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Happy New Year! (January 01, 2008)
People on the street (December 12, 2005)
Yes, I'm back from Spain (September 06, 2005)
This and that ... (July 18, 2005)
All I Want for Christmas (December 22, 2004)
manœuvre dangeureuse (September 02, 2004)
teevee (May 28, 2004)
Highlights of the 2003-2004 Bi-Continental Holiday-Nuptial Tour (January 13, 2004)
the Reef (June 25, 2002)
anniversary (June 05, 2002)
state of my Honda (January 30, 2002)
smartypants (January 24, 2002)
yoga yoga yoga ()
ommmmmmm (January 10, 2002)
I have been extremely remiss in not posting for over a month ... I missed my birthday, baby's birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. The baby is walking (mostly), talking (a handful of words), and even doing some baby signs... ... (continued)
Brunch successful, and better yet, over. (November 03, 2007) We had seven adults and six children altogether, which was just right for our 1940s (i.e., not huge) living room and dining room. The egg casserole (with sausages, peppers, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes) was a hit. The potato salad was also... ... (continued)
Why didn't someone tell me it's November already? (November 02, 2007) That warm weather that dragged well into October threw off my internal calendar. E is in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, for weeks and weeks. The baby and I are doing our usual thing. He has had a cold for about two... ... (continued)
Remember me? (September 24, 2007) Yeah, sometimes I blog here. About, oh, once a month; some really riveting content that keeps you coming back. Yeah. Well, I'm not sure how much I'm going to keep this thing updated, but now that I'm here typing, I... ... (continued)
SOLD! No, really, it's sold. (June 28, 2007) We went to the new house today (still occupied by the seller) to meet a floor refinisher for an estimate. He didn't show. AND we discovered that we get no Cingular (now ATT) service in the house. E got a... ... (continued)
We are homeowners. We are Virginians? (June 21, 2007) We had our settlement yesterday and voila, we now own a piece of land, and the house that sits on it. The closing was a bit anticlimactic; everyone we know who owns a home told us how we'd be signing... ... (continued)
Big holiday weekend, of a sort (May 15, 2007) First was Mother's Day. My first Mother's Day! Very exciting. I got a funny card from Eric defining sleep ("in case you've forgotten") and the baby gave me two books. It was a sweet gesture, but I have to say,... ... (continued)
Randomata (May 10, 2007) When I lived in Mali and went about my life I would notice things that seemed "bloggable" and sort of file them away in my brain, and start writing little posts in my head, so when I sat down at... ... (continued)
A really great hair day (April 07, 2007) I hate looking for hair salons/stylists and I stick with the same person forever if I like him (or her). When I first moved back to DC in 1996 I started seeing a guy named Billy at a place called... ... (continued)
Settling in (February 17, 2006) We accumulate the trinkets and talismans of permanence. We have added to our home over the past month: Library card CVS savings card Giant savings card Two (2) cell phones with contracts DVD player DSL (one-year contract) Linksys wireless router,... ... (continued)
A month of Fridays (December 29, 2005) Friday 2 December: It seems so long ago. We were living at the Mande Hotel in Bamako. We had a beer on the veranda while the sun set, then we went to the Hong Mai Vietnamese restaurant. Friday 9 December:... ... (continued)
Welcome back to America. Now shop! (December 16, 2005) People on the street (December 12, 2005)
Our last couple days in Mali flew by. I left one day open, and the morning of that day I decided to take a long walk across town with my camera. I walked out of the Cite du Niger, by... ... (continued)
T-minus 3 days (December 05, 2005) A strange serendipity has been following us about these final days in Mali. Saturday, walking down a street in Hippodrome, we saw Mohammed drive by. Mohammed runs a truck-rental and driving service. We used his service when we first travelled... ... (continued)
Installez-vous bien! (December 02, 2005) We are well-installed at the Mande Hotel, in the tranquil neighborhood of Cite du Niger, right on the river. At first I felt conflicted and a little guilty about staying in a hotel. I don't know why I felt more... ... (continued)
A holiday cornucopia of overdue updates (November 30, 2005) Thanksgiving: We had a really great Thanksgiving, and by that I mean I didn't cook a thing. Didn't lift a finger, except when I said, "Why yes, I'd love some more wine." There were definitely some moments when it didn't... ... (continued)
Bad week. Bad, bad week. (November 11, 2005) If this week was a 3-year-old child, I would send her to the corner to consider an attitude adjustment. This week started off with lists of things to do and decisions to make, decisions about Packing and Shipping and Lodging... ... (continued)
If writing well truly is the best revenge, my enemies are getting off easy this month. (November 08, 2005) I've gone through my medicine cabinet and given all my unused hair and skin products away. I've gone through my closet and bureau and given my unwanted clothes and shoes away. We've gone through the bookshelves and are giving our... ... (continued)
How to hypnotize a chicken (November 07, 2005) Yes, I'm back from Spain (September 06, 2005)
Meanwhile, I'm planning my next trip: France (Paris, Normandy) and Italy (Florence) in October. ... (continued)
Overheard in our house last night (August 23, 2005) This and that ... (July 18, 2005)
I can't believe I've been back from the US for almost a month. I feel like I just got here. ... (continued)
Home again, home again, jiggity-jog (June 23, 2005) Like many people, I get anxious before a trip. My particular anxieties might be less common -- they are almost entirely luggage-related (as opposed to crash-, hijack-, or SARS-related fears). ... (continued)
Where in the world is Robin? (June 09, 2005) I'm in sunny Darnestown, Maryland (cool Google satellite map of Darnestown) enjoying my parents' DSL connection. My brother tipped me off to the wifi configuration (thanks P!) so I'm no longer tied to the router upstairs in the office. I... ... (continued)
Dear America (May 19, 2005) Dear America, I’m enjoying a tasty snack of some imported Triscuits, and I was wondering -- can I ask you a question? On the back of the box, there is an advertisement for “Pre-Cut Natural Cheese.” Apparently these “Cracker Cuts”... ... (continued)
Over the hill (May 15, 2005) E's 40th birthday party, co-hosted with a friend who turned 22 the same day, was a blast. After an inauspicious start to the day (fatigue, irritability, anxiety) the celebration exceeded expectations. Lots of people came, most danced, some of them... ... (continued)
Side effects may include misspelling (February 25, 2005) I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'm speaking more French, and even Bambara, these days. This isn't to say that my speaking skills are great. In fact, they are probably worse than they were six or eight months ago,... ... (continued)
Things that didn't happen this week (January 16, 2005) All I Want for Christmas (December 22, 2004)
My husband's childhood dentist gave me a new front tooth yesterday. [Cue corny holiday jokes.] ... (continued)
Are We There Yet? (December 02, 2004) I was a little dubious about drinking OJ from a can, but that metallic tang brought me right back to family road trips in the 1980s, my little brother on the other side of the station wagon, the Cool-Rest between... ... (continued)
Giving Thanks (November 26, 2004) The first thing I was thankful for was that we were saying what we were thankful for, because my dad makes us do that every year. ... (continued)
Robin in the Tropics (November 12, 2004) I put on sweatpants, a t-shirt, a sweater, and a pilfered Air France blanket and kept on shivering. That was our first clue I might have malaria. ... (continued)
childproof (October 01, 2004) manœuvre dangeureuse (September 02, 2004)
I guess it's just too much work to extract a bribe from an American who can barely understand what you're saying. ... (continued)
typhoid Robin (August 20, 2004) Even in my puking delirium, I am awed by the violence and impatience with which my body is ridding itself of toxins. I am sort of grateful that my body knows how to do this, but mostly, I am miserable. ... (continued)
marriage: the first six months (June 30, 2004) Here are answers to all your burning questions, consolidated into one handy faux-interview. ... (continued)
soulwise, these are trying times (June 23, 2004) Someone once called me a “word Nazi.” Now, that stung, but the slur was founded on some truth. ... (continued)
inner life vs. outer life (June 19, 2004) teevee (May 28, 2004)
Highlights of the 2003-2004 Bi-Continental Holiday-Nuptial Tour (January 13, 2004)
I honestly can't remember anything that happened before the wedding, so forgive me if I skip Christmas and go directly to the runaway favorite: Getting married. People warned me that a million little things would go wrong, and a few... ... (continued)
countdown (August 17, 2003) Three weeks until E moves to Mali. Five weeks until my last day of work at the Library of Congress. Seven weeks until I move to Mali. Four months & ten days until we get married. I won't be posting... ... (continued)
by the way ... (July 24, 2003) I'm quitting my job, getting married, and moving to Africa. (Not necessarily in that order.) More later -- I'm heading out to a San Francisco wedding this weekend, then spending a few days in Michigan with E's family. See you... ... (continued)
the perfect storm (July 01, 2003) Maybe it's because our new apartment is at the top of a hill that looks down over Washington -- maybe that's why the lightning was cracking down right outside my open window last night. The thunder was so loud that... ... (continued)
we moved (June 23, 2003) Lesson learned: Be careful what you wish for. I prayed and prayed and prayed it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain . . . But the elevator at the new building was broken, so we had to carry everything upstairs.... ... (continued)
modern bride (June 17, 2003) I have no time to read, I forget to eat, I can barely sleep. I haven't been fired . . . yet. As if compensating for every carefree afternoon that I spent reenacting episodes of Buck Rogers and Battlestar Galactica,... ... (continued)
large mammal interpreter (June 13, 2003) Three days each month, I spend three hours at the zoo talking to the public about the large mammals. That currently includes three adult Asian elephants and a calf, a reticulated giraffe, and two Nile hippos. Our Masai giraffe and... ... (continued)
announcement the first: engagement (June 10, 2003) The setting: One temperate evening last week, in the northwest quadrant of our fair city. M. E____ poses the question in the time-honored fashion. Mme. R____ nods vigorously in the affirmative, says, "I thought you'd never ask." Announcement the second:... ... (continued)
actual voicemail message (April 24, 2003) "So, it's about 7:30—well, the way your schedules are, I better say the date: it's 7:30 on Wednesday the 23rd—" [voice in background] (aside) "What's that—" [voice in background] "Oh, it's Shakespeare's birthday! That's why you're out."... ... (continued)
note to future self (April 09, 2003) Do not schedule teeth-cleaning and vehicle inspection on the same day, especially if the teeth-cleaning appointment is your dentist's first appointment of the day, 7:00 a.m., two days after you set your clocks forward, on an unseasonably cold and damp... ... (continued)
whiled away (April 05, 2003) Lovely afternoon at E's boss' house today. Let me call him "F." F.'s Senegalese wife, K., prepared a West African meal that we ate West African style. They rolled out thin mats on the living room floor, and all of... ... (continued)
Ruth Taylor, 1919-2003 (March 28, 2003) Here's a photo of my father's mother, Ruth Joan Harrington (center), all of eighteen years old, one year away from eloping with her sweetheart. His middle-class Protestant and her working-class Irish Catholic parents didn't approve of their union. So,... ... (continued)
blizzard (reprise) (February 20, 2003) Don't be fooled; this is not the real snow. We didn't know what snow was, then. This is the blizzard of aught-three, not yet halfway done doing what it had to do. Also: photographic evidence of fussy Washingtonians carrying umbrellas... ... (continued)
dude (February 19, 2003) Overheard as I shoveled out my car yesterday: College girl to friend: "Wouldn't it be funny if you, like, parked your car when you were drunk, and then you couldn't find it?"... ... (continued)
the winter of the eerily prescient sweets (February 14, 2003) After dinner at Mr. Chen's Organic Chinese Cuisine, I cracked open my cookie and read my fortune: You or a close friend will be married within a year.No weddings were on the horizon at the time, but a close friend... ... (continued)
gear (February 09, 2003) When the weather gets cold and wet in Washington, DC, people dress like they have a meeting at the U.N., in black wool, navy wool, or gray wool; or like they're going to climb Everest, in expensive, high-tech, synthetic fabrics... ... (continued)
reason #87 (February 07, 2003) Why I am better off with E: Left to my own devices, I go to the grocery store only out of desperation, or in not-so-frequent moments of culinary inspiration. (I like to cook; I just hate going to the store.)... ... (continued)
distractions () What could possibly tear me away from my website these days? Some out of town guests, a Chinese New Year party, practicing French at home, planning a trip to Africa, cramming for my Elephant House volunteer interview, coveting the LOMO... ... (continued)
zoo (January 24, 2003) I'm applying for a volunteer position at the Zoo. "Large mammal interpreter," if you must know, although I am reluctant to tell you that because I can imagine all the jokes you'll make at my expense. Anyway, if I get... ... (continued)
the single life (2) (January 12, 2003) E left yesterday for another business trip. This time, he'll spend a week in Burkina Faso, and a few weeks in Mali, and a day in Paris. He picked the right time to go to Africa; it's freaking cold here... ... (continued)
new year (December 31, 2002) The bigger things: A new website, a wedding, a vacation at the beach, daytrips to the mountains, sailing lessons, travel overseas, a new job for me, a new job for him, another decade crossed off the wall calendar of my... ... (continued)
out of the mouths of babes () The setting: Christmas lunch. The cast: My nephew, my brother, my sister-in-law (aka Mommy). Not present: E (aka my boyfriend). Conversation is lively and pleasant, and then out of the blue: Nephew (speaking as if continuing an ongoing conversation --... ... (continued)
all I want for Christmas (December 26, 2002) When I awoke Christmas morning, on the tip of my tongue were intangible things I wished Santa would bring me: a new domain name, an FTP account with CHMOD privileges.... ... (continued)
nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven () I cooked a chicken -- two, actually -- on Christmas Eve. I'd never cooked one before in my life. I ate some chicken, too, and I can't remember the last time I did that (though I have had bits and... ... (continued)
full disclosure (December 20, 2002) Lest you think I was overly harsh on the Librarians of Congress and their lackluster parties, I will now regale you with several tales of my own lameness. First I will tell you of the Asian Division's holiday party, to... ... (continued)
I've been to three days of Library holiday parties (December 19, 2002) And they are lame, lame, lame, and lame. I had heard about the all-nighters in the Main Reading Room with the bourbon punch; I had heard about the reference team downing kamikazes and singing karaoke. Where are those hard-living librarians... ... (continued)
isn't this the worst Christmas ever? (December 17, 2002) Isn't it a nightmare of planning and list-making and rushing and bickering? At the end of every day, do you move all today's list items to tomorrow's list, because you didn't get anything done? Do you leave work early to... ... (continued)
6th floor Madison (December 11, 2002) I love the Library of Congress cafeteria, because there are lots of people sitting alone and reading books, like me. I don't like the menu at the coffee shop, though. Today's choices were: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Spaghetti and Meatballs... ... (continued)
not again () As we walked by my car on Sunday, I noticed wires poking out from it, from under the snow. I thought someone had wrenched my passenger-side rearview mirror off . . . But no, the wires were coming from something... ... (continued)
the hard-knock life of a 1990 Honda Accord LX (December 02, 2002) 1995 Event: Collision at I-77 overpass in Cornelius, NC Fault: Other driver Replacement vehicle: Teal Dodge Neon. Shudder. Cost to me: $0 A polite, working-class Southern gentleman in a white pickup tried to scoot through the left-turn arrow while it's... ... (continued)
my boyfriend's back (November 27, 2002) Just barely . . . Not many flights got out of Charles de Gaulle airport yesterday.... ... (continued)
Verizon update (November 25, 2002) Update: The Verizon technician still hadn't come by 1:00 p.m., so I picked up the phone to call and complain, and -- no dialtone. I was negotiating their online customer support system when the phone rang (!) and Barry from... ... (continued)
Dear Verizon () At first I was sad about spending today, my 30th birthday, without my boyfriend. But then you came along with the best birthday surprise ever and cheered me up so much!!! Of course, I knew something was up, because you... ... (continued)
talkin' sh-t (November 24, 2002) I played pool for the first time in a long time, at the Capitol Lounge on Friday. My game was respectable but rusty at first, then I pulled two amazing shots in a row. "What is this?!" our buttoned-down opponents... ... (continued)
the return of the compliment man (November 21, 2002) James told me, Andrew told me, and now I can report it firsthand: the Compliment Man (who said he was leaving town) is back. "Florida didn't work out," he says. "I was too close to my family. I mean, I... ... (continued)
infestation (November 12, 2002) There I was, chopping zucchini and yellow squash and onion, tossing the chunks in the casserole dish, thinking, "this would be good with some rice," starting for the burlap bag of basmati under the window, then -- didn't I see... ... (continued)
demonstration (October 29, 2002) [Looking for the True Majority anti-war commercial with Susan Sarandon and U.S. ambassador Edward Peck? Try here instead.] I am not much of a marcher. I don’t protest or demonstrate. I’m uncomfortable raising my fist and chanting slogans with the... ... (continued)
the compliment man (cont'd.) (October 25, 2002) As I sat at in the window at Angles last night, watching people -- an activity whose rewards are definitely diminished by the cold -- I noticed that the Compliment Man's traditional corner was empty. I've only seen him out... ... (continued)
before and after (October 14, 2002) I promised faraway friends I'd post these, so here you go: 10 days ago: . . . Today: You wouldn't know it from the smirk in my "after" photo, but I am delighted with my new low-maintenance boy-short haircut. You... ... (continued)
the compliment man (September 20, 2002) Most people aren’t unfriendly, they are friendly waiting to happen. Maybe you learned this lesson a long time ago. Maybe I missed that episode of Sesame Street; maybe they taught in afternoon kindergarten (I went in the morning); maybe it... ... (continued)
September is the strangest month (September 13, 2002) Happy birthday to my niece Sophie who just turned one. Goodbye to my grandfather Herbert Benson Taylor, who died a week ago in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Judging by the turnout at his service, he touched a lot of people's lives:... ... (continued)
how to enjoy the rain after a long drought (August 29, 2002) 1. Notice the flowers in the garden, as you do every morning on your way out of the building, squelching a pang of guilt, since you are supposed to be helping to care for some of these flowers. Squelching... ... (continued)
hi mom (August 26, 2002) I must not be writing enough; my parents actually had to call me last night to find out what's going on. Summer stuff: sailing with instructor Bert the underemployed lawyer; eating dinner at the Mt Pleasant house where I used... ... (continued)
security (August 08, 2002) Every day on the way into work, I show my badge, put my bag on the conveyor belt through the X-ray machine, and walk through a metal dectector. Every day on the way out, I hand my bag to a... ... (continued)
survived first day on new job (July 29, 2002) Deskless, clueless, buried under mountains of forms. Took an oath of office ("to uphold and defend . . .") and joined a union. I'll be working on area studies projects like Historias Paralelas and Meeting of Frontiers. I'm very happy... ... (continued)
coming clean (July 08, 2002) Finally, I can write about it here: I've accepted a job at the Library of Congress! July looks like this: 10: Bluegrass at Madam's Organ 13-14: Sailing lessons at Washington Marina 15: Dolly Parton at the 9:30 Club 19: Last... ... (continued)
heat wave (cont'd.) (July 06, 2002) When it's 100 degrees outside, and nearly that in two of your apartment's three rooms, everything you do is in relationship to the heat. You shut yourself in the air-conditioned room all day long. You watch two movies, clean your... ... (continued)
heat wave (July 05, 2002) the Reef (June 25, 2002)
At the outset, it looked like another lazy evening on the couch with my book. In the end it was a damn near perfect night. We thought we'd stop by the Reef for a bit. We didn't even bother to... ... (continued)
city mouse / country mouse (June 24, 2002) How can you tell if you've been in the city for too long? When you go hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, every rustle in the underbrush makes you think "Eww, a rat!"... ... (continued)
hi, neighbor (June 23, 2002) The thing I like about living in a smallish city, in a smallish neighborhood, is bumping into people I know. It's an obvious but powerful reinforcer of my sense of community and belonging here. It makes me feel at home.... ... (continued)
Frederick Keys (June 18, 2002) We took Dad to a baseball game on Sunday. The Frederick Keys, the Baltimore Orioles' single-A farm team, are having quite the losing season this year, but the games are about so much more than baseball. First, there's the people-watching.... ... (continued)
NTSB (June 16, 2002) The National Transportation Safety Board office is not like my office. Instead of hanging prints of famous art in cheap poster frames on the walls, they hang posters of airplane crashes, train wrecks, and highway accidents in cheap poster frames.... ... (continued)
Mi-a! (June 13, 2002) And what a comeback it was! Yes, at first I scoffed at the WUSA yearbook's Freedom section, where 3 out of 5 photos are of Mia. But then She came on the field in the second half, and I was... ... (continued)
Washington Freedom (June 12, 2002) We're finally going to see the Washington Freedom tonight! And it's Mia Hamm's first night back after her knee surgery.... ... (continued)
yard sale (June 10, 2002) Sunday was a perfect day for gentle, undemanding activity. First we strolled down to the Daily Grill for brunch. It's pricey but the food is much better and the atmosphere classier than other brunches. Next, we drove to Takoma Park... ... (continued)
orange () anniversary (June 05, 2002)
Two years ago, I hadn't met the man I live with. I was loving single life in the city, meeting friends for dinner, spending suspicious amounts of time in disreputable pool halls, locking myself in my apartment for entire weekends... ... (continued)
family (May 31, 2002) Next week I'll housesit for a couple days, keeping an eye on my brother's family pets: two dogs, Calvin and Josie, a hairless cat, Dongua, and a guinea pig . . . whose name I never learned. Last night I... ... (continued)
double rainbow (May 15, 2002) I was wrapping E's birthday presents Monday night at the kitchen table, when out of the corner of my eye I could see something glowing outside. I looked up and saw something I've only seen maybe once before:... ... (continued)
happy birthday (May 14, 2002) Happy birthday David Byrne, George Lucas, and my sweetie. On a good day, you are patient, conservative, domestic, sensual, thorough, stable, dependable, practical, artistic, loyal men, or so I'm told. Since it's y'all's birthday I won't mention the bad days.... ... (continued)
two stories for Tuesday () One: My roommate's sister and her friend were driving to Costa Rica. They stayed with us one night on their way, and the the friend called her mother, who was obviously distressed about her daughter's choice of vacation plans: "We'll... ... (continued)
questions for a Monday (May 13, 2002) Where did the weekend go? Oh, that's right, I remember now. What manner of foul brew does the Frontera Grill keep on their so-called "top shelf"? Never mind, I'll never order a margarita there again. What won't E get for... ... (continued)
old lady (May 03, 2002) Is it because I'll turn 30 later this year? I have the strangest urge to decoupage. Knit. Quilt, even! Then again, I've got a hot date with Spidey tonight.... ... (continued)
gluttony (April 29, 2002) For four days, I have entertained and celebrated; I have drunk and dined. I have wallowed in decadence. I shall never eat again. Thursday I warmed up with baked brie and a black & tan at Fado, then moved to... ... (continued)
wilderness first aid (April 26, 2002) Back in 1996, every week brought a new dream of escape from the routine drudgery of work: a Ph.D. program in literature at a university in the Pacific Northwest; a tour in the Peace Corps. It was for the latter... ... (continued)
gifts (April 22, 2002) Yesterday, a day of ritualized gift-giving and celebration. I met my mom at her house, and we walked down the street to a bridal shower given for Jae by the ladies of Bondbrook. For the first hour, we drank lemonade... ... (continued)
Utilikilt® (April 15, 2002) As we walked to Eastern Market, E told me he'd seen a man in Atomic Billiards wearing a Utilikilt®. A real-life sighting! We'd read about Utilikilts® in the New York Times some weeks ago, and energetically discussed their comfort and... ... (continued)
pocket park (April 13, 2002) The chatty, outgoing woman who organizes the care of our pocket park met me in the garden this morning. She drew me a map of my plot: lilies, daffodils, irises, shasta daisies, rosebushes, beebalm, peony, primroses, violets, coneflowers, tulips, spiderswort,... ... (continued)
birds (April 09, 2002) Seen in the city: American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Lots more I haven't identified. Seen while canoeing on the Potomac: Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Barred Owl (Strix varia)... ... (continued)
mourning doves () The doves seem to be gone. They, a pair, come back each year around this time, E says. They chase each other across the rooftops, and eye us inside as they tiptoe across the windowsills. I woke very early one... ... (continued)
buffalo dreams (April 08, 2002) Last night I dreamed a buffalo followed me everywhere I went. It was big and shaggy and stupid, and persistent as hell. It followed me all the way across the desert to Las Vegas. It didn't mean me any harm,... ... (continued)
siesta (April 04, 2002) Why do I need a nap? Perhaps the sharp increase in my social activity has taken its toll. Tuesday, Justin hosted the first barbecue of 2002: We broke in the $9.99 grill with juicy vegetable kabobs; congratulated our host on... ... (continued)
seen on the subway (April 02, 2002) On a poster advertising Comtrex ("Take at the first sign of a cold"), someone wrote in marker, "Just take Vitamin C + E." Later, apparently, the vandal edited his blunt graffito to strike a more gentle tone: "Just take I... ... (continued)
Friday afternoon, Dupont Circle, 72º (March 29, 2002) This is not the year's first sunny, springlike day, just the most recent in a series of false starts, but it enlivens everyone. Standing on the grass alone a man tosses and spins a wooden rifle -- is he practicing... ... (continued)
vernal equinox (March 21, 2002) Yesterday, it rained. This afternoon, I got a sunburn. Tonight, the wind blows trash by my third-story window.... ... (continued)
sick (March 18, 2002) I've got a little nest on the couch, and I've been spending a lot of time there. My nest has a blanket, a V-neck sweater, 4 throw pillows, my glasses, tissues, a yellowing coverless water-damaged mass-market copy of Moby Dick,... ... (continued)
pull! (March 04, 2002) I don’t know why George invited me to shoot skeet. Because I was so unlikely? Vegetarian, liberal -- he probably didn't expect me to enjoy firing a shotgun. On an impish whim I accepted and planned to prove him wrong.... ... (continued)
getting in touch with my animal instincts (February 27, 2002) I was heading downstairs to the so-called "Million-Dollar Deli" for an overpriced but thick, warm, and tasty cup of vegetarian soup. I stepped into the empty elevator and pressed L. Sometime after the door shut and before I reached the... ... (continued)
Vegetable Challenge #2: Cauliflower () Not quite the success that the curry zucchini cakes were, but tasty and nutritious nonetheless. Recipe from The Enchanted Brocolli Forest. E had much more success than me in the kitchen last week, throwing together a stir fry so nice... ... (continued)
Van Ness Station (February 15, 2002) An Asian man in dress slacks and a checked sport coat boarded the first car and walked to the center doors. He cleared his throat, said, "Good morning, excuse me," and began singing an English-language Christian hymn. He sang not... ... (continued)
Vegetable Challenge #1: Zucchini (February 13, 2002) I like to cook, and yet I hardly ever do, because I like to follow a recipe or at least use one for a guideline. That means I have to pick a recipe, then go to the store and buy... ... (continued)
St. Valentine (February 12, 2002) When asked earlier this week, I said I felt indifferent about Valentine's Day, but I was wrong. I was indifferent about it when I was single. I wasn't bothered by the smoochy gooey couples and the heart-shaped everything. I rather... ... (continued)
Saturday (February 11, 2002) Warm and sunny, dribbled away on a halfhearted photo shoot, a little window shopping at Goodwood, halfhearted computer bridge, and a one-mile run. I looked forward to gaining a sense of productivity and focus in the darkroom, but alas, it... ... (continued)
before 6:00 ... (February 08, 2002) ... Three days in the office felt like 2 weeks. What gives? After 6:00: Sitting on a stool at Biddy Mulligan's, thoroughly content; drinking my Caffrey's, eating fresh roasted nuts, and watching people in Dupont Circle.... ... (continued)
I heart Petrovitch Auto Repair (February 06, 2002) Before work E and I walked to Petrovitch Auto Repair to pick up my car. On Florida Avenue we saw signs of gentrification: new condos with huge windows in the midst of rundown rowhouses. On the northeast corner of 14th... ... (continued)
day 2 of MS Project training (February 05, 2002) Rather than eat at the terrible deli, Wendy's, McDonald's, or the mediocre Mexican strip-mall restaurant, I ate a homemade lunch in front of the computer and planned on taking a walk. Calverton has many aesthetic and functional flaws; among them... ... (continued)
two day outlook (January 31, 2002) state of my Honda (January 30, 2002)
smartypants (January 24, 2002)
yoga yoga yoga ()
In January 2000 I had no boyfriend and no hobbies to speak of. (Besides spending too much time at the local pool joint, that is.) ... (continued)
snow! (January 19, 2002) It came down hard today, finishing off with giant wet flakes. Soon we are supposed to get sleet and freezing rain. ... (continued)
bridge (January 13, 2002) ommmmmmm (January 10, 2002)
I went to my first ashtanga yoga class of 2002 on Sunday. Normally, the students form two rows facing each other and the teacher walks in the center. I find myself constantly distracted by other people in the class. On... ... (continued)
surprisingly slippery (January 09, 2002) It was surprisingly slippery out this morning. I watched one woman wipe out in front of me on the sidewalk, and saw another person lying under a blanket waiting for an ambulance, attended to by strangers with cellphones. E &... ... (continued)
