Oh, c’mon. Like y’all haven’t said that at least once to yourselves since 2012 began.

Cheesy and incorrect associations with the Mayan calendar aside (and I must scoff a bit at TNT, playing Deep Impact on New Year’s Eve), it’s time for Sonnet 87’s 2011 Year in Review (hey, better late than never, right?). And what a year it was.

Kinda. Well, let’s see:

January 2011: Looking back at the blog posts for 2011, I’m surprised that my heavy discontent with my old job began so early in the year. With the news that the consultant/crony hire was going to be taking on writing tasks that I was absolutely tailored for, I’m floored. Utterly floored and somewhat heartbroken to think that my former company valued me so little. It was something of a blow because—and here’s why I’m surprised at the timeframe looking back—the change was truly abrupt. Now that I think about it, it coincided with the ascension of the crony’s friend who got her the job. And that coincided with me distancing myself from a coworker who kind of had a “Married Mexican Female” fixation on me. In abandoning her to her own devices (and essentially allying myself with everyone else who’d realized she was crazy and manipulative—yes, I was slow on the uptake), she realized she was on her own and decided to essentially go rogue. And that meant screwing everyone else over. Bad part? It worked with the VP and that, in the end, was all that mattered. How a company can be skewed eleventy billion to two and still have the two come out on top is mind boggling. But there it is. For fun, IP and I visit Mathgeek in Boston (and it is frickin’ cold!), enjoying some time with him while he works through his independent activity period. We also traveled to New York City—I got to see my first Broadway show (Wicked). The end of the month was spent in a cold-induced stupor thanks to PEPCO’s inability to keep the power on.

February 2011: I celebrate five years in the city, getting my only DC Blogs mention of the year out of it (which doesn’t surprise me—at this point, DC Blogs is so predictable that I can tell you which blogger will be cited which day of the week, so I’ve stopped reading). I post a bunch of book reviews that month as my reading gears up for another page-heavy year. I begin training for the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, and reassure myself that starting over from scratch, running-wise, isn’t the worst thing in the world. There are rumblings of a shutdown, and I’m so unhappy at work that I hope for it to happen.

March 2011: My work discontent continues, so much so that I take a mental health day. But I’m so stressed by the situation that my stomach starts to act up, big time—I’m in constant pain, am perpetually worried, and (TMI) forever running to the restroom. It’s worse during morning commutes, but I still feel sick during my evening rides, too. I try not to let it bother me, but it starts to hamper my everyday life and my race training. I just can’t get rid of my anxiety, but at the time I don’t make the connection to work. My parents visit and my mom encourages me to apply to a particular, venerable institution, saying they’d love me (well …). Funny enough, said venerable institution has a job opening that’s up my alley, posted the week after my mom makes the suggestion that I go work there. I apply. What the hell, right? IP and I celebrate nine years together.

April 2011: What the hell is right. I’m given a phone interview with venerable institution shortly after I apply for the job. I think I do okay—I flub one question, but otherwise I think I do fine. I’m proved right when I get a callback for a full interview. As government shutdown rumblings continue, I nobly sacrifice my need for time away by detailing what I’ll do if we go into shutdown mode. As predicted, my noble sacrifice is accepted and the government continues to run. I run a successful Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race, shaving seven goddamn minutes off of my last time—seven minutes, y’all! Let’s hope this year sees something similar. I join IP in volunteering for a new project that he’s working on and end up meeting a lot of great people. Over the year, I’ll become more involved with the project and enjoy the work I’m doing. Dear lord, if we both could do this full time …

May 2011: I have my interview, which I feel goes well. Aside from interviewing with my would-be boss, I don’t interact with other members of my would-be team. That unnerves me just a bit, but I decide it’s all good and just resolve to put the interview out of my mind because after it comes … Cancún! IP and I enjoy our favorite resort once again, basking in the glowing warm glow of the Caribbean sun and loving every minute of it. I turn 33 and get to see Paul Simon perform on my birthday proper—an awesome gift if there ever was one. An even bigger gift: the weekend before my birthday, I’m told that I’ve been offered the job at venerable institution. I’m so happy that I break down crying at Rosslyn Metro.

June 2011: And then June arrived. June was incredibly angst-y for me; while my interview process went quickly, my offer process dragged. I provided all the information that I could, but I could not get the HR person assigned to me to budge on getting me an offer letter. What made this worse was that I had a work trip planned for July—I needed to bow out as soon as possible. Halfway through the month, the offer finally arrived. It was actually a tough decision—do I leave the work friends that I know, abandon a work trip that I enjoy, to go work for an org that had a hard time putting together an offer letter for me? Is that just a fluke of HR? What kind of a situation would I be walking into? It’s the type of job I want to do, but what will it be like? And what kind of ties would I be possibly rending by walking away from the work trip? My worry about rending ties proved to be for naught—everyone was supremely happy for me and told me not to worry about the trip, that these things can’t be timed. Leaving my work friends at the end of the month was incredibly difficult. I was unhappy with the work, but I loved the majority of the people I worked with. They’re a wonderfully funny and caring group that kept me laughing even when everything was going to shit. But leave them I do on the last day of the month.

July 2011: Before starting my new gig, I have a week off to myself that I try to enjoy to the fullest. I get errands done, do some shopping, and try to psych myself up for the new position. I am geeked beyond all belief to finally have a job that’s up my alley and want it to go well. The month is spent adjusting to the new routine, the new commute, the new people, and the new environment.

August 2011: Again with the adjusting. IP and I manage to get away for a few days, but not for anything relaxing. We celebrate IP’s birthday and our second wedding anniversary in style by heading to one of our favorite restaurants. It’s a relatively quiet month as far as 2011 goes.

September 2011: Same for September. But IP and I do enjoy the offerings of the National Book Festival, expanded to two days for 2011. We hear Jennifer Egan, Sarah Vowell, and Sherman Alexie, among many wonderful others, speak. Making an event out of it, we stay downtown and have a nice dinner out and a lovely brunch before the second day begins. This is a D.C. event we truly, truly love.

October 2011: Another busy month. I have one entry for October 2011, and it’s a book review. I can’t even begin to remember what was going on that month. I kept busy with work, my volunteer work, and reading.

November 2011: Here we start to see a sudden shift. Things at work get a bit shaky—venerable institution is going through changes and it’s affecting my unit. I start to notice that my team hasn’t warmed up to me; the arrival of a new person, and her immediate acceptance, is a stark contrast to the stiffness I still feel from my coworkers. It alarms me since I usually get along well with coworkers—sure, I’ve snarked about work moms talking too much about their kids, but at least they seemed to enjoy talking to me. I start to feel unsure of my place and begin to worry. At home, IP and I are as strong as ever, though, and he proves to be an amazing shoulder to lean on once again.

December 2011: That sudden shift begins to feel very dramatic when I’m assigned the worst thing in the world at work: an event. With the changes, the introduction of events to our workload (though I’m hoping they’re not permanent), and my coworkers’ stiffness, I begin to doubt that I’ll ever truly feel comfortable at my new job. The work I was hired to do has to be shifted to others so I can deal with areas that I’m not fond of and left my old place to avoid. I fret to IP. I resolve to take things as they come (and pretend I have no clue about events) and try not to stress out too much (I am succeeding somewhat). I also begin to casually peruse my D.C. jobs feed (yeah, I know … kinda sad, isn’t it?). IP and I head to Michigan for the holidays and enjoy the company of my family. My family, as always, is sympathetic to my work plight. My mom, psychic as ever, tells me she suspected as much; both my parents tell me that, should I want to find a new job, I could chalk this up as a lesson learned and just proceed with my life. Alongside IP, their support is awesome. We’re showered with gifts, plied with good food and alcohol, and have a relaxing, great time. IP and I ended the year as we love to—in each other’s arms, wishing each other a great New Year and expressing our gratitude that we get to spend 2012 together.

On New Year’s Day, I woke up to IP turning to me and saying “I love my beautiful wife.” And that right there, having his love: in the end, that’s all that really matters as I go through this uncertain professional period.

So I begin 2012 with a bit of trepidation on the career front, but there are things to look forward to: another Cancún trip is upcoming and we’re both looking for better balance in our lives. We’ll be celebrating a decade together this year—who knew? But I’m so happy we’re here. I’m training for both the Rock ‘n Roll USA Half-Marathon and the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run (yes, got in again!). I’m going to try to do a better job of visiting my family in 2012. I’m also going to try to not make a ton of “end of the world” jokes. But no firm promises on that front.

Onward to 2012 we go!

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

Anyway. What’s up? Nothing much over here, ‘cept …

• For 2012, the husband and I are all set for our first vacation of year. And we’re going back to Cancun. Oh hell, yeah. Our resort of choice, awesome as they are, held a sale that consisted of resort credits (which was part of this year’s package—it works out splendidly) and up to 20 percent off the price of some rooms. We ended up buying an extra day, we were so thrilled with the price. And? Direct flights both ways. That is priceless, I tell you.
• I’ve once again thrown in my hat for the 2012 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. Here’s hoping I’m able to get in—it’d be great to have Cherry Blossom as a running goal in addition to the Rock ‘n Roll USA Half-Marathon. Both events will not only force me to train, but I might be a few pounds lighter for Cancun thanks to training. Superficial? Yes, but who wants to feel gunky in a bathing suit?

And now, a random running funny

• Speaking of racing, did y’all hear about the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K debacle? Yikes! When I first got the email advertising the race in June/July, something seemed … off. As some bloggers who ran the race said, it seemed to be all about CHOCOLATE! with no details on the logistics of the race. As much as I despise and want to avoid event planning in any way, shape or form in the future, I’ll still always recognize when an event is poorly planned—and this seemed to have all the ingredients from the get go. So even though they kept on sending me emails (CHOCOLATE! FREE JACKET!), I decided I’d be better off avoiding the race. Boy, am I glad I did. Me + 1 Hour Waiting + Occasionally Nervous Stomach + No Bathrooms = BAD SITUATION. Let’s not even talk about the race course itself or the logistics of fitting 20,000 people at National Harbor. Hell, even getting to the National Harbor would’ve been a task and a half for yours truly. Can I mention how grateful I am that the Jingle Bell All the Way event is now at Freedom Plaza?

And with that note, my randomness will cease. (And I now realize that most of this randomness was brought to you by running.)

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

• The Wings beat the Caps 3-2 last night in Detroit. All is well in the world.
• I sort of, kind of kicked ass during the St. Patrick’s Day 8K in D.C. this past weekend. And my race pictures? They’re not bad, and most race pictures kind of make you look like Shrek. It gives me hope that I’ll have a good race for the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, but knock on wood! So far training’s going well with the exception of some weird foot tension that I hope doesn’t develop into anything. After the race, though, I’ll be focusing on weights for a while (while still doing some base running, though).
• As I posted on Twitter, I got to hear someone getting sick on the train this morning. I swear that at first it sounded like someone was opening an unruly bottle of sparkling water, but then I realized: someone is throwing up behind me. And as bad as I feel for the guy, I am pretty grateful that I wasn’t sitting in front of him (instead, our backs were to each other). I had noticed him before because he had barreled onto the train, not allowing the passengers to get off before he boarded. I do hope it was just early St. Patrick’s Day partying, or at least a stomach bug. The driver of the car didn’t seem too concerned when she was told; perhaps she radioed for a clean-up? The guy jetted off the train at McPherson Square, so I don’t know if he wanted help or not.
• My parents are flying in today to visit with IP and me for the weekend. While they haven’t expressed interest at all in spending time downtown, I will dutifully ask again. I do know that they want to go to a place that was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that’s about two miles from where we live, so I’ll be fulfilling that dream for them. Because my mom is a practicing Catholic, though, we need to choose our dining establishments carefully to make sure they have good seafood or vegetarian options for her. I don’t doubt, though, that she’ll cluck her tongue at me for not observing Lent. Would it be terribly wrong of me to shove a piece of pork down my maw and proclaim how good it is? Yes, it would. I won’t do that, I’ll just side-eye her when she tells me I’m Catholic.
• I’ll confess that I call holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and now Cinco de Mayo “Happy We’ll Appropriate without Knowing the Meaning Behind It, Just as an Excuse to Get Drunk!” Day. I mostly say it in my head, but I fail to see the appeal of St. Patrick’s Day (not being Irish and all) and am majorly annoyed by the co-opting of Cinco de Mayo (and I do wonder how many second- and third- and so on-generation Mexicans actually know significance of the date, too; and I do get annoyed by it being billed as a celebration of all Latinos because, dudes, you may speak Spanish, but you did not fight off the French on May 5, 1862). Because, really, I can get drunk any day of the year I choose to. It’s one of those things that I don’t really need a holiday for, at all. Also, the cover charges at restaurants for St. Patrick’s Day are ridiculous. I can get the job done for much less at home. Then again, I am an introvert; I’m not necessarily keen on getting drunk with many other people that close friends and family because some randomly appropriated holiday mandates it. (Yes, I am a holiday curmudgeon in case you were wondering! See all my Valentine’s Day posts.)

And that’s all I’ve got for you at the moment.

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

Instead, how about some random musings?

D.C.-centric: As 2011 continues its forward momentum, IP and I realized that the lease on our place will once again be up for renewal in the spring. We’ve started to discuss whether or not to take a two-year lease or continue in our current vein: one-year lease every year. I’m advocating for the two-year lease at the moment only because a) it’ll help keep our lease costs down in 2013 and 2) our landlord is a pretty reasonable and fair guy; he’s even said that if we needed to get out of the lease, he would release us provided we helped him find someone new. Fair enough. Given that we’re now starting Year Four of our stay in this apartment, our positions in D.C. seem pretty stable and we can’t fathom living elsewhere in the D.C. area, I’m content to sign for two years. I think IP is, too, but it’s something we need to weigh a bit more before the time comes to sign.

Book-centric: Dear characters in Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom—you are terribly messed up and your story seems to be going nowhere but down. However, I have gobbled up said story and only have 100 pages to go. Remind me why I didn’t enjoy The Corrections when Freedom’s been such a breeze? I remarked to IP the other day that, at the time of my reading, I believe I was a far less sophisticated reader and analyst; I’m thinking of giving The Corrections another try juuuuuust in case. (However, I was and still am enough of a serious reader to recognize then and now that Jodi Picoult’s writing doesn’t hold a candle to Franzen’s. Period.)

Music-centric: The current album that is on constant repeat on my iPhone is the Wicked soundtrack. I was lucky enough (thanks to IP!) to see the musical not too long ago and enjoyed it greatly. I downloaded the album essentially for free with an iTunes card I received from taking opinion surveys and have enjoyed it ever since. I also really wish I could sing like a Broadway singer. Alas, I’m a croaker. Not a bad thing to run to, either, even though I created a playlist called “Cherry Blossom Special” for the purposes of training for the 10 mile race.

Running-centric: Speaking of running, my new-found joy in running has not abated. I’ve slowly but surely been challenging myself, keeping track of my progress with RunKeeper Pro. My times keep on getting shorter (so I’m obviously getting a bit faster). Once I took pressure off of myself to replicate exactly what I’d been doing from 1998-2006, my running improved immensely. I’m flirting with the idea of a fall half-marathon. That means slogging through training during a D.C. summer (bah!), but if I was able to train for New York City during summer 2006, a half should be within reach for fall 2011. I hope. We’ll see how Cherry Blossom goes first. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we don’t have another sixty-plus, 90+ degree days.

Baby-centric: IP and I are taking the first tentative, wobbly steps to finding a counselor or therapist to talk to regarding our concerns about possible parenthood. If you were to point a gun at me right now and say choose, my gut instinct tells me that I’d say nay to babes. Whatever baby fever is, I’ve yet to experience it in a sustained fashion. No matter how cute, adorable and seemingly joyful babies and kids are, I can’t shake the feeling of sadness at the idea of what IP and I would be giving up—essentially, freedom (see above? Ha, maybe). I am lucky in that the baby pressure has eased off; I’ve relegated a once-burgeoning friendship to professional acquaintance because of her unsolicited baby advice; my mother has thankfully stopped asking me when Grandchild #1 will appear (though I know she’s dying to ask, I admire her recent restraint). However, it’s still a question that IP and I have not answered fully to our mutual satisfaction, so that exploration will begin. We do realize we slacked off in 2010 and want to make a final decision in 2011. Should we decide yes, however, we will be establishing what we’ve termed the “Grandparent Management Plan” (GMP), a manual that would be needed to make sure that neither set of parents drives us insane. (And in case you think we’re joking, I can assure you: I at least am not. I would draft that sucker in a heartbeat.)

So, a Thursday post that’s a bit less bitchy that the one originally scheduled (standard and necessary Picoult diss notwithstanding).

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

There’s a lot I want to work on, but setting down resolutions is another thing—do I really want to do that? And what would they be? Lemme see . . .

1. Run More. While I did quite the number with weight lifting, I dropped off on cardio in general and with running specifically. I don’t want to go back to the days where I was running only, but I would like to find a run/weight balance that allows me to get faster with the running and allows me to build on the muscles that I have been nurturing these past few years. Thing is, the weight lifting has complimented and improved my running; towards the end of 2010, I would go for runs and feel as strong as I did when I was running in my early 20s. I kept on getting faster and my legs and core would carry me with no problem; my heart and lungs had a bit of catching up to do, but they did it quickly. With the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run on my plate again this year, I want to have a better time than I did in 2009 (I did not run it last year after all). After the 10 miler, I’m flirting with the idea of doing a half marathon, and then maybe venturing to marathon territory for 2012. I feel running calling to me; the question is, will I answer its summons? Let’s see how the 10 miler goes, and then we’ll see from there.
2. Write More. I am currently working on a short story that’s going very well, and I really hope to have it done and ready to have IP beta read it no later than mid-February. It’s far from perfect, but I’m not cringing each time I sit down to write it. The seed for the short story came to me out of nowhere. I’ve enjoyed it, and I hope to do more creative writing this year than I did last. I have two short story ideas that I really should expand upon. Finishing this first one, I think, will help me with the other stories.
3. Budget Better. I’ve done a decent job of this so far (having started in late 2010), but I think I could continue to do better. The nice thing is this: our car is nearly paid off and I am putting a lot more into my remaining student loan. I have been pretty good on the whole “do not buy clothes you don’t need!” and am really looking to have a healthier checking and savings balance than I have for a while. I’m not sure what would be a realistic percentage to aim for when cutting down my student loan, but IP and I will put our noggins together and try to figure that out so I can be debt free (and this is the only debt I have, so all in all, I don’t feel too badly about it, especially given how I nearly max out my 401k these days). I think I can do better. Yes, we can. (See what I did there?)

I think those are my biggies for the calendar year 2011. I feel like, faux-resolutions from 2010 aside, I was able to achieve a better balance with a lot of things in the past year. I don’t get upset at work as easily as I used to, so I find that my ability to hate on the job is tougher than it once was (unless they force me to outright lie like they did in May; then I get annoyed). My home life is very happy and I adore my family. I don’t feel like anything’s missing at all. I have an amazing husband who I know cherishes me and whom I love very much; rare is the time when I’m not laughing when we’re together. I am a very lucky woman to have such a fantastic man in my life. My siblings and parents make me laugh and groan, like all families should, with their wonderful selves. They care deeply about me, and I feel loved every time I talk to them (even when my mom is nagging me to give her a grandchild soon). I have some pretty good friends who I don’t see often enough, but love to talk to when I get the chance. I am a snarky, sardonic, sarcastic, curmudgeonly, impossible kind of woman, yet many, many people show they love me on a day-to-day basis. I hope that even though I’m snarky, sardonic, sarcastic, curmudgeonly and impossible with the rest of the world, they know I love them, too, and I treat them like they should be treated—with the same love and respect they give me.

So here’s a 2011 filled with more running, writing, and budgeting, but also filled with all the stupendous people I am lucky enough to have in my life. I hope that anyone reading this is also surrounded by people they love who will help them throughout the coming year. The best to everyone in 2011.

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

January 2010: I begin the year by doling out my book awards, pondering what my book club will be like (an aside: it’s pretty damn good), asking people to not ask me to touch their pregnant bellies, making fun of Paranormal Activity because it was just so goddamned stupid, advising people not to send “You can’t come to my wedding!” letters, getting goopy over the awesomeness of IP, and hating on the dresser that would always tear off skin from my finger when I closed the drawer. I also watched in despair as the Wings lost to the Caps at the Verizon Center, but managed to keep my chin up because I could see that the Wings had dominated the game and had only to come into their own—and they did, getting the best record in the league post-All-Star game.

February 2010: This month begins with a bang as the entire D.C. metro area is snowed in by Snowpocalypse 2010. Or snOMGII. Take your pick, but I don’t like Snowmaggedon. I write the first of only a few sonnets in dedication to this monumental storm, which traps us at home for four days and makes the commute on the fifth day nigh impossible. IP and I decide to start looking for jobs out West, but a slight change in plans that comes in July means we’re not moving there for a while. I rant against the idiocies of the Super Bowl and Super Bowl ads. A trip to Michigan to buy U-M paraphernalia and enjoy moderate amounts of snow puts me in a good mood. I end the month ranting about how my co-workers pronounce my name with a faux-Spanish accent. So much hate.

March 2010: IP and I book our delayed honeymoon to Cancún! I then engage in some online shopping in order to supplement my paltry summer clothing. I rant (hmm, I’m seeing a theme for 2010) about women who tell me to “just wait” for motherhood and all the glories and goriness it entails. I didn’t ask, so pray tell, why are you saying this to me? I hate self-satisfied, unsolicited parenting advice and intonations about how my LIFE WILL CHANGE. I get very sick and think it’s allergies, so I prolong my illness and succeed in passing it onto poor IP. I’m forced to sit through Hot Tub Time Machine, I reminisce on living in Mexico, I muse on various things I just don’t get, and I invite Caps fans to walk from Metro Center to Gallery Place instead of taking the train. The one comment I get telling me I’m a jealous douchebag makes my day, especially given what happens in late April when the Caps are eliminated in the first round. Mwahahahahaha. So much for toasting the Caps at Gordon Biersch well into June, Fonzy. Choke! (I’m sorry, but I think I’ve shown incredible restraint until now. I could’ve mocked y’all in April.)

April 2010: IP and I enjoy a week in sunny Cancún, frolicking in the waves, sunning ourselves on the beach, and combing the sand. We enjoy lots of mixed drinks, delicious food, an inviting climate, and each other. We have serious talks, we have silly talks. We celebrate our new marriage and the years we’ve spent together happily. I wuv him so. I program the blog to pull up oldies-but-goodies from my Michigan years when it comes to blog posts while IP and I are on vacation. I will admit that much of the month was spent anticipating our honeymoon; the rest of the month, after the honeymoon, was spent reminiscing about the trip. Ah, joy. We’re going back in 2011.

May 2010: I turn 32 years old (or, as IP likes to say, I was around during the Devonian). I begin to be annoyed by my laptop, which won’t allow me to enter a space unless I hit the spacebar really hard. Mathgeek lectures me in the comments about how I don’t need a Mac, but oh! Who ended up getting one this year and who didn’t? Hmm??? My Wings are eliminated in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and I and the rest of the world cheer for the Pens to lose, lose, lose! They do. I come to the realization that I really love my body and I really love that it supports me and carries me through the physical challenges I pose to it, and that feeding it what it needs is more than okay (although I still have bouts of insecurity, they are much reduced in frequency). It’s what’s needed, duh. I’m roped into what’s possibly the most embarrassing presentation for work (and I have not heard if it yielded any positive results). On my birthday itself, I realize that there are a lot of things I just don’t get.

June 2010: I travel 7,000 miles to make a difference. I always travel a lot during the summer to try to make a difference, but it really hits home this time around. In the meantime, while off the grid, I entertain my readers with old posts about the Metro’s quirkiness, both from the system itself and its riders. I grouse about how I find Facebook requests from old high school classmates annoying. IP and I begin to deal with the annoyance of the summer heat and PEPCO’s inability to keep the power on during major thunderstorms.

July 2010: I don’t write anything at all until the 15th of the month, so I’m really blanking on July, but: I write a couple of book reviews, chime in on the outside-Metro-seat-sitters controversy, complain about PEPCO, and end the month with IP at Gordon Biersch, avoiding yet another huge Metro delay and nearly witnessing some chick talking on her phone mowed down by a speeding SUV. Once those unpleasant scenes are over, IP and I enjoy some beer, pizza and garlic fries together.

August 2010: Our first anniversary rolls around, as does IP’s 36th birthday (though he swears he was born in the mid-80s). We fly to Michigan to visit with family, say hi to Dominick’s and enjoy an anniversary cake because fresh anniversary cake is so much more awesome than year-old, frozen wedding cake. Bonus? I commission the same flavors and design, so it’s like a top layer, anyhow. IP and I celebrate our actual anniversary by hiking and getting drunk on $1.87 glasses of Landshark. We have a blast celebrating our first year of marriage, and again: I wuv him so. My archive for August is pitiful—three entries—but it’s an eventful month. I realize I don’t have baby fever, my skirt gets ruined by my cleaners, and I dream of fighting zombies in Joe Louis Arena after I score a goal in overtime for the Wings. We end up at Rockville’s Montrose Crossing when a nasty storm keeps me at home and there’s nothing else to do at home, in an un-air-conditioned, miserable apartment; we spend a huge amount of time at Barnes and Noble just for kicks. IP’s youngest brother pays us a visit and we check out the Newseum, which is pretty damn cool.

September 2010: I start September in a hellish way, dealing with a work event that has gotten out of control and ends with not even getting any recognition for the good work my colleagues and I did. Such is the life of a federal contractor. I break my previous reading record (and finished with 58 books for the year, yay!). I make the supreme mistake of ignoring my gut and friending someone I should not friend, which just leads to me unfriending her when I realize she still freaks me the fuck out. I have two interviews which yield nothing, but it was nice to get a few bites (no further bites during the fall, alas; I hope the winter will be better). I sing an ode to my favorite local businesses, I hit the gym in a pair of mismatched shoes, I even muse about random things on my morning commute. September ends more calmly than it started, presaging a quiet fall.

October 2010: During this month, I try to help perspective non-guests to weddings figure out what they’ll say to the bride and groom who will be getting the bad news that said non-guests will be absent from the wedding. It gets a ton of hits, so writing it was probably a smart move. IP and I do a family thing that has us escaping D.C. before the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole hits the area, which turned out to be a smart move. We also get drunk at 2pm that Friday and stay drunk. I complain about being told that my belief in a god will reemerge as soon as I procreate—because there’s nothing more miraculous than giving birth. Uh . . . I will admit that this one comment turned me off of the friendship that had been growing between this person and I. She frequently likes to present her motherhood status as an example of her vast understanding of life, something I obviously don’t have because I don’t have a kid. This makes me side-eye her, but the religion comment made me blow the hell up—I have to admit that I find her extremely irritating and can only take her in small doses now. Is that reaction extreme? I think it may be, actually, but I can’t help it—I cannot take parents who lord their status over us childfree peons. IP leaves me for one weekend and I proceed to get drunk and eat pizza (but I don’t play ping pong like the Stonecutters); instead I watch cheesy Mexican music videos from the 1980s. Mathgeek pays us a visit during the Stewart-Colbert rally, and it’s really, really good to see my little brother for the first time in over a year. We promise not to let it happen again, and it won’t this year given that IP and I are traveling to Boston to see him in this month. Yay! IP and I manage to hit a deer on Rockville Pike, but the car is fixed quickly and it looks bee-yoo-tee-ful again. I receive an unexpected day off thanks to a lightning strike and The Walking Dead premieres on AMC. Zombies on television? Yes please! (Never mind that we don’t own a TV and so I download the episodes from iTunes. Details, schmetails.)

November 2010: I start the month with three ambitious goals: I will blog every workday (except holidays), I will post a new sonnet every Wednesday, and I will strive to be funny yet approachable in everyday life. I fail on all three counts. Okay, I’m totally lying on the last thing—why would I want to be approachable? Hehe. But I did fail to blog every workday and to write a sonnet every Wednesday. Writing sonnets is hard, yo—but when I do write them, I will post them on Wednesdays. We’re nearly sideswiped on Rockville Pike by an absentminded driver who we’d been watching carefully (and who I had passed in an effort to get the hell away from his craziness). I start crying for no reason at one point (hormones), and I travel to Michigan to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I, with the fam. I document not only my excitement about the impending nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but my sister’s observation that Andrew Lincoln and Steve Yzerman were separated at birth. IP and I enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving that’s unfortunately interrupted by colds; because of this, we end up with a five-day weekend instead of a four-day one. An organic turkey, some smashing mashed potatoes, green beans with almonds, IP’s awesome stuffing and a pumpkin pie piled high with Cool Whip compose our Thanksgiving meal (and leftovers). Ah, stuffed bliss.

December 2010: And here we are, at month’s end. I begin the month by commemorating the blog’s 1,000th post, including random stats and details from that (in)auspicious occasion. I review my Top 25 Most Played list, which leads me to doing a music review for Britanny Jean‘s forthcoming EP, which was quite cool. I do my last and 15th book list of the year, which is an epic post on Allegra Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector and Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence (I felt like I was doing a comparative literature paper and it felt good, people). IP and I see the Grim Reaper on her way to work, and I look forward to 10 days of freedom. Over our break, IP and I are super-productive, cleaning out our closets, arranging all our books in a semblance of order, and getting some chores done that were hanging over our heads. We make a delicious meal for Christmas Eve dinner, and our plans to go to away are thwarted by the East Coast’s huge ass snowstorm that doesn’t touch D.C. save for some minor accumulation that melts the next day. We instead head into town on the second to last day of the year and enjoy the Folger Shakespeare Library’s Vivat Rex! exhibit, tour the U.S. Botanical Gardens (which is totally crowded), and we finish the day by eating yummy pizza at Ella’s and taking in A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre (so much fun! and it’s so easy to forget the access we have to such wonderful things in D.C.). We stay the night downtown. I continue to read Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, but buyer beware: while it’s a good novel, it’s not something you want to read over the Christmas holidays. I make off like a bandit for the holidays because not only did I get a bunch of Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor LOFT gift cards and a comfy pair of Michigan pajama pants, but I got this:

Pomegranate Leather Bag in Black by Etsy Seller iragrant

IP purchased this for me and it is lovely! It’s so very cute and stylish, I don’t know what. I love the lining, love the leather, and now have a wonderful bag that’s not a Coach (I just don’t like Coach bags; too busy for me). I hope this lasts for years to come! Thank you, hubs!

Eddie Bauer Tall Equestrian Boots

A mega-sale combined with an unexpected bonus from work resulted in me getting these boots for $100 off! I got them in brown because the black pair I have are still good to go—my brown ones were in need of serious replacement. So happy! The only thing I didn’t get from the Wants, Not Needs post was the Ann Taylor LOFT skirt, and that’s because it was sold out even then. Le sigh. Ah well, I managed to get a similar, cute skirt from Athleta thanks to a Black Friday sale.

IP and I end 2010 at home, having come back from downtown in the morning. We have a very low-key day in which we write, read and talk a lot, then have a bunch of beers that, when combined with *ahem* other activities, makes us conk out right as the New Year rolls over. Not a shabby way to end the year at all, I have to say. I do pay the price for it, though, and am unable to work out the first day of the year. But eh, life happens!

And that’s 2010 in a nutshell. Onto 2011, where I might finish a short story, I’ll try to read a lot, I’ll probably continue to act like a big curmudgeon, and I’ll sally forth in detailing the adventures of the WordNerdia-IPia household. Oh, what will we get up to next!?

Happy New Year 2011!

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

1. “Mariachi con tambor,” Ana Gabriel: Ah, a song previously mentioned on this blog on July 25, 2005. It’s a great song to run to, I made sure it was on our wedding playlist just for fun, and it just has a great beat and cheerful ambiance to it overall. I love it when mariachi music is combined with contemporary sounds; it works well and it bridges a century’s worth of music without disrespecting the awesomeness that is mariachi music.
2. “The Fallen,” Franz Ferdinand: You’ll notice there are a lot of songs from You Could Have It So Much Better, Franz Ferdinand’s second album. I loved this album when it first came out, and it still remains my favorite from the band (I would play it over and over again while doing visual scans of my work for Dyn-o-mite! back in the day). Filled with Jesus references and the quite obvious idea that Jesus wouldn’t be hanging out with the rich people who pretend to practice what he preaches, the song is a lyrical delight. As a former Med/Ren/Early Modern geek who had a ball with medieval lyrics, cycles, and plays, this song nicely places Jesus in contemporary society. He’d be among the fallen. And yes, that is your resident atheist saying that. Just because I don’t believe he was god doesn’t mean I don’t think his message was one of peace and love (which even atheists like me enjoy).
3. “You Ruined Everything,” Jonathan Coulton: Coulton is well-represented on this list as IP and I have a great time singing his songs together on Friday or Saturday nights (when we’re well-supplied with beer and/or vodka tonics). “You Ruined Everything” was briefly in competition to be our first dance song, as we did ruin everything about our single lives to be together—but it happened in the nicest way. Were I ever to have kids, this would definitely be a song I’d sing to them to get them to sleep. Or use it to do a slideshow of a new baby to send to family.
4. “Si nos dejan,” Shaila Dúrcal: Our first dance song! I confess that it still makes me a bit teary-eyed. The title translates to “If They Let Us,” but I tend to translate it into “If They Leave Us the Hell Alone.” Coming to a first dance song decision was actually pretty hard; it had to be slow enough so that our two-left-feet selves could dance it, it had to not be laden with meaning (we don’t have a song, really, but we didn’t want people assuming that something was our song just because we both happened to like it), and it had to be something somewhat romantic. IP also liked the idea of more than half of our reception invitees not understanding the song. So I found this recommended on various Spanish-speaking wedding boards. And we made it ours. I love it. It also lead to me downloading a lot of Shaila Dúrcal.
5. “Fireworks,” Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Confession: I really, really wanted this to be our recessional song for about a year. We’re pronounced husband wife and voilà! The fireworks start! Of course, this was when I was fantasizing a sunset wedding in October. And yes, I fantasized about this before we were even engaged.
6. “The Quidditch World Cup,” Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The Harry Potter soundtrack ones you’ll see on this list are a) fun to run to and 2) could have been used as seating music for our wedding ceremony (though that ended up not happening). I confess that when I’d run to these, I’d picture wedding guests milling around waiting for the ceremony to start. Only one Harry Potter instrumental made it into the wedding as the bridesmaids’ processional from the Half-Blood Prince soundtrack (and it hasn’t cracked my top 25).
7. “Little Wonders,” Rob Thomas: Also in contention for the first dance song (at least in my mind), but IP expressly said he didn’t want his friends teasing him about implied “little wonders.” That and he hates Rob Thomas. I personally enjoy the song a lot because I love Rob Thomas muchly.
8. “The Wooing of Katherine,” Henry V Soundtrack: My bridal processional song. It had been set in my mind from the very first time I saw the Henry-Katherine scene in Branagh’s Henry V. And I love the Henry V soundtrack, period. It’s just so romantic and gentle and hopeful. I remember listening to this track in Toronto and thinking of IP (yeah, it was really early in our relationship, too). But now it’s the best to listen to this song today and remember walking down the aisle to my husband on my father and mother’s arms. Oy, I’m getting verklempt.
9. “Code Monkey,” Jonathan Coulton: Another sing-along song. Very much enjoy it, though, and it’s great to run to when you’re stuck on a treadmill.
10. “Do You Want To,” Franz Ferdinand: Also on the You Could Have It So Much Better album.
11. “Across the Universe,” Rufus Wainwright: I just really, really love Wainwright’s interpretation of this song, and also considered it for the first dance, but it ended up being too long. However, Wainwright’s father, Loudon, made it into our wedding—my father danced to “Daughter” with me.
12. “This Boy,” Franz Ferdinand: Also on the You Could Have It So Much Better album.
13. “Ikea,” Jonathan Coulton: Another weekend sing-along song. I must confess that I have never been to an Ikea.
14. “Eleanor Put Your Boots On,” Franz Ferdinand: Also on the You Could Have It So Much Better album, and a contender for first dance rights. I liked it because it describes the want and longing you have when you’re in a long-distance relationship with someone. It also gave rise to the running category on this blog, The Elegant Runner.
15. “Buddy Holly,” Weezer: The video for “Buddy Holly” was included in the goodies we received from Gateway in 1995 when my father bought us our first family computer. We watched it over and over again because the Happy Days mash-up cracked us up. After downloading “Beverly Hills” (which you’ll see below), I remembered my Weezer love and proceeded to download a few songs from The Blue Album.
16. “Evil and a Heathen,” Franz Ferdinand: Also on the You Could Have It So Much Better album. I do consider myself a heathen, but only slightly evil.
17. “W/music,” Artist Unknown: This is actually a relaxation exercise. About 21 minutes long, it’s excellent. It comes in two forms: with and without music, and I vastly prefer the exercise with music. It comes in handy on planes, in strange hotel rooms in the South Pacific, and on the nights when your husband’s away and you’ve freaked yourself out by thinking about zombies crossing your hardwood floor. I listen to it a lot, mostly on travel.
18. “Someone Like You,” Brian Vander Ark: A short, touching song about wanting to produce a masterpiece for your beloved that will echo into the ages. And about musing on the muses who inspired great works of art.
19. “Flight of the Order of the Phoenix,” Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Another Harry Potter soundtrack instrumental that’s great to run to and populated my imagination when picturing my wedding ceremony and/or reception.
20. “Ciega, sordomuda,” Shakira: Just like with “Mariachi con tambor,” “Ciega, sordomuda” takes mariachi music and melds it with contemporary sounds to produce one kick-ass song. I also listened to it a lot when IP and I were long-distance. I was “una cosa que no hace otra cosa mas que amarte.”
21. “Take Me Out,” Franz Ferdinand: The only Franz Ferdinand song on the list from their eponymous first album. Remember how fun this song was when it first came out? It’s still fun and still a good running song.
22. “The Presidents,” Jonathan Coulton: Another sing-along song from Coulton that lets you memorize the American presidents (though the Obama edit has yet to be released). I even have a little hand dance that I do when the song comes on during our weekend nights of singing and drinking.
23. “Re Your Brains,” Jonathan Coulton: A zombie song, wherein the lyrics sound like so much of the corporate bullshit that we workers have to put up with these day. We’ll get to common ground somehow my ass, zombie overlords!
24. “Beverly Hills,” Weezer: Just fun. Good to run to. Also mentioned on this blog as falling to “Mariachi con tambor” on July 25, 2005 as the ruler of my iPod; it was also previously mentioned on a post called May by the Numbers and Soothing the Savage Bea . . . uty.
25. “Tubthumping,” Chumbuwamba: Great song to drink to. Reminds me of my little brother mathgeek singing this song, and of Red Wings hockey commercials on Channel 50 in Detroit full of hits and checks (with the Wings always coming back for more).

There you have it, my top 25. Quite a few of them haven’t budged over the years, and only a few recent downloads have cracked the list (and by recent, I mean more than a year ago). Things I find odd:

• No Paul Simon and/or Simon & Garfunkel representation.
• No matchbox twenty representation.
• No Alanis Morissette representation.

Gotta work on that!

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

Why, yes it is.

When did that happen?

Excuse me while I have a conversation with myself.

Anyway, the last month of the year is upon us. This means a few things need to be written for Sonnet87.com: the year-in-review, the book list awards, perhaps a final book review, and possibly a resolutions post. The rush of writing will most likely take place during the week between Christmas and New Years, which I have taken off and which IP has off (lucky pato, that one). However, if I’m good, I will begin at least the year-in-review and/or the book awards sooner rather than later. Given how much I’ve read this year, there’s a lot of ground to review cover with the book awards. Already taken care of is the renewal of Sonnet87.com by Bluehost, which is always a surprise since they enroll you in automatic renewal and next thing you know, you’re out $100. And it won’t let you get out of automatic renewal, at least not easily. That cheese me off—yes, I want to keep the website, but it’s got a couple of weeks until it expires. Would it be that hard to send a reminder a week or two before you charge my goddamn card? I hate that.

On the home front, things to be done: decorate the tree, get some shopping done, attend holiday parties and happy hours, do some traditional Christmas baking (encanelados! And no, you still can’t have the recipe!). IP and I have to decide if we’re going to do an overnight trip to a local resort/downtown D.C. hotel just to mix things up during Christmas week. Also on task for that week is researching a new bed (not like that, fools)—king size because IP would like more room to spread out. Additionally, IP isn’t really a fan of our queen size bed, so we’ll be searching for something a little kinder to him. I have yet to meet a real bed I couldn’t sleep in myself (sofa beds don’t count, those things are terrible—and lay off the innuendo jokes), but the extra space in a king is nice. Except when you wake up in the middle of the night and swear you’re seeing someone stand over you and have to scoot closer to your then-boyfriend, now-husband because you’re suddenly scared.

On a related home topic, Casa WordNerdia-IPia now houses a Dyson DC25. I’m somewhat embarrassed to be geeked out by a vacuum cleaner, but this thing can suck. In a good way. Our old vacuum cleaner, recommended as a good alternative to a Dyson, seems to have crapped out on us for no good reason, so we decided to take the plunge when we saw a good Black Friday online sale (and when I checked on Cyber Monday, I was glad to have not waited—we would’ve paid $120 more).

In other December-ish news, I entered the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run lottery yesterday. Let’s hope I get to run 10 miles in downtown D.C. come April. Then that mid- to late-April Cancún vacation will be really well-deserved.

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

“Squeeeeee!!!!”

Yeah, not proud of that. But I’m woman enough to admit it.

I guess my reaction is indicative of my past royal interest. I was, after all, a medieval/Renaissance/early modern scholar who loves Anne Boleyn, Queen Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine. I doubt Ms. Middleton will surf along the lines of any of these women, given the constraints set upon consorts, but I do love me some lineage tracing. My mother was also a big Princess Diana fan and for years told me that I should wear something similar to my wedding (yeah, that was never going to happen, and I was somewhat relieved when she became obsessed with Jackie Kennedy’s dress; it’s too bad I couldn’t afford the dress that I loved and somewhat echoed Kennedy’s dress at the hem):

But I still have major pink, puffy heart love for my wedding dress.

Anyway . . .

Yeah, I was predisposed to squee. And yes, I found myself watching their 18-minute interview with Sky News. I haven’t really paid attention to them, and there’s been a lot of hoopla about how this was the first time anyone heard Middleton’s voice, but after watching the video all I can say is: Aww.

Aww, they’re cute. The way they exchanged glances, jokes, gentle reassurances. The synchronized argh! they both gave when the interviewer mentioned kids. It’s quite obvious that, after eight years, they know each others’ quirks, likes, dislikes, and have the ability to communicate volumes through glances. It seemed as if William, practiced at being in the spotlight, would offer encouragement to his bride-to-be, untrained in these matters. She joked about his cooking, gave the well-known and jokey “Sorry, honey!” us lovebirds tend to give when we’ve admitted that our partners aren’t perfect. There is a certain way that couples, comfortable with each other and happy, communicate silently. They did it, and I recognized it because I have something similar with IP: a quick look, a smirk, an eye roll can give away volumes for us while other people stand by oblivious. It takes time and effort to cultivate that communication, and to me it was pretty obvious that both William and Kate have put in a lot of effort and love.

Like I said, I haven’t paid much attention to them, but I have heard the rumors that William wasn’t really that interested in her, and her nickname, Waity Katie, was quite mean-spirited because it implied that she was pinning her entire life on marrying into the Windsor family. It took eight years, after all, for him to propose. I mean, aww mah gawd, who takes that long to get married?

Well, we clocked in at seven years and four months (six years and three months at the time of proposal), but IP and I took our sweet time marching down the aisle. For many, many reasons, some of which included distance, the establishment of careers, the desire to live on our own after having endured roommates and families, goals we wanted to accomplish before committing to each other forever, living together first, and other things. My mom would constantly fret about how IP might leave me high and dry; I can say there were moments when I was a tad impatient with the progress of things; ultimately, though, the wait was worth it for us. We timed everything quite nicely, and everything fell into place for us as it should. We had the advantage of growing closer over those years, and now we have a foundation that we feel is pretty solid; I wouldn’t be surprised if William and Kate felt the same way.

Believe me, I wasn’t a Waity Wordy, either; I did my own thing and worked hard on our relationship, just like IP did. I bet she tried, but Middleton can’t go anywhere without being hounded, so I’d probably be working in the family business if I couldn’t avoid the camera glares otherwise, too. People who are saying she’s bland are probably comparing her to mid- to late-80s Diana; seems like everyone has forgotten the shy kid who got thrust into the international spotlight and had to grow up in front of everyone.

These two are already grown-ups. I think that gives their marriage a distinct advantage over Charles and Diana, no?

In other words, people need to stop assuming that there’s something wrong with not getting married ASAP, that those who wait are people who define themselves solely through their partners. I doubt anything was done through pressure or grudgingly. So instead of guessing what the deal is, I think it’d be better to assume that they’re a couple who decided waiting was the right thing for them and now they’re ready to move forward. Things are “right” at the moment, so to speak, so it’s time. They seem like a mature, modern couple without the pressures the earlier royals had. So let’s let go of the nasty speculation, shall we?

In the meantime . . .

Eee! Let the over the top wedding details begin!

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

Part of my budgeting involves not making bored, frivolous purchases, which can happen often when you work a job that a) probably overpays you and 2) underemploys you. So that’s a lot of time to kill, and while I try to spend most of it writing, I sometimes would find myself at Ann Taylor LOFT, Etsy, or even at the goddamn CVS trying to stave off my boredom. No more; it’s been about two months since I’ve made any sort of purchase like that and I’m pretty proud of myself. I budget money for books, going out and some beauty needs—I say some because I’m not that high maintenance but do need a few essentials. Out the window have gone accessories and clothes, which were making too much of a dent in my expenditures.

Notice that I gave up clothes and accessories, not books; yes, I am a geek!

However, there have been many things I’m eying just for kicks, and while I won’t get them unless I set aside money for them, they’re pretty to look at. Behold!

Pomegranate Leather Bag in Black by Etsy Seller iragrant

I have been eying this leather bag on Etsy for quite some time now. I adore it in lavender, but I also know that if I were to get it in lavender, I would quickly tire of the color. Black coordinates with most things, too. These bags are much nicer than any Coach bag I’ve ever looked at, and this seller’s store has been a favorite of mine for months. Months, I tell you! One day.

Eddie Bauer Tall Equestrian Boots

I’m a sucker for Eddie Bauer boots—I have a black and a brown pair at the moment, but the brown pair is quickly descending into buh-bye status thanks to five years’ worth of use. They last long, are comfortable, and look great. They tend to go on sale at the New Year, so maybe I’ll be able to snatch up the brown ones for considerably less (and within budget).

LOFT Snap Front Corduroy Skirt

I had instant love for this skirt since I first saw it, but subsequent visits to LOFT’s website tell me they no longer have it in the color I want (I snagged the above pic of the skirt in “Incense Khaki” from the petite’s section). Ah, well. Maybe I’ll find something similar elsewhere, or if it goes on mega-sale, I’d get it in another color. Oh, who I am kidding, I don’t settle. The skirt’s a lost cause, but it’s still cute.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I’m out of stuff. I guess I don’t really need or want all that much (except a few more pairs of work pants from New York & Co. and some functional sweaters from LOFT; I won’t go through and bore you with those details, though).

Ah, window shopping. It’ll have to do until that loan is gone and savings are high.

©2012 Sonnet 87. All Rights Reserved. Originally published by WordNerd for Sonnet87.com. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.