September 30, 2006 by j.

The seasons have definitely turned - it’s cold out now, but still nice enough to stand outside and let the sun warm your skin.  Quite ideal.

Last night I went downtown with BB to volunteer at the APA film festival - it was a great experience and I met a bunch of really nice people that I’d like to get to know better.  The screening that we were volunteering at was called I for India, and it was a documentary-style piece about a man who moves his wife and child from India to England, leaving his homeland and his family behind.  I typically don’t like artsy pieces but I do like to watch documentaries - this one was done particularly tastefully and the producer took special care to show the ironic hand of fate in how this man’s life unfolded.  I was very moved.

This morning I woke up early and went with friends to take a rueda class, which is pretty much just salsa dancing but more complicated as it involves switching off partners and doing coordinated moves as a group.  It is SO cool!  We had a lot of fun at the class and I definitely plan to go back.  Tried to go skeet shooting afterwards but the course doesn’t let you on until you’ve completed a safety class with the facility, BOOOOOO.

The sun is still up but my eyes are heavy……………….

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September 27, 2006 by j.

When I was young, the concept of good and bad was pretty clear, and my path was drawn for me. September to May, I went to school every day and tried not to kill other kids with sports equipment in the afternoon hours. Summertimes were spent in the sun, laughing and enjoying my youth, and trying hard not to think about the next September approaching so quickly. The general rules of life were: don’t break the law, don’t break your friends, try not to piss mom and dad off.

As I got older, the rules and the path became more vague. I had more choices. But there was still always that clear choice of what I “should” do. You know what I’m talking about. The angel on your shoulder that tells you not to eat the donut, not to quit your job, not to hit the handicapped old lady. One must be responsible, after all.

Recently, I have found myself in a situation where this is no path at all. The “should“s have fallen away like the leaves in the autumn. What’s left is a skeleton of thoughts and dreams long abandoned and neglected. I don’t know if it’s age or what, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things that are important to me and the excuses I’ve come up with along the way to dodge those important things. I thought it would be scary to face this beast, but it’s oddly … still.

Have you ever stood outside on a cool breezy day in the autumn when the breeze suddenly stops blowing? And the stillness snaps you to attention.. then you notice the birds calling, the smell of the grass, the warmth of the sun - it’s as if you were in a reverie up until that moment but suddenly woke up. You remember that soon it will be cold out so you try to savor this moment in time, because today.. today, life is good. That is how I feel today. Life is still. And I am trying to hear what god is saying to me.

Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny?
Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.

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September 22, 2006 by j.

I haven’t updated for a long time bc I keep thinking I’m going to be super slick and post pictures from our trip…. but I’ve procrastinated long enough.  The pictures will make their way someday, but for now, I’ll be a regular joe bloggette.

So what has happenned since returning to the east side..  Have attended a frat party old-school-style (complete with an unnamed party attendee shouting I’M FUCKED UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP face-first in the front garden mulch at the end of the night, heeheehee).  Have eaten myself into a coma.  Have driven a carload of giddy old asian people to the Baltimore and put them on a big boat and sent them to Mexico (true story).  Have set up camp with my darling doggy dog who enjoys waking me up before the sun rises in the mornings.

Speaking of mornings, the weather has turned.  It’s beautiful.  I thought I would be sad to see summer go, but something about the fall arriving whispers of new beginnings and fresh starts.

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September 11, 2006 by j.

On the home stretch now.. Another 800+ miles and we are home sweet home. We’ve made overnight stops in San Antonio and Memphis since my last post, will post pictures when I am back at my real computer. Ta!

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September 9, 2006 by j.

On the road now (I’m blogging via my awesome new phone, wheee!). We spent the the night in El Paso after driving 860 miles.. zzz.

El Paso is pretty depressing.

Out-of-context quote made by Kevin, made in Santa Barbara (his guard goes down when he’s comfortable):
Kevin: Argh I have got the biggest knots!!!
Me: The biggest nuts?
Kevin: Yes! They’re going KA-CHUNK KA-CHUNK! Ow!!

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September 7, 2006 by j.

Spent a lovely evening in San Diego visiting with friends Nick & Cindy.  We tried to find a place to eat in the gaslight district and got tricked into a place on the main strip that boasted on its canopy: California Grill.  Latin Fusion.  Italian.  We figured the restaurant was a little confused but it sounded appealing in an abstract way.  Turns out, the menu was filled with mexican food that was craftily worded.  TRIXSY MEXICANS!  Also had Ghiradelli ice cream, featuring a fight over paying the check that would make our parents proud.  What else.  Oh, also saved Cindy from herself when she tried to run across the street against a red light.  What kind of californians are these?!?  :)  N&C’s new home is absolutely lovely and homey, pictures will be distributed to friends of N&C.

This morning, picked up Kevin’s lovely ride and zoom-zoom’d on up to Santa Barbara, where we are now relaxing with his family.  Santa Barbara is a place of peace and beauty, exactly what my sore soul needs right now.  God works in mysterious ways.

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September 6, 2006 by j.

We are currently in flight, en route to San Diego.  I believe we are over Arizona at the moment.  I have had two cans of diet coke, a bag of animal crackers, two bags of doritos munchies mix, a large cookie, and a small bottle of water.  Ugh, I no feel so good.  Blorp.

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September 6, 2006 by j.

I just threw up a little bit into the washing machine.  It’s a complicated story, but it both starts and ends with something that smells bad.  Blorp.

Last weekend I went to nyc with the AGC crew - what the rest of the country called “Labor Day weekend”, I call “Typhoon weekend”.  We weathered sidewinding rain, hurricane-force gale winds and freezing cold temps here in DC all day friday - then voluntarily boarded the slowest bus in the history of all buses to head up to nyc where we walked around all day long saturday in the same exact storm we had just left behind in DC.  (The storm was traveling north.)  Except that in nyc, we had the added benefit of carrying umbrellas to fly around with and our extra absorbent jeans and footwear.  I swear I’ve never seen so many puddles in my life.  Squish squish squish.  Oh and putting on damp jeans in the morning is a real treat.  A real treat.

Ok enough complaining.  Being in the city with my peeps - aka my ninjas - was a riot.  We ate like champs.  Soon-do-boo (sp?) in K-town, super awesome yeastless pizza in the East Village, and bacon-wrapped Crif Dogs from a shop of the same name, home of the Stoner Pack where unidentifiable foods are sold by the pound to satisfy your midnight munchies.  I would have taken pictures of the food but my camera floated away somewhere between 6th and 7th avenues.

Also enjoyed a lunch at Fogo de Chau downtown (DC), Brazilian BBQ of the finest flavor.  Their signature steak is entirely divine, but their bacon-wrapped filet not so good, despite the awesome name.  The place sneakily serves a lot of “bread” which is pumped full of gooey cheese, and various fried items of the potato family - I’m guessing in an effort to stem how much meat you actually eat in their all-you-can-eat environ.  Trixsy ones, don’t they know asians invented the buffet?!  We are not so easily fooled, silly Brazilians!

Sorry you are not a winner.  Please try again.

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