As I drove back to northern Virginia last night, I listened to news talk radio, as I tend to do.. And when the time came for traffic, the deliverer suggested riding the Metro into DC for those paying respects to Rosa Parks, who was lying in honor at the Capitol Rotunda. (Another reason I love living here... amazing history, being able to pay respects to monumental figures - wow!)..
Now, I've known who Rosa Parks was since I was a little girl. And then that Outkast song came out which brought her to the front of everyone's minds and to the top of the charts .. even though she sued the duo for defamation (that's another story)...
But this woman was well-ahead of her time... she saw something bigger than the issue at hand on that bus in 1955.
And it wasn't about the seat ... or the view from the seat ... or the fact that she got there first. By sitting, she took a stand... as a woman and an African American ... ultimately sparking a movement that changed our country... I can't imagine living in a world where people are segregated because of their skin. It really blows my mind and at the same time, breaks my heart.
And now that she's passed, I realize what a brave little lady she was.
On Fridays when I am going out of town (which let's face it, is basically every week), I try to leave work around 4 / 4:15... Just to give myself a head start. Hoping that by 5, I will at least be somewhat out of northern Virginia. The trip to my parents house, which should take 1:45, ends up taking 3:00.
And I always get the same response when I'm home at 7 p.m. (having left at 4, this is not what we call "making good time").
"You made good time!"
I always reply with... "Not for leaving at 4 o'clock.." When my usual drive is doubled, that is the most lousy time I could possibly make. And I have this thing.. this tick if you will.. where I have to make the best time I can. If I get held up in traffic / construction / inclement weather, at some point during that trip, I will somehow manage to speed just enough to "make up" for any time I may have lost. This is not always successful though, for example, today.
But I am home - back at my parents for a weekend of taking baths, sleeping in a queen bed... and actually being able to do laundry. Oh - best of all - NO TRAFFIC! I love it here.
- a home. - some breathing room. - a friend. - a man!!! - to find another payment processor (or money. Money would be good). - to tweak (Tweak what?). - a webcam (for the weather). - to authorize Randy to go to Japan. - to be the center of attention, be the prettiest, the most fortunate, the most talented, the bestest... - new headshots and voiceover demos. - the Excel file to prepare the final annual report. - a biopsy. - to become more efficient. - a career boost. - to build a good birdhouse or her entire GPA will drop. - a lot of help. - socialization. - to chill. - her hands out front for balance. - to download slots.
As you can tell by the title of my post, life is busy!
I have recently purchased new sweaters (gotta love Banana Republic and my new favorite lady, Ann Taylor - and her Loft). I absolutely love new sweaters. Probably because I wear them forever - until I am embarrassed when I wear them because they are all pilled and worn, and the sleeves are too short. Yeah, that is just bad. So about every 3-4 years, I go on a binge and just buy tons of sweaters. Many of which never get worn... so sad. But I'd like to think I have outgrown the phase of buying clothes just to have them. If I don't wear something, I will usually end up returning it... That's also apart of my newfound old age, I am becoming cheap! But that's a whole other post.
Next .. Diet Coke. I'm drinking one as we speak. I have somehow managed to trick my body into liking diet soda. Weird, because before, I would have rather drank mud than diet soda. After a month though, I am adjusting and loving it. Diet Pepsi is my favorite.... it makes me happy to see establishments that have Pepsi products.. ie Taco Bell. I also just realized that is the second time I have posted about Taco Bell. I think I have a problem.
And on to the last topic, I can't be too specific but I have a stalker, nothing serious. Just this little ... let's call her "Tramp" (capital T) who likes to chat with me online. Except replace "chat" with "IM me in the middle of the night when I am clearly not at my computer, so she can leave messages without actually talking to me." But I know who it is. I think I'll wait until she strikes up a conversation again, what, with her profanity (what classy girl doesn't use profanity, that's my question), and then I'll print it out and mail it to her parents. Just so they can be proud of the 26-year-old they've raised. Heck, she may even be older than that. But she is soooo mature. If anyone out there would like to email her (or call her in the middle of the night = when she's IMing me), please let me know and I'll gladly pass her info on. I just feel silly posting it in my blog.
I will end scene with this line from Golddigger by Kayne West...
He got that ambition baby.. Look at his eyes.. This week he moppin floors Next week it's the fries.
Quarter-century old... Now what? Quarter-life crisis?
It's true. I'm 25. Holla! Today was a fab day... probably one of the best birthdays I have ever had. The celebration actually started on Wednesday and now I believe has officially ended. No longer can I use the excuse that "it's my birthday so I can be a brat!" (Sorry, Justin. I know you heard that a lot today!) But a big THANK YOU to everyone who made this day/days so special!!! 25 is off to a rockin' start. Now I must go to sleep - as I am old and frankly, that's what us old folks do. (No harm meant towards any "old folks" reading this blog.)
I find it interesting - the expressions used to describe certain plays in football. Dancing? I just heard the commentator for the Tech/Md. game say one of these grown men was "dancing." And I must admit, to be as large as some of these guys are, and to be able to "dance" is quite impressive.
And now to sound like my dad, "you couldn't pay me enough to be at that game." Lord..the craziest fans in the country have congregated not even an hour away from me. But here I lie, in my twin bed, fairly uncomfortable as I am too lazy to reposition my head and will likely suffer for this tomorrow.
In other news = finally... tomorrow is Friday! I've been waiting for Friday all week!
** Not to mention ** My birthday is this Sunday! Officially 25 and even better, officially OLD! When did this happen? How did I get to be 25? At least I don't live with my parents! :)
Oddly enough, it wasn't until I moved to the DC metro area that I heard the state of Maryland pronounced, "Murahland." You should think those jack-knife hillbillies in the Shenandoah Valley would mispronounce it if anyone would.
But then comes Elliot last week (of DC 101's morning show) talking to VA Tech football coach Frank Beamer. Even Frank Beamer said Murahland, as in, he was nervous his Hokies were going to get their tails handed to them by... ha ha
Another thing Frank said, that made me laugh and also connected the dots for me, was that he follows Nascar. Cool? Yeah. Then Elliot asks who he follows.
His answer?
Jeff Gordon.. he has connections to Virginia Tech.. blah blah..
Nice!
I should have known Mr. Beamer liked the gayest driver. It all makes sense now!
Thank God for MTV on boring Friday nights = how pathetic am I? While watching the infamous.. or should I say barely famous, "Ashlee Simpson show," I found myself wanting to ask her if kids ever called her "Trashlee" growing up? And who spells "Ashlee" like that anyway? Rock stars, right? Did Mr. Simpson/former youth pastor know he was raising a hell-raising daughter 20 years ago? As hot as her older, blonder sister is, I think the Simpsons are on the way out.
Final question = why did their mother, Tina Simpson, name her dog Maggie? Maggie Simpson? Are you kidding me! I couldn't cut that cheesiness with that sweet knife I saw on QVC yesterday.
So I just got the nerve to call my landlord and find out what was going on with my rent... See, when I moved in, I paid first and last months rent, along with signing a year lease. Now I'm moving into an apartment the end of November and had no idea how this would work.
But the conversation was totally pleasant and I could not have asked for a better outcome. My landlady said the guy who lives upstairs with me is sad that I'm moving and said, "We'll never find anyone as nice as Dana." Man, I had them fooled. Unless nice means sitting in your room all the time and eating Taco Bell. In which case, heck yes, I'm nice.
Looking forward to moving, luckily Rita and I got approved so it is official! November 28th ish.. Yay!
Decided that I should begin to blog. Officially. And not the blog with silly little posts ... something meaningful .. if I ever have anything meaningful to say. For now, I must sleep. But hopefully tomorrow will bring me something witty. Stay tuned.
On Fridays when I am going out of town (which let's face it, is basically every week), I try to leave work around 4 / 4:15... Just to give myself a head start. Hoping that by 5, I will at least be somewhat out of northern Virginia. The trip to my parents house, which should take 1:45, ends up taking 3:00.