We'll Be In the Old Folks Home Together

Me: Hey go check out this website called Sneaky Sunday. It's really cool.

Five minutes later...

Her: Okay, Sneaky Friday is not coming up. How do you spell it?

Me: Idiot. SUNDAY. SNEAKY SUNDAY.

Her: Ohhhh.

Her: Well, just so you know, Sneaky Friday is not a website.

Me, dryly: Thanks.

Her: I help where I can!

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I cannot lie. I found out about Sneaky Sunday here.

Fishs Eddy



This store is just so awesome and such a cool find, which I totally owe to the best tour guide ever, my friend Lindsey*. Lindsey and I met at my part-time job many years ago. She told me she was going away to college in New York City. Having never been to NY, I begged her to let me ride along in her suitcase. She smiled uncomfortably knowing only my first name. I batted my brown eyes harder.

About two years later (maybe?), my dad landed a 5-day trip to NY. Lindsey was living there and very familiar with the city at this point. She mapped out everything we should do and showed me the entire city. I sweated my ass off, a most hated activity, and followed everywhere she suggested.

I got another awesome offer this year. A former co-worker invited me to stay for four days with her in NY. I ended up being by myself most of the time, which is awesome for an introverted person such as myself. I just happened to be walking on Broadway to return a camera lens from a rental shop, which was an extra awesome idea by the way. When I looked up and spied ABC Carpet and Home, my memory clicked, and I thought, "Fishs Eddy!" I looked up to see the black and white sign just poking out another block up.









*Lindsey went to Parsons School of Design—where every major fashion designer graduated. She is super, super smart and an awesome creative talent. She has grown up to be everything I ever wanted to be. I hate her and love her for it. She now runs Lemon Tree Paper, creating beautiful, custom invitations and stationery, and you should totally go check it out. I could not be more amazed or proud of her.

This Felt So Good

I have owned a really nice camera for far too long and not done much with it. I find it so intimidating, and because I hate to read directions and manuals, I have had to rely on my ability to just play with a device to figure out how to operate it. Generally, this routine works out well for me, but this camera still stumps me. Two weekends ago, some friends from ATL got together with one of my girlfriends from Nashville. Because I am drawn to stupid things like font and signage, I wanted to try this restaurant out. There is a reason for good marketing, in my opinion, and luckily, it did not steer me wrong.

This is a restaurant on West Peachtree between 8th and 9th street. Since trying it out, I have already been back twice and brought two other people to it. I am in love with this block in midtown. It is connected to a new building called Plaza Midtown, and there are several new boutique shops with the absolute coolest marketing. I love independent thinking and design. Perhaps it is my creative side that always lurks within me, but I can fall in love with a place solely on their font choice.

After dinner with my girls, the rain had finally subsided. Even though we were on our way out, I made my girlfriend pull over so I could hike in my stilettos and get some shots. Partly because I need to push through the learning curve with my camera and partly because I just miss taking shots of pure randomness. I'm not completely in love with what I got. After 25 pictures, I'd say 3-5 are okay, but at least I'm learning.


Marlow's Tavern


Steel Restaurant & Lounge, definitely on my list to try soon.

An Honest Surprise



About this time last year, D was being recruited for a job in Texas. We hadn't been together that long, but the thought of him moving was completely freaking me out, silently, for the most part. Being completely impressed with his intelligence, accomplishments, education, and background, I pretty much assumed that any company that even so much as met him would offer him an insane proposal that would put me into a odd predicament.

The scheduling happened so fast, that it happened to be timed in line when one of his best friends was coming out to Atlanta. In a whirlwind, he had to leave for the interview, come home the next night, pick up his friend and friend's wife, and bring them back to his place to finish out their working vacation. To complicate matters, we had met his friends for lunch, and I ended up accidentally keeping his wallet, which he kind of needed in order to catch a plane. That was one of many frustrations I caused him that he should have killed me for. I rushed out of work early, grabbed some work clothes, and prayed to Jesus to help me with traffic. I ended up making it in time, and he ended up getting through the hell of Atlanta's airport.

Exhausted from the stress, I took a long nap in his bed, and woke up to the sun setting through his bathroom window. I walked around and decided I should at least run the vacuum cleaner, and before I knew it, I had cleaned the entire house. I didn't do it for any special gratitude. It was just if the situation were reversed, I would have been freaking out over not getting to clean my house before company arrived. I noticed the above on his refrigerator, and my heart melted. I had no idea when he wrote that little tidbit, and even though it shocked me that my name was on the list, I was more warmed by the fact I came before the dogs given just how much he loves them.

Untitled




I went to Atlanta's aquarium last June. I was so excited to have a chance to actually photograph something, and then my camera died within about five shots. I just finished uploading all of my pictures (a bit late, eh), and I found this little gem. I was astounded by how much color came through and how much I actually liked it.

My Love Affair with Mark

Today, I am finally getting to see my beloved hair stylist, Mark. I have to admit that I love him. Like I love him enough, I'd nearly offer to carry his child, and not just because he's hot. The love. It's deep. I haven't gotten to lust after him properly because he ended up almost killing himself on a motorcycle last year. He's been not-cutting-my hair for six months (perhaps longer), and I was forced to cheat on him once with an overpriced hair stylist who doesn't possess his magician-like hands, and she somehow ended up giving one of the most OCD people on the plant an asymmetrical cut, which I was over on day 2. I'm not sure why I agreed to that one. I think it was because she has this incredibly cute British accent, so I sit there with a smile on my face and just nod at her a lot.

I have been so excited about this date, I have been dreaming about him. I got my calendar all mixed up and thought I was going last Thursday. I feel like I'm six and waiting for Christmas all over again. Either way, I'm looking forward to staring at lusting after his hands (because he has long, slender fingers that I love on dudes) and smelling his hands, which smell like shampoo and sometimes a hint of cigarette smoke. I often fantasize about how great it would be to be married to him and have him dry & flat iron my hair in the morning. I think I would perform sexual acts just for that benefit. I hope his woman appreciates that one.

When All You Feel is Grey

I sit here today with many mixed emotions. I found out yesterday, after much anticipation and anxiety, that my job was not going to be eliminated--a hollow victory for me. My company has not been doing well, mainly do to the market's overall decline, and that has pushed my area into another dreaded reorganization. I've been hearing that we really needed this change though. But sadly, some of my co-workers didn't receive such good news. Many people on my floor lost their job, and as I headed into another meeting to hear about our future, my eyes kept welling up.

I have a co-worker that I've known for about two years. Had it not been for another co-worker taking an opportunity with a company just last year, I wouldn't have gotten to know this girl as well. For some reason, I've never flourished in a group, maybe because I tend to just sit back and watch dynamics. But having the one co-worker that I was comfortable around leave, left me exposed to really getting to know another, and my opinion of her changed. This girl takes honesty to a new level, and she is rarely guarded with anyone, which is probably why I didn't bond to her in the beginning. I have a habit of sharing my opinions/feelings/thoughts with only those I am closest to, and sometimes, I bottle them up altogether--completely, opposite of my co-worker. But the more I have hung around her, the more it warms my heart to watch her. The only word that I can think to describe her is fierce. She is so protective of the people in her life, much like a raging mother bear. She never lets someone get away with something that they shouldn't, and I am in awe of that. We also share some really bad experiences as well, though I am the first to admit that hers were much more painful. Sometimes, I still see her react with that pain, and it causes my heart to ache on her behalf because I'm so acutely aware of what she's feeling, and her instinct is all that she has to act with now, and I get that...her job has been eliminated.

In addition, the co-worker that I dated has had his job eliminated, and frankly, it scares me. I have never really talked about him in this blog before for several reasons. Even though he knew I kept a blog, pretty regularly until we started dating, I wasn't sure about talking about him. It just felt weird, beyond weird. I'm also not one to show my emotions so publicly. For instance, if I had written in my giddy stage and were forced to read that, I think I would want to stick a blunt object into my brain. I guess I equate it with running into someone on cloud nine about their love life--six months later you run into him/her, and they announce that they've broken up because the other one was cheating or something. I don't know. I guess I would just be embarrassed of my happiness if I didn't remain that happy or something. All this to say, is that I'm going to talk about him (D). Maybe it just feels safe(r) now, who knows.

D and I moved to Atlanta within a month of one another. It was unique to both be in a new city not really knowing anyone else and having a new relationship and a new place to live. It was a lot to absorb, but something we were really excited about. I think it takes a certain kind of courage and strength to make that kind of leap. Even though our backgrounds were as diverse as they could possibly be, we were pretty like-minded about a lot. The things we wanted out of life and out of a relationship paralleled rather well.

But now, here we are. Not dating and barely speaking. D has to be the most independent person I have ever encountered. He's independent in ways that have never even occurred to me. He has incredible determination, and he's so intelligent in so many arenas. On the other hand, he breaks my heart, what little I feel I have left. He has never pushed me for a reaction like so many people do, but he pushes me for my own betterment, and I hate that. I'm pretty sure altruism has never motivated a taurus in a the history of the human species. Either way, my instincts are telling me that he will end up moving somewhere else, and that just makes everything seem so final between us. Not having him across the way is sad enough to me, but not having him in the state is a whole new level of finality. Part of me keeps wanting to offer to help, but I just have to keep telling myself that he will learn everything one day, even if it's the hard way because that's the only way that he knows how. It's just his survival tactic, even though it's not mine.

I Have Loved You Most





And I don't ever think there are enough words to tell you just how much.

Never Really the Brown-Eyed Girl

The Junkie has come Home

Monday night, Nov. 12th
1 steroid tablet
1 Singulair tablet
1 Zyrtec tablet
1 Zyflo tablet

Tuesday morning, Nov. 13th
2 steroid tablets
5 Singulair tablets
1 Zyrtec tablet
1 Zyflo tablet

Tuesday day (9-4 p.m.)
21-24 shots in both arms, from a girl who is quite used to needles, and generally not phased by such

Tuesday evening, while getting the hair highlighted shades of red that don't exactly occur in nature
Notes some general pain and slight itching

Tuesday night, approximately 9 p.m., more itching. Hmm.
1 Benedryl
1 Advil PM because I am a terrible sleeper

Tuesday night, 11 p.m., wakes up with more severe itching.
1 Singulair
1 Zyrtec
1 Advil PM (wrestles the night away)

Wednesday morning, 5:00 a.m., left bicep firey hot, swollen, brusied, and ITCHING like a MOFO. (Hmmmm.)

Wednesday later morning, 7:30 a.m., Can't think, just need to s-c-r-a-t-c-h-h-h-h-. Owe! That hurts.
1 Singulair
1 Zyrtec
1 Benedryl
20 pumps of Benedryl spray

Wednesday later, later morning, 11:30 a.m., no relief. Swelling spreading. Dear God, Seriously, why did I do this again?
4 Singulair (dr's advice)

Wednesday afternoon, 4:30 p.m.
Dr: "So you took the 4 Singulair, and it's not any better?"
Me: Thinking WTF?
Me: "Yup. 11:30. Still ITCHING..."
Dr. "Well, we'll prescribe you some more steroids. Typically they take 12-24 hours to work. Try not to scratch"
Me: Thinking WTFFFFFFFF? How about you try not to breathe?
Me: "So, if that's the case, I have steroids still in my system, right?"
Dr. "Yeah..."
Me: "How about a shot instead?"
Dr. "Not sure I have any....Wait, let me go look."
Dr. "I do have one!"
Me: Thinking grrrrreat. Another shot! Whoohoo. WTF?
Nurse: Punctures swollen arm (though not in the highly inflamed area) directly into my meat of my fat arm.
Me: "Owwwee! That, like, hurt!"
Me: Thinking I've never had a shot hurt like that!
Nurse withdrawals needle.
Nurse: "Yeah, see the size of the needle."
Me: Thinking I cannot move my arm. Seriously. WTF? I think she's proud of that needle.
Dr: "Okay, well you should be better in about 2 days. Call me Friday or Monday and we'll do some more shots."
Me: "Yeah, if this isn't gone by Monday, I'm not coming back."
Dr: Blink. Blink. Blink.

25 pills in less than 3 days.
21-25 shots...I lost count.

You can definitely say that I didn't clearly think this course of action through. And that I do not remember being this cranky since HIGH SCHOOL.

I'll Be Dead By 30

I scare easily, like so easily, you wouldn't believe just how easily. As I stand in the kitchen checking on dinner, my boyfriend is in the bedroom on my computer. Minutes later, he says something to me and scares the crap out of me. I grab my heart and suck in enough oxygen for the entire state of Georgia.

"You are taking YEARS off of my life!"
"I don't get it. You know I'm here."
"But it doesn't work like that. I don't hear you come up. I've scared you before at your house."
"Yeah, but not on such a consistent basis. I, mean, you know it's a problem when I'm seriously considering wearing bells on my shoes."
"Ohhh, or like a dog collar with a bell. That would be great...Wait, what if you start carrying change in your pocket so I can hear you jingle. Or Tic-Tacs! I think there was an episode on Seinfeld about that one!"

More Than I Want to Know, Really

I just dropped my itty-bitty birth control pill in the trash can, unbeknownst to me. I crawled around under my desk to search for the stupid thing. With nothing in sight, it occurred to me to look into the trash can, and there it sat, at the very bottom of the bacteria-ridden container.

I would have preferred the floor, just so you know.

Bringing It Back to Elvis

A New Addition







I'm pushing to call her Maggie, but I don't exactly have "naming rights" on this one.

Liquid Crack

My co-worker calls me and asks me to split a Red Bull with her. I respond I've never had one. Neither has she. She has an interview to go to after work. I acquiesce.

Red Bull is HORRIBLE. I think the planet is missing taste buds. It has a wicked after taste that made both of us contort our faces in disgust.

We're both on our way to giggly happy now after about a fourth of the can.