To everyone out there who has ever been publicly humiliated by virtue of the chair/bench break, this one's for you............
It all started my senior year in high school (though I doubt it was truly the first incident). I was in Costa Rica on an exchange trip that fell over Easter. That Sunday, I went to church with my dear friend Christie and our respective host families. Throughout the mass, I kept peering down at the kneeler in front of me thinking it didn't look NEARLY as sturdy as the ones back home. Fat Americans, I thought. We need big kneelers. But there had been no kneeling yet, so I was feeling good about things. And then it happened. During a moment of silence, the priest asked for us to all get on our knees and bow our heads. Like the obliging Catholics that we are, we dropped to our knees and lowered our heads... and the bench split in two, Titanic style. The priest stopped speaking and everyone turned to stare. Christie and I kept our heads down and quietly shook from silent laughter. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I counted the minutes til mass was over and we could escape humiliation.
But there was no escape. Word spread like wildfire throughout the tiny town of Esparza and when Rafael, my suave latino-lover wannabe saw me later that day, his first words to me were, "Hey there, Hulk."
Excellent.
Fast forward to Senior year in college. I go to dinner at my boss's house... she has invited one of my fellow classmates/co-workers along as she knows that I am hopelessly in love with him. I try my hardest to play it cool as I put on my witty act. When it's time for dinner, we all gather around the table and sit. Again, before sitting I looked at the chair and noticed one of the legs looked a little funny. But I'm not one to be rude. So I sat down, lover boy directly across from me. I'm laughing and in the middle of a wild story, arms flailing, when the chair legs go out from under and I fall flat on my ass. I could've died. I laughed it off while my boss stared at me HORRIFIED. Said love interest laughed and asked if I was OK... I cracked a joke about the "senior fifteen", trying to tone my red, mortified cheeks down, and said I would prefer to stand for the rest of dinner. Needless to say, no date came from the evening... gee, I wonder why.
So for all of you out there who've experienced this, I feel your pain.
More to come.......
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Vintage Jewelry and Astrology
This morning I had another one of those random stranger experiences that I love so very much. Walking to work from the T, Ipod turned on, I felt a little tap on my shoulder. I took out my earplugs and turned to see a tiny elderly man standing beside me. “How do I get to New Chardon St.?” He asked.
I started to give him directions and then realized I could just walk him there myself since it’s right next to my building. “Come with me, I’ll show you,” I said.
This little old man smiled at me and said, “I just love your beautiful red jewelry. You belong at a Chinese wedding.”
“Oh yes, I love red… I’ve decided to be more bold!”
He laughed. “You know, I have a beautiful beaded necklace you would love…and you’d also love the vintage jewelry of the 40s.”
“Yup, vintage is the best. I am a huge fan!”
We crossed the street and I wished him a nice day.
“You too,” he smiled back. Then he stopped, looked at me and said, “Are you a Gemini?”
I was a little stunned, I won’t lie. “Actually, I am, how’d you know?”He winked and started walking. “I’m on today,” was his response.
I was convinced at that point that he was Jesus. Or that magical fairy from Beauty and the Beast. I’m almost always convinced that when dealing with a total stranger, if I’m rude I will suddenly grow fur and claws and be condemned to a tower for the rest of my life. But hopefully this little incident just fed my good karma.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…
I started to give him directions and then realized I could just walk him there myself since it’s right next to my building. “Come with me, I’ll show you,” I said.
This little old man smiled at me and said, “I just love your beautiful red jewelry. You belong at a Chinese wedding.”
“Oh yes, I love red… I’ve decided to be more bold!”
He laughed. “You know, I have a beautiful beaded necklace you would love…and you’d also love the vintage jewelry of the 40s.”
“Yup, vintage is the best. I am a huge fan!”
We crossed the street and I wished him a nice day.
“You too,” he smiled back. Then he stopped, looked at me and said, “Are you a Gemini?”
I was a little stunned, I won’t lie. “Actually, I am, how’d you know?”He winked and started walking. “I’m on today,” was his response.
I was convinced at that point that he was Jesus. Or that magical fairy from Beauty and the Beast. I’m almost always convinced that when dealing with a total stranger, if I’m rude I will suddenly grow fur and claws and be condemned to a tower for the rest of my life. But hopefully this little incident just fed my good karma.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Interesting Things I Have Done/Learned This Month
A month ago around this time I went to a free happy hour and somehow ended up in the North End of Boston with a cigar in one hand and a cannoli in the other.
Two weekends ago I was in western Mass at my college roommate's bridal shower and helped sew a wedding vale together (you know me, Miss Debbie Domestic). I also learned that weekend what a garlic press is and that cabbage is not the same as lettuce even though to me they look identical.
Last Wednesday, I went to Colby Alumni Pub Night in Boston and came in last place at Colby Trivia. My group had no idea who the President of the Board of Trustees was but did guess the name of Bro's pet pig correctly. As you can see, what is important to some is not important to others.
Last weekend I found myself in Indianapolis visiting my darling Meredith and during a game of Catch Phrase, correctly guessed "Suze Orman" (the economist that often appears in O Magazine) but failed at every word in the sports division. I also learned that unless a Bengali Tiger is fully sedated, you should never try to push it out of a tree.
Today, while Melissa and I were at Payless on our lunch break, we witnessed a crime. Leaving the store, the woman in front of us set off the alarm and assuming it was a glitch in the system (as it usually is), none of us flinched. As soon as we got out of the store, the woman ran so fast our heads were spinning. Tom later asked me if, like a Good Samaritan, I had jumped and tackled her to the ground. I told Tom I jumped and tackled someone once in high school (not just for fun but to help another kid who was getting picked on) and really didn't feel like doing that again over a pair of cheaply made shoes.
Tonight I realized that I get more bridal magazines than any other mail and I swear to God, someone registered me somewhere as a joke. If David's Bridal calls me one more time to congratulate me on my wedding this June, I am going to retaliate with a few eye pecks.
On Friday, I leave for Italy to visit my sister who has been studying abroad in Florence and am completely packed and ready. It is going to be a whirlwind tour, but this much I know- I will have stomped on grapes at a Vineyard before I return to the U.S., even if I have to bring the damn grapes with me myself. I will also eat delicious, delicious pasta. And perhaps ride a Vespa.
Question of the day: What would you do differently in your life if there was no one there to judge it? If you could go back to being ten and fall hopelessly in love with someone who made no sense at all? If you had the courage to do precisely what it is your heart wants right this VERY moment?
Two weekends ago I was in western Mass at my college roommate's bridal shower and helped sew a wedding vale together (you know me, Miss Debbie Domestic). I also learned that weekend what a garlic press is and that cabbage is not the same as lettuce even though to me they look identical.
Last Wednesday, I went to Colby Alumni Pub Night in Boston and came in last place at Colby Trivia. My group had no idea who the President of the Board of Trustees was but did guess the name of Bro's pet pig correctly. As you can see, what is important to some is not important to others.
Last weekend I found myself in Indianapolis visiting my darling Meredith and during a game of Catch Phrase, correctly guessed "Suze Orman" (the economist that often appears in O Magazine) but failed at every word in the sports division. I also learned that unless a Bengali Tiger is fully sedated, you should never try to push it out of a tree.
Today, while Melissa and I were at Payless on our lunch break, we witnessed a crime. Leaving the store, the woman in front of us set off the alarm and assuming it was a glitch in the system (as it usually is), none of us flinched. As soon as we got out of the store, the woman ran so fast our heads were spinning. Tom later asked me if, like a Good Samaritan, I had jumped and tackled her to the ground. I told Tom I jumped and tackled someone once in high school (not just for fun but to help another kid who was getting picked on) and really didn't feel like doing that again over a pair of cheaply made shoes.
Tonight I realized that I get more bridal magazines than any other mail and I swear to God, someone registered me somewhere as a joke. If David's Bridal calls me one more time to congratulate me on my wedding this June, I am going to retaliate with a few eye pecks.
On Friday, I leave for Italy to visit my sister who has been studying abroad in Florence and am completely packed and ready. It is going to be a whirlwind tour, but this much I know- I will have stomped on grapes at a Vineyard before I return to the U.S., even if I have to bring the damn grapes with me myself. I will also eat delicious, delicious pasta. And perhaps ride a Vespa.
Question of the day: What would you do differently in your life if there was no one there to judge it? If you could go back to being ten and fall hopelessly in love with someone who made no sense at all? If you had the courage to do precisely what it is your heart wants right this VERY moment?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Adventures on the T.
Let me start by saying I have been completely inactive today. We're talking approx. 7 hours on the couch watching bad TV.
Moving right along...
Great story for you guys. I mean, the point of this blog IS to post great stories to make you laugh or think or, I don't know, distract you from work.
Saturday I get myself all dolled up for the Make-A-Wish Gala (huge success, by the way) and hope on the T. When I get on the T there is no one else that gets on but a mildly attractive male with somewhat bad boy tendencies (be still my immature heart). He sits directly across from me. I exchange a few flirtatious glances and then nervously read the ads on the wall as I am known by ex boyfriends as the "shifty eye girl." It's a bizarre thing, I know. I just have a hard time making eye contact for long periods of time without blushing.
We get to the Harvard T stop and the doors open. Two elderly Chinese women get on and sit DIRECTLY. BESIDE. ME. There is an entire train to choose from but they are literally on top of me. I think nothing of this because I have weird experiences constantly with perfect strangers. The woman next to me pulls out a tupperware container and out of the corner of my eye I try to identify what she's about to eat. It sort of looks like grapefruit but I don't want to get caught staring so I look off into space. A split second later I look directly at bad boy sitting across from me and realize he is staring at the woman next to me with his mouth wide open in that appalled, "what the hell?" way. I turn to my left, look down, and watch- horrified- as she cracks hard boiled egg after hard boiled egg open and then throws the shells down on the floor ontop of my foot and nice nylons. My eyes move from egg to foot and back up to the guy who is now staring directly at me, laughing silently, shoulders shaking. I immediately burst into laughter and bite my bottom lip as hard as possible. I can't even bare to look at him now because there is no way we'll make it the rest of the ride without appearing rude. And, since I do not speak Chinese (and I'm assuming this dude doesn't either), there's no way to politely ask this woman to stop dumping the shells on my foot as I need to work a black tie event at the Intercontinental Hotel in approximately 30 minutes.
I finally land at my stop, exit the T and laugh til I cry, walking in the rain down Atlantic Avenue.
What. Is. My. Life?
Moving right along...
Great story for you guys. I mean, the point of this blog IS to post great stories to make you laugh or think or, I don't know, distract you from work.
Saturday I get myself all dolled up for the Make-A-Wish Gala (huge success, by the way) and hope on the T. When I get on the T there is no one else that gets on but a mildly attractive male with somewhat bad boy tendencies (be still my immature heart). He sits directly across from me. I exchange a few flirtatious glances and then nervously read the ads on the wall as I am known by ex boyfriends as the "shifty eye girl." It's a bizarre thing, I know. I just have a hard time making eye contact for long periods of time without blushing.
We get to the Harvard T stop and the doors open. Two elderly Chinese women get on and sit DIRECTLY. BESIDE. ME. There is an entire train to choose from but they are literally on top of me. I think nothing of this because I have weird experiences constantly with perfect strangers. The woman next to me pulls out a tupperware container and out of the corner of my eye I try to identify what she's about to eat. It sort of looks like grapefruit but I don't want to get caught staring so I look off into space. A split second later I look directly at bad boy sitting across from me and realize he is staring at the woman next to me with his mouth wide open in that appalled, "what the hell?" way. I turn to my left, look down, and watch- horrified- as she cracks hard boiled egg after hard boiled egg open and then throws the shells down on the floor ontop of my foot and nice nylons. My eyes move from egg to foot and back up to the guy who is now staring directly at me, laughing silently, shoulders shaking. I immediately burst into laughter and bite my bottom lip as hard as possible. I can't even bare to look at him now because there is no way we'll make it the rest of the ride without appearing rude. And, since I do not speak Chinese (and I'm assuming this dude doesn't either), there's no way to politely ask this woman to stop dumping the shells on my foot as I need to work a black tie event at the Intercontinental Hotel in approximately 30 minutes.
I finally land at my stop, exit the T and laugh til I cry, walking in the rain down Atlantic Avenue.
What. Is. My. Life?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Have you ever wondered why when in any given moment, your brain is literally minutes, hours, days or years ahead of you, giving you that cartoon character feeling where you wind up so fast to run that your feet have left and your body is still in place? Because I wonder about that every day. I'll be the first person to tell you to live in the moment, love the very second you're in and stop and smell the roses. But maybe it's easier to do that when there is nothing in the forseeable future. Maybe the reason we can just be happy in a moment is because we don't have any foresight into what the next moment may be. And when we finally DO, it changes everything.
I remember being at my old job and going home everyday to spend hours applying for new positions. I was so intent on moving on and moving out that the past year of my life before I moved to Boston was a pathetic little blur. I have almost no fond memories or pangs of nostalgia for that year at all except for the fact that I did love my coworkers and still miss them.
Now I am at my new job and I'm happy. I love what I do, I believe in it, and I've made great new friends. I have a fun apartment with awesome roommates in a great area of town. There is no forecasting. I'm living in the moment because there isn't any other moment that I want right now. I want what I have... or maybe I have what I want.
Of course, I still daydream about that chocolate shop at the foot of the Swiss Alps... but it seems more likely that that will come after the student loans have been paid off.
Then of course there is the issue of love- I've been in love... twice actually... maybe even three times. All very different types of love with very different types of people. And before I was in love with those various people, life was OK. I didn't have that "over the moon" feeling and a smile literally plastered to my face (ok, maybe I had the smile, but it wasn't coming from the same depths as the "love" smile), but life was good. I didn't know what I was missing-- I just knew that being single rocked, spending time with friends was the best, and all would happen in good time. Then, like a bat out of hell, love sideswipes you and turns you into this mush pot that picks wildflowers off the side of the road during lunch break. And all of a sudden you've reached this incredible high that you didn't know was possible and it's scary because what goes up must come down as the law of physics goes.
Bam. You're down. And now you're back to the place you were before except now you KNOW what love is like and now life is not quite the same. So you swear off relationships and you spend years reconstructing your heart and learning how to be the sassy, independent diva that you are... and that's when it happens again. Why? Because nature draws people into you when you are at your best. It makes sense...it's just annoying. Just when you finally think you're back to normal and happy, the complication finds its way back into your life. And you resist and fight and want desperately to keep it out but you eventually let your guard down again... and then it happens- the raging disappointment. The feeling that there is suddenly compromise or pain in someway... there is worry and missed calls and constant glancing into the future. Is this it? Where are we going? Should one of us move? Ughhhh.....
So again, things come down as they tend to and you are back at square one... though usually the second heartbreak is easier than the first. Maybe not easier, per se, you just now know how to deal with it and move on without the tears and excessive eating.
But see that's where it gets tricky- because now you've learned on multiple occasions that just because something is good at the start does not mean it always will be and it's a total double edged sword- you either keep your defenses so strong that you don't let anything in OR you let them down completely for a shot at that punch drunk feeling again... but you are reluctant to let yourself have that feeling because you know what it has the potential to do to you.
This is essentially a ramble. But I've been thinking about all of these things lately... and wondering if happiness comes from being 100% satisfied with life in its current state, in all its simplicity without complication? If happiness is the plateau where you know things aren't likely to go down at any moment (unless you get hit by a car or something) and it doesn't have the potential to go up, it just sort of is what it is and you have a routine and you're calm?
Hmmm.... No idea.
I remember being at my old job and going home everyday to spend hours applying for new positions. I was so intent on moving on and moving out that the past year of my life before I moved to Boston was a pathetic little blur. I have almost no fond memories or pangs of nostalgia for that year at all except for the fact that I did love my coworkers and still miss them.
Now I am at my new job and I'm happy. I love what I do, I believe in it, and I've made great new friends. I have a fun apartment with awesome roommates in a great area of town. There is no forecasting. I'm living in the moment because there isn't any other moment that I want right now. I want what I have... or maybe I have what I want.
Of course, I still daydream about that chocolate shop at the foot of the Swiss Alps... but it seems more likely that that will come after the student loans have been paid off.
Then of course there is the issue of love- I've been in love... twice actually... maybe even three times. All very different types of love with very different types of people. And before I was in love with those various people, life was OK. I didn't have that "over the moon" feeling and a smile literally plastered to my face (ok, maybe I had the smile, but it wasn't coming from the same depths as the "love" smile), but life was good. I didn't know what I was missing-- I just knew that being single rocked, spending time with friends was the best, and all would happen in good time. Then, like a bat out of hell, love sideswipes you and turns you into this mush pot that picks wildflowers off the side of the road during lunch break. And all of a sudden you've reached this incredible high that you didn't know was possible and it's scary because what goes up must come down as the law of physics goes.
Bam. You're down. And now you're back to the place you were before except now you KNOW what love is like and now life is not quite the same. So you swear off relationships and you spend years reconstructing your heart and learning how to be the sassy, independent diva that you are... and that's when it happens again. Why? Because nature draws people into you when you are at your best. It makes sense...it's just annoying. Just when you finally think you're back to normal and happy, the complication finds its way back into your life. And you resist and fight and want desperately to keep it out but you eventually let your guard down again... and then it happens- the raging disappointment. The feeling that there is suddenly compromise or pain in someway... there is worry and missed calls and constant glancing into the future. Is this it? Where are we going? Should one of us move? Ughhhh.....
So again, things come down as they tend to and you are back at square one... though usually the second heartbreak is easier than the first. Maybe not easier, per se, you just now know how to deal with it and move on without the tears and excessive eating.
But see that's where it gets tricky- because now you've learned on multiple occasions that just because something is good at the start does not mean it always will be and it's a total double edged sword- you either keep your defenses so strong that you don't let anything in OR you let them down completely for a shot at that punch drunk feeling again... but you are reluctant to let yourself have that feeling because you know what it has the potential to do to you.
This is essentially a ramble. But I've been thinking about all of these things lately... and wondering if happiness comes from being 100% satisfied with life in its current state, in all its simplicity without complication? If happiness is the plateau where you know things aren't likely to go down at any moment (unless you get hit by a car or something) and it doesn't have the potential to go up, it just sort of is what it is and you have a routine and you're calm?
Hmmm.... No idea.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sometimes I lie.
Has anyone ever lied to a complete stranger for no reason and the whole time the lie is leaving your mouth thought, "What?!" Well, I have... it all started back in college when I was bumped to first class on my way back from working in a Costa Rican orphanage for Jan Plan. I was excited to sit in the lap of luxury but was much more at home in steerage. I end up trying to convince the flight attendant that there has been a mistake but she laughs and says, "Why don't you just sit down and relax?" So I do. In my sweat pants and ponytail, having not showered for approx. 48 hours, knapsack full of sand, books, and banana chips I embarked on my journey home. Sitting next to me was a large, suit wearing gentleman who had already removed his shoes (swell). He had a lovely gold Rolex and fancy leather briefcase at his feet. I smiled and pulled out a book.
"Visting?"
Startled. "Yes, well, I have a friend named Fernando that I stayed with but I was here doing some fieldwork at a Costa Rican orphanage."
A nice "aren't you cute trying to build a resume" smile. "That's lovely... I was here on vacation."
"OH? What do you do, sir?"
"I'm the CEO of a computer software company but I try to spend as much time as possible on my yacht."
Eeee.... really, though, I want to be back with the rats in steerage right now.
"Wow, that's crazy..." I muster. "So, you've traveled a lot?"
"Oh yes, all of Europe, Asia, the US, etc... it's a great life. So are you in school? What do you study?"
Well, sir, I go to Colby College where I study Spanish and Latin American Studies because I enjoy languages, culture, and all things beautiful. I plan on graduating and single handedly saving all the children by teaching them the alphabet and fun songs that I heard on Kids Rock and perhaps showing them how to make ice cream.
"Oh, actually, I'm finishing up at Colby with a degree in International Relations and I have already been accepted to law school at Harvard where I plan to study human rights law and one day work for the UN. I've already landed a great internship with UNESCO this summer."
Lie, lie, lie.
"Young lady, good for you! Your parents must be proud!"
Ya, I bet.
What possessed me to lie that day? I guess I felt intimidated. I ended up recalling this event to my cultural anthropology class one day a few weeks later and they got a real charge out of that. I'm sure my professor thought it was fascinating.
Sure enough, Saturday night, the lying continued. I'm out at a bar and the man next to me starts talking to me. Turns out he's a doctor from Harvard, finishing up his residency. What do I say to him?
"Wow, that's so funny, I am planning on going to med school to become a pediatrician. I just wanted to work a bit first to save some money and study."
"You know, you have to take the MCATs and work very hard. It's a lot of sacrifice."
"Yes, of course I know. I always sacrifice for the children. What of it?"
Hmmm..................and the saga continues. The hard part is keeping these stories in check if and when you see the person again. AWKWARD. Suerte with that one, Mariah.
"Visting?"
Startled. "Yes, well, I have a friend named Fernando that I stayed with but I was here doing some fieldwork at a Costa Rican orphanage."
A nice "aren't you cute trying to build a resume" smile. "That's lovely... I was here on vacation."
"OH? What do you do, sir?"
"I'm the CEO of a computer software company but I try to spend as much time as possible on my yacht."
Eeee.... really, though, I want to be back with the rats in steerage right now.
"Wow, that's crazy..." I muster. "So, you've traveled a lot?"
"Oh yes, all of Europe, Asia, the US, etc... it's a great life. So are you in school? What do you study?"
Well, sir, I go to Colby College where I study Spanish and Latin American Studies because I enjoy languages, culture, and all things beautiful. I plan on graduating and single handedly saving all the children by teaching them the alphabet and fun songs that I heard on Kids Rock and perhaps showing them how to make ice cream.
"Oh, actually, I'm finishing up at Colby with a degree in International Relations and I have already been accepted to law school at Harvard where I plan to study human rights law and one day work for the UN. I've already landed a great internship with UNESCO this summer."
Lie, lie, lie.
"Young lady, good for you! Your parents must be proud!"
Ya, I bet.
What possessed me to lie that day? I guess I felt intimidated. I ended up recalling this event to my cultural anthropology class one day a few weeks later and they got a real charge out of that. I'm sure my professor thought it was fascinating.
Sure enough, Saturday night, the lying continued. I'm out at a bar and the man next to me starts talking to me. Turns out he's a doctor from Harvard, finishing up his residency. What do I say to him?
"Wow, that's so funny, I am planning on going to med school to become a pediatrician. I just wanted to work a bit first to save some money and study."
"You know, you have to take the MCATs and work very hard. It's a lot of sacrifice."
"Yes, of course I know. I always sacrifice for the children. What of it?"
Hmmm..................and the saga continues. The hard part is keeping these stories in check if and when you see the person again. AWKWARD. Suerte with that one, Mariah.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Betty Crocker- Making Wishes Come True!
Hi all,
Betty Crocker made a generous donation to Make-A-Wish and now it's up to you to vote to see what chapter has a wish granted! Please click on the link below, register, and vote for Massachusetts as many times as you can!
XOXO
Mariah
http://www.bettycrocker.com/stirringupwishes/Default.aspx
Betty Crocker made a generous donation to Make-A-Wish and now it's up to you to vote to see what chapter has a wish granted! Please click on the link below, register, and vote for Massachusetts as many times as you can!
XOXO
Mariah
http://www.bettycrocker.com/stirringupwishes/Default.aspx
Monday, February 23, 2009
Speed Dating.
Last Thursday, I did it- I went speed dating. Correction: WE went speed dating (me, Melissa, and her friend). We signed up as a joke... I mean, why NOT go on 18 four-minute dates on a Thursday night?
When we got to the bar, we immediately worked on dressing ourselves in liquid courage. I, of course, was more thrilled that we were about to create some wild tales for ourselves to tell at a later date than to find the man of my dreams, but that's the inner writer/comedian in me. Always better to have a story!
We all sat down at different tables and as the whistle was blown, each guy and girl immediately inundated one another with generic questions like, "What do you do?" And "What is your favorite sport?" YAAAAWN. Some characters were more interesting than others... I found that I was able to put each guy into one of three categories:
1) I'm a bit wanderlust/new to town/kind of interesting and quirky and haven't really had TIME to meet people,
2) I am desperately trying to find a wife,
OR
3) I'm pretty drunk, I'm not quite sure how I got here, and hopefully I'll meet a girl with low enough standards here to take me home.
Yes. It was a real treat.
1.5 hours and four glasses of wine later, I entered my scores on my scorecard and met up with the girls. We took a minor detour ('nough said about that) and after a quick trip to the Chinese restaurant on the corner of my street, I snuggled myself under my covers with my laptop and 8 crab rangoons and entered my votes. OOOOOO......
The next day, the matches came up. All the guys I picked picked me. All the guys Melissa picked also picked her. And I'm pretty sure the same holds true for Cat. You get where I'm going with the caliber of men at this point...........everyone is picking everyone. It's glorious.
So now the emailing has begun and I'm sure that nothing very serious will come of any of this but man oh man it was a good time....for your entertainment, I will recount one conversation with Dave (I have changed his name for his privacy):
Dave: *drunkenly trips over his own foot and sits down at my table, eyes directly fixed on my chest* "I'm Dave." *Takes a swig of beer*
Me: "Dave, how nice to meet you. Tell me about what you do."
Dave: *slurring words* "Noooo, no. I hate those types of questions. Ask me something different, be WILD!"
Me: "Umm, alright then, shrimp or lobster?"
Dave: "Shrimp, there's not enough MEAT in lobster. That was dumb, ask me another one."
Me: "I'm sorry, Dave, all you've done since you sat down is insult me. But let me think, domestic or international?"
Dave:"International. Ask me another one."
Me: *I'm sorry, is this an interview?* "Ok, most embarrassing moment."
Dave: "One time, I was wearing black jeans and giving a presentation and my fly was down so my white underpants were showing." *Laughs, swigs beer*
Me: "Wow, that IS embarrassing." *Ewww, black jeans AND tighty whities? No thanks.* Whistle blows.
And that, friends, is why you TOO should try speed dating.
OHHH and side note, on Saturday night at the Prudential Center Food Court (with Tara and Michelle, mind you), a teenager with a mohawk asked me for a mirror and after I STUPIDLY told him I didn't have he said, "Oh really? Because I can see myself in your pants."
Nice. Love my life.
And the fact that the pickup line was TOTALLY lost on my little Tbone.
:)
When we got to the bar, we immediately worked on dressing ourselves in liquid courage. I, of course, was more thrilled that we were about to create some wild tales for ourselves to tell at a later date than to find the man of my dreams, but that's the inner writer/comedian in me. Always better to have a story!
We all sat down at different tables and as the whistle was blown, each guy and girl immediately inundated one another with generic questions like, "What do you do?" And "What is your favorite sport?" YAAAAWN. Some characters were more interesting than others... I found that I was able to put each guy into one of three categories:
1) I'm a bit wanderlust/new to town/kind of interesting and quirky and haven't really had TIME to meet people,
2) I am desperately trying to find a wife,
OR
3) I'm pretty drunk, I'm not quite sure how I got here, and hopefully I'll meet a girl with low enough standards here to take me home.
Yes. It was a real treat.
1.5 hours and four glasses of wine later, I entered my scores on my scorecard and met up with the girls. We took a minor detour ('nough said about that) and after a quick trip to the Chinese restaurant on the corner of my street, I snuggled myself under my covers with my laptop and 8 crab rangoons and entered my votes. OOOOOO......
The next day, the matches came up. All the guys I picked picked me. All the guys Melissa picked also picked her. And I'm pretty sure the same holds true for Cat. You get where I'm going with the caliber of men at this point...........everyone is picking everyone. It's glorious.
So now the emailing has begun and I'm sure that nothing very serious will come of any of this but man oh man it was a good time....for your entertainment, I will recount one conversation with Dave (I have changed his name for his privacy):
Dave: *drunkenly trips over his own foot and sits down at my table, eyes directly fixed on my chest* "I'm Dave." *Takes a swig of beer*
Me: "Dave, how nice to meet you. Tell me about what you do."
Dave: *slurring words* "Noooo, no. I hate those types of questions. Ask me something different, be WILD!"
Me: "Umm, alright then, shrimp or lobster?"
Dave: "Shrimp, there's not enough MEAT in lobster. That was dumb, ask me another one."
Me: "I'm sorry, Dave, all you've done since you sat down is insult me. But let me think, domestic or international?"
Dave:"International. Ask me another one."
Me: *I'm sorry, is this an interview?* "Ok, most embarrassing moment."
Dave: "One time, I was wearing black jeans and giving a presentation and my fly was down so my white underpants were showing." *Laughs, swigs beer*
Me: "Wow, that IS embarrassing." *Ewww, black jeans AND tighty whities? No thanks.* Whistle blows.
And that, friends, is why you TOO should try speed dating.
OHHH and side note, on Saturday night at the Prudential Center Food Court (with Tara and Michelle, mind you), a teenager with a mohawk asked me for a mirror and after I STUPIDLY told him I didn't have he said, "Oh really? Because I can see myself in your pants."
Nice. Love my life.
And the fact that the pickup line was TOTALLY lost on my little Tbone.
:)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mariah and Melissa do Quebec.
In light of recent events, I decided two weeks ago that I was going to take myself to Quebec City for Carnaval for Valentine's Day. I have wanted to go since I was little and it seemed like an appropriate time to hit the road and have some fun! The plan ORIGINALLY was to just go by myself and hostel hop but when I told my friend Melissa, she decided to tag along... And so began our wild weekend adventure!
To be sure we didn't forget anything, we compiled a list of the random, funny events that occured throughout this unforgettable trip and we'd like to share them with you!!!
Friday 2/13-
We arrive at my house in Maine after a long week at work. There we find the entire girls' ice hockey team at SHS having a wild slumber party. We are immediately drawn back into the drama of high school as these 15 year old girls pour their hearts out about love and friends and Valentine's Day.... Melissa and I offer advice, I teach them all the illegal shoulder move and eye pecks from RAD self-defense class, and then we decide- OH GOD. We are not in high school anymore. Praise the lord... After a plethora of candy and cupcakes we hit the sack.
Saturday 2/14-
Up we go! 7 am... time to rock and roll and get this road trip, well, on the road. We scramble to get everything together, pop in the car and hit DDs for a little caffeination. And by a little I mean that Melissa and I are the last people on the planet that need any extra stimulation by virtue of caffeine and so we could hardly sit still. Off we rode through the gorgeous backways of Maine, admiring mountains and snow and the lack of people to be found. We also managed to sing for 6 hours straight- this is what happens when you put two a cappella chicks in a car together. It was fabulous.
When we got to the border we were ecstatic... especially because the Border Patrol Agent was a super attractive French-Canadian man who I almost asked to tag along. But I kept it in check and we forged on through Canada.
We get to our hotel and luckily we have a room- we are convinced at this point that there will not be one after our many attempts at trying to find rooms and hostels throughout the whole last week. But there is room in the inn, thank God, so we drop our bags and drive to the Ferry.
FREEZE- we get out of the car, cannot figure out where to pay, no one speaks English. Shame on me for quitting French after 2 years. We finally find the parking attendant and then as we are walking across the slippery ice, Melissa turns around, yells "ten cuidado" and PROMPTLY falls flat on her ass. A fabulous moment. More for a bystander than her, I'm sure....
We get on the ferry an
d wonder why everyone is dressed in snow pants- are they ALL going skiing? Oh no, later we will learn that it's just FREEZING out and the benches are MADE of ice. Oh OK. We are convinced the boat is moving for a good ten minutes until we realize nothing in the horizon has moved and the ice chunks and water are simply wizzing by the boat. Nice.
To be sure we didn't forget anything, we compiled a list of the random, funny events that occured throughout this unforgettable trip and we'd like to share them with you!!!
Friday 2/13-
We arrive at my house in Maine after a long week at work. There we find the entire girls' ice hockey team at SHS having a wild slumber party. We are immediately drawn back into the drama of high school as these 15 year old girls pour their hearts out about love and friends and Valentine's Day.... Melissa and I offer advice, I teach them all the illegal shoulder move and eye pecks from RAD self-defense class, and then we decide- OH GOD. We are not in high school anymore. Praise the lord... After a plethora of candy and cupcakes we hit the sack.
Saturday 2/14-
Up we go! 7 am... time to rock and roll and get this road trip, well, on the road. We scramble to get everything together, pop in the car and hit DDs for a little caffeination. And by a little I mean that Melissa and I are the last people on the planet that need any extra stimulation by virtue of caffeine and so we could hardly sit still. Off we rode through the gorgeous backways of Maine, admiring mountains and snow and the lack of people to be found. We also managed to sing for 6 hours straight- this is what happens when you put two a cappella chicks in a car together. It was fabulous.
When we got to the border we were ecstatic... especially because the Border Patrol Agent was a super attractive French-Canadian man who I almost asked to tag along. But I kept it in check and we forged on through Canada.
We get to our hotel and luckily we have a room- we are convinced at this point that there will not be one after our many attempts at trying to find rooms and hostels throughout the whole last week. But there is room in the inn, thank God, so we drop our bags and drive to the Ferry.
FREEZE- we get out of the car, cannot figure out where to pay, no one speaks English. Shame on me for quitting French after 2 years. We finally find the parking attendant and then as we are walking across the slippery ice, Melissa turns around, yells "ten cuidado" and PROMPTLY falls flat on her ass. A fabulous moment. More for a bystander than her, I'm sure....
We get on the ferry an
d wonder why everyone is dressed in snow pants- are they ALL going skiing? Oh no, later we will learn that it's just FREEZING out and the benches are MADE of ice. Oh OK. We are convinced the boat is moving for a good ten minutes until we realize nothing in the horizon has moved and the ice chunks and water are simply wizzing by the boat. Nice. When we get to Quebec City, we cannot believe how gorgeous everything looks. It's like a winter wonderland and is totally breathtaking. We follow the packs of people hoping they will lead us to Carnaval, but we end up getting a little sidetracked by some adorable shops and a candy store- obvs. We finally make our way to the top of the hill by the Chateau Frontenac and feel as though we might actually be in the right place at this point. Then, all of a sudden, we notice Les Glissad
es- the WILD ICE LUGE. Well, clearly we have to ride.
We buy our tickets, make some friends with a French-speaking couple behind us and the four of us plummet this enormous icy run on a toboggan. I have never screamed so loud. It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As we make our way further into the city, we notice an outdoor bar where the bar, tables and benches are all carved out of ICE!!!!!!!! We order up some beer and get warm by a fire while this insane jig music plays. Suddenly, two guys from France come over to chat. They do their best to speak English as I throw out 1-2 French words every few minutes hoping to contribute to the efforts. The guys say, "Where are your boyfriends on Valentine's Day?"
My response?
"Oh, no no, we're here together."
The guys say "Ohh, together?"
I nod, Melissa shakes her head. They look confused.
I do a doubletake and realize why everyone is confused.
"OH nooo, I mean, not together together, just here without boys."
"Mmmhmmm..."
Then (in sequential order of what I THOUGHT was being asked):
"Where is your American Mama?"
"My American Mama?"
"No, Babaar."
"OHHHHH, Babaar, yes I love that elephant, I know him."
Men look confused.
Melissa shakes her head and replies, "Well, we didn't like the last one so anyone will be better!"
I turn to Melissa- "Are we talking about guys now? I'm confused."
"Obama, Mariah. They're asking about Obama."
Mortified.
The guys leave. We finish our beers and forge on to the next adventure-- THE ICE CASTLE! Literally, a castle made of ice. We wait in line and eventually walk into this gorgeous construction which is filled inside with sculptures and a mini replica of Quebec City from back in the day. We snap a few photos and then move on to find some food.
Of course we've forgotten at this point that it's Valentine's Day and everyone in the world is out to dinner. Sooooo instead of the fancy dinner and wine we had promised ourselves, we wind up at a pub with a pitcher of beer and nachos. A two hour heart to heart ensues and as we are about to leave, the bartender breaks a glass which shatters in our glasses and on our plates. Annnnd a new pitcher of beer appears. OH BROTHER. Clearly we have to sit and finish :)
As we are finishing, two guys from Texas approach us and the first things out of their mouths is "Oh thank GOD, Americans."
GRUMBLE. NOOOOO.
We politely ask them how their trip has been and they answer with the following statements- "it's cold!" "I hate French!" "This Carnaval is kind of weird and lame" and "Aren't the people here just so cute?" We knew things were extra shady when we started talking about the election and as Melissa and I gushed about Obama they rolled their eyes and said "Ummm, we're from Texas. You know."
AWESOME. How to shake these Debbie Downers?????
We go over to the window to watch the parade, which we thing is tremendously cool. The boys, of course, do not. "Those floats are kind of dumb." Sweet. Then they start talking about a freezing cold outdoor bar across the street which they "hated" (shocker, right?) and so we decided to tell them that's where we were headed (in hopes of losing them).
They followed.
And so did the complaints. Finally, Melissa and I looked at them and said, "Oh hey, bathroom break." And then we tucked and rolled. SO DONE WITH WHINY, IMMATURE CHILDREN. Suck it up! You are here for Carnaval!!!!!!
We head down the road and find a wild outdoor dance party at the Ice Castle. People are jumping around in their snowpants with mugs of beer and lights are flashing all over the place. We dance and dance and make friends (especially Melissa who had a drunk man grab her hand, smile and then almost fall on his face).
At the end of the night, we followed a group of fun-looking twenty-somethings but realized as we hit the bottom of the hill they were going to a hotel. BLAH. Up the hill we went again.
Suddenly, some girl comes flying out in front of us screaming in French, throwing her hands around wildly. We shake our heads and say we don't speak French and she starts babbling in English about how we need to go to the disco across the street. So we do, because why not??? The music inside is so loud our hearts are pounding in our ears and I am totally back in Argentina in my mind. The strobes light flash and we dance dance dance... also? Guys in Quebec are the opposite of skeezy on the dance floor. SOOO REFRESHING. After a final round of "Oh hot damn, this is my jam" we realize it's 1 am and we need to find the ferry. So we traipse through the streets of Quebec laughing and singing until we do.
Suddenly, some girl comes flying out in front of us screaming in French, throwing her hands around wildly. We shake our heads and say we don't speak French and she starts babbling in English about how we need to go to the disco across the street. So we do, because why not??? The music inside is so loud our hearts are pounding in our ears and I am totally back in Argentina in my mind. The strobes light flash and we dance dance dance... also? Guys in Quebec are the opposite of skeezy on the dance floor. SOOO REFRESHING. After a final round of "Oh hot damn, this is my jam" we realize it's 1 am and we need to find the ferry. So we traipse through the streets of Quebec laughing and singing until we do.
People on the ferry are not looking so good- never put drunks on a boat. We sit outside and pretend we're on the Titanic as tired, sarcastic Mariah becames ever more witty and comical. When we get off the ferry and back to the hotel, we hop into our comfy beds and watch TLC- duh.
Sunday 2/15-
Sadly, time to go. After a bit of a debaucle at the gas station (too bad I can't read French and have no idea what to do), we get on the road and drive back towards home. On the way we get pulled over. No, I didn't get pulled over after running four red lights by accident that weekend (literally), I get pulled over going the speed limit on a back road in Jackman.
License and registration? Expired. Crap. Luckily, he let's me off and we make our way home with more singing (voices now totes raspy).
We get home to Maine, have dinner with my rents, and chat with Tara and her little friends for a bit, attempting to guide them through high school drama, again thanking God we
are no longer in involved. Then we drive back to Massachusetts.AHHHH, an incredible time. Best Valentine's Day, hands down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO Loves.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Random Memory
It's been a day... hell, it's been a week. But suddenly I am thinking back to a night this summer that was really wonderful. I was sitting inside with my sisters- I think Kristen was leaving for NY or school or SOMETHING the next day.... and we were just laughing and talking and packing. And all of a sudden I had this really strong desire to run out into the pouring rain... I have this strong desire whenever it rains mostly because I love how pouring rain sort of covers you like a blanket and makes it hard to see and all you can do is close your eyes and feel it run down your face.
So I ran outside barefoot and started spinning in circles and cartwheeling through the grass... I was laughing and laughing and throwing my head back to look at the stars. When I finally went back in the house I was deliriously happy. Kristen and Tara just sort of stared at me like I was nuts, then without a sound we all went running out the door together. We spun around in barefeet in the middle of the street, leapt ballerina style (a bit failed at that point) and started running and singing at the top of our lungs. I don't think the three of us had laughed that hard for that long in a good, long time. When we came inside we wrapped ourselves in towels and threw ourselves on our mom and dad's bed. They thought we were insane. We are insane. But you know what? That was a good day and it just brought a huge smile to my face.
So I ran outside barefoot and started spinning in circles and cartwheeling through the grass... I was laughing and laughing and throwing my head back to look at the stars. When I finally went back in the house I was deliriously happy. Kristen and Tara just sort of stared at me like I was nuts, then without a sound we all went running out the door together. We spun around in barefeet in the middle of the street, leapt ballerina style (a bit failed at that point) and started running and singing at the top of our lungs. I don't think the three of us had laughed that hard for that long in a good, long time. When we came inside we wrapped ourselves in towels and threw ourselves on our mom and dad's bed. They thought we were insane. We are insane. But you know what? That was a good day and it just brought a huge smile to my face.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
On Saturday night I babysat for two little girls that I absolutely adore. Honestly, I aspire to have children exactly like them someday. Here are a few of the reasons why:
1) When asked what Disney princess was her favorite, the four year old said : "Sleeping Beauty. But Mommy doesn't like the princesses. She says they're weak and need men to help them. That's why, even though I'm a princess, I also play basketball and tennis and do things for myself."
2) They were enthusiastic about having me teach them "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in Spanish.
3) When asked what she wanted for her upcoming birthday, one said "Something special and homemade. I don't want people to have to spend money on me. I have enough things."
UMMM.
More mature than most 23 year olds I know, perhaps? Yes. So. In. Love. I cannot WAIT to raise my own children into fabulous, concerned little citizens.
But then I thought, hmmm..... interesting. Telling me they were not "weak" princesses while dressed up in sparkly beads and playing house and baby doll. Women are sent so many mixed messages that I almost don't even know where to begin. I can't tell you how many times I've been told to "Stand my ground," "Be more aggressive," and "Be independent," only to hear, "Men are intimidated by self-sufficient, strong women" and "You need to let them at least THINK they are helping you in some way, so even if you know how to change your tire, just let them do it."
Ok.....
Does anyone see a conflict of interest here? Because I do.
I found myself at Borders today in the self-help section in between books on "How to Keep Your Man Happy" and "How to Say No and Assert Yourself." I didn't MEAN to be in this section, mind you, I was looking for the book "The Purpose Driven Life" and was led astray. So, I succumbed to the pressure and glanced at both books just for kicks. They ended up sending me polar opposite messages. Completely frustrated, I walked over to the other side and looked at books on the Dalai Lama and Buddhism. In contrast to the first set of books, the books on Buddhism stressed the importance of putting others before oneself, being peaceful, meditating over fighting, and understanding your greater purpose in life instead of always focusing on YOUR goals and YOUR happiness and YOUR success.
My brain started to hurt.
I decided to cut my losses and go to the movies. There, I saw a preview for the movie, "He's Just Not That Into You." While the preview made me laugh (mostly because every woman will be able to relate somehow), it also made me cringe. The opening scene is a little girl on the playground who has a boy push her down and tell her she smells. Crying, she runs over to her mother and asks why the little boy did that. The mother says, "Ohh sweetie, it's because he LIKES you." Then the girl just looks confused.
NO KIDDING! OF COURSE SHE'S CONFUSED! I'm confused and I've been on this blessed planet for 23 years! Do I yell and scream and throw a squash at your head when you piss me off? Or do I sit in my room with a glass of wine, meditate, and write in my journal? Do I let you change my tire for me even though I know how to do it myself or do I whip out my spare? Is it OK for me to be loving and caring and try to help you and support you when you seem to need it or is that immasculating and unattractive? Should I be aggreeable and sweet? Or bitchy and sassy? A little of both? But what ratio if so? 50-50? 60-40?
Or should I just be ME? Because at this point, as much as I would like to be me and am TRYING to be me, sometimes I feel like everyone thinks they know who I am more than I know myself. Welllll... I tend to disagree. Because I am with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year... and I think I have a relatively decent grasp on who I am. At this point it's safe to say that I am strong and independent but also vulnerable and trusting. I don't love quickly, but when I do, I love deeply and unconditionally (whether or not that is always the right way to go). I hate conflict but refuse to be walked on. And when I don't yell or pitch a fit, it's not actually because I'm weak or passive, it's because I have an incredible ability to see a situation from 90 different angles and perspectives which is helpful yet entirely frustrating and exhausting because I am able to justify everything in my life anyway that I want. And sometimes instead of letting my thoughts go through a million filters first to allow me to me a logical decision or come up with a rational reaction, I should just let myself react. But that's not me.
I choose to be happy. I choose to be positive and to give people the benefit of the doubt. I tend to believe that the majority of the population is innately good and filled with potential, whether tapped into or not. I love life and am happy to wake up in the morning full of energy and drive. I do not expend my energy on situations, people or things that I do not feel are worth my time. It does not mean I don't care or have not taken notice, it simply means I have seen enough, heard enough, and been part of enough in my life to know what matters and what doesn't. Dying children and poverty?? They matter. Not agreeing on what color to paint the living room? Insignificant. I feel that if people spent as much energy on giving back and being good as they do on bickering and being stubborn and proving their point, the world would be a much better place.
Until then, I will continue to hold strong to my opinions and ideals while accepting the fact that others' may differ. I will maintain my faith in people and their ability to grow, mature, and do good in the world and stay patient and loving. Mother Theresa once said, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. " She also said, "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. " I choose to follow those words of wisdom. Read that as you will. I will apply that to my relationships, to my job, to my life.
Love, love, love. Pure and simple. You cannot possibly go wrong if you show the world happiness, love, and peace. That is ultimate strength.
So, ladies? Mixed messages aside... be true to yourself. Listen to your own voice because you DO know yourself better than anyone else. Be open enough to listen to what others have to say but strong enough at the end of the day to distinguish your inner voice from theirs. If you figure out a failproof system for doing that, let me know. :)
1) When asked what Disney princess was her favorite, the four year old said : "Sleeping Beauty. But Mommy doesn't like the princesses. She says they're weak and need men to help them. That's why, even though I'm a princess, I also play basketball and tennis and do things for myself."
2) They were enthusiastic about having me teach them "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in Spanish.
3) When asked what she wanted for her upcoming birthday, one said "Something special and homemade. I don't want people to have to spend money on me. I have enough things."
UMMM.
More mature than most 23 year olds I know, perhaps? Yes. So. In. Love. I cannot WAIT to raise my own children into fabulous, concerned little citizens.
But then I thought, hmmm..... interesting. Telling me they were not "weak" princesses while dressed up in sparkly beads and playing house and baby doll. Women are sent so many mixed messages that I almost don't even know where to begin. I can't tell you how many times I've been told to "Stand my ground," "Be more aggressive," and "Be independent," only to hear, "Men are intimidated by self-sufficient, strong women" and "You need to let them at least THINK they are helping you in some way, so even if you know how to change your tire, just let them do it."
Ok.....
Does anyone see a conflict of interest here? Because I do.
I found myself at Borders today in the self-help section in between books on "How to Keep Your Man Happy" and "How to Say No and Assert Yourself." I didn't MEAN to be in this section, mind you, I was looking for the book "The Purpose Driven Life" and was led astray. So, I succumbed to the pressure and glanced at both books just for kicks. They ended up sending me polar opposite messages. Completely frustrated, I walked over to the other side and looked at books on the Dalai Lama and Buddhism. In contrast to the first set of books, the books on Buddhism stressed the importance of putting others before oneself, being peaceful, meditating over fighting, and understanding your greater purpose in life instead of always focusing on YOUR goals and YOUR happiness and YOUR success.
My brain started to hurt.
I decided to cut my losses and go to the movies. There, I saw a preview for the movie, "He's Just Not That Into You." While the preview made me laugh (mostly because every woman will be able to relate somehow), it also made me cringe. The opening scene is a little girl on the playground who has a boy push her down and tell her she smells. Crying, she runs over to her mother and asks why the little boy did that. The mother says, "Ohh sweetie, it's because he LIKES you." Then the girl just looks confused.
NO KIDDING! OF COURSE SHE'S CONFUSED! I'm confused and I've been on this blessed planet for 23 years! Do I yell and scream and throw a squash at your head when you piss me off? Or do I sit in my room with a glass of wine, meditate, and write in my journal? Do I let you change my tire for me even though I know how to do it myself or do I whip out my spare? Is it OK for me to be loving and caring and try to help you and support you when you seem to need it or is that immasculating and unattractive? Should I be aggreeable and sweet? Or bitchy and sassy? A little of both? But what ratio if so? 50-50? 60-40?
Or should I just be ME? Because at this point, as much as I would like to be me and am TRYING to be me, sometimes I feel like everyone thinks they know who I am more than I know myself. Welllll... I tend to disagree. Because I am with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year... and I think I have a relatively decent grasp on who I am. At this point it's safe to say that I am strong and independent but also vulnerable and trusting. I don't love quickly, but when I do, I love deeply and unconditionally (whether or not that is always the right way to go). I hate conflict but refuse to be walked on. And when I don't yell or pitch a fit, it's not actually because I'm weak or passive, it's because I have an incredible ability to see a situation from 90 different angles and perspectives which is helpful yet entirely frustrating and exhausting because I am able to justify everything in my life anyway that I want. And sometimes instead of letting my thoughts go through a million filters first to allow me to me a logical decision or come up with a rational reaction, I should just let myself react. But that's not me.
I choose to be happy. I choose to be positive and to give people the benefit of the doubt. I tend to believe that the majority of the population is innately good and filled with potential, whether tapped into or not. I love life and am happy to wake up in the morning full of energy and drive. I do not expend my energy on situations, people or things that I do not feel are worth my time. It does not mean I don't care or have not taken notice, it simply means I have seen enough, heard enough, and been part of enough in my life to know what matters and what doesn't. Dying children and poverty?? They matter. Not agreeing on what color to paint the living room? Insignificant. I feel that if people spent as much energy on giving back and being good as they do on bickering and being stubborn and proving their point, the world would be a much better place.
Until then, I will continue to hold strong to my opinions and ideals while accepting the fact that others' may differ. I will maintain my faith in people and their ability to grow, mature, and do good in the world and stay patient and loving. Mother Theresa once said, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. " She also said, "Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. " I choose to follow those words of wisdom. Read that as you will. I will apply that to my relationships, to my job, to my life.
Love, love, love. Pure and simple. You cannot possibly go wrong if you show the world happiness, love, and peace. That is ultimate strength.
So, ladies? Mixed messages aside... be true to yourself. Listen to your own voice because you DO know yourself better than anyone else. Be open enough to listen to what others have to say but strong enough at the end of the day to distinguish your inner voice from theirs. If you figure out a failproof system for doing that, let me know. :)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Elections and hope and change
Tomorrow Barack Obama will be inaugurated. We will have a Democrat in the White House- a Democrat who not too long ago would not have been able to run. That is incredible to me.
I won't lie... I started off loving Hill... say what you will, I saw a strong woman with a great love for children and health care. A woman who, straight out of law school, received an offer to make good money at a top firm and opted to work for the Children's Defense Fund instead. When she was taken out of the running, I wasn't sure how I felt and now I am pleased to say, I am quite thrilled with the decision our country has made.
Politics, economics, and international relations aside, this man represents change and hope and has sparked a fire within people enough to help them see beyond the current state of the U.S. and the world and towards the future and how things CAN be. That is real progress. We know things will be messy for this man and we know not everything will be perfect in the world after 1 term, but the fact alone that people have put so much faith in him and what he will help US to do is amazing. I say us because that is who needs to fix the state of this country. The people. We must all commit to hard work and a greater love for humanity. We can no longer afford complacency, laziness, and selfishness. Now, more than ever, we need to look out for one another and work towards the greater good. We are setting the stage for the world our children will grow up in and that is a huge honor and undertaking.
Happy MLK day and may we all have hope for a better tomorrow.
I won't lie... I started off loving Hill... say what you will, I saw a strong woman with a great love for children and health care. A woman who, straight out of law school, received an offer to make good money at a top firm and opted to work for the Children's Defense Fund instead. When she was taken out of the running, I wasn't sure how I felt and now I am pleased to say, I am quite thrilled with the decision our country has made.
Politics, economics, and international relations aside, this man represents change and hope and has sparked a fire within people enough to help them see beyond the current state of the U.S. and the world and towards the future and how things CAN be. That is real progress. We know things will be messy for this man and we know not everything will be perfect in the world after 1 term, but the fact alone that people have put so much faith in him and what he will help US to do is amazing. I say us because that is who needs to fix the state of this country. The people. We must all commit to hard work and a greater love for humanity. We can no longer afford complacency, laziness, and selfishness. Now, more than ever, we need to look out for one another and work towards the greater good. We are setting the stage for the world our children will grow up in and that is a huge honor and undertaking.
Happy MLK day and may we all have hope for a better tomorrow.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
To my Brain
Dear Brain,
I want to start off the day by letting you know that I really DO love you. I love that you function at a moderately sophisticated level that allows me to converse with people, filter out stupidity, and occasionally score points while watching Jeopardy. I also love that you convinced me that academics and studying were cool as a child which may or may not have affected my chances at becoming prom queen and/or my chances at dressing appropriately so that years later I would not open my yearbook and wonder who that "sweet little boy" was in the pictures. Brain, if you could've just sent me a signal when I took that razor to my eyebrows in 7th grade, preferably one that said, "STOP IMMEDIATELY," I would've really appreciated it. But no hard feelings.
And now I want to take a moment to scold you. Because you see, you tick too much and not in a good way. Once it's past 11 pm, your job is to stop and let me sleep. As much as I'd love to spend each and every night contemplating the trials and tribulations of my life and the world, it makes me tired the next day and HOW am I supposed to function as a fairy godmother when I'm fuzzy and sleepy? Plus, you don't have people calling you in Spanish 97 times a day. Conjugating verbs is tricky sans sleep and caffeine.
I also want to let you know that you don't always need to line up 48 pros and cons to every situation whenever a thought crosses my mind. For example, if someone says "Where do you want to go for dinner?" the following thoughts should not go through my mind:
Well, I would really like Italian food because pasta is delicious.
No, pasta can be messy, let's stick with Mexican because I love nachos.
But nachos make me crunch and mouth noises make me nervous.
True, but I am Latina at heart.
Focus.
I mean, I don't really care, I'm laid back and eat everything.
But I should care because me saying I don't care is a sign of disinterest and makes me seem weak and like I can't think for myself.
On the other hand, I surely don't want to come across as opinionated or pick the wrong restaurant because I KNOW I can go with the flow if I don't like something but I have zero faith in the rest of the world to do so.
And why is that? Why don't I have more faith in people? Why can't I rely on them to make fair, educated decisions and go with the flow too?
"Mariah?"
Shit, what was the question?
"Ummm, I don't care. You pick."
Ughhhhhh...............................
See, brain, that scenario should never play out. That entire thought process should've ended with, "I'd like Italian." But I love you, brain, I do, because I know that someday that logical/deductive reasoning might let me finish law school (unlike that last time when I dropped out).
Brain, today I want you to act on instinct. I want you to stop processing at lightening speed and start having fun. Talk to people, do not overanalyze what you say and what they say, life is too short.
That is my request. And also? No more wild dreams about having a runny nose that will not stop. That's gross. And frustrating.
Love, Mariah XO
I want to start off the day by letting you know that I really DO love you. I love that you function at a moderately sophisticated level that allows me to converse with people, filter out stupidity, and occasionally score points while watching Jeopardy. I also love that you convinced me that academics and studying were cool as a child which may or may not have affected my chances at becoming prom queen and/or my chances at dressing appropriately so that years later I would not open my yearbook and wonder who that "sweet little boy" was in the pictures. Brain, if you could've just sent me a signal when I took that razor to my eyebrows in 7th grade, preferably one that said, "STOP IMMEDIATELY," I would've really appreciated it. But no hard feelings.
And now I want to take a moment to scold you. Because you see, you tick too much and not in a good way. Once it's past 11 pm, your job is to stop and let me sleep. As much as I'd love to spend each and every night contemplating the trials and tribulations of my life and the world, it makes me tired the next day and HOW am I supposed to function as a fairy godmother when I'm fuzzy and sleepy? Plus, you don't have people calling you in Spanish 97 times a day. Conjugating verbs is tricky sans sleep and caffeine.
I also want to let you know that you don't always need to line up 48 pros and cons to every situation whenever a thought crosses my mind. For example, if someone says "Where do you want to go for dinner?" the following thoughts should not go through my mind:
Well, I would really like Italian food because pasta is delicious.
No, pasta can be messy, let's stick with Mexican because I love nachos.
But nachos make me crunch and mouth noises make me nervous.
True, but I am Latina at heart.
Focus.
I mean, I don't really care, I'm laid back and eat everything.
But I should care because me saying I don't care is a sign of disinterest and makes me seem weak and like I can't think for myself.
On the other hand, I surely don't want to come across as opinionated or pick the wrong restaurant because I KNOW I can go with the flow if I don't like something but I have zero faith in the rest of the world to do so.
And why is that? Why don't I have more faith in people? Why can't I rely on them to make fair, educated decisions and go with the flow too?
"Mariah?"
Shit, what was the question?
"Ummm, I don't care. You pick."
Ughhhhhh...............................
See, brain, that scenario should never play out. That entire thought process should've ended with, "I'd like Italian." But I love you, brain, I do, because I know that someday that logical/deductive reasoning might let me finish law school (unlike that last time when I dropped out).
Brain, today I want you to act on instinct. I want you to stop processing at lightening speed and start having fun. Talk to people, do not overanalyze what you say and what they say, life is too short.
That is my request. And also? No more wild dreams about having a runny nose that will not stop. That's gross. And frustrating.
Love, Mariah XO
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Years Resolutions
In light of the fact that it's now 2009, I feel it is more than appropriate to discuss the age old question: "What is your resolution this year?"
Essentially a resolution is something we want to change, right? Or something we really want to stick with for once... I'm pretty sure that from age 14-22 I resolved to lose 40 pounds by February. Always good to set realistic goals. Not this year- we are DONE with that. But before we talk about resolutions, I would like to mention that I almost didn't MAKE it to the New Year, thanks to the good ol Northeast and it's ability to snow like a mofo. I, of course, am from Maine and therefore always decide that I have some sort of an upper hand against Mother Nature. I'm like a rebellious teenager.
"Dear Mother Nature,
Screw you and your crazy snow. Sure, you just laid 2 feet of it on the ground. Yes, my windshield wipers suck. No, I don't enjoy black ice. But here I am, in my car, driving to New Hampshire. Ya, kiss it.
Love, Mariah"
ANNNNNNNND Then I spin out on 293, drive straight across three lanes of traffic while trying (and failing) to overcorrect and land in a ditch on the side of the road. That's like Mother Nature's sick way of grounding me for sneaking out.
But, I remained very calm. For those of you who know me, that might seem like a huge lie. Actually, though, I decided there was no sense in freaking out. So I MacGyvered my way out by slowly going into drive then reverse over and over and over again and then punching it out back onto the road. I mean really, that's all I kept saying in my head: "What would MacGyver do?" I might get a WWMD bracelet now.
RESOLUTION 1? Lose my Maine ego. Also, get new windshield wipers. Be kinder to Mother Nature. Maybe perform some ritual with pine cones every night where I do an interpretive dance around a ring of them on my floor.
And now that we have resolution 1 out there, we may as well keep rolling....
RESOLUTION 2: Work on the Totes.Awk Production company and its first Totes.Awes CD. F'in Magee, you and I have both sold our souls to the non-profit world so the sooner we hammer out a one hit wonder, the sooner we get to be selective about the wine at restaurants. We won't actually have to say, "Umm, you know, whatever's cheapest."
RESOLUTION 3: Eat more chocolate. It releases incredible endorphins and endorphins make us happy. Who doesn't want to be happy? I embraced this resolution seriously on Sunday night where over the course of 24 hours I ate an entire box of Oreos. Then from Monday to yesterday when I ate an entire bag of Hershey kisses. Mmmm....
RESOLUTION 4: Meditate more and read more Buddhist philosophy. It makes my heart happy and can really put things in perspective during the wildest of times.
RESOLUTION 5: Stop holding back. Release passion to the wind with all people at all time... if I want to dance? Dance. Sing? Sing. Hug and kiss and laugh? Hug and kiss and laugh. Yell and get mad? Yell and get mad. No more trying to come off as the sweet, agreeable one. Sweet and agreeable is BORING. No, this does not mean I am going to fly off the handle and start jumping people or throwing things. But it does mean that when I have a strong opinion, I'm going to express it and when I love, I am going to let people know. And oh- if there is actually a restaurant I want to go to or a movie I want to see? No more, "Whatever you want to do is fine." We are changing things up this year. We are giving more depth to our character- the depth that is already there but needs to be released.
RESOLUTION 6: Listen to my heart instead of everone else's opinion. There is a reason why we all live in different bodies. We all have different minds, different needs, different wants. The only person who you truly need to level with at the end of every day is yourself. So do what is right for you. If you make a mistake along the way? So be it. Mistakes give us personality and a better understanding of ourselves. And sometimes really funny stories to tell after the fact.
RESOLUTION 7: Learn how to pop lock and drop it.
RESOLUTION 8: Save more money so I can a) buy bridesmaids dresses for this summer and b) maybe go on an awesome trip someday. LIKE the World Cup in 2014.
RESOLUTION 9: Embrace imperfection, mine and everyone else's. Stop feeling entitled to a life without flaw. It is flawed. It always has been, it always will be.
RESOLUTION 10: And this is the final one for now.............wake up every morning with the knowledge that today is a new day and you can choose to be happy or sad. Then get out of bed, put on a smile, and rock the world.
Happy 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO
Essentially a resolution is something we want to change, right? Or something we really want to stick with for once... I'm pretty sure that from age 14-22 I resolved to lose 40 pounds by February. Always good to set realistic goals. Not this year- we are DONE with that. But before we talk about resolutions, I would like to mention that I almost didn't MAKE it to the New Year, thanks to the good ol Northeast and it's ability to snow like a mofo. I, of course, am from Maine and therefore always decide that I have some sort of an upper hand against Mother Nature. I'm like a rebellious teenager.
"Dear Mother Nature,
Screw you and your crazy snow. Sure, you just laid 2 feet of it on the ground. Yes, my windshield wipers suck. No, I don't enjoy black ice. But here I am, in my car, driving to New Hampshire. Ya, kiss it.
Love, Mariah"
ANNNNNNNND Then I spin out on 293, drive straight across three lanes of traffic while trying (and failing) to overcorrect and land in a ditch on the side of the road. That's like Mother Nature's sick way of grounding me for sneaking out.
But, I remained very calm. For those of you who know me, that might seem like a huge lie. Actually, though, I decided there was no sense in freaking out. So I MacGyvered my way out by slowly going into drive then reverse over and over and over again and then punching it out back onto the road. I mean really, that's all I kept saying in my head: "What would MacGyver do?" I might get a WWMD bracelet now.
RESOLUTION 1? Lose my Maine ego. Also, get new windshield wipers. Be kinder to Mother Nature. Maybe perform some ritual with pine cones every night where I do an interpretive dance around a ring of them on my floor.
And now that we have resolution 1 out there, we may as well keep rolling....
RESOLUTION 2: Work on the Totes.Awk Production company and its first Totes.Awes CD. F'in Magee, you and I have both sold our souls to the non-profit world so the sooner we hammer out a one hit wonder, the sooner we get to be selective about the wine at restaurants. We won't actually have to say, "Umm, you know, whatever's cheapest."
RESOLUTION 3: Eat more chocolate. It releases incredible endorphins and endorphins make us happy. Who doesn't want to be happy? I embraced this resolution seriously on Sunday night where over the course of 24 hours I ate an entire box of Oreos. Then from Monday to yesterday when I ate an entire bag of Hershey kisses. Mmmm....
RESOLUTION 4: Meditate more and read more Buddhist philosophy. It makes my heart happy and can really put things in perspective during the wildest of times.
RESOLUTION 5: Stop holding back. Release passion to the wind with all people at all time... if I want to dance? Dance. Sing? Sing. Hug and kiss and laugh? Hug and kiss and laugh. Yell and get mad? Yell and get mad. No more trying to come off as the sweet, agreeable one. Sweet and agreeable is BORING. No, this does not mean I am going to fly off the handle and start jumping people or throwing things. But it does mean that when I have a strong opinion, I'm going to express it and when I love, I am going to let people know. And oh- if there is actually a restaurant I want to go to or a movie I want to see? No more, "Whatever you want to do is fine." We are changing things up this year. We are giving more depth to our character- the depth that is already there but needs to be released.
RESOLUTION 6: Listen to my heart instead of everone else's opinion. There is a reason why we all live in different bodies. We all have different minds, different needs, different wants. The only person who you truly need to level with at the end of every day is yourself. So do what is right for you. If you make a mistake along the way? So be it. Mistakes give us personality and a better understanding of ourselves. And sometimes really funny stories to tell after the fact.
RESOLUTION 7: Learn how to pop lock and drop it.
RESOLUTION 8: Save more money so I can a) buy bridesmaids dresses for this summer and b) maybe go on an awesome trip someday. LIKE the World Cup in 2014.
RESOLUTION 9: Embrace imperfection, mine and everyone else's. Stop feeling entitled to a life without flaw. It is flawed. It always has been, it always will be.
RESOLUTION 10: And this is the final one for now.............wake up every morning with the knowledge that today is a new day and you can choose to be happy or sad. Then get out of bed, put on a smile, and rock the world.
Happy 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXO
Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry day after Christmas!
Hi kids, Merry day after Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your families and friends and that you are recovering from any chocolate OD-ing you might have done yesterday (I'm still unsure as to whether or not I'll be able to move much today).
This Christmas was very different from most for me... there was a huge break in tradition on many levels and it wasn't a bad thing, but it sort of propelled me into the "oh ya, when you grow up things start to change" frame of mind. All things considered, I'm ready for change- I'm finally embracing it instead of crying about it. It took me 23 years to get here. But for instance, my parents re-did my entire room so that, ahem, "it can be a lovely guest room for me and then someday their grandkids can stay overnight." Hmmm.... I used to hate the thought of turning MY bedroom into a guest room but now that I am living on my own and doing a job I love, I'm OK with it. It makes sense and it has brought the end of an era but opened the door to the start of a new one that I am excited about.
On Christmas Eve, we went to the Congregational Church for an 11 pm mass instead of the 4 pm Catholic mass and pageant we normally attend. Tara's friend was playing the vibes and wanted us to come so we thought we'd give it a shot. It was really beautiful, actually... it was a very small group of people, we had a beautiful candlelight vigil, and there was a lot more singing and reflecting on the season instead of repetitive prayer and scripture reading. I would say it felt more "spiritual" in a sense.
Prior to actually being home for Christmas, I also realized that I was truly interested in giving over receiving this year. I think I was blessed with parents who taught me that lesson from a young age, but it doesn't mean that as a kid I didn't have stars in my eyes about presents. This year, though, I honestly didn't for a second think about things I might get... which is a little weird, because normally there's at least one thing you're sort of hoping for. No, this year, through my job, I felt like Santa everyday and was working towards granting wishes for babies who truly deserve it. When we put on the Wishathon at the Prudential Center and saw the outpouring of generosity from strangers who called in to make donations or stopped by our booth and wrote out huge checks, it made my heart feel really full and complete. People were doing what they could (some donating 2 dollars, other thousands) because they listened to the radio and heard about our mission and felt compelled to help. That is beautiful.
I also adopted a little family this year and was amazed to see how quickly friends agreed to help- there were literally boxes upon boxes of toys and clothes shipped to me apartment this past month and the look on this man's face when I gave him the bags of presents two nights ago was priceless. A) I am truly blessed to have some of the most caring, compassionate friends in my life and B) this man and his family didn't have to worry for once about where to turn at the holidays. THAT is the spirit and love of Christmas.
In other areas, I have had so many friends get married over the past few months and ones that are going to be getting married soon that it was interesting to think about what their Christmases would be like compared to mine. I'm still like a little girl, waking up in the bed I've woken up in every year since I was 7 years old and running downstairs where my dad and mom wait with a video camera and Christmas music playing. Some of my friends, however, are waking up next to this other person that they're sharing a life with now and are starting their own family traditions. They're splitting time between families and probably thinking about starting their own a few years down the road. That's exciting to me- it used to be scary but now I think, wow, how crazy... how crazy to feel so young sometimes but then to be talking about marriage and kids and whose house to go to for Christmas. Wow. I'm finally at a good place with all of that- about a year ago I started to panic that something was wrong with me for not being in that same place as so many people I know that are my age... now I just feel happy that these people I love are happy and are making amazing choices as to who they choose to share their lives with. And you know that? That happens at all different points for all different people. In the meantime, I love going to visit them in their new "grown up" worlds and thinking to myself, "someday, this will be me.... but for now, I am just starting on my own new adventure that I LOVE!!!"
So Merry Christmas, my loves... may you all be happy with everything you have this year and may 2009 bring a fresh start and lots of love and success in all the right ways.
XOXO
This Christmas was very different from most for me... there was a huge break in tradition on many levels and it wasn't a bad thing, but it sort of propelled me into the "oh ya, when you grow up things start to change" frame of mind. All things considered, I'm ready for change- I'm finally embracing it instead of crying about it. It took me 23 years to get here. But for instance, my parents re-did my entire room so that, ahem, "it can be a lovely guest room for me and then someday their grandkids can stay overnight." Hmmm.... I used to hate the thought of turning MY bedroom into a guest room but now that I am living on my own and doing a job I love, I'm OK with it. It makes sense and it has brought the end of an era but opened the door to the start of a new one that I am excited about.
On Christmas Eve, we went to the Congregational Church for an 11 pm mass instead of the 4 pm Catholic mass and pageant we normally attend. Tara's friend was playing the vibes and wanted us to come so we thought we'd give it a shot. It was really beautiful, actually... it was a very small group of people, we had a beautiful candlelight vigil, and there was a lot more singing and reflecting on the season instead of repetitive prayer and scripture reading. I would say it felt more "spiritual" in a sense.
Prior to actually being home for Christmas, I also realized that I was truly interested in giving over receiving this year. I think I was blessed with parents who taught me that lesson from a young age, but it doesn't mean that as a kid I didn't have stars in my eyes about presents. This year, though, I honestly didn't for a second think about things I might get... which is a little weird, because normally there's at least one thing you're sort of hoping for. No, this year, through my job, I felt like Santa everyday and was working towards granting wishes for babies who truly deserve it. When we put on the Wishathon at the Prudential Center and saw the outpouring of generosity from strangers who called in to make donations or stopped by our booth and wrote out huge checks, it made my heart feel really full and complete. People were doing what they could (some donating 2 dollars, other thousands) because they listened to the radio and heard about our mission and felt compelled to help. That is beautiful.
I also adopted a little family this year and was amazed to see how quickly friends agreed to help- there were literally boxes upon boxes of toys and clothes shipped to me apartment this past month and the look on this man's face when I gave him the bags of presents two nights ago was priceless. A) I am truly blessed to have some of the most caring, compassionate friends in my life and B) this man and his family didn't have to worry for once about where to turn at the holidays. THAT is the spirit and love of Christmas.
In other areas, I have had so many friends get married over the past few months and ones that are going to be getting married soon that it was interesting to think about what their Christmases would be like compared to mine. I'm still like a little girl, waking up in the bed I've woken up in every year since I was 7 years old and running downstairs where my dad and mom wait with a video camera and Christmas music playing. Some of my friends, however, are waking up next to this other person that they're sharing a life with now and are starting their own family traditions. They're splitting time between families and probably thinking about starting their own a few years down the road. That's exciting to me- it used to be scary but now I think, wow, how crazy... how crazy to feel so young sometimes but then to be talking about marriage and kids and whose house to go to for Christmas. Wow. I'm finally at a good place with all of that- about a year ago I started to panic that something was wrong with me for not being in that same place as so many people I know that are my age... now I just feel happy that these people I love are happy and are making amazing choices as to who they choose to share their lives with. And you know that? That happens at all different points for all different people. In the meantime, I love going to visit them in their new "grown up" worlds and thinking to myself, "someday, this will be me.... but for now, I am just starting on my own new adventure that I LOVE!!!"
So Merry Christmas, my loves... may you all be happy with everything you have this year and may 2009 bring a fresh start and lots of love and success in all the right ways.
XOXO
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
And then there was squash in my lap
It's funny how many blogworthy things happen in my life... as my good friend Jess said the other night, "Seriously though, your life is more ridiculous than a sitcom." I didn't think life could get much more interesting than a knife fight at the Harvard T stop, but I was wrong.
First things first- the wishathon went SWIMMINGLY. I was up at 4 am last Friday and at the Pru on the phones by 6:30 am taking donations for our wish kids. I spent the rest of the week at the office listening to our wishathon on the radio and running around like a crazy person to get things done. I love my job. It's like food for my soul.
In other news, I went to my friend Maro's wedding on the 6th and it was beautiful... she was the most elegant, gracious, happy bride and she and Eric are picture perfect together. I had such a fabulous time dancing and crying and laughing with the best of the best. And by the way? Exceptional playlist. No, but seriously...
I woke up in Worcester at the Mariott the day after the wedding and sat in the lobby by the fireplace drinking coffee and watching the snow fall. I was 100% elated. Weddings and Christmas just make me feel in love with the world.
And then of the course there is the slightly more personal side of what has been going on over the past week that I will leave quiet but will say this much: There are some things in life for which there are no words or explanations. Just pure happiness. And sometimes I don't know whether or not I should even breathe because I'm terrified that nothing tomorrow will be as good as it was today.........and then I realize that is silly and life is short and people are flawed and the best thing to do is look up at the sky and be grateful for the here and now and whatever smile it is bringing to your face.
Now for the comedic value this blog has been waiting for:
I went to the Burren on Friday night. I had a drunk hippie woman spin me out onto the dance floor and slap my ass twice. I also won Mardi Gras beads for my "dirty" dancing which is horribly laughable. But Caroline got some by default for being associated with me so I think that it's a win win situation when all is said and done.
I am obsessed with going "a-wassaling." I'm almost positive that is spelled incorrectly. Saturday morning I woke up and begged someone to go a-wassaling with me and was rejected. But a-wassaling we will go... just you wait.
I saw adorable babies sing Christmas carols at Faneuil Hall as the fabulous Whitney F'in Magee conducted. Huzzah on many levels.
I went with Whitney and Jess to a "wild" bar where people were actually dressed like elves and, wait for it, CHRISTMAS trees. And I froze. And irritated Jess with my horrific Chinese pronunciations. Which I always assume are real. I used WAY too many periods in that sentence.
OH and then SUNDAY morning I went to breakfast with Ash and Ty and FLIPPED my plate of flatbread covered in squash, cheese, and carmelized onions INTO MY LAP. Mortified, I was. But then again, when am I not? My life is one big series of embarrassing events. So sad. Yet so good.
The roomies and I made snowflakes and AMAZING Christmas cookies on Sunday night. Caroline drew a penis on one of the cookies. It was inappropriate but ah well. We ate it anyway. AND UM.
I ate cookies for breakfast yesterday. And have had so much caffeine today I could burst.
And in the midst of all this, I have realized that some people have no filter and no patience and I will continue to love them just the same but wish they would understand... and in the meantime, I will continue to go about my business and be thankful for the incredible friends and family I have.
Oh and ditto to ASH- no more weddings. I have been to three and I have 3 more to go to in the next year. I love you all... but pretty soon I will either A) have to get married too which sounds great except I'm scared to share a bathroom or eat really crunchy awkward food around guys or b) buy forty cats. And maybe marry Juan and live like Will and Grace forever more. Which would be fabulous...... Hmmm..... no but really, it's OK. I love weddings. I love seeing my little baby girls all grown up and happy and in love. And I truly love open bars and Michael Jackson songs. So, I revoke my previous statement. CONTINUE GETTING MARRIED. I love weddings :)
Peace. Merry (almost) Christmas.
XO
First things first- the wishathon went SWIMMINGLY. I was up at 4 am last Friday and at the Pru on the phones by 6:30 am taking donations for our wish kids. I spent the rest of the week at the office listening to our wishathon on the radio and running around like a crazy person to get things done. I love my job. It's like food for my soul.
In other news, I went to my friend Maro's wedding on the 6th and it was beautiful... she was the most elegant, gracious, happy bride and she and Eric are picture perfect together. I had such a fabulous time dancing and crying and laughing with the best of the best. And by the way? Exceptional playlist. No, but seriously...
I woke up in Worcester at the Mariott the day after the wedding and sat in the lobby by the fireplace drinking coffee and watching the snow fall. I was 100% elated. Weddings and Christmas just make me feel in love with the world.
And then of the course there is the slightly more personal side of what has been going on over the past week that I will leave quiet but will say this much: There are some things in life for which there are no words or explanations. Just pure happiness. And sometimes I don't know whether or not I should even breathe because I'm terrified that nothing tomorrow will be as good as it was today.........and then I realize that is silly and life is short and people are flawed and the best thing to do is look up at the sky and be grateful for the here and now and whatever smile it is bringing to your face.
Now for the comedic value this blog has been waiting for:
I went to the Burren on Friday night. I had a drunk hippie woman spin me out onto the dance floor and slap my ass twice. I also won Mardi Gras beads for my "dirty" dancing which is horribly laughable. But Caroline got some by default for being associated with me so I think that it's a win win situation when all is said and done.
I am obsessed with going "a-wassaling." I'm almost positive that is spelled incorrectly. Saturday morning I woke up and begged someone to go a-wassaling with me and was rejected. But a-wassaling we will go... just you wait.
I saw adorable babies sing Christmas carols at Faneuil Hall as the fabulous Whitney F'in Magee conducted. Huzzah on many levels.
I went with Whitney and Jess to a "wild" bar where people were actually dressed like elves and, wait for it, CHRISTMAS trees. And I froze. And irritated Jess with my horrific Chinese pronunciations. Which I always assume are real. I used WAY too many periods in that sentence.
OH and then SUNDAY morning I went to breakfast with Ash and Ty and FLIPPED my plate of flatbread covered in squash, cheese, and carmelized onions INTO MY LAP. Mortified, I was. But then again, when am I not? My life is one big series of embarrassing events. So sad. Yet so good.
The roomies and I made snowflakes and AMAZING Christmas cookies on Sunday night. Caroline drew a penis on one of the cookies. It was inappropriate but ah well. We ate it anyway. AND UM.
I ate cookies for breakfast yesterday. And have had so much caffeine today I could burst.
And in the midst of all this, I have realized that some people have no filter and no patience and I will continue to love them just the same but wish they would understand... and in the meantime, I will continue to go about my business and be thankful for the incredible friends and family I have.
Oh and ditto to ASH- no more weddings. I have been to three and I have 3 more to go to in the next year. I love you all... but pretty soon I will either A) have to get married too which sounds great except I'm scared to share a bathroom or eat really crunchy awkward food around guys or b) buy forty cats. And maybe marry Juan and live like Will and Grace forever more. Which would be fabulous...... Hmmm..... no but really, it's OK. I love weddings. I love seeing my little baby girls all grown up and happy and in love. And I truly love open bars and Michael Jackson songs. So, I revoke my previous statement. CONTINUE GETTING MARRIED. I love weddings :)
Peace. Merry (almost) Christmas.
XO
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
What in the WORLD?!
This past week has been a blog entry waiting to happen, no joke. The day before Thanksgiving I braved public transportation and took a packed bus to NYC to meet up with my family. It took FOREVER. When I finally got off at the bus station, my dad met me and walked me to our hotel where ONE king sized bed in a sardine can room awaited me. Me and my 4 family members in one bed. Well 4 of us, one on the floor... you know it's bed when your mother yells, "everyone turn to your left!"
On Thanksgiving morning, we wake up to the sounds of drums- they are doing a mini run through of the Macy's parade... my mom yells, "Pants on, let's go!" And so begins our curbside adventure that lasted from 4:30 am-noon. I have never been so cold. The parade was amazing, but the nap after was almost as good. Then we had our "Thanksgiving" dinner at an Irish Pub where "Desperado" was playing and a lot of guys sat alone at the bar. It felt like that scene in the Santa Claus where Tim Allen lights the turkey on fire and he and Charlie have to go to Denny's for dinner...
Fast forward. We go to the movies, pay WAY too much, have an awkward moment at a grocery store where after we have everything on the counter they say "cash only" and it's back to bed again. The next day we spent about an hour at Dylan's Candy Bar. Funny fact? I don't care at ALL about fashion or big name designers. But gourmet candy? Be still my heart.
6 hours later, after being piled in the car together, we make it home... and I wait for my 5 year high school reunion (which is Saturday). WHAT. A. TIME. It was amazing to see people I haven't seen in years, drink, laugh, and have fun... and feel completely confident doing it. I wish I had felt that confident IN high school. It made me realize how many friendships I missed out on. There was quite a bit of alcohol consumed and I can safely say it was like straight out of a movie at points. Ahhh, I love it.
Fast forward again. Monday I met Randy Moss with one of my wish kids. It was incredible... HE is incredible. He made this kid's face light up with literally every word he said. I was impressed.
Finally, story number 302948989.... Tuesday night I witnessed a knife fight on the T. Literally. I panicked, swore out loud obnoxiously, and thought to myself, "SERIOUSLY? I will not die on the T at Harvard Square."
The end :)
On Thanksgiving morning, we wake up to the sounds of drums- they are doing a mini run through of the Macy's parade... my mom yells, "Pants on, let's go!" And so begins our curbside adventure that lasted from 4:30 am-noon. I have never been so cold. The parade was amazing, but the nap after was almost as good. Then we had our "Thanksgiving" dinner at an Irish Pub where "Desperado" was playing and a lot of guys sat alone at the bar. It felt like that scene in the Santa Claus where Tim Allen lights the turkey on fire and he and Charlie have to go to Denny's for dinner...
Fast forward. We go to the movies, pay WAY too much, have an awkward moment at a grocery store where after we have everything on the counter they say "cash only" and it's back to bed again. The next day we spent about an hour at Dylan's Candy Bar. Funny fact? I don't care at ALL about fashion or big name designers. But gourmet candy? Be still my heart.
6 hours later, after being piled in the car together, we make it home... and I wait for my 5 year high school reunion (which is Saturday). WHAT. A. TIME. It was amazing to see people I haven't seen in years, drink, laugh, and have fun... and feel completely confident doing it. I wish I had felt that confident IN high school. It made me realize how many friendships I missed out on. There was quite a bit of alcohol consumed and I can safely say it was like straight out of a movie at points. Ahhh, I love it.
Fast forward again. Monday I met Randy Moss with one of my wish kids. It was incredible... HE is incredible. He made this kid's face light up with literally every word he said. I was impressed.
Finally, story number 302948989.... Tuesday night I witnessed a knife fight on the T. Literally. I panicked, swore out loud obnoxiously, and thought to myself, "SERIOUSLY? I will not die on the T at Harvard Square."
The end :)
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, feeling personally very blessed and happy, I would like to dedicate this blog entry to things I am thankful for:
1) My incredible family and loving friends
2) My new job that I love
3) BARACK OBAMA and the American people that voted him in
4) Funny people and awkward situations... especially the combination of the two
5) Beautiful music and dancing
6) Good health
7) The wool socks I am wearing right now because they keep my feet toasty warm
8) Whoever invented coffee
9) Whoever invented tweezers
10) Whoever invented the post-it note
11) Chocolate and all things delicious and sinful (Only in the edible sense of course)
12) The 400 pound woman living inside me who reminds me why I love chocolate, coffee, and all things delicious every day
13) Turkey neck
14) Thoughtful gestures that are totally unexpected
Please share something you are thankful for this year! It'll be fun :)
1) My incredible family and loving friends
2) My new job that I love
3) BARACK OBAMA and the American people that voted him in
4) Funny people and awkward situations... especially the combination of the two
5) Beautiful music and dancing
6) Good health
7) The wool socks I am wearing right now because they keep my feet toasty warm
8) Whoever invented coffee
9) Whoever invented tweezers
10) Whoever invented the post-it note
11) Chocolate and all things delicious and sinful (Only in the edible sense of course)
12) The 400 pound woman living inside me who reminds me why I love chocolate, coffee, and all things delicious every day
13) Turkey neck
14) Thoughtful gestures that are totally unexpected
Please share something you are thankful for this year! It'll be fun :)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Pay It Forward
Another great weekend in Boston. Saturday night was spent with my delightful Sirens which is always the best. Did some singing - and by that I mean we sang Happy Birthday more or less in tune. Annnnd then ate a cake that had enormous frosting turkeys on it. My pants were significantly tighter this morning.
Went to church today for a chance to chill and think and be thankful... and the priest had an awesome message/thought for the week: don't pay it back, pay it forward. Given the current state of the economy, world and particularly now as the holiday season is approaching, I felt the need to share that with you all. In a time of total conservation, scrimping and saving, we need to be looking out for each other more than we ever have. The priest suggested per the movie Pay It Forward that we all try it... if you help someone out and they ask how they can repay you, tell them not to worry but to help someone else out when they can.
So I challenge you all to try it this week. Think of others... be as selfless as possible. Good things will come.
Went to church today for a chance to chill and think and be thankful... and the priest had an awesome message/thought for the week: don't pay it back, pay it forward. Given the current state of the economy, world and particularly now as the holiday season is approaching, I felt the need to share that with you all. In a time of total conservation, scrimping and saving, we need to be looking out for each other more than we ever have. The priest suggested per the movie Pay It Forward that we all try it... if you help someone out and they ask how they can repay you, tell them not to worry but to help someone else out when they can.
So I challenge you all to try it this week. Think of others... be as selfless as possible. Good things will come.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Amazing a la Whitney Simmonds style
I get into work this morning and find an email from Whitney telling me how she found an email that I had written her senior spring at Colby. And I read it and almost fell over laughing at how random/weird/gross it was :
Whitney: "and now, hem hem, your amazing email to me:"
Dear Che,
I am sitting at Elise's computer eating bbq soy nuts, licking my fingers, then touching her key board again. She'd probably be really mad if she knew that.
We missed you last night. I am going to give Jorge, Consuela, and all of their illegitimate children a spanking when I see them next. We taught FEO (which means ugly) and sang without the lights on. Hot.
I just did the eat the soy nut and lick my finger thing again.
Today was a good day. I did pilates, went to the teen parent school, watched "Real Women Have Curves" and am now about to prance around naked, embracing my "beauty." Speaking of which, Holly locked me outside in my underwear yesterday and then called Mikey. Luckily I escaped before he saw me. But John and Ann did. They live next door. I was embarrassed.
Well, what more can I tell you... nothing I guess. I hope USD or California Western get back to me soon and accept me so we can move to San Diego and I can be tan. And talk like a REAL valley girl. Could we buy a bunny AND a chihuahua?
Did I spell Chihuahua right?
Viva Peron. Y que te sientas bien :)
Mariah
Wow. WHAT WAS I SMOKING?
Yikes. This is why I DON'T do drugs.
Hey Elise? Sorry about the soy nut thing.
Whitney: "and now, hem hem, your amazing email to me:"
Dear Che,
I am sitting at Elise's computer eating bbq soy nuts, licking my fingers, then touching her key board again. She'd probably be really mad if she knew that.
We missed you last night. I am going to give Jorge, Consuela, and all of their illegitimate children a spanking when I see them next. We taught FEO (which means ugly) and sang without the lights on. Hot.
I just did the eat the soy nut and lick my finger thing again.
Today was a good day. I did pilates, went to the teen parent school, watched "Real Women Have Curves" and am now about to prance around naked, embracing my "beauty." Speaking of which, Holly locked me outside in my underwear yesterday and then called Mikey. Luckily I escaped before he saw me. But John and Ann did. They live next door. I was embarrassed.
Well, what more can I tell you... nothing I guess. I hope USD or California Western get back to me soon and accept me so we can move to San Diego and I can be tan. And talk like a REAL valley girl. Could we buy a bunny AND a chihuahua?
Did I spell Chihuahua right?
Viva Peron. Y que te sientas bien :)
Mariah
Wow. WHAT WAS I SMOKING?
Yikes. This is why I DON'T do drugs.
Hey Elise? Sorry about the soy nut thing.
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