SEE : on why i love dc

Guess who I saw this weekend?

{beat}
Barack Obama! In jeans! Less than a block away! (My cell phone camera doesn't have a great zoom. Or any zoom, for that matter. So here's an official photo for proof.)

(J. Scott Applewhite, AP Photo/ July 30, 2010) (via)

My friend Ben and I were eating dinner outside when a cavalcade of black SUVs and police cars pulled up at the Spy Museum across the street. Michelle and Sasha arrived first, and Barry (we're on a first name basis, FYI) came with the second round of cars. We cheered and clapped; he waved. It was all pretty exciting.

And did Ben and I wait around for the First Family to come back out? Um... no comment. :)

TASTE : random act of kindness

Have you guys ever heard of (or had) Pocky?


It's (as you can read on the box) a biscuit stick covered in chocolate (or other flavors, including a "mature," dark chocolate version that's called "Men's Pocky). It's from Japan and apparently very popular in East Asian countries.

I had not heard of this little bit of deliciousness (seriously, I ate the entire box in 5 minutes) until yesterday when a co-worker of mine bought me a box, because he thought I was "down." (It's been a stressful/busy week, so I've not been as social as I normally am.) I mean, is that sweet or what? I am constantly surprised by how kind people can be.

I saved the box, because I love how retro it looks... and as a reminder to be kinder to (and definitely more patient with) people, just because, and to be less dour at work (even when I'm stressed).

Fun Fact: Pocky was renamed Rocky in Malaysia, perhaps to avoid sounding like a vulgar word in Malay (from Wikipedia, of course).

HEAR : giving up the gun

Yesterday was perfect. A sunny 72 degrees Fahrenheit with a slight wind. I worked from home, which meant I could take my laptop out to the patio and type-type-type away on the grant proposal I'm currently working on. I wore a sundress and sunglasses and ate chips and drank Ale 8 One.

Today is the complete opposite. Chilly and rainy, and I'm still at work, wearing tights, a pencil skirt, and makeup that was smeared away hours ago. Pretty.

So I'm listening to fellow Columbia U graduates and wishing for warmer weather (which could come as soon as tomorrow? Oh, DC weather):

I can't believe it was almost (exactly) one year ago that I saw Vampire Weekend live. Oh, time, how you fly.

FEEL (hopeful) : a letter to the world (wide web)

Oh, internet, how I've missed you.

But I've forgotton how much of a hindrance you can be to my productivity (and let's be honest, I don't need any help being unproductive). In the month or so we've been apart, I've...

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taken up running (sort of), although I don't have a picture of that.

But I've also picked up some bad habits, like watching this and this. (Please don't judge! We all need mindless entertainment sometimes, right?)

So, let's just make a pact that you'll help me be productive. Support my reading goals by emailing me installments of books via Daily Lit (I'm currently reading Alice in Wonderland). Remind me to complete my Arabic lessons on Rosetta Stone. Help me figure out a way to actually run a mile without dying. And I'll forgive you for helping me waste my time on silly things like this. Deal?

Welcome back, old friend!

dead again

My laptop is dead. Again.

I think I might just call it quits and get a new laptop. And maybe this time I should get a Mac. {I really hate those Justin-Long-versus-John-Hodgman commercials {I get it. Macs are better than PCs. My track record with PCs doesn't really dispute that. But Justin Long over John Hodgman? No way, Apple.}, but this is really convincing.}