academic rewards

I'm having one of those moments where I feel good to be pursuing my Master's degree ... besides the feeling of getting accolades from a professor, an A on a paper/exam, but a connection that maybe the research or homework I'm doing actually means something. Researching my paper on Bangladesh and terrorism I came upon an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, "Islamist vs. Democracy"; although I didn't pay any attention to the author until I started typing up the citation and I recognized her as someone from UVA ... someone I had even shared a meal with or two. It's like the time I realized the guy living in my condo was also with me at Camp David--receiving kudos from my old college professor and professional career advisor, Bill Quandt, and that my old client's son was someone I travelled around Paris with one summer, going to jazz shows and checking out the caberets along with other Wahoo-ligans. I suppose it's more a people connection ... who knows if this paper I'm doing will see anyone else's eyes except for my professor's ... but I have a feeling maybe if I contact Ms. Hossein she might have some interesting opinions about it.

why GWU sucks part.2

If you are owed a refund:

1) to get that money GWU makes you fill out a ton of paperwork (not including the FAFSA and whatever financial aid forms you have to fill out anyway

2) their antiquated system has not discovered Direct Depost ... a FinAid counselor said to me: "Yeah, we've had mixed up checks, stuff go missing ..." Do you want to lose a couple thousand dollars of federal money you might possibly need to pay your rent, books, and food????

3) the FinAid counselors do not know what they are doing ... they will transfer you until you eventually end up talking to the Dean of the department (okay exaggeration, I was only transferred once)

4) Beware, third party billing might mean that GWU will steal loans back . . . B A S T A R D S!!! Counselors have claimed that this is true and could happen to me.

piss-a-me-off

I gave in, I saw that GWU students get discounts off Apple products, so I went to the website and thought that I was getting a $100 off then I normally would for a 4 GB (I'm getting the 6 GB). Well of course silly me should've remembered when new products come out, older products sometimes decrease in price. I should've checked Amazon.com before ordering. I still get about $30 bucks off with the discount which I guess isn't too shabby, but now I realize I could've gotten the 4 GB for much cheaper.

This does not mean I've decided on choice A) ... although every building I call now is either sold out or is asking for pre-qual letters for buildings that won't be ready until 2007!!! What the heck??? I should hopefully not be making the same amount of money that I'm making now in 2007!

question of the next 3 months

Yeah, I'll write my paper ... but anyway, tax time is already here and most of you should've received W-2's by now. I'm one of those people who says, YIPPEEEE!!! Tax time, federal government owes me money!!!! The second I get all my forms I'm already dialing the EZ file phone line doing my taxes in about 10 minutes. This year it was a bit more complicated because I have a mortgage, more student loans, and tuition costs so I have to fill out the dreaded Schedule A and a myriad of other forms I didn't know existed, so I hired a tax pro. Well skipping to the awesome part I got a fairly decent tax return. About 7X more than I usually get, so the questions is what do I do?

A) buy an i-pod (everyone at work has one!), a home theater system (the only thing that functions on my boombox from 8th grade is the radio tuner), a digital camera (so I can upload oh so cool graphics to this website), go on vacation to either S. American or England, and use the remainder of the money to jazz up my current condo.

OR

B) use it as a deposit for a yet unbuilt fabulous one bedroom loft in downtown DC with garage parking ready for move in after I graduate from school (aim is 2007). (the downside being I'm going to be a real miser for the next two years to save money so I can actually afford the place when it comes time for closing and I BETTER get some significant raises until then!).

I think the answer is obviously B, I realize electronic gadgets will make me happy in the short term, but looking forward to a beautiful place after graduation would be better. After I bought the current place, people were like, let us know about the housewarming! Yeah right, housewarming, I can fit about 2 other people comfortably in my tiny studio, and renting the lounge downstairs for a party is above my pay-grade. Oh but the uncertainty of the future ... if you read, any opinion in the comments section is appreciated ....

finally! Someone who said it!

I'm not sure why the focus on fashion today, because I'm no fashionista, but I'm glad someone is remarking that some of the fashion debuting on Milan runways is suitable for the hobo that lives in the park 3 blocks down from me. My sister and I who enjoy Sex & The City as a guilty pleasure always wondered who would wear Sara Jessica Parker's outfits from the first or second season? Does anyone remember that crazy bright green necktie halter she wore with bright yellow shorty shorts with bright blue heels or something? The one where she goes on her first date with Bon Jovi? Ugh. Who dresses like that? I'd love to include a picture but I don't have that silly Hello thing installed in this computer.

wearing her clothes well

I could've thought of a myriad of subject headers for this one. So Condoleeza Rice, ready to hop on a Ducati, tear through European alleyways, somersault into combat mode, and whip kick every bad boy in this feminist-deconstructivist analysis, featured in Washington Post. Hey! I was a government major! Not an English major ... excuse my fragmentary sentences.

When looking at the image of Rice in Wiesbaden, the mind searches for ways to put it all into context. It turns to fiction, to caricature. To shadowy daydreams. Dominatrix!

hell week

Last night I checked my academic planner and started hyperventilating. Apparently I didn't realize that not only did I have a paper due this Saturday but a paper, research proposal, and presentation due on Wednesday. I am officially panicked. The week after I have a mid-term. Spring break can't come fast enough. Not that very many people read my blog, but don't expect any entries of substance for the next two weeks ... if I do write, and you read, please call and scold me to get back to work. Caffeine will be my best friend this weekend since I've been surviving on three hours of sleep each day this week.

romantic comedies=irrational uptight b*tch as heroine

On President's day I took the opportunity to have lunch at Cafe Tirolo, a hidden gem of an Austrian/Hungarian restaurant that upstages it's front facade neighbor Tara Thai, with its cuisine and quality of food. I grudgingly admit, when it comes to ethnic cuisine, Northern VA has got DC beat in all aspects except possibly Ethiopian, which I have yet to try. But anyway, afterwards I saw

Hitch, translated, why-great-soul-ful-men-Somehow-get destroyed-by-irrational-uptight-bitch-heroine-and-still manages-to-love-her-and-thus-make-her-look-worse. Big studio romantic comedies are normally light brained fluff good for a little escapism but I've noticed a disturbing trend. Why is the woman-object-of-desire always the one who destroys the hero's life and still gets taken back? Why can't she be an angel? Instead the heroine is always irrational, crazy, and bitchy. And the guy is just too tongue-tied and beside himself.

dc institutions

Sunday night I got a treat at Ben's Chilli bowl, which features Billy Cosby's favorite, chilli on a half-smoke. The place was very reminiscent of the White Spot, a Charlottesville institution who's specialty was the gus burger, basically a hamburger topped with a fried egg. I got a hotdog topped with unusually fake looking orange nacho cheese and chilli ... the chilli was quite good, better than Hard Times anyway.

Monday night I broke down and went to 2 Amy's AGAIN! Mmm, margherita plus.

Tourists on Tidal Basin looking at Crystal City.

sat. night slum

Last night I dragged myself, fighting the urge to plead gastrointestinal disorders, to a local Herndon hangout, almost 45 mins outside this fair city. My friend didn't make things better when she said, "It's not just rednecks but Herndon High people too!!" That made me feel so much better. Well luckily despite my well documented hatred of bars and anything that smacks of hometown boring as hell Herndon, I went to Jimmy's Tavern. Eva Zilbert gives a fairly generous review. I typically go to Herndon to sleep at my mom's because it's where I get the best sleep. But what can you do when there's all of three bars in the entire town of Herndon ... which is home to so many tech firms and the new Booz Allen campus? My entire impression of Jimmy's was formulated during my grade school years based on walking by after Taekwondo class which was across the street and ignoring requests for martial arts demonstrations by drunken hicks. Altogether I could withstand the place with friends from high school I actually liked and seeing faces I hadn't seen in years ... until the DJ started giving a shout out to NASCAR and started playing country music. It was then I was reminded that Herndon was too close to Manassas and not close enough to DC.

feline hilarity

Last night at Barnes & Noble, I picked up a little picture book called Bad Cat. As my own little puss sits in lap languidly purring I perused the album on mycathatesyou.com which is quite funny. Almost two years ago I got a photo of a cat with his hair shaved off except for his head, paws, and the end of his tail. It was like, 'aw! poor cat!' and then 'hahahah!!! freakin' funny!' I suppose if you can laugh at your favorite domineering pet that's a good thing. I imagine dog lovers will appreciate it too..

Choice quote from a reader:

My wife is one of those deluded "cat persons." If anything ever happens to me, she'll be the senile old widow who lives in a filthy bungalow with 237 cats, dies, and gets eaten by them. I'm a dog person, the kind of fellow who likes jokes about using the cat to mop out the toilet.

Yet, WE BOTH LOVE THIS BOOK. That says it all. ove cats or hate 'em, you will adore this volume. It's fun. creative, and well-assembled. GO GET IT--NOW!!!!! It will make a nice gift for anybody!

spring for films

This was the post that blogger ate earlier in the week, so I'm re-writing it. The great thing about Spring is the myriad of film festivals to attend in the DC metropolitan area. One of the first (and I know I've missed several others) is the Banff Film festival, showcasing documentaries on extreme outdoor adventures. I'm sure I'll miss this one because it occurs during the week of my mid-terms. Well if you miss this one, there's hope that you can catch some of the films in April at the DC Film Fest which showcases international films. Last year I went to about 6 films or so, all well worth it. Of course I'm sure finals will keep me from going this year. If you miss those two filmfests there's still the AFI SILVERDOCS festival in Silver Spring, which showcases only documentaries. Somehow I think the summer class I plan to take will interfere with that too. I'll find ways to blow off some academic responsibility and go anyway.

crackhouse for kids

Recently blogger has been on the blitz with me. On addictive substances, here's some inspiring journalism on kids replacing malls with starbucks as their choice hangout. Now I'm going to post this really fast before blogger loses it and crashes on me.

and then I had

2 Amy's pizza, in front of my envious classmates :) there was one really cool picture that could've only been taken by a low resolution camera but now my t-mobile album is down ... so I'll put that one up later, after I do cardio for an hour while watching sex & the city downstairs in my gym.

Night falls, Washington monument over tidal basin

Mr. Thomas Jefferson, presented in bronze

Foggy Bottom across the Tidal Basin

Blurry picture of Jefferson Memorial

today i fell out of love

With DC ... something about the train halting to stops prematurely because of other trains in front of it ... motion sickness ... and then the feeling of being tired ... tired of seeing the worn out men on 11th St. sipping from bottles in paper bags, the sidewalk spotted with blackened gum, sidestepping shit ...

so I had to get out, by the time I made it past downtown in my car on 14th St. I realized by the time I got to Great Falls NP, it would be dark ... and closed. So instead I stopped at West Potomac Park ... aka Thomas Jefferson memorial and fell back in love with DC. Check out my low resolution images I took on my camera-phone.

On the serious note

Reading this Washington Post article on medicating children for bipolar disorder certainly gave me a rise. After reading this, I'm not sure if you'll be alarmed too.

But some experts say the surge in diagnoses is a dangerous fad--one critic called it "psychiatry's flavor of the month" -- a decision too often based on skimpy evidence, cursory evaluations and incorrect assumptions about genetic risk.

Experts on both sides agree that the 1999 publication of "The Bipolar Child" had a galvanizing effect. Supporters of early diagnosis and treatment say the book empowered parents and informed clinicians. Critics say it is rife with pseudoscience and exaggeration.

Among the book's most controversial features is its list of more than three dozen symptoms commonly seen in bipolar children, including silliness, separation anxiety, night terrors, carbohydrate cravings, fidgetiness, extreme bossiness, bed-wetting, lying, social anxiety and difficulty getting up in the morning. (Clearly every child is bi-polar!)

"There's a lot of throwing medications at people without thinking about what the problem is," he added. "Once somebody has a label, it is highly unlikely that label will be questioned. And by the time a person has been on 20 different drugs, you can no longer figure out what's wrong."

In general, this goes along with my serious problems with the medical establishment, particularly the Western model of medical practice, where chemicals are a fix-all. Having nothing to hide, I speak a little from personal experience.

I know children can be tough to handle ... for years I was a disciplinarian (aka Taekwondo instructor) in the suburbs of W. Fairfax. Parents would drop their kids off at the school for hours, in hopes that I would do their dirty work for them, and there were too many times i had to dress down smart-alecky pre-teens or attempt to wear out a group of jubilant 5 years old who could focus on only one thing for a second. I'm not sure these kids needed drugs, that maybe they needed more stimulation throughout the day, rather than the one hour they would get in the evening at taekwondo.

I guess my main beef is that who knows what effect these drugs have on children who haven't developed their neural systems. Create more psychos of the future? Major organ failure?

blow over day

I actually didn't feel like blogging today. When I came home, my bed looked very inviting so I dived in, hoping to recuperate the sleep I lost this past weekend and last night fretting about a work assignment this morning, which didn't happen! Aaargh, all that anguish for nothing.

Saturday night after being able to work out for the first time since getting sick, I went to Marrakesh for a semi-farewell dinner. I was somewhat pleased this time, typically I thought of the place as a tourist trap with mediocre food, but this time the food was good, and according to my honored friend, so was the belly dancer. Onwards we went to the Flinstone's bar in Chinatown ... er, some Irish pub/bar place with an Irish cover band. It was fun to see the suburbanites cut loose and dance.

Sunday I fueled my obsession with Better Than Ezra. I learned that 'Closer,' possibly one of the best albums that came out the beginning of the 21st Century, and BTE's best album to date is a rarity ... out of print because the label went bankrupt. I played the album on repeat all day Sunday, and scoured the web for news of Kevin Griffin's baby ... because it was I who wanted to have his baby! ... er metaphorically anyway. Then I went to Two Amy's which I'm also obsessed with now. This is pizza I could have every week! I love it simple ... with the buffalo mozzarella like melted butter on my tongue and the tangy tomato sauce that I could sup from a bowl ... oh ... so good ... just thinking about it ...

Anyway, waiting for Valentine's day to blow over, the outdoor conditions makes for great staying in and having sex weather, so for me that means going to back to sleep, or having another cup of chocolate pudding and watching Sex & City.

old guys rockin'

Last night at the spur of the moment after nursing a feverish infection back to a manageable congested head, I went to the sold out Wrens show at Black Cat. After hearing so many great things about them from friends and the press, I thought $10 was not a bad amount to sacrifice (or the bone chilling bike ride I took to get my hand stamped). I was surprised by several things: 1) they were really old guys 2) they couldn't keep the up-tempo for a live concert ... 3/4ths of the way through the show, I had the urge to go home and listen to my Guster records 3) one of the guys disturbingly reminded me of one of my seniors at work.

Being a rock band is a tough job for performance, generally audiences suck ... they don't know how to move or they're just plain obnoxious, but it seemed the Wrens were more concerned with reliving their past performances ... ten years ago ... rather than working the current one. A side note, DJing has to be much more satisfying, particularly at one of those DC dance mega-plexes. Anyway, read the reviews from the folks I went with at unrequited narcissism ... I know I'm a lazy blogger, but why rewrite everything that's already been written? Anyway if you want to see a great up and coming DC band, head to Velvet Lounge tonight for Cartel. I've already had a great experience with them, and a receptive audience would be great for their show tonight.

Tonight I'm going to Marrakesh, so unfortunately won't be there ... I'll be stuffing my face with hands full of honey-dripping Moroccan fare.

This picture was selected by Weather Bug as photo of the day. Here, undo credit is given. I'm sure this rose did not blossom through the snow, it doesn't even look like it was growing in a rose bush ... It looks like the guy went to the supermarket bought a rose, planted it in a bush and took a picture of it. What a farce!

more inanities

Tylenol Sinus is like crack ... I changed my name so you see, from the oh so obvious who could it be? first name to Anonymous ... how original could i be? to Bureauqette ... because I'm a bureaucrat but that's such a masculine thing to call oneself ... although now I'm sure just like how my real first name was made fun of (tragedies from high school where I was ostracized for having an unusal name; just think ... these were my friends who had compiled a list of innovative things to call me such as:

Nose
Nazette
Nazal Spray
Quoth the Raven, Nazermore
Nazington DC
Oh my Naz!!! etc, and the list goes on, well with my new published name I've decided to outdo everybody:

Burpette
Burka
Barker
Bureau ... okay time for me to go to bed ... Tylenol Sinus is crack. Did I just write a Dr. Seuss poem?

the new Texas: Virginia

hear hear ... Catherine on zunta.org has once again found more ways VA is fucked up. Why do you need an urban legend when you have the antiquated law books rotting in Richmond and people streaming in from W. Va hillsides to occupy those shiny new construction 1/2 million dollar mansions in Loudon?

I could whine incessantly about how the US is going down the tubes ... blah blah blah ... here we are the model of freedom and democracy, yet only a short car ride away, bigotry still rules ... but when you look at Saudi Arabia, the most freaked out country in the world ... its amazing that a little pin of democracy drops ...

dance dance dance

Now here's a guy I would love to go dancing with :)

i hate GWU bureaucracy

The George Washington University aspires to outdo its Foggy Bottom neighbors when it comes to bureaucratic red tape. Last semester I found out I couldn't register because I hadn't turned in my immunization form, except I found out after the fact because they failed to tell me ...

ugh, pause, I'm sitting near a very sick person, coughing and hacking away in Common Grounds, the coffeeshop between Clarendon and VA Square ... I think I'm going to stop this anti-GWU rant and go back to my own germ-infested pad. Sorry finish later!!!

the BEST pizza & dining alone

For some reason, the only thing that makes me feel good when I'm sick is eating, that is if my taste buds are working. Considering I skipped class and didn't go to work, I thought I felt well enough this evening to satisfy a craving for pizza. Initially I thought, Bertucci's only a few blocks away on Dupont, but after failing to find a friend to accompany me, I thought, what about 2 Amy's? I've heard rave reviews. So I decided to metro there after reviewing my options: 1) driving--didn't want to deal with the hassle of finding parking on the way back 2) biking -- wasn't sure how strenuous that might be and didn't want to over exert myself. After using the Metro trip planner which told me I could take the Red line to Cleveland park and then walk 0.38 miles to 2 Amy's I gave it a go.

Eating alone has never been an issue for me ... that is when I was on a trip for work by myself. I would purposefully find the most swank restaurant to treat myself a three course meal plus drinks on whatever allowance the company gave me. This marks the second time I've dined alone at a sit down restaurant in the District. The first time was during Restaurant Week when my date came down with the flu and my second choice also backed out because of bronchitis. Well it was Restaurant Week and I had dinner reservations at Rose Mexicano ... the only Mexican restaurant I've ever liked ... the only place that can make Mexican food taste and look like cuisine. So even though my one friend begged me to stay home and just order a pizza I insisted on going by myself ... so I sat at Rose Mexican ... a shi shi restaurant even for a Mexican one, at a table by myself, with a glass of red wine, a three course meal and my book: "The Curse of the Singles Table: A true story of 1001 nights without sex." It was great!!! I had fun!!!

My date with 2 Amy's did not have such great beginnings (well I guess they never do). Apparently Metro misplaced the decimal when they said the restaurant was a .38 walk ... more like 3.8 miles up hills!!! I had to ask several people where Macomb was and all I could think was, 'this better be really good pizza!" After sweating up hills for three miles, I was not disappointed. Bertucci's is no longer my favorite and doesn't hold a card to 2 Amy's pizza. The specialty is Neopolitan pizza, and I've had Neopolitan pizza ... in Napoli ... and I think 2 Amy's outdid that. The only other pizza that could compare was one I had in Florence, near the train station ... a long long time ago.

the truth about US and Middle East peace

Recently Condoleeza Rice has informed the public intentions to restart the Middle East peace process. With a new Palestinian leader, Abu Mazen elected recently, the prospect seems ripe. One of my neighbors wrote a book about the Camp David 2000 summit, which I found to be a really good read and alternative viewpoint to the events that transpired and the reasons for the summit's failures. Clayton Swisher's The Truth About Camp David, is a book hopefully Ms. Rice and her counterparts will pick up and read. The author writes his book based on interviews with many of the negotiators at the 2nd Camp David and provides some startling insights into the ill-preparedness of the Clinton administration and the underlying factors that compromised the administration neutrality in the negotiations. Anyway, that's just my shoutout to Clay there ... down there on the Terrace level.

Not moving back out to the commonwealth

Reading Catherine and Tom's blog, I came upon more reasons not to move back to VA. Its almost like as the world progresses, Virginia must find ways to become more Victorian or something. You may recall a prior post about this. Why VA is F%$&d up!

Also since one of my favorite places to get news, besides the Washington Post, the Economist, New York times, BBC worlds news, International Herald Tribune, and Reuters is of course the AOL Instant Messenger Splash Today page, I found an interesting piece on most and least romantic cities. I'm not sure how DC got up there in the top 10 best place for singles:

8. Washington, D.C.: 45 percent claim they "just want to be friends." How politically correct.

i tried & academics

I know I had some whiny rants, but really, I meant to write a few positive posts but blogger wasn't cooperating with me. I have some head bug that prevents me from understanding what I'm reading and makes me feel delirious ... I suppose that's a sign I have a fever. So yesterday went into work late and today I didn't go at all. Working up the courage to make the trek to CVS to buy some soup, ginger ale, and a thermometer right now, only a block away and maybe the fresh air will do some good.

But anyway, since having class only once a week for each class, papers and such sneak up on you. So I've already decided to start exploring my paper for my International Relations of South Asia class. Primarily on politics/terrorism in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of three democracies which have a Muslim majority so it's a pretty interesting case study in how terrorism exists in a democracy even though the current US administration touts that democracy is the cure to terrorism. Bangladesh is a country few will find a large body of work on, so I have to rely on newspaper articles mostly. I suppose I should also interview my professor since the country is one of her focii.

During my browsings, I found one blog dedicated to Bangladesh. Although more a private journal, it contains discussions on current press in Bangladesh, party politics and terrorism. Imtiaz's blog. He also has a story about the Parliament member who was killed, a former Ambassador to the US from Pakistan (back when it consisted of East and West Pakistan, pre-1971), a man my father worked for when he came to the US. Well I suppose with my day off and not having much to do, I have no excuse to get a head start on my readings for next week.

The Anti-Smoke Debate

Anyway if you're interested in the debate, here's some websites (and my oh-so biased comments).

Washington Times Article-of course this rag who undoubtedly benefits from Phillip-Morris et all, would put up a libertarian argument against the smoking ban proposal. Fuckers.

http://www.smokefreedc.org/ Heartily support this organization, I don't care so much for the restaurant workers protection argument (I was one, and worked in a bar too); more for people who would probably enjoy the nightlife experience more without smelling like ass afterwards.

http://www.philipmorrisinternational.com/pages/eng/smoking/Secondhand_smoke.asp Right from the horse's mouth.

If someone wants to slowly kill themselves I don't want to experience the by-product.

I do have quite a few friends that smoke. And I do admit, I give them hard time (but it's their habit that's giving me a hard time no?). Anyway, one of my girlfriends decided to try and quit by using the patch. She explained to me the weird psychological concept of smoking, which to someone like me who is physically incapable of inhaling and living to tell the tale, was pretty odd. Some choice quotes:

The cigarette was my best-friend.

I felt guilty if I didn't have a cigarette.

The cigarette comforted me.

There's an argument about how a smoking ban would drive business's bankrupt. I've heard of bars going out of business in Montgomery because the smokers are going to VA and DC, but honestly I wonder how much more business they could attract if non-smokers knew they could have an enjoyable time thus spend more time, thus drink more and alleviate the fact that people who wanted to smoke are somewhere else. I mean, maybe these bars can also sell temporary nicotine patches or something. Also I hate economic theory in general, which believes one can put a numerical value to anything. Sorry I don't buy the argument that I can just be around ETS (environmental tobacco smoke), get tongue or throat cancer later, and be okay with the costs (including pain, emotional anguish, recovery) of surgery, chemo, etc.

It's like how one guy told me that it's okay to always eat red meat and not exercise because there's always by-pass surgery. Huh???

The interesting thing is I'm not allergic to tobacco itself. I've smoked hookah's at Guarapo's, chi-cha, and other place and have been fine with the tobacco in it. The theory is that hashisha is pure tobacco without additives. Which makes me think I'm allergic to the other ingredients. Those people arguing that studies showing second hand smoke is unhealthy for non-smokers are moot, are nuts: I mean how can these ingredients be safe to inhale?

my anti-bar rant

I hate bars. Without exception. Sometimes I have an okay time. This past week I went way too many times. I would rather go to dinner with friends where I can actually hear someone rather than waking up the next morning hoarse or with no voice at all from shrilling the night before. Also, I hate smelling like crap with nothing to show for it except a lost voice, smelly clothes and hair. I would much rather go dancing. Where at least if I'm smelly, I have good reasons, like a late night work out. Don't get me wrong ... I'll go to a bar if it involves activity in addition to socializing ... like seeing a band play ... I'm okay with that, because if the band is good you're not going to talk, and if they're really good I'll dance. Also I'm slightly sensitive to cigarette smoke, mostly getting stuffy, dry throat, and on occasion breaking out into hives (like when my boss from my old job wouldn't stop chain smoking in the rental car we had to share on a trip out to San Diego). Few things counter the effect: drinking tons of water ... ie) Friday night at Buffalo Billiards after one beer I started ordering water so much the bartender gave me two full glasses, both of which I sucked down in a minute apiece; the other thing is dancing ... maybe it has something to do with the rising heart rate or something, but I feel like I'm a lot less allergic for it. Last night I went to Chi-cha, which is a very cool place to hang out, and I typically have a very good time there because 1) they make excellent martini's 2) the atmosphere; but it's strictly a go with a group of friends place and talk to them, talk only with your friends. People don't actually seem to meet other people there. The utter down-side to chi-cha is it's a smoky little hole, like all the semi-cool bars in DC. Ugh, you won't see me crying if DC enacts a bar/restaurant/club smoking ban. In fact, if there's a group pushing for a smoking-ban I'm behind them. It's the only thing I like about Maryland, Montgomery Co. to be exact. I may even go to bars more.

two wheeled adventures

Recently I've been using my bike in the city for transportation. It's probably the fastest mode of transportation in the downtown area during heavy traffic. The past week I've used it at night, equipped with blinky tail lights and a front flashlight to go to class. Feeling rather squirrelly this weekend with the warmer temperatures and sun, particularly after the past two weekends of snow I was rather itching to see how I could get out of the city. Yesterday after biking to the gym and lifting I decided to hit the Crescent City trail. It's amazing how the Potomac looked, with the sun lowering on the Southern bank, clear blue sky, and a peek of an unusually clear blue Potomac river. After doing 200lb+squats at the gym, my legs ran out of juice about a 1/2 hour later. So I saw the perfect diversion, a little park on the bank, as I headed my bike through the parking lot I became mired in swamp. Snowmelt, how fun. Splattered with mud I took my brief respite to rest and continued back, making sure to save some juice for the quick starts on K St. so I could avoid being slammed into by a taxi cab. As the trees began to thin and buildings began to appear, I realized I was not happy about heading back into the urban environment.

This morning it was my intention to find the path to Key bridge out to Arlington. Didn't happen, after coming home at 0230, made the bad choice of giving my cat mardi gras beads and he decided to have a little party ... until I put him in the bathroom. (I know cruel, but I live in a studio!!!). But I had too much caffeine in Arlington and decided to take another ride ... this time up Rock Creek Parkway. Well naturally I almost died. I wasn't sure exactly how to get on the path, so I actually ended up on the parkway itself, which was a mad, Mad, MAd, MAD thing to do. I think those cars are used to road bikers who are apparently training for the Tour de France, because they were literally whizzing by me, only 5 inches away. I was scared to death ... I kept thinking to myself, don't lose your balance, don't lose your balance!!! Finally I saw an opening and crossed over to the path. Phew. And yay, more fun snow melt. I am covered in mud. It was satisfying, although the people at Whole Foods where I stopped on the way home probably thought I had pooped on myself. No really, I wasn't that scared.

Day in the Life of a Full-time Govee and Part-time Grad Student

So today was one of those crazy days where by the end I thought everyone must be edging away from me because I stink from having run around since 6 AM. Taking the second semester of graduate school by the horns of the bull I volunteered to lead the first discussion in my Theories of International Politics class. Even though I had overcommitted myself the past week (movie w/ friends Fri; all day movies Sat; sleepover at mom Sun; Mon night happy hour; Tues night happy hour plus evening condo owner get together; Wedn. night tooth filling) I frantically read three pieces assigned that I was supposed to know word for word ... on the bus, on the train, on the treadmill (proverbial treadmill, I've become so out of shape I can only handle the elliptical). So tonight's its over ... unfortunatley I didn't have a chance to see the reactions of my professor because he made me sit next to him, so I couldn't gauge by his facial expressions if I was remotely on the right track or if I was just out there, reciting the screenplay for George of the Jungle. Well I got away barely skinned alive ... one of the reasons I picked first to go was to get it over with early in the semester and because you can't be compared to someone before you ... I pretty much established the low bar which is hopefully at least a B.

I dunno if any of you have taken an IR theory class but it asks questions one would normally not want to ask and think too hard about ... questions like ... why are we here? what is our purpose? You know, questions that if you can't think up a solid answer to you'll drive yourself nuts, or at least I will. So imagine trying to get into that philosophical mode while on the 7:15 AM Green line with crying babies, the bus while the operator is playing smooth jazz, Sade or Alicia Keyes, or on the treadmill at the GWU gym with undergraduates eyeing eachother, sizing up the prospect for the next sexual rendezvous.

Obviously I'm writing in a blog because I'm PROCRASTINATING! From what? Well going downstairs to the gym and hopping on the treadmill and forcing myself to read about ethnic conflict in Pakistan. For next week's class. Since tomorrow I'm going to a happy hour, Sat night I'm going to a play, Sunday I'm biking .....

walking threat to yourself

My skull is numb ... had an interesting dental appointment. Both my dentist and the assistant started talking about my North Face jacket that I wore on my bike ride over like I was walking a tight rope between death ... and certain death. Apparently the DC area has been wrought with armed robberies involving North Face jackets. My reaction was, "I know they're a popular fashion item ... but come on? Are these guys that desperate to hit the slopes???" I really don't think so ... I don't see these guys ever aspiring to climbing Mt. Everest or even Old Rag Mntn. for that matter. I like to think I bought my jacket for legitimate reasons, namely during my freshman year of college, I was practicing semi-technical rescue on a steep slippery slope in pouring rain and mud. I got soaked to bone and if it hadn't been for my pack rat rescue mates I might've gotten hypothermia. I swore after then, nothing but the best "dry in extremely wet weather" jacket would do. Of course I think I've used it only twice for its legitimate purpose: once for skiing, and another time backpacking in the finicky weather. But anyway, now I'm thinking twice about wearing my jacket around dc ... not that I really need it in DC, but it sure helps when I'm biking in 20 degree weather ... although I accidently bought a size or two too big and it acts more like a drag parachute.

When I asked the assistant if he knew Mountain Hardware or Patagonia, he told me he hadn't heard of them so maybe you're safer with those. He also waxed about those other 'street-style' outdoor brands. Although I'm never going to take anyone seriously if they tell me Columbia or Timberland is a legitimate outdoor brand.