Item One. This morning I didn’t feel like getting up, so I decided to sleep in a bit and drive to work instead of taking the bus. And it was a good thing, too; as I ate my breakfast granola bar, I could feel some temporary dental work slide out of place. Oh, it was still on the tooth; but it moved just a bit too much for comfort. I wasn’t too surprised; I was supposed to get permanent stuff in two weeks ago. (Not that I’m bitter.) So I wound up having to trek out to Germantown (I usually see my dentist in Bethesda, but he was in Germantown today). Good fun. And then tonight? It came out again. Tomorrow is going to be super fun! Item Two. This afternoon I went for a walk with a friend, and we were discussing the desire to purchase a home. I mentioned that my dream home included a screened-in porch. Then I got home and saw that the Post Home section had a whole article on screened-in porches today. (I usually read the paper during lunch, but my day got messed up by aforementioned dentist appointment.) I’m now coveting the houses pictured. Item Three. I have yet another Orioles Boyfriend. He’s married, but I don’t care–he’s just too wonderful not to love. Jim Johnson is all that is good and right in the world. Or, at least, in a bullpen. He makes me feel safe, and I look forward to seeing him. He just instills confidence, and who could want more? I mean, his ERA is 1.23! His WHIP is 0.85! He managed to get out of a bases loaded, no outs situation against the Red Sox without giving up a single run! *sigh* Dreamy. Also, he’s tall. So, bonus.
There are some weekends–even long weekends–that fly by, and you can’t believe that it’s already time to go back to work. But then there are weekends like this one. Three days, and it feels like it’s been forever since I stepped foot in the office. Which is as it should be. It’s been just a lovely, quiet weekend. I did do some work, but I also watched a lot of television. I didn’t get to read as much as I would’ve liked, but I’ll live. There’s something to be said for a weekend where, over three days, my set plans consisted solely of: “Go see Indiana Jones with friends.”
Speaking of, on my way home, I heard there was a bad wreck on the GW Parkway, closing the northbound lanes, so I took a chance and drove through the city (the signs were actually very helpful, for which I was quite grateful). I finally got to a sign that said “Baltimore Parkway” which threw me off momentarily, but makes sense–I was still in DC, so I guess it wouldn’t be the Baltimore-Washington Parkway quite yet.
I’m working on some freelance stuff, and both cats decided that it was time for dinner–despite the fact that dinnertime is still an hour away. As they circled, I said that I would be happy to make them dinner if they wanted to finish this last piece for me. Both of them immediately left the room.
Smart cats.
I was not in a good mood yesterday. I actually was annoyed Thursday night, and didn’t wake up happy on Friday. I spent the morning cranky, so decided to spend yesterday afternoon filing and organizing my cube. I had a large stack of filing to take care of, and stacks of page proofs scattered around. So I turned on the radio (I would’ve listened to my iPod, but it had decided to have a minor breakdown–yes, which I discovered in the morning, and pissed me off) and spent my afternoon putting things away. And wouldn’t you know it, it totally made me feel better. I think it’s one of those things where even if I can’t control certain aspects of my life, I can at least be in charge of that. It’s like in Clueless, where Dionne says that Cher’s main thrill in life is makeovers because “it gives her a sense of control in a world of chaos.”
Then, as I was driving home from the Y, I passed a lemonade stand. And yes, I did buy a cup, and had a nice chat with the family. It was one of those quintessential summer evenings–a father playing catch with his children, two mothers on chairs in the lawn, chatting. Just lovely.
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at real estate listings online. I don’t know when this desire to own a house (townhouse?) became so strong. I’d blame it on spending time in a house this weekend, except that I’ve been like this for a while. Maybe it’s because part of me knows this would be a good time to buy…I just don’t have the means. I mean, honestly. I don’t understand how people can afford these places!
For example, take this cute apartment. I love it. Two bedrooms, which would be the minimum if I bought; that way, the second bedroom could be an office (with maybe a futon or a day bed). Look how pretty the kitchen is! Cute balcony, and pretty close to downtown Takoma Park. I could probably walk to the Metro! And a whirlpool bathtub!
Then there’s this house, which I passed on my way to tap. I’m intrigued by it. I’d have to see inside it, but I like it. It has three bedrooms (better than two!), but one is in a loft–which seems perfect for the office, right? The layout’s a bit odd, but it has built-in bookshelves! Dreamy! And it’s pretty close to the Metro, too. And only $400K! Sigh.
Seriously, anyone have a few hundred thousand they want to give me?
I hate it when I’m uneasy but don’t know why. There’s this gnawing feeling in my stomach that I’m trying to figure out. I think it may be a combination of a few things that at some point just hit the tipping point from “ignorable” to “uh oh.” Because not one of the things in the back of my mind (trip to Ohio, an issue with a play I’m working on, a potential problem with a book…maybe others?) warrants an “uh oh,” but apparently together, they do. And it’s even more strange because most of these things have been resolved (happily resolved, even), but…that feeling is still there.
I’m just a worrier by nature, but man, is it obnoxious.
At the beginning of the season, the O’s stopped playing “Orioles Magic” as the players took the field. But after some of the many close, come-from-behind wins, the players started playing the song in the locker room. Which led, inevitably, to this video, which is awesome.
Notice that’s Reserve Orioles Boyfriend Adam Loewen wearing the tie, banging away on the keyboard. Hee.
Just one unrelated question–Jay Payton: Great man or greatest man?
I was watching Modern Marvels: Engineering Disasters tonight and they did a section on the early space program and the challenges of creating rockets without anything to go on. It was pretty interesting, but I must admit that I loved seeing them crash, because the explosions are HUGE. And since these are all early rockets, people weren’t dying in them. Sure, it cost tons of money (and one they showed was a more recent satellite rocket, the explosion of which cost $350 million), but so cool!
No, seriously. Look:
My favorite ones are where the rocket goes up a tiny bit, then just collapses back down. BIG boom.
When I got home from work today, I found a package sitting outside my door. I thought it was odd, because I couldn’t think of anything I was expecting. I picked it up and saw that it was Canada. Weird. And then I noticed that the customs label said it contained “Avril Lavigne merchandise” which just made no sense. Was Avril Lavigne randomly sending me free stuff? I was both horrified and intrigued.
Of course, when I opened it, I found a Barenaked Ladies CD, which I had, in fact, ordered. My mind clearly has gone. But not gone enough to order Avril Lavigne merchandise.
I admit it. I love bench-clearing baseball brawls. And last night was a doozy between the Mariners and the Rangers (go here to check out the Rangers feed). Sexson has been suspended 6 games for it. He went up there sure that he’d be hit; the M’s had hit two Rangers in the top of the inning. Good fun! Although it can be dangerous–Milton Bradley, who helped restrain some people last night, actually was injured while arguing with an umpire. And Cal Ripken almost had to end his streak in 1993 after twisting his knee during a fight with, yes, the Mariners.
In other exciting baseball news, the dangers of baseball in the nation’s capital is illustrated here. Zimmerman is just a threat.
Although McConnell had no evidence at the time that Zimmerman was responsible for the damages, he was the chief suspect, as he is the only National able to hit the ball farther than 300 feet. Furthermore, Zimmerman dented McConnell’s 1998 Buick LeSabre last week when he overthrew first base by 15,000 feet on a routine grounder.
“This is unacceptable–Capitol rotundas don’t just grow on trees, you know,” read a statement drafted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following the event. “Not only are these damages going to cost a fortune–a fortune–to repair, but we specifically told the Washington Nationals baseball organization a thousand times before the season started to be extra-careful and to try not to hit the ball to left field.”
I find it particularly amusing because I have a poster in my dube at work of the first pitch at Nationals Park, and you can see the Capitol off in the distance.