West Coast Girl

These are the things that my weekend holds for sure:
Breakfast at either Cracker Barrel or Waffle House (and I'm crossing my fingers for Cracker Barrel).
Wedding dress shopping with Stephanie.
Watching my Pats in the Superbowl.

That is quite enough to make a memorable weekend right there, but I get to do all of this in Atlanta with Kristin and Stephanie (and Mark for some of it). Wahoo!!!

Bill Simmons is writing a blog on his week in Houston at the SB, that you can find on Page 2. It's funny, but not as funny as I want it to be.

I so don't have time to be doing this right now. My car wouldn't start this morning (because it feels like 1 degree outside), so I had to walk to the metro. My knees are still cold.

Work is very busy, and it just hit me again that football is almost over, which I am very sad about. Can I really read about baseball and hockey for the next seven months? I don't really think so. What will I do?

I was reminded again of the meaning of lachrymose (thanks to Dick Vermeil). I had a great DC-might-be-fun night on Wednesday, when I went out for sushi and then ice skating in the Sculpture Garden. And snowflakes were falling lightly as I circled the rink, which is right across the street from the newly renovated National Archive. It was neat.

And I had chocolate chip cookies for breakfast this morning. Take that, winter!!

Is it really Wednesday? It seems like just yesterday that I was enjoying last weekend...

Saturday was pretty much perfect. There was great football on in the afternoon, and then Elizabeth and I went to Mike and Ben's housewarming party in Adam's Morgan (Adams-Morgan?). We found a street parking place on 18th, which never happens, and then the Pats pulled off a great victory. And the party was fun, due in part to the foosball table in the "gaming area". The parking/football luck held true all day.

Sunday was marked by good breakfast and more football. Breakfast was waffles and bacon. Football was a great Indianapolis win, and then the Packer/Eagles game. I'm all for upsetting destiny most of the time, but it was a little harder than I expected when it comes to Brett Farve (Brad Farber?). That put a damper on the day. But, this means he'll definitely come back next year.

So far this week has been work and work. I have fun plans the next few nights, and new good books to keep me busy.

And my keyboard has started squeaking. I think it's getting rusty.

I started taking the metro to work again this week, and this morning finally reminded me what I like about it. (I drove on Monday, it was late on Tuesday, and yesterday was really, really cold.) It snowed last night, so when the train came up from underground there was a light blanket of white over the usually dingy scenery. I had heard on the radio that there were accidents everywhere because of the black ice, but the metro was running right on schedule and uncrowded.

When I got off downtown I walked past the normal guys handing out flyers and the streetcorner preacher, and then saw a new guy who was talking to the manhole covers. A block later there was a man with a spring in his step who had on a red scarf and was smoking a pipe, and then walking past McDonald's I saw a man wearing a letterman jacket with "Shania Twain 1999" embroidered on the back. It's going to be a good day. A weird day, but a good day.

I think the craziness of work had subsided, so I'll have some time to play on-line. I'm very glad it's Friday.

So, I generally like the way people look and dress here on the Eastern seaboard. But this week in DC it has officially gotten cold enough that people are dressing for warmth, and not so much appearance any more. I myself am wearing my ugliest, but warmest sweater today.

I think this is one of the biggest differences between the coasts. In California, particularly Southern California, the weather is never so overwhelming that it forces you to pay attention to it to the detriment of your appearance, and senses. By the middle of winter on the East Coast, everyone sort of resembles a gnome, although of varying sizes.

In Boston there was always one day in the spring when it started to get warm again, when all of a sudden Kristin and I would notice that there were cute boys around. I'm not sure if we weren't paying attention before that because we were so cold, or if the cute boys don't come outside in the cold. Or if we couldn't see that they were cute because they were wearing so many layers. I tend to think it's the latter.

The beginning of the new year has brought to mind the possibility of resolutions. The only one I've made so far is not to develop crushes on boys who have girlfriends I don't know about. I like it because it's so realistic. Let's hope it sticks a little better than my resolution for 2001, which was not to make obvious jokes.

I have been at work for a long time. And just when I figured out how to do lots of neat stuff with code, I am thwarted by earning my paycheck. (emphasis on earning, not paycheck).
There are some pictures up from the NYE party at this site, which is a site shared between Kristin and I. Check back in a few days and there will probably be more.
Today is Andy (M's) birthday, so we are all going to go out and celebrate! As much as you can in the middle of the week. Woo woo.

One of my favorite quotes of the night so far: (from a guy friend of a friend) "You dragged me here, but all of her friends are hot girls!" And then there's Karl, picking up my lipstick "I'm going to be so beautiful..."

I think we got most of the confetti out of the carpet at this point. There's still a strange set of markings on the ceiling of our living room. 98% of the feedback and reports have been good, and we haven't heard anything from the neighbors.

Pictures are coming. What did you think?