Friday, August 21, 2009
10:38 pm Hmmm...
I just saw 'Julie & Julia' tonight with my family, and I (along with every other reviewer ever) loved it. I've never disliked a movie that had Meryl Streep in it, and I thought Amy Adams was fantastic as Julie Powell, a sort of pathetic, messed up woman who needs a project to cling to.
While I wouldn't exactly call myself a pathetic, messed up woman who needs a project to cling to, I was rather inspired by the idea of blogging with a purpose. Obviously, I've found some purpose in blogging about myself (I've been doing it for a year and a half), but I would like to challenge myself a little more. When I was abroad, I was faced with challenges I could write about every day. Today, my biggest challenge is surviving as a post-grad, and while that is certainly challenging sometimes, it's boring me. And probably you. Whoever you are...
The problem is, I wouldn't know what kind of challenge to take on. It would have to involve something I love to do, the way Julie Powell loved to cook. She used cooking as a way to escape from her mundane life, so even though she wasn't a skilled cook, the challenge came naturally to her. I use blogging as a way to escape my mundane life...and I can't really blog about blogging.
My other interests? Oh, I don't know... I like to read? I could review books I suppose, but the thought of that causes an involuntary eye roll. You should see it. I'm actually rolling my eyes at the computer screen right now. Some part of my brain just said, "Ugh. No, Tara," and my eyes rolled totally on their own. Happens all the time.
I like to...cook? No. Eat? Yes, but not so much I want to talk about it. I like to...dance? Work out? Again, yes, but who wants to talk about that? Paint my nails? Do my hair? Chew gum? Ugh, I'm getting a headache from all the involuntary eye rolling.
I guess I'll have to give it some more thought. I'd ask for suggestions, but that scares me. I can just see the emails pouring in now... Remember, the key to doing this challenge, whatever it is, is that it has to be something I want to do.
I hope there is something I want to do.
Love,
Tara
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
"What a Difference A Day Makes"
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
11:31 pm Bed.
Yesterday was quite possibly the best day of my life. And it was so unexpected! In fact, it reminds me of a Grey's Anatomy quote (anyone surprised? anyone?) that I mentioned in an earlier post here. You don't wake up in the morning and think, "Wow, I'm about to have one of the best days of my life." I certainly didn't yesterday morning...
I woke up at 5:20 yesterday morning (read: BEFORE dawn) to get ready to go to NYC for my THIRD interview at the Rock. I'm always a bundle of nerves before big interviews, so, needless to say, I had only gotten a few hours of restless sleep. I had nightmares involving Harry Potter and a doorway and a hair salon I had to redecorate. I won't go into details, but the point is I didn't sleep very well, so I was a groggy sort of jumpy all morning. Like, I would be thinking about how tired I was and then I would remember I had a LIFE-CHANGING interview in a few hours and my heart rate would surge and I'd get all shaky and twitchy. It was really charming and attractive.
Last time I had an interview in NYC, I had to go down by myself, but this time I had my supportive sisters with me, and it really made the whole trip SO much better. We left the house at 7 to drive the 45 minutes to New Haven, where we caught the train to Grand Central. Just having them around to talk to and to take my mind off of things made me feel much more relaxed. It meant a lot that they were willing to sacrifice their day for a whirlwind trip to NYC and back just for me.
We got to NYC with no problems, and I had a really great interview. And I get out of the interview and it's like all the tension that was trembling inside of me just rushes out and I feel SO good. Like, euphoric. And that happens with every interview! I'm so worked up and nervous, especially with an interview like Tuesday's that was of, well, Olympic proportions, and then it goes great and then it's over and everything is okay and suddenly the sky has never been bluer and the people in the street have never seemed nicer and New York City has never smelled better. And then I can see my sisters walking toward me and I can tell they're kind of talking to each other out of the sides of their mouths, saying things like, "What do you think?" "She looks happy right?" "Yeah. She's smiling..." "I hope so." "Otherwise it's going to be a long train ride home..." And I just want to leap in the air and click my heels together but my sisters have almost caught up to me and I'm wearing five-inch heels anyway.
When we got home in the early evening, after grabbing lunch in the city and then catching the train back, I found out I had landed ANOTHER interview for a different job back at the Rock. Because I was no longer in public, I let myself express my delight at the good news by spending approximately thirty seconds kicking and thrashing around on my bed. I didn't have much more time than that, however, because I had to regroup and get ready to go to a party at Andrea's. I spent the rest of the night laughing with my Gbury friends and taking pictures and sucking at beer pong. It was fantastic.
The next morning, I woke up in Andrea's bed to the smell of waffles. Then someone smooshed a waffle into the side of my face, and I realized Mike was lying next to me, trying to force-feed me a waffle. This was his idea of breakfast in bed. When I had screamed and hit him enough times, he gave up trying to shove it in my mouth and instead, shoved it down the back of my shirt before he ran away, giggling like a girl. I started my morning hungover, pissed off, and with a hot, greasy waffle plastered to my back.
It was so great.
I've been going on a lot of evening walks with my dad this summer, and as the sun sets and we stroll through the neighborhood we talk about a variety of different topics. The other night we were talking about happiness. If there is one valuable lesson I have learned by not having my life go the way I had planned for the past few months, it is that when you decide that your happiness is dependent on only one thing, it is a guarantee that you will be unhappy and that you won't get that thing. For a while this summer I let the fact that I didn't have a job affect how happy I was in my life and with myself. I honestly thought less of myself for not having one. I've done it with other things in the past too. Guys, friends, grades... I become so focused on what I should have and what I should be able to do, that I let it affect my opinion of myself. But I've learned that when I can reach a point (and it's not easy) where I can say, "Okay, well, I don't have a job/boyfriend/whatever right now," and be okay with that and realize that maybe things are this way for a reason, that's when I can be truly happy and that's when everything starts to click.
Because the truth is, yesterday wasn't really the best day of my life. Yesterday was just the day that everything clicked.
The best day of my life was a few days before that. Because it was on one those days that I was able to honestly say (job or no job, boyfriend or no boyfriend, college or no college) that I am truly happy with everything in my life just the way it is. And that I am truly happy with myself just the way I am.
What a difference a day makes.
Love,
Tara
11:31 pm Bed.
Yesterday was quite possibly the best day of my life. And it was so unexpected! In fact, it reminds me of a Grey's Anatomy quote (anyone surprised? anyone?) that I mentioned in an earlier post here. You don't wake up in the morning and think, "Wow, I'm about to have one of the best days of my life." I certainly didn't yesterday morning...
I woke up at 5:20 yesterday morning (read: BEFORE dawn) to get ready to go to NYC for my THIRD interview at the Rock. I'm always a bundle of nerves before big interviews, so, needless to say, I had only gotten a few hours of restless sleep. I had nightmares involving Harry Potter and a doorway and a hair salon I had to redecorate. I won't go into details, but the point is I didn't sleep very well, so I was a groggy sort of jumpy all morning. Like, I would be thinking about how tired I was and then I would remember I had a LIFE-CHANGING interview in a few hours and my heart rate would surge and I'd get all shaky and twitchy. It was really charming and attractive.
Last time I had an interview in NYC, I had to go down by myself, but this time I had my supportive sisters with me, and it really made the whole trip SO much better. We left the house at 7 to drive the 45 minutes to New Haven, where we caught the train to Grand Central. Just having them around to talk to and to take my mind off of things made me feel much more relaxed. It meant a lot that they were willing to sacrifice their day for a whirlwind trip to NYC and back just for me.
We got to NYC with no problems, and I had a really great interview. And I get out of the interview and it's like all the tension that was trembling inside of me just rushes out and I feel SO good. Like, euphoric. And that happens with every interview! I'm so worked up and nervous, especially with an interview like Tuesday's that was of, well, Olympic proportions, and then it goes great and then it's over and everything is okay and suddenly the sky has never been bluer and the people in the street have never seemed nicer and New York City has never smelled better. And then I can see my sisters walking toward me and I can tell they're kind of talking to each other out of the sides of their mouths, saying things like, "What do you think?" "She looks happy right?" "Yeah. She's smiling..." "I hope so." "Otherwise it's going to be a long train ride home..." And I just want to leap in the air and click my heels together but my sisters have almost caught up to me and I'm wearing five-inch heels anyway.
When we got home in the early evening, after grabbing lunch in the city and then catching the train back, I found out I had landed ANOTHER interview for a different job back at the Rock. Because I was no longer in public, I let myself express my delight at the good news by spending approximately thirty seconds kicking and thrashing around on my bed. I didn't have much more time than that, however, because I had to regroup and get ready to go to a party at Andrea's. I spent the rest of the night laughing with my Gbury friends and taking pictures and sucking at beer pong. It was fantastic.
The next morning, I woke up in Andrea's bed to the smell of waffles. Then someone smooshed a waffle into the side of my face, and I realized Mike was lying next to me, trying to force-feed me a waffle. This was his idea of breakfast in bed. When I had screamed and hit him enough times, he gave up trying to shove it in my mouth and instead, shoved it down the back of my shirt before he ran away, giggling like a girl. I started my morning hungover, pissed off, and with a hot, greasy waffle plastered to my back.
It was so great.
I've been going on a lot of evening walks with my dad this summer, and as the sun sets and we stroll through the neighborhood we talk about a variety of different topics. The other night we were talking about happiness. If there is one valuable lesson I have learned by not having my life go the way I had planned for the past few months, it is that when you decide that your happiness is dependent on only one thing, it is a guarantee that you will be unhappy and that you won't get that thing. For a while this summer I let the fact that I didn't have a job affect how happy I was in my life and with myself. I honestly thought less of myself for not having one. I've done it with other things in the past too. Guys, friends, grades... I become so focused on what I should have and what I should be able to do, that I let it affect my opinion of myself. But I've learned that when I can reach a point (and it's not easy) where I can say, "Okay, well, I don't have a job/boyfriend/whatever right now," and be okay with that and realize that maybe things are this way for a reason, that's when I can be truly happy and that's when everything starts to click.
Because the truth is, yesterday wasn't really the best day of my life. Yesterday was just the day that everything clicked.
The best day of my life was a few days before that. Because it was on one those days that I was able to honestly say (job or no job, boyfriend or no boyfriend, college or no college) that I am truly happy with everything in my life just the way it is. And that I am truly happy with myself just the way I am.
What a difference a day makes.
Love,
Tara
Sunday, August 9, 2009
"It's Possible!"
Sunday, August 9, 2009
7:52 pm I have show tunes stuck in my head...
The past few days have been nothing short of inspiring. That's really the only word I can use to describe how I feel right now. I feel like I'm buzzing with inspiration. Like anything's possible. Like everything's going to work out. And it's all thanks to my little sister, Cinderella.
For the past four nights, I have watched Kaitlyn play Cinderella in this year's summer show, Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella." First of all, she was amazing. And I'm not just saying that because she's my sister and I have to. She was seriously AMAZING. Like, after I heard her sing her first song I was covered in goosebumps and my mouth was hanging open and I temporarily lost the ability to blink because I HAD NO IDEA SHE COULD SING LIKE THAT. And then I looked around and saw that the entire audience had the same expression on their faces, and when Kaitlyn stopped singing we all looked at each other like HOLY CRAP THAT WAS THE NICEST SOUND I'VE EVER HEARD I WISH SHE HADN'T STOPPED.
That happened for four straight nights. She rocked it every single night and somehow managed to do better and better with each performance.
But as I watched her on stage each night, it was so hard for me to accept that it was her up there. How was it that the little sister I had watched tv with until noon that very morning (still in our pajamas) was now on stage singing like a rock star and losing glass slippers and kissing a prince??? It didn't seem possible. But there she was: 17 years old and killing it as the lead in the town play. She had a dream, and she made it come true. How cool is that???
Now, as you know, I get emotional over McDonald's commercials, so you can imagine how emotional I was actually watching a play. I laughed, I teared up (though I didn't cry!), I cheered, and I lost my voice a little by screaming like a mad woman when Kaitlyn took her bow each night. And as I watched the play, some of the lines really spoke to me. Like, when Cinderella tells the Fairy Godmother right before the ball, "But nothing in my life has prepared me for a night like this!" and the Fairy Godmother says to her, "And yet everything in your life has led you to this moment," I gasped. Audibly. I mean, leave it to me to relate to a fairy tale but THOSE LINES ARE MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.
I've been telling people I'm planning on having a panic attack at the end of August. I'm not planning on it because I want it to happen... I just feel like it's going to happen. The end of August will come and students will return to their colleges and I will realize I'm not a student anymore and that I can't go back to Boston anymore and that I'm not employed either and I will have a mental breakdown for approximately 48 hours. Maybe more. It's hard to say. But seeing Kaitlyn as Cinderella made me feel better. Like maybe I won't break down. Like maybe I'll want to and that's okay and everything, but sometimes things do work out. And sometimes people get what they've been working toward. And maybe it will take a while, but eventually I'll get there.
After all, Cinderella had to survive like, 20 years with a wicked stepmother and stepsisters, but then one day she walked out and found her prince and lived happily ever after. It happens!
This is sounding a little too much like a 13-year-old girl's diary entry, so I'm going to stop now, but not before I throw in a Grey's Anatomy quote that is JUST SO RELEVANT RIGHT NOW:
"The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to ‘seize the day.' Still, sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant: That knowing is better than wondering. That waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst, most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of never trying."
Love,
Tara
7:52 pm I have show tunes stuck in my head...
The past few days have been nothing short of inspiring. That's really the only word I can use to describe how I feel right now. I feel like I'm buzzing with inspiration. Like anything's possible. Like everything's going to work out. And it's all thanks to my little sister, Cinderella.
For the past four nights, I have watched Kaitlyn play Cinderella in this year's summer show, Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella." First of all, she was amazing. And I'm not just saying that because she's my sister and I have to. She was seriously AMAZING. Like, after I heard her sing her first song I was covered in goosebumps and my mouth was hanging open and I temporarily lost the ability to blink because I HAD NO IDEA SHE COULD SING LIKE THAT. And then I looked around and saw that the entire audience had the same expression on their faces, and when Kaitlyn stopped singing we all looked at each other like HOLY CRAP THAT WAS THE NICEST SOUND I'VE EVER HEARD I WISH SHE HADN'T STOPPED.
That happened for four straight nights. She rocked it every single night and somehow managed to do better and better with each performance.
But as I watched her on stage each night, it was so hard for me to accept that it was her up there. How was it that the little sister I had watched tv with until noon that very morning (still in our pajamas) was now on stage singing like a rock star and losing glass slippers and kissing a prince??? It didn't seem possible. But there she was: 17 years old and killing it as the lead in the town play. She had a dream, and she made it come true. How cool is that???
Now, as you know, I get emotional over McDonald's commercials, so you can imagine how emotional I was actually watching a play. I laughed, I teared up (though I didn't cry!), I cheered, and I lost my voice a little by screaming like a mad woman when Kaitlyn took her bow each night. And as I watched the play, some of the lines really spoke to me. Like, when Cinderella tells the Fairy Godmother right before the ball, "But nothing in my life has prepared me for a night like this!" and the Fairy Godmother says to her, "And yet everything in your life has led you to this moment," I gasped. Audibly. I mean, leave it to me to relate to a fairy tale but THOSE LINES ARE MY LIFE RIGHT NOW.
I've been telling people I'm planning on having a panic attack at the end of August. I'm not planning on it because I want it to happen... I just feel like it's going to happen. The end of August will come and students will return to their colleges and I will realize I'm not a student anymore and that I can't go back to Boston anymore and that I'm not employed either and I will have a mental breakdown for approximately 48 hours. Maybe more. It's hard to say. But seeing Kaitlyn as Cinderella made me feel better. Like maybe I won't break down. Like maybe I'll want to and that's okay and everything, but sometimes things do work out. And sometimes people get what they've been working toward. And maybe it will take a while, but eventually I'll get there.
After all, Cinderella had to survive like, 20 years with a wicked stepmother and stepsisters, but then one day she walked out and found her prince and lived happily ever after. It happens!
This is sounding a little too much like a 13-year-old girl's diary entry, so I'm going to stop now, but not before I throw in a Grey's Anatomy quote that is JUST SO RELEVANT RIGHT NOW:
"The early bird catches the worm. A stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to ‘seize the day.' Still, sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant: That knowing is better than wondering. That waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst, most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of never trying."
Love,
Tara
Monday, July 27, 2009
"Rock On"
Monday, July 27, 2009
9:37 pm Lame.
Today was the first day of my summer babysitting gig, and lemme tell ya... I am not cool. Well, not by 7th and 8th grade standards anyway.
I used to be a cool babysitter. I let all kids stay up late. I let kids with health-obsessed parents eat junk food. I read preschoolers 15 bedtime stories. I even played "Salon" with three little girls I used to babysit for, which involved me sitting still while they covered my face in purple eyeshadow and crushed lipstick into my teeth. I was the coolest babysitter ever. Seriously.
And you want to know why? Because little kids are easy. Sure, you have to deal with the occassional pants-wetting incident and there's a temper tantrum every 30 minutes, but that's nothing. Nothing compared to babysitting middle-schoolers.
Now, I use the term "babysitting" loosely here because I'm really just a personal chauffeur for a 7th grade girl and an 8th grade boy. They're too old to really be babysat, so my job is basically to drive them to their various activities and social engagements. Preferably with my mouth shut it seems, because, based on today's experiences, I have nothing of interest to say to kids that age.
Not convinced? You should have been in the backseat of my car to witness the atrocity that was the forced conversation between a 22-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. It went something like this:
T: So, you play in a band?
Boy: Yeah.
T: That's cool.
(awkward pause)
T: What's your band's name?
Boy: We don't have one yet.
T: Oh, well that's not important.
(awkward pause)
T: So, like, what do you play?
Boy: Guitar.
T: Awesome. (pause) I like guitars.
(T fiddles with the knobs for the radio.)
T: So, do you like, use a pick? Or do you... use your fingers?
Boy: I use a pick.
T: That's good. (pause) Cuz I heard your fingers can like, bleed if you don't use a pick. And that would...suck.
(T and Boy arrive at studio for band practice. Boy gets out to unload his gear.)
Lamest Babysitter Ever: (calling out the window, flashing a "rock on" hand symbol) Okay, have fun! Jam out! Rock on! Haha...
(Boy looks at the LBE blankly and walks away.)
Love,
the LBE
9:37 pm Lame.
Today was the first day of my summer babysitting gig, and lemme tell ya... I am not cool. Well, not by 7th and 8th grade standards anyway.
I used to be a cool babysitter. I let all kids stay up late. I let kids with health-obsessed parents eat junk food. I read preschoolers 15 bedtime stories. I even played "Salon" with three little girls I used to babysit for, which involved me sitting still while they covered my face in purple eyeshadow and crushed lipstick into my teeth. I was the coolest babysitter ever. Seriously.
And you want to know why? Because little kids are easy. Sure, you have to deal with the occassional pants-wetting incident and there's a temper tantrum every 30 minutes, but that's nothing. Nothing compared to babysitting middle-schoolers.
Now, I use the term "babysitting" loosely here because I'm really just a personal chauffeur for a 7th grade girl and an 8th grade boy. They're too old to really be babysat, so my job is basically to drive them to their various activities and social engagements. Preferably with my mouth shut it seems, because, based on today's experiences, I have nothing of interest to say to kids that age.
Not convinced? You should have been in the backseat of my car to witness the atrocity that was the forced conversation between a 22-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy. It went something like this:
T: So, you play in a band?
Boy: Yeah.
T: That's cool.
(awkward pause)
T: What's your band's name?
Boy: We don't have one yet.
T: Oh, well that's not important.
(awkward pause)
T: So, like, what do you play?
Boy: Guitar.
T: Awesome. (pause) I like guitars.
(T fiddles with the knobs for the radio.)
T: So, do you like, use a pick? Or do you... use your fingers?
Boy: I use a pick.
T: That's good. (pause) Cuz I heard your fingers can like, bleed if you don't use a pick. And that would...suck.
(T and Boy arrive at studio for band practice. Boy gets out to unload his gear.)
Lamest Babysitter Ever: (calling out the window, flashing a "rock on" hand symbol) Okay, have fun! Jam out! Rock on! Haha...
(Boy looks at the LBE blankly and walks away.)
Love,
the LBE
Sunday, July 26, 2009
"Open to Suggestions"
Sunday, July 26, 2009
7:19 pm Alright, already!
Oooh, you can get your panties out of a bunch now. I'm back.
My mother informed me today that in order to be more successful as a blogger, I should update my blog more frequently and discuss topics that are more universally appealing.
I thought long and hard about this for a minute, and then I realized the most universally appealing topic I know is... ME. So, I'm just going to keep blogging about that, and in the mean time I'll occupy my time with one of the other 16 billion projects that have been suggested to me by everyone I know since I've graduated, from distant cousins I didn't know I had to the random strangers I meet in the street. It's like I graduated and some sort of blast email went out to THE WORLD that read: Oh hey, Tara is graduating without a job so feel free to tell her what she should be doing in the mean time. No idea is too crazy! I mean, seriously, what's she doing, anyway?
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING???
...
Okay, well, last week isn't a good example.
I was on vacation.
So, I was doing...
Nothing. But you get my point.
And "vacation" is a universally appealing topic, so I guess I'm allowed to talk about it.
We arose at the crack of 7 am last Saturday, to pile into our two hybrid cars for the trip down to Stone Harbor, NJ. The van's engine light had come on the day before our annual trek, even though I had pampered it all week by changing the oil and recharging the air conditioner (okay, not personally), so we had to take two cars. I kept Dad awake while he drove the Prius by sharing stories about my life, while Stephanie and Kaitlyn kept Mom entertained in the Escape. I had a grand time calling the Escape every so often to check in until Mom told me I wasn't allowed to call anymore.
Once we were settled into our new house (which was right on the bay) we spent our vacation week going to the beach, shopping, floating in the bay, playing Clue, watching 30 Rock, enjoying each others' company, arguing, separating, and then enjoying each others' company again. It was magical.
On Friday, I had to take a test for a certain job I'm applying for at a network that starts with an N and ends with a C (whose middle initial is B), in a city that starts with a New and ends with a York. I was going to be able to take it online and had been told it would be like a personality test with some "What would you do if...?" questions thrown in.
It was not.
It was hard! In fact, during the test I had flashbacks to just about every math test I ever took in high school when I would look down at the paper and realize, with horror, that I didn't know how to answer any of the problems. I had one hour to complete the eight questions, but it felt like a minute. I was literally shaking when I finally submitted my answers with about thirty seconds to spare.
So, now I'm just trying not to think too much about what I "should" have said. In the end, I think I held my own, so I'll have to just wait and see. As for the rest of this week, it's pretty chock full. I've got 18 hours of babysitting, 13 hours at the store, four hours in Westport (plus the three hour commute), job applications, doing make-up at Kaitlyn's play, bingo, and an entire to-do list to attend to.
But, of course, I'm always open to suggestions.
You know where to find me...
Love,
Tara
7:19 pm Alright, already!
Oooh, you can get your panties out of a bunch now. I'm back.
My mother informed me today that in order to be more successful as a blogger, I should update my blog more frequently and discuss topics that are more universally appealing.
I thought long and hard about this for a minute, and then I realized the most universally appealing topic I know is... ME. So, I'm just going to keep blogging about that, and in the mean time I'll occupy my time with one of the other 16 billion projects that have been suggested to me by everyone I know since I've graduated, from distant cousins I didn't know I had to the random strangers I meet in the street. It's like I graduated and some sort of blast email went out to THE WORLD that read: Oh hey, Tara is graduating without a job so feel free to tell her what she should be doing in the mean time. No idea is too crazy! I mean, seriously, what's she doing, anyway?
YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING???
...
Okay, well, last week isn't a good example.
I was on vacation.
So, I was doing...
Nothing. But you get my point.
And "vacation" is a universally appealing topic, so I guess I'm allowed to talk about it.
We arose at the crack of 7 am last Saturday, to pile into our two hybrid cars for the trip down to Stone Harbor, NJ. The van's engine light had come on the day before our annual trek, even though I had pampered it all week by changing the oil and recharging the air conditioner (okay, not personally), so we had to take two cars. I kept Dad awake while he drove the Prius by sharing stories about my life, while Stephanie and Kaitlyn kept Mom entertained in the Escape. I had a grand time calling the Escape every so often to check in until Mom told me I wasn't allowed to call anymore.
Once we were settled into our new house (which was right on the bay) we spent our vacation week going to the beach, shopping, floating in the bay, playing Clue, watching 30 Rock, enjoying each others' company, arguing, separating, and then enjoying each others' company again. It was magical.
On Friday, I had to take a test for a certain job I'm applying for at a network that starts with an N and ends with a C (whose middle initial is B), in a city that starts with a New and ends with a York. I was going to be able to take it online and had been told it would be like a personality test with some "What would you do if...?" questions thrown in.
It was not.
It was hard! In fact, during the test I had flashbacks to just about every math test I ever took in high school when I would look down at the paper and realize, with horror, that I didn't know how to answer any of the problems. I had one hour to complete the eight questions, but it felt like a minute. I was literally shaking when I finally submitted my answers with about thirty seconds to spare.
So, now I'm just trying not to think too much about what I "should" have said. In the end, I think I held my own, so I'll have to just wait and see. As for the rest of this week, it's pretty chock full. I've got 18 hours of babysitting, 13 hours at the store, four hours in Westport (plus the three hour commute), job applications, doing make-up at Kaitlyn's play, bingo, and an entire to-do list to attend to.
But, of course, I'm always open to suggestions.
You know where to find me...
Love,
Tara
Sunday, July 12, 2009
"Have A Little Faith In Me"
Sunday, July 12, 2009
4:13 pm Buzzing.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Seriously. Top notch. Well done. We should really have weddings more often (no pressure, Stephanie). That was really just... fantastic.
Last night was Stephen and Rebecca's wedding, and it was just a BALL. I was in a good mood all week because I was SO looking forward to it, and it definitely did not disappoint. I JUST LOVE LOVE!
Wedding prep for me started on Tuesday night, when Stephanie and I drove over to Stephen and Rebecca's condo to help put together the "Out of Town" bags. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's customary to put together little goody bags to leave at the hotels of people who have come in from out of town to attend the wedding. Well, Stephanie and I were at the condo for over three hours, only 20 minutes of which was actually spent putting together the bags. We spent most of the time eating and talking with Stephen and Rebecca, which was really nice. We discussed everything from the meaning of true love to the Deadliest Catch. It was a great way to start off the wedding week.
The next event was the rehearsal dinner on Friday. I love any excuse to dress up, drink, and socialize, so I was in heaven. We all went to First and Last in Avon and had a great time. The food was SO good. I still have leftovers in the fridge.
Then, it was the big day. You would have thought I was the one getting married, I was so excited. I spent the day moisturizing, shaving, plucking, buffing, primping, etc, in preparation. The wedding itself was beautiful, set inside a little chapel at Avon Old Farms that looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. And the weather was perfect! They say, "A wet knot is a tight knot," but no one actually wants pouring rain on their wedding day. For Stephen and Rebecca, the rain held off till the evening when we were all inside partying anyway, so they got the good weather AND the good luck.
I only cried three times the whole night. I started to get choked up when Grandma and Dad were walking down the aisle, because Grandma was already crying, but I didn't actually cry until Rebecca came down the aisle. She just looked so happy and beautiful! The second time I cried was when Dad gave his Best Man's speech. I recorded the whole thing on my camera, so I was struggling to wipe away tears without ruining my make-up and hold my camera up at the same time. I can't show it to you though, because I'm an idiot and accidently deleted it. Fantastic, I know. The third time I cried was watching Grandma and Stephen do their Mother/Son dance. It was just such a special, touching moment.
Now, along with all the crying, there was A LOT of laughter. I knew having my family all together was going to make for some hilarious moments, so I made sure to keep a notepad with me to jot down any memorable quotes. The idea came to me last weekend when Kaitlyn asked me, wide-eyed and in hushed tones, if I would be drinking at the wedding. I said something along the lines of, "Hell yeah!" to which Dad responded, "Tara, don't be 'that' girl at the wedding." I rolled my eyes, but he did, admittedly, have a point. That was the first memorable quote. I've documented the rest below:
9.) "You better come ready to party. I am getting married once and you better enjoy it. End of story." - Stephen via text message, Thursday night.
8.) "I saw Harry Potter naked!" - Grandma, rehearsal dinner.
7.) "I'm driving with just my big toe right now." - Stephanie (i.e. our designated driver), on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
6.) "They wanted to hook me up with a nut-scratcher." - Kaitlyn, on Stephen and Rebecca trying to hook her up with their neighbor, on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
5.) "I'm doing it. I'm hungry!" - Me, on taking communion after Stephanie told me not to, during the wedding ceremony.
4.) "I was just dancing with my bad girl." - Leo, after coming off of the dance floor with Grandma, at the reception.
3.) "He was with his peeps!" - Grandma, after we lost and found Dad, at the reception.
2.) "Have you seen my wife?" - Stephen, at the reception.
And last but not least...
1.) "Soooooooooo sorry about work-boot guy last night." Jill via text message this morning, on her (drunkenly?) trying to fix me up last night.
So when's the next one???
Love,
Tara
4:13 pm Buzzing.
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN! Seriously. Top notch. Well done. We should really have weddings more often (no pressure, Stephanie). That was really just... fantastic.
Last night was Stephen and Rebecca's wedding, and it was just a BALL. I was in a good mood all week because I was SO looking forward to it, and it definitely did not disappoint. I JUST LOVE LOVE!
Wedding prep for me started on Tuesday night, when Stephanie and I drove over to Stephen and Rebecca's condo to help put together the "Out of Town" bags. I had never heard of this before, but apparently it's customary to put together little goody bags to leave at the hotels of people who have come in from out of town to attend the wedding. Well, Stephanie and I were at the condo for over three hours, only 20 minutes of which was actually spent putting together the bags. We spent most of the time eating and talking with Stephen and Rebecca, which was really nice. We discussed everything from the meaning of true love to the Deadliest Catch. It was a great way to start off the wedding week.
The next event was the rehearsal dinner on Friday. I love any excuse to dress up, drink, and socialize, so I was in heaven. We all went to First and Last in Avon and had a great time. The food was SO good. I still have leftovers in the fridge.
Then, it was the big day. You would have thought I was the one getting married, I was so excited. I spent the day moisturizing, shaving, plucking, buffing, primping, etc, in preparation. The wedding itself was beautiful, set inside a little chapel at Avon Old Farms that looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale. And the weather was perfect! They say, "A wet knot is a tight knot," but no one actually wants pouring rain on their wedding day. For Stephen and Rebecca, the rain held off till the evening when we were all inside partying anyway, so they got the good weather AND the good luck.
I only cried three times the whole night. I started to get choked up when Grandma and Dad were walking down the aisle, because Grandma was already crying, but I didn't actually cry until Rebecca came down the aisle. She just looked so happy and beautiful! The second time I cried was when Dad gave his Best Man's speech. I recorded the whole thing on my camera, so I was struggling to wipe away tears without ruining my make-up and hold my camera up at the same time. I can't show it to you though, because I'm an idiot and accidently deleted it. Fantastic, I know. The third time I cried was watching Grandma and Stephen do their Mother/Son dance. It was just such a special, touching moment.
Now, along with all the crying, there was A LOT of laughter. I knew having my family all together was going to make for some hilarious moments, so I made sure to keep a notepad with me to jot down any memorable quotes. The idea came to me last weekend when Kaitlyn asked me, wide-eyed and in hushed tones, if I would be drinking at the wedding. I said something along the lines of, "Hell yeah!" to which Dad responded, "Tara, don't be 'that' girl at the wedding." I rolled my eyes, but he did, admittedly, have a point. That was the first memorable quote. I've documented the rest below:
9.) "You better come ready to party. I am getting married once and you better enjoy it. End of story." - Stephen via text message, Thursday night.
8.) "I saw Harry Potter naked!" - Grandma, rehearsal dinner.
7.) "I'm driving with just my big toe right now." - Stephanie (i.e. our designated driver), on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
6.) "They wanted to hook me up with a nut-scratcher." - Kaitlyn, on Stephen and Rebecca trying to hook her up with their neighbor, on the way home from the rehearsal dinner.
5.) "I'm doing it. I'm hungry!" - Me, on taking communion after Stephanie told me not to, during the wedding ceremony.
4.) "I was just dancing with my bad girl." - Leo, after coming off of the dance floor with Grandma, at the reception.
3.) "He was with his peeps!" - Grandma, after we lost and found Dad, at the reception.
2.) "Have you seen my wife?" - Stephen, at the reception.
And last but not least...
1.) "Soooooooooo sorry about work-boot guy last night." Jill via text message this morning, on her (drunkenly?) trying to fix me up last night.
So when's the next one???
Love,
Tara
Thursday, July 9, 2009
"Cruelty-Free!"
Thursday, July 9, 2009
7:57 pm A little Seinfeld with my salad.
I am taking time out of my SUPER productive day to tell you all about this awesome website I recently learned about, thanks to Green As A Thistle (see my blog roll). Ever wonder about all the ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc? The Environmental Working Group has a website devoted to rating cosmetics and other products based on the safety of their ingredients. You can search by product name or just get a list of a particular type of product and see how they stand up against risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and more. Additionally, the website will tell you whether the company tests on animals or not.
I'm not running out to replace my whole bathroom cabinet (Dad refers to all my products as my "gloops and glops"), but as I run out of things, I've started checking the website before I buy. Just the other day I purchased Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet. It got a #2 rating (low hazard) on the EWG's website, and they do NOT test on animals, which is important to me. It smells yummy, and I actually get excited to use it!
So... PUT YOUR CONSUMER DOLLARS TO WORK! And do something good for yourself.
Visit the website here.
Love,
Tara
7:57 pm A little Seinfeld with my salad.
I am taking time out of my SUPER productive day to tell you all about this awesome website I recently learned about, thanks to Green As A Thistle (see my blog roll). Ever wonder about all the ingredients in your lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc? The Environmental Working Group has a website devoted to rating cosmetics and other products based on the safety of their ingredients. You can search by product name or just get a list of a particular type of product and see how they stand up against risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, allergies and more. Additionally, the website will tell you whether the company tests on animals or not.
I'm not running out to replace my whole bathroom cabinet (Dad refers to all my products as my "gloops and glops"), but as I run out of things, I've started checking the website before I buy. Just the other day I purchased Burt's Bees Super Shiny Grapefruit & Sugar Beet. It got a #2 rating (low hazard) on the EWG's website, and they do NOT test on animals, which is important to me. It smells yummy, and I actually get excited to use it!
So... PUT YOUR CONSUMER DOLLARS TO WORK! And do something good for yourself.
Visit the website here.
Love,
Tara
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