Sunday, April 16, 2006

happy easter!

this weekend turned out to be a really good one.

i took friday afternoon off to do some pampering (and some cleaning), and went to meet corey for his make-up dinner at la madeleine. i had my favorite salad of all time--the steak au bleu, and he had some mushroom concoction.

i say 'make-up dinner', and i will elaborate, so that all my readers will know what a truly great guy corey is.

some time ago, i was hanging out at his place watching a movie. in his apartment complex you have to have a visitor parking pass, so when i arrived, he came out and gave me the pass. what he and i did not notice was that i managed to park in the one 'reserved' parking spot in the whole back row of parking, and after finishing up the movie, my car was nowhere to be found. towing is such a racket, but corey unnecessarily assumed responsibility, since he was aware of the trap spot, and would not let me pay the $125 fee to get my car out. yes ladies, he is that kind of guy, for further information, inquire within. (oh, he is so gonna kill me when he reads this!!)

at any rate, i figured the very least i could do to say thank you was to take him to dinner. after dinner we headed to the jungle where we were met by katie and anne. the four of us embarked on a perilous journey that involved komodo dragons, killer bees, crocodiles, and head hunters. it also involved one hole in one, made by anne. katie and i tied for high score (high score wins in mini-golf, right?) actually, it was worth noting that, while the holes themselves were pretty simple, the course was by far the best mini-golf course i have seen, and i can't wait to go back!

we called it a night a bit early, since i knew i had to be up on saturday morning to meet jeremy, who was coming up to visit me from richmond. i was a bit relieved when i learned that he had gotten a late start, which meant i could sleep for another hour! but eventually i rolled out of bed and got ready to start the day. i was a bit nervous, as this was a first meeting for jeremy and i (having originally met online), but when he arrived, all my anxiety was put to rest.

i've met people through various sites online before, and with mixed results. i've had my heart broken, broken hearts, and made some good friends. but if i've learned anything, it is that meeting sooner rather than later is better for everyone. as much as you can learn about a person through emails, ims, and phone calls, there is still much that cannot be determined until you are standing face to face with someone sharing the same space. and only then can you decide what sort of time and emotional investment is warranted.

jeremy was a good sport and after a week of interaction, when i suggested one of us needed to make a road trip, he didn't hesitate. when he got here, i was especially happy that we hadn't put it off any longer.

we decided to deviate from the original plan of going into dc, and stuck a bit closer to home. we headed to lunch, after which we stopped by the langley eggstravaganza, where we were amused by all things egg. after leaving from there, we opted to take advantage of the beautiful day, and spent a couple of hours at great falls park. i really could not have ordered more perfect weather, more perfect scenery, or more perfect company. we had an amazing time.

finally, it was time for dinner, so we headed to olive garden, where we, in the most random of coincidences, ran into kathryn and her roommate kara. the four of us decided to dine together, and had a great time. jeremy withstood kathryn's firing line like a true pro! since kathryn has known me for some 12 odd years, nobody gets a place in my life without passing her tests, and he passed with flying colors.

after dinner we headed back home where we spent some time getting to know eachother better, and eventually i sent him home with an invitation to check out his neck of the woods next weekend--which i'm really looking forward to!

basically, it was just one of those all around great weekends...hopefully this is the start of nothing but an upward trend!

for more jungle pics, click here.
for more great falls pics, click here.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

an update

yes, it has been several days since i've blogged. the truth is, i have been on a downward spiral of doom, but it drives me crazy when i read other people's blogs and all they are doing is complaining (there is a difference between complaing and expressing). my last couple of posts have been atypically negative (or complaining) of me, and i did not like it, so i chose to abstain.

needless to say, it's been a rough couple of weeks. after the event concluded, things started to get even worse. while no one is questioning my event planning capabilities, they are questioning the additional money. it seems simple to me. more people = more money. but i'm not an accountant.

every day since the event has involved tense phone calls and multiple questions. with each question, my desire to say "you know what? you guys can figure it out. i'm out of here," has increased exponentially. as far as i am concerned, we spend too much time at work to hate what we do. and i have hated everything about the last couple of weeks.

but i am beginning to see a light. it's small, and it's flickering. but it looks a little brighter than it has. maybe it's just my eyes adjusting to the dark, but i am hopeful. and there have been some really good things happening in the last couple of weeks that i need to acknowledge (if for no other reason than to shake myself from the ickyness).

jt, danna, and baby elisa spent last weekend with us, which was sooo good. i am often uplifted by my family and reminded of how much i have to be grateful for.

kendyl has also been an absolute doll lately. maybe she knows that aunt tara needs a little extra love, because she has been dishing it out. she still refuses to say my name however(months ago she coined 'tata' for me, but that has long since gone by the wayside, and she stubbornly refuses to give me the satisfaction of hearing my name come out of her mouth), but i can look past it when there are so many hugs and kisses.

i've been debating about another tattoo (again), which entertains me and distracts me. actually, i should thank anne for that. her random musings one day triggered both mine and corey's dormant craving. you can see what he is thinking about here. i have been thinking about getting a ladybug on my toe. before you roll your eyes in disgust, let me explain. in one of my all time favorite movies, one of the characters tells the following story:

'i used to spend hours looking for ladybugs. finally, i'd just give up and fall asleep in the grass.

when I woke up, they were crawling all over me.'


i love that simple reminder that the things we want come to us when we relax and stop obsessing over them. that is why i am considering a ladybug. the other option would be train tracks, but that is less appealing (gwen, you may be the only one who gets that!)

my boss has been very supportive, and thanks to her, on top of my elizabeth arden gift certificate from the hotel, i now have another one to use. if i can figure out when there is actually time, i'm sure it will be extremely enjoyable.

there have been good things. and i am trying to remember that. i'm looking forward to wmzqfest, and duck beach, and the annual family vacation to grandma's lakehouse, and i'm just holding my breath until the end of june.

Friday, April 07, 2006

the avon breast cancer walk

every year avon sponsors a forty mile breast cancer walk, which i have always wanted to do--particularly since my grandmother died of the disease. however, the idea of raising $1800 has always scared me into avoidance.

this year however, my friend and co-worker has committed to doing this, and i would like to see her succeed. if you are of the variety who feels it is worthwhile to donate to a good cause (and i understand that not everyone is), please consider sponsoring one or more of her miles.

you can do so by clicking here.

mellowing out

either i am starting to mellow out, or i am just becoming truly apathetic.

nicholas moved on yesterday. i'm still fighting money battles at work. people are still ungrateful. i saw the worst movie ever last night. and i think i have moved passed feeling.

"self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. you will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. you will find peace not in denial, but in victory."

uh-huh. yeah. i'll get right on that.

the truth of the matter is, i am feeling too much. i'm overwhelmed by what i'm feeling and wish that i could just shut my brain down. just for a few minutes. just a little respite.

oh wait? what's this? a gift certificate at the red door spa for a half-day 'escape' package. think i just found the temporary fix. if they have calgon, i'm totally set;)

Monday, April 03, 2006

spring gala photos

since i didn't really have a chance to take photos at the party (see, now you know i was working!), i have stolen the photos from my favorite corp comm guys and uploaded them. you can check them out here.

in this pic: my partner in crime (koh), myself, and my two extra hands (alicia)


good night and good luck:
view from the top:
corpse bride:
two for the money:
sea inside:
bee season:
the constant gardener: