Today's stats

10:35 AM: Ran over something vicious on the Rockville Pike. Hit my car HARD.
11:30 AM: Car won't start. Open hood. Mess with battery. It starts.
11:31 AM: Scrape down the snow and ice on my car.
11:33 AM: Start driving...hear really weird sounds coming from car.
11:40 AM: Pull into parking lot. Check tire. It's flat.
11:45 AM: Call Bremen. Text Bremen. Call roommate. Call other roommate.
12:47 PM: Bremen comes to help me change the tire.
1:45 PM: Wheel won't come off. Give up trying to put on flat. Decide to drive very slow to auto shop.
1:50 PM: Scrape down snow and ice on car. Discover car door won't latch. Car won't start. Open hood. Mess with battery. Car starts. Door latches.
2:00 PM: Drop off car at shop.
3:00 PM: Almost slide off the road a million times in Bremen's car.
7:30 PM: Pick up car with TWO new tires. $$$ in the hole. Car door won't latch. Scrape down ice and snow on car.
8:00 PM: Take car back to shop to have them fix the door.
8:15 PM: Drop all my cds in the oily, muddy, puddles on the garage floor.
8:30 PM: Realize I left my purse in car. Go back to get purse. Car door latches. Take car.
11:30 PM: Car door won't open. Finally opens then won't latch. Car won't start. Open hood. Mess with Battery. It starts. Car door won't latch. Scrape down ice and snow on car. Wait for 15 minutes. Still won't latch. Drive home holding door closed with one hand. Get home. Door finally latches.

7 freakin inches of snow.

3 things

1) Today I helped get a lost cell phone back to its owner. I've never done that before. I finally got a hold of someone and it turned out to be the owner's fiancee. She gave him my info and he came by to pick it up later. He was sooooo grateful to me. While trying to find someone to contact, I came across a picture in his phone of a cute little baby. I told the guy that I would hope that someone would do the same for me and it was no problem at all. Well, that's a little untrue. The only problem was that the phone reeked of cigarette smoke and I could smell it on my hands. It totally grossed me out.

2) Today after work, I looked up, and the sky was still light. This makes me so very happy. I long for more daylight. To celebrate this lengthened day, I decided to not file underground to my 45 minute train ride, but instead I wandered down to my favorite little spot in Penn Quarter, Teaism. I've been there 4 times in 10 days. I ordered a Lavender Mint herbal tea and a delicious chocolate salty oat cookie. I sat at a table sipping my hot tea and reading my book. I'm usually starving and headachey after work and my trip to Teaism solved both those problems. I recommend doing something relaxing right after work, then tackling the commute and the responsibilities of home. After about an hour, I was thoroughly relaxed and happy and getting up to leave, when something happened that ALMOST makes me rethink my last recommendation. A large, slightly awkward, and not very attractive youngish man (Don't judge me) approached me and asked if I was there for, "Meet-Up." I just smiled and said no, but inside I was thinking, "Excuse me?! You wish!" (don't judge me). I stopped at the counter to order something to give to my friend for her birthday, and then headed to the front door. I saw him staring at me and he started following me out the door. I thought, "Don't do it! Don't do it!" Then I whipped out my phone, quickened my step, and booked it up the street. Is that mean? Sorry if it is. Oh one other thing. The metro is more crowded during the 6:00 hour than the 5:00 hour so that's the trade-off for sticking around downtown after work.

3) Last thing. On my ride home I was going through my outgoing text messages from over the past 3 and half years. It was such a trip down memory lane. They were my responses to friends' announcements that they were engaged, pregnant, etc. And even some squeals of excitement to friends about boys and dates and "The Bachelorette". I deleted many of them, but there are still so many more to go. Keep giving me reasons to send out fun text messages!

one more day, 50 more deadlines...

This morning I did something I haven't done since high school. (you know, FOUR YEARS of early morning swim practice BEFORE early morning seminary). After 30 minutes of my alarm going off, I finally dragged myself out of bed and into a hot shower, thinking that would wake me up. When I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and got back in bed, dampness and all, because I couldn't bear the thought of facing this day. Have you ever tried that? It's my guilty pleasure- nothing like a little pity party to start off the day. I lay there for 8 minutes, without ever closing my eyes, then I got back up and finished getting ready.

As it turns out, my intuition was right. This was definitely a go back to bed day. Work is killing me right now, but I WILL PREVAIL!

blog post worthy...

There's a huge, single Anthropologie up the street from my apartment. It is severely misplaced. It's not a fancy part of town, there's gas stations on two corners nearby and a Men's XL store on the third corner. This Anthropologie is HUGE and beautiful, though. I always told myself I needed to stop by there to support the store. Sadly, I never did and noticed a few days ago that the store was closing down. What a pity, right? I'm sad it couldn't make it in this part of town, but HELLO HUGE CLOSING SALE!!! I went in yesterday and noticed they are just moving to a richer part of town, so at least it will still be around, just a little further away. All I can say is I'm SO glad I don't own a house or garden because everything in the store was on sale, including HUGE furniture items, standing mirrors, huge clocks, lighting fixtures, fountains, etc. I could have bought the whole store! They had a large selection of sale items that had been marked down many times and were still an additional 40% off. Hooray! I kind of went crazy. I got:

• a black furry sweater coat
• 2 cute tops
• a gray wrap dress with a pink sash
• a pair of purple sparkly tights
• an adorable bright colored pillow sham
• 2 cute bright colored plates
• and a turquoise milk pitcher

To me this is very exciting because I love the store and the style, but I can't afford it! That's why I'm glad all this stuff was so cheap. I'm slowly adding interesting pieces to my wardrobe and fun pieces for my future house.

a very classy new year's eve