diggingtunnels

an entry from my nose

2009-02-18T20:34:06Z

There once was a time when Illume Candles offered a scent called Ylang Ylang Musk. It is one of my favorite smells, but they discontinued it. Today I found my old candle on top of my fridge. Only 1/5 of it is left. I am burning it but the smell isn't as strong.

My other favorite scents are Lush's American Cream hair conditioner and Burberry The Beat. And L'Occitane products.

A Partial Review of Keane's Perfect Symmetry

2008-10-16T00:08:08Z

Perfect symmetry. Because some symmetry isn't perfect.

1. Spiralling (sic). I genuinely got down to this song last night. Usually it takes a few tries for me to enjoy a song, but this was pretty instantaneous.

2. Lovers Are Losing. Solid intro, but from 0:26 on I was wondering if the past tense of "dream" is really "dreamed" or not. The chorus saves the song. And that synth! Yeah!

3. Better Than This. Tom continues using the word "dreamed," which makes an okay song even less okay to me. I'm pretty sure it's "dreamt." (?)

4. You Haven't Told Me Anything. Yeah.

5. Perfect Symmetry. This is when the album started sounding U2 to me. Especially the "Wah-oh-oh-ohs" when they're building the song back up again.

6. You Don't See Me. Slowwww and again, U2. I can't place it but I think I've heard that piano piece before..

Upcoming partial reviews: Way to Normal by Ben Folds; Day & Age by the Killers; Paper Trail by T.I. Look out for it!!!

door knobs

2008-08-31T00:53:06Z

About four months after I moved in, I noticed that the door knobs on the bathroom door didn't match.

diggingtunnels @ 2008-04-27T22:40:00

2008-04-28T02:46:00Z

I know I've been spending money like I have some. Tonight I sat down and looked at the evidence. As in, I looked at my online credit card statements.

Things that may be to blame:
1. I like organic food.
2. I like going out for coffee.
3. I like to have a good time!

There are other things to note.
4. I bought two plane tickets. (That went under "Public Transportation.")
5. Three hundred dollars later, I got my car registered in DC. (That's under "Car.")
6. I often use the Friend ATM* when it comes to eating out, so that might be up a few dollars. Although I'm sure the cash received went towards... eating out some more.

*Friend ATM: When going out to eat, putting the entire bill on your credit card while your friends give you what they owe in cash.

wine whine

2008-03-27T01:37:07Z

Note: sauvignon blanc is not good. Yuck.

Easter

2008-03-25T23:10:54Z

I went to Ohio last weekend. It snowed. Come on, Ohio. When're you gonna feel the effects of global warming? My visit was only two days long, thank God. But I was able to see my sister and the cutest nephew in the world.

He eats!

He climbs stairs!

He plays guitar!

He lets me hold him! (Sometimes.)

diggingtunnels @ 2008-03-19T23:26:00

2008-03-20T03:29:33Z

I just learned what Rick Rolling is. Hilarious. I enjoy the pie chart:

St Patrick's Day in Review

2008-03-19T02:20:48Z

Confession: I can't stop listening to "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus. Srsly. Awesome. Omgzzz.

Yesterday = my friend on spring break + St Patrick's Day + green beads. I had people over my apartment and we drank an assortment of Irish beers (Harp, Guinness, Smithwick). Then we went to Kelly's and drank and drank and drank and drank and drank and... yeah! Highlights: bagpipers. A free beer. Lowlight: disgusting bathrooms.

Today, my friend told me I might get liver disease. Oh, no! I am on an alcohol strike. To be continued...

St Patrick's Day Weekend

2008-03-15T21:29:31Z

Have you ever been invited to an Ides of March party and then you show up with a friend and realize that you and said friend are the only ones wearing togas? Don't you hate that?!

(Here is where I would insert a photo of me in a toga, but I've been really bad about carrying a camera around. But I'm sure it'll get leaked in the next day or two, right?)

I could not be any more excited for St. Patrick's Day. I spent the earlier part of this afternoon looking for a green shirt. Thanks to H&M and a $20 bill, I am set. That, and some green Mardi Gras beads? I will be rockin'.

I went to an Aveda Institute today, looking for a cheap eyebrow wax. I've never been before, and found that the place has the look and feel of a... laboratory. All of the technicians, as they're called, wore white lab coats and were over-the-top friendly. They sit you in a waiting room with some eastern inspired furniture, soothing meditation music playing, and a survey for you to fill out. With lots of questions. Weird questions. They ask about your medical history. How much exposure to the sun you've had. If you're pregnant. If you're expected to have your period next week. Then the waxing itself takes about 30 minutes, because the technician is learning and has to have two people drop by and make sure she didn't miss a hair or wax one brow off. But boy do my brows look great.

I walked a freaking lot today. I'ma take a nap.

Next week is all about
1. Doing taxes
2. Haircut
3. Doctor's appt
4. Working overtime
5. Going to Ohio for Easter on Friday night

diggingtunnels @ 2008-03-10T23:51:00

2008-03-11T03:57:58Z

Tonight, I made some Jamaican-style sweet potatoes and vegan chocolate cake. This raised some questions I had about food... take notice.

Baking soda versus baking powder
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and used in cookies. Baking powder is sodium bicarbonate with acidifying agent and drying agent! And it's used in cakes and biscuits.

Sweet potatoes versus yams
Sweet potatoes are found in tropical America and has thin yellow skin or thicker orange skin. Yams are found in Central and South America, west Indies, Africa and Asia. Yams are crazier. "The true yam is not marketed or grown widely in the United States. Where it is marketed, is usually in Latin American markets. A yam can be as small as a potato and can grow as large as 7 feet and weigh over 120 pounds! The flesh can range in color from off-white to yellow to pink to purple! The skin color can be from off-white to a dark brown."

I discovered Maximo Park's cover of "Like I Love You." It's fantastic.

fuzz and no dodgeball

2008-03-08T21:18:01Z

I'm tired.

Last night, a coworker invited me to a happy hour in Baltimore, so I drove us down to the Red Tree, which is a lovely tapas bar on Charles Street. We ordered lots of different tapas, and I had some sangria and two chocolate espresso martinis (which are delicious!). We stayed for awhile, and then I drove her back to her house. As I was pulling out of her driveway, I checked my phone for new messages. Then I saw a police car coming my way. I made a right, and then the police car turned and started following me. I'm focusing on maintaining the legal speed. So far, so good. I made it about a mile until I see lights in my rear view mirror. Great. I'm wondering what this could be about. Driving the speed limit too well? Maybe they saw me check my phone. Hrmph.

A police officer asks for my license and registration. I hand over my license but realize my registration is in my other wallet. I tell her that, but I'll keep looking in my car anyway. She walks back to her car. Another police officer walks over and asks if I found the registration. I tell him no, I'm fairly certain it's at home. He walks over to the car. Then the first officer returns and asks if I mind doing a sobriety test, just to make sure I can make it home to DC okay (since I'm 20 miles away). I shrug and say fine.

Now, I've never done a sobriety test. I had imagined it to be walking in a straight line and saying your ABCs backwards. As it turns out, it's..

1. Walk 9 steps, turn, walk 9 steps back.
2. Stand on one foot for as long as possible, counting the seconds out loud.
3. The officer holds a pen in front of you. You have to follow the tip of the pen with your eyes only as he moves it left and right, up and down.
4. Very embarrassing. And difficult in heels! :/

So I did the stupid test. Like I said, it was difficult to stand on one foot in heels. Or walk in heels when you're scared silly that they're going to fail you. They told I wasn't doing that super. I retorted, ummm I had three drinks in a six hour time frame, and I ate food! Then they made me an offer -- I can get my friend to come pick me up and hang out with her for a couple of hours, or I can go to jail. I thought about it, then decided to call my friend. They ended up giving me a warning for what they originally pulled me over for -- my tag light was out. And now I sigh heavily.

The fiasco made me miss my dodgeball tournament in the morning. And now dodgeball season is over!

YES

2008-03-01T02:25:29Z

living the high life

2008-02-29T03:44:28Z

I came to the startling realization that I drank a whole lot of Miller Lite lately, and I haven't paid for any of it. Let's recap.

1. Last Friday -- when the weird guy hit on me, he bought me a Miller lite. I asked for a Natty Bo, but he responded, "That stuff is shit! How about a Miller lite?" Winner.

2. Tuesday -- went to Happy Hour and karaoke, and my friend picked up my tab of Miller Lites. Nice guy. However, I spilled the second one all over my purse and shoes, but pulled myself together and serenaded the crowd with "Paint It Black."

3. Wednesday -- went to a Happy Hour, ordered a couple of Miller Lites. Asked to close the tab, and the bartender responded, "I thought you closed your tab. *pause* Just come visit us soon!" Nice gal.

4. Wednesday, again -- my friend offered me white wine or Miller lite. Went for the obvious choice here, people.

5. Today -- Went to an overpriced bar after work. Ordered a China Doll, tasty. Realized I couldn't afford another $9 drink, so a friend ordered us two Miller Lites. The bartender screwed up the bill, so that ML was on the house!

It's almost Friday. :)

I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam

2008-02-24T21:05:21Z

There are little things that I enjoy in life. NPR's All Songs Considered. Open air markets. Watching four Sex and the City episodes in a row. That's how I roll on the weekends, enjoying the little things. This morning, I watched the movie Juno, which left me in a good mood. Good soundtrack, too. I'm sure the reader already knows it, because it seems like everyone saw that movie before me! Which is why I just went by myself instead of trying to find someone who hasn't seen it.

Friday night was funny. My friend came over so we can commence Happy Hour Week 2008, when we go to happy hour every day for a week... ideally, this would be done in the same week, but since we're busy next Friday, we decided to start today and then roll over into the next week. We drank a lot of champagne, ate Ethiopian food, and then went to a bar/dance floor, where we decided to buy a couple of boys some drinks (something we've only seen done in the movies!). Of course, we bought that $2 natty Bo's, but I guess they liked it. We talked with them for a bit, but then this other guy started hitting on me. I wasn't really impressed by him, actually. So when he and his friends went to the bar to get another drink, my friend and I hightailed it out of there. We are pretty awesome people like that.

However, I didn't fall asleep until 5am that night, so Saturday was pretty much deemed useless. I went to my dodgeball game, then to Potbelly's, and then did some laundry when getting home... but then I fell asleep at 7:30pm. I didn't wake up until 9am this morning! It was glorious.

To sum,
1. I like new music.
2. And watching good movies.
3. I'm about to make some scones.
4. "Autoclave" by the Mountain Goats rulezzzz.

I kind of want to see this movie, if just for the line "Going out? Good time?"

On 14 February

2008-02-16T02:38:37Z

I would completely ignore Valentine's Day if it weren't for the several number of men carrying bouquets of flowers with them on their way to the train this morning, or the high percentage of women wearing pink or red sweaters, or the couple of coworkers tugging their foil balloons with lines scrawled on them like "I Miss You" to their cars. And I would be perfectly okay with not acknowledging the holiday at all (except when I ate those caramel-filled Hershey kisses, delightful!), but I received a slew of text messages and emails after work wishing me a happy Valentine's day, making me feel bad that I wasn't at least celebrating it somehow.. so I caved and went to a singles only Valentine's day party in my neighborhood. It actually turned out to be a good time. I met some interesting people. I remembered how much I like conversation hearts. Someone gave me a red and white rose. Of course, somehow I kept drinking and drinking until the next morning, when I woke up with a headache and no Gatorade in sight. And I was craving electrolytes. I spent the day in bed, and finally rolled out at about 4:00pm to hit up Subway. The sweet onion sauce is amazing.

This post was never supposed to be about Valentine's Day. I actually wrote my entry on the way back from work yesterday.

Nothing like unmet NYRs and a hangover to make you feel like a giant slacker.

Baby, baby it's a wild world

2008-02-11T02:39:43Z

Outside the Library of Congress.

I spent the weekend in my neighborhood this weekend. Yesterday, I played with my camera a bit, but the setting sun and my lack of knowledge made for many dark photos. Today, I woke up and went for a run (!), and then I met up with friends for brunch. It was fantastic. I think I need to repeat the Sunday run + brunch routine. Later, I bought some supplies for my fireplace mantle. It'll be a simple, purple shelf. I'm pretty excited about it and hope I can execute it well. Then I met my friend and we went ice skating near the sculpture garden.

Overall, a good weekend. It makes me happy that I live in a city.

I need to start somewhere...

2008-02-09T17:41:51Z

New Orleans.

That city is so lush and has a great personality. I wanted to capture it all with my camera, but I think I need to read the instruction manual some more.