*moosie*

no dancing allowed.

September 16, 2008 at 10:28 am | In eat | 3 Comments
Tags: korean

For my after-lunch dessert, I generally inhale a delicious piece of Dove chocolate. For those of you not in the know, Dove puts little fortunes on the inside of their wrappers…so while I’m satisfying my chocolate addiction, I’m also eating bowlfuls of these little bastards to see what they say on the inside. While I’ve gotten some good ones, I tend to get the same one over and over again: “Dance under the harvest moon.” First of all, this isn’t exactly a fortune, more of a directive. Second of all, I don’t like taking directives from my food. Third of all, who actually dances under a harvest moon? Why can’t I get a fortune saying “Your Next Work Product Will Be Stunning And Impress Your Boss And Colleagues”?

In the vein of starting somethings new: I’ve decided to take up boxing. Not the kind that will actually involve sparring and getting my head knocked around (I must, must protect my most expensive asset: that brain of mine with $250K worth of legal knowledge in it), but the kind that involves punching the ever loving crap out of a blameless bag. I’ll let you know whether I quit after my first go at it.

I’m also taking a Korean language class at the Korean Embassy. It meets twice a week, and soon I’ll be able to tell my mother “Hi, my name is moosie” in Korean. I am going into this hoping that by November, I’ll be able to yak with my grandma without much trouble, though I’m perfectly aware I’ll probably only be at the point where i can say “Hi, my name is moosie, what is your name?” One can dream.

Who knew work would get in the way?

September 9, 2008 at 10:51 am | In job | 4 Comments

Since the start of my job as a tax attorney, I’ve noticed that my free time has dropped precipitously. I mean, I figured I’d have less of it since the work day takes up the majority of my time, but I didn’t realize I’d be so tired after using my brain all day and that this would result in me being a slug after work. More of a slug than usual, anyway.

The job at Another Firm (”AF”) is exactly what I wanted in my first job. It’s basically School: Year 21. My boss is a professor-in-training and is happy to teach and wants me to learn. Although, Boss does take glee in seeing my head nearly explode when I can’t figure something out. AF itself is pretty good administratively and tends to shower newbies with schwag that is emblazoned with AF’s logo. My desk is littered with stress balls and pens and paper bearing the brand. Which is fine by me, as I love the useless trinkets given out by companies.

surprise visit to atlanta

July 28, 2008 at 11:39 am | In eat, family | 5 Comments

surprise visit to atlanta, originally uploaded by *moosie*.

This past week I took a surprise visit down to Atlanta to visit my parents. My mom had no idea that I was coming and dad and I told a few white lies to throw her off the trail, but she seemed pretty happy when I showed up And when my grandparents showed up two days later. And when my brother showed up the day after that. It was a mini reunion! I thought poor dad was going to plotz from the pressure of keeping all these arrivals a secret, but he did a wonderful job

Bj and I laughing at a picture of him. He takes pictures well

the gang!

Atlanta was nice enough to welcome us with sweltering, sticky, sticky heat. You could sweat your face right off of your skull just stepping outside to get the paper. Luckily, we did very little stepping out and a lot (and if you know my mother, i mean A LOT) of eating. I got to sleep on a gorgeously comfortable bed and get fed to the bursting point every day. That’s my kind of vacation! And then I came back to VA, and the morning welcomed me right back.

Yankee Stadium

July 20, 2008 at 10:00 pm | In city, family, sports | 5 Comments

what the random kid sitting in front of us made perfectly clear - you're never too young to love baseball

As part of Jer’s birthday present, I got him and his dad tickets to go see one last game at Yankee stadium before it gets torn down and replaced with a shinier, newer version (it’s a travesty really, and I’m not even a Yankee fan…but it has so much sports history in it, you could just weep at the thought of it getting plowed to rubble). We took the Boltbus up to the city, and I loved it. It’s cheap. I don’t have to drive or pay for gas or tolls. I get free Wifi. What’s not to love? And it was definitely better than that Chinatown clunker that used to travel back and forth between NYC and DC, i can tell you that much.

Anyway, as we were plodding along the NJ Turnpike, I got my first glimpse of that skyline, pushing through the haze of a hot, hot summer day. I always feel conflicted when I go to NYC. My initial feeling when I see those skyscrapers is a dangerous combination of lusty love and excitement. It’s always like that, no matter how battered and pissed off I am when I end up leaving the city: that first glimpse always gives me the overwhelming desire to abandon all reason and live on that island, school loans and responsibilities be damned. After spending a scant two and a half days inside of it, however, and I come out feeling petulant and irritated because of the constant crush of humanity and the stifling heat rising off the concrete. It’s equal parts love and hate. Which, I assume, is why I both always want to go back and never, ever want to live there.

We saw the game on Saturday, roasting our little tootsies off in 95 degree heat (87% humidity, just for kicks) and enjoying a Yankee win and our last goodbye to an 85 year-old great.

Yankee stadium

Saturday day night, we went to see “Thurgood,” a one-man play about the life and work of Thurgood Marshall. The one man playing him was Laurence Fishburn, and he was, by all measures, absolutely fantastic. I would see this play over and over, if I lived in NYC and it wasn’t only running for 16 weeks. Just phenomenal.

Whirlwind weekend trips are becoming a regular occurrence, which I don’t mind in the least. When your week is packed with other obligations, it’s always nice to get out of your bubble for even just a day.

i like coffee a latte

July 16, 2008 at 10:09 am | In drink, nature | 6 Comments

I understand the concept of the latte factor — you know, saving up all those dollars you’re spending on exorbitantly priced coffee every day and using it to buy a vacation to Bali or that lovely new KitchenAid Professional 620 Stand Mixer instead. And while I may be flitting my money down the drain by purchasing a piping hot, super-delicious latte in the morning, it doesn’t change the fact that I really, really enjoy that piping hot, super-delicious latte. And I’d probably never use that KitchenAid mixer anyhow. Though I probably would enjoy that vacation to Bali . . .

Anyway, there’s an independent coffee shop close to Temporary Firm that has such yum yum coffee. There’s a Starbucks close by, as well (I mean, where in the world can you be without a Starbucks close by?) but I never liked the taste of their coffee, or the $5 price tag attached to a small drink (it’s a small, people, not a tall). So, instead I trot on over to independent shop and get a small latte and a chocolate-dipped biscotti for $3.50. Once I begin work at Another Firm (in less than a month!), I’ll have to scourge the area for another yummy, wallet-friendly coffee shop that doesn’t have a mermaid as its logo.

This past weekend, I nearly died on a mountain in Shenandoah National Park. Nevermind that it was an easy to moderate hike and I was encumbered by nothing but my camera and a water bottle, I almost didn’t make it back to the car. It was entirely uphill on the way back, and I was entirely not in shape enough to do it without stopping every five minutes to wheeze and tell J to just go on ahead, I’d meet him there in 5 hours. The mountain was lovely to look at while I was sucking all the oxygen out of the air, though:

Loft mountain. A.k.a., death mountain.

It was J’s first camping trip, and I can honestly say he had a nice time. We managed to get the tent up with no problems — check. We had a nice fire going (eventually) where we could cook hot dogs and make s’mores — check. We did not get eaten by bears — check. Beautiful scenery — check:

my bologna has a first name…

July 10, 2008 at 8:29 am | In city, family, friends, sports | 5 Comments

Sleep is a pretty hot commodity, especially when you don’t get it. I wish they could squish a full eight hours of sleep into a pill I could take so that I could get all the benefits without having to put in the time. Anyway, while J’s lovely mom was visiting this past weekend, we were driving around town and came upon this fantastically wonderful sight:

I nearly killed all of us trying to get closer to it, just to be able to say I saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and could watch it putter down 66 in all its glory. It completely made my day.

What also completely makes my day is eating outrageously expensive stadium food while watching a baseball game with some of my favorite people. J, Bethie, Bj, and I went to see the Nats play the Diamondbacks on Tuesday this week. I spent $20 on two beers and a scoop of ice cream, and Bethie and I got a picture with one of my heroes:

He was a LOT taller than the history books make him out to be.

will work for pay that covers monthly student loan debt

July 7, 2008 at 10:29 am | In job, sports | 6 Comments

I just devoured a gooey, chocolate-y, fantastically delish doughnut and almost felt bad about it, but since the consistently inconsistent Metro had all of us walking up and down broken escalators, I figured I’ve just broken even.

In other news, I’ve just become a freshly-minted employee of Another Firm. After spending a ludicrous amount of money and being in school for entirely too long, I’m now gainfully employed! In the tax field! My parents are so proud, especially since this means they aren’t really on the hook for my student loans (though let’s be realistic, daddy…since you’re a co-signer, you’re still ‘technically’ liable ) and I don’t need to ask for rent payments as my birthday present this year. Happy day! I’m super duper excited and terrified at the same time. I’m exciterrified.

I also got more exposure to tennis this weekend than I have in my previous years of living combined. I watched one championship match, and managed to catch the highlights of another, and the most I could draw from both is that the women really get the short end of the stick, trophy-wise. I mean, I’d be pretty pissed if I went through all that work to get to the championship at Wimbledon, to win it, and then the only thing I could flaunt on my mantle would be a gaudy plate. Seriously, a plate? The men, on the other hand, get an actual trophy. Messed up.

Birthday Hydrant

June 30, 2008 at 10:37 pm | In city, eat, holiday | 4 Comments

It’s never a dull walk around D.C., you know. I was walking back to my car in Adams Morgan on Sunday after sharing some rooftop sunshine with X to celebrate her graduation with her master’s degree when I came upon this little gem:

Birthday Hydrant, originally uploaded by *moosie*.

Someone else was celebrating, it seemed, and was king (or queen!) of the sidewalk. I also encountered a crazy man chain smoking in an alley and one of the largest women I have ever seen in my life. And all on a Sunday stroll.

Saturday, J and I went to the annual Dave Matthews concert at Nissan (a.k.a., most inconvenient and blind rage-inducing concert venue of all time). It was a great concert, if only for the best people watching on the planet. I felt old, even though I was not the oldest person in attendance. By far.

And this week is a blissful, short holiday week. I fully plan on stuffing my face full of hamburgers, potato salad, and patriotic Jell-O cake, and doing so in the name of my country. God Bless America.

moosie laments

June 27, 2008 at 8:17 am | In drink, job | 4 Comments

I have an aversion to boring, bland water. Nevermind that it’s basically the magical elixir for everything that ails you, I just can’t get past how boring it is for me to drink. It tastes like nothing! It doesn’t have lovely , tasty bubbles that give me the happys! However, one of my mid-year resolutions is to drink more water because my hair is dry and my legs are always itchy and I have close to zero energy, and I figure this may have something to do with the fact that I’m a withered husk with nothing but Coke in my body. So, out with the Coke, in with the gallons of water. I quit the sodas cold turkey, and I rue the day that I thought this was a good idea. I sit down for steak, and what goes better with steak than a Coke (ok, maybe red wine)? I eat a hamburger and fries, and you can’t possibly sit there with a straight face and tell me water is the best compliment to that meal. It’s an uphill battle my friends, and I’m becoming an old crank trying to fight it.

I had an interview with Another Firm the other day. I still haven’t heard back from Big Law Firm (”we’ll tell you, at the latest, by April 4th.” Apparently, that meant April of next year), and have been trying to become gainfully employed in the meantime. I found a position to apply for at Another Firm almost by accident, and am patiently sitting on my hands like a hyperactive toddler waiting for any word. It’s in DC. Close to a metro. And my life wouldn’t come to a screeching halt working there, as they undo the shackles every once in a while!

hello, summer

June 3, 2008 at 10:26 am | In Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Even if i don’t have the blue waters of cozumel lapping up against my door, at least i brought the heat back with me. and of course, along with the heat comes the legions of tourists wearing madras shorts and flip flops clogging the arteries of metro, but that’s neither here nor there. Even in this heat, our teeny little sliver of garden is offering up some pretty summer flowers, with lovely, vibrant colors:
The heat also means that it’s intern season. I love it when all of us natives are squashed like sardines in a metro car at the end of the day and we have sparkly-eyed interns along for the ride. They stick out just a bit (double breasted suit? check. patriotic pin on lapel? check. shiny new messenger bag? check. security and identification badge still dangling from their lanyards or clipped to their pants? check.). They’re usually just so damn cute and optimistic, which is why i do enjoy watching them gab to each other about their days working on the Hill. It almost makes me want to work on the Hill. Almost.

Speaking of the Hill, I delivered the bracket trophy to my favorite Hill person ever on Sunday. bethie just moved into her new apartment (her very own! no roommates or stinky cats!) and we cracked a bottle of wine (or two) while we unpacked and chatted. I wasn’t even slightly bitter that she had won the bracket pool two years in a row (”and it’s funny because I was losing the entire time, except for the very end! awesome.”)

Cozumel

May 27, 2008 at 10:51 pm | In travel | 4 Comments

Cozumel, originally uploaded by *moosie*.

It was beautiful. And relaxing. And gorgeous. And hot hot hot. And spectacular. And i can’t believe the trip is over already…! Cozumel was everything it needed to be and everything I wanted. Very much like a comforting brownie sundae: warm, indulgent, and expecting absolutely nothing from me in return.

Rach and I got burned the second day we were there (damn my fair, Norwegian skin…and Rachel’s equally fair Irish complexion), but I loved every second of it. i also regretted it the next morning when I couldn’t get out of bed without wincing, but still! It was blindingly sunny and super hot outside! And the water was crystalline blue! You could see through it like you were looking in a pool.

I went snorkeling for a little while, but it’s a little freakish when you’re swimming in a mass of fish flipping out (excuse the pun) for day old bread that people are feeding them from the pier. They were practically battering into me, and I’m not used to it, to say the least. But it was fantastic.

The sunsets weren’t bad, either.

Now it’s back to the real world, where we don’t get serenaded every night for dinner and we don’t wake up to the sound of the ocean crashing against the shore right outside our window. But, the sound of J sleeping and the cat snoring in his sleep is just as good

graduation

May 19, 2008 at 11:34 am | In family, friends, school | No Comments

It’s over! finally! After a two-hour ceremony and the biggest cluster of a diploma distribution I’ve ever experienced, I’m a “daughter of Georgetown forever.” Creepy. The exam period was quite possibly one of the worst I’ve gone through. I had four exams back to back, and nearly broke down in tears in the middle of one of them (”we talked about foreign tax credit baskets? baskets?!”), but at least I passed everything and its all documented on one very, very expensive piece of paper.Tomorrow, Rach and I board a plane and head out to Cozumel to enjoy poolside margaritas and a few days of relaxation before the job hunt begins in earnest. Those pictures will be up when I’m back, and the journal-ing will pick up then, too, when I don’t have the teetering terror of exams looming over my head.

(almost) all of us

bj and jer…so proud, I’m sure

something is funny here…I just don’t know what!

laura and B

the end of an era

April 24, 2008 at 9:11 pm | In school | 11 Comments

I’m in my last class EVER. Twenty years of good ol’ American education has left me currently jobless, waiting to hear back from interviews, and facing the impending doom of crushing student loan debt, but it’s been a fun ride. There are things I’ll miss about my formal schooling, and in particular, my current institution of learning. For instance, I’ll miss the lady in the convenience store here on campus that always calls me “baby” and “sweetheart”: it makes no difference to her whether I’m buying Tums for the stress-induced heartburn or another fresh bag of Doritos, she’s always happy to see me. I’ll miss the overwhelming desire to smack “the sniffler” in the library whose constant runny nose became the bane of my existence. I’ll miss the smell of panic that filters through the air during finals time. I’ll miss the Starbucks across the street and standing in line with a mix of law students, self-important lobbyists, and tourists wearing brightly colored “I love DC!” shirts and flip flops on a freezing cold day in DC in April.

But I guess I’m ready to be done. As long as the government is well aware they can’t sap blood from a stone! Because this stone is currently looking forward to her last summer before a job kicks in (I think I see a theme coming: Moosie’s Last Summer of Freedom)…

fried chicken is good for you

April 22, 2008 at 6:27 pm | In eat, family, travel | 5 Comments

This weekend, Jer and I went to Charleston, SC to meet up with his dad, Ray. The wretched 16 hour total driving time notwithstanding, I fell in love with Charleston the second we got to it. I think the beautifully sunny, warm days helped a little bit, too, but that’s besides the point. The amount of history there is boggling, and we managed to squeeze in a tour of a plantation, the city proper, and the harbor/Ft. Sumpter. Then, of course, we ate. And ate. And ate.

I am a complete sucker for food, and even more specifically, southern cooking. I love it. Once, when I was 10, I went out to eat with my best friend’s mom and aunt, and I ordered sausage and gravy (because my dad used to make it for breakfast all the time. And it was delish). The aunt said to me “you don’t want that…it’ll make you fat!” I appreciate the sentiment, but I’d rather have my sausage and gravy, or my shrimp and grits, than not. Get back to me in five years when my metabolism has come to a screeching halt and I’ve ballooned to 300 pounds.

Anyway, it was a lovely short trip, but now I’m back suffering through my last week of classes and the impending doom that is exams. I’d rather be eating.