Mission Accomplished!

The painting project is finally complete! It looks so good in the condo now (if I do say so myself). I'm so happy!!! We still need to hang some pictures and then I promise to finally send out some pics of the place for those of you that don't live in the area. I will say that this was one of the biggest projects I've taken on. I mean, it's still nothing in comparison to the wood flooring project at my old condo, but the vaulted ceilings add so much more work than regular height walls. I was planning to do the painting myself (cuz I like this sort of thing) but I had to enlist Michael's help in order to get it done.

For those in the area, come over so we can stand together, look up, and "ooh" and "ahh" at my painting expertise.

Lunch with Alyssa

My cousin Alyssa came through town with her boyfriend today and we all went to lunch in Old Town Alexandria. I haven't seen Alyssa since her trip here last year. We were able to spend about 3 hours catching up. I love seeing my cousin but it makes me sad too. It would be so nice to live in the same area. I realized last year when visiting Florida that my cousins Amy, Alyssa, and I are a LOT alike. It would be really nice to have that kind of family support system nearby. I didn't grow up near any family and I now wish I had. It's so much harder to keep in touch when you're not in the same state. Maybe that will be my New Year's resolution- to keep in touch with my cousins more.

11 days off!

I have eleven glorious days off from work. I love that about the holidays. We had 2 days off for xmas and 1 for new years. So by only taking a couple of vacation days, I end up with 11 days off. I rarely take time like this, especially just to be at home. I'm not the type that's able to just sit around though so it's now project central at my house. I have finally taken on the huge task of painting the living room. With the vaulted ceilings, it's a pretty big job. But I can spread it out over 11 days, so that's helpful. Just a note for anyone thinking about painting vaulted ceilings: it is seriously hard work. Much more than any normal height room. I've been working for days and it's about 75% complete. But I've got 5 days to go, so not too bad. And it looks great- I love it! It gives the place a much warmer feel- it was white before and now it's a beige color.

I've also spent a lot of time reading, going to the gym, and organizing some stuff for goodwill. I've also thrown in some naps, just for good measure. Someone tell me again why adults don't take naps?

Being PC at Christmas

There's a big controversy over the "appropriate" holiday greeting. Christians are up in arms over people saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". Use whatever greeting you like, but don't get on other people's cases for choosing to use Happy Holidays. And yes, the media and retailers really should talk about the holiday season, not just christmas. It's not about being politically correct. It's about including everyone and not acting like a group of bigots where the biggest religious bully wins.

The same christians that are ranting about the use of a general term and want the term "christmas" used specifically are also offended when any muslim holiday is celebrated. You have to choose: either you want a general use of holiday terms or you want to allow all specific holidays to be mentioned. You can't just have christmas discussed and no non-christian holidays mentioned.

The use of Happy Holidays has come about because of the increased presence of other religious beliefs in this country. America is supposed to be a melting pot of people with all types of backgrounds, including religions. We should embrace these changes and encourage that melting pot theme. The angry christians are trying to present this change as a loss of tradition or that they are being oppressed in some way. But sometimes traditions need to change and grow into something new. It doesn't take away from your beliefs or holiday celebrations. It's not a personal attack. It just encompasses more people.

I say Happy Holidays because that way I include everyone celebrating a holiday this time of year. I think the ranting christians are being selfish. I think if these people would take a second to think about how they would feel if everyone came up to them saying "Happy Hanukah", maybe they would see that the world does not actually revolve around them. Other people have different beliefs- why not include everyone in your greeting?

I personally am not offended by any holiday greeting. You are welcome to wish me a merry christmas, happy hanukah, happy kwanzaa, happy holidays, or my favorite: happy chrismakwanzukah. :)

Puppy Treats Jar

I finally got back the puppy treat canister I made! It took me about a week to finish painting and another week for them to get it fired in the kiln, but it's finally in my kitchen and full of Georgie and Izzie treats.

Everyone Needs a Gnome

Seriously- everyone should have a gnome. I found a Purdue gnome online- it was an immediate must-have. I love him! Check out the sneakers. Now my gnome just needs a name.........

Republican Debate

I finally caught one of the Republican debates last week. I didn't see the beginning but I have many comments on the part I did see......

McCain was disappointing. He used to have real opinions and stand up against Bush but since deciding to run for President, he's become just another uber-Republican robot. The candidates were asked whether freedom or security is more important. His answer: security. This may have been the most important question asked in the debate because it speaks to the foundation of this country. The fear tactics used by this administration have allowed many American citizens to reach the point of being willing to give up their freedom for security. First, the best we're getting is an illusion of security. Products coming into this country are going through no more review than they were before 9/11. And anyone that believes that scanning your 3oz bottles of liquid before flying is keeping you safe has lost their hold on reality. But we have a big Department of Homeland Security that gives us the illusion of security.

Giving up our freedom is a slippery slope to becoming everything America has always stood against. I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said "Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security deserves neither and will lose both". Seems like an ironic position for Republican candidates, who constantly say that they are like the founders of this country, and yet would so quickly give up their freedoms. Correction- would so quickly have you give up your freedoms. The people at the top in our country are rarely affected by these changes.


I'm not sure what to think about Romney. Some of his ideas aren't bad. But he, like McCain, seemed to switch to uber-Republican over the last few years. And frankly, I don't believe him. It's a gut feeling, but I'm going with it. That's the Republican strategy right? If you've seen old videos of Romney, he is strongly pro-choice. I believe he had a family member die from one of the dirty abortions that were done before abortions were legal. Then he suddenly changed his mind. I don't have a problem with people changing their views. I have a problem because he looks uncomfortable when he discusses his new view, as if he's lying to appear to have the Republican pro-life view.

Besides this issue, he also seems to have too broad of an agenda (like many of the candidates). He comes across as someone that thinks he will get into office and fix everything- the war, education system, economy, energy problem, etc. The laundry list does not impress me- he's not going to fix everything, or even come close. I think the candidates should be asked what the primary focus of their term in office would be and what their approach would be to improve the issue they choose.

There is not enough storage space for me to comment properly on Giuliani. He literally makes my stomach churn. I believe he's one of those people that was in the right place at the right time. Just because he was there for 9/11, doesn't mean he's responsible for improvements that occurred. If you listen to him speak, he never discusses his ideas, only that he was advised to do X, or told to do Y.

I've tried not to focus on his personal history but someone presented a new way to view his history that I'd like to share. The person said that the issue with Giuliani isn't his divorces, per se. It's that Giuliani either makes poor decisions or he poorly manages the decisions he makes. It really made me think about the situation differently and made me that much more certain that he's not a good candidate. FYI- this was a Republican talking about why he wouldn't vote for Giuliani.

Highlights on stupidity from other candidates:

Keyes- Preacher man says that God being taken out of schools is where our problems lie. Yes, that's it. The problem isn't the rise of extremist Christians who can't even fathom what people with different beliefs might feel like as you continue to cram God/Jesus down their throats. So much for the melting pot idea.

Hunter- We should all just go shopping to support American jobs. If you can't see the stupidity in this, vote for Hunter.

Thompson- He would go over Congress' head if they don't agree with him. I think the country has had enough of that over the last 8 years.

And the final evidence for stupidity (drum roll please): When asked to raise their hands if they believe that global warming is a problem and is created by humans................ not one hand was raised. The evidence is everywhere that it's occurring and, based on history, it is an issue that can potentially wipe out humanity. I would call that a problem.

I do like Ron Paul. I know, he's a little odd. But if you listen to him, he actually has decent and real things to say. And he doesn't get caught up in all the BS. I can at least respect him for that.

Procrastination

It's the last week of the semester. Tonight my project team gave a presentation for our semester project. My team members are in a similar boat as me- lots of other things going on in our lives and not solely focused on school. We cranked out this semester project using the divide and conquer method- I don't think I spent more than 10 hours on this thing. And the best part- we're totally going to get an A. I think I've found my peeps. It's nice having smart team members that I can count on and know they'll be prepared. Not like my summer project where I basically had to do everything on my own. If only all classes could be this way.....

So now that I'm done procrastinating about the project, I've moved on to procrastinating about the final exam. We have a take home test that's due Friday so most likely I will spend the week procrastinating about getting it done.

First Snow

The first snow of the year came today and didn't seem to want to stop. It started overnight or early morning and just kept snowing for the entire day/night. It has been a weird week for weather. The last two days have been crazy windy. Windy like from a storm. Add to that the chilly temperatures and it was fairly miserable. So even though I normally prefer no snow or cold weather, the snow was very welcome after the bitter cold wind. Plus, it's beautiful when it's first coming down. The pups were very excited to play in it so it was fun walking them and seeing them stick their noses in it.

The Dan Band

If I need to explain who The Dan Band is, you need to emerge from the cave you've been living in. Ok, ok. Last time! The Dan Band is the group that played at the wedding in the movie Old School (Total Eclipse of the Heart with some f-bombs thrown in for good measure). The group covers female pop songs and includes dance routines that are hilarious. The main singer (Dan Finnerty) has two backup singers/dancers (also guys). They do songs like "Mama Mia", "Shoop", "Genie in a Bottle", etc. Pretty much 70s, 80s, and 90s pop. Although the dancing and choreography is ridiculous, the guys can actually sing, which I think is what makes the show really good. And they're great entertainers.

Michael and I saw them almost two years ago at the same venue (930 Club). It was one of the first times we went out together. Since then, The Dan Band added a bunch of new pop songs to their act, including some Christmas songs. It was hilarious as ever. And this time I didn't have to drink Toby's Jaeger Bomb for her so I remember the show a little better.

Before the show, we went to The Melting Pot, a fondue place. It was excellent and made me think back to the last time I went there, with all my cousins in Florida a year ago. That was so much fun- we need another reunion. I miss you guys!

Pottery Painting

My friend Bunni organized an outing to one of those places where you paint your own pottery today. I've been to these places before but it's been many years. I picked out a canister and decided to make a dog treats jar since I've wanted one for awhile and can't find one I like. I am not an artist but figured I could draw a cartoon dog on the canister. Between that and having to paint each part three times to ensure the paint is dark enough for when they fire it in the kiln, I was still working 5 hours later when the shop closed. Note to self: pick a smaller project next time.

The girl in the shop was nice enough to let me borrow some paint and brushes to finish it at home. Now I just have to finish it and take it back for firing. I'll post a picture once I get it back in a few weeks and you can all see my top-notch artistic ability. Ha.

Avenue Q

The Broadway show Avenue Q is in town for 2 weeks at the National Theater and we went to see the show tonight. It had the majority of the Broadway cast. I'm kinda a theater snob so these things are important to me. :) The show was hilarious. There's no way to properly explain it, but I will try. The show is based on the idea of Sesame Street, with puppets, but the topics are entirely adult. And coming from puppets, adult topics somehow become VERY funny. There are puppets that look like Bert and Ernie but have different names, and there is Trekkie Monster, among other characters.

Songs from the soundtrack include:

"What do you do with a B.A. in English?"

"It Sucks to Be Me"

"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist"

"The Internet is for Porn"

And the list goes on.......

Most of it is highly inappropriate but the overall point of the show is finding your purpose in life. With a lot of humor along the way. If you can see this show, GO! You will not regret it.

Kitchen Experiments

Today is a big day. This is going to sound crazy, but I experimented for the first time in the kitchen today. When people have told me to just throw some things together, I've never been able to do it. I'm a true engineer in the kitchen. Unless you tell me specifically how much of something to use and when to use it, I can't do it. A "pinch" or "some" are not units of measurement!

We made a recipe at the Pampered Chef party I went to last month and I decided to use the basic idea to create my own dish. Basically, I combined turkey, stuffing, and gravy as a filler between crescent rolls and baked it. It was delicious! Again, I'm so proud of me- I'm becoming all domesticated (haha, yeah right).

Politics at Work

Our CMMI consultant was in the office today and we tend to get into political conversations. It's interesting because he's a very religious, very Republican guy- so basically my opposite. It's always interesting to talk to him because while he holds very different beliefs than me, we are both mature enough to be able to discuss the issues without getting upset. I find that's a difficult trait to find. People get so emotional about politics; half the time I think people don't even know what they're talking about, they just passionately regurgitate whatever they've heard on t.v.

The conversation did get heated and I found myself frustrated because I don't recall detailed facts easily. When I read, I gather information in my head and develop an overall idea or opinion of things. But I don't retain the details. It's how I think in all areas of my life and I find it does hinder my conversations and even my work at times. I was frustrated because he kept asking for examples and I couldn't give them, not because they don't exist but because I have trouble remembering them.

I've been doing this since I was a kid. In school, I would retain information long enough for a test and then I would lose it because I didn't use the information on a regular basis. Probably not a good thing to admit, huh? I just don't retain information I don't use. How do you change a behavior that's been so ingrained?

New Washer and Dryer

It finally arrived! The new washer and dryer were delivered today. They are Samsung- who knew I could buy a washer/dryer and a phone from the same people? We have been doing laundry non-stop. I am so happy to finally have a working washer/dryer.

The catch? Oh yes, there's always a catch when it comes to the washer/dryer. The old unit was an all-in-one unit and the new units are separate; the closet where they are housed only has one outlet. So we now have an extension cord running through the house in order to run power to the washer. So on top of everything else, we will now have to get someone to put in an outlet. And the saga continues...............

Cursed

Last Friday we finally went to Lowe's and bought a new washer/dryer. We got a good deal because of Veteran's Day, so while I'm not thrilled that the warranty company is only giving us some money instead of replacing the w/d, I'm happy that we're finally going to be able to do laundry properly and we got a good deal. They were supposed to deliver today, but like everything with this w/d fiasco, that didn't happen. I got a call this morning saying that when they inspected the dryer, they found a big dent in the bottom so they are going to have to reorder it. So now we're scheduled for Friday delivery. Seriously, can anything else possibly go wrong?

A Lotta Nuthin'

I'm not forgetting to write; there just isn't much going on right now. We've had our first two weekends of no plans all Fall and are enjoying every second of it. We went to our favorite sushi place; I started my holiday shopping, did a little scrapbooking, and Toby and I went to the mall (big mistake on Veteran's Day weekend- at least for people like me who are crowd-phobic). I figure things will start getting busy again with the holidays so I'm enjoying the downtime while I can.

Case Studies

School this semester has been.... unusual. I'm taking a class that isn't heavily based in math or statistics like the other classes I've taken so far. Instead, it's a course on military operations research and focuses on effectiveness analysis. It's with a professor that I've had before and in the previous course, he was very focused on having a significant amount of homework and getting the right answers. So this class confused me by having much less homework and focusing on real world case studies. The case studies have no "right" answer since they are real world military issues. Once I shifted gears to this new perspective, it has been much more interesting.

I've been having trouble getting excited about grad school lately because it's so theoretical. That's fine if you want to do research, but I don't think I'll end up going that route. I solve real world issues in my career that have multiple potential solutions. The interesting part of this class has been learning various modeling techniques to help analyze multiple decisions and determine which will be most effective. I can actually use this stuff!

Kingstowne Shootings

Around 10 or 11pm on Halloween night, we started hearing sirens that didn't seem to be passing and decided to go outside to make sure our buildings weren't on fire or something. Instead, some passing neighbors told us to go back inside because someone had been shot and the entire area was blocked off while the police looked for the shooter. There was a helicoptor and police everywhere. We found out today that a guy shot his former roommate (another guy) on a landing and then went into a condo and shot himself (both died). However, the police didn't know the shooter had shot himself and were in our neighborhood searching until about 6am.

So some of you are thinking, "eh, it's DC". But we very much DO NOT live in DC. We live in the suburbs in Virginia and these types of things just don't happen in Kingstowne. Kingstowne has one of the lowest crime rates in the country so this was very uncharacteristic. We've since learned that it was a domestic incident and I think that the two men were in a relationship, not just roommates. People keep trying to make this into a "thugs in Kingstowne" story but it makes a lot more sense as a crime of passion or domestic violence. Horrible, but more reasonable for this area.

I was reading articles on the shootings and was angered enough by the ignorant comments in this one to create a user name to reply to the idiot. I'm E_Squared (not ESquareToo, who sucks for using my name). Here's the news story if you want to read more: Kingstowne Shootings

Happy Halloween!

No big plans for the holiday- we don't have many (or possibly any) kids in the neighborhood so we don't get trick-or-treaters. But I can't let an opportunity to dress the kids up pass me by. :) Enjoy the pics of Izzie in her pumpkin costume and Georgie in his hippie costume.