November 22!

Whoops, forgot about yesterday. It was a good day, though.

This is my walk home from my new choir which I love love love.


The choir, that is, not my walk home. Though, it is not a bad walk, seeing as how it is a walk, not a 10 mile, 90 minute public transit journey / 30 minute drive, like my old choir was. New choir is SO MUCH BETTER.

November 15!

Here there are irises blooming because we are still having crazy things like 60+ degree days in the middle of November.

November 12!

today I am going to cheat a little bit. I think technically I am supposed to post a photo that I took today, but it's 6pm and I'm still in bed, so really there are no photos to take or post or anything. and, this is a photo I've been meaning to post for a while.

During the weeks of the equinoxes/equinoces?, DC turns into a henge, because we were designed to have streets that line up directly east-west. So if you go stand in the middle of one of the letter streets at sundown on either the vernal or autumnal equinox, the sun sets right down the middle of the street. It is pretty close for the few days before and after, too.

Anyway, here is my photo from the autumnal equinox this year (Sept 23), from L Street, SE:

Also I post this because I miss the long days. Winter Solstice, come quickly!

November 8!

Ok, so I missed yesterday. Sue me! No, don't, because it would be a waste of your time and money.

This is what I did today!

The weather was lovely and I think it will be one of the last days to be so lovely until spring, so Bear and I went to the zoo! We saw this alpaca, which Baby Bear would have stared at all afternoon, but we had a very important meeting at nap o'clock, so I had to tear him away to get him home in time. We also saw lions, elephants, a hungry growling tiger, a napping tiger, a sloth bear (very close to the glass! so cool), and the sad sad emu that paces in its habitat next to the zebras.

I love the zoo.

November 6!

Today it gets dark early, and also the trees are very bright. this photo obviously does no justice.

I learned a really excellent Ysaye Barnwell song yesterday and I will try to find a good link to it.

New Things November: Thursday the 25th

Today I cooked a Thanksgiving dinner, which I had never done before. Well, the only thing that I can take ALL the credit for is the stuffing and the turkey, but I was also "executive" on the gravy too (not really, though). We also got to eat salad and baked brie, garlic mashed potatoes, pumpkin soup, bread, and roasted squashes, and then for dessert which none of us could fit in our tummies there was pumpkin pie, coffee cake, and Oreo pie (better known as "dirt"). And we had spiced/spiked cider too, and wine, and MGD, woo!

I had never cooked those things before, the foods that I cooked yesterday! it was all SO RIDICULOUSLY TASTY. then we watched MST3K and I wanted to die of food overdose, and also laughing too hard overdose. It was really excellent times.

oh also Brady figured out how to turn up our hot water heater, which was only set on warm, and now holy crap! the water! it's so amazing! I can take a shower longer than 4.5 minutes and have the water still be warm! I need to turn on the cold faucet as well! I feel like a normal person again! ...nah. no normalcy.

New Things November: Catsup

Thursday, November 18
I don't remember what I did on Thursday. I met some new people! That was fun. I spent the entire 24 hours with Capital R, which may have been a first, but probably not, and then we went to dinner with his sister and her daughter, which was fun. New People are New. We went to Ted's Bulletin which is not a new place but I did have a new food. I'm stretching for Thursday, because really not that much happened except for that.

Friday, November 19
I went to two new places! First I went to the Dangerously Delicious Pies store, and though I have previously eaten their pies I had never been inside the store. They really are super super delicious. Then I went to Kabob Palace in Crystal City, which was delicious but I didn't have very much, because let's be honest, I was already full of fried chicken (mmm, Crown) and pie, and also a couple of beers.

And a new thing I just learned is that Crown Fried Chicken has a website, and also it's halal? I am not so sure I believe that.

Saturday, November 20
I went to my first small-child birthday party! I was picking up Stellina at her friend's 3rd birthday so that her parents could go get ready for the fancy schmancy party they were attending. It was kind of scary but really cute. Stellina may have been slightly scarred when the head of the four-foot-tall Mickey Mouse balloon came off and floated up to the ceiling of the hall.

On the way home we talked to the moon and Stellina sang the ABCs, in which I was not allowed to participate because Stellina said so. And then at dinner she wanted more and more broccoli and then more and more cantaloupe, which I felt bad denying her, but even she agreed it was going to make her tummy hurt. And then she took a bath and freaked out at getting her hair washed. I had to tell her that she couldn't have any stories before bed, which she didn't believe for a while, until a few minutes later she said "No stories?" and I said "no stories unless you put water on her head" so then she took the washcloth and put water on her head three times and then said "three stories!" If there was a tiny bit of soap left in her hair, she will probably not die from it.

When the water was draining, the following cute time happened:
Me: Ready to get out, Baby Girl?
Stellina: babygirl.
Me: Who is Baby Girl?
Stellina: meeee.
Me: That's right!!
Stellina: biggirl.
Me: That is also right.

Then she shiverrrrred and shiverrrrred during pajama-dressing-time and while her teeth were chattering she was saying "No brush teeth, no brush teeth" and because I am the cool babysitter, I didn't make her brush her teeth. In reality I am the bad babysitter because I forgot to have her brush her teeth. I was focused on her not dying of hypothermia. Her tiny hands and feet were purple!! I gave her many hugs for warmth.

And that is what happened on those days.

New Things November: Tuesday the 16th

Well, it rained today (fall?! I notice you now!) so I did not take Biebzbear to Stanton Park, and though we did walk around it, I don't think that counts. We also did not go to DC-3. Karaoke is still upcoming, but I will write a different new thing!

I was late to work and a guy stopped me on the street and asked if he could ask a question, and I think it is bad karma to not let people ask directions or whatever even if you are running late (the exception is the Children International people who stand on the street, obviously). He did not ask for directions, he asked if I would marry him. I told him I was late for work and that I hoped he will find someone.

I know there are People Who Are Pretty who I'm sure receive at least 3 marriage proposals before work on a daily basis, but this has Never Happened To Me Before.

Also on the way home, I got hit on by a 9-year-old on a bike. WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS.

Dear Selle Italia

I finally sucked it up and bought my new saddle for my bike, which I didn't want to do because it's pink and while I like pink, I wish it wasn't so gendered. Then I had a short but good conversation with one of the guys at the shop, who gets a ton of crap from people because his bike has lots of pink bits, pink grips and wheels and chain and straps and stuff. I wanted to have more conversation about it but I didn't get to. It is silly, the association of the color pink with the ladyfolk. If I want to have the color pink, I should be able to have it, but so should the guy at the bike shop who wants his bike to be pink. If I don't want to have pink, I should not have to have it.

That said, my new seat is pretty great. (and look! those people are selling it at cost!)

The end.


Tomorrow I get to watch the new episode of the zombie show. Or maybe Tuesday morning we will watch it before work, so that I don't have to sleep after it. I have already been having weird dreams lately.

My cat is trying to hack into my bag of Costco mangoes that Stellina's mama bought for me! He is a jerk.

Cold house is cold.

Today is Thursday

and I am cold.

I understand it is the case that I have not blogged in a long time. It is now October. It gets cold at night and often during the day it is not all that warm.

One of our biggest squashes is moldy?? Not rotting, moldy on the surface. I discovered this with no time to deal with it today, so I will deal with it tomorrow.

I have been listening to wayyyy too much pop music, but I did get to see the New Pornographers again on Sunday!

I was pretty disappointed by 30 Rock's live show last week, but I found the west coast show much more entertaining. Kelsey Grammer is guest on tonight's show!

I have almost finished my November budget! My finances are in pretty decent order, as it turns out.

For how short my attention span is, I can't stand flipping channels.

I keep having dreams that I wake up and my hair is long again.

Now that it is cold, Rhett is cranky again, and Zoe is cuddly except she keeps trying to escape.

Nine days until the Rally to Restore Sanity!

These are things that I know.

To whiskey and gin

Let's not pretend that I've listened to anything but the soundtrack from Glee this month.

Also on the October playlist:

The State I Am In - Belle & Sebastian
Can't Stand - Chuckanut Drive (my sister says "Really? that's old-school")
Don't Think Twice - Joan & Indigo Girls
The State I Found You In - Girlyman
The Scarlet Tide - Alison Krauss

Also, all that Girlyman from September.

But I'm being very honest when I discuss Glee. It's a serious[ly bad] addiction.

Ok, so now that we have established that I only listen to the same 27 songs over and over and over, it's time for November!

Loyal readers will remember last November was a Month of Happy. One happy thing per day. This November is Month of Undiscovered Music! My sister and I will both be picking one song from our iTunes libraries every day, with the qualification that the song has 3 playcounts or less, and writing about it. I will write here, she will write there.

So, that starts tomorrow. Get ready.

The Shape I Found You In

Captain Bananio and Stellina met at the park yesterday. Captain Bananio was confused because I was there with Stellina, and he was there with his other nanny, who was also confused as to why he had come over and attached himself to me. CB's mother's impression of CB's reaction after she heard the story was pretty accurate: "Hey, wait, you're my girl, but wait, I'm here with this other girl and she's my girl too, wait, what?"

Captain Bananio recommenced picking up leaves, and I finally peeled Stellina off of me, and then they just kind of stood there and looked at each other in a cute curious way.

When they get married in a few decades, I will tell this story in my toast at the reception.

Then a few minutes later Captain Bananio walked into the slide, and looked offended that it had been in his way. Typical.

Playlists from recent months

August 2009
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Baba O'Riley - The Who
John Saw That Number - Neko Case
Closer to Me - Chuckanut Drive
The Hard Way - Chuckanut Drive
Kickin' In Your Door - Chuckanut Drive
Runnin' Out of Fools - Neko Case
I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case

August was a good month and a confusing month, but not as good and confusing as September. I spent a lot of time listening to all of Blacklisted, not just those two tracks.

September has three playlists, one for before September 24, and one for after September 24, and one for the approximate middle-to-end of the month. I listened to lots of Blacklisted but also some Middle Cyclone, early on in the month.

September-at-large 2009
People Got a Lotta Nerve - Neko Case
Everything's Easy - Girlyman
Somebody to Love - Queen
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Michael Buble (this is because of Prince Philip... just go with it)
Melt Show - Old 97s
Hold on Hope - Guided By Voices

and then Melt Show over and over and over and Everything's Easy over and over and over.

post-September 24th, 2009
Comptine D'un Autre Été: L'après Midi - from the soundtrack of Amelie
Mark Rothko Song - Dar Williams
Calling the Moon - Dar Williams
I Wish I Was The Moon - Dar Williams
I Wonder Where You've Gone - Girlyman
Somewhere Different Now - Girlyman
Tell Me There's A Reason - Girlyman
Everything's Easy - Girlyman
Trees Still Bend - Girlyman
The Shape I Found You In - Girlyman
Storms Were Mine - Girlyman

Yes, a very Girlyman-heavy week. Also the rest of their new album, I listened to all of it over and over, really.

Mid-to-end September 2009 (the keep-me-alive playlist)
Bust Your Windows - Glee Cast
Won't Be Home - Old 97s
Ring The Alarm - Beyonce
Untouchable Face - Ani DiFranco
Niteclub - Old 97s
Wish the Worst - Old 97s
Rehab - Glee Cast
Gold Digger - Glee Cast
I Fucking Bleed Purple and Gold - Super Smash Bros.
and of course
Harder Better Faster Stronger - Daft Punk