Goodbye July

I’ve been enjoying a lot of blogs with photos recently (you can’t inspire and teach design techniques without images).  They are just better blogs.  And, I just figured out how to download all the photos from my phone easily and quickly.  Seems there’s an obvious coincidence here.

I’m not the greatest at technology, but geez, I should have figured that out a long time ago.  I think I was scared of pushing the button that said “mount.”  Mount what?  Scary.  If nothing else, it gives me a great excuse now to post some photos from this month.  Most of them come from when Emily was visiting at the beginning of the month.  My camera is still broken, mostly because I have not tried to fix it since it has been misplaced in the last two weeks while “cleaning” (dumping crap in closets for company) and my phone works well enough.

Closing shop at Nats Stadium

Hot, hot, hot canoeing

Our entertainment for the evening

Antler ears Emily

Our home for the night

Convenient s'mores shopping!!

Emily and Me

Vincent and his friend at the 4th of July party

Day Lillies the front yard

Which Project?

I have recently been inspired by some old fashioned DIY blogs that make carpentry seem pretty accessible to me.  And with this new house just waiting to be adorned, I can’t help but get excited about the next project!  Granted, I don’t quite have all the tools, but I have a jigsaw that’s just waiting to cut its teeth on some wood.  I have some experience working in wood shop in middle and high school plus my time in the carpentry shop when I was in architecture school for a bit.  I love to build.

I have the ideas fresh in my brain, but I’m just not sure which one to begin.  So, loyal readers, please vote in this quick poll.  I promise to take photos and blog about my experience and show before/during/after photos.  The project you choose may not be completed this weekend, but I will get a good start on it and report back on Sunday evening.  All three will eventually be completed, so no worries there.  So please vote…poll closes (if I figure out how to do that) by Friday’s Home Depot trip.

Soft Opening

Saturday night, Corey and I hosted a housewarming party at the new place…a “soft opening” of an inner circle of friends and media.  Well, I was the media.  The travel industry dictionary defines soft opening: “soft opening. A period of time when a new hotel, which may not be fully complete, is open for business but has not formally announced its opening. Also used for rides and attractions at theme parks.”  While we sort of consider ourselves a hotel for visiting friends, we’re more like an attraction at this point.

It was hot, both literally and slangingly.  By 1:00 a.m. or so, it was cooler outside with a sweat-removing breeze, so we found ourselves wrapped up in some classic stoop beering.  Our stoop can hold quite a few folks, as long as the 330 lb door salesman isn’t jumping on it and wiggling it to try to sell me a new one.  But for now, it’s feeling like home.  Thanks to everyone who came to visit and celebrate!

Stoop beers in the early morning

Salsa's artistic point of view

Look Mom! The bench is getting used!

Grand Opening announcements will be posted here, and everyone will be welcome!  Once the staff figures out how to host in this venue and the finishing touches are placed on the decorating, we’ll be ready to go!  Probably sometime in September, if not before.

Great Performance!

If you didn’t make it out last night, you missed a great show!  The sellout crowd was full of people we did not know and still, they laughed!  The important part was that we had fun on stage and that eases the crowd because they feel more comfortable giving us 25 minutes of attention.

For our third time together on stage as Subsidized Corn, we’re getting much better!  I know I wasn’t feeling nervous or jittery like I was for the first few…it’s all about trusting your team and knowing that they won’t leave you on stage without support.  What I liked about this show was that no scene went on too long and there was a nice flow to it.  I watched it again this morning and laughed out loud, so if it’s still funny this morning, it must have been okay!

Have a look for yourself!  The video is about 25 minutes long.  Oh, and don’t forget to find us on Facebook so you can be up-to-date on all the Corn happenings!

And the fun part?  We got paid to do this.  Not sure it that makes us professionals yet, but we’re clearly on our way.  We haven’t decided what to spend the money on, though tee-shirts and beer are on the list.  I would like to add a marketing budget.  TBD.

See? We're professionals now.

P.S. We missed Lizzie last night as she’s in Buffalo with her family for a bit.  But, she will be back soon and performing with Steve, Darnell and me at Improvapoloosa in early August.  Details coming soon.

July 2009

I was reading through memory lane on my blog a minute ago.  I’ve had the blog since June 9, 2009, so it sort of catalogs my life history…makes me appreciate where I am now…helps me remember feelings and activities because I have a terrible memory, etc. 

Most of the time I’m not too specific with my timelines, however, exactly one year ago I was very specific.  What a pleasant surprise!  Turns out, this very evening last year I was doing improv!  Last year I was in a Level 1B class, this year it’s performing on stage with my troupe, Subsidized Corn at the DC Improv.  If you doubt how far one person can come in a year, let this be proof.  Well, I have better examples of proof – new office, new house, same friends, no boyfriend, better outlook on life.  Another example is my sister, Melissa (aka Melly Sue).  Last year at this time she was planning a wedding.  Now, she’s planning for their baby to arrive in December (Mel – are we telling people what the gender is? No spoilers here.)

I’m off to the gym, thanks to my Groupon for the Y.  Then meet up with the SubCo folks then to the DC Improv for our 3rd ever performance…just in case I need documentation for 2011.

Spy Tricks

Recently, my job has had me doing some spy work.  Not real spy work (obviously), but work that in my creative and over-active brain could pass for spy work.  (A real spy would never say she’s a spy…or would she?  It’s something to think about.)  In DC, one in four people are estimated to be spies…or is that one in four people hold a JD?  Anyway, in my two spy dealings in the last two weeks, I’ve learned a few things that I thought I’d share in case you find yourself needing some spy advice.  My other qualifications include a fun visit to the Spy Museum with Cosette Z over two years ago, working on the same block as the Uniformed Secret Service (which cracks me up everytime) and being a snoopy big sister.  Clearly I know what I’m talking about here…I’m practically a professional.

Lesson 1: Observing without being noticed.  I spent 1.5 hours watching how security screens cars before entering a secure building (it all comes down to parking, right?).  I sat for 90 minutes out in the open within 20 feet of this operation and not one of them even noticed me.  Here were my tricks:

• Have a watertight story created in case someone asks, and add extra imagination for added fun.
• Arrive on foot.  I could have been on my bike, but that would have been too conspicuous.  Drop-offs are even more mysterious.
• Dress average and plain and do not call attention to yourself.  At 8:00 on a Monday morning, this was pretty easy to do.
• No earphones and no eating.  You need all your senses in peak condition.
• Look distracted, but watch out of the corner of your eye.  Don’t be distracted, just look distracted.
• Write stuff for the hell of it in your notes.  Like drafting your next blog post.  Pretend to be a pensive writer because no one ever messes with them.
• Suspect everyone as a counterspy.  Sidewalk sweepers, pipe smokers, smokers in ties.  Say hello to people that say hello to you.  Just because you are a spy doesn’t mean you can’t be polite.
• Find a cool shady spot to sit.  Granite in this town can be found everywhere.
• As Salsa would say, “Stay alert!”  If the observations are slow, find something similar to observe to keep your mind awake.  And get a good nights sleep the night before because it isn’t always fast paced like it is in the movies.
• Carry a phone with a timer application, not a stop watch, for ultimate undercover work.  Look texty.  Make sure the phone battery is fully charged.

Lesson 2: Gaining access.  I went to have a look around in a building under construction without permission.  The shell of a building had security people.  I showed my ID and walked in the hard hat area, no questions asked, almost like my ID was psychic paper.  A construction worker walked me around and gave me directions.  Seriously, what kind of operation is this?  Basic tricks:

• Act like you know where you are going.  Don’t look lost or confused…it’s a dead giveaway if you do.  I typically use this trick to get by most security in lobbies in DC.
• Do a minor bit of background work, like knowing the future tenant of the building.  Just say you are with them.
• Dress appropriately and plain.  Again.
• If you take photos, don’t have the camera sound on.  Duh.  I learned this the hard way.

That’s all I have tonight.  If you have your own tricks, feel free to share them!  DC can be a fun place to live, even with these extra pains.  But, it makes for more of a challenge to try to get your spy work done.  Oh, and one additional note, don’t mess with the Department of Homeland Security because they don’t mess around.  Play it cool.

Odd thoughts

I have been really busy at work recently, so I’ve not had much time to think about the fun extra stuff.  I am certainly in the mood to write something tonight, however, I do not really have a topic or photos.  (I know, these are the worst posts….groan.)  I’ll be quick, I promise.

Things I’m excited about right at this moment…Karen’s coming to visit this weekend, Maria will be in town on Tuesday, my trip to Yosemite and San Francisco in September, staying in adult cabins at “camp”, the black-eyed susans in my front yard, starting Dr. Who from 2005 “season 1″ episode 1, finishing my parking project at work, the house is almost in order and feels like home, new ideas for decorating my bedroom and living room, Caitlin moving in downstairs, the new season of Jersey Shore, cooking in my kitchen, performing on Friday at the DC Improv with Subsidized Corn!

Things I’m not excited about…the gross reaction on my forehead from the eyebrow waxing this weekend, the meeting we have tomorrow with our clients, all the little projects that are left to do to get unpacked, the temperature and humidity outside, the weird dreams I have when I sleep with my closet door is open, the extra five pounds I’ve gained…that’s all I can think of, so I’m not doing so bad!

Goodnight!

DC Earthquake!

This week has been a very productive and demanding week at work.  I’m truly exhausted.  So last night, as soon as I got home from one of the most difficult first dates ever (note to self…maybe ask if they have Asperger’s BEFORE going on the date), I completely crashed on the sofa.  Not sure what time it was, but I put myself to bed…barely.  I was practically asleep, which is why I just turned on the alarm and took off all my clothes and crashed.

Well, the alarm was set for 5:00 a.m. since I had to be at work at 6:00 yesterday.  Ugh.  So, of course the alarm went off at 5:00 this morning…well, really 4:53 because I set all my house clocks to 7 minutes ahead because I can only subtract in 5s or 10s, thus giving me an extra two minutes.  So, I’m sort of in and out and I feel my bed shake.  It was enough to wake me up.

Here were the thoughts that instantly ran through my head at that hour…

The “box spring” is homemade so it has a little play, but play from what?  Well, anytime someone closes the front door, the house shakes, so I’m used to shaking.  But Corey is out of town for the weekend so it wasn’t the front door.  Or could someone have broken in?  Shhh, stay quiet…crap, I’m not wearing clothes.  Why was I so lazy and tired last night that I couldn’t put on pajamas?  Should I put on clothes now in case the robber comes upstairs?  No, that’s dumb, I locked the front door and what idiot would shut the front door hard enough to have the house shake?  It really felt like an earthquake, much like those little ones that woke me up in California.  That’s certainly a familiar feeling.  Makes me feel like I’m in California a little bit.  Geez, Megan, that’s even dumber and less practical than a loud robber.  Go back to sleep.

And what did I find out this morning?  Earthquake.  Turns out I was not being ridiculous after all.  And it made me miss California a bit.  As weird as it sounds, I felt like I was in California, like my brain was tricked for a split second, and that was sort of a nice feeling to wake up to!

In other news, two pop quiz questions for you:

1. This morning I woke up feeling gross and sick because a.) the mediocre sushi I ate for lunch yesterday, 2.) the mediocre Thai I had last night, 3.) complete lack of sleep for the week or 4.) heat exhaustion because I was so tired that I did not turn on the A/C before I went to bed.

2. I have nothing to eat in this house, so this morning I mixed together the leftover ingredients from gorp from camping last week.  I’m eating it in bed for breakfast because I took a sick day today.  Next time I get out of bed, which of the four ingredients and in what quantities, will I find in the sheets?  Ingredients include M&Ms, peanuts, raisins and sunflower seeds.  Keep in mind that since I have food and drink and a computer, it may be awhile before I get out of bed.  Discuss.

This post is dedicated to Goli, one of my favorite CA girls.  Even though we have our differences, something tells me our thought processes were the same this morning!

Bragging about my homemade box spring master storage compartment

TUT Sharing

I get those Notes from the Universe…daily reminders to my inbox about the powers of infinite possibilities and dreams and the like.  Check it out at www.tut.com.  I just had to quickly share today’s message:

You are the right person, this is the right time, you’ve paid your dues, you’re thinking the right thoughts, you’re doing the right things, and this very moment, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be… poised for the happiest time of your life.

Dang, Megan!
The Universe

Ex Lessons

It’s 1:39 a.m. and I’m wide awake.  I think I may have overdosed on a medium mocha knowing I was working late tonight, but now that I’m done (aka, I left my stupid memory key at work when I left just before midnight), I can’t sleep.  So, hopefully by getting my brain off medical office building parking, I’m thinking about something completely unrelated…my exes.  Yeah, it was a weird jump for me, too.

Each one of them has given me something that I have kept.  Not material items but impressions that surface at the weirdest times and that surprise me with their usefulness.  Tonight, I’m doing a little catalog of past beaus and the enjoyment and insight they continue to give me years after they’ve left.  In no particular order of dating or preference or feelings…

• From S I learned about credits and debits of strength of character, and sometimes it’s okay if you have to cash in some credits.  We are only given what we can handle, even if that’s more than other folks get.  It isn’t fair, but it’s what we get.
• From C I learned about electric cars (well beyond what most other people could probably tolerate) and that age is on the inside.
• From X I learned about natural peanut butter.  Thank god because I had gone without peanut butter for years after discovering I got severe migraines from the artificial stuff.  This guy had two smelly dogs, man toys (boats, campers, awful pick up trucks) up the yang and the most immature sensibility for a 40 year old man, but I’m so grateful he came into my life to teach me about natural peanut butter.  Bless your heart, whatever your name is and wherever you may be.
• From M I learned that it isn’t about who you are or your fabulous dating qualifications, but how you make me feel that’s important.  And how I feel in the presence of others, while ultimately up to me, can still be influenced by others more than I give credit.
• From B I learned how to snowboard and chase three very special people down some sweet long runs.  Those were some of the best times of my life because in keeping up both on and off the mountain, I forgot about fear and learned to just live.
• From A I learned that I need to communicate.  Period.  It has taken me many years to figure out how to do this, but I’m actively practicing and thus progressing enough to make it to the big leagues one day.  Yay me.
• From G I learned how to react to something I’ve never seen before.  I’m keeping this one to myself, but I thank G for this valuable lesson, even if I haven’t come across another one since.
• From C2 I learned that everyone gives and receives love in different ways.  It just takes finding the right person to receive the way you give and give the way you want to receive.  That sounds horribly sexual, but I promise it isn’t!
• From J I learned that I probably shouldn’t date guys who wear pointy shoes, even if they come bearing flowers.  Probably means he spends more time on his hair than I do.  Oh, and he totally did.
• From B2 I learned that throwing caution to the wind can get you a high five from your mother for reasons that seem counter intuitive.  And to follow my gut because it leads in some awesome directions.  And still does to this day.
• From S2 I learned that people I think are hot can also think I’m hot.  Who knew?  I wonder where you are now…
• From C3 I learned that I hate the sound of a Dalek voice and I love The Doctor, even if I resisted at first.  Ahh, open mindedness.  I still watch and enjoy the show because I want to which surprises even me.  There’s more, but he may actually be reading, so I’ll stop this bullet point now.
• From X2, I learned that people who don’t think past today really aren’t for me (duh, I’m a planner).  Also, if you talk to your ex on the phone more than me, you’re out (well, if you constantly answer when I’m around, especially if we’re, ahem, enjoying each others company).  So maybe he needed the lesson!  He taught me about World Cup and loaned me his country’s team to cheer for so I could have a real experience.  That was awesome.
• From C4 I learned to trust my memory.  I knew there was a wedding ring!  Busted.  You were a creep anyway.
• From S3 I learned that there is someone out there for everyone and that forcing it is wrong for all involved.  He found his true love less than a month after we quit dating, so I’m glad we ended it when we did so he could be happy.  And he is.

Wow, that seems like a lot of people…but most were casual and don’t really deserve the title of “ex”.  I figure I’ve been dating for about 15 years or so and not many of those years were spent with just one person, so mathematically I haven’t gotten around!  I’m just “experienced.”