first day of classes

Monday, August 30, 2010
well, here it is. the beginning of the end. my final semester as a graduate student!

i have 8 hours of work and then class in the evening. i have never worked full-time and been in school full-time. this will be interesting (read: stressful). luckily it's temporary as this job will end some time in october. at the rate we're going, it could end prior to that. they just want people until they reach their goal, at which point they could give a shit what happens next. they might keep me on but i doubt it.

dont worry, i'll still have the kennedy center gig and i'll try to make temping work again. as always, i'll be looking for permanent stuff in my field but at that point, i'll be more vigilent.

and dont worry about the blog. i have posts scheduled for the month of september and i plan to have more time to do a better job of posting in october once the job ends and i take that stupid test. with that said, i hope to be back with LIVE posts shortly after my bday. til then, xoxo!

ALSO, COMMENT ON THIS POST REQUESTING TOPICS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. 3 days of posts are still available to be filled by what YOU want me to discuss.

my niece turns 3 today!

Monday, August 23, 2010
she is really great at sassing and ignoring people. i must go work on my blank stare. here she is in her romper, you know, when she wasn't ignoring me:

anyway. happy birthday, Taylor!

you never know who's watching

Tuesday, August 17, 2010
PJD raised a good point. you dont ALWAYS know who's into you or who's paying attention. just because a guy wasn't so rude as to interrupt our meal to talk to me, as others had done to talk to my friends, doesn't mean he had not noticed me. i dont care because i could never get anywhere with a dude who doesnt open his mouth but it's just something to think about.

i mean i have thought about it, just in a different context. im very careful about the number of people i could potentially kirk off on when they cut in front of me in line or bump into me when there's a world of empty sidewalk available so they did not have to come into contact with my person... Why? well, that's because i'm well on my way to becoming a therapist and ANYONE could be my potential client. i can't help someone manage their anger if they recall seeing me flip the fuck out on some fellow metro passenger who sat down and put their luggage they call a purse directly on me like i wasnt ALREADY SITTING THERE. i've learned to get my point across quietly or in best case scenario, silently and non-aggressively in that situation.

there were plenty of times when i was a teenager when people would report having seen me somewhere. felt they had to share with my mom what they saw me doing. nothing i'd really get in trouble for but my mom would sometimes give me a side-eye. i remember in high school being super oblivious to the point that the assistant principal had to come up and tap me on the shoulder as i made out with my then boyfriend. or that time i was on the train and for whatever reason, there was plenty of space that morning so i didnt have a reason to be hugged up on my boyfriend in such a way and my boyfriend got off but i turned to see that my big cousin was on the train. it was weird seeing as how he wasnt someone i typically bump into. he was ready to kick the dude's ass...so yea, im generally careful about my public behavior unless ive been drinking and then all bets are off.

im a foodie now

Monday, August 16, 2010

lately, ive been less than thrilled with the idea of eating out so when friends hit me up for restaurant week or just to catch up after years of abscence from each other's lives, i was gave a less than enthused response. i would be happy to see them and whatnot but food was even a small part of why i'd be going. that is until i got up with my friend from high school and she suggested founding farmers.

founding farmers opened september 2008, the year i returned to DC and the month i began grad school. it wasnt hard to notice because it's on my bus route to go home (the 36 runs slightly different to come back to southeast than it does to go up to northwest). my friend had been a couple of times and raved about it. some bacon lollipops or some other thing that didn't really catch my interest. but she did say the food was good. lately, i was excited to go because i'd overheard conversations of people with to-go bags making plans to go the next day with another friend and i was like "word? it's like THAT?".

founding farmers was on my must-try list also because they recently opened a sister restaurant, farmers & fishers, on the georgetown waterfront whose menu i've been interested in checking out. former co-workers and i will be going here on aug. 16 (the day this post will publish).

knowing nothing about the place, my friend and i informed out friendly and helpful waiter that it was our first time. he proceeded to explain that everything is "from the farm to the kitchen table". they use locally-produce veggies and other products and keep everything organic. "you may notice everything tastes different; it's fresher than you may be used to", he said. as he explained this, i thought, great, now our food will take forever and im starving. i looked around at the other tables and decided that it would be worth it because of the generous portions and how delicious everything looked and the fact that people were scraping their enormous plates.

our waiter shared his top 3 menu items. i forgot one of them because i did not recall seeing it on the menu. the other two were the pot roast and shrimp and grits. i remember because i was trying to decide between the two. my friend got chicken and waffles which i decided i'd leave gladys knight's to be my favorite of.

i decided on the pot roast and boy am i happy with my decision! i'm remembering the tender beef, perfectly mashed potatoes, and vegetables cooked to perfection. the idea of them is making my mouth water now. there was a hint of cinnamon or maybe nutmeg in the sauce that really complimented the concoction. im leaning toward nutmeg.

it was good, ya'll! im taking everyone who comes to visit me in dc. enjoy these pics and stay tuned for my thoughts on founders & fishers. oh yea, i can't forget dessert: a HUNK of red velvet cake with the richest, most delicious cream cheese icing and a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. SIDENOTE: nicki minaj said she loved red velvet...except when it tasted like chocolate on her ustream the other day. i wanted to ask what the hell does her red velvet taste like? simple broad.



my plate: pot roast!!!
my friend's plate: chicken, waffles, corn, mac and cheese

guilty pleasures

Friday, August 13, 2010
are there some shows you are embarassed to admit you watch faithfully? if you've been reading this blog enough, you know by now i am who i am with no apologies. here's a list of crap i watch that other people might not be so apt to divulge with others.

1. pretty little liars- desperate housewives for teens
2. twilight- worst. acting. ever. BUT i love the fight scenes. there's like one per movie but so what?
3. big brother- people are funny. phony people are funnier.
4. gossip girl- i love a jab guised as a compliment and they serve them up so graciously along with drama, deciet, and stupidity.
5. jersey shore- there is nothing more stereotypically ignorant on tv
6. real housewives- new york and atlanta are the only one's i'll watch. im growing tired of them but i'll had them since ive seen the most recent seasons.
7. true blood- another vampire thing but this one is actually GOOD. i wish there was more scenes with pam and her smart mouth. lafeyette has toned down, too. guess they dont know what to do with him since, according to the books, he was to die off last season.
8. bad girls club- i feel better about myself with every episode. just wow!

your turn!

have you commented requesting a topic for me to discuss, yet?

24x24 update

Thursday, August 12, 2010
im getting further and further from my goal of earning a clarisonic from myself. i dont think ive run but once this month. august is just going to be a month of fail. i was thinking about running a second time when my temp agency called me for a last minute half day assignment. that was a lame excuse because i wound up at my destination with time to spare and the rest of this month, there's no legitimate excuse. im just lazy. this morning, my stomach hurts. i got dressed to run and had one shoe on before i decided i was too tired and didnt feel like running today. now that's dedication...to being fat.

im just not feeling it. the clarisonic was just a fringe benefit, i really want to lose those pounds and maybe that will make me happy even if the happiness is short-lived. maybe i can get away with bumming around for this month, being careful what i eat, and then kick it into overdrive in september and still manage to achieve my goal. as of this morning (the day im writing this) i'm 167.5. i think the goal was 148.

this lack of energy is a direct reflection of my diet. i haven't really been reporting what i've been eating. if you follow me on twitter, you know about my cupcake addiction, so i'll do a typical day including a cupcake stop.

breakfast- none or yogurt and animal cookies (usually none or water)
lunch: between 1pm and 3pm- cupcake or chips and a juice/soda
dinner: cheez-its or whatever my mom cooks or fast food

actually looking at that make me realize how ridiculous i am. i dont eat enough food to want to run. plus i see how i havent been gaining weight. this also explains why my dad came in my room at 10pm last night with a huge tuna sandwich. my parents know i dont eat right. it's time to do south beach diet. im going to go get some nuts and yogurt (im supposed to get plain but eff that! i'm allowed that cheat because plain tastes like throw up!)

btw, you can comment on any post letting me know what you want me to blog about during the month of September.


"do what makes you happy"

Wednesday, August 11, 2010
my big brother dropped this along with some other gems in our hour-long convo sunday night. once or twice a season, i can actually get my big brother on the phone and we have good talks. he was drunk but still insightful on this particular occasion.

he told me things i already know but added his 4 additional years of life experience which offered more reassurance. he basically told me he was insanely proud of what im doing and all that extra shit doesn't matter. he said he didnt give a hell what i was doing in comparison with what other people are doing as long as i wasnt out here acting crazy and he knows that im really not. the conversation ended on this note "do what you need to do; you will always have me, kevin and tiffany on your side...and your bat shit crazy parents".

so i'm gonna do what makes me happy. can't wait to figure out what that could be.

we're approaching that time

Tuesday, August 10, 2010
i'm going to have my last first day of school aug. 30. "but antithesis, won't you be pursuing a PhD?" you may ask. im ready to live life so no. not directly. maybe not ever. i dont know but what i do know is it's not a "go straight through" situation as grad school was.

another thing i think i know is that posts will be more infrequent than they have been unless i do something about it. so here's what i'm proposing: september will be the month of my "subscriber selection" series. during the series, i'll be posting about what you tell me to post. if you have a topic you'd like the antithetical position on (or wouldn't it be shocking if i went with the masses?), then let me know. otherwise, i'll just fill the month reposting my most popular posts (based on number of comments). i'm hoping to do a mixture of both but i cant do that without your help.

SO COMMENT, EVEN IF IT'S JUST THIS ONE TIME, LETTING ME KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO POST ABOUT IN SEPTEMBER.

as always, thanks for reading!

1 girl, 3 cupcake spots

Monday, August 9, 2010
if you follow me on twitter, i'm always sending an update about cupcakes. i'm a confection addict, i have to admit. more accurately, i'm probably always updating about dessert in general. announcing my craving for a funnel cake and mentioning Founding Farmer's DELICIOUS red velvet cake immediately comes to mind. lately, i've been discovering little cupcake shops to add to my mental rolodex when i happen to be in varying parts of the city.

georgetown cupcake- if it's free, it's for me. i frequent them for the free cupcake of the day and sometimes im greedy and pay for one other. they are cheapest at $2.75 a cupcake but they also are the smallest. i like their icing best and the cake part is nice and light, which i prefer.

this is the first specialty cupcake shop i've ever visited (i think over a year now). with the new show on TLC, the line has been more ridiculous than ever so i'm seeking out alternatives. their daily promotion of a free "secret" cupcake doesn't help either. get there before 10 am (when they open) for your best shot. they announce the free item on fb and twitter during the 9 oclock hour.
my rating: A

baked and wired- they dont just sell cupcakes. they offer other confections and some granola mix they call "hippie crack". also located in georgetown, it gets points for being closer to campus AND conveniently located closer to the bus stop (and mac and sephora) than georgetown cupcake. these cupcakes are probably twice the size of g'town cupcakes. here's where points are lost: the icing is super sugary which i do not like and the cake is more of a muffin consistency so it's dense. you also pay for convenience as it's not a super well known spot because they charge something like $3.85 for their cupcakes. I can't remember the price and they do not list the price on their website. i'm willing to give them a second chance because i tried strawberry (which had pieces of strawberry in the cake, yum!). i'll reserve final judgement until i try something chocolate. if you mess that up, you should just go out of business.
my rating: B-

hello cupcake- the third venue is located just below Dupont Circle. foursquare puts me on to plenty of new spots to try although i'm certain i've passed this place before but just never went in out of loyalty for georgetown cupcake in it's pre-tv show days. they charge 3.00 exactly for their cupcakes and they are about the same size as georgetown cupcakes. the icing was light and fluffy and tasty and the cake is light as well. i got a princess cupcake which was also strawberry and is served daily.

my rating: A

each spot has a variable menu with some items served daily. visit their websites for menu offerings.


i have hot friends

Sunday, August 8, 2010
last night i learned how dangerous it is to go out if you're commited. my engaged friend got hit on gratuitously and my friend in a committed relationship caught some of the action as well. when we settled on a spot for the night, these nice (non-black) guys partied with us all night. my friend commented that the guy was like he didn't know which one of us he wanted because we were all hot. we never told him that he only really had one option.

honestly, i've been slacking on recruiting a new boo interest. i let fellow temp associate catch a train headed out of my life without getting his contact info. and i allowed this jersey kid who was not black dance away from me forever. i haven't been feeling confident.

i didn't feel pretty when i was ambushed at that half-day temp assignment by an educated cutie. i also didnt put my best effort in my appearance for my girls' night out. i felt my friends were way more attractive than me. oh, i was for sure the cutest thing up in that office that day but i still wasnt feeling my look for the day. plus, i couldn't decide if i wanted him for me or T since he talked of plans of moving to the midwest in the near future.

i have a chance to do better tonight. my friend, a 2001 alum from my high school, is having an event to celebrate his book launch: The Dawn of Generation Why. i'm always supportive of fellow psych majors and related causes. i hope to meet some like-minded individuals, as well as reunite with former class- and school mates. time to get my game face on and seek out some prospects. or maybe i just need some me time and i should simply take advantage of an opportunity to look cute and garner some attention. i cant believe my brain combined the words "good" and "cute" just now and i typed "goote". im done.

+ thinking

Wednesday, August 4, 2010
in the style of Tea's Top Ten and in no particular order:

1. no matter how much i hate it, i have somewhere to live.
2. i have a car that all i have to do is put gas in and pay $30-40 for oil changes (i need to fix both bumpers but i can get to points a & b so whatever).
3. as far as i know, other than being overweight, im in great health.
4. i have an endless supply, or seemingly so, of shampoo and conditioner.
5. i have eliminated the need for regular salon visits as i can care for and style my own hair and my sister is willing to do my relaxer when i need it. that could be as infrequent as twice a year, if i want.
6. i have the colors i want to paint my own nails. not like i've found a decent pedicure spot.
7. when i was employed, i made sound fashion choices and my closet is full of classics and staple clothing items.
8. i have an open invitation to visit (and spend the night) at my sister's place where my favorite people reside.
9. for things i REALLY need (school/car related), my dad helps me out
10. though im not losing weight, my inability to indulge as much as i'd like insures that i'm not GAINING weight.

168.5

this number is haunting me. every time i get on the scale, that's what it says. sometimes it goes up but never below that number. i have reason to believe my mother's scale is broken based on other digital reads it's given. ive stepped on and gotten 0.0 as well as ----. whatever the case, one thing is for certain, running isn't enough. i thought it would be but no. i still loathe my stomach and arms. i'll admit, i haven't done anything a day this week and it's not justifiable. i just don't feel like killing myself on the treadmill and not having many food options simply to not get the results i want. the carving out of hindparts was a fringe benefit but it's hard to use that term with no primary gain. maybe 3-4 days a week isn't enough to run but i dont feel like going beyond that. i have a car but i certainly do not drive everywhere. i bus and walk a fair amount. can that count for something? i guess that's why i dont really gain wait unless im sitting around being ridiculous with my sister and we don't do that often. i knew i'd grow bored of just running. i guess i'll add pilates dvd to the mix and do something about my diet of cheez-its and yogurt...

any other ideas?

do not want

Tuesday, August 3, 2010
i regret telling 2010 to turn the fuck around and walk away. like 2009, i pretty much hate this year but if it hurries up and leaves idk what to do. it's already august. at the end of this month, i have the beginning of the end. it will be my last semester of grad school. in october, i take the exam to be a national certified counselor and in december, i'm done with school. i have no freaking idea where i will be after that. when people ask what i do, i wont be able to say im in grad school. i'll have to be somebody doing something somewhere. and i'll need to figure out where i'll live while doing it. i'll have to be a grown up. there's no manual for this and it seems like the shit just happened for my sister and brothers. like BAM! you're established. actually, seems like it just happened for everyone. like oh, you've graduated? well here's the job you're going to do. when i graduate, i still wont be qualified for any decent job. i'll need two years of experience being supervised doing what i want to be doing but ineligible to get the two years because i dont have the license i'm trying to get by doing the two years. tell me how that makes sense.

so 2010, don't go so fast. i take back what i said. stick around a while.