view from my corner

home (empty) home

photos of the new apartment

&dues&

O-M-G I am moving to California today!!!!!11!!1

zzzzzzz....

It has been a crazy few weeks. Crazy. I am so tired I can't sleep. I had a blast in DC with Brittny and Ashley but it went by in a blur and my vacation in Phoenix was picture-perfect (thank you, Krysten and Chanelle for such a lovely birthday!!). Then Krys flew back with me to Dallas to help me pack and it's just been non-stop packing and birthday-ing and seeing people before I move and my phone is ringing off the hook and brunches and lunches and dinners and musicals and laundry and cleaning and geez, I'm about to die. The last box was just taped shut and I'm about to pass out on the couch. After I watch the last 2 shows on my DVR and drink soy milk out of the carton because I packed all my glasses. Tomorrow (actually, in just a few hours) the movers come, the cable guy comes to take away my cable box and modem (*sob!*) and then I have to work work work at the Dallas Convention Center and dogsit for Sebastian until next Monday, when I fly to SF and hit the ground running over there.

More to come soon, including photos of my new tattoo and the tale of the how I escaped a villain on a Segway, but for now, another plug for independent filmmakers I know- you can view the trailer and donate to the film at A Face in the Rock.

August 13

Today is the anniversary of the births of Alfred Hitchcock, Annie Oakley, Dan Fogelberg, Don Ho, Bert Lahr, Fidel Castro, and me.

iTravel

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 4am EST and worked for 8 hours, and took an hour-long, un-air conditioned taxi ride to Dulles airport, where I was shuffled onto a people mover with a broken door, and then my flight was delayed 2 hours. After I finally got on an airplane, I promptly fell asleep, and woke up 45 minutes later to find out we were still sitting at the gate. Apparently everyone had been grounded for so long that there was a 45-plane line to get onto the runway. We finally took off around 11pm. Uuuuugh.

I finally got home at 2am CST, an entire 23 hours after I woke up that morning. I took a quick shower and toppled into bed, to wake up 5 hours later, throw my dirty clothes into a smaller suitcase and dash off to another airport.

NOW, finally, I am on vacation. Hello, Phoenix! Brad just made me a cocktail and is now making flat bread and falafel while Krysten is mixing up some cucumber salad and Bryce is showing me how his toy airplane turns into a rocket ship. "It's not breaking it, Miss Jamie; it's just taking it apart."

This is where I come to vacation. I love to travel but I always jam-pack my days full of fun things, and then I need a vacation to get over my vacation. I love seeing my family but I have to be all social and on my best behavior. Here at Krysten's, I have my own wing- really, a room and bathroom above the garage- my own door, my own key, my own air conditioner and coffee pot and cable and internet... the pool is just at the bottom of the stairs- I can go to bed when I want and get up when I want and be quiet when I want and have someone to talk to when I want. Krysten and Brad are both very generous with their home and also very laid-back about my being here. They're always willing to make me a cocktail or let me have free reign in the kitchen.

With my crazy work week (80 hours in 7 days) and the 3-hour time difference, I forced myself to stay up until 11. I honestly can't believe I woke up at 7:30!! I feel great though, and now I think I'll go downstairs and make some coffee, then possibly take a morning swim. Birthday festivities tonight!! Pictures to follow.

~whew!!~

We got an apartment!!!!

don't stop believin'

Thanks to my friend Bill in the sign shop, check out my desk here in Washington, DC:

It all started last week when Ashley and I saw a 30-minute TimeLife infomercial hosted by Air Supply (the best part) about classic soft rock. It was hysterical, we loved it, and the very next day I saw that air band epsiode of Scrubs, and it was hysterical, we loved it, so I made her a "yacht rock" playlist:

Isn't it awesome? We've been air banding all week. My only regret is that I had no Christopher Cross to contribute. In case you can't read the playlist, it's as follows:

1. Dance with Me, Orleans
2. Sister Golden Hair, America
3. Take On Me, a-Ha
4. More Than Words, Extreme
5. Your Kiss is on my List, Hall & Oates
6. It Never Rains in Southern California, Albert Hammond
7. Making Love Out of Nothing at All, Air Supply
8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears
9. Died in Your Arms, Cutting Crew
10. I Don't Want to Live Without Your Love, Chicago
11. Come Sail Away, Styx
12. Alone Again (Naturally), Gilbert O'Sullivan
13. The Wind, Cat Stevens
14. Rosanna, Toto
15. More Than a Feeling, Boston
16. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
17. Don't Stop Believin', Journey

Anyway, not a lot to report- busy, stressed, it's hot, it's humid, whatever.

I heart coffee.

I always say to Tom that the first sip of coffee in the morning is my favorite time of the day. It's just like... a drug. And he laughs and says, yes, Jamie, caffeine IS a drug, but I don't mean the caffeine. I mean coffee. I'll never understand people that don't like the taste of coffee. I mean, I love onions- but I can see why some people wouldn't. Ditto with fish. But coffee??? Not liking coffee is just... inconceivable to me.

Anyway, I was cleaning up around here, packing boxes, and I found an old script from a play I was in in college. It was written, directed, and produced by a student named Jake, a friend of mine, and it was called The Deadbeat Club. I don't remember a lot about it except that it took place in a bar, my character had to have an orgasm onstage (and naive little 19-year old Jamie really had no idea how to do that, lol), and someone died, I don't even remember which character. I have an old VHS taping of it somewhere, which I fear would be torture to watch, BUT-- it had this great monologue in it about coffee, spoken by the group druggie:

Marah:
I tell you now, my friends, that there is no drug more ... what's the word? PUISSANT, than coffee. You say "But coffee is not a drug; you're thinking of caffeine." No, I've done caffeine by itself, and its effect is nowhere near as profound as the entire coffee experience. The color, the warmth, the smell... but I jump ahead. Let me set a scene for you:

A thick, plain white mug, chipped- the pot, stained, dull pseudo-glass- the gurgling flow of the potion into the mug-- steam fairies across the surface of the black brew; aroma, the shameless bean, bitter, sharp- the mug, snug in your palm, but ouch! too hot!! the various condiments- granulated sugar, pure sugar, saccharine, aspartame, milk, non-dairy creamer, edible oil product- rapture! to the lips! the elixir, the temperature without punishment to the palate, the perfect taste; a wash down the gullet and into the welcoming stomach, thence to the bloodstream; from the blood to the senses: Awakening... Potency... Oneness... COFFEE!!

I'm headed out to DC here in a little bit. I'm pretty grouchy and am not looking forward to my week, but after that I go to Phoenix for my birthday and then back here to pack up. Please send all prayers, luck, juju, good wishes, and whatever else you can for Susannah and me to find an apartment soon. I'm starting to really stress about it. I can't really do anything else (forward my mail, change over my renter's insurance, book movers) until I have an address, and come Sept 1 we will both be homeless. *whimper*

iPack

I've been a bit absent from blogging for a while, and I'd like to express that while I may be a lazy blogger, I have certainly not been being lazy. I would list out all the many tasks I've accomplished this week to make you all proud (and tired on my behalf) but I imagine there's a possibility that people are not all that interested in my to-do list. Suffice it to say that I have been uber-productive this week and I'm summarily exhausted. I've also been trying to spend time with people before I go and therefore have had lunch and/or dinner plans every single day. I kind of love people this week.

I leave tomorrow for DC and then go straight to Phoenix for my birthday extravaganza, and then come back for 4 days of super-packing with Krysten before I load the truck.

Oh, and when I'm not packing or seeing people, I'm cramming for the GRE. *yawn*