my productive sunday January 30, 2011

Today I had big plans to go to the The Newseum and multiply my brain cells with a culturally enriching experience.

Instead, I spent my day…

Reading the WHOLE Washington Post. I thought this was a great idea– think of how up-to-date I would be on all the current events!!  Instead, I became increasingly depressed as I read about the drama in Egypt, the 3 year old girl who got suspended from preschool for not making it to the potty in time, and the dismal record of the Wizards.  I also made a huge mess– I don’t think I had realized how many pages comprise a Sunday Post.

oops.

So after my brain was inundated with enough sad news, and I cleaned up the colossal mess I had made, I decided I needed a snack to rally my spirits.  Thus, I went outside and…

Dug my entire car out of a snowdrift. It was barely recognizable under the mountain of snow!

Armed with my $4.99 CVS brand snow scraper, I attacked the devil snow drift with a vengeance.  (I was really hungry.)

Feeling like Muhammed Ali after his fight against whoever his toughest opponent was, I raised my arms in victory and ran around to the other side of my car to get in, and saw to my dismay that I was plowed in.

I promptly lay down in the street, hoping to get run over by the next car to drive by.  Unfortunately, the whole city is plowed in, so no one came to relieve me of my misery.  Thus, I went back into my apartment and….

Watched 5 episodes of The Tudors. Have you seen this show?? It’s addicting.  It’s all about King Henry VIII, the guy with all the wives and illegitimate children.  Since it’s on Showtime, there are no holds barred on what material is appropriate, so it’s full of sex and bad language and violence and probably very little accurate history.  But it’s a very entertaining way to pass the time,  and put me in a good mood almost immediately.  (It also made me want to be Anne Boleyn so I could seduce Jonathan Rhys Meyers and wear corsets.)

After being thoroughly engrossed with the lives of 15th century English royalty, I decided I needed some material gratification after my Sunday trials and tribulations.  Thus, I went online and…

Bought a skydiving ticket! Yes, bloggies, I am going skydiving.  I found a Groupon for skydiving in Warrenton at a highly discounted rate, and work friend Michelle and I decided we needed more adventure in our lives and bought it.  So, sometime in May or June, you can look for me in the skies, flying (dropping like a rock) with the birdies and clouds.  I promised my freaked-out mother that I wouldn’t tell her when I go until after I’ve gone, so when it’s all over and I’m safely back on the ground, I will be sure to update you with pictures and thoughts.  Skydiving is something I’ve wanted to do ever since I turned 18, and now I have finally committed myself to it!  Be excited, not nervous, for me.

So that was my completely un-productive but somehow still satisfying Sunday.  Things I’m looking forward to this week: Super Bowl parties (I hate all things Pittsburgh, so I’m rooting for the Packers), the next season of The Tudors, $2 drafts at Baileys on Tuesday, and moving one week closer to Spring.

 

What did you do this weekend?

I did absolutely nothing of importance, which is how I prefer my weekends.

just saying…. January 23, 2011

i just got sucker-punched by a sudoku puzzle. January 21, 2011

Blog World, I need your help!!

Can you solve this?!?!?  It’s called a Thermo-Sudoku, and popped up on my daily puzzle calendar on Tuesday.  TUESDAY.  I have not yet been able to solve it, and I’ve been working on it since TUESDAY.  Here are the rules: “Fill each grid so that every row, column, and colored region contains one of each number 1-6.  Each ‘thermometer’ [lighter-colored box] has numbers in increasing order, starting with the smallest number at the ‘bulb.’”

attempt #1

attempt #2

attempt #47

If you can solve this, I will be so amazed and grateful.  (I will also hate you a little bit for being smarter than me.)  The solution is on the back of the original puzzle, but I refuse to cave in and check it.  So please, bring me peace of mind and finish the damn thing.

Are you good at Sudoku-like puzzles?

Um, no.

kkkddd! January 18, 2011

IT’S CAROLINA WEEK!

(Heeheehee.)

Yes, folks, you heard right.  It’s Carolina Week, one of  the best of the 50 week long swim season.  For many, many, many unnamed and inappropriate reasons, UNC is the UVa swim team’s most hated rival.  The rivalry can be traced back to the very beginning of Virginia’s swimming program, made worse by the fiery antics between Coach Bernardino and Coach Comfort.

My girls are swimming UNC at home this coming Saturday, and after 4 years of participating in the meet, I can finally be a rowdy, cat-calling, you-think-I’m-drunk-but-I-really-just-hate-you fan.  I’m going down to Charlottesville on Saturday expecting fast swimming and healthy competition–and maybe a few fights in the stands.

While I was on Virginia’s swim team, I truly felt that the world would end if we lost the dual meet to North Carolina (which we did, my first year; a crushing defeat made worse by a poor personal performance that made me want to curl up under my dorm room bed and never show my face at the pool again).  But now, one year removed from the heat of the UNC-UVa battle, I realize that the rivalry was merely a tool implemented to motivate us during the lengthy season.  UNC was used as a reminder to always work hard, stay focused, and keep the internal fires burning.  I still experience a visceral, jaw-tightening reaction to anything UNC-related: I am not in any way a law breaker, but seeing UNC bumper stickers makes me want to do some serious vandalizing.  I see people in UNC sweatshirts and my fingers itch to light a match and burn something.  But overall, I easily came to the conclusion that UVa and UNC swimmers are essentially on the same team–just trying to get through 4 years of a grueling, mentally discouraging sport, blowing up a rivalry for something to work towards.

That conclusion being said, it’s still Carolina Week, and I am still allowed to hate UNC for these 5 days.  I am so excited to watch my team fired up and having fun, but until Saturday, I plan on keeping myself busy by TPing the cube of the UNC grad I work with.

 

Did you have a strong rivalry with another school while you were at college?

I think rivalries are stronger for the athletes at the schools.  The normal UVa students barely hated UNC at all, and thought the swim team was a little crazy for how serious we were about beating them.

a cheesy wine & cheese party January 17, 2011

Happy 3-Day Weekend, all!

Yesterday I put on my apron and biggest smile and played Entertainer to some BFFs.  I invited Colleen, Les, and their families over to my apartment for a wine and cheese party, and a wonderful time was had by all (I hope).

One of the downsides of living all the way across the country from my family is that, well, I’m all the across the country from my family.  I truly believe that going to school on the East coast and then moving here permanently were two of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  I don’t, however, get to see the family very often, which sometimes get hard and a little lonely.  Luckily, Colleen and Les’s families semi-adopted me when I started at UVa, and they’ve been nothing short of phenomenal since.  I came up with the wine and cheese party as a fun way to say “thank you” to both families, and so they could see my apartment and the wishfully glamorous life I lead.

To prep for the party, I went out to Arlington to a wine store called The Curious Grape.  It’s a deceptively large store, packed to the brim with a wide selection of well organized wine.  The lady who helped me was very friendly, and seemed very knowledgeable about the wines she showed me.  She also gave recommendations based on wines she herself had tried, and if she hadn’t drunken one herself, she would call over a coworker who had.  I was only shopping for wine, but they also had a good selection of unusual beers in the back, which I’d like to go back and check out later.  I was expecting a wider selection of cheeses, but I understand that their main production is wine, and the cheese is more of side show.

I ended up leaving with 3 bottles of wine and a cow’s milk cheese.  The Cabernet was easily the best of the three, and I think it was only $14.99.  I went with a sparkling rose since they’re very trendy right now, and it was dry and yummy.  The last one I chose was a German Riesling, as I find that true German Rieslings are ridiculously good–they just have a bad reputation because all the Rieslings found in America are cloying and sweet.  The lady helping me swore that this one was true to the German style, and didn’t have even a hint of that American sweetness.  I was disappointed to find that it was, indeed, sweet, and even had a little carbonation, making it taste more like a dessert wine than a cheese wine.

The cheese I purchased was seriously good.  The lady told me to pair it with the rose, and the two complimented each other very well.  The cheese was a brie consistency, but had a peppery finish that contrasted with expectations.  It was pretty cheap, too–$5.99 I think, which seems very reasonable for gourmet cheese.

I’d say that 3 out of 4 good purchases is a success, so Curious Grape gets my firm approval.  Maybe my inability to find a good German Riesling here in the US is just another reason for me to move to Germany.

My party was a really relaxing and cozy way to spend a Sunday night.  Even though we were a little squished in my small apartment and had to use a hodgepodge of mismatched chairs, we were all able to get a teeny bit drunk and judge everyones dresses at the Golden Globes.  I felt like it was the very least I could do to repay two amazing families who have given me homes away from home during my time out here.

 

What is your favorite kind of wine?

Since I grew up near Napa and with two wine connoisseurs for parents, I feel like I’m becoming an obnoxious wine snob.  I really like dry Rieslings and Cabernets, but I honestly still buy my wines based on how pretty the labels are.

i may never be warm again. January 13, 2011

Jen the Adult went on her first ever business trip this past week.  (Cue applause.)  And while some of her working friends get to go to San Diego on business, or NYC, or Europe, Jen was assigned the enviable destination of Detroit.  (Cue sighs of envy.)

While a normal person may be confused about the envious audience, anyone who’s been to Detroit in the middle of January knows that it is truly a vacation hotspot–ahem, coldspot.  Just check out all the features Detroit has to offer:

• Accessible food for all!!

 

If you ever get the munchies while you’re vacationing in Detroit, just go ice fishing!  The ice is about a foot thick, so you can let the kids run around without fearing for their safety one bit.  Don’t fret if you’re not an experienced fisher–the fish are all suffering from extreme hypothermia, so they don’t even fight when you pull them up.

• Free and unlimited parking!

You know how annoying it is when you can’t find parking anywhere close to the grocery store?  Or when the only spots in front of your favorite restaurant are parallel spots?  Or you get more parking tickets than paychecks?  Then Detroit is the answer!  The whole lake becomes a free-for-all parking lot!  Just make sure you dodge the herds of ice fishers, as their fishing holes may pose a slight danger.

• Balmy temperatures!

Zero degrees!!!!!  This is the perfect temperature to wear tights under your jeans, giving you a VERY attractive look of tights folded over the top of your pants.  Watch out–it’ll be hitting the runways any day now.

• Wonderful color schemes!

Light gray, dark gray, medium gray, woolly gray, snowy gray, depressing gray.  So much variety!!  No need to photoshop into grayscale–nature has done it for you!

 

There should now be no doubt as to why Detroit is the new California.  I know that I had a, uhhh, wonderful trip.  So wonderful, in fact, that I hope I never ever have to return.  I don’t think anything could possibly live up to my first Detroit experience.

 

Do you travel for work?  Where do you go?

This is the first time I’ve gotten to travel since I started work.  I got more perdium than I did when I was swimming, but that still doesn’t make Detroit any nicer.

find the german in you! January 9, 2011

Today I decided to explore options related to Resolution #3 from my last post–where to volunteer??  Being unashamedly nerdy, I thought immediately of the German American Heritage Museum.  (Okay, “immediately” is a big exaggeration.  I combed the internet looking for German museum-ish places, and after a lady on the German Embassy’s answering machine told me they were decidedly NOT looking for volunteers or interns, I picked the museum closest to a metro; hence, the German American Heritage Museum.)  I headed down to the Gallery Place metro and enjoyed a nice walk through DC’s Chinatown (and by town, they really mean block) before arriving at the museum.

Neither me nor my parents are German, but Mom & Dad did live in Düsseldorf for a year before I was born.  So Lisa and I grew up with a small to moderate amount of German influence–when our parents wanted candy without the kids knowing, they would use the German word (Süssigkeiten) instead; most of our Christmas tree ornaments are handcrafted out of wood shavings; Tante Gertrude, my parents German teacher, made her way into conversations quite frequently.  So when 7th grade rolled around and I needed to choose which language I wanted to pursue, German was a no-brainer.  When I got to college, continuing my German was another no-brainer, especially because the classes were truly interesting.  Unfortunately, swimming monopolized all–literally ALL–my time, so a study abroad course or extended German vacation was impossible, leaving my accent distinctly American.  (Compared to the crisp, clean, precise speech of the Germans, Americans talk as if they have “potatoes in their mouth,” a characteristic I have yet to overcome.)  Something about German speaks to me; there is a military strictness to the spelling, word order, and pronunciation that English lacks, an easy way to say exactly what you mean without having to meander around the point without ever being able to make it.  I love that you can string words and words together to make a new one; one of my favorites is the word for potato, Erdapfel, where erd means Earth and apfel means apple–together you get an Earthapple! I love the history of Germany–you could devote a whole semester long college class on each decade in German history since the early 1800s and it would all be fascinating.

My original hope for post-collegiate life was to achieve a Fulbright award, which would allow me to teach English in Germany for a year, at no cost to me.  Sometimes, however, life has interesting ways in working itself out, and I got to the very last stage of the selection process before being named an alternate.  I still have that hope of one day living in Germany, as a resident and not a tourist, so if that ever materializes for me, I better be prepared.  Thus, I am exploring volunteer jobs in places that will allow me to exercise my rusty German tongue.

The German American Heritage Museum is in a wonderful little house on Sixth Street, with three floors packed full of information on German immigrants and their impact on American society.  (Trivia–did you know Elvis Presley has German roots?  Same with Babe Ruth!!)  When I was there, it was also crowded with adorable German children, and it was all I could do to not steal one.  German babies are all blond-haired, blue-eyed, bowl-cut, turtleneck-wearing, cuteness, with names like Detleff and Eva that make you smile when you say them.

can i have you please?!

When all the German babies left, I finally got around to looking at the material on display.  The museum is pleasantly modern, with minimalist time lines on the walls and no unnecessary descriptions.  To be seen:

An original dirndl, next to a great view!

A HUGE bust of a famous German man–maybe a composer?

The steps between levels are artfully decorated with any and all household German names, with portraits and bios on the walls.  This is actually a very arresting display that catches you right as you walk in–I particularly enjoyed the German color theme.

I really liked the museum, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it for everyone.  You have to be genuinely interested in learning a little more about Germans in America, but the museum does a good job of not inundating you with details.  It’s pretty interactive, so kids could definitely find things to occupy themselves with.  I wish they had some German food–a good roll and some cheese would have been something I’d have happily purchased if it were available.

The volunteer opportunities didn’t seem so great, unfortunately, so I’ll have to broaden my search and try again next weekend.  I’ll be sure and keep you updated!

 

Do you speak another language?

I speak a little German, but I really want to learn French next.  I was going to buy Rosetta Stone and learn it that way, but then Michael Phelps did those commercials for them and so now I think I’m going to do it a different way.  Because we all know Michael has a little trouble with decision making sometimes.

2011 resolutions January 8, 2011

(in no particular order)

1. TRAVEL!! BFF Colleen is spending a year in Manchester, England (!!!) getting her Master’s degree, and I am determined to go visit her.  When I went on my Europe trip this summer, we stayed on the mainland and didn’t make it over to England, so it remains unexplored.  Unfortunately, tickets to England are not the cheapest things in the world, so I’m trying to re-prioritize my spending this year so I can make the journey across the pond.

me, colleen, & les december 2010

2.  Stay away from my trash can. Ever since the 1st Annual S’Women Cocktail Party held Fall 2008, I have been throwing up in my poor trash can when I get too drunk.  I have no idea why–I think I just did it once and now it’s ingrained in my drunken head to grab the trashcan when I need to barf.  While I am always so proud of myself at the time–”Way to go, Jen!!  You got it in something!!”–I don’t feel so smart in the morning.  Cleaning up a trashcan full of garbage and vomit is, frankly, disgusting and very embarrassing.  Thus, one of my more crucial resolutions is to put an end to this nasty habit and make it ALL THE WAY to the toilet next time I am feeling sick.  I am a 22 year old ADULT and should be fully capable of that.  (Even though the stories won’t be as good in the morning–announcing to a table of girlfriends “seriously guys, I threw up in my trashcan last night” is a pretty unbeatable one-liner.)

3.  Volunteer/get more involved. I am a very lucky person.  I have a job, an apartment in a nice neighborhood, a wonderful family, a car, money in a savings account, lots of friends, a Longchamp bag from Paris, 38 million pairs of shoes, a Bachelor’s degree, a full refrigerator, a phone with internet on it, an ambitious personality.  As I continue to explore DC, I am realizing that I have way more than a lot of people here do.  Not only do I have things to be thankful for, but I also have time.  I usually come home from work and lay on the couch watching TV.  My resolution is to spend less time watching TV and more time out helping people.  I have signed up with United Way, but ideally I’d like to help out with a local high school swim team, or work with student-athletes on their schoolwork.  Now that I am not swimming anymore, I actually have this time to spend volunteering, and I’m a little embarrassed it’s taken me this long to start using that time.

4.  Invest in some black riding boots. I understand that this resolution is a little contrary to resolution #1, but I have been mulling over my need for black boots and have decided that I really do need some.  They are so versatile!!  And such a great way to keep my feet warm/covered when I go out in the arctic winter here!!  Good black boots, however, are also not cheap, so I am collecting any and all donations.  Please let me know if you’re interested, as these to-die-for Tory Burch’s are a sweet $495.

5.  Stay in (better) touch. I have to admit that I am a very poor corresponder.  I have so many friends all over the world and sometimes it gets hard to stay up to date on all their life details.  But that is no excuse!!  BFF Ali is all the way in Japan and still manages to send me postcards AND hand-spun DJ tunes.  What have I sent her??  Errrrr…nothing.  Same with all my extended family–besides the most recent thank-you note I mailed, I have been dismally delinquent in staying in touch.  So I bought myself an adorable new address book (via Kate Spade, my new obsession) to be filled with all the addresses of my friends and family.  Hopefully once I have the addresses of everyone at my fingertips, I won’t be so lazy about dropping them a quick note or phone call.

a steal for only $12!

6.  Treat Jillian Michaels with a little more respect. This is a hard one.  Here’s the deal: I bought Jillian’s 30 Day Shred workout DVD because my ex-muscles were turning into flab and I wanted to tone them back up.  The Shred consists of three 20-ish minute workouts, combining strength, cardio, abs, blah blah blah LOSE WEIGHT.  I figured Hey, I’m an athlete, I’m in moderate shape, it’s only twenty minutes–how hard can it be?!  Well, my friends, the answer is REALLY F***ING HARD!!!  The very first thing she has you do (after the warmup that includes jumping jacks!!!!) is 45 seconds of push-ups!!!!! WITHOUT STOPPING!!!  45 seconds!!!!!  And the whole time she’s just standing there, hanging out, yelling at you while you struggle through 45 seconds of straight push-ups, and you just want to kill her.  So my toughest resolution is to not yell back at Jillian when she tells me to squat down on one leg and military press my weights and jump around in a circle and put my other leg behind my head and KEEP YOUR ABS TIGHT ONLY 438 MORE REPS TO GO!!!!! Nope, I won’t yell at her for telling me to do all this; I will simply smile and say “Yes, Jillian” and sit on the couch and turn her off.  Heeheehee.

 

What is your toughest resolution for 2011?

I think all my resolutions are hard!!  Between saving money, motivating myself to spend time off the couch, and being nicer to a TV personality, I’ve really got my work cut out for me.

adventures of a disco ball January 1, 2011

Happy Happy New Year!!

I am typically not a big fan of New Years Eve, because I always feel that the night never lives up to its expectations and you wake up in the morning feeling disappointed and angry with yourself because you didn’t have ENOUGH fun.  Ugh.  So for the past few years I’ve stayed in on NYE, watching movies and eating Chinese takeout.  (Apparently this routine wasn’t enjoyed by all parties involved, as my boyfriend broke up with me the morning of January 1 last year.  The America’s Next Top Model marathon must have been what pushed him over the edge.)  But this year I am a single lady (shoulda put a ring on it) and was excited for a night out on the town.  Plan 1 was the Georgetown waterfront extravaganza, but we couldn’t get tickets.  Plan 2 was no plan!  And we had a wonderful time doing whatever we felt like–including losing (and finding) cell phones, eating apples that may not have been free, dancing around in pink scarves, meeting men from New Zealand, and partying at the swanky W Hotel downtown.

The great thing about looking like a disco ball is that we could have a dance party anywhere!  Requirements: Jen’s dress.

Les, Beale, & me in my apartment.  We played a game called Dirty Minds that might be a top 5 World’s Greatest Invention.  Three clues are read aloud and you try to guess what they are describing:

EXAMPLE: 1. I go in hard. 2. I come out soft.  3. You blow my wad.

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER!!!!!!  Gross!!  It’s bubble gum, you pervs!!  Ha.

Michelle found a uhhhhhhh cute New Zealander?  Must have been the accent.

And I found another disco ball!!  Hooray!  Naturally, we took a picture to commemorate the joining of two human disco balls.

 

I hope you had a great NYE, whether you were out or stayed in, and have a phenomenal 2011.  Thanks for the memories, 2010– you were a great one!

 

How did you celebrate NYE this year?

I planned to have no plan with some BFFs, and we played games in my apartment before heading downtown to party at the W.  The night is so much better when you don’t set high expectations and go where the night takes you!