Katie W. Exposed

Follow me this way...

2011-01-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

I know you're all dying to see the new list! Right?! Riiiight?!?!?!?!

Well, you'll have to click here to do it, because I've ~~sorta~~ moved!

New Year + New List + New Vision = New Blog

Duh! I know it's all moving so fast, but try and keep up kids...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

#53 - Complete

2010-12-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

Well, it's December 31st and I still have 18 uncompleted goals.

65% complete

If this was a test in school I would have failed. But guess what?! It's not!!!

This was just my first attempt to develop a list of things that matter to me. Now you're thinking, "Whoa! She's going to try this again?!" I sure am!

It's a little disappointing considering how close I was with #29. And the fact that I did a couple of hikes, just not the right one. And I'm hoarding 5 knit squares for #6, I just don't think I should have an old lady blanket at this point in my life. I also have quite a few recipes for #3, they just aren't ~~organized~~ in a binder. And how easy are #38 and #44! Ok, now I'm just embarrassing myself...

So check back tomorrow as I post the new list (a full 101 in 1,001 this time!)!
And for my final trick, I've added $90 to my savings account!

#53 - Check hahaha, literally

#47 Complete

2010-12-30T16:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my mom and Bro's generous Christmas giving, I'm calling this one complete!

As you've seen, I have my bedroom and bathroom under control. In fact, it's expanded to include a bookcase (refurbished (refinished?) by Bro himself), a vanity bench, curtain rods, and more pillows! I love pillows...

I also have a guest room under control. It's Audrey Hepburn inspired to include all things glamorous (sorry men) and luxurious!

I've also been buying cookware. Holiday baking is surprisingly hard to do without mixing bowls, bread pans, and cookie sheets! So I'm expanding my kitchen collection.

I already have flatware but still need dishes and glassware. Luckily, Target has good stuff and I know I'll find what I want on a random day.

I also have an idea for my ideal dining room based around a painting my family owns. I can't find the blog that helped me develop a total look and my descriptive abilities are severely lacking, so maybe I'll try my hand at a design board once I have a photo of the painting.

Who else loves designing in their head?

Updated room pictures to come.

#2 - Complete

2010-12-24T08:00:00.003-05:00

Didn't think I could do it, huh? ~~Me neither...~~

But I did it! Thanks to a job, ING, and direct deposit.

3 month financial buffer, saved! And now I'm doing the big money saver dance (read: cabbage patch)!

Photo.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repealed, Finally!

2010-12-22T20:49:00.001-05:00

You must know by now that I'm kind of a nut about equality and gay rights. So today, when President Obama signed the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell", I ~~cried like a baby~~ shed a tear. I think his speech held valuable points and he acknowledged all of the truly amazing men and women who fight for our country everyday (gay or straight).

I know it's a longer video and there are no silly cats, but I encourage you to watch it! And if you just don't have the time, the hightlights of the President's speech (according to me, with my emphasis) are these:

"No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military - regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance - because they happen to be gay. No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder, in order to serve the country that they love."

"As Admiral Mike Mullen has said, 'Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well.'"

"I want to express my gratitude to the men and women in this room who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Services. I want to thank all the patriots who are here today, all of them who were forced to hang up their uniforms as a result of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” -- but who never stopped fighting for this country, and who rallied and who marched and fought for change. I want to thank everyone here who stood with them in that fight."

"Finally, I want to speak directly to the gay men and women currently serving in our military. For a long time your service has demanded a particular kind of sacrifice. You’ve been asked to carry the added burden of secrecy and isolation. And all the while, you’ve put your lives on the line for the freedoms and privileges of citizenship that are not fully granted to you.
You’re not the first to have carried this burden, for while today marks the end of a particular struggle that has lasted almost two decades, this is a moment more than two centuries in the making.
There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country; their service has been obscured in history. It’s been lost to prejudices that have waned in our own lifetimes. But at every turn, every crossroads in our past, we know gay Americans fought just as hard, gave just as much to protect this nation and the ideals for which it stands."

"That is why I say to all Americans, gay or straight, who want nothing more than to defend this country in uniform: Your country needs you, your country wants you, and we will be honored to welcome you into the ranks of the finest military the world has ever known."

"For we are not a nation that says, “don’t ask, don’t tell.” We are a nation that says, “Out of many, we are one.” We are a nation that welcomes the service of every patriot. We are a nation that believes that all men and women are created equal. Those are the ideals that generations have fought for. Those are the ideals that we uphold today. And now, it is my honor to sign this bill into law."

Thank you President Obama! And thank you to the men and women who serve our country everyday!

Now it's back to work as usual to implement the change as quickly as possible and invite those who were discharged under "don't ask, don't tell" to return to the ranks.

Remember that you should always support the troops; regardless of your feelings towards the cause.

Video. Transcript.

8/10 - Going My Way

2010-12-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

Going My Way won the 1944 Academy Award for Best Picture. Wikipedia describes it as "a light-hearted musical comedy/drama about a new young priest (Father Charles "Chuck" O'Malley) taking over a parish from an established old veteran (Father Fitzgibbon)." Of course, old Fitzgibbon wasn't too keen on the idea of being pushed out of his parish and neither were his more traditional parishioners. But as it always goes, Father O'Malley manages to do some good, wins over old Fitzgibbon, and disappears quietly.

I was not a fan of this one... I would call it the Vatican approved Mary Poppins. You know, O'Malley floats down from the clouds to get this unruly parish in order. He wrangles the neighborhood gang of boys into a choir, increases the funds of the church, and gently brings Fitzgibbon around. Then, as soon as he loved by all, he decides it's time to go and waves goodbye to Burt while everyone is out flying their kites... But don't let my awesome Mary Poppins reference fool you, this movie is boring... (Sorry Bing but you are no Julie Andrews!)

But I did find this interesting: "This picture was the highest-grossing picture of 1944. Its success helped to make movie exhibitors choose Crosby as the biggest box-office draw of the year, a record he would hold for the remainder of the 1940s."

I suddenly got the feeling that the 40s were not as fabulous as I once thought...

Thanks Wikipedia!

#10 - Complete

2010-12-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

Oh hey! As you can see, I'm steamrolling over my remaining goals before I start a NEW LIST in 2011! Hopefully, I've put enough thought into the new list to have a better success rate. Hopefully...

But the reason we're here today is because I bought a camera! My good friend (Hi Will!) told me about woot! when we went to see the Blackwater Rollers. It's this website of crazy one-day deals and they have everything from Aqua Globes to TVs. So I started checking the site daily because you just never know and...

On November 17th (I know... I'm slow.), I snatched up a Kodak EasyShare M550 in purple! Woot woot! Get it?! I'm excited?! Anyway, I had it shipped to my mom's because I thought I would get it when I was home for Thanksgiving... Alas, that did not happen but I'm super excited anyway!

So, #10 has been checked off!

PS - Anyone who can go check out a roller derby should ABSOLUTELY do it! I'm not saying it will change your life, but it's a good time.

PPS - I furthered my awesomeness today by picking up my Notary Public commission from the courthouse! Watch out world, I'm getting too big for my britches over here (figuratively and literally, thanks holidays!)!

#18 - Complete

2010-12-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

Guess what you guys?! Another completion! :check:

I just finished ~~and realized it counted~~ an intense three-day prep course for a professional certification exam. The SHRM (Society for Human Resouces Management) PHR (Professional of Human Resources) Certification Preparation course, to be exact!

For the past three days I've been going into Old Towne Alexandria, parking my car in various underground lots, and walking the three blocks through f-reezing winds to the Hilton. Once there, I stopped at the in-house Starbucks (yeah people, in house) to grab a venti ("go big or go home," I always say) iced Chai latte and settled in for eight hours of material.

Lucky for me, the instructor was a-maz-ing and I had a lot of fun! I also met a lot of great people (what's up Jenni!) from so many locations and fields of business! I cannot tell you how valuable it is to meet and speak with people from different fields, especially for this kind of test when everything is fair game whether you work with it or not (yeah, that means you unions and manufacturing).

Thanks Geo for footing the bill on this one! I learned a lot and I'm totally pumped to take that four hour exam! Wait... Four hours? Oh boy...

7/10 - Slumdog Millionaire

2010-11-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Slumdog Millionaire was "nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009 and won eight, including Best Picture. It tells the story of Jamal Malik, a young man from the Juhu slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and exceeds people's expectations, thereby arousing the suspicions of the game show host and law enforcement officials." (Source Wikipedia)

I found a poster that called the movie, "the feel-good film of the decade." Wrong! Films don't win the Academy Award for Best Picture because they are "feel-good". (Let us never forget the trauma of Schindler's List.) Films win the Academy Award for Best Picture because they are poignant and powerful and heart-wrenching! I felt that this was no exception...

As the summary suggests, Jamal is taken in for questioning by the authorities because the host of the show swears he is cheating. We see Jamal's life through flashbacks that explain how he knows the answers to some of the obscure questions on the game show (i.e. Who is on the American $100 bill?). But Jamal being from the slums was actually the least upsetting part! Don't get me wrong, the slum and most of the places Jamal lives are dirty and littered with who knows what, but it's pretty minor compared to the human experiences...

Jamal and his brother, Salim, are left to fend for themselves at a young age when their mother is killed in some kind of raid for being Muslim. The two boys then take to the trains (literally living in/on top of train cars) and travel the country just trying to make ends meet, typically through theft and lies. Along the way they meet Latika, Jamal's true love who he hopes will see him on the game show.

I think I could have handled the hardships of growing up the way Jamal did if his brother hadn't been a horrible person. Salim's sole purpose in life seemed to be proving how tough he was, and ruling over Jamal. There are only two instances where he does something good for Jamal and for me, it wasn't enough. Part of me wanted to shake Jamal for being so naive and continuing to look for the redeeming qualities in his brother... Then another part of me was losing patience with Latika because as a little girl she was so tough (running away with a couple of boys during the murderous raid)! But as the movie progressed she seemed to give up and let others decide her fate... (Perhaps it's overly morbid of me, but I just wonder if living the life of a victim and captive is a life worth living...)

Of course, in the end, Jamal and Latika end up together and Salim goes down in a blaze of glory to ensure their safety, which I guess is a point in his favor.

The movie's saving grace? The dance number at the end to the award winning song "Jai Ho". Enjoy it here!

Moral: Never travel to India and if you do, wear thick-soled shoes! What? That's not what we were supposed to learn?! Oh well, that's what I took away from it...

Photo source.

#47 - The New Space!

2010-11-07T12:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are! I've been living in the new place for a month now and it's fantastic! E (my new landlord) and I get along really well and I feel really comfortable in my own space. We have very different schedules but it seems to work out really well (apparently, I'm a heavy sleeper) and my shortened commute really helps!

Without further ado, here are the photos, as promised (This will be a photo heavy entry and I ask that you forgive my crappy camera...):

View as you walk in:
Bed with pretty new bedding, armoire c/o E.

Walk-in closet!!!:

View from bed:
Still empty but yeah, those are stairs to my own little LOFT!

Loft from top of the stairs:
Striped chair c/o E and comfy futon c/o Heather.

Loft from far corner:
Still empty, I need a desk chair and I want to get a tv and small table for the railing corner.

Private bathroom:

In need of art but so awesome!

Bathroom shower:

My new shower curtain and bathroom decor is my favorite!

Shower curtain detail:

Lovely, right?!

'llI keep you up to date as things progress!

Wear Purple to Show Your Support!

2010-10-20T07:00:00.003-04:00

Ok, let's be honest... Am I getting a little too gay? (It's a joke kids, you can laugh!)

In all seriousness though, I found out that today is Spirit Day (thanks Pixie in Pumps!).

And while I could spend this moment to get really deep about the issues, I'm just going to say that we miss all of those who have left us. You know the world isn't the same without you.

You can bet I'm rocking my favorite jewel tone today! (I wish I had purple shoes...) I'll wait while you pull out your grape cardigans, amethyst jeans and lilac jewelry. No really, go! We'll wait...

Do you look like an eggplant now? Do you have your Grimace face on? Awesome! Now go join the Facebook event and check out these awesome NoH8 photos!

(photo credit)

National Coming Out Day

2010-10-11T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi All, straight and GLBT!

It's National Coming Out Day (NCOD)!

Founded in 1988, NCOD founders Rob Eichberg, Ph.D. and Jean O'Leary encouraged all people, of all sexual orientations, to "take your next step" in living openly and powerfully on October 11th.

Show your pride and/or support by wearing a gay pride symbol today. Or, donate your Facebook status here. And take a minute to visit the Human Rights Campaign website and pick up some swag (that means merchandise) while you're there.

Remember, closets are for clothes and together we can change the world!

Photo credit.

Tyler Clementi: A Life Lost

2010-10-01T10:32:00.000-04:00

Read the article here.

And check out Ellen DeGeneres' message on Facebook.

#47 - Sometimes, you have to hold your breath and jump in without testing the waters first.

2010-09-17T19:08:00.000-04:00

Here's the thing... I didn't expect to be back in Northern Virginia for very long. But here I am approaching the one year mark and I'm working towards acceptance. Mostly accepting that I have bad days at the job and a few of my co-workers really blow because in the grand scheme of things, I think I'm pretty happy.

Cut to earlier this week when I realized that I was miserable in my living situation but I could do something about it. That's a unique concept, isn't it? To get up and do something!

See my landlord enjoys the company of others. Well that came out wrong! She's very social (a.k.a. needy) and always has people over at the house, sometimes at k-razy hours. When we finally sat down to "discuss" it, a yelling match ensued full of defense mechanisms and ugly attitudes that boiled down to, "if you don't like, you can give your 30 days notice and leave."

So I enlisted Craig's List and the good friend HH to start looking for something else and we found something great! We found an ad, emailed the owner, and were viewing the house by that evening and I was pretty much sold. Now, for those who don't know me, I am not the person who makes quick decisions without constant brooding and over-thought. In fact, I tend to wait for a decision to be made for me... But KB taught me something that I've worked to embrace ever since, "this is not the last decision you'll ever make." And she's right because I let myself get stuck thinking I don't have choices... But not this time!

I will not accept the attitude that was shown to me by my current landlord and my new landlord seems like a doll. Plus, closer to work and three times the space with my own bathroom and loft! Trust me, there will be no tears shed during this move.

Which bring me to #47! I will be looking for new bedroom/sitting area/bathroom items in the coming weeks and I'll be sure to take (No, I really will!) and share pictures of my new space come late October!

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day

2010-09-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

The Scope of Suicide

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about one million people die by suicide every year; this represents a "global" mortality rate of 16 per 100,000, or one death every 40 seconds. Suicide rates in many developing countries have been steadily rising in recent years.

Suicide Prevention across the World

On World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, 2010, the theme "Many Faces, Many Places: Suicide Prevention across the World" offers us a broad perspective for suicide prevention. There are significant differences in the profiles and circumstances of suicidal individuals in different parts of the world. At the same time, it is clear that the experience of connectedness is important in the mental health of all people.

It is often asked, how can we best connect with each other in a world that appears so disconnected? We strongly believe that if our communities work towards being better connected, through sharing information, expertise and time, we can do a great deal to help those who are in need, desperate, and vulnerable to suicide.

We believe that through a combined effort at an international and local level, a difference to the lives of many will be made.

This post contains information found at the International Association of Suicide Prevention website. You can also visit their Facebook page.

Eat Pray Love

2010-09-07T20:08:00.001-04:00

Hello Lovelies! Did we all have a good Labor Day weekend? Yes?! Excellent!

I enjoyed a l.o.n.g. weekend at home with my wonderful mother and we were busy bees, when I wasn’t napping of course. We reupholstered a chair for Bro (which I forgot to take pictures of, GAH!) because his roommate recently moved out and he now has a guest bedroom, a.k.a. bedroom for me! Then I spent most of Saturday afternoon helping Bro and his darling g/f reconfigure his living spaces and cleaning. (Props to me because the guest bedroom looks great but I don’t have pictures, double GAH!)

On Sunday we did a little kayaking on a local lake because the day was absolutely beautiful (“still no pictures?” you ask. Still no pictures; triple GAH!). We enjoyed the sun and a lovely breeze whilst tooling around in our inflatable two-seater. Yes, I said inflatable two-seater kayak… And you’re thinking, “wow, is that safe?” And I’ll tell you that it mostly is, once you get past the severe wobbles and my mother’s insatiable desire to follow herons and geese and any other poor creature that just wants to be left alone with the lovely weather and his/her prey. So really the kayak itself is perfectly safe and I now understand why she's afraid of of being trampled by angry animals…

Anyhow, after our time in the sun, we caught the 3 o’clock showing of Eat Pray Love. (And for those of you who are wondering, this is where the substance begins, the post gets lengthy, there may be mild spoilers, and the men will zone out…)

I wanted to love this movie despite having thrown the book aside halfway through Pray. I felt like the substance would translate better with Julia Roberts at the helm and screenwriters that didn’t include Elizabeth Gilbert (What?! In my opinion she's not a good writer.). In the end, I liked it and I was partially right about the substance.

The movie was well made. I think that Julia Roberts delivered in her charming way without being too Julia (you know, there wasn’t an abundance of pouting and the crazy laugh was totally lovable). For me, she almost nailed self-loathing and confusion turned confidence and acceptance. I stress almost because the movie ended with Love which was great but seemed to defeat the whole purpose of her soul-searching journey. See, the author had this habit of diving into relationships… She leaves her husband, who absolutely loves her and does not understand why she wants a divorce, because they’re on different pages in life and immediately falls into a destructive relationship with a young actor. So in the midst of this destructive relationship she decides to take her year to visit Italy, immersing herself in the food and the language (Eat), to worship at an ashram in India (Pray), and to combine it all together with the help of a medicine man in Indonesia where she falls in (Love).

Her time in Italy is awesome as she makes new friends, learns Italian from scratch, and eats her fill of the most amazing carbs… She embraces "fat jeans" and learns how to stand on her own two feet in a foreign country without a man! In India, she struggles to learn how to relax and let go. She meets Richard from Texas who opens her eyes and tells her she has to forgive herself and send love and light to those she loves and misses even if they’re “bad” for her (you know, the young actor). And she completes her journey in Bali where she works with the medicine man Ketut to put it all into practice and meets Felipe. She almost breaks it off with the Felipe telling Ketut that she can’t keep her balance if she loves him to which Ketut replies, “it’s ok to lose balance for love.” So instead of getting on the plane bound for America she runs to the dock to get on a boat with Felipe and ride into the sunset.

WHOA, WHAT?! That was her whole problem to begin with, remember? Throwing herself into relationships? But now it’s ok because women throughout the movie have been telling her that all she needs is a good man and Ketut agrees?! Ok, I’m confused... Because I thought I just sat through 2 hours of tears and wise words and moments for the lesson that we have to like ourselves first and see ourselves as individuals before we jump in with someone that may not be right for us. Like the handsome (well in my opinion, not in Javier Bardem’s case…) Felipe who’s from Brazil but lives in Bali because his business is there but his ex-wife and children are Australian, which practically screams stable, right? No? Yeah, that’s what I thought too… So wait, why did I sit through 2 hours of tears and wise words and moments? To negate everything I went into the theater hoping to see? Ok…

I guess I should’ve either finished the book or left the theater halfway through Pray…

Lesson learned...

#22 - Complete

2010-08-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize I completed this one last month in conjunction with the vineyard visit!

As I've mentioned before, KB dreamed up our Harry Potter Book Club last year and it has turned into a wonderful thing. I've made two amazing new friends and we've all been able to dork out with style! We've met roughly every month to discuss each book in the series and watch the movie of the same name. Our big weekend spent in Amherst was to celebrate the last of the books (although we still have to wait for the final two movies to come out, November 2010 and summer 2011).

As you know, our weekend started out with wine tasting and a lovely picnic. We then spent two hours in the car to reach my homestead where we began our discussions and craft-time! The amazingly creative KB decided that we should make our own "horcruxes" by dying wooden beads and stringing our own necklaces. I admit I thought it all sounded labor intensive but it turned out to be ridiculously easy and I'm absolutely in love with my necklaces and continue to think of making more!

After necklace making, we gathered up dinner supplies including fresh basil and a cucumber from my garden to make the most delicious pistachio pesto pasta with chicken and salad. It sounds silly, but it was so fun to make a meal with 3 other people! We each had our own task and we just chatted away and had a lovely time...

Then it was time for our little s'mores fire under the stars. The night was gorgeous, the fire was warm, and we all saw a shooting star!!! Truly perfect...

Sunday was another busy day of final horcrux-making, another delicious meal, and more bonding...

Let's also not forget that the lovely Penny came with us! She's such a lovebug and so cute, right?!

I really love these girls and I'm excited to keep our friendships going strong! In fact, we have another little weekend planned next month for adventure shopping and 101 planning!

#19 - Unsuccessful

2010-08-24T18:19:00.001-04:00

MJ was my best friend from high school and my voice of reason through many sticky situations. We'd known each other since elementary school, but failed to be in each other's close circle of friends until later in life. Once we became close (thanks to a summer class and Professor Poff), I turned to MJ for a sanity check on a regular basis.

You see, MJ and I had similar psychological workings. Our individual mothers had a very similar effect on us, we were prone to depression and general outcastness, and it turned out we both made bad relationship decisions. That's right, MJ broke off her engagement and ended up being a deciding factor for me on asking to postpone mine (with the true situation coming to light afterwards). When your Maid of Honor tells you that she refuses to attend your wedding because she doesn't think it's the right decision, it's hard not to listen...

Anywho, MJ and her new and improved love are always on the move. They started at William & Mary, traveled to Scotland for their Master's, moved up to DC when I was home, and have since settled in Delaware... The last I heard, she and the b/f were busy and happy in The First State! But that was toward the beginning of the year...

Therefore, as much as I miss my friend and would love to see the great, tiny state of Delaware, I'll be noting this one as unsuccessful... But I'm not giving up! I'm going to keep harassing MJ until I get a response and maybe I will come through on this by the end of the year... Just maybe...

OMG!!!!

2010-08-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

Hey kids! Guess what I just did?!?!

No really, guess.

I'll wait...

I just dropped my final credit card payment into the mail!!!!!!!!! That's right! I paid off #3 last week and now #4 is done too!

Excuse me while I dance like a fool because I FINALLY did it!

There are no words to express how awesome I feel right now! I don't even know if there are enough exclamation marks in the world!!!!!!!

I'm free... Free from credit card debt... Free to plan ahead... Free to really start fresh!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone who supported me, despite it taking a bit longer than I planned!

Photo credit.

A laugh at work?!

2010-08-18T19:49:00.000-04:00

I'm stealing a page from Sabrina's (check out Slice of Lemon) book (a post from her blog?) and sharing two little conversations I had today at work. (Note: While these moments are rare, they make working where I do a little easier.)

My phone rings and I see that it's AR, one of our IT guys:

Me: Hello?

AR: Hey Katie, do you remember Clue?

Me: Yes...?

AR: You know you would go around to different rooms to pick up clues.

Me: Yeah, I suck at it. (It's true, ask KB and MB.)

AR: And the clues were on cards.

Me: Yeah. [begins racking brain of all characters, weapons, and rooms while consciously acknowledging that the movie is hilarious]

AR: And at the beginning you would pull three cards and put them in the middle of the board.

Me: Yes. [bring on the trivia!]

AR: And they go in the envelope.

Me: Yeah. [here it comes]

AR: Do we have any of those?

Me: [screech...] Envelopes that say Clue on them?

AR: Well envelopes that size.

Me: [complete disappointment] Yeah we have a ton.

AR: Ok great! I just didn't know how else to describe them.

Me: I'll bring you some...

Later, the end of the day to be exact, I stopped by AR's office to let him know that he was one of the last to leave and may have to lock up. He was chatting with the company Pres and the following ensued:

Me: ... [not meaning to interrupt but it's too late]

Pres: I'll ask her, she's younger than you.

Me: [nothing good ever starts that way... commence deer in headlights stare] ...

Pres: Do you know who Mr. Green Jeans is?

Me: That sounds really familiar but... [don't disappoint now!]

Pres: Well... [definitely disappointed]

Me: Was he on Captain Kangaroo? [final answer :fingers crossed:]

Pres: YES! [out of his chair, arms in the air like I just made a sweet field goal]

Me: [redeemed!!! with no clue how I knew that and a plan to Google Mr. Green Jeans asap]

And today's lesson is: Never count yourself out of the race until it's finished!

Or hold onto to as much useless trivia as you can because it just might come in handy!

#13 - Complete

2010-08-17T18:47:00.000-04:00

Oops... I guess it's been a while and I completed #13 a while ago too...

Last year, KB, MB, and I went to the Virginia Wine and Garlic Festival at Rebec Vineyards near my hometown. We spent a full afternoon at multiple vineyard booths tasting our hearts out! And while I thought about using that as my #13 completion, I decided against it because it was a festival... Not really an opportunity to hear about the wines in detail or focus on what was nice. (Let's be honest, you don't go to a wine festival to do some serious tasting... You go to drink!)

So when KB suggested we hit up James River Cellars Winery on our way to the country for our big Harry Potter Book Club weekend (We made s'mores! I know you're jealous...), we were all pretty excited! We got there a little after they opened on Saturday morning with the other die-hards (and yes, there were already some inebriated folks). The four of us split up and went in teams of two to the tasting room, which was really awesome because I got way more time with KH (Check out her new blog, she's adorably funny!) than I've had before and it was so nice! She and I had a little too much fun in the tasting room (please pass those pretzels before I topple over...) and then got to take a tour of the winery (not as impressive as I would have thought...).

After we each tasted our way through over a dozen wines, we sat down for a lovely birthday picnic on the patio. KB and I decided to celebrate our great friends RM and KH with vintage pocket mirrors and Harry Potter cupcakes!

I didn't buy anything this time, but we did enjoy a bottle that KB bought with our lovely s'mores!!!!

Basically, it was awesome!

#29 - Schindler's List

2010-08-02T21:36:00.002-04:00

1993 winner of Best Picture and six other Academy Awards, I had to watch this over two days... After about a dozen close up deaths, I had to take a break from the 2+ hour film. Of course, anytime one movie spans two DVDs, you know you're in trouble...

This movie was incredible and heart-breaking. I think Netflix touts the story best. "Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, a greedy German factory owner made rich by exploiting cheap Jewish labor. But as World War II unfolds, he becomes an unlikely humanitarian, spending his entire fortune to help save 1,100 Jews from Auschwitz."

Now I don't know Oskar Schindler's actual story (aside from Wikipedia), but regardless of his motives, he was a great man. I think Liam Neeson portrayed a very believable guy focused on money and power who finds himself doing good and eventually embraces it. For those who haven't seen it, I'll just say that the last 20 minutes or so made the whole ordeal of worth it.

I will not be watching this one again (it's simply too draining and devastating) but I'm glad I finally saw it. I can't imagine subjecting anyone to it at a young age because I can't see any good coming of it by force. However, I think Spielberg did ~~almost too~~ well expressing the attitude toward Jews during the war, less than vermin and expendable.

PS - I seriously worry about Ralph Fiennes and his tendency to play characters that epitomize evil... That and his extremely feminine hands...

PPS - Mr. Spielberg, although sexual nudity is usually encouraged, I would say it's place in this particular film served only to disgust me further. But thanks for trying!

PPPS - The comedic stylings of Mike Burbiglia helped me to unwind after this Best Picture event. You know, in case you try this for yourself.

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Sometimes I...

2010-07-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

Now that I've missed my "deadline," I feel like I have all the time in the world until December 31st. Which might explain my absence, and the Netflix Schindler's List that's been sitting on my nightstand for about 3 weeks now... Oh well!

Instead, I've decided to follow in Tiffany's footsteps by completing the thought, Sometimes I...

Sometimes I wonder (particularly when I'm stuffing over 500 paychecks every other Thursday) if I worked so hard in school for this...

Sometimes I start my weekend with Saturday morning cartoons (Emperor's New School, The Replacements) and end it with the Disney channel (Sonny With a Chance, Hannah Montana Forever).

Sometimes I think about the wedding that didn't happen and look forward to planning another one.

Sometimes I wish I could let go of my fears and expectations (both mine and others) to do something like this and be more like this, or this, and maybe a bit like her...

Sometimes I put my earbuds in, crank my iPod, and sing and dance like a fool.

Sometimes I have such intense conversations in my head that I snap back to reality wondering if I've been talking to myself out loud...

Sometimes I dream about a future that includes owning a book store, becoming a photographer, creating a widely popular collaborative blog with my friends, and making a difference in people's lives.

Sometimes I really wonder if my next love will be a man or a woman.

Sometimes I think I would have been better suited to live through the 1940s-1960s or 1500s.

Sometimes I really think I want kids someday...

Sometimes I love nothing more than curling up with my furry babies...

You should try it... It's kinda fun and freeing!

#2 - Two months!!!

2010-07-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't complete this one on time but with the money from #52, today's paycheck, and a transfer of $3 extra dollars... I HIT THE TWO MONTH MARK!!!