Thursday, February 25, 2010

Parasite?

This week has been hell.

I had band practice on Tuesday night, followed by Wednesday which was chock-full of food poisoning. Then a gig. Today I have band practice again, but after that gig I got a whopping 5 hours of sleep and am now insanely tired. Also, my neck hurts from the headbanging, and my stomach is still killing me.

Ugh.......

Monday, February 22, 2010

Oh, Canada...

Dear Canada,

I am writing to you to express my condolances. While I understand that you're going through a tough time, let me express how sorry I am for the severe gloating that you are about to endure from the American people. We are known for being arrogant, crude, and cruel in sad times. This time will be no different.

A week ago, we, America, made a decision. Should Canada win the olympic hockey game against the United States, we would congratulate you, be happy for you even! This, after all, was your sport. The year you hosted the olympics. Your time to shine. We would graciously bow down before your superiority on the ice, because lets face it, much of the NHL is made up of players from either your country, or Russia. That you would teach our players a lesson in good sportsmanship was obvious. Unfortunately, the opposite was already known for us. If the US won against Canada, during the olympics, which Canada was hosting, we would never let you forget it. Ever.

It took five goals, and a few thousand cheers before we realized what had happened. We beat you. We did not only out-score you, but we blocked more than 40 shots to our goal. It was like a magical moment in history where the US could prove what huge assholes we truly are. Which is why I am here, today.

Canada, I applaud your efforts. You truly are one of the classiest, most beautiful countries in the world. Your people are known for being kind, polite, and attractive. Your skills in sports are praised worldwide, and it is a great pleasure to be your neighbor.

But for the next few years, the US reigns supreme in hockey. Which means you're either going to find another form of national pride, or learn to really really love figure skating.

I heard your dance duo did a great job, last night!

Love,
Nina

PS: USA! USA! USA!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Oh the pain, the pain of it all!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it appears that I have been denied healthcare. Why? Not for my pre-existing asthma, which landed me in the ER twice.. not for my husband's club foot.. but because two years ago, I went to counceling for bipolar depression. Since then, I have not only not had any real problems, but my councelor deemed me just fine. I was having a hard time, now I'm not. I'm good. No problem.

Well, one problem.. NO HEALTH INSURANCE.

So either Willy needs to get a job with health insurance NOW.. or we have to keep looking. Just because United denied me doesn't mean they all will, right?

RIGHT??

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Valentines Day - Courtesy of your DC tour guide

Well, ladies and gentleman, I have to apologize for not updating for the past few days. Why? Valentines Day run-off. Willy and I did it good, this year.. REAL good. Like, sitcom-family good. We got a room at Capitol Hill Suites, which I highly recommend to anyone visiting the DC area. It was very inexpensive (a little over $100 a night), and it was insanely convenient. One block away from the Capitol South Metro station (yes, we braved Metro!), it was such a short walk that once we spotted it we were like, "..awesome!" 'cuz, yanno, walking in the snow sucks. The lobby was gorgeous and the interior very modern.When we got to our suite, we were welcomed by a trail of rose petals that led us from a very beautiful and spacious living room (with a mini kitchen, fridge, and high-def TV), to a king sized bed in the bedroom. The bed had a heart drawn in rose petals and some chocolates arranged in the center. It was adorable! Very comfortable bed, too. There was yet another high-def TV in the bedroom, so we were exceptionally lazy. The bathroom was very clean, and I have to say guys, the entire room was gorgeous. I almost forgot we were away on a romantic weekend because I was ready to call over my goons and have a hotel room party.

After we got settled in, Willy and I took a walk to this place that came highly recommended; The Good Stuff Eatery. This place is famous for it's burgers, and won an award from Rachel Ray. When we got there, it looked very busy, albeit a definite "hole in the wall" style place. We shelled out a good $24 + for two burgers, one thing of fries, and two sodas. Lets just say, we were less than impressed. Don't be fooled by this place's "old timey" vibe. The food was good, but the burgers were half the size of a Five Guys burger, and cost just as much. I know we're a nation of "bigger is better", but really, this felt like a rip-off. I noticed a lot of trendy jack-holes were congregating there, so that's a tip off for the future; do not buy pricey burgers at a joint where 95% of the crowd is college kids wearing South Pole and Ugs. So yeah, visitors to DC, lemme save you the trip and just recommend going to Five Guys. I know it's gone corporate and no longer has that "hole in the wall" feel, but it's the samn gaddamn thing, the burgers and fries are great, and it's cheaper than paying out the ass for some trendy burger the size of a child's fist. Also, Five Guys is surprisingly less greasy. I kinda felt like I was drinking that burger. (Mmmm delicious..)

After that piece of crap, Willy and I returned to the hotel for a nap. We woke up around 7 for our 10 PM reservation at an awesome place called Sonoma. Since we had time to kill, we got a few beers at this cute little bar called the Hawk n' Dove. Great bar, I definitely suggest a visit if you've got time to kill near Capitol South. Friendly bartender, quiet atmosphere, and they had Woodchuck on tap! We watched a little bit of the Olympics, hung out with a cool dude who's family was also Catalan (small world!), and eventually made our way to Sonoma. Lemme make this clear though, guys.. this was all on one block. One strip full of great bars and places to go. I love my city!!

Anyhow, we made it to Sonoma and dropped a good $200 on dinner and wine. It was ridiculously good. I had grilled calamari, lamb, and goat cheese cheesecake for dessert. The wine was deliciously paired, and by the end of the night, I can definitely say that we burned off the excess calories. I'm not sorry I broke my diet for this weekend, because it was a very un-every day thing. We didn't over-eat, or overindulge. I think the worst thing about this weekend was the amount of money that was spent (I dread searching my bank account..) because yesterday was spent shopping for items we'll be using next weekend; during our Barbarian Party.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.. our Barbarian Party. I look forward to reporting!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

So much snow!!

I must apologize for not having posted since the SNOWMAGEDDON began on Friday. See, when you're stuck in a house for... *checks calander* four fays, you start to get a little stir-crazy. I've been passing the time with frequent drawing binges, a little WoW, and cooking.

Since I work at the State Department, I follow procedure with the other federal workers. The federal government has been closed since Friday afternoon, and brace yourselves, we're gonna have another possible 20" today. It's already begun snowing little trickles here in Damascus, and all I can do is scream "Nooooo!!" and beg for it to stop. Unfortunately, my no-snow dance kinda sucks, so we're probably in for another haul. The snow is supposed to continue from today on until tomorrow afternoon, which means it's very possible they will be keeping the federal offices closed for another day.

I can't tell you how much this is displeasing our leaders, considering how much money is being wasted for every day the federal government does not work. Lets just say, it's in the millions, and I have not yet reached that point in my life where millions of dollars wasted are not a big deal to me. But hell, what can we do? Many people are still stuck from Friday's snow, and now we've got another 20" to battle.

At this point, my everything hurts. I was out there shoveling since Sunday and I'm sore in my arms.. legs.. back.. but at least I've been getting a good work-out! And despite the presence of cupcakes in the house (via my mother-in-law) I have not strayed on my diet. In fact, I have discovered a delightful new addition to my food regiment; almond milk! It's delicious, and ridiculously good for you!

Now if you will excuse me, the time has come to batten down the hatches and get ready for another SNOWMAGEDDON AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Home safe!


You all can stop biting your nails. I am home safe, and the cat is okay.

SNOWMAGEDDON!

Apparently, we're gonna have a big snow day today. I say "apparently", because while the rest of DC is closing down EVERYTHING and people are stockpiling for the next 5 days, the federal government has decided that closing 4 hours early would suffice.

Which means that, as a government contractor, I'm here for my full 8 hours.

Which means I'll have to find a way to get home during the SNOWMAGEDDON.

DC doesn't do well in snow, people. Especially not snow that's more than 3 feet. This year may end up being the year with the most snow our nation's capital has ever had, so you can tell we're a little unprepared. In fact, MDOT (Maryland Dept. of Transportation) has already used up it's budget. ALL OF IT. I believe VDOT (Virginia ect.) has as well. Fortunately, my dad is a contractor for VDOT, and works specifically with the plows and snow equipment, so this should be a good year for his income. We always pray for lots of snow because it means lots of money.

I still pray for lots of snow, despite the inconvenience. I just kinda wonder if I'm gonna have an issue getting home, tonight. I drive a low-rider sports car that is NO GOOD in the snow, and Willy drives a little Honda Fit. The 5 stations leading to my metro stop are above-ground, so if they shut down their above-ground stations, I will not be able to get close to home. Either home, in fact. My parents' house is near an above-grund station, so even if I asked one of them to pick me up, it couldn't happen. Closest thing to them is RFK Stadium, and by the time I'm done with work today, it will have been snowing for six hours.

I'm not worried, just a little sad. I wish the federal government had just called the day off, because then everyone could have stayed home safe. Instead, they screwed me over.

And I can't even use a sled dog team. I'm allergic to dogs.

Oh! An addition.. as it turns out, one of my uncles has a blog! Imagine that!

Josep Gironès Descarrega

Unfortunately, it's not en English, so you guys won't get to discover all of my family's steamy gossip.. unless you translate it online like I did, and learn that he writes mostly about nature and local history. My uncle's a published author, and I kinda wish I did speak their language so I could appreciate it. As an avid reader (AKA nerd) the idea of having an author for an uncle is very inspirational. It really makes me want to finish that book.

Oh, and my comic book.

Oh, and my evil restaraunt.

Oh, and my..... you get the idea.

Anyway, since Vicky here is translating.. I'm gonna have to keep it clean. HA! Just kidding. God knows how long that would last.. but hey, can ya see the resemblance?

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Oh yeah!

Forgot to share this with ya'll; these are a few of the pictures from my last shoot. It was with A Sound of Thunder. I really am enjoying all of my time with this band, but if these photos have shown me anything, it's that I'm close to my goal. Just a few more pounds, I swear!


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Jealousy

So last night I sinned horribly. No, not by breaking my diet and eating at CeCe's Pizza, which is actually pretty gross and will likely never see me again.. but by internally judging an overweight person.

I saw this lady, last night. CeCe's is an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet with really crappy pizza, but it's cheap, so you usally see families with their kids there. I was there with Willy after we spent the entire evening grocery shopping, which gave me no time to cook. We decided to have a "cheat night" because after he got his terrible cholesterol scores back from the doctor (yeah, he only stuck to his diet for about a week..) he promised that he'd eat better. I don't mean to be a jerk, and I'm trying really hard to help him stick to the diet, but I always become the bad guy. So at this point I'm trying to keep my mouth shut and let him make his own decisions.

Anyway, getting back on topic, I saw this lady with her kids. Lady must have been around 300 with some change, and she had three daughters with her that were slowly catching up. Now, me being the bitch that I am, I'm thinking to myself, "Holy crap, the last thing this woman needs is a pizza buffet..", but here I am doing the same thing. And the moment I tell Willy I'm ashamed of myself for being there, he gives me this, "Don't become one of those people," shpiels. "Those" people? Who are those people? Healthy people? Or obsessive people?

Am I healthy, or obsessive for not wanting to eat junk food ever, and feeling ashamed when I do? I'm not sure. With Willy, I'm obsessive. I have a problem. With healthy people, I'm healthy, I'm doing the right thing for avoiding junk food and trying to keep my husband safe from it. I'm tired of getting these mixed messages. I love my husband, but it's obvious that eating badly is hurting him and he doesn't want to change because he wants junk food too much. While we were shopping, he told me that the thing that always blows it for him is having to eat the same thing over and over. He eats the same thing over and over because he isn't willing to eat OTHER HEALTHY THINGS. All he likes is junk food! And since I have to cook for the both of us, I'm constantly cooking the same thing to appease his 5 year old picky eating tendancies. I can't even cook fish because it makes him sick when he smells it. He's practically banned an entire food group!!

I don't want to lose him by a heart attack at 30. How do I fix my gaddamn husband!??!

And no, refraining from sex does not work.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Can't sleep, clowns will eat me..

As it turns out, Advair is great for keeping my asthma in check, but not so great for letting me sleep. I stayed up all night last night, and today I feel nervous and nauseous. Here's hoping the side effects will pass.