2009 in Review

This is my third time doing this whole year in review thing. Check out 2007 and 2008.

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What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Acquired a job with a salary. What up, late bloomers!

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Apparently my only real resolution for this year was to get a job. Look who's batting a thousand.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Sam's sister. And though the babe is in MA, I get the privilege of seeing some very cute baby shots on a regular basis.

Did anyone close to you die?
Just all the celebrities of the world. And I feel worst for Farrah. MJ totally stole her death thunder.

What countries did you visit?
Australia to see the sister.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Giant admissions from exes that keep me in counseling. Whoa, who let the TMI fairy in with her pesky dust?

What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 16- grad school graduation, five years to THE DAY of my undergrad graduation. Spooky. October 19- first official day on the *new* job.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Entertaining the thought of a buying a place of my own in the near future. And yes, even thinking that thought counts as an achievement. The obvious one is my Master's but that's been the product of several years. Regaining some of my confrontational personality after being a doormat for awhile.

What was your biggest failure?

Trying to figure out the damn html for this question. I know it is easy, but I'm lazy. F it.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing more than you typical colds. Oh, that's a lie. I found out I have the cholesterol of a dead person.

What was the best thing you bought?
Most recent haircut because I was way overdue for a change. Luck ring. Money spent towards mending clothes instead of buying new things.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my friends for putting up with my CRAZY. (same from last year. And from what I can see, every year going forward).

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republican teabaggers. Seriously, you crazy.

Where did most of your money go?
Grad school (same for the past three years. Getting smart costs mad money, yo.), food stuffs, impulse purchases (hello, PedEgg)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Being done with school. Pig Pickin'. Moving to DC proper.

What songs will always remind you of 2008?
MILEY CYRUS- PARTY IN THE USA. AND YES THIS TOTALLY DESERVES ALL CAPS. All of Lady Gaga, the Fame Monster, but specifically Bad Romance. Darude- Sandstorm. Shakira- She Wolf. Good King Wenceslas.

Compared to this time last year, are you...
I. Happier or sadder? This exact time? Probably happier because I'm not putting any pressure on myself for NYE. Not that I'm not excited about my plans, I'm just not hanging all my happiness in the new decade on how tomorrow night goes.
II. Thinner or fatter? eh, lord knows. I back up at my heaviest weight (seriously, that TMI fairy is getting WAY too liberal with her dust) but the weight has arranged itself better this time.
III. Richer or poorer? Richer, but I'm no one's sugar mama.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Trusted my gut instincts. Cooked at home more.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spent time obsessing about the past. Eating full fat cheese.

How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve was at cousin's house in south central PA, Christmas Day- Chinese food and "It's Complicated"

What was your favorite TV program?
Of the year? Glee. That's obvious.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is pretty strong. I don't think there is anyone I hate, that I know personally.

What was the best book you read?
The second book in the Wideacre trilogy. Seriously, maybe one of 5 books I read this year that WASN'T a romance novel. And there's still a healthy dose of sex (be it incestuous) in it. I need real book recommendations and how. The whole in grad school so I only have the brain power for romance novels doesn't cut it anymore.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Miley Cyrus. Shut your face. Party in the USA makes me happy.

What did you want and get?
To move into DC proper.

What did you want and not get?
A museum job.

What was your favorite film of this year?

Oh lord. Well, I love most films, so really, pretty much anything I saw, I liked. Away We Go was cute. I loved the music in Pirate Radio and couldn't stop myself staring at the glasses. Star Trek was FANTAB. I feel like I answered the question a few weeks ago and was more erudite but it just isn't coming to me right now.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old?
The big old 26. Had many celebrations, including drag bingo and some good old fashioned bar time.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting my license- on my way with the permit! ---> always getting my license. Still holding fast with the permit.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"You look Amish, but in a good way." direct quotation from coworker from this summer.

What kept you sane?
Professional help. Friends. -----> some things never change

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Lee Pace. Ah, lovely pie maker. Also, I just finished Wonderfalls and the man is too cute for words, unless the words are TOO CUTE.

What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that people don't want universal health care. I don't know much more about the debate but I just want to slap people who don't believe in health care for all. Because they've never been uninsured and boy howdy, does it suck.

Who did you miss?
My ladies out west. My ladies in Baltimore.

Was 2009 a good year for you?
I truly think that each year since high school graduation has gotten better and better (for the most part). Which makes me really excited to get old.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Graduating is pretty up there. Any and all champagne Mondays (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc.)

Where were you when 2009 began?
Logan Circle, one of a few peeps dressed up at a dinner party.

Who were you with?
Folks from Haverford and the lovely folks I know through them.

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Birthday/NYE party in Adams Morgan.

Who will you be with when 2009 ends?
A bestie from work, Monica, and greader friends. What up, Google Reader!

What was your favorite month of 2009?
March had me in Australia but also learning that I didn't get a dream job. May had me graduating but also moving. October had me starting a new job AND dressed up as Maleficent, so that's pretty awesome

How many different states did you travel to in 2008?
MD, VA, DC, FL, PA, NC.

How many concerts did you see in 2009?
Um, just one, I think. But it was awesome. Guster. Hello, college.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2009?
See above.

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Shame is heavy. I pretty much am embarrassed by most things I do but they make me, me, so shame doesn't enter the picture.

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2009?
"Yeah, a second date would be fun."

Did you treat somebody badly in 2009?
Certainly brusque or brash at times, but always out of love.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2009?
Nothing out of the ordinary.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
Say yes to moving into the place I lived over the summer. Oh the headaches.

What are your plans for 2010?
Lower my cholesterol to that of only someone on the brink of death. Save money so that when my lease is up, I can move to my own place or only have one roommate (big girl dreams!). Take stock of my life more often and have my choices reflect my desires. Stop writing sentences like that.

RIP, Levi-Strauss

He was the source of so many of my college readings. And I never stopped giggling when his name came up.

Levi! Like the jeans!

I shall continue to chuckle, my good man.

Also, I thought you were already dead. Sorry about that.

Direction

So, the posting here has been light. And that is in direct proportion to how HEAVY my summer has been in terms of stress. Starting back on 3 April, I've been in Australia for a few weeks, came back just in time for a 4 day conference in Philadelphia, graduate, move, job hunt, have landlord issues, job hunt issues, and will be moving again and probably losing full time employment in the coming month. Not because I'm getting fired but because my work is just kinda piecemeal right now. So, yeah, feeling a bit less pithy that I normally do.

However, for the month of August, I will be doing more content writing for Oceana and I would love it if you checked it out over here. Of course, my last name will now be eternally liked to rizado, but alas, tis my fate. If things calm down, perhaps I'll come back here for more quips, but for the time being, my writing energies are focused where the dollar dollar bills are- work.

i can haz updates!?!11?

So, the end of April through the end of May almost killed me and it just may still. I basically got back from Australia, went to a four day conference in Philly, finished up school, graduated with my master's, found a new place to live, and will be moving on Sunday. So yeah, to say that this time in my life has been a bit busy is an understatement. I've been dying to be able to sit down and pump you all full of the fun thing I've been doing and thinking but when I get home from work/internship/other city, all I want to do is watch so much TV that my butt falls asleep.

But! my trip to Australia provides me with a more than legit reason to post on my work blog, so that will certainly have to happen soon.

Oh and PS, maybe the reason I've been slow to blog? I'm obsessed with Google reader and often comment on the things I share there. Seriously, go get a reader.

Also, my museum blog is back up and running. Because I'm so good at keeping on top of the three blogs I write for now. It is very museum centric, so I'm tempted to say it will be boring to those of you not in the biz, but come on, I'm hilarious and I can make exhibition development exciting to EVERYONE!

Hello again... and good bye again

Howdy! Whew, it has been way way way too long. But it has been for good reason. Since we've talked last, I've had a second interview for a real job in exhibits, took my comps, was in charge of my office while most people were out of the office, celebrated St. Patrick's Day, and more.

And oh the stress. THE STRESS. I'm waiting to hear back from the job. It is in Baltimore, so if I get it, I will have to move pretty much right after graduation. And even if I don't get it, I'll be moving from my current place anyway. Apartment searches are one of my least favorite things ever so I'm not looking forward to May anyway, but the added stress of the job hunt is getting to be too much. I do know that I passed my comps, so that's one less thing to worry about.

I plan on doing a whole lot of no worrying while I'm in Australia. I leave on Thursday and will be gone until the 19 April, which again means that I won't be writing terribly much for the next month. I may be updating here and there, hopefully with some photos, but I can't promise anything- I will be on the beach afterall.

But stay tuned anyway- hopefully I'll have good news regarding the job/apt front!

Spring is springing and taking me along with it

Yeah, I don't know what that title means exactly. This is my semi yearly post where I write to explain why I'm not writing a lot. If you remember, I said that I was going to Australia in about 3 weeks. Before I go, I have to take my comps this Friday. Comps as in if I don't pass them I don't graduate in May. I'm not too worried- went to a study group last week and we are all pretty set about what we need to know but the prospect of the writing I do in a three hour window determining whether I can walk in May... a bit daunting. And on Friday the 13th. I don't pretend that I'm not only a little superstitious. But I'm trying to not focus on that.

Besides comps, there is a large all staff meeting for most of next week that I won't be attending (pout) but that I have been helping plan. Because of this meeting, I will be in the office 4 days next week, which will help make up for the days that I'm missing while in Australia, but in addition to time abroad and the meeting, I've had to rearrange my schedule to get in enough internship hours so that I can graduate in May (see a theme?). I am creature of habit like WHOA and always hate the first few weeks of the semester when my schedule isn't locked down so this switch up mid Spring is throwing me off. I mean, I'm happy to deal with it because hello, AUSTRALIA, but it doesn't mean that I like sitting down and rearranging both jobs AND the internship. It is a lot to handle.

Also, my coworkers have slowly become my friends, with dinners and random happy hours. This makes me happier than words can say- can you say impromptu dance party after homemade Middle Eastern feast?- but it also means that I get home later and later. And when I do get home, I plop down and watch TV with this ho.

So, that's why the writing has been light. And why it will be light for probably another week or so. Because I know y'all care.

Review

So, I've been meaning to do a year in review post but I'm old and it takes me so much LONGER to recover from fun times. And we all know New Year's Eve is all about the fun times.

So instead of an enlightening meme, covering the year, I figured I would share some of the things that come up when you google my name.

For starters, this blog. Which, um, I don't really like. Not that I'm ashamed with anything here but still, I don't know if future employers need to know about my shoe purchases. And how I take my own picture in the mirror.

What seems like a fantastic movie and something I should heed in my real life: Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana

My thesis. Which is slightly NSFW, if your work isn't hip to sex education. If you really want to read it, you can just google my name and thesis. And um, click on Boners and Twats. Because even though you can get to my blog through my full name, I'm not really in the mood to start using my full name here.

That being said, my full name- you would love it. It is awesome.

YES!

Yesterday, I wrote 10 pages in about 4 hours. And then spent some more time revising. And then more writing a letter to my group about presentations, drafts, and more. Basically, brain, tired.

This is about all I can share today. But look- it's a cat! On a Roomba! A pet riding a vacuum! Ah, so cute :)

East Coast Grad Student Chic

It is fully winter here in the DC area, so I thought I might break down how one dresses for the cold like a hip East Coast grad student.
Predominant color is black
Pigtails because you've slept in the past few days and haven't washed your hair.
Scarf to kept out blistering chills.
Hat to cover said grease ball head, with poms for hilarity (on top of head and at the end ear strings).
Black glasses because you're an intellectual.
Sneer because you look down at the uneducated.
Fingerless gloves with mitten fold back so that you can stay warm but also grab your metro card out of your back pocket.
Smile because you realize this is your last fall semester of graduate school EVER!
You name this pimple "final project".
And this one "job search". Also, look try to look like 5 year old boy in closeups.

Things I should really move to top of my to-do list

- Get a desk chair
- Sit at my desk
- DO WORK AT MY DESK

Surprisingly, I'm not getting a whole lot done with my lap top, under the covers and only slightly propped up under my down comforter. The knee high socks, worn-in sweatshirt, glass of wine, and blasted Queen aren't really helping the productivity either.

Even though I won't be walking until May (fingers crossed), I am currently enrolled in what is potentially the last class of graduate school, EVER! And I've got senior (er, 3rd year grad student?) slump like WHOA. I apologize to everyone in my group project, I promise, I always get my stuff done. I mean, you are talking to someone who wrote over half of their 75 page thesis in 4 days. So my 5 pages of our final paper will get done and probably with some sense of academic quality.

I just don't know if they are going to happen while I'm under the covers and belting out "Somebody to Love".

Shouldn't give her any ideas

As a child, my mom constantly harped on my posture. I don't know why I'm saying it in the past tense- to this day, she still gets on me about sitting up straight. She used to come behind me, put one hand in between my shoulder blades, grab one shoulder, and push it back until I sat up straight.

Oh so comfortable.

So I'm tempted to tell her about this because it would mean less painful reminders from my mom. But it also might mean that I'm constantly twitching like a dog with an invisible collar on.

Well, that didn't take long

So, it didn't really take long of me looking through all these amazing deals for me to break down and buy a lot of stuff on sale.

A lot of stuff.

On MAD sale.

I'm not going to show you anything that I did buy because, you know, you might get something as a present. But that still leaves a ton of things I can show.

$4.40 for 10 cards. Yeah, that's not a typo.

$10 for what is quite possibly THE cutest notebook. EVER.

And... there is an entire page devoted to owls. O.W.L.S. I know I'm not super orginal, but I kinda have a thing for birds. Just a bit. Like I have 11 swallows on my bedrooms walls, 3 cranes by my mirror, a large penguin cocktail shaker that matches my penguin ring holder and votive stand. Oh, and a condor jug from Peru. So yes, birds. I likes them.

Especially this owl notebook.
$9. So twee.

Oh and those prices? Those are before the 25% discount made available from decor8- decor8xmas - good until 21 November.

On a completely unrelated note- how creepy are those commericals with the people who have the ampitheaters in the back their heads? Answer: totally.

[images from Rock Scissor Paper.]

grumble

TBS, when you put a movie on demand, you don't include commercials. I want to be able to watch "Last Holiday" uninterrupted.

If I only had 3 weeks left to live, I wouldn't be spending my Friday nights watching Queen Latifah movies and doing research, but I have to fortune to not have any brain tumors causing me to seize the day.

What would you do if you only had 3 weeks left to live? I think I would travel as much as I could with as many friends, perhaps go on a bender or two, get a tattoo, eat like a glutton. Mmmm, gluttony.

started so strong

In 4th grade, my partner Molly Gordon and I almost won the science fair with our study of what types of earth worms preferred- sand or soil. We had buckets of just sand, just soil and ones half sand/half soil, and after a few weeks, whichever type of earth had more alive worms, was the winner. I vividly remember our presentation board- there was a Polaroid of me pretending to eat a worm- but I can't remember what soil type they liked.

Sorry for all the buildup.

The next time the science fair came around, we were to invent something. I think I forgot about my project because I ended up taping a knife to the end of a spork and calling it the "handy dandy spo-for-knife!"

Yeah, didn't almost win that year.

Maybe if I had focused on what I was truly trying to achieve- making utensils more fun- I would have come up with these and won.

$$ and smells

so since i had a semi public freakout here on monday, i guess y'all deserve an update. i'm going to be ok, though i should probably scale back on eating and going out. i got the second job and will probably start next week. i'm still working part time so that i can fit in my second internship, starting this fall and into the spring. a huge sigh of relief all around. xanax remains untouched.

thanks to everyone who expressed concern. goes to show how little hardship i've had to actually deal with in my life when a slight hiccup leaves me unmoored. but i didn't cry about it! at all! in public! or even by myself! and to me, that's the most amazing thing of all of this- i just may be learning how to control my emotions and deal with stress appropriately.

except that i only had cottage cheese, soup, and a corn dog to eat on monday because i lose my appetite when stressed. still not the most healthy thing ever.

on a completely unrelated note: does anyone else out there hate the secret commercial for their new flawless deodorant that has 5 signs of awesomeness of something? the one where the annoying bitch keeps on raising her arms around new york? i can't find a clip of it on youtube (probably because it is the pits PUN INTENDED) but i did find these crazy kids reenacting it, so that will have to do.

money, money, money

must be funny, in a rich man's world.

so, not only have i recently seen mamma mia!- fantastic! amazing! it will change your life... er, your afternoon! but i also recently discovered something a bit disturbing about my financial situation. in that it is dire. money is always such a FUN and STRESS FREE and not at all UNCOMFORTABLE topic to discuss, so i'm not going to get into to it too much just to say that i'm going to have to seriously reevaluate budget stuff and perhaps get another job. on top of my part time one. on top of my internship. and on top of my fall class.

BEING AN ADULT IS SIMPLY THE BEST.

does your mother know you are out? because if she did, she would probably tell you to go home and save some dough.

that's a relief!

so, last friday night, i still had one more day of class so i couldn't celebrate the end of the week in my usual style.

so instead, sam, brant, and i watched the scripps national spelling bee. and an american tail.

but we are here to talk about the bee.

i loved that it was LIVE from dc. i loved that the super jewish girl got knocked out on a yiddish word. i also loved her hair.

but mostly... i loved this:

the entire thing is humorous, but make sure you are paying extra close attention at the 34 second mark.

boy oh boy

ok, so i'm going to say it firmly- blog365 is so over for me right now. i could have made up peru, my slacking during finals, but the past two weeks on top of that?

yeah, that isn't going to happen.

because since the last time we've talked, i've kept busy with:
- earning 3 credits in 2 weeks through archeology field school. i spent most of the time digging up at shuter's hill from 9a-4p and the other days in the lab. the days were mad long, the work got a bit dull towards the end, but overall, i had a simply fantastic time. i loved one of my profs so much, pretty much how campers get attached to camp counselors. she loves big love! how could we not be friends? le sigh, i'll miss fran.

- visiting karel and alice in nj/nyc before alice headed out to ethiopia for the summer and karel moves to portland for forever. we had yummy sushi with horrible service at teak and managed to not pass out at the coney island sideshow. it was the best possible way to spend a weekend, for serious.

- finally saw baby mama. yes, it was predictable but i love tina and amy, so really, i knew i was going to enjoy it no matter what. and i'm going to see sex and the city tomorrow!

so, for the next five weeks, i just have my internship for three days a week and working two days a week! then, for six weeks, i have class two nights a week. what a summer! i'll still be posting, but not every day.

whew, good bye self imposed pressure!

so close!

i'm practically done with my first (and last) year of full time grad school.

sorry for the short post, but i'm concentrating on script writing and format.

i promise to be more exciting soon- if only for two weeks because then i'm back in class.

an aside: on cake

when and how did cake become a celebratory food? why is it always birthday cake? why not wedding pie? or going away brownies?

obviously, i have another exhibit brewing in my brain- the evolution of cake as the celebration desert.

and why dessert? why isn't it the birthday baked potato? or congratulations steak?

hmm.... all these interesting thoughts...