Helping Fight Fires with Quarters
Ice Ice Leah
In thinking about new things I wanted to learn and do this year, one of them was to learn all the lyrics to a "Ice Ice Baby." I am a child of the '80's and knew woefully little of the song, pretty much only "All right stop, collaborate and LISTEN" and the chorus. A true shame. I was raised on country and classic rock and didn't realize I could have my own opinions on music until middle school--way past the time "Ice Ice Baby" was on the radio.
It's such an awesomely bad song, and to break out of my shell a little and sing something that is both wildly entertaining, but already not taken too seriously was the perfect challenge for me. So yesterday, I learned all the lyrics to and sang "Ice Ice Baby." I haven't even watched the whole video yet. I feel like I learned something from this, that at least now I am bold enough to embarrass myself a little, but just not watch myself doing it...
P.S. I apologize for being late on some of these posts, my apartment has the sketchiest internet connection...
It's such an awesomely bad song, and to break out of my shell a little and sing something that is both wildly entertaining, but already not taken too seriously was the perfect challenge for me. So yesterday, I learned all the lyrics to and sang "Ice Ice Baby." I haven't even watched the whole video yet. I feel like I learned something from this, that at least now I am bold enough to embarrass myself a little, but just not watch myself doing it...
P.S. I apologize for being late on some of these posts, my apartment has the sketchiest internet connection...
Feeling Silly
My "something new" practically fell into my lap today when my co-worker walked into our office with her daughter. Her daughter K and I get along remarkably well, I think mostly owing to the fact that we are only children, and, truthfully, that I get along with just about every kid under the age of 10.
When she walked in the door, she asked me what my favorite color was, to which I promptly replied purple. Out of a little yellow pouch she produced a purple terrier-shaped rubber band and told me it was all mine--my very first Silly Band.
I was simply dazzled and thoroughly amused by what followed, she drew out of the pouch a wide array of outlines of creatures, shapes, and words. She had dogs, zoo creatures, a unicorn, an outline of Woody from Toy Story, the words "Peace" and "Fun," a basketball player, a clarinet, and on and on. Oh, and those little things aren't limited to bracelets: they come in rings and necklaces too!! It was like Mary Poppins' Magic Silly Bandz Bag.
So, of course, as any novice to this novelty would do, I donned her entire collection of SillyBandz.
Sadly, after the little one left, my purple terrier broke and I was left Silly-Band-less. It's really too bad--I had a shirt that would've matched.
When she walked in the door, she asked me what my favorite color was, to which I promptly replied purple. Out of a little yellow pouch she produced a purple terrier-shaped rubber band and told me it was all mine--my very first Silly Band.
I was simply dazzled and thoroughly amused by what followed, she drew out of the pouch a wide array of outlines of creatures, shapes, and words. She had dogs, zoo creatures, a unicorn, an outline of Woody from Toy Story, the words "Peace" and "Fun," a basketball player, a clarinet, and on and on. Oh, and those little things aren't limited to bracelets: they come in rings and necklaces too!! It was like Mary Poppins' Magic Silly Bandz Bag.
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| Please ignore the fact that I was talking during this whole picture-taking exercise |
Yes, I Do Think I can Dance!
My childhood activity was dancing. I started at age five, and unlike most parents who encourage their children to try everything to see what they like, my mother opted for the "do-this-one-thing-to-the-best-of-your-ability" and "finish-what-you-start" approach. So, from five to twenty-something, I danced every style imaginable--from swing and tap dance to ballet and kickline. It should come as no surprise that I am feverishly in love with So You Think You Can Dance.
My wonderful and loving boyfriend takes hints very well, so when SYTYCD Tour tickets went on sale, and the Atlanta date was listed in my birth month, this was the conversation:
Leah: SYTYCD TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW!!! YOU SHOULD BUY THEM FOR ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!
Mark: Yeah, sure.
We really have a good open lines of communication.
Today, I saw the So You Think You Can Dance Tour with one of my old dancer friends, Kaylee, who was my partner in crime for many years.
The show, in short, was dazzling, exciting and indubitably better in person than on TV. I got to see all of my favorite dances from this season like the baseball dance, the homeless and rich man dance, Travis Wall's mom's dance, and the prom dance with a "bonus ending" sort of thing...even "Get Outta Your Mind" with Alex & Twitch on the jumbo-tron!
I was so captivated by the whole event that I couldn't even snap a single picture with my camera.
Makes me want to stop by a dance studio and pick up where I left off...
My wonderful and loving boyfriend takes hints very well, so when SYTYCD Tour tickets went on sale, and the Atlanta date was listed in my birth month, this was the conversation:
Leah: SYTYCD TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW!!! YOU SHOULD BUY THEM FOR ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!
Mark: Yeah, sure.
We really have a good open lines of communication.
Today, I saw the So You Think You Can Dance Tour with one of my old dancer friends, Kaylee, who was my partner in crime for many years.
The show, in short, was dazzling, exciting and indubitably better in person than on TV. I got to see all of my favorite dances from this season like the baseball dance, the homeless and rich man dance, Travis Wall's mom's dance, and the prom dance with a "bonus ending" sort of thing...even "Get Outta Your Mind" with Alex & Twitch on the jumbo-tron!
I was so captivated by the whole event that I couldn't even snap a single picture with my camera.
Makes me want to stop by a dance studio and pick up where I left off...
Lush-ious
One of the selling points of renting the apartment I currently live in was that there was a big-ol-freakin' garden tub in the bathroom. I imagined long luxurious bubble baths on lazy Sunday afternoons, or late on Saturdays when I had no other plans, sipping champagne. After five months of living here, I finally fulfilled that fantasy. To complement my bath, I used a bath bomb from Lush Cosmetics. I opted for the "Space Girl" because it was lavendar colored and had gold glitter on it...and I am quite the girly-girl.
Aside from my expectation of more fizziness and "bomb"-ing upon dropping it into the tub, it was a really theraputic, lovely-smelling, yet enlivening bath. My skin feels super smooth and soft and still smells good 30 minutes later.
A truly lovely "something new" today.
Aside from my expectation of more fizziness and "bomb"-ing upon dropping it into the tub, it was a really theraputic, lovely-smelling, yet enlivening bath. My skin feels super smooth and soft and still smells good 30 minutes later.
A truly lovely "something new" today.
Flip Burger
Mark and I are becoming novice foodies and definitely enjoy getting out and about Atlanta to try all the restaurants our budget can afford. We've been talking about going to Top Chef Finalist Richard Blais's Flip Burger Boutique forever, and finally made it happen today. We got standard fare--burgers and fried veggies and such, but today's highlight was that I drank a milkshake made with liquid nitrogen. The concept burger joint rolls out mixed milkshakes, flash-frozen with chemicals that could easily freeze your finger off of your body.
Out of all of my delicious options like foie gras, Krispy Kreme and Nutella with burnt marshmallow, I opted for the pumpkin and chai milkshake. It was like a super pumpkin-y pumpkin spice latte mixed with a chai tea latte. A special cool treat option for a state where their hotter latte cousins cannot be enjoyed in 90 degree September temperatures.
Out of all of my delicious options like foie gras, Krispy Kreme and Nutella with burnt marshmallow, I opted for the pumpkin and chai milkshake. It was like a super pumpkin-y pumpkin spice latte mixed with a chai tea latte. A special cool treat option for a state where their hotter latte cousins cannot be enjoyed in 90 degree September temperatures.
Table for One
Dining out is a notoriously communal event, especially for women, because, well, women are the communicating sex. There is no better time than when we are filling our bellies with delicious food to relish in gossip. I would love to be like most women my age and go out to lunch with colleagues at work, but my tiny office has only two other full-time staff and they are both men--men who don't take lunch breaks. So, I've never really had the pleasure of trying all of the wonderful restaurants near my workplace.
Today, taking full advantage of my lunch hour, I ate at a REAL restaurant, alone. I can safely say that I've eaten by myself out in public and had no qualm with it, but it has always been fast food. Today was special because I sat down a table set with dining ware, was approached by a waiter in a white button up shirt, and looked through a hand-held menu. After ordering, I sat there--no magazine, no book, no phone.
It wasn't scary to walk in or out alone, people drive independently to restaurants all the time, but sitting alone was definitely intimidating. I definitely got a quizzical look from the host when I responded "Just one" to the question of how many in my party, and received some looks from passers-by, but overall, it was a positive experience. I liked eating alone. I'd do it again, too. But if next time I'm hungry for lunch and someone wants to take me up on an outing, I'm definitely down for some communal gossip.
Today, taking full advantage of my lunch hour, I ate at a REAL restaurant, alone. I can safely say that I've eaten by myself out in public and had no qualm with it, but it has always been fast food. Today was special because I sat down a table set with dining ware, was approached by a waiter in a white button up shirt, and looked through a hand-held menu. After ordering, I sat there--no magazine, no book, no phone.
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| My single-girl spread; Indian Food! |
It wasn't scary to walk in or out alone, people drive independently to restaurants all the time, but sitting alone was definitely intimidating. I definitely got a quizzical look from the host when I responded "Just one" to the question of how many in my party, and received some looks from passers-by, but overall, it was a positive experience. I liked eating alone. I'd do it again, too. But if next time I'm hungry for lunch and someone wants to take me up on an outing, I'm definitely down for some communal gossip.
Pirate Radio
I am a Q100 addict, mostly due to The Bert Show in the morning. Bert, Jen, Melissa and Jeff are practically my friends and I feel extremely loyal to the show. I've listened to this radio station quite literally from day one of its airing and, since moving back to Atlanta from Athens (where it doesn't air), I don't miss a morning. So, to challenge myself a little bit, I turned my friends off to listen to AM radio. I turned it over to 1040 AM after being pleasantly surprised to hear Bob Segar singing "Against the Wind." When the DJ came onto the radio, however was shocked to hear that I wasn't listening to just any AM radio station, I was listening to Korean radio. Yes, this morning, I listened to Korean AM radio. Thank goodness my commute isn't that long.
Turning Japanese
The beauty and curse of working in a boutique business advisory and marketing firm is that work is feast or famine. When I was hired in January, I was put on a huge research project where I could come in two hours early and leave two hours late and still have work to do the next day. Now, work for me is in famine mode (since I do not have my own clients), meaning most days I have only a couple hours of tasks to do. To occupy my time, I did my 'something new' today at work, and kind of felt devious/cool doing so.
Today, I crafted an origami crane using printer paper and an online "how-to" guide. These little buggers are all over Japan, and apparently if you make 1,000 of them, all of your wishes will come true. Well, I'm one in, so if the work stays slow, I'll get to work on 999 more!
Today, I crafted an origami crane using printer paper and an online "how-to" guide. These little buggers are all over Japan, and apparently if you make 1,000 of them, all of your wishes will come true. Well, I'm one in, so if the work stays slow, I'll get to work on 999 more!
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| I'm stupidly proud of this little guy... |
Falsies
I've always thought myself the natural kind of girl. My standard make-up routine includes mascara and chap stick and I have never dyed my hair. So, I've kind of worn today's "never-have-I-ever" with the same fervor and conviction as those people who have never once smoked a puff of cigarette. Today, I applied and wore fake nails. It's true. I never wore fake nails for any reason--ever. Not even for prom in high school.
I used to be a huge judge of people who wear fake nails. I'll take my examples from two pop culture shows...like the Jersey Shore girls to whom I talk to through the television saying, "Oh, well the rest of them is fake too, why not their nails?" Another example of my judgment passing goes to the Teen Mom girls, where I am prone to think, "If you can't afford baby food, why buy a set of $40 nails every 2 weeks?"
Well you know, these little puppies, while they interfere with my computer-bound life, are kind of fun. They are a simple, relatively inexpensive pleasure that actually made me feel, might I say, glamorous. So much so, that I might keep them on a day longer than I had planned.
I used to be a huge judge of people who wear fake nails. I'll take my examples from two pop culture shows...like the Jersey Shore girls to whom I talk to through the television saying, "Oh, well the rest of them is fake too, why not their nails?" Another example of my judgment passing goes to the Teen Mom girls, where I am prone to think, "If you can't afford baby food, why buy a set of $40 nails every 2 weeks?"
Well you know, these little puppies, while they interfere with my computer-bound life, are kind of fun. They are a simple, relatively inexpensive pleasure that actually made me feel, might I say, glamorous. So much so, that I might keep them on a day longer than I had planned.
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| I opted for the DIY method for the day-long project |
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| Not so bad looking! |
I'm not participating in the next World Cup
In an attempt to be a cool girlfriend, today I learned how to play FIFA 2008 for XBOX. After playing a few warm up rounds with Ronaldinho in the opening screen, I found myself scoring multiple shots against my goalie. My significant other, Mark, taught me how to move, run, do tricks, pass and shoot the ball. "I've got this," I said to myself, "surely this isn't so hard after all." Then I mentioned to myself, "nine year old boys have to learn how to play this, a 23 year old lady can surely figure this out enough to hold her own in real game play." Um, wrong. In a night game held in the Real Madrid stadium, C.D. Tenerife beat Real Madrid 6-0.
This was the scene:
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| BOOO! :( |
UPDATE: Last night after this, Mark and I played a little more and taught me some strategy. He played the first half, scored two goals, I played the second half where the other team scored two goals, and at the end, during a shootout, I won the game. Sweet success!!!
Tebahpla
Imagine this scenario: I am pulled over by a cop late one night who assumes I’ve been drinking. He asks me to get out of the car and perform a field sobriety test. He asks me to walk the straight line. I fall out of line because I never learned how to walk so awkwardly and I’m on edge because of the flashing lights and interrogation. Next, he asks me to say the alphabet backwards. Before today, I would have failed, being promptly administered a breathalyzer or worse, toted off to the clink! Today, however, I learned how to say the alphabet backwards so that this situation will never befall me. Oh, and it’s a pretty cool party trick (if you have parties with little kids).
Just as an aside, learning how to make this video was a pretty cool accomplishment too. And I signed up for YouTube. Now I can post more and better videos as I continue to do something new every day!
Goal-ie
I'm a frequent visitor to the Lululemon blog. For those of you uninitiated, Lululemon is a yoga/running/dance/athletic clothing store whose impact goes beyond clothing. They make a point to serve the communities where their stores are located and have very positive, inspirational corporate values. While I can't afford a stitch of their clothing (and don't believe that their $98 racer back top will get me into a handstand any more gracefully than my Target top), I really do think that many of their mantras have a lot of value (examples: "Dance, Sing Floss and Travel!", "Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.").
On one particular blog recently I read about a lady writing down and achieving her dreams in New York. It just so happens that I have been meaning to do this for a long time. I wrote down my 1, 5 and 10 year goals. I came up with about six for each category and hope that these will inspire me to achieve these and add more.
2. Join a volunteer organization (and stick with it)
3. Run a half marathon
4. Do a yoga handstand
5. Do something new every day and blog about it
6. Practice writing in an effort towards writing the book I will publish within 10 years
2. Do a road trip through the American West
3. Run a marathon
4. Become a certified yoga teacher
5. Find my career passion
6. Make over $70,000 a year
2. Be proficient in French
3. Write a book and have it published
4. Be actively involved in yoga or another physical activity
5. Climb a mountain
6. Start a family
On one particular blog recently I read about a lady writing down and achieving her dreams in New York. It just so happens that I have been meaning to do this for a long time. I wrote down my 1, 5 and 10 year goals. I came up with about six for each category and hope that these will inspire me to achieve these and add more.
One Year
1. Travel Internationally2. Join a volunteer organization (and stick with it)
3. Run a half marathon
4. Do a yoga handstand
5. Do something new every day and blog about it
6. Practice writing in an effort towards writing the book I will publish within 10 years
Five Years
1. Move away from Atlanta2. Do a road trip through the American West
3. Run a marathon
4. Become a certified yoga teacher
5. Find my career passion
6. Make over $70,000 a year
Ten Years
1. Spend a year abroad2. Be proficient in French
3. Write a book and have it published
4. Be actively involved in yoga or another physical activity
5. Climb a mountain
6. Start a family
Meet the Parents
Despite the fact that I've been in this relationship for a year and a half now and that we live together, my boyfriend and I have never made the family introductions. For my birthday, my parents offered to take me out to dinner at Kobe Steaks and I suggested that my boyfriend invite his parents too. It's been a long time in the making, but today, finally, I introduced my parents to my boyfriend's parents.
I've never been in a relationship long enough to make this kind of move, so this was completely uncharted territory for me. How to arrange this? What circumstances are most conducive to meeting parents? I just made the somewhat selfish proposition that my birthday meant I could invite whoever I wanted to my party. So there :)
They talked about us, family and other basic, innocuous things about life. No one argued about religion or politics or anything scary that might drive the classic in-law hating game. That alone makes it an unqualified success for sure.
I've never been in a relationship long enough to make this kind of move, so this was completely uncharted territory for me. How to arrange this? What circumstances are most conducive to meeting parents? I just made the somewhat selfish proposition that my birthday meant I could invite whoever I wanted to my party. So there :)
They talked about us, family and other basic, innocuous things about life. No one argued about religion or politics or anything scary that might drive the classic in-law hating game. That alone makes it an unqualified success for sure.
In Honor of the Jersey Shore, Season 2
Despite my wanting to have the nickname L-Bomb (a name from my kickball league's theme week), the application graced me with the title "Princess Montclair." Not very Jersey Shore-like, but hey, it's what MTV says I should be, and that's what I'll go with, because I trust the application knows what's culturally-accurate* for the Jersey Shore.
My favorite element is the sideways stumble.
*defined as overtly stereotyped and hyper-sexual
Tiffany's, Need I Say More?
I have recently gone back and forth about this project, wondering if I can possibly explain my intention to people and actually do something new every day for a year. When my birthday came yesterday, however, I was never more sure that I would do this, mostly as a reason to brag, that my boyfriend gave me a little blue Tiffany's box!!
As any lady will tell you, the distinctive robin's egg Tiffany box is often equally as thrilling as its contents, perhaps a remnant of the childhood trend of playing with more packaging than toys at Christmas. After my thrill of simply setting eyes the box, I opened it up to find one of the Tiffany Key pendants that I have had my eye on for at least a year now. So unique and elegant. Not only was it my first piece of Tiffany's, but it contains the first diamond a gentleman suitor has ever bought me.
Happy Birthday to me!
As any lady will tell you, the distinctive robin's egg Tiffany box is often equally as thrilling as its contents, perhaps a remnant of the childhood trend of playing with more packaging than toys at Christmas. After my thrill of simply setting eyes the box, I opened it up to find one of the Tiffany Key pendants that I have had my eye on for at least a year now. So unique and elegant. Not only was it my first piece of Tiffany's, but it contains the first diamond a gentleman suitor has ever bought me.
Happy Birthday to me!
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