August 31, 2003

Best Weekend Ever

It seems like my summer of depression is coming to an end. The air conditioner in our house hasn't been fixed, but somehow it's no longer oppressively hot. After weeks of searching for a place on the east coast to replace the beloved Gottsi/6601, it finally hit me that I should look on the internet and I found Glasswear Studios. (Jacob, Dianna, and Erica should definately check this place out. They have an awesome selection of glass plugs at very reasonable prices. Plus they seem to know what they are talking about... which is always nice.) AND, best of all, I spent the entire day with Marina yesterday, because this was our last chance to get together before she skips town.

We started of at the Smithsonian and visited the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art/Sculpture Garden and the African Art Museum. Both were fantastic, but we ended up having to rush through the African Art because the museum was gonna close.

After all of our museum going, Marina and I were exhausted and turned to Dupont Circle for a little pep. We ended up having dinner at Ben & Mo's, a Sushi Bar/Lounge/Club/Internet Cafe/Hooka Bar with Arabic themed music and decor. Basically, it was pretty fucking awesome. The service was kinda slow and sushi was only a 7, on a scale from 1-10, but the quirkiness of the place more than made up for any shortcomings.

After sushi, Marina and I decided that we weren't quite full enough, so we decided to go for ice cream because Marina said it would "fill in the cracks." (That Marina is a funny kid.) We ended up finding this independent place that I didn't catch the name of, but the ice cream was AMAZING. Marina got something called "Fred and Ginger" that involved sweet cream, ginger, and peach liquor (if my memory serves correctly). And I got a flavor called "libido," which entailed Bailey's Irish Cream and pistachios. Yum! When I ordered, the interaction with the ice cream scooping guy went something like this:

Me: I'd like a single scoop of libido in a sugar cone
Him: (handing me the cone) Alright, here is a big libido for you.
Me: Oh, Thank you (in a sassy tone)
Him: I love you too
Me: (blushing easily because my sassyness had been topped by the ice cream man)


After ice cream we sat in Dupont Circle for a while and caught up on gossip. Then Marina was kind enough to walk me down to the White House because I still hadn't seen it and it was a nice night for a walk.

Bottom Line: This weekend has rocked the house. And I still have two more days left before I go back to work and school. Yeah for last minute summer fun.

Posted by j*2the*olie at 09:05 AM

August 29, 2003

weather

One of the coolest things abuot living in Maryland so far is the fact that we have these amazing lightning storms practically every night. Actually, we are having one right now, so I probably shouldn't be using my computer, but a girl's gotta live, right? Anyway... some people see them as inconvenient because they cause our power to go out... and it makes driving a bitch. But I think that they are gorgeous and I love them. After moving away from Puget Sound, I really missed the rain and it's nice to have it back.

Posted by j*2the*olie at 02:45 PM

August 28, 2003

Yeah for not hating life!

So yesterday was the first day since moving to Maryland that I have gone to work and not come home miserable. Oddly enough, is was the longest day that I've worked (13 hours). But it was also the first day that all of our students were back... and that is the key. For almost 2 months, I have been going to work, sitting in my lonely lonely office, attending stressful meetings, and returning to my lonely lonely office to cry silently and sift through the piles and piles of work I have to do. There were a few moments where I considered dropping everything and moving back to San Francisco. I thought, "This is HORRIBLE, I've dedicated the next two years of my life to a job that I hate" But my housemates convinced me to hang in there. They didn't want to have to divide my share of the rent. So I stayed. And now I realized that I wasn't in the wrong job at all. I was just miserable because I was practicing Student Affairs with NO STUDENTS. Now, the students are back and I am happy as a clam. Of course, I'm INSANELY busy. But all of you know that I like things that way. Next week I start my own classes, so I'll be even crazier and I'm looking forward to every minute of it. Now I just need to overcome this goddamn heat and humidity and life will be peachy.

Posted by j*2the*olie at 10:21 AM

August 24, 2003

it's been nice knowing all y'all...

So I haven't posted in a million years, and Jolie is keeping my sorry ass out of ghost blog territory. I admit this. Let's move on.

I am starting classes tomorrow, and I fear I will never see anyone ever, ever again. Of course, the rational side of me understands that this will not be true, but then the irrational side takes over again and says "Haha! So you're going to be a slacker and be the first person ever to fail all your classes in the graduate school of education. See!?! You didn't even remember to capitalize Graduate School of Education.

On a related topic, my house had a housewarming/going away party, depending on whose friend you were. All in all it was good times, my friends staying conveniently in one corner of the patio, so that I could find them at a moment's notice in all my social butterflying. The Nation of Me also made a very impressive 'goodbye from the doorway' maneuver, expertly deflecting any repeat hug attacks from The Republic of Mizz D. There was one unsettling moment, however. I was pulled into a conversation with two of my newer friends in which it was revealed that one does not vote because it's not worth it, and the other voted for Nader. I happen to feel slightly nauseated at both these stances. Now please, do not consume my comments page with debate over these viewpoints. The point here is that while I tried to express my own dissenting viewpoint several times, I found that my total lack of enthusiasm for debate was so overwhelming, I fairly chugged the last half of my beer, just so I could escape into the kitchen to get another one.

I'm hoping this is not my new MO, since it will be kind of hard to participate in class with no will for discussion. I can just see someone begin to argue that there is no discrimination towards girls in the classroom anymore, and suddenly I'm pouring the contents of my Nalgene bottle down the front of my shirt and excusing myself for the ladies room.

Then again, I probably won't be several cups of sangria and 1 1/2 bottles of Corona in when I'm in class. Probably. In any case, if it takes me another long while to post, it probably means I'm actually applying myself. God forbid.

Much love, Ms.D

Posted by ms*d at 03:05 PM

August 01, 2003

Larry Flynt Rocks My World

Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt rose to hero status during the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal when he placed an ad in the Washington Post offering up to $1 million to anyone who could prove they had an "illicit sexual relationship with a congressman."

Now he's charming me all over again with the announcement that he's running in the CA gubernatorial recall election. Don't get me wrong, I would much prefer the likes of Arianna Huffington. But I think Flynt has the potential to tap into something that she can't -- the unwashed masses. When asked about his potentially damaging image as the Prince of Porn, Flynt said, "California is the most progressive state in the union, I don't think anyone here will have a problem with a smut peddler as governor."

Now that's fun!

Posted by j*2the*olie at 11:00 AM