My Secret Party Tricks in Life

The longer life goes on, the more I realize the gifts and talents I have to offer it. Lately I have learned I have a couple secret party tricks in life. Some folks tell good jokes at parties, others are musically inclined. Some proffer magic tricks. To each their own, but mine are:

1) Being adept at change.
2) Being able to dance whenever.

Lately the dancing whenver has also included wherever, as I've been jamming on my *new* iPod on the way to work (thanks Dad & M!). No one has stared at me weird so far but even if they had I would probably still do it. I lack the ability to be self conscious about dancing, which is why I can have an awesome weekend night out dancing and not drink.

And the being adept at change trick... work and really, life, have had their share of twists and turns lately so it's good I'm able to just be along for the ride!

Snow = Real Winter!

We are having a rare real winter day in DC! With proper snow and all. When I awoke at ten this morning I opened the blinds to find... snow!!! Sitting in a cozy neighborhood coffee shop it has now been snowing all day. There is a good six or eight inches on the ground. It seems DC does have the occasional snowstorm in her.

Barcelona

Barcelona. Barcelona. I like the sound of it. And that is where I will be in March. My Tiny cousin and I are rendezvousing there to travel and wander and eat and drink and enjoy life. It will be wonderful.

And this time in Spain, I hope to stay out of trouble with the police. Let's just say last time in Spain, there was an incident. Nothing serious, but... less interaction with police is generally better.

Yes, Uncle Sam, I'm a Grown Up Now

I just finished doing my taxes. Few things in life give me the same satisfaction. By doing my taxes, I don't mean TurboTax style, I mean me actually sitting down with the forms and filling it all out. It's me, some pieces of paper, my W-2, and a calculator, at my desk in my kitchen.

To me, it is the ultimate rubber stamp of "Yes, I am a grown up." I can figure it out on my own. Thankfully, this year was way less confusing than past years. Seems that if you don't move nearly every year, your taxes are simpler to do! And that is a good thing.

Fake Winter

We’re in the midst of January in our nation’s capital, a season I refer to as “fake winter.” Coming from the Midwest, the plains of central Illinois were mighty cold in the winter. Snow was a frequent occurrence. And, just because I hadn’t gotten my fill of cold, I went to college in Minneapolis. It was in my northern college town that I learned it can be so cold that your tears freeze on your eyelashes. But, alas, it was never considered cold enough to cancel class.

You can imagine my surprise when, during my first January in DC, I arrived at work after a light snow fall to find the office was closed. It seemed DC didn’t have the “flinty toughness” of Midwesterners. Nearly anytime snow fall over, oh, a quarter of an inch or so was predicted, the town shut down. Schools closed. Offices closed. The federal government closed. Imagine the tax dollars that would be saved if the bulk of our federal offices were in the Midwest.

But over time, I’ve grown to appreciate these “fake winters.” It’s cold enough to wear a coat and long sleeves, but rarely cold by Midwestern standards. You still feel like you get all four seasons, winter is just not as harsh. I now enjoy the snow days, rather than wonder why they are necessary. To me, it’s the universe’s way of getting me back for all the treacherously cold, snowy walks to class in Minneapolis and the cold winters of Illinois.

And today? It felt like a warm spring day as I walked downtown amidst temperatures approaching 60 degrees.

Breakfast, Peace Corps, & Questions Answered

So I had breakfast this morning with a former colleague's daughter who served in the Peace Corps in Niger. It was funny meeting her because she looks a lot like my colleague, has her same mannerisms. In other words, the apple doesn't fall from the tree.

She shared her Peace Corps experience with me and alleviated some of the concerns I had, like how to stay in touch with family, friends and loved ones in the States, and more. A few posts ago I was still wondering where these countries in which you were expected to drink lots were. And the answer? Eastern Europe. Apparently this gal is friends with several returned Peace Corps volunteers from Eastern Europe who were expected to drink copious amounts of vodka every night to fit in.

Ah, ok. It is interesting the questions Peace Corps makes you ponder. Would I rather wear a head covering or drink lots of vodka every night? I don't drink that much and I never, NEVER drink liquor. I just drink beer and wine. So on this one, I may have to change my answer to "No, I can't drink lots."

A Messy Apartment...

... is a sign of a life well lived, I've decided. Though I pride myself on my organizational capabilities, I am really not OCD. But when I do things like, for example, wake up at 7 am after a late-night party at my flat in London to clean up, it does not help my case.

Now that I have an excellent, cozy one-bedroom I am entertaining more and having friends over, both planned and sporadically. And I have given myself permission to not clean up after they leave. In fact, after my holiday party in December I didn't clean up for a few days after. Walking in the door to see the empty plates, beer bottles, my cute party shoes on the floor... It put a smile on my face.

And tonight, I just had a couple friends over for dinner unexpectedly. Not only am I proud that I can whip up a tasty meal in less than 15 minutes, but I am proud I can leave our plates on my kitchen table for a couple days. Because, to me, it is evidence of having friends over, and that is evidence of a life well lived.

Plastic Doll Causes Midwestern Family Hysteria

I meant to post this blog around Thanksgiving time, as that is when the original incident occured. If I had known just how much hysteria a plastic baby doll would cause...

It was a cold, dark night, the eve of Thanksgiving. Family had gathered in celebration of the holiday. Turkey had been eaten, wine had been drunk. The gift was given innocently enough. My five year old cousin was delighted with the cuddly plastic baby doll she received for her birthday, a model and make of doll that my sister also had. The baby doll said cute, cuddly phrases like "Mama" and "Goo goo ga ga." We then said goodbye and I went to bed that night unaware of the coming turmoil.

And then the phone rang. At 6 am the next morning. It seems that the baby doll had come to life and was saying "Allah is the light." Oh, a baby doll that understands world religions, you may be thinking. Well, imagine the horror that simple phrase would wreck on a good, Christian Midwestern family. I brought my sister's baby doll out but, alas, could not decipher "Allah is the light" amidst her goo's and ga's. But over yonder, my cousin's baby doll was apparently saying "Allah is the light" to the point that the doll was returned to the store despite my cousin's tears and affection for her.

Then came the conspiracy theories! And the madness! Perhaps Chinese workers were plotting to take over America by recording anti-Christian messages in our plastic toys produced in mass quantities for next to nothing, as our consumer society demanded. By the end of the day, amidst the phone calls between family, with Matel (the maker of the doll), and the threatening to take my sister's doll away, we felt as if we had endured a great battle. If it weren't for my sister insisting her doll had been baptized and was now a Christian, we might have lost two dolls that day.

Never a doll - I mean dull - moment with the family.

Getting Paid for Not Working

Since I am on jury duty this week, I have become intrigued by the topic of getting paid but not working. In part, this is because that is exactly what I am doing this week. It is rather interesting.

For example, at my regular job, work starts around 9 am and I typically stay until 6ish. Plus I check my blackberry or work a bit more in the evenings. At jury duty, the judge seems to understand I don't do mornings and has thus far not started before 10 am. We have breaks every 1.5 hours, an hour and a half lunch break, and we always finish by 4:45 pm. Did I mention I usually stay at work until at least 6 pm?

And the lunch break! For a gal who typically scarfs down a peanut butter sandwich in between meetings it is glorious. A whole hour and a half, with all of the downtown eateries in walking distance. I even had time to breeze through the Smithsonian during lunch. During this whole experience I am getting paid by my regular job as well as $4 per day for being a juror. I realize that's not much but it at least gets me a morning coffee and pastry.

So, this whole experience got me interested in other experiences where you can get paid but not work. Lo and behold, one of my fellow jurors (who is also getting paid to not work now) knew of one. Her friend recently graduated from Yale Law School and was offered a job at a top law firm at an $80,000 starting salary.

Guess what the job was? Doing nothing. Seriously. Given the economy, some firms are hiring people at a "lower" salary and asking them not to work or sign with any other firms for a while until they can afford to bring them on at full salary. Wow. I was amazed when I learned that. I realize after graduating from law school, you're probably ready to get to work, but seriously... $80,000 could pay for so much traveling. Or you could save half of that and travel. Or you could do pro bono legal work. Or get pastries and coffee every morning followed by leisurely lunches out. The possibilities are endless...

Let me know if you have additional ideas for getting paid but not working.

It Can Happen to You

They warned me. Don't do it, they said. They will find you, I was told. Put it off as long as possible, friends advised. You'll get caught within six months, my peers disclosed.

But I ignored their cautions and got it anyway. "It" being my DC license. I emerged from the Georgetown DMV after about two hours which I considered to be a victory. Though, when they took my Midwestern license from me I burst into tears in a brief, unexpected identity crisis. Going through with this meant I was no longer a Midwesterner, I was officially a Washingtonian.

And as a Washingtonian, it did happen. Nearly six months later I got the slip in the mail. Jury Duty. Report downtown on x date. No exceptions.

So off I went, skipping my morning shower, looking as dressed down as I could muster, and hoping I would just be there for the day. Needless to say that will not be the case. I have been assigned, advised to clear my calendar for a week, and... told not to talk, blog, tweet, or facebook about it. For now, dear readers, I can disclose no more.

But just know that it can happen to you, too.

Good Dating Questions

Carolyn does it again. I read the her column in the Post nearly every day. For whatever reason her advice on relationships intrigues me. Usually, I agree with it. Recently, she posted this series of questions to ask when dating and/or in a relationship:

1) Do you get along, in most cases, without much effort?
2) Do you like him as is?
3) If you weren't physically attracted to each other, would you choose each other as friends?
4) Do you talk easily?
5) Do you seek each other out equally?
6) Can you hit your normal highs and lows with each other?

The main reason I like these questions is the reinforce the point that you gotta like each other as is. Anyway, just wanted to share since I thought this was interesting.

New Year's Resolutions

I realize I hinted at a New Year's resolution but did not really say what it was. Recently, I read somewhere that the tone of the first month of the year sets the tone for the rest of the year. So, while I don't have a resolution per say, I do have some things I am doing more intentionally this month. After all, I am setting the tone for not only 2010 but for the new decade (though I realize there is debate about if this year, or next, is the "new" decade).

Here is what I am being more intentional about: spending quality time with friends & family; working out; eating a hearty breakfast; practicing speaking French; writing; and using cash only. I won't bore you with how I've defined each of these but I will say week one has more or less been a success. Secondly, I brainstormed some things I would like to accomplish in the new decade from going to Italy (never been!) to professional and personal goals. Of course, we'll have to see what doors and windows life opens up, too.

Finally, the New Year is a reminder to continue to spend a moment each day, in the morning or whenever, being thoughtful about the many things in life I am thankful for. Good friends, loving family, interesting work, and just general happiness. It is also a new opportunity to practice daily being the kind of person I want to be, joyful, loving, energetic, adventurous, intelligent, full of grace, able to keep things in perspective, and able to make lemonade out of lemons.

Grandma Does It Again

My grandma has an uncanny ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, to zero in on your insecurities at your weakest point. Case in point: After a summer spent working out and thinking I looked great, upon seeing me she said "Oh honey, are you okay? You look anemic." A second example is, after securing a very cute outfit to wear to a family party, she said "Oh honey, are you really going to wear that coat with that? It looks weird."

Thankfully, my self esteem is not based on what what she thinks. Nevertheless, she managed to do this again today by phone. Yes, she can do this even long-distance. When I was dating a boy with an exotic name who was, well, not from the Midwest, she would say "Oh honey, you're too young to even think of marriage" while inquiring about what my old high school boyfriend, a nice Midwestern boy, was up to and if we still kept in touch. In the same conversation she would then speculate when my younger cousin would get engaged.

And tonight, after a week of being a little bit sensitive about being single, she says "Haven't you met any nice boys in DC?" Hmmph! "No Grandma, but if you know of any you can send them my way," was my candid reply. At least she didn't ask me "Do you use e-harmony? I don't want you to be old and alone," as I later found out she asked my mom today.

Running in the Winter

Now that we are in January, I can indulge in one of my favorite things - running in the winter. Outside. Yes, in the cold. Weird, I know. But I like it. When I run, I like to go places. I am not the type to stay on the treadmill indoors. Plus in DC there are so many options. I can head north through cute neighborhoods, west to Rock Creek Park, south to the White House and the National Mall, or my personal favorite, an embassy run. On my embassy runs I try to see how many embassies I can go by in one run. I guess that's pretty self explanatory.

Having grown up in the Midwest the DC cold only rarely compares. That makes for many thirty or forty degree days where I can definitely run outside. I like getting bundled up and then going for a winter run. The fresh cold air tastes crisp. Because it is cold, my body has to work harder and that feels good, too.

And, ironically, usually I get too hot on these winter runs and need to strip off a layer or two. Try it! You may be surprised.

Thrifty Jay Girl

I pride myself on being a Midwesterner. Engrained in the DNA of 99.2% of all Midwesterners is being thrifty. Therefore, I have a knack for finding bargain sales, saving money, and securing the cheapest airfares possible. My closet is filled with cute clothes, all of which were bought on sale. It's as if I am allergic to purchasing things at full price. I have many cost savings tricks up my sleeve. But, out on the East Coast I was starting to feel that I was sliding away from my time-honored money saving rituals. I was using plastic instead of cash a little too much and generally not budgeting as I should. So, I decided one of my New Year's resolutions would be to use cash only in addition to sticking to my monthly budgets.

Dear readers, I am happy to report after week one of the New Year, I have stuck to my resolution. And I like it. It helps me stick to spending what I have. Having relied on my debit card regularly it is much more concrete to use old greenbacks.

Not only this, but I learned of a new cost-savings trick last weekend, more applicable to families than to me. One of my friends became responsible for making his own lunch for school at the tender age of six. His mom would take him and his sister grocery shopping each week and they would pick out what they wanted for their lunches. As a bonus, they could clip coupons before they went grocery shopping. Any money they saved through using coupons became theirs, in addition to their weekly allowances. Isn't that clever? I may look at the coupons in tomorrow's newspaper. Exciting Sunday, I know : )

Mommyhood Today

For whatever reason, how women balance work and family and life has generally interested me. I follow the New York Times blog Motherlode, among other articles and books on the matter. While clearly I am far away from having mommyhood (or even marriage) be a part of my daily life, I am intrigued by how others manage to do it all.

Today, I was confronted with a model of motherhood that is extinct among my peers: the traditional family with a stay-at-home mom. Though my friends range from conservative to liberal, with multiple perspectives on religion mixed in, the one thing most of my 20-something girlfriends and I agree on is that some form of us working will continue if/when we have children. This could be part-time work, consulting, volunteering, continued education, or something else entirely. But the point is, none of us see having kids as our exit from the workforce entirely, though many of my friends envision taking a step back. Of course, this is all talk right now anyway.

Anyway, I stopped by the nonprofit shop I volunteer at to visit with the girls I am friends with. I hadn't seen them since late November. One had gotten engaged so my congrats were to her. The other is married and expecting, her baby bump sufficiently round. During the visit, I found out she leaves work next week. For good. She is finishing out her last trimester at home so she can rest up and prepare for the baby. Then she will enter full-time mommyhood in April.

Thankfully I didn't say anything awkward, but it was a surprise to me to see someone around my age and living in the city make that choice. The other thing is, the nonprofit is somewhat low key and definitely the sort of place where flex time and alternative scheduling would be okay, in addition to having a lot of autonomy over your schedule and work. But, to each their own, and I am happy for her, that she has the option to stay home, that she'll have a cute baby boy come April, and that we each have the freedom to make our own choice.

What do you think? Did your mom stay home with you? How would you handle mommyhood?

Sapporo, Sumo Wrestling and Timing

Thursday's happy hour at a Korean bar and restaurant triggered a long-forgotten memory from my travels. During my junior year of college, I took advantage of a combination of factors to go to Japan. This included: a long winter break, bargain airfare to Tokyo, a Japanese friend living in Tokyo, and an American friend studying abroad in Kyoto, both of whom had invited me to visit.

It was an amazing trip and as I ordered Sapporo at the bar, I remembered sitting in Tokyo waiting for the bullet train to Kyoto. This was around rush hour and there were waiting rooms filled with Japanese business men drinking Sapporo and watching sumo wrestling on TV. It was one of those "You're not in Kansas anymore" moments in life, where our cultural differences were just so cool and authentic and interesting all at the same time.

The other piece that stands out to me about the bullet trains was that they were always exactly on time. If your train was at 6:02 pm and a train arrived at 5:59 pm, that was not your train. The speed with which the trains were boarded and precision with which they left amazed me. It is funny, because juxtaposed with the precision of the bullet trains is the imperfect precision of life. So many opportunities have fallen in my lap that were outside the scope of my plans or the timing I may have anticipated. I guess the lesson learned is that while trains can be perfectly timed, life cannot be. And that's what makes it an adventure!

New Year, New Decade

My friends and I were sitting around before getting ready for our New Year's festivities when it dawned on us that this is not only a new year, it is a new decade. It's a new set of ten years to plan adventures and live life in. That's exciting!

For me as a twenty-something, it will be the first full decade entirely in my control. Last decade was in part high school and college; this one is all my own. It's exciting to think of the things the next ten years may hold.

And it was perfect to start off the New Year with some of my best friends and family, in fact with many of the people I hope are still in my life in ten years. We had a great time ringing in the New Year while out on the town in Chicago.

Happy New Year to you!