Consumer

I wrote a bunch of companies that were pissing me off last night, including Potbelly (see below), Baja Fresh, and Maggie Moo's.

Re: Baja Fresh, my co-worker bought me a cap, which I left there. When I went to retrieve it a day later, they told me they threw it in the garbage.

Then, pursuant to this scary as hell article about the calories and fat in desserts:
http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl/9000/scary-sweet-hg-s-restaurant-dessert-
shockers-and-awesome-alternatives/

I wrote Maggie Moo's and Potbelly's.

Re: Maggie Moo's, they won't let me order a kiddie size, and I have to throw 1/2 of their small size in the garbage.

Re: Potbelly, look at this ridiculous e-mail chain:

Me to Potbelly:
I went to Potbelly to get a yogurt smoothie. I asked for nutritional information (fat, calories) and they said they had none at the store. They instead sent me to the website, which does not list nutritional facts for any desserts, including shakes and smoothies. Even McDonald's lists this information. Very disappointing and odd. Why do you leave this information off?

Their response:
Hi Andrew ~

We're sorry for leaving you disappointed. The information we have posted is all that we have available and wanted provide what we had. I am excited to tell you that we're in the process of revising that analysis to include our entire menu and hope to have results soon. Sorry about the delay.

Best regards,
Laura Berrones
Speaker of the House
Potbelly Sandwich Works

My two responses:

#1: Thanks Laura, for your quick response.

I am confused. Are you saying that you don't know the caloric and fat content for your desserts? It is hopefully available internally. Can you let me know how many fat and calories are in a chocolate yogurt smoothie?

#2: Hi Laura,
I have spoken to a bunch of people and we all think it is an absurd and egregious statement that you don't have nutritional information "available" for items of food that you sell. Please put your supervisor in touch with me promptly.
Sincerely,
Andrew

Sketchola

Tonight I had a strange day.

I realized I love Subway's veggie patty. MMM.

I had a late lunch and 3 hour consultative session with a friend who I ultimately decided should leave consulting.

For dinner, I went to Lauriol Plaza with members of UVA Law's federalist society; with people who were saying "Dubya" was a good guy, and that they loved Scalia; who praised Romney as a candidate because they shared his values. The most interesting part of the whole thing is that there was no intellectual meat supporting their pronouncements. Let me say that this group donning nothing but Ralph Lauren (literally) were nothing but cordial to me. But, I will not miss seersucker and pearls if/when I leave D.C.

I also will not miss the sketchiness of this city. About 15 minutes ago, Laura and I walked from Lauriol to the bus stop where we usually wait for the 90 bus to whisk her home. On the way, I noticed a sketchy character who I felt watching me; we were in a busy area, but I could tell he was skillfully eyeing us and choreographing his moves accordingly. Meanwhile, he was wearing very baggy clothes and seemed to be checking his pockets a whole lot. Last night was my boss's going away party and my co-worked was telling us that he was mugged in right around that area a while back, so perhaps I was more vigilant than normal. Nevertheless, it was freaky - the chess game - our movements and his. And, I am 90% sure that he planned to mug us. We decided for Laura to take a cab in front of my place. While we waited, we noticed him approach us and when we made eye contact he turned around. The cab was worth every penny.

Macalester

Here is a scathing editorial in the Star Tribune by conservative columnist Katherine Kersten about my alma mater:
http://www.startribune.com/kersten/story/1230403.html

Here is our President's response:
http://www.startribune.com/scripts/setpass.php?goto=http://www.startribune.com/commentary/story/1241939.html

My YouTube Hall of Fame

I had a leisurely Sunday today and decided to compile my list of my favorite YouTube destinations. Enjoy!

Talk Shows:
Penis Power: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAwLYJYsa0A
Geraldo v. O'Reilly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLPuGuaZTx8
Rosie v. Elizabeth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=817CwlvqjAk
Tyra (Too Many to List):

• America's Next Top Model: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HexJugIqWU8

• Vaseline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym75B0YkZR8

• Vaseline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSwYMHkZgLg

Music:
Why Do You Think You Are Nuts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjbtnMz6eQw
Hasselhoff Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgX-hiQdfFw
Remind Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBvaHZIrt0o
Hot! Hot! Hot!/Appalachian State: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVENWl8uBeg
Dick in A Box: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

Japan:
Take Anything You Want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1VY4b9IQQ
Komodo Dragon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUkzFQNHq9c
Prank Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBSLMGNHuGM
Tongue-Twister: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdFW-hrGX7g

Other:
Breakdancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqS9N7WJOFY
The Landlord: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74
Otters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno
Obsession: http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/trailer-12min.php

Tell me what you think!

Old Times

So lots of reconnections to the past lately. Making me question whether I am going soon or something.

- Seen my long-term exes - my ex of 5.5 years who I haven't seen in 4 years (who brought her mother in tow), and my ex of 2 years who I haven't seen in 7 years (who is married to someone I introduced her to and they have twins), in the last month. Both encounters went well.

- Went back to CT for Arun's funeral for the first time in 3 years; it is NOT for me and hasn't changed a bit. It felt strange to be back - especially given the 3 year intervals from first visiting, to graduating, to being away - and the shifts in my perceptions of the place during that time. I don't know if and when I'll ever go back; what would bring me there...

- Going to Puerto Rico next week (my bday present) for the first time in 15 years.

That's a lot to take in, no?

The weather here has been very nice and breezy. Today I spent a relaxed day in Eastern Market with a friend named John.

While waiting for him, I needed a snack and grabbed and devoured a juicy peach, which reminded me of when I first moved to the Bay Area and revelled in the novelty of fresh produce. I also read an article about the disappearance of bees - which they hypothesize is because of over-harvesting (mass transportation, feeding corn syrup, etc.)

My friend and I had time just walking around, sitting in a cafe, and at the park, and discussing interesting topics. I haven't done that in a while. Our conversations shifted from career issues - that people/friends feel victimized by choice of careers and trying to find that perfect job; and that that problem is a privilege - to transgendered people's perception of transgendered people of the opposite persuasion.

Wandering aimlessly is good.

PS: My roommate and I are hiring a maid to do deep-cleaning. I feel that this is a new rite of passage for me, but one that I am ready for.

Arun

The world lost a great man this weekend: Arun Pereira.

I lived with this wonderful man (the father of a very dear friend) who was so loving and full of life in 2004. He opened his Bolton, CT home to me as a member of his family. He and his wife Probhati made me feel completely comfortable despite feeling displaced in Connecticut. He made the most delicious South Asian food, including beef vindaloo from Heaven, which made me the desi food snob that I am today. He took so much pride in his food; I can't believe I will never enjoy those tastes again. He was a person who got so excited about the simple things in life - food, family, friends, parties, drinking, smoking, scheming and dreaming. What a scrappy and smart entrepreneur! Arun knew how to live. He had a magnetic way about him. We talked about all kinds of things, from law to casinos to family. He was an adventurer, moving to California in his last few years - and opening a restaurant in Davis. His philosophy, which he shared with my brother-in-law, was "we come into this world with empty hands and we die with empty hands." With his departure from this world, he leaves many hearts, including mine, feeling hollow.

When my friend Joe in South Africa was murdered I had a crazy apocalyptic dream. Specifically, I was driving around Minneapolis really late at night. The streets were quiet and a bell started to toll. Some kind of toxic gas had been dropped and we were dying of asphyxiation. The world was ending. I woke up from the dream sweating and gasping for air. I looked at the clock and went back to bed. I woke up, received an e-mail that Joe had been murdered.

Yesterday, at about 5 am, right around the time Arun passed away, I woke up from a similar dream. I was driving through a toll booth in Seattle, late at night, when all the sudden the whole city was under attack. The sky was red and there was no escape.

Low Cost Weekend

I had, for once, a mighty low-cost weekend, which I am happy about. Today was a day of domestic bliss.

Today, after watching a marathon of Top Chef (which has motivated me to want to cook), I performed a belated Spring cleaning, which consisted of seperating out and stowing away all of my Winter gear and disposing of my wire hangers, and replacing same with uniform plastic hangers. I spoke to my mom for a while. She is very excited about a number of entrepreneurial ventures that she wants to pursue as a recent retiree, which mostly involve cooking and decorating. She was exclamatory today about some of the ideas we brainstormed, that my heart was warmed. And, then I went over to Mike's house. We did fun things, like pick lettuce from his backyard, make chocolate cake without a recipe, and play Boggle and Balderdash - I lost both and don't care, which feels liberating. You know what was especially nice about tonight is that I barely spoke about relationships, which as you approach your late 20's, becomes the core of single peoples' lives in a nauseating way.

One of the things I associate with Mike's house is a Chilean drink which consists of about 1/2 beer, and 1/2 Fanta. I love how the beer cuts the sweetness, and the Fanta, the bitterness. What a blend! (Incidentally, I also love kahlua and orange juice, which together, tastes simultaneously like a tootsie roll and a creamsicle).

So, today was a triumph; except for my queue of clothing that needs to go to the dry cleaners and charity.

Masons

Tonight we had a game night. We played the game mafia. See: http://frob.com/connector/mafia.html

It's an interesting game because people either love it or hate it. As such, it's hard to organize b/c you never get buy-in from the whole crowd. It bothers me when people say there is no merit to the game. I think it's clearly a psychological game - similar to poker. You decide who people choose based on relationships, reactions, nonverbals, reverse psychology. It's a game about perception.

Another game that I have become obsessed with is "jawbreaker"; a game I play on my cell phone. I am so obsessed that I have played almost 2000 games (those are just the recorded ones). It is the perfect way to pass time when I am waiting. The reason why I don't know the exact number of games I've played is because I cancel any game where I am not going to beat my median score of 204.

I have been interviewing to become a freemason - mostly for the experience. Until today, I did not feel completely "sold" on this ancient fraternity. Nonetheless, I have been going through a series of interviews and meetings. But I met two folks today who I found to be very fascinating and brilliant people; people who were very different from me, but who I related to on this really interesting level; people who could compliment my life with substance and nonpolitical spiritual and philosophical discussion. I am now confused.

New Money

Steph and I attended a rival university's reunion today. It was lacking one main ingredient... fun! At least that was our perception.

I had an interesting discussion/debate with Stephanie about old vs. new money. I prefer new money; Steph prefers old. Both of our perspectives are based on our socializations. Steph was raised in New Canaan and found old money folks to be very welcoming, philanthropic, and with a calmer demeanor. My perception of old money, in contrast, is based on attending law school in CT with "Skips" and "Trips", and interactions with two folks in particular:
1) a man from college who is bleeding money who borrowed money from me and before paying me back made a contribution to my college; he also criticizes anybody who works in corporate America (even poor immigrants trying to support their families), even though he is a teacher who drives a hybrid and lives large in SF. He is the type to criticize poor people for eating fast food instead of organic fruit.
2) a woman from law school who described the deeply-ingrained habit of incest and molestation in her family.
Meanwhile, my perception of new money is colored by the scrappy, materialistic, upward mobility of my family; being Jewish and Puerto Rican -- I've seen their struggles and seen them rise up the ranks (also members of both of my backgrounds have no choice but to be new money based on their historical relationships to the US). Moreover, I am loud, and love Extreme Makeover (a recent episode, involving a cleft palate, made me cry tears of extreme joy). Stephanie thinks these people are gauche and loud and drive Hummers. And, she's right... We're both right...
Steph and I did disagree over who was more likely to be Republican. I posit it is old money, due to dynasties and generations of wealth preservation/a great interest in estate tax issues.

Anyway, on the cab ride home, the frikkin cab guy charged me for two zones plus a $1 gas surcharge and even after I called him on it, he insisted I pay $9.80. it really pissed me off. I didn't give him a tip. I even slammed the door on him. How new money of me. However, the freemasons really want me. What a paradox I am.

Sundry

Sorry - it's been a while.

Been very busy at work. My boss is leaving and crunch time is upon me. It's weird to feel this busy during the Summer.

I'm approaching my 1 year work anniversary. Time actually flew. Sort of. I've learned a lot about life in the last year; working for a large university has been very interesting. I think I've learned that politics reign over substance with regard to career advancement; that if you stroke the right egos and put on a good show, that goes a lot farther than if you are a logical perfectionist.

My mom retired today. It's hard for me to swallow because I always associated her with her job. Now, she is free as a bird. For both she and I it is also hard symbolically because it represents the last phase of her life. Part of me wishes she would continue working so I don't have to think about this. One of the interesting things about her retirement is that she's taught at the same school for like 30 years. She's seen so many people come and go, including probably 10 principals. At the end of the day, she has very few friends and confidants at work, due to all the shifting. I think as a result they didn't really pay homage to her. I see all these people leaving my university who have been there for a year getting more recognition than my mom who has dedicated her life to this position. It sort of ills me.

On the other hand, I am very jealous that my mom gets an excellent retirement....

One thing about my line of work that is remarkable is that I NEVER dread going to work; I actually sort of look forward to it. I hear people around me say they have a hard time getting up in the morning. I feel the opposite. And, when I worked in law -- trust me -- I felt differently. I would watch the clock tick and think "how long could I last in this job without cracking?"

I hate when there is too much pressure to get along with someone you've never met before. Tonight was odd for me. I was buying sunglasses at Filene's basement and speaking with my mom on my cell when the clerk asked me politely if I was selling my phone. Weird. Afterwards, I met my friend Kate's friend Tim who she said I reminded her of me. I think we both felt a lot of pressure to get along, which resulted in him being timid and me being serious/strangely political. After we discussed politics, we asked for Tim's input and he replied, I can't wait to move to NY to escape these kinds of conversations. I've said that before.

I have never outright neglected so many relationships as I have in D.C. over the past few months. There are literally too many cool people who I have a past with and not enough time. I think I have damaged some of these relationships irreparably.

Over the last few weeks, I've traveled to Chicago and Philadelphia, which are sort of similar cities. I hadn't been to the Midwest for a few years prior to my recent trip to Chicago. While I enjoyed myself, it reminded me of the summer I spent there where I was less-than-enchanted with my life. I do have to admit that their housing prices are damn good. It was very interesting to see my high school sweetheart, Kim, whom I hadn't seen in maybe 6 years. She has twins and lives in the 'burbs. She is so down-to-earth, and a good mom. We have really taken vastly different life paths; both are respectable. She is moving to South Carolina in June and I'm not sure I'll ever be there. So, it's sort of sad.

I had a nice time in the gritty city of Philly. Saw Carousel (a play I've sang 4 songs from). It was dark and the last part was weird and the lady next to me coughed on me the whole time. But it was fun enough. Met some really interesting folks through Jen. One of the most notable things about this city was the diversity.

Also been to NY a few more time. Caught up with Danai (who has another play and a movie coming out) and Wendell.

Spent very few weekends here.

Today, I went to the chiropractor. Early.

Missing Out

I just realized the way I can make tangible my feelings of not being in San Francisco.
I feel like I'm missing out.
It's like when you have to study for a test, but your favorite band is playing in a building next door. Or when your friends are eating at your favorite Indian restaurant, but you are stuck at home with a TV dinner.
And, it's weird b/c I have a pretty ideal life here in D.C. filled with lots of interesting people (more than I can keep track of) and a job I really like. I live in a beautiful apartment in a great part of town. I *should* be totally satisfied.
But, San Francisco is that concert or Indian restaurant. Coupled with the feeling that time is 'a-tickin'/life is finite/time is running out, it is sort of a stressful feeling.
I oftentimes wonder/worry (like when I was on the grocery line yesterday), however, that when I get back and miss everything I take for granted here in D.C. Will I experience something akin to Garden State?
I had lunch with Bryony yesterday. She is someone who inspires me to think out loud. And, I realized that D.C. is too conformist and pragmatic for me; and that context leads me to different ways of life. San Francisco inspired me to go to farmers markets and eat raw foods, to get involved in musical theatre, to have conversations about human cheese and lucid dreams. In D.C., I work and go out to eat, and watch tv, and go home.

Good Lawyer

I don't know if the average person gets this, but all the time people tell me that though they chose not to go to law school they would be a great lawyer. I wonder if those same people that say that know how many other people say this. And, how meaningless what they say is. And, how that is exactly what I used to say (and what I was told my whole life). And, if they know what it really takes to be a good lawyer -- a great attention span and attention to detail, the willingness to work more hours, the ability to work well independently, and some combination of avarice/pride/or unbridled passion for an issue (and if it's passion that's the driving force, being OK w/ a middle-class life). Being argumentative, brilliant, and extroverted are not the key ingredients of a good lawyer (though they obviously don't hurt).

Also, last night's democratic debate made my day. It was wonderful.

Also, I am starting to create a corps of service professionals who make me smile (you know how happy Guddu makes me). I got a "clean up" haircut last night at fiddleheads. I love that place! Friendly and fun, and talented doo-dressers. I love Sarah's concierge, Winnie. The guy who cleans my office, Tony, is the sunshine of my life. The owner of Java Green, he's a great man!

Postsecret

Tonight I went with Mike to a really cool art expo thingie called Artomatic in Crystal City (they basically take an abandoned or to-be-renovated office building and turn it into a gargantuan multimedia artists lair).

The most riveting things I saw were (1) this project called postsecret (www.postsecret.com), where people share a secret on an anonymous postcard for the world to see; check it out; send one in (2) a kissing booth, where you and your friend each pick a disenfranchised country out of a box, pose for a picture holding your country, and kiss and make up on behalf of these countries, (3) a really cool yellow photograph for $50 framed that I want and will probably purchase after I finish this blog. (whoops I have the wrong website for it).

I also watched a "blacklight fire dance". The worst part was this uninspired 10-year old girl, who was like the girl from Little Miss Sunshine sans personality. It's amazing how much confidence can make a difference.

I have also recently decided that I want pursue this fad "lemonade" cleanse/diet starting next Sunday: http://www.falconblanco.com/health/cleansing/lemoncleanse.htm
I am so excited for my concoction of fresh lemons, grade B maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for 10 days that I can hardly contain myself.

Today, the weather was perfect in the same way that the weather was perfect on a Spring day in Minnesota. Everybody sits outside in tank tops with their doggies, and radios, and food -- just because. It's loverly.

Nashvegas

My 15 minutes of fame was fun! The best part was that is gave me an excuse to send a short e-mail to everybody I know - from my high school spanish teacher (who is a Jew for Jesus) to my wacky/brilliant law school professor (who is going to show it in his class). Geraldo has apparantly seen it too!

The weirdest part was being accosted on the street by a random woman who squealed and took a picture with me.

I went to Nashville to visit Petey. I had a very nice time. Nashville was a lot of fun; he lives in this cool area which somehow others perceive to be sketchy, but my sketchydar is a little out of whack after living in D.C. It seemed perfectly safe to me.

Peter has this wonderful eclectic group of friends out there. The highlights of my trip were spending quality time with Peter (watching him get a haircut) and Cindy (getting an acupressure chair massage with her at the Opry Mills Mall). And, going to a concert with Petey's buddy bear (a wonderfully interesting Nashville expert/descendant of Thomas Jefferson) Gia. Well, it was supposed to be a rally for Edwards that got cancelled (due to the VA Tech tragedy). We went to the Ryman, a pretty historic spot, and instead of politicking in the traditional sense - they brought Vince Gill from off the golf course, and Ashley Judd, and others and they sang solemn songs and it was just totally moving - especially the call-and-response version of Amazing Grace that we sung.

The plane trip back was rocky. On the plane, I sat next to an off-duty commercial pilot and there were German high school exchange students (1/2 of the plane at least) who screamed with every bump. It lightened the experience.

The one thing about Nashville that I didn't love was how smoky the bars were.
I am now sick at home with a cold that isn't quite debilitating, but rather yields magical, flourescent phlegm. I have been eating Asian food exclusively - which is a family tradition for us; something about the lack of dairy, the spice, the ginger, the hot tea perhaps? Call us crazy!

My roommate has been around and has been uber-friendly. I realize now the ultimate sign of a roommate liking you is when they speak to you through your door without knocking.

I am really into my new Nouvelle Vague/Bande a Part CD. I bought one for Petey for his bday.

Yo

Hey - random stuff:
1) My boss (who recruited me to leave CA) is leaving (for CA). Many things may change around work and in my life. More details to follow.
2) My office (that I love so dearly) is moving. Apparently my new one is even larger, so no harm, no foul.
3) I was nominated (thanks to Katie Miller) and interviewed for a documentary series called "onbeing" put out by the Washington Post. A lot of people are going to know me as of this Wednesday. They basically condense a 3-hour interview into a less than 4-minute documentary that I won't see until it goes live. The weird thing about my interview is it made me realize how nice it would be to have a therapist. I wasn't 100-percent my normal self, or how I thought I would be. I didn't tell any of my stock stories (about uvulas, Iceland, childhood garage sales), or discuss kombucha. I mostly mused a lot more about my life and drew some important connections about how my socialization truly shaped me to be who I am today - however trite that may sound.
4) I am going to Nashville, Tennessee this upcoming weekend to visit my buddy bear Petey and am mighty excited about it.
5) Today we had a fun Easter party, and ate handmade potstickers, drank fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, and played win, lose, or draw. My friends here are first class.
6) Last night I saw a wonderful movie called "The Lives of Others". The ending disappointed me, and made me feel like a total capitalist.
7) I am so proud of Geraldo after watching a Youtube video where he creams Bill O'Reilly on the issues of free speech and immigration. Go watch it now.
8) I discovered the hippy haven of Mt. Pleasant this weekend. My friend Mike knows the city really well and is generally a good person to know and have in your/my life. He hosted a really fun sedar this weekend. I like singing the Hebrew songs.
9) Last weekend, Jessica, Doug, and niece and nephew were here. We ate lots of vegan food per their new diet and I sort of dug it. We did the kite festival, the Natural History Museum, the carousel on the mall, the monuments, the zoo, and lots of restaurants. It was good bonding. Doug my bro-in-law gave me a lot of his clothes, including Gucci pants that probably cost $500. I have a whole new wardrobe. Some of them don't technically fit me, but it's worth the squeeze. (Though not with shoes - my pinky toe is achey breaky!)
10) I hosted a crew regatta on Georgetown Harbour this weekend. It was cold and entailed lots of standing.
11) I saw a church production Godspell this weekend (this version was set on the D.C. Metro). And I enjoyed it. It was very interactive, and I was at the center of audience participation (one of the cast members, a friend, sold me out for this purpose) I am on a CD-ordering kick. At the aforesaid sedar I discovered Nouvelle band a parte, and ordered it (a French band that does an interesting array of cover songs). I also got Avenue Q pursuant to my last post.

NY

Basically, my generally nonexistent roommate has been around, confirming to me that I am meant to live alone (but I don't want to sign a 1-year lease, oh the dilemma). I got home on Wednesday at about 9 pm. He put the chain lock on the door, so I knocked and he let me in and flashed me a dirty look.

So, because I wanted to escape the roommate, I decided to go to NY this weekend and it all worked out a little too perfectly.

I literally decided about 10 minutes before I left work Friday (after deciding not to go and making tentative plans for the weekend here). My bus trips were only 4 hours each way -- and I didn't reserve or prepay. I had such a blast. The weather was gorgeous. I ate tons of great food. Hung out a lot in the East Village. I am sorry, U St. and Adams Morgan can't compare, though Ave. A reminds me of 24th St. in the Mission, but less scary.

NY is just so cool. I can't believe I EVER compared it to D.C. (i.e. when I was in law school). What ever was I thinking? It feels so safe. The food is so yummy and there is so much variety. There is so much stuff going on late night. There is so much diversity - every color, shape, and size is represented. I don't find it overwhelming at all. I probably need to still live there. Darn, I am confused. I wish I got to live multiple lives.

The highlight of the weekend was seeing Avenue Q (and of course hanging out with Beverly and Priscilla). I have been wanting to see the play for the last 3 years and had such high expectations. I had heard the music, but the context for this is everything. I went with Beverly and the play was sold out. We lost the lottery, but someone who won sold us their tickets, so we had nose bleeds. Anyway, I love the play. It is hilarious. I mean, the content is so dark, but it is presented in this really unique way that makes it so light-hearted and endearing. My favorite line is at the end, which says "Sometimes life is scary, but it's only temporary."

Today I saw my brother Dale and his family in Rye. This is the first time I have hung out with family from my dad's side since he passed away. Dale and I have a very natural bond, though we are very different; he is a die-hard republican, and a Mr. Fix-it/tech maven. He thinks it's crazy that I have travelled to Iceland and Israel and eat Indian and know about churrascarias. But, we have a lot of like for each other. And respect. We went "geocaching", which is like treasure-hunting. Apparantly, it's this hot thing that people are obsessed with. There are all these folk terms for geocache muggers, and the like. We went through a marsh and it was a lot of fun. My niece, Amelia, is 10 and seems very well-adjusted. It was great to talk about dad. I know -- wherever he is -- he is happy that Dale and I spent the day together.

Seems like my sister is coming to visit in D.C. Doug decided all of the sudden that he wanted to come to D.C., so after virtually begging her for the last 6 months with no firm committment (mainly b/c I want to spend time with Parker and Emma), it seems like it's going to happen. We had a little argument about them staying at the Mandarin Oriental, which is in SW. I told them it was sketchy - but they were like "it's on the tidal basin" and I was like, "and?" I find his level of power in the relationship so frustrating, but I am not going to lose sleep about it. They know what I think and I've thought it for so long that it really has no bearing on anything.

Dreams and Obsessions

Today I was walking to work. The weather has been good so I was all peppy; especially because I passed through a protest. Then I saw this big mass of people, which was exciting and reminded me of NY. Then I realized the mass of people was due to a fire drill in a large office building. But, whatev.

I keep on having the recurring nightmare about watching airplanes crash in mid-air. Last night it was a quazi-lucid dream, which totally freaked me out. Sarah and I were together -- flying American airlines, but our plane was delayed (which is relevant to our recent flight out of Austin). Meanwhile, a Delta airliner just stopped in mid-air, suspended for about 5 seconds and just belly-flopped into the ground. The weird part about the dream was that in the dream I freaked out because my recurring nightmare had come "true".

I have been plagued by recurring nightmares to include:

1) A version of Chinese water torture involving dabbing ketchup on my face.
2) A series of dreams about my teeth crumbling into dust or falling out, i.e. chewing into an apple (at Applebees)
3) A dream about being miniaturized and stuck in a glass of water (which I recently found out happened to a mouse in my friend's house).

I also realize that I no longer have an obsession. I used to be obsessed with colleges, but now that that's my job, I can sort of let it go. In my life I have been obsessed with:
1) track housing communities in South Florida (I used to know all the included features for every community)
2) cruise ships (I used to know the gross tonnage of every commercial cruise liner in the world; I was also a superstar in my high school oceanography class)
3) tennis rankings
4) colleges (I read the entire Lisa Birnbaum college guide 8 years before I was to go to college and concluded that Pepperdine and Rhodes College were my two top choices - that was back when I considered myself a "Republican" which I dropped ONLY b/c my mom dated an Armenian con man named Berge who was a devout member of the GOP; I guess everyone serves a purpose)

A random sad note is that one of my favorite dishes - the chicken crepe salad at Raku (hold the cucumbers, and add extra sesame dressing) is no longer. Laura and I used to go exclusively for this dish. Let us remember the good old days.

Hippy Backpacking Gypsys

Hippies
Growing up, my mom was anti-hippy. In contrast, I have always considered myself to have a special affinity for hippies. My ex is a modern-day hippy, and her mom certainly was and is.
I think because of this my mom sort of likes hippies now. However, my friends insist that I am a yuppy; not a hippy at all. While that was sort of confirmed in SF, when after Dana's birthday, we went to my fave 80's bar in the Mission, Delerium, and one of my friends overheard the bartender asking "what are all these yuppies doing here?" I actually sort of revel in that.

I guess this sort of disturbed me because in Washington, DC, I definitely thought I was as countercultural as one can be. OK, so I don't do drugs, or act in a "free love" manner, I shower regularly, and I don't recycle. I actually used to do all those things a lot more because I respect it all. (Alumni Directors should wear cord jackets with elbow patches, not nose rings). Doesn't ideology count for something? So, either I am a deactivated hippy or I am not a hippy. Whatever.

Backpacking
So, my mom and I "travelled" around Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic) after I graduated from college. I always said we backpacked, but these same friends call me on that lingo as well. They insist that backpacking requires backpacks and staying at hostels. So, yeah, my mom and I did wheel around luggage - true. But, we travelled for 3 weeks without any plan at all. We took trains, and experienced all kinds of adventures -- including sleeping on a sketchy Amsterdam houseboat where I couldn't even fit my whole body in the room, my mom getting locked in a bathroom in Prague, staying in a strange Turkish suburb of Berlin and almost freezing to death, and jumping out of a moving train in Frankfurt. My mom had never travelled this way before. And, I have backpacked before. And, even though our primary luggage wasn't a backpack, our experiences were more similar to those of a technical backpacking trip than they were to a normal trip to Europe.

Gypsys
So, I made fun of gypsys the other day. I basically said something like Borat would say, but far less comedic. Anyway, I was also called on this because this group is very oppressed in Europe because of these stereotypes. I responded that in our country they are not oppressed, so it is not a problem. He countered, well, what if black people weren't oppressed in Europe and a local person starting raising stereotypes about crack. I see his point. Not sure if I can justifiably make gypsy jokes anymore. Does it make me as bad to just think it?

Backers

Austin was so much fun! Yee-haw. You should check out all of my yelp reviews.

We all drank Shiner Boks or Lonestars at most every meal, and sang full-volume in our minivan between adventures. We played celebrity and Mike strummed the Banjo while Sarah crooned church songs. I purchased cow-hide cowboy boots.

We saw music too - some good (jug band), some not so good (duelling piano sexists) - and partook in chicken shit bingo. I ate lots of queso, which is yummilicious. A lot of our plans didn't work out, but I think we mostly felt revived and excited to realize we are still young and fun, though perhaps in a slightly more subdued and responsible form.

Maybe some of you will move out to Austin with me one day or at least visit?!

Since I have left the Bay Area so many of my friend have left, from Turadg, Thorben, Beverly, Shannon, Mike, and now Joanna, and Dana, and prospectively, Andrea. The whole time I was there very few people left (in contrast to my experience in D.C.). If I ever move back, it will be totally different to have those people absent from my life.

I can't believe I have been in D.C. for so long - approaching a year. I can do this. And, I am glad I did it. After being in Texas, while walking to work I realized that the walk to work is like a Marshalls or TJ Maxx fashion show. Sad. People are also markedly ruder here -- specifically in the service industry. I insist on being nice.

Last night Mike planned a great night for us. Through the freezing rain, we went to a book release party (the Not for Tourists Guide to D.C.) at Local 16, to El Khartoum Sudanese for dinner, we saw an indie play and drank some at the Warehouse, and ended the night at a gay country-western/karaoke bar (which had no Texas beer), where Mike and I randomly ran into two other Mac grads (one of whom exhibited the characteristic Mac aloofness). It made me realize D.C. is dandy.

In the play, they used this term "mench" which is short for mention. I like it. There was a whole sequence where they ended every word/name with "ers" and it stuck in my head.

I am going to Puerto Rico with my mom for my birthday present. I haven't been since my grandma died when I was in 9th grade.

I got to see my old friend chicken the other day. He was like a little brother to me. Now he is 26. I haven't seen him in perhaps 5 years. He slept on my floor and we gossiped about the old days. Was really nice. Overlapping memories are the most rewarding kind.

Break

I go to Austin this weekend and, even though vacation was just a few months ago, I totally need a break. Austin is a total foil to Washington, D.C. Fun there is cheap and lazy. D.C. is fast-paced and full of 'tude. I wish I had friends in Austin. I would totally move there and live large. I want a little craftsman house with a back yard. A unique place that I can fix up, host BBQ's, have my friends stay in a proper guest room. Maybe I'll do it. My mom and Basil will be there and it really has everything that I need, save for friends. The big problem is as we get older, I dread having to make new friends. And finding a place with a critical mass of single people; where this is normal. This is why I will eventually move back to the Bay Area; methinks after the Presidential election. (As of late, I have been feeling strangely apolitical.)

Steph, an old friend, started working with me. I have been without aid at work for going on three months. Accordingly, my head has been spinning. It is so nice to have an ally. With this much-needed partnership, I feel reenergized and confident that my program can move forward. I am even motivated to take some classes, though the specific classes change all the time. I think I want to take a class on Africa and a voice class.

The person who I originally was going to hire -- who was ultimately vetoed -- got another job, which made me feel so relieved. I carried around a lot of guilt for a long time; you would think I was Catholic.

I think about my dad a whole lot. He gave me his watch and I wear it all the time and feel so much pride when people compliment it. I wish I were staying in better touch with my family on that side. The woman who was first lady of Mac when I was there -- Marge McPherson -- passed away at 60. It affected me more than I thought it would, perhaps because of my dad.

Ahmed, my old roommate, is around (from Dubai) and stayed with me the other night. It was as if he never left. He was an outstanding roommate. My current roommate is truly rarely here. He is too busy at the Oscars, or chasing Brittney Spears at Sky Bar in LA.

I don't like arrogance and moodiness, or any combination thereof. I just have to share this.

I finally have some D.C. restaurants that I love -- Super Pollo, Hee Been, Neyla's, El Khartoum, Amsterdam falafelshop, Bombay Palace weekend lunch buffet, New Fortune dim sum, thai Tanic and Singapore Bistro for delivery. This constitutes a critical mass.

Anyway, after the debacle that was law school Spring Break in Florida, I have slight pangs of anxiety about a 7-person trip to TX. Remarkably, vacations are much more snippety in the adult world. I am planning on Europe in October.