Posted by: antigravityamy on: August 17, 2009
It has been almost exactly a year since I moved into my Arlington apt w/the boy and started my MA program. I promise this will not be an insanely long deep philosophical reflective treatise on the past year, but I figured I really ought to commemorate this occasion and actually blog again if I’m gonna link here from my twitter profile (follow me – I’m antigravityamy).
This year has produced some unbelievable ups and downs, as they all seem to do, but I’m always impressed by how poorly I can anticipate what a year will bring beyond the obvious (school, stress, writing papers, stress, fail to find wall decor, etc etc). I have encountered and learned from some of the most amazing, fun, interesting people and am working on becoming the person I most want to be, though I don’t imagine I’ll ever actually complete that process.
Perhaps most gratifying about this year are the new relationships I’ve developed. Getting to know people in my MA program has been really rewarding and fun. We’re all reflections of each other in some way. Meeting people with the same passions, perspective, apprehensions, and level of aspirations as me is so reaffirming and exciting! I hope I will get to work with some of these amazing people on day. My professors have also blown me away. They have helped me realize that I want to put my analytical and writing abilities to work in support of the American warfighter, helping in-field commanders execute US foreign policy goals effectively.
I have also grown a lot in the kitchen. While I often remain tethered to recipes, I am slowly but surely more and more willing to branch out and create my own meals for us with what we have in the kitchen. Of course, having the Harris Teeter and the Whole Foods a stone’s throw away is also very helpful for getting creative. I’ll admit that WF used to intimidate me, but now I practically live there. I rely on it for great produce and proteins, but the Teet takes care of my basic needs e.g. paper products, snack foods, cereals, pantry basics, etc. While pasta and/or chicken still dominate en mi cocina, shrimp makes a regular appearance, and tilapia has also been spotted there once.
Sadly, summer is winding down. Even more depressing is the fact that this summer is truly my last leisurely summer as a student. By this time next year, ::fingers crossed:: I should have a regular 9-5 gig that doesn’t exactly take 2 months off in the middle of the year or 3 weeks around Christmas. However, that should be accompanied by regular income. At this point, I can’t even imagine the satisfaction that comes from actually earning one’s keep.
In a couple weeks, I’ll be going to Iowa to dedicate a memorial to my paternal grandfather and to spread some of his ashes. He died exactly 14 months ago – nine weeks after my maternal grandfather. Already, so much has changed since last summer, but my memories of them both serve to give me perspective as to where I’m going and where I’d like to end up one day.
Posted by: antigravityamy on: March 17, 2009
I am such an urbanite at the beach. I clearly can’t go for more than 24 hours w/o being on my laptop, reading articles in the Post, seeking out the nearest Starbucks, or texting one or all of my friends on my BB, after which I’ll update my facebook status and tweet about how cute our beach-side villa is. I’m realizing I’m a little too connected, and it’s kind of exhausting. I need to remember why I’m here: to relax & be w/the bf. When I’m home, I need to be more present with what I’m doing at that moment.
Technology is of course v. helpful. I can have my schoolwork w/me, which I’ll need to work on, I can talk to my parents, store pics, get directions, restaurant recs etc, but I know I don’t tow (toe?) that happy medium line. ::sigh:: something I need to work on.
Everyone knows that person who is always too available. Always ready to reply to their tweets or IMs or messages. I could definitely see myself as that person…and I’d rather not be! I don’t know what I’m afraid I’ll miss out on by not being so connected. I think it may be b/c I’m getting a new set of friends and I want to seem up for things, therefore I make myself (digitally?) available.
In any event, I don’t want to remember this trip (nor do I want Matt to remember it) as where I basically did the same thing I always do, just in a different location. It is hard though – I don’t want the “reentry” to routine & school this weekend/next weekend to be so difficult, so I feel like if I stay linked up to everything/everyone, at least one element of life will be just like it was, where I won’t have to waste time going “back to normal.”
Really though, I need to accept that if ppl want to get in touch w/me, they’ll get in touch w/me, and if they don’t one weekend or two, it’s not personal. I take things hard. I take them personally. I internalize.
Ugh anyway more happy thoughts about actual vacay later!
Posted by: antigravityamy on: February 18, 2009
I vacillate between coveting and strongly disliking the ubiquitous tory burch reva ballet flat.
Posted by: antigravityamy on: February 8, 2009
I preferred this venue for this excessively popular procrastination tool rather than facebook b/c I’m too lazy to create a note.
1. I’m afraid of the mildew on shower curtains (really, it tries to reach out & grab you).
2. I love the smell of the really cold air that flows out of the freezer when it’s first opened.
3. I don’t like buttons. Like, on clothes and stuff.
4. I think the amount of attention paid to Op-Eds is kind of ridiculous. What about looking into the facts and diff. sides of an issue and coming to a conclusion on your own?
5. It’d be cool to be a well-renowned Op-Ed columnist.
6. I’m a grocery store snob: I will never buy a pre-marinated meat or fish product. It’s a ridiculous ploy designed to move product that is basically on its way out. Plus, who really knows what’s in that “herb crust”?
7. I negatively judge the prevalence of ridiculous Coach products, but have 2 really cute wristlets of theirs from my parents.
8. I automatically assume that guys who wear product in their hair on a daily basis are from the North.
9. For some time now, the Navy has been my favorite of the Armed Services. I have no substantive reasoning to support this assertion.
10. I grew up with 2 cats at home, but am learning to become a dog person b/c the boyfriend’s allergic.
11. My favorite band is Incubus.
12. I’ve seen Incubus in concert 3 times.
13. I love my cell phone (LG Glimmer…not the one w/LC in the ad), but an iPhone would be pretty nice.
14. I’m a serious Jeopardy! lover. I will smoke you at Jeopardy!
15. I’ve definitely wished I could be Jennifer Garner’s character from Alias. Except for the whole employer-murdering-your-fiancee thing.
16. My dad made me break out in (happy) sobs this Christmas when he gave me a custom Capitals jersey.
17. I tend not to go out w/o my “face” on. It’s not a security thing. It’s a “I-have-a-healthy-degree-of-self-respect” thing.
18. I love cooking & baking. I like to think I got my mom’s knack for it.
19. Do not use the word “retarded” around me. I’ll never know why people use that word as a crutch so frequently.
20. I’ve been told I look cute in hats.
21. I do not enjoy peppers. I’m working on spicy, but peppers (e.g. bell, banana) – no good.
22. I went to Central & Eastern Europe for five weeks last year and it basically changed my life. I talk about it constantly, much to everyone’s annoyance, I’m sure.
23. Living in FL, TX, CT, NC, GA, SC, and VA made for a few unnerving transitions, but helped me realize who I am and what I want pretty early in life.
24. I have a wombat plush. I got him as a gift from WWF after the bf made a donation in my name to help the animals!
25. I’ve been told I make really expressive faces/do really accurate impersonations of people. I used to think I could be really stealthy and conceal how I feel, but now that I’ve realized my face can be read really easily, I’m working on embracing this trait.
Posted by: antigravityamy on: January 4, 2009
It’s funny what can happen in a year – on top of all that you already knew would happen. For me, I fully expected to study abroad in Europe, to graduate from college, go to a couple MUN conferences…some big stuff, but stuff that I was prepared for, at least in some way. I was not prepared to lose my grandfather on May 10 – my mother’s birthday – or to lose my other grandfather almost exactly one month later. As my sister graduated from high school and I began to look for a place to live with the boyfriend, my mom was suddenly without her father, and dad without either parent. I cannot contemplate the fact that neither Grandpa nor Poppa Dee are with me any longer without crying. I’ve noticed that I can scarcely mention either of their deaths to those who don’t know without tearing up. I haven’t really felt as though this was something I should blog about, but once I got to reflecting on 2008, I decided there was no way I could honestly review it without at least some mention of them.
I was lucky to be so close to both of them as I’ve grown up. Sometimes it feels as though their passing before I went on to grad school was a sign that it was/is finally my time to take their unending belief in this country, in public service, in me, and put it to use.
Funny also this year that within a few months, I became closer with a friend who, in our last semester at Furman, lived a few doors down from me, whereas now we are about 400 mi. apart, yet we talk more than ever. In a few weeks, she’ll be flying to Rwanda to begin a 2-year Peace Corps deployment. And here I think I’m going to do my part for the world by staying in my little DC-area bubble… Service and courage can both take many forms, but to do what she is going to do must be one of the highest forms of sacrifice of self, and not just b/c she’ll be largely w/o air conditioning and Internet and Starbucks.
I always like the start of a new year. It always has kind of a blank, sterile feel to it. I love the idea of resolutions, though I think i’m getting better at making them more realistic. The whole “every-day-I’m-going-to-religiously-do-10+-new-things-that-I-wasn’t-already-doing” thing usually fails, then I feel bad for not doing what I said I’d do even if there’s no way time would allow for it. So, that said, there are some things I’d like to do differently, and thought I won’t list them all (I think I’m still sorting them out), I may indirectly log progress here…
I had the pleasure of ringing in the New Year with my love at home – just the two of us. Initially, I was excited about having a cute little gathering of a few friends. I was gonna cook and bake and all this, but we quickly realized it was going to be just the 2 of us. Regardless, we drank champagne, made mini cupcakes, and I gladly wore my sequined party dress. It was just what I wanted. As for this first weekend of ‘09, we’ve spent it on what is really our first little vacation together – to Williamsburg! We’re so colonial right now… Heading back tomorrow, and poor bf has to head back to work on Monday after a couple weeks off. I myself have another week to get myself (and closet…and desk…and sunroom) in order before my 2nd semester at school starts.
*Happy New Year!*
Posted by: antigravityamy on: December 22, 2008
Some of you may know I now reside in NoVa (yeah, Northern Virginia, I said it), but since 1998, I’ve hailed from coastal Georgia. There’s a lot about the area that I’m attached to: proximity to the beach, extremely mild weather (though excessively hot in the summer), prevalent alligators, southern food (fried dill pickles, catfish, etc), friendly people (and they have a little color in their faces. have you ever seen people from the upper midwest? i’ve never seen such wan, waxy looking skin…), and so on. I did however make my first trip to the local Wal Mart in about half a year, and realized I was grossly unprepared for the experience.
We all know Wal Mart has it’s issues like, I dunno, paying its workers a living wage and promoting ecologically, culturally, and socially responsible business practices but I mean seriously, if I can pay $8 instead of $11 for my face wash, I’m probably going to. Apparently, everyone else who shops there must think similarly. But I didn’t recall the average…um…waist size…of the Wal Mart shopper. The same can be said for the general state of uncleanliness. Evidently, appearing in public w/o having bathed for 3 days – give or take a week – is perfectly acceptable. After all, you’re just running to the store to grab some coke, maybe some underwear, dog food, a greeting card, and oh yeah all that fresh produce that you’re going to finger in your unclean state before rejecting it in favor of the blue bell ice cream (it’s on sale, bitches).
Then there’s the speed with which we’re shopping. I know I’m back in the south now and all that but c’mon people…this is a new low. It’d be one thing if one’s pace was slowed b/c one was stopping to examine an item but no. We’re merely taking. our. sweet. ass. time. Then there’s my inner monologue: ”I’M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE SWEET POTATOES. I JUST NEED 2 SWEET POTATOES FOR THE LOVE OF JESUS, PEOPLE.” But yeah, it was an experience that I have not endured in quite some time. I imagine I’m sounding like an elitist urbanite so if so I apologize. I’m certainly not above shopping at Wal Mart nor am I criticizing those who frequently shop there (I mean hello – one of those people is my mom). I just wanted to share my experience in reacclimatizing to the area of my youth. It’s certainly…slower. But it’s home.
Posted by: antigravityamy on: December 8, 2008
Considering how into all things makeup I am, it took me quite some time to warm up to eyeliner. I was not one of those middle school girls who sported thick rings of the black stuff around my 12-yr old eyes…there may have been some shimmery blue episodes, though (::sigh:: hangs head)…. At any rate I guess a couple years ago or so, I decided eyeliner could occasionally be employed for a night out but that it really wasn’t an everyday thing for me. Well now that I’m more of a city girl (and more of a grown-up?) that has changed. I still don’t rock liner every. single. day. but much more often than I used to, and my eyes pop so much more. My go-to, can’t-live-without brand of liner? Urban Decay’s 24-7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Bourbon – a rich dark brown very subtly flecked w/silver shimmer. I’m a believer in the idea that brown flatters any eye color and is ideal for daytime use.
Really, all of the numerous shades UD offers are worth exploring, but in particular, I’m also a huge fan of “Lust” (rich purple-indigo), “Zero” (your standard black), “Dime” (fabulous reflective silver), and “Electric” (a bright aqua). When they say “24-7,” they’re not kidding. Apply to the desired effect, but don’t wait to smudge or adjust. Once it dries/adheres, it’s on (of course just dissolve w/eye makeup remover to really undo). Any shade will stand up to a day at work, an evening of classes, and a workout after, or whatever you’ve got lined up for the day. The texture is absolutely unbeatable. Color practically leaps onto the eyelid. No scratching or tugging w/sharp points that leave those cheap looking, partially filled-in lines that look like you let your cat take a thin crayon to your face…
If you’ve ever been intimidated by eyeliner or have struggled to find one you truly love, run don’t walk to your nearest Sephora and snap up the entire set (they come in a box) or start off slow w/your standby neutrals. I just got the gold (I believe it’s called Honey?) since apparently gold is hot right now, but will have to wait till after Christmas to report on it.
Happy Eyelining!
Posted by: antigravityamy on: December 4, 2008
Given that I’m still largely relegated to the academic world and, as such, have not yet embarked on the annual holiday party circuit at this-and-that organization or office, I feel pretty clueless as to what to wear to said upcoming parties. I feel like I missed that era where red and green was the only way to go and not the oh-so-cliche way. Once America wizened to the fact that not everyone in the working world observed Christmas, it seemed to have become very fashionable and a fresh departure to add blue, or ::gasp:: even silver! and gold! But here in 2008, all those colors seem SO tiiiiired and to show up to a party in them dates you by about 15 years. Then there’s the holiday sweater (yes those bearing snowflakes ARE included); I have trouble believing those still actually exist. I thought they’d have all been burned in some kind of ritualistic ceremony by now…
But to the question at hand: what are we to wear to all these parties? Black is always reliable but, especially for daytime events it can look a) overly somber, b) too serious, c)boring, or d) too fancy depending on the embellishments. I sometimes beg to differ that the LBD is the wardrobe cure-all; sometimes you need COLOR! Separates! The LBD has it’s time and place, and it’s not to every event you go to. Having said that, I do plan on wearing an LBD to my boyfriend’s company party next week…will report back on how that goes.
I’ve read (maybe in Glamour?) that jewel tones are the new red, green, blue, silver, and gold for holiday get-together attire, although I’m not entirely sure how revelatory that is. Apparently Pantone has determined that “mimosa” yellow is hot for ‘09, so you could be totally unexpected and integrate a sunny element into an otherwise more traditional outfit! That would be fun.
But seriously – what do people wear to parties nowadays?? How do you look festive w/o looking like a Kay Jeweler Holiday ad?
