Just A Quickie

So I've only got a few minutes to write up a post. I've been dying to write something lately because I've got a lot to talk about, what with my new job and all, but haven't had the time, what with my new job and all.

November is quickly upon us and there so much going on that it borders on the slightly ridiculous, especially considering that only 6 months ago I was completely bored with my life and trying desperately to find something interesting to fill it up.

On November 22nd I've got my official audition time slot for Central School of Speech and Drama. I am beyond excited and nervous. I need to get organized...like, yesterday. But I'm confident all will go well. What's great is that I'll get to stay with a friend of mine in NYC (Hi, Jen!) that I haven't seen in months, so it'll be fantastic to catch up and also be able to see New York City again.

This Sunday is the official start of National Novel Writing Month, which I am participating in this year and will fully dedicate myself to actually finishing the word count...unlike last year. I've also convinced my Mom to join up and I have a few friends who are also participating, so yeah reading/writing buddies! If anybody else who may read this blog wants a reading/writing buddy, just send me your username and I'll friend you on the website (or send you my username), support is good during these trying times ;) And like a lot of other bloggers, I am going to attempt to blog a little bit everyday. The whole NaNoWriMo project is really just a great way to practice creativity and discipline. We'll see how well I do, as "discipline" has never been a word that one associates with myself.

Eventually I'll blog about my day job, dog walking (oh yeah, you can now be mad jealous, son), because oh the tales I can tell about this job. It's awesome, I get to be outside everyday, the schedule is beyond fantastic, and I get to play with dogs and get paid for it. Also, new discover, it. is. EXHAUSTING. But that might be cause I haven't held a day job where I'm on my feet all day in quite some time. So hopefully the exhaustion aspect will change soon.

Because my audition is near the end of the month, I've decided that from November 1st till the 22nd I'm going to try and be on my best behavior, health wise. I'm giving up candy and pastry items (I've been over dosing, recently, on sugar. 'Tis the season.) and when I go out on the town I'll have a three drink max rule. Also, yoga and exercise, outside of the day job, everyday. If possible. I just want to feel my best when my audition comes around and hopefully this will help me develop healthy habits for when the grad school audition season is in full swing (January-March I'd say). I haven't decided if I can part with my coffee addiction. Right now it's at peak level, resulting in me doing crazy things, as such:

Photo courtesy of my Dad. Who rocks.

So yeah. Addiction, kids. It ain't pretty.

Love, caffeine aficionado,

Lindsay

Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents

This is a Public Service Announcement: Do Not Show Your Parents the Movie "Failure To Launch".

You may think this is funny now...but you will regret it immediately if you show your parents this movie and let it get into their heads that they too need a "Naked Room" in the house after you've flown the coup. Then, when in the midst of conversation on the phone with the 'rents, your Mom mentions that "well your father said he's going to go hang out in the Naked Room", you will be adding this comment to the official list of Things You Don't Want To Know About Your Parents. Other things will pass through your brain as well that will horrify and shock you, such as: Which room is the Naked Room? Is it your's or your sister's room? Will you ever be able to make a surprise visit again? (The answer is no.) Is sitting down on furniture allowed when in the Naked Room? WHICH ROOM IS THE NAKED ROOM?

Now you need to go drink heavily/get a lobotomy/pour boiling water on your brain. And who really wants to go through that? (And by that I mean the last two.)

Your parents may make such comments about a Naked Room followed by partially smothered giggles that might make you doubt such claims...but is there any way to find out that doesn't involve trying to remove real time images from you head later? No.

So just listen to me when I say, best leave it alone. The movie is funny and awesome and, yes, your parents probably would get a kick out of it. But you really don't want to take the risk of them getting any ideas. Heaven forbid your parents start thinking crazy thoughts.

This has been a Public Service Announcement. You're welcome.

xo, Lindsay

Because You Were Dying To Know

I'm currently experiencing a nasty mood brought on by intense jealousy of my brother and my sister-in-law because they are heading to London this Friday. There are other reasons, that I'm sure will bore you, why my mood is absolute shit that I won't go into.

Instead I'm distracting myself by playing Bridget Jones's Diary in the background (yes, I do take a few moments to mouth the words as being spoken, and I do know all the movements Renee does during the singing scene at the beginning, DON'T judge me...we all have our embarrassing personal tics) (also, can we just take a moment to appreciate that this movie has THE BEST entrance for Hugh Grant EVER, with the Aretha Franklin song playing and the elevator doors opening up to his yummyness. Word.), drinking some wine, cooking up a jacket potato for myself (this is what I do when I miss England...sigh....) and blogging about random stuff like the contents of my purse.

Because I'm sure you were dying to know.

And just so you know, usually I add a book or two, thick ones, to this collection. This here is just the bare minimum.

Contents of necessity: -NFT guide to D.C. If you've just moved to a new city, I'd highly recommend getting one of these guides. A map on every page and listings of restaurants/theaters/post offices, etc in every area next to each map....also, easy to read when drunk, so a guaranteed way of getting home without getting lost....as long as you can read a map while intoxicated that is, a skill carefully honed after many years of practice.

-My cute clutch wallet from Maurices.

-Cetaphil lotion, Midol, Ibuprofen, lady products, chapstick, hand sanitizer, hair clip, gum...explanation not necessary, you can never be too prepared.

-Journal with my motto for life on it "Keep Calm and Carry On", from an old British slogan sign.

-iPod for when I'm trekking across town.

-Weekly planner, can't really function without it.

-My resume....just in case....still no day job as of yet (but soon I'm sure!)

-A black Moleskin notebook, a small spiral notebook and multiple pens. The notebook is so I can remember things, the Moleskin is for notes on blog/book/theatre/writing ideas.

-Random book of matches from my friend Sara's wedding...because you never know when pyromania may kick in.

-Seafood watch pamphlet because when presented with fish I want to know if it's environmentally friendly. I mean, I'll still eat it...that'd be silly to turn down free fish...but at least I'd know whether or not to feel guilty about eating it. Not that that's ever stopped me from eating anything.

-And finally a play, this one is by Chekhov. I'm always carrying plays with me lately...gotta educate myself. Or just in case I want to give people on the street an impromptu dramatic performance, I am fully prepared....CONSTANT VIGILANCE (name that quote and you get a cookie...and a gold star for being just as geeky as I am).

Okay so Bridget is calling for my attention....and the food in front of me....and the wine as well.

And I'm sure after reading this post you'll probably want to go have some wine too...go on then. I don't judge.

Kisses.

P.S. When Bridget is about to go on tv for her first interview at the fire station, she's doing it in Lewisham...which is around the area where I use to live in London!! Yeah!

The Lost Symbol

So I finally got my hands on a copy of one of the biggest, most anticipated books of the year, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

My impression......

Meh.

I would highly recommend it to people living in or from the D.C. area because he did so much research that it was like a fantastically written, fiction, tour guide book of D.C. I knew exactly where he was when he described certain locations and he used real buildings and streets. Which was great, loved that, bravo, well done. I've been meaning to write a book like that, that makes people want to visit the actual place because you describe it so well. I love the fact that The Da Vinci Code promoted tourism for certain sites in Europe and I hope that this book does the same for D.C.

That being said....

The book also seemed like one big, gigantic, wet kiss to the Freemasons. Granted I knew nothing about this organization at all before....and now that I've read this book....meh. I really don't care to learn anything new.

I got bored, then irritated, when Robert Langdon would go on page long tangents explaining things to the lesser beings around him. Now, I love learning something new as much as the next nerd, but sometimes it was just a bit dry and I was never sure if it was pertinent to the storyline.

On the other hand....I do want to say that even though I didn't super-duper love this book, I am still happy that it was highly anticipated. I'm all about the books that gets people excited to read. Just like with the Harry Potter books, just like with Twilight...if it gets people curious and draws in people who wouldn't normally ever voluntarily pick up a book, then bravo to you sir.

And that's all I say on that.

xxoo, Lindsay

Weekend Recap, Hard Cider Not Included.

Well, the only thing I can say about the last blog I posted is that hard cider may or may not have been involved......I'll admit to nothing. Now would be a good time to distract all from the last post by flashing pretty photos of food items and rambling on about fantastic things I got up to this weekend, even though I'm dirt poor.

You should be jealous.

My weekend started on Thursday. I consider weekends fun, so when my fun starts and the panicky, guilty feeling about not having a day job recedes, that's when my weekend begins. So my weekend began with organic coffee, a vegan cupcake that very well blew my mind!, and hanging out with a sorority sister that I haven't seen in years. So yes...cupcake and coffee:

This delicious snack was courtesy of Sticky Fingers Bakery which my friend Mel and I stumbled upon when asking a local up in Columbia Heights what cafe we could kill some time in before heading to an apartment viewing. We needed something that was not a Starbucks as I just wanted a regular cup of coffee and I can't stand Starbucks coffee.

Sticky Fingers is an all vegan bakery, which made me a little hesitant because I've never had a vegan cupcake, but damn....it was good. And it was a whole lot cheaper than a lot of other cupcakery's that I've tried around D.C. (I'm attempting to try every cupcake in D.C., will report back as to which one wins out in taste and price. Get excited.) And their coffee was excellent as well! God I love a good cup of coffee...and I loved how they had a sign up stating that if you brought your own mug you get 20% off coffee. Environmentally friendly + excellent cupcakes and coffee + cheap prices = I really hope I get that apartment in this area so I can come here more often. (Oh and the apartment itself is awesome, fingers crossed that my roommate and I can get it. I'd love to move out of his living room and into a bedroom of my very own!)

On to Friday... I walked around town, not really doing much...which happens to be my favorite kind of day, and I decided that I would give in and try Good Stuff Eatery, which was created by Spike from the show Top Chef. I never watched...that's just what they tell me.

I got the De-Lechable Leche Milkshake and the Farmhouse Cheeseburger. All this for $12.36. Now as I am without a day job, and because I had to wait 40 minutes to get it, not quite worth it. And the burger guy put his thumb (he did have on gloves) directly in the middle of the burgers while making them...which makes me a tad squeamish. The burger itself was delicious, though a little crushed. I definitely would consider going back and getting it again...though I might have to try mid afternoon when it's not anywhere near lunch or dinner. I went around 1:30, thinking that was a good time to avoid lunch rush hour, and yes, I was wrong. I waited 30 minutes just to order and another 10 for the burger and shake to get to me. I do have to say that the older, silver haired gentleman working there was awesome. He came up to me when he noticed I had been waiting awhile, looked at my order and bustled off and found it for me. He was delightful and I think made all the customers around him feel better about waiting so long because he was just so nice! Honestly, that's hard to find in the food industry. Good Stuff did good with him.

The milkshake was amazing...though I think I'll only shell out for that when friends and family come visit from out of town or something. It was, however, so intensely sugary that I couldn't stop drinking it even when vomit threatened to happen, it was that good, and my mood took an immediate roller coaster ride. Only high levels of sugar can make me go from feeling super duper happy to angry and moody in 2.5 seconds. Luckily I went immediately to the cute little used bookstore over at 417 E. Capitol Street called Riverby Books and calmed myself down by browsing. Man I am such a nerd.

Friday night was a mix of fantastically cheap Chinese food, the movie "Couples Retreat" (see it for the yoga scene...could not stop laughing) and possible some cider's at Fado Irish Pub...maybe. I'll admit to nothing.

The Chinese food was from Chinatown Express (746 6th St. NW) and I will definitely be going back for more. My two friends and I consumed green tea, 3 beers, seafood dumplings, seafood noodles (made right there in front of a window that peers out onto the street), 2 vegetable spring rolls and 4 egg rolls for around $30. That to me is freaking awesome. Word. Pictures to prove the awesomeness:

Just a small sample of my noodles with a boiled Octopus on top. Yum!

My friend Jess taking a picture with the noodle guys. We are just that fun.

Now Saturday was a blur of couch surfing with my roommate, quarter drafts at Asylum in Adams Morgan and then home again, home again, jiggity jig, I was in bed by 10:30. Again, I am just too much fun, even for myself.

Sunday, though I was sad because I wasn't in Ohio for a friend's housewarming party due to lack of money to drive there, I was happily surprised by the fact that two of my friends living in the Odenton, MD area provided me with a ticket to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I am all about the RenFests. I mean come on, eating turkey legs off the bone, drinking delicious Cider and Mead, being in the minority because you're not in costume = a.maz.ing times. Don't be too jealous now.

And that's all I got for now.

A parting picture of me with the highly anticipated turkey leg. Success!

Fondly,

L-Dub

Why I love Blogs.

Dear Blog World,

This is my letter to you. I love the blog world. The instant replay of your life written out as quickly and as best you can. I feel connected to people who are not famous but are just normal people whom I love because I can relate to their words. Beautiful words. Describing love of theatre, books, acting, random daily events. These little things connect us. You may not notice it when you blog, but you are connecting with a whole other world out there. We may not comment on your blog, but we are here, admiring, laughing, nodding our heads in agreement with your post. Sometimes we reach out, sometimes we comment. We feel the need to connect and that is the beauty of the blogger world. Connection with people that you might not have meet up with in daily life. Learning new things about foreign places, or learning that you are not alone in your beliefs. Blogging is a new social frontier that I think brings us together and lets us expand our horizons in ways we can't experience in real time in our daily lives. This is all I have to say on this topic...some of my favorite blogs are thinking of ending and it makes me sad. Blogging doesn't need to be about venting alone. It can be about sharing of an experience, connecting with others. I hope that bloggers can take advantage of the opportunity to learn new ways to communicate, express their creativity, and take a moment to express how they feel about a certain subject.

Freedom of speech. It's a beautiful thing. Take advantage while you have the audience.

xoxo, LDD

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Email: LindsayDinsyDay (at symbol) gmail.com

Temping: Oh the Horror!

I think people in line at Whole Foods could tell what kind of day I had at the office when I slammed on the conveyor belt my bottle of red wine (Folie a Deux's Menage a Trois, YUM!), a baguette and a bar of expensive dark chocolate.

No wonder office work can make people gain weight. They stress eat just because of the mundane bullshit one has to put up with.

Although I must say, in a new development, as a result of my current temping job I can now say that I actually kinda like old people! This is new for me, let's get excited!

Example as to why: Me-Hello sir, you called and left a message saying you were having problems with your password? Old Man-Yes, I'm old, 67 in fact and computers are beyond my time. Me-Okay, I can help. Proceed to seem like an absolute computer whiz-kid as I explain the 'Forgot Your Password' button and it's function. Old Man- Why thank you so much, young lady! Now I don't be mean to be vulgar but....really sir? I totally heart the vulgarity from unexpected sources, bring it!!....there's going to come a day when if you want to screw your wife you'll have to enter a password.

Now, as an unusual turn of events even for my long customer servicing history, it was the old people that rocked and the younger people that really, really, totally sucked. Especially the impatient, rude, condescending secretaries/personal assistants who just wanted me to get the username and password for their bosses because the bosses were way too busy and important to get it themselves and couldn't figure out how to log into the damn system. Unfortunately for them that's so totally against policy and boy-oh-boy do I luuuuuuuuvre throwing the Strictly Policy Clause at rude people. Take that! Pow! It's beyond my control! Boom! You are not nice! Pow! Boom! Bam!

I'm practically a ninja, but with manners...

Coffee: It's How I Get Shit Done.

So I am officially cracked out on coffee at this very moment. I don't drink coffee on a daily basis for the specific reason of I want to be able to use it to get my caffeine high exactly when I want it. And I wanted that special, overly hyper, I can save the world with my pinkie, feeling today (imagine giving a 5-year old 3 cups of espresso, lots of candy and let them loose in a toy store...welcome to me right now, and I'm just sitting in my apartment at my computer ). Today, I am going to Get Shit Done. Also, I need the positive vibes of a pick-me-up drug because I'm having job drama...and I don't even have a day job yet.

I've signed on to use a temp agency here in D.C. to find me work. I've used them before with pretty okay results and since I need money stat in order to help get my roommate and I a new 2 bedroom apartment, I figured it'd be a good idea. However...it's kind of turning into quite a nuisance actually. Well the temp agency may have a gig for me tomorrow. They'll be calling me today to let me know if it's a definite or not.

So what's the problem you ask in that oh-so-bored tone? I have an interview tomorrow morning with a big chain bookstore, a chain I've worked with before and enjoyed. It's for the only position in the store that's got set work hours of Tuesday through Saturday 7am-11am. The position is only minimum wage, but the reason I want it is because this chain is an amazing corporation and will give me health insurance, even at part time. I'm also 99% sure that I have this job in the bag. I've had one interview with them that went very well and I've worked this exact position before a few years ago. However I'm not sure how receptive they'll be to me rescheduling the second interview.

Aaaaand now that I'm all hyped up on chemically-induced good vibes this really doesn't seem as stressful as I thought it was yesterday.

Also, to add to this semi-job situation, I applied to an independent bookstore yesterday expecting them to tell me they're not hiring and turns out they are hiring. They're very interested in speaking to me about a full time position, though I'm thinking my part time theatre job might be a hindrance for me getting that position. But it would be fantastic to work at an independent bookstore. I've worked at both the major chains and would love to move out of that arena and into the smaller bookstore field to see what it's like.

Although this may not help my book buying addiction...

I hate having the stress of coming to the realization that I'm not at all interested in doing positions that will pay my bills, but instead are drawn to the weird/interesting/fun jobs that pay very little. I keep getting sucked back into the idea of working at a bookstore because it's totally my comfort zone. If only someone would pay me to act on stage! Well, I'll always keep looking for that opportunity....

Okay, I'm off to go do an impromptu dance performance in my living room to work off this caffeine buzz and hopefully Get Shit Done as well.

Blog ya later,

Lindsay xo