mom to me, Miss Sue to her students
N. Nicknames: Too many to list. Hannie to some; Pannie to Jules and her family; Arbadella, Poindexter, and #1 to my grandfather at various times; and assorted things related to my last name.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Um. One? Maybe?  When I had my tonsils out? I honestly don't remember.
P. Pet peeves: People who leave their dishes in the sink at work. People who don't hang up their wet bath towels properly AHEM GRETCHEN. The people in my neighborhood who leave six feet in between their car and the next one, thus decreasing the number of available parking spots on our street.
Q. Quote from a movie: "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." (Steel Magnolias) "Mutual, I'm sure." (White Christmas)
R. Right- or left-handed: Right
S. Siblings: One sister 
U. Underwear: I'm... in favor of it? (How do I answer this?) 
V. Vegetable(s) you hate:  I like most of 'em, I just can't get behind lima beans. Too waxy or something.
W. What makes you run late: Inability to get out of bed in the morning.
X. X-Rays you've had: Wrist (broken). Chest (asthma). Dental (annually). 
Y. Yummy food that you make: I'm good with soups.  I think I get it from Mom.
Z. Zoo animal: Lions and bengal tigers. They're so beautiful.


Happy Friday, all.

Recently, on Twitter (part C)

Of all the Brit-ified word spellings, the one that most amuses me is "yoghurt." Possibly because I always read it in Alan Rickman's voice.

Right now I'm really regretting not liberating more of those brownies from [Val's] kitchen last night. #superbowl

Was asked to set up Downton Abbey Lunch/Viewing Party & now my inbox is flooded w responses to the all-staff meeting request. I love my job.

OH at Starbucks earlier: "Tebow has God on his side, apparently." "Yeah, but Brady has Giselle on his." #patriots #broncos

Void dire would be a lot more enjoyable if one of the attorneys looked like Will Gardner. @MrJoshCharles #juryduty

My excitement about my huge new "Harry Potter From Page to Screen" book is rather unseemly for a woman of my advanced age, but whatever.

The advantage of watching The Nutcracker in your own home is that you can reenact all the dances from when YOU were in it 18 years ago.

Highlight of day: getting 2012 desk planner for work. Am gleefully adding appointments and events and birthdays. Am SUCH a nerd.

Was literally putting on coat to head home when I found chocolate cake in the kitchen. Back at my desk, eating it with a spoon. #fail #yum

I'm one of the 99%, but if the Occupy DC protestors are even remotely responsible for this traffic mess, I hope they ALL get arrested.

This "relaxing & reviving" cherry/cinnamon tea would be more effective if I wasn't petrified of spilling bright red liquid everywhere.

There's nothing like dropping many, many dollars on new tires to take the luster off of adulthood.

IT IS SNOWING ARE YOU KIDDING ME.  [Ed. Note: It was October.  Relatedly, it is now February, and today it was 56 degrees.]

Look, just because we're nearing 30 yrs old doesn't mean we're not going to sort each other into #HarryPotter houses over wine.

Watching football in sweats and simultaneously breaking in my gold platform bridesmaid heels. #classy #multitasking

Wow, I really don't know how I feel about this whole coconut water phenomenon.

Heard: Super Bowl commercial edition

Me: Every time I see the ad for that new show Smash, I think, 'Jay's going to love this.'
Jay: (sarcastically) Oh yeah, that one's going on my DVR for sure.
Me: I figured.  That and a flying bear documentary, right?
Jay: Let's not joke about that.

Heard: lunchtime conversations

S: Aw man, they [the takeout place] put a ton of bean sprouts in my soup.
Me: I actually like bean sprouts. 
C: Me too.
Me: You know what else I like?
C: Celery.
Me: .... How did you--?
C: You talk about celery a lot.
Me: I talk about celery a lot?
C: Kind of.
Me: [aghast] 
C: "I love celery! I sit next to it at parties."
Me: I-- that's-- huh.  I have actually said that before.
C: Yep.

On passports and Pinterest

I woke up this morning in a panic about renewing my passport.

It took a minute to get my bearings. Where am I? In bed. Am I late for work? No, it's Saturday. There's snow on the ground. Go back to sleep. But my passport! What about it? It's expired. So? So, I need it! Why? For the trip to Italy!

... The what?  Then I remembered a lengthy and rather vivid dream wherein I was preparing for a trip to Italy and for which i would obviously need my passport. It  was at this point that I realized that I shouldn't peruse Pinterest right before going to bed. I had been pinning stuff to my "Places to Visit" board, and obviously it was messing with my subconscious.

This morning, of course, I can't stop thinking about planning trips, despite the fact that, given last year's excessive travel, I  recently implemented the Air Travel Moratorium of 2012 (Except For When Necessitated By Weddings), which is a key part of Austerity Measures 2012, in which I tighten the reins on my bank account.

I'm mixing my metaphors a little, but you get the idea.

So: any thoughts on cheap but awesome trips to take this year--preferably within driving distance of D.C.?

The Life List: Memorize 25 Poems (#2)

For Christmas my grandparents gave me Good Poems, an anthology of poetry edited by Garrison Keillor. I've been reading a poem a day, and this one made me laugh.



Routine 
By Arthur Guiterman

No matter what we are and who,
Some duties everyone must do. 

A Poet puts aside his wreath
To wash his face and brush his teeth,

    And even Earls
    Must comb their curls,

   And even Kings
   Have underthings.

Moo points

Despite initially poo-poohing the whole blogging thing, my sister has joined the ranks of the navel-gazing elite (and has become the second member of the family with a blog referencing a Friends episode).  

Welcome to the interwebs, G!