i love it

--the cape i mean! im glad you and your motley crew got to spend some QT time together in the fair isle of capedom. its even better in the middle of winter when no one is around....or, you know, when its warm and you can actually go to the beach. that group picture is kind of amazing. you all do totally look different, but im glad you are all relatively-close enough to have a little adventure together! (i am also intrigued by your mention of communist group sex orgy stories.... does that make for an awkward workshop session, or what?).

sadly, last minute at work today, we were all informed that our official federal holiday would not be observed. not to sound like a little punk here, but we have approximately 5 federal holidays (and subsequently--- this means five vacation days) for the entire year:

(1) veterans day

(2) thanksgiving day

(3) christmas day

(4) new years day

(5) MLK day

(6) memorial day

(7) labor day

ok-- so thats 7 not 5, i was wrong. but still. one of my holidays--- robbed! i know, ill suck it up and it will be fine (plus, we are already planning on getting sushi take-out for lunch to ease our troubled minds) but you know, i was looking forward to vegetation time. in a mild form of retaliation, i then decided to buy my ticket home for xmas, figuring that it didnt really matter if i took off christmas eve-day, what was going to happen? (well er.... hopefully nothing. cross your fingers). i will then resume working the following monday, i guess like most normal people. sigh. i was pleasantly surprised with my usage of kayak.com, as it showed me how to get from point A to point B, during xmas, for only 350 r/t including tax. i mean, thats kind of amazing. i think they deserve a big fat kudos. (or you know, one of my personal favorites, a fiber one granola bar with chocolate and oats. delicious, and perhaps in a way, healthy! - minus all the cornsyrup additives). wow, tangent.

earlier today i was sitting at my desk in my office, and i was suddenly overcome with this great feeling of how much i missed the fall, missed new york, that smell in the air.... this also might have had something to do with the fact that i was sitting in the airconditioning, freezing my butt off, and yet, had no magical foliage to look at, nor was i wearing (a) pants (b) a scarf or (c) socks. so, you know. i guess i can plan better next time i get dressed for work. even living here, i am perpetually cold. when i got home, i then went for a run outside, the air smelled delicious, like cut grass, and a fierce wind was blowing off the ocean, and i thought, 'hey, this isnt so bad!'. at least i dont have to layer-up for the runs.

also on an unrelated topic, i have a weird rash. tmi? its itchy. and i think its spreading in parts. first it was on my torso, then on my ankles and lower legs, now on my shoulders and arms... you cant tell by looking at me, its just perpetually itchy. and you know me, im a picker. im trying to be better, but its difficult. scratching itchy things is really such a wonderful feeling. so ive decided its like whatever, nothing serious. i just feel like a small child. i showed it to heather when she was here and asked her what it was. her reply? "im a gynocologist, not a dematologist." kind of brilliant, huh? (and no, she sadly had no other advice to offer on the subject, simply remarking that it could be "one of the many products that we often use or ingest on a daily basis, and its just an allergic reaction." well... you know, THANKS for that doctor. ill be sure to not bathe, eat, drink, or breathe for a week and see how it turns out). in all seriousness, how wonderful is it to know a doctor though? pretty amazing. i guess potentially some of you will feel similarly about me one day, when you want to sue a neighbor in your co-op because they are an asshole, or when you get arrested for some various illegal activities like punching police officers. i will be here for you, i swear.

ok, this itchy girl is putting herself to bed. still reading 'american wife' by curtis, its pretty fun i must say. speaking of american wives, did anyone see those pictures of laura & gw bush with obama & michelle today, at the white house? there were a couple on the nytimes website--- in one of them, everyone's back was facing the camera, walking away, and i felt so horrible for the current first-lady's derrier. apparently it has grown in the past few years. i wish someone would have warned her of the photo op that was taking place without her knowledge. alas. her pseudo-life story is still pretty great, albeit her growing behind. enough of that cattiness.

to bed! (scratch.... scratch)

xo