Friday, November 6, 2009
Quick Thought
For a simple Midwestern girl, one thing that is intoxicating about DC is the sense of opportunity. People, institutions, and leaders I used to read about in college are based here. Walking down the street I pass all sorts of cool places and out at night I meet all sorts of interesting people. It is very cool and does not get old.
My Guilty Pleasure: Trash TV
Because of my city life I am lacking a few things most peeps have: a car, a microwave, and a TV. It's a lifestyle choice, really. Having a car just didn't make sense since I can metro/walk/bus anywhere I need to go. My kitchen is tiny so there isn't a good spot to put a microwave and I like my food to be fresh anyway. A TV just seemed like an unnecessary expense, with cable and all, plus as long as it is not there I don't miss it. I work out, read, or blog at night and generally find other ways to spend my time. The few shows I watch I can see online and occasionally I go to a bar to watch a game or match.
When I stay in hotels I am always amazed at the stuff on TV. I make a game out of finding really trashy TV shows. For example, I recently discovered Hitched or Ditched. The TV show producers show up and surprise a couple by saying they will plan their dream wedding (they aren't engaged) but it has to be in a week. All the pre-wedding jitters and emotions have just a week to manifest themselves. At the end of the week the couple decide if they really do want to go through with the wedding or if they want to "ditch." Where do they come up with this stuff?
And then there was this show "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant" or something like that. Crazy! It chronicled girls who, well, didn't know they were pregnant until they started going into labor. There were all sorts of crazy stories and crazy logic on the show. Who comes up with this stuff?
What about you? What's your favorite trash TV?
When I stay in hotels I am always amazed at the stuff on TV. I make a game out of finding really trashy TV shows. For example, I recently discovered Hitched or Ditched. The TV show producers show up and surprise a couple by saying they will plan their dream wedding (they aren't engaged) but it has to be in a week. All the pre-wedding jitters and emotions have just a week to manifest themselves. At the end of the week the couple decide if they really do want to go through with the wedding or if they want to "ditch." Where do they come up with this stuff?
And then there was this show "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant" or something like that. Crazy! It chronicled girls who, well, didn't know they were pregnant until they started going into labor. There were all sorts of crazy stories and crazy logic on the show. Who comes up with this stuff?
What about you? What's your favorite trash TV?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Roommates
So one of my bff's in my 'hood, the guy who keeps me updated on the openings and closings of our local businesses, the one who goes with me to neighborhood meetings, is moving. His roommate is moving to Boston. (Boston? In December? Brrrr!) While I am pretty sure he will stay nearby, I am a little nervous about the whole thing. He just has such short turn around time to find a new place as he has to be out by the end of the month. And he is out of town for ten days this month. Poor friend! Just a month's notice. Here's hoping he finds someplace quick!
The Launch of the Best Halloween Costume Ever
Once upon a time I went to space camp. I was 13 years old and a size 2. The space camp I went to was just for girls and was in Oklahoma City, so it was cause for my first-ever solo plane trip. Once I arrived, I was given a blue space suit with very official NASA logos and badges on it. I took a test to determine what post I would get at the end of our week when we went on our space mission in an old space shuttle. I was to be the nutritionist, a coveted position as I had one of the few positions in the space shuttle AND was in charge of allocating servings of freeze-dried ice cream.
Last year when I went home for Thanksgiving I discovered the blue space suit still fit. In an unbelievable act of foresight my mom had pulled it from the Goodwill pile; I am not a pack rat in the least. Since then, I have been saving it for the launch of the best Halloween costume ever. It launched last night and was well-received in our nation's capital. I enjoyed the many puns I was able to make like "Is this party ready to launch?" and being able to say "I went to space camp when I was 13 and this still fits!" every time someone asked me where I got the outfit.
And, because I am writing about this, I may as well share my favorite space camp moment with you. I was not really into science, despite going to space camp, and missed the whole sci-fi "stuff" and lingo a brother or male cousin may have filled me in on. I was sitting in the space shuttle, ready for lift off, and everyone kept saying "Roger this" and "Roger that." It was an all-girls camp so I could not imagine who Roger was. To my (later) embarrassment, I asked “Who’s Roger?”
Needless to say I know what roger means now.
Last year when I went home for Thanksgiving I discovered the blue space suit still fit. In an unbelievable act of foresight my mom had pulled it from the Goodwill pile; I am not a pack rat in the least. Since then, I have been saving it for the launch of the best Halloween costume ever. It launched last night and was well-received in our nation's capital. I enjoyed the many puns I was able to make like "Is this party ready to launch?" and being able to say "I went to space camp when I was 13 and this still fits!" every time someone asked me where I got the outfit.
And, because I am writing about this, I may as well share my favorite space camp moment with you. I was not really into science, despite going to space camp, and missed the whole sci-fi "stuff" and lingo a brother or male cousin may have filled me in on. I was sitting in the space shuttle, ready for lift off, and everyone kept saying "Roger this" and "Roger that." It was an all-girls camp so I could not imagine who Roger was. To my (later) embarrassment, I asked “Who’s Roger?”
Needless to say I know what roger means now.
Ah, Change
Change. Some are scared of it; others embrace it with open arms. There are many things I can thank my parents for and, whether they meant to or not, raising me to appreciate and embrace change is one of them.
For me, change has always led to an opportunity I would have missed if I had not been open to it. My willingness to take on new things, go on adventures, change on a whim, learn new skills, and be ready to adapt at a moment's notice, has served me really well. This willingness combined with my general calm and collected-ness has been a good blend. Right under my bed are my "moving boxes" and in my kitchen closet are my suitcases. I feel confident I could pack up and go really quickly.
However, this flexibility is not the same for others, in particular some of my colleagues. We have a new boss at work and are going through a merger. No one's job is in jeopardy; in fact people are probably going to get to use their skills in a more productive way, thanks to the great manager we now have. But people sure are cantankerous. There is this nervous energy in the air. And that is kinda hard for me to deal with. Please, peeps, mind your manners and still say your please and thank you's while we work this through.
What about you? How do you react to and manage change?
For me, change has always led to an opportunity I would have missed if I had not been open to it. My willingness to take on new things, go on adventures, change on a whim, learn new skills, and be ready to adapt at a moment's notice, has served me really well. This willingness combined with my general calm and collected-ness has been a good blend. Right under my bed are my "moving boxes" and in my kitchen closet are my suitcases. I feel confident I could pack up and go really quickly.
However, this flexibility is not the same for others, in particular some of my colleagues. We have a new boss at work and are going through a merger. No one's job is in jeopardy; in fact people are probably going to get to use their skills in a more productive way, thanks to the great manager we now have. But people sure are cantankerous. There is this nervous energy in the air. And that is kinda hard for me to deal with. Please, peeps, mind your manners and still say your please and thank you's while we work this through.
What about you? How do you react to and manage change?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Coming Soon to My 'Hood
Life in a gentrifying 'hood has its ups and downs, most of which I love. Since I moved to DC over three years ago many new restaurants and shops have opened. Some have been convenient; for example the new Target and an additional grocery store. Some have filled a void, like the two new coffee shops with free wi-fi. Others have increased our options for entertaining and general merriment, like the specialty beer and wine store, the English pub, and the theater. Others have just been silly, like the opening of a posh "micro-eatery" serving small plates across from a funeral home and a house prone to drug-dealing. At the community meeting where the micro-eatery owners introduced the concept to us, I joked to my friend that we should open a your-mama's-kitchen "macro-eatery" across the street serving all you can eat portions.
The changes in my 'hood have included an expansion of culinary options. Since I live in the area of DC with the highest Latino population, taquerias, burrito places, empanada joints, and Mexican restaurants abound. I am proud to say our culinary tastes have now expanded to include not one, not two, not three, but FOUR pizza places, three of which serve pizza by the slice. We have burger joints. We have all-American restaurants, Thai, Vietnamese, and a wine bar. Most of these are small businesses locally owned and operated. We now have a few chains, though, namely Panda Express and Pot Belly. It is altogether a good mix.
Until Chipotle announced it is moving in. Chipotle?! That is like opening a Panda Express in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. Or a Fazoli's in New York's Little Italy. I mean, really. Did it have to come to this?
And now, Burrito Express right around the corner from me is closing. Have I ever been there? No. Do I even like burritos? Not really. But I still can't help thinking the two are linked, that with Chipotle comes the death of the small businesses and locally-owned restaurants, the increase in rent, the continued migration of minorities elsewhere, and... well. I will go eat a burrito from Burrito Express now as a small act of defiance toward Chipotle. Before they close their doors for good.
The changes in my 'hood have included an expansion of culinary options. Since I live in the area of DC with the highest Latino population, taquerias, burrito places, empanada joints, and Mexican restaurants abound. I am proud to say our culinary tastes have now expanded to include not one, not two, not three, but FOUR pizza places, three of which serve pizza by the slice. We have burger joints. We have all-American restaurants, Thai, Vietnamese, and a wine bar. Most of these are small businesses locally owned and operated. We now have a few chains, though, namely Panda Express and Pot Belly. It is altogether a good mix.
Until Chipotle announced it is moving in. Chipotle?! That is like opening a Panda Express in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown. Or a Fazoli's in New York's Little Italy. I mean, really. Did it have to come to this?
And now, Burrito Express right around the corner from me is closing. Have I ever been there? No. Do I even like burritos? Not really. But I still can't help thinking the two are linked, that with Chipotle comes the death of the small businesses and locally-owned restaurants, the increase in rent, the continued migration of minorities elsewhere, and... well. I will go eat a burrito from Burrito Express now as a small act of defiance toward Chipotle. Before they close their doors for good.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The DC Bubble
I've just left my “DC bubble” for the first time in six weeks. DC is urban, multicultural, and very liberal, representing its own microcosm of American culture – hence the “DC bubble.” Within the ten by ten square miles that make up our nation’s capital you can assume several things including: people are liberal, fairly well educated, probably do not have kids and/or have prioritized their career over their kids, and your city government is going to be dysfunctional.* An avid traveler for work and pleasure, I seem to have an excuse to leave the “DC bubble” about once a month. These moments outside DC are a good reminder of the America beyond the beltway.
Today, my travels were taking me to Tucson. I had a layover in Dallas and as I exited the plane amid a sea of cowboy hats and boots I recognized I was outside the “DC bubble.” Looking for lunch, I walked by a restaurant called "Dickey's BBQ Pit" wondering who would want to eat there before remembering my dad and sister would probably both like to eat there. Ah, Texas. And then, Tucson.
When I landed in Tucson, I was reminded again of the stark beauty of the Western landscape. I was also reminded that, outside DC, there are families with children. Kids in DC, for me, seem to be contained to the suburbs. Enjoying a nice meal at a great restaurant with a view, I was surprised to see a family with three little girls at a table nearby. Each little girl took their turn crying throughout the course of the meal. Near the end of the meal a gentleman from a nearby table approached the family.
“Oh boy,” I thought. “He is going to say something about their kids crying.” But no! To my surprise he complimented them on their lovely family. As I reflected on that moment, and the difference between my expectations and what had happened, I first realized that in the “DC bubble” my default assumption is people will behave rudely. And secondly, I realized that it’s good to step outside the “DC bubble” now and again. Here's to a week in Tucson!
*This is more specifically the “DC transplant bubble” as opposed to the “DC native bubble.”
Today, my travels were taking me to Tucson. I had a layover in Dallas and as I exited the plane amid a sea of cowboy hats and boots I recognized I was outside the “DC bubble.” Looking for lunch, I walked by a restaurant called "Dickey's BBQ Pit" wondering who would want to eat there before remembering my dad and sister would probably both like to eat there. Ah, Texas. And then, Tucson.
When I landed in Tucson, I was reminded again of the stark beauty of the Western landscape. I was also reminded that, outside DC, there are families with children. Kids in DC, for me, seem to be contained to the suburbs. Enjoying a nice meal at a great restaurant with a view, I was surprised to see a family with three little girls at a table nearby. Each little girl took their turn crying throughout the course of the meal. Near the end of the meal a gentleman from a nearby table approached the family.
“Oh boy,” I thought. “He is going to say something about their kids crying.” But no! To my surprise he complimented them on their lovely family. As I reflected on that moment, and the difference between my expectations and what had happened, I first realized that in the “DC bubble” my default assumption is people will behave rudely. And secondly, I realized that it’s good to step outside the “DC bubble” now and again. Here's to a week in Tucson!
*This is more specifically the “DC transplant bubble” as opposed to the “DC native bubble.”
