I Heart Spring

With the month of March, it bring many changes and I couldn’t be happier. The main and most important change is that SPRING IS HERE. Well, not officially since Spring starts with the Spring solace is on March 21st but none the less, birds are chirping, trees are start to have leaves, and my allergies are in full bloom.

Despite, the whole allergy crap which hasn’t been so bad thus far* knock on wood* I do really love Spring and all the changes.

Here are a few:

Outdoor Seating at Restaurants

Start of Festivals and Events

Day-light Savings Time, nothing is better then getting out of work and still having the sun out

Wedges

Dresses

Shorts

Pastels

Strawberries

Tulips

Metallics

Fun prints

Reading outdoors

Nationals Baseball Games

Driving with the Windows Rolled Down

Actually taking Bailey on a Walk Without a Sweater

Walking in General

Running without Layers

Tanning

Pools

White

Blooming flowers

Bird’s nests

The idea of optimism

Just like this little flower, we are all bursting for Spring to arrive!!

End of the Year and Start of Something New

I think everyone can agree that 2011 was one hell of a year, both in a good and bad way.  Yes, many important global events shaped the history books like the Arizona shooting, the earthquake and nuclear meltdown in Japan, death of Osama Bin Laden, and the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

But in the end, personally, this year was a whirlwind.  There has been a lot of ups and down in the road from breakups to vacations to fights with family to getting back in the dating game to finding out that my boss is retiring from his tenure in Congress and I will be out of a job in less than 12 months.  Whirlwind, seriously.  (I actually have a few other choice words for this year but will save that for myself.)

At the end of the year, we have a tendency of assessing our lives and the decisions we’ve made over the last year.  We come to terms with some, vow to never do other, and continue to make the ones that make us happy, whatever they may be.  We become closer with people who were only strangers or unknowns a year ago and fall apart from people who thought would always be there for us.  We live, learn, laugh, and love.

I don’t like to be one of those people who thinks that just because it’s the start of a new year, month, week, day, etc, that it’s going to different.  But I think that with the start of a new year, month, week, day, etc, hope for the start of a new job, love, friend, hobby, etc, resonates in people.  New brings new ambition, dreams, and goals.  It brings out optimism in all of us.  It makes us hope for something better and the idea of humanity.

So with this new year I’ve made a few promises, not resolutions…

I promise to do something I love at least once a week, whether that be cooking or baking or going for a long run.

I promise to make a better effort about keeping in touch with my friends that do not live close by.

I promise to find peace and solace within myself.

I promise to do more things for other that are less fortunate by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and other organizations I agree with.

I promise to work on my relationship with my brother because one day he will be the only family I have.

I promise to not be so bitchy, selfish, shallow, and a liar.

I promise to be a better person then the one I am right now.

And with that, I will end one year and start something new.  Best of luck to all!!

Exploring…

So the other day I went to go see Lindsey’s band Over The Line play at Auld Shebeen’s in Fairfax. First off, the concert was awesome, like always. I’ve been to every show that they’ve had in the last two months. I feel like a major groupie/roadie. Yes folks, I’m that cool, I’m with the band.

Second, the bar was great. Typical Irish bar. Food looked good. (We ate before the gig.) And they have an Irish band play upstairs in the dinning room too.

But that’s not what this post is about…

Next door to Auld Shebeen’s is an ice cream shop called Woody’s. We had some time to kill before and I wanted something sweet so we went. And Oh-Emme-Gee it was so good. This super thick, very creamy, yummy yummy delicious goodness that feels like heaven on your tongue.

According to the t-shirt that Woody was wearing it is “Voted Best Ice Cream In The World By The Kids In Fairfax County”. Now, isn’t that the cutest thing in the world? I thought so.

Anyways, if you are ever in Old Town Fairfax by George Mason or Auld Shebeen, be sure you hit up Woody’s.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

The other day I was sitting at my desk cleaning it out when I noticed some notecards that I have.  I started to wonder, “Who in the world actually writes letters anymore?” Now, I mean the old kind of letters.  The ones with a stamp to a friend just because.

Out of nowhere I decided to write a card to a few of my friends.  I’m sure I would have done it to a lot more but I don’t have people’s addresses either.  (Does any have an address book? I know my mom does but she’s old.)

Any who, I got a huge thrill out of writing the cards to my friends.  Letters are personal, unlike email, sentimental, and take time.  They carry an Old World touch.  My friends were able to see it and feel it in their hands.  They are even able to see where I messed up.  I love it.  Now if more people wrote letters, I wonder if that would keep the post office in business?

Palm Reading

A few weeks ago while walking around in Georgetown, my bestie Lindsey and I saw a sign for $5 Palm Readings.  So excited we climbed the stairs to the office only to find that they were closed.  We were very disappointed, called the number on the sign and complained that they shouldn’t have the sign out on the sidewalk when they were closed.  Total false advertisement. 

This past weekend, we decided to give it another go since we were in Georgetown again.  To our surprise, not really surprise but whatever, the place was closed!!  But then Lindsey remember of a place up in Dupont Circle that does palm readings.  We were determined to get our palms read so decided to give it a shot.

So we got to Dupont Circle and met with Charley who read our palms.  I only did one while Lindsey did two.  Supposedly, two palm reading let you see a little more into the future.  Any who, Charley told me some very interesting things.  Some of it had to do with my job, others with my future, and one about a previous relationship.  She said I had a good heart and life line even though I’m not too sure what that means.  Oh and that I’ll have two kids.  By this, my initial thought was “Does Bailey count as one?”  I hope she does.  Me and children just don’t get along. 

Afterwards, I took some time looking at my own palm and started to wonder if it really held the truths to my future.  I’m sure it does, to some degree but who knows.  I used this website for a little help even though I think I ended up getting more confused.  Why are there so many lines and stuff?  Can’t this just be simple…

Even though I like to take things like horscopes and palm readings with a grain of salt, it’s always fun to indulge.

A New Hobby

A few months ago I decided I needed a new hobby.  I consider cooking a hobby already.  I’m trying out this new thing where I use a new recipe each week so I don’t end up making the dishes every week.  It’s going pretty well but since I got back from vacation I haven’t gone to the grocery store so there’s only wine, soda, and tortillas in my fridge.  I should probably go pretty soon… 

Anyways, back to my new hobby.  So I figured, in addition to cooking, I needed something more.  Just then, like an angel looking down on me (maybe a bit of an exaggeration but whatever), there was a Groupon for knitting classes at a local shop a few blocks away from my place.  I instantly bought it.  It was for two classes.  Knitting 101 and 201.  Figured I should get to know the basics in 101 and then some in 201.  Due to some scheduling conflicts, I was finally able to sign up for classes and had my first one last Tuesday.  This is what I’ve made so far:

 

Not very impressive and the sides are a bit off and the stitches themselves are kind-of lose but I’m proud of my inch of stitches.  It did take a while to understand what the heck to do.    And it’s taking some getting use to on how to hold the needles and stuff like that.  My child like hands make it a bit hard sometimes.  (I usually feel like this.) None the less, I can’t wait till I get a little bit better and can actually make something, like a hat or socks.  I know, I’m dreaming big here.  My friends and family have been warned that their Christmas presents will be stitched with love and probably will be something they will never use.  Enjoy!!

Dear Spring Break, I Miss You

Not being in school, makes me forget that so many other people are and that the next few weeks are the ever so coveted Spring Break.  As I keep seeing post by people on Facebook about how they are going to Aruba or off for 10 days straight, I can’t help and be a bit jealous.

Being a “grown up” and working at a “big girl” job make me miss the little things of being in college that were so great.  The listed includes the following but is not limited to:

Spring break, Winter break, Thanksgiving break, pretty much anything with the word “break” accompanied with days not required to attend class

Nap time (This was very important.  Could be conducted before, after, during class.)

School supplies

Using my computer for something else than online shopping

Not having a bedtime

Getting up at noon on a Wednesday just because classes started at 12:30pm

Skipping class because going to the pool was more fun

Being able to go out and party until 2am and still make it on time to an 8am class

It is times like this that make me miss college.  But then I hear the horror stories of all-nighters, failed exams, and professors on power trips and I thank the gods I don’t have to deal with all that.  Maybe sometime soon, but right now I’ll stick with 11pm bedtime, fixed schedules, and known expectations.

In the mean time, I live with my “big girl job” and hoard my vacation days so I my have an Aruba vacation sometime soon.

Same Story Every Weekend

I love sleep.  Sleep and I are besties.  I remember taking naps in between classes in college.  Okay, sometimes the naps were done during classes but whatever, it happens.

Anyways, during the week my alarm goes off at 7:30am every morning.  If I need to take a shower, I only hit snooze once which means I actually get out of bed at 7:39am.  If I don’t need to take a shower, I hit snooze a few more times which means I actually get out of between 8am-8:20am.  Thankfully, I live very close to my job so it’s only a 5 minute commute, no joke.  Needless to say, I am not much of a morning person.  Ask any of my friends, they will stand by that.  My perfect world starts at 10am.  Thus, I think the snooze button is the best/worst invention in the world.

But no matter what, every weekend it’s the same story, I wake up at 7am, without the help of my alarm.  It doesn’t matter if I go to bed at 9pm or 3am, I will wake up at 7 in the morning, no matter what.  I usually end up waking up eating something and then going back to sleep until about 10am, thankfully.  The most frustrating part is that I can’t do it during the week even if my life depended on it.

Oh weekend, how you tease me into thinking I will sleep in when I never really do.