Congrats to the bar survivors!

And good luck dealing with the waiting over the next few months. Nothing more to do, so no need to worry. On the day the results are posted online, however, I suggest taking a trip out of town. That way, if you pass, it's a celebratory trip. If you don't, you won't be anywhere near anyone who will ask you about it and you can lick your wounds in private.

That's what I did, and let me tell you, Puerto Rico -- the sun, the fun, the rum -- was a great diversion from mentally counting down the minutes until the results would be online.

Who does that?

Today, I considered making coffee at the office, so I went to check to see if the milk I had bought last week was still there. Ya' see, we have a Nazi refrigerator-cleaner-outer person. After my engagement party at work last month, the Nazi actually threw away the left-over cake, even though it was clearly marked and in a plastic container.

Bastards.

So, it was with good reason that I looked for my little carton o' milk (ya' know, the cup size, like you used to buy in elementary school for lunch?). And it was still there.

But get this, it was opened. Not by me. But by some milk-stealing, ballsy enough to open someone else's carton rotten scoundrel of a fink.

I mean, who does that? Stealing a bit from an open container is one thing (which I have been known to do), but opening a new carton and helping yourself?

I tell ya'...

The Pudge Report

Down from last week but still up from "before" (whenever that was).

Well, whatever. The dress is done, and I won't hit my -40. I'm hovering at slightly less than -30, so that will have to do.

"That'll do, pig. That'll do."

Veepstakes update: Is Kaine able?

The WP says Kaine is the frontrunner in the Obama veepstakes.

SM and I agree that he's probably top of Obama's short-list. I personally think Kaine is pretty boring, but whatever. The article also says that Bayh and Biden are on the short-list. That may be true, but I don't think Obama will pick a sitting senator in a state with a republican governor. Obama is looking to govern, and he needs the Senate heavily tilted left to do that.

I still think Obama is looking to make the non-conventional (no pun intended!) choice. Kaine is sort non-obvious. Now Webb would have been obvious and conventional. Ditto Bayh and Biden. Obama may still be thinking outside the box and surprise us all. Heck, if he chose Clinton, that would surprise me.

So, we'll see. SM thinks he announce before the Oympics start because he doesn't want the story to get washed away with the synchronized swimming and whatnot. So that means he'll announce in a week or so.

Ahh, Washington armchair quarterbacking at its best! Fun stuff!

The shit keeps on rolling in at DOJ...

Yup, another DOJ report finding that the Department illegally considered politics in hiring decisions.

Monday's report singles out the department's former White House liaison, Monica Goodling, for violating federal law and Justice Department policy by discriminating against job applicants who weren't Republican or conservative loyalists.

And it looks like Goodling may be disbarred as a result. Of course, she won't face (administrative) charges because she no longer works at Justice. And I doubt there are any criminal charges associated with her malfeasance.

I think a lawyer who deliberately and repeatedly flouts the law while acting as a agent of the premier law enforcement agency of the government is getting off easy by just being disbarred.

Besides, she can always go back to working for the RNC (unless you think she never stopped working for them, even while at Justice). They take care of their foot soldiers.

I'm jest sayin'.

And, oh yea...

GOOD LUCK BUSTING THE BAR EVERYONE!

I only have one former law school classmate taking the bar this go-round (the guy who was deployed to Iraq in the middle of our law school adventure). The rest of the people "I know" who are taking the bar are blogpals.

I wish everyone good lighting, great stamina and a strong bladder! See you when you crawl out from under in a week or so (because it really does take just as long to recover from the little quizzie as it does to endure it).

Monday morning haiku

Trying to eat well:
yoghurt, bananas, protein.
Wedding is next week!

Went to the movies

and saw Momma Mia last night.

Meryl Streep was great. She's clearly heads above any other actor in the movie. Amanda Seyfried, who plays the daughter getting married, has a beautiful voice but was a bit weak on the acting. That being said, she's gorgeous, and if she didn't have a singing career before, she will now.

The male characters were weak, and whoever thought that Pierce Brosnan should be cast for a singing role was seriously deranged. I absolutely cringed every time he opened his mouth. We thought Bruce Willis or Kevin Kline or even Kelsey Grammar would have been much better in that role. Let's face it, Brosnan ain't exactly a great actor, so without the pipes to belt out the ABBA tunes, he brought nothing but eye candy to the role. So why not choose someone who can at least carry a tune?

Anyhoo, it was a fun flick. No one will get a nomination for any of their roles, but it made for a good Saturday summer diversion.

One more observation... the last two movies I've seen -- this and Sex and the City -- have been centered on weddings. What gives with that? I think I need to go see Batman or something.

Props to Macy's for their cultural literacy

Macy's sent me a bunch of 10% off coupons to use for items off of our registry. Here's what the coupons say:

"Someone you know is getting married on 8.08.08, the luckiest day of the year according to Chinese numerology. For centuries, it has been believed the number eight brings good fortune, wealth and prosperity.

And you're lucky too! We're offering you a very special 10% discount to use when shopping the couple's gift registry. Present this card to the Registry Consultant in-store at the time of purchase and enjoy the passing of good luck."

I have to say that I was impressed. Props to Macy's for their cultural literacy.

Purty

I picked up my wedding dress today. It shore is purty. I would have liked to have lost 10 more pounds, but I didn't.

Still the dress is unique and just purty. I'll post pictures from the event later.

Happy thing of the week

(other than taking today off, that is...)

Yesterday, I picked up my "marriage license". SM and I can get hitched any time we want now.

Yay.

(Another happy thing was buying mochi ice cream at the H-Mart... yum!)

How pathetic am I?

I'm playing "stay-at-home-wife" today. Just playing it. I am doing laundry, tidying the house for a guest this weekend, running errands (pick up/drop off dry cleaning, groceries, etc.), went for a tan (trying to get rid of my heinous farmer's tanlines for the wedding) and hopefully, writing job applications.

For my grocery-shopping errand, I went to our usual place, a local Korean market. The produce there is soooooo much better than the generic chains. The selection is better; everything is fresher, and the prices are generally lower. We lurves our H-Mart. I bought tons of produce. Then I moved on to the deli counter to check out the seafood, thinking I'd buy some fish for dinner tonight.

And there I realized it.

I got this totally uncomfortable feeling as the self-awareness dawned over me.

I am a girl of the 'burbs.

Yes, it's true. As much as I may claim to be ethnic, it's a farce. Any vestiges of being ethnic were whitewashed by growing up firmly ensconced in the 'burbs.

Because, when I went to the fish counter, I realized I was much more comfortable searching among the unnatural, packaged stacks of styrofoam trays with slabs of filets and fish steaks under plastic than looking at the whole fish on ice, which were still in their original, scale packaging.

Gosh, I've grown up in such a sanitized, removed-from-the-reality-of-how-food-gets-to-our-table world that fresh fish was less appealing than chunks on styrofoam trays. And ya' know, I wouldn't even know how to prepare a whole fish, to tell the truth.

::sigh::

Once I realized my shame, I promptly went to the counter and bought some unpackaged filets. A compromise between the styrofoam and the fins and tail version.

We're having tilapia tonight.

Took the day off

Just because I really needed it. And it has to be one of the most gorgeous days in recent history.

I slept in really late, took the dog for a walk and will run errands later.

And no one is bugging me, nor am I bugged. It's great.

Today, I am happy.

Shout out to the Scooter clan...!

Great meeting you guys! SM and I had a blast chatting with you over half-smokes and cheese fries.

This is cool.

I haven't tried it out yet, but if it works, this site would be amazing (which is already built into its name).

Check it out.

Happy Thought...

This is where I'm going for dinner tonight.

Yay and yum!

The Pudge Report and other stuff

You guessed it. Up again. Between conventioning and lots of stress eating, I have gained a few pounds. ::sigh::

I've spent so much energy being angry about the work situation (yes, being away a week helped; no, it's not better; yes, the anger reared its ugly head again upon my return) that I feel spent.

So, I'm just resigned right now. No energy to do anything about the weight thing. Sounds like a cop-out? Yup. It is. Maybe tomorrow I'll do something. Maybe. I guess I don't care. And I guess I'm just a little depressed about this whole situation.

But, I can't let this situation fester and wipe me out. I've already identified several jobs for which I will apply, and I've gathered much of the paperwork. I need to pull a few more things together, but I have most of it. I'll feel better once I have things out and "in process". I'm the type of person who needs to take action; I am very bad at dealing with uncertainty and waiting.

I've also gotten to the point of utter frustration that I have considered just quitting my job outright. I'll be giving up a lot to do that (not to mention that it makes interviewing that much worse -- "yes, I'm a quitter; when things are tough, I walk away..."), so you know if I quit without something else lined up, it's. that. bad.

I'm probably not being all that smart, venting about work like this. So, this is the last pissed off post. If I am going to start a job search, I need to rein in my online presence and retain relative anonymity. So a few pictures and other identifiers may disappear from this blog. And if I get really nervous, I may pull down the entire blog. But I don't think it will get to that.

Back to the grind...

Monday morning haiku

I had several haiku in my head that expressed in explicit terms my feelings and how fed up I am today, but I decided it was better not to broadcast my general (and specific) state of malaise.. However, I just didn't have it in me to come up with something lyrical, funny or remotely interesting. So, rather than haiku anew, I'll leave it at that.

Well, that was weird.

So I've been attending a convention all week. That's why I've been so quiet. I'm not at my desk, or any desk.

I'm here at this convention because I sit on the board of the organization convening. I am not their legal counsel, but I also happen to be the only other lawyer on the board. That doesn't count for anything in reality, but well, in practice, it makes a difference.

So yesterday, there was a question of statutory interpretation. As it turns out, I was on the committee under whose jurisdiction the question fell. Legal counsel was examining the question, and she asked for my opinion (which I have never been shy to share). I took a look at the text in question, and when I looked up, I saw something like a dozen people staring intently at me, waiting for my answer.

Because they wanted to hear and actually valued and respected my opinion.

Whoa.

I totally did a double-take. Ya' mean, someone actually takes me seriously?

Yeah, I guess so.

Whoa.

She says's Scooter's Sank's meme

Being tagged in perpetuity by Scooter, I am meming accordingly. So here we are...

1. Any nickname? A few related to my real name. Chickee (from mom), Princess (from grandma), a few others from my brothers which I don't care to share.

2. Mother’s name? Pat

3. Favorite drink? No favorites of any kind. And I don't drink alcohol, but I does lurve me some coffee.

4. Tattoos? Yup.

5. Body Piercings? Only ears and no other places on my body.

6. (skipped by Sank and replaced by Scooter. Ignored by me.)

7. Birthplace? Washington, DC.

8. Favorite vacation spot? No faves.

9. Ever been to Africa? Yes, Egypt and South Africa (separate trips about nine years apart).

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Undoubtedly.

11. Ever been on TV? Yes, on the news (both in the background and interviewed), on an interview show on local cable and on some kiddie clown show, too, just like Scooter.

12. Ever steal any traffic sign? Maybe. I can't recall. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes. But never anything that resulted in bodily injury.

14. 2-door or 4-door vehicle? Just two. Always been just two. But I don't have a family for the back seat, other than Gidget.

15. Favorite salad dressing? No faves. And I eat very little dressing on my salad if I take any at all. Literally, only a few dabs.

16. Favorite Pie? Again, no faves. I love sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, apple pie...

17. Favorite number? I think you know the answer to this question by now.

18. Favorite movie? Ditto above response.

19. Favorite holiday? (I give up)

20. Favorite dessert?

21. Favorite food?

22. Favorite day of the week?

23. Favorite brand of body wash?

24. Favorite toothpaste?

25. Favorite smell?

26. What do you do to relax? Sleep, watch TV, hang out with the Gidge.

27. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Living with SM (and hopefully Gidget) somewhere, maybe overseas. Might have kids too. We'll see.

28. Furthest place you will send this message? I'm not sending it anywhere, but considering I'm two time zones away from where I usually am, maybe that counts for something?

29. Who will respond to this the fastest? Scooter rocks. Okay, that was an editorial comment. I had to write that because of his response to this question. I'm guessing maybe Zuska, because I don't know if anyone other than her and Scooter read this thing.

Questions from Scooter (I'm guessing):

A. Favorite Author:

B. Favorite Book:

C. Favorite Sport:

D. Favorite Team:

Okay, I admit to ditching answering those questions because I truly do not have favorites. I guess I could have listed some that would be in the group of top choices, but I got lazy.

Convening...

at a convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, so I'll mostly be off-line through the weekend. But I'll be back next week.

Monday morning haiku

Trying very hard
not to be "Ms. Grumpy Pants"...
but it's Monday.... sigh.

Couch potato

I know thy name.

Today...

is all about the wedding plans. I'm up at "going to work" hours, showered and shaved. Our first errand is to run over to my dad's place and meet my stepmom. We'll pick up some of the gifties that have been delivered there, and then we're off to the venue to discuss final plans. I think our reception is going to be about 140, which is completely manageable.

After the consultation and finalizing and basic checking up, SM will drop me off to get a spray tan. Yes, a fake spray tan. I've never done this before, but I realized that my skin tone is pretty much the same color as my dress, and frankly, it looks crappy. I would look much better with a tan, but I'm not going to bake or invite cancer for it. Rather than bake it, I'll fake it. Fine with me. My sisters have done this before, and they didn't have problems. So this is a test run. If I like it, I'll do the follow-up for the wedding. Apparently, the tan only lasts a week or so, so I'll need to "layer".

Tan in hand... well, hopefully not too much on my hands, I'll run off to dress fitting number 1, which is in reality the second dress. I found a dressmaker to copy a dress that I like. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I am optimistic. And then, off to dressmaker appointment number 2. This is the wedding dress that needs a tan.

Somewhere in between all of that, we need to get to the mall to buy my a girdle for dress. Yes, a girdle to hold me in from jiggling. And yes, I've put on a few (three?) pounds over the last few weeks, so I'm concerned. It shouldn't make a difference, but I don't like the trend.

Gotta get dressed and get outta here in a few minutes...

Eeeuw.

Gidget just ate a ladybug. Ick.

Is that just extra protein for her, or should I be worried?

The Fix agrees with me...

Sorta.

And sorta doesn't.

My maybe veeps to watch were Bayh, Bredesen, Edwards (Chet) and Kaine. This Fix proffered the following rank:

5. Hillary Rodham Clinton

4. Joe Biden

3. Kathleen Sebelius

2. Evan Bayh

1. Tim Kaine.

As I've stated, I don't think Obama will pick a woman. Joe Biden is an excellent idea. The other two were on my final four list. We'll see.

(Of particular amusement, one of the commenters to The Fix column advocated for Senator Dodd. He urged us to think of the bumpersticker: Vote for Obama! Dodd is my co-pilot. Ba-ha-ha-ha!)

Do you know me?

The blogosphere is an interesting place. The rules are different here than in the real world. We can become "friends" without ever knowing each other's real names or faces or personalities. In real life, we exchange names, personal details and contact information instantly. Notsomuch online. We reveal only what we want to. And who knows if we're playing our real cards or bluffing? It's a whole new dance in the blogosphere.

I have only met in person two bloggers that I've "gotten to know" in the four years of this blog. Denise and TI, both of whom are exactly as you would expect them to be based on their blogs -- fabulous people. I have plans to meet two more when they come to DC this summer -- Scooter and Resipsacrap. I'm looking forward to putting their online personalities together with their in person personalities. I have also sought the advice and counsel from a few here in DC too, but never met them. And I admit that I've "stealthed" a few folks -- meaning either that I found a blog of someone I know but haven't told them that I'm reading or that I've figured out who some of my blogger pals are in real life but not admitted it to them because I don't want them to mistakenly think I'm stalking them. To me, it was just a game to see if I could answer the question of "who is...". (If you think you may fit in that category and want me to tell you, just email me. I'm not trying to be secretive.)

On that latter point, I started to wonder how easy it would be to figure out who I am.

It's actually pretty easy. And if you were so inclined, it wouldn't take much to find me. Oh well. But that's okay (I hope) because anyone starting from my blog and taking all the info here to figure out who I am is probably not as problematic as someone starting with my name and trying to find more info about me online. The second search, the one that starts elsewhere and leads to this blog, the search that employers would make, well, that could leave me with lots of 'splaining to do.

Of course, that isn't to say that I want to challenge anyone out there to figure out who I am and search me out. If I did, then my real name would be on the blog. But I do think I'm still googlenonymous, and I intend to stay that way for the time being.

That being said, anyone who writes a blog and expects to remain anonymous is naive to the point dangerous stupidity. You can't beat the technology. You can ask that you aren't outed or rely on the fact that most people don't care who you are, but if someone is so inclined to track you down, it's not hard to do.

Doing all I can...

to make it through today without having a meltdown. And I'm not talking about the humidity outside.

Get me the freak outta here.

I don't hold a grudge.

Ever. I get my anger out, and it's done and over. No residual anything.

But not this time with the work stuff. It's still there, like a cancer. Coming into the office every day is like ripping off any small scab that may have started the healing process. As I was walking from the metro to the work, I felt the anger churning in my gut.

Anger.

This is not like me. Clearly, this is more serious that other stuff in the past that has pissed me off.

At least I've started to be productive about it. I sent out all sorts of emails, canvassing my well-connected friends for leads for jobs. I am getting my paperwork in order. I am looking at listings.

It's not a new job -- not yet -- but it's progress in the right direction. And I need something to focus on to distract me.

Towards that end, SM and I saw SATC last night. Finally! I swear, I thought we were the only people left in DC who hadn't seen it.

Turns out, we weren't. But I do think SM might have been the only straight guy in the theater.

We both enjoyed the movie. I found it more emotionally fraught that I thought it would be. I expected more fluff without any substance. But I give SJP credit for that. Her acting revved it up. That scene on the street after they've left the library is just horrifying.

But I have one major complaint -- all of the commentary about women over 40 getting married, how they beat the odds, etc.... well, sh*t. Thanks a lot. What a load of crap. I know that the movie was trying to show that even women who are as successful as these characters feel the societal pressure of getting hitched, but how could Carrie succumb to the insecurities being foisted on her? Wasn't the show all about independent women who take on NYC and men and relationships on their own terms? And are all the happier for it? So making Carrie a bridezilla was... well, it was a good plot point. But it didn't ring true. (And for those of you who have seen the movie, yes, I know that Carrie is only truly happy when she's true to herself -- a lesson she learned in the end.)

But the commentary was still annoying. I ain't no Carrie Bradshaw or anything, but just because I ain't all that, I also ain't no loser that somehow beat the odds to capture the ultimate prize of an engagement ring either.

So let me say for the record: I chose to wait this long to get hitched. Being a 40 year-old bride was my decision. It isn't because I couldn't get myself a man. I had other stuff going on and did not want to get hitched before now. I deliberately chose to wait this long. I'm not to be pitied. My decisions are to be celebrated -- the ones that took me around the world to 44 countries, that got me two advanced degrees, that has me owning two properties. All of them, including the one that will have me in a fancy dress in front of loved ones next month.

So there.

(Notice how I managed to distract myself? At least that little rant took the edge off of my earlier anger.)

Now I need to get some coffee.

For the record

I am angry. No, seething. If I were a cartoon character, my face would be blood red and puffy and steam would be pouring out of my ears, scalding anyone within a two mile radius.

I am that pissed off. Oh yes I am.

Don't worry. It's not SM. He couldn't be more supportive. I marvel at how lucky I am that he has my back. Sadly, all of his sympathy and empathy and attempts to make me feel better cannot resolve this situation. They serve to distract me, but it's only temporary. The anger returns.

And I am generally not an angry person. Truly.

It's work. I can't go into any details for obvious reasons, but you know the saying, "the straw that broke the camel's back"? In my case, it's a cinder block. Or even something bigger. Something completely and utterly destructive.

But because this is a work thing, I have to keep it all bottled up inside while I'm at the office. All day. This makes me tense. It's hard to hold up the pretense of "all is well" when you want to smack something. Hard.

I am just so grateful that I won't be in the office for most of next week. And I can probably hide out for the remainder of this week. That doesn't help assuage the anger though. In fact, there isn't much that I can do to suppress this now. That's why I am venting wherever I can.

My old habit of dealing with this level of angst, frustration, seething, etc. would be either to eat (yup, my coping mechanism of choice -- which has gotten me into a great deal of trouble) or to shop (also not exactly productive). I have steeled myself against doing either. And it's hard. If I were an exerciser, which we all know I am not, I would go for a run or just physically exhaust myself so I didn't have the energy to be angry. But, that's not an outlet for me. I think what would really help is to direct my energy into something productive. In the past, doing pottery was really good for this because it does take a lot of hand strength to work the clay and throw a pot. And it helps work out the frustration. I need to find that equivalent now. I don't have it.

I need to send this anger somewhere. I'd like to convert it to something productive rather than let it be a destructive force. I need an outlet.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

Yes, I really am that angry. Because I have to come to the office and have it all in my face every day, fresh again. Bitch slapped over and over and over. And that's tough to ignore. And that also makes it tough to get past. What to do, what to do...?

I just want to know...

what the heck were they thinking?

Poor girl isn't going to be a big fan of U2 is my guess.

Also add...

Schweitzer (governor of Montana) to the list, according to SM. Because he's making the "non-denial" comments. Ya' know, the "I would be honored to be considered" type of statements.

And, apparently, he's fluent in Arabic. That might scare some folks (especially the black helicopter types), but for me, that sends him up higher on the list.

Obama Veep-stakes update.

So, at last hypothesis, SM and I had this list:

Senators: Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Webb
Former Senators: Edwards, Mitchell, Nunn, Daschle
Governors: Bredesen, Sebelius, Kaine, Napolitano, Richardson
Generals: Jones, Clark

Add to that:
Senator: Bayh
House Members: Edwards (Chet)

Webb and Biden said they don’t want to be considered. Edwards (John) has other plans. Richardson isn’t viable because of his philandering past. Jones and Clark have pretty much taken themselves out, either by attending a McCain event or making ill-advised comments about him.

That leaves Clinton, Dodd, Mitchell, Nunn, Daschle, Bredesen, Sebelius, Kaine, Napolitano, Edwards (Chet) and Bayh.

Dodd has shady mortgage issues. Nunn has that whole “don’t ask, don’t tell” debacle. Plus, they are both old and don’t fit the Obama narrative or the profile he is trying to develop. Ditto Mitchell (as admirable as his work is – he is, after all, a fellow GULC alum [an evening student, too or so I am told]). “Old” says that Obama is insecure about his inexperience and needs an “establishment” veep to back him up. I don’t think that’s the message Obama wants to develop, so anyone who’s been around for a long, long time may be out for that very reason.

And I just can’t see Obama picking a woman. Too much “change”. He doesn’t want to scare the average voter (who is, I am sure, very average) by presenting a radical ticket. I may be wrong about this. In fact, I would be glad to be wrong. But I’m gonna call it: Obama is not picking a woman. So Clinton, Sebelius, and Napolitano are out.

Now we’re down to Daschle, Bredesen, Kaine, Edwards and Bayh. Am I missing anyone? I think Chris Matthews floated John Kerry on Hardball, but that, in my opinion, is laughable.

I like and admire Daschle. He’s got good leadership cred and is the kind of soft-spoken, thoughtful (that is, not knee-jerk reactionary) politician that would go well with Obama’s style. Sadly, however, Daschle lost his Senate seat when he was the Democratic leader. If your state won’t re-elect you when you’re sitting that high up in the leadership, well, then, that doesn’t bode well for your future in politics. It just looks – and is – bad.

So Bredesen, Kaine, Edwards and Bayh. Don’t know much about Bredesen. But all four of them fit the profile of southern(ish), moderate dems to balance the ticket. None are too old or too establishment. A governor would be good. Kaine might be able to deliver Virginia. Plus, he’s termed out and cannot run for gov again. And Bredesen. That’s Tennessee. Who knows if he could deliver the state. I just don’t know enough about him period. And, no one knows Edwards, being a House member and having never held a statewide office. He has no national profile, so that may take him out of the running. Plus, lots of folks might vomit at the thought of electing another white guy from Texas (whose politics are definitely different than the current resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but if Obama is about change… well, it’s a harder sell with a white guy from Texas on the ticket). And picking a sitting senator is tricky business. Indiana has a republican governor, so the Obama folks need to take the balance of power in the Senate into consideration (‘cuz you need 60 senators behind you in order to really get work done).

So where does that leave us? Who knows?

I am sure there must be others that the Obama camp is considering that aren’t generally being pundited about. I am equally as sure that they will be looking for unconventional, “outside of the box” (or beltway?) types. That’s another reason why Clinton, Dodd and Biden would be out of the mix.

I guess we’ll find out soon enough. At least this process won’t last as long as the primaries. They’ve got an August deadline and a date in Colorado.

I'm back.

From applying for a "marriage" license. Fortunately for me, I literally work across the street from the courthouse -- and know the less popular public entrance so I don't have to wait in line with all of those folks who are there for jury duty (the line runs out the door and down to the curb in the morning).

It was very straight-forward. Not much wait at all, and the clerk was atypically friendly. I guess it would be a happy place to work, the office which issues the licenses for couples to get legally hitched... always dealing with folks who are probably very excited and happy and optimistically anticipatory. I'm guessing the divorce office is a bummer. Not-so-happy clients walking in the door (or, alternatively, some might be ecstatic).

Anyway, I did the paperwork, paid the fee and will have to go back on Monday to pick up the actual license. Yay. Done in one morning and $85 later (for the bloodwork x 2 and the license).

And I managed to do this errand on a quick break. Sadly, however, my stealth activities are not likely to remain so if I continue to drop the receipts for our bloodwork in the hall of the office such that a co-worker has to return them to me.

Like I did on my way back.

D'oh.

I didn't even realize I was missing them. But now, co-worker R knows that I had a blood test this morning. I don't know if he figured out why though (he may have; the wedding isn't exactly a secret)...

The Pudge Report and other stuff

I have nothing to report as to the pudge part. I "forgot" to get on the scale this morning. Not actually intentionally, but I may have been blocking it from my memory subconsciously. Yes, it's been that kind of a week.

In other news... SM and I had to get up and out early today to get stabbed for -- get this -- a syphilis test for a "marriage" license in DC (in quotes, 'cuz you know why...).

How freakin' arcane is that? I don't know if any other jurisdiction requires a syphilis test. And, what do they do if it comes back positive? Disallow the license? Tsk, tsk and shake a finger at you?

Whatever. Just another bureaucratic hurdle courtesy of our nation's capital.

We were told that it's easier if we go to a clinic that does the test and provides the results on the DC DHS required forms. So we went to this storefront clinic on Georgia Ave. Walking from the metro to the "clinic" (and I use that term loosely), we definitely stuck out. Partially because it was 6:30 in the morning, and the street was empty so everyone stuck out. Partially because, yes, we aren't the demographic of the neighborhood. But mostly because SM was wearing a suit, and this isn't a suit-type neighborhood.

We got to the clinic, and it was a clapboard-front shop that looked like it was plucked from some developing nation. I have to admit that I was, well, not nervous, but concerned. But not concerned in a truly rational way, just an irrational concern that the place was sterile. Let's just say that the clinic isn't the type of medical facility I'm used to. And I'm not trying to be elitist or anything. Maybe I am being elitist, but I am admitting that I wasn't terribly comfortable.

Okay, there's no way the place was sterile. I just needed the needle to be.

And I'm comfortable that it was.

Even if the guy who stuck me didn't wear gloves. But, other than that, the technician was fine. Did a great job and was very friendly. And we got the results within a few minutes.

And the clinic was a damned sight cheaper than the $100 the fancy travel clinic in the "lobbyist" part of town was going to charge us for the same exact procedure.

Now I've got to go over to the courthouse to apply for the actual license. Let's hope that bit of DC bureaucracy isn't too hairy.

Fun, fun!

Monday morning haiku

The sky predicts rain.
So does the weather report.
I believe the sky.

Any plans to hit on other men... foiled!

I just noticed that my left ring finger, when not bearing the engagement bling, shows the tell-tale signs of its removal. That is, I have a suntan line on my left hand where my ring usually is.

Truth is, I kinda like it.

11 down, 18 to go

I'm writing "thank you" notes from my shower last weekend. I'm not even halfway through, and my hand is not happy with me. And I'm only writing the "thank you" part, not addressing the envelopes (thank goodness for mail merge word processing programs)...

I don't have a clue how the heck I got through the bar (12 essays over 3 hours) when I can't even write for ten minutes straight now? Truly, I don't know.

Just us gals.

I'm hanging out with the Gidge. Today and yesterday. Poor SM had to go to work. Some weeks are so busy that the only time he has to do the mundane stuff is during the weekend. Oh well.

Our big girly plans? Errands. Post office, dry cleaners, return a few things. Sexy, sexy stuff!

4 years

I'm a toddler into nursery school now.

Happy blog-iversary to me!

Four years ago on July 5th, I started this thing. I was in law school. I had a job that was three jobs ago (including my summer associateship). I wasn't even thinking about getting hitched to SM (although we were "together").

Four years. Wow. Whodda thunk this blog would make it that long?

Another movie meme...

which means I only have to use my brain to remember if I've seen these, rather than be creative and write my own post.

Snagged from E.McPan, who snagged it elsewhere. Apparently, these are the "new classic" movies from the last 25 years or so says Entertainment Weekly anyway.

Movies I've seen in bold. I didn't include movies I've only seen clips or scenes of -- but I did include movies that I'm pretty sure I saw all of (but wouldn't swear to it).

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004) -- did I miss Spidy 2 or 3? I think I saw 2 and missed 3.
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. Sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country for Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)
86. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

So, out of 100, I think I've seen 61. 61% is higher than I would have guessed, especially since I think I saw all of 4 movies during the years I was in law school.

Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?

Omigarsh, I am so tired.

Is it the weekend yet? No?

Poop.

Holy Matrimony!

My wedding is next month. Man, time flies when you're not paying attention.

Oh my!

The Pudge Report

Hmmm, let's see... political networking event, big picnic, brothers' birthday, bridal shower... and that's just this past weekend.

= +.5 from last week. That means 17 TG.

Grrr. Wrong direction again.

F*uck.