The Backwards Blog

"Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas" aren't mutually exclusive.

2010-11-23T13:29:00.004-06:00

I haven't posted since July. There's a lot to talk about, but I don't really have time for that right now. I'll get to it eventually, I promise.

I had a rather enlightening revelation about three minutes ago. (I blame it on the catfish I had for lunch at the Chimes.) Our College is holding a "Holiday Party" at the beginning of December for the staff, myself included. When I first got the invitation, I was somewhat disappointed at the fact that the occassion was deemed a "Holiday Party" instead of a "Christmas Party." Then I realized the world doesn't revolve around me.

Shocking, I know!

Here's the deal: I celebrate Christmas. My holiday is Christ-centric, and no person and/or awkward work party can change that. Although I wish that Christmas was a universal holiday, that's simply not the case. Bearing this in mind, who am I to shove my holiday down someone else's throat? I would not be a happy camper if the party was called a "Hannukah Party" because I'm not Jewish, so why should I expect someone who doesn't observe Christmas to be OK with going to a Christmas party?

I realize that most Americans' wrath against "Happy Holidays" stems from the fact that they believe that the ever-frequent appearance of the phrase symbolizes the growing godlessness of our country and/or our world. Maybe our world is growing increasingly godless, and if so, I'm not happy about it. But that's an independent issue that need not be projected onto a simple two-word seasonal greeting.

I'm getting long-winded again. Here's the jist of all of this: "Happy Holidays" isn't about a increasingly godless America. "Happy Holidays" is about equality, understanding, and acceptance of all people. While I wish that everyone would come to understand and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas this year, I don't feel like it's my place to shove it down their throat.

When all is said and done, I'll celebrate Christmas this year just as I always have and hope others choose to join me. Maybe they will, and maybe they won't. Either way, I still wish everyone a very happy holiday season.

-lindsay

Funkytown

2010-07-14T22:27:00.004-05:00

Ever been in a funk but can't seem to figure out why you feel so funk-y? Yeah, me neither.

In other news, I moved into my new apartment and love it. I really like my job, but I'm still adjusting to the 8:00 to 4:30 lifestyle. I'm tired all the time, but I think it will pass. A new job plus moving will do that to a girl.

Sorry for the short post; 6:30 comes early these days.

-lindsay

A Mid-Summer Afternoon's Recap

2010-07-02T13:10:00.002-05:00

I started my job yesterday. I'm the newest Assistant Director of Development for the LSU Foundation. I'll be working in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (formerly Arts & Sciences) doing a mix of marketing and development work. I've only been here for a day and a half so far, but I think I'm going to like it. It sounds like it will be a challenge, and that's just what I like.

Other than that, I've been spending a fair amount of time on the road this summer. I started the summer with a week-long trip to NYC which was absolutely awesome. I loved how diverse the city felt (racially, culturally, architecturally, etc.); it seemed like there was always something new and different around every corner. As expected, I ate TONS of food--sickening amounts--and loved every minute (and pound) of it.

Since then, I've been on a two-day trip to Pensacola, FL, which was beautiful as usual despite the faint smell of oil in the air. And just this past weekend, I joined a caravan of friends roadtripping to Fayetteville, AR for some friends' wedding ceremony. Despite some unfortunate roadkill incidences (sorry Bambi), the hilly/mountainous landscape in and around Fayetteville and the Northwest Arkansas area was a very welcome change from the flat, humid nature of South Louisiana. Throw in a late afternoon boat ride, a beautiful wedding, and some mindbogglingly delicious Memphis BBQ, and you've got a great trip. I don't think I'll ever look at pulled pork the same way again.

So yeah...for now, I'm a working girl. We've got a three-day weekend this weekend, which is one day more than I've been employed full-time. Go America!

-lindsay

Catching Up

2010-06-19T08:55:00.002-05:00

I've been MIA lately, so here's a quick list of things that have been going on since I last blogged:

1. I graduated with my Master's degree!
2. I went to NYC for the first time.
3. I GOT A JOB! (I start July 1.)
4. I spent two days at the beach.
5. I found a new apartment.

I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, but I think I've hit the high points for now. As things settle down in the next few weeks, I'll try to get back to my routine of semi-regular, boring posts.

Happy Summer, everyone!
-lindsay

Just throw it in there somewhere.

2010-05-09T22:36:00.006-05:00

A great quote from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity:

"The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find him, and with Him everything else thrown in."
--C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

My favorite part is the "everything else thrown in" line. Usually when the phrases "throw something in" or "throw something together" are used, there's a connotation that the thing(s) you're talking about is/are not very serious or substantial. Essentially, they're an afterthought of sorts. Here, I think C.S. Lewis was trying to show that compared to Christ, everything else in our lives (which is admittedly a lot of stuff) is insignificant enough to just get "thrown in." Pretty clever, C.S. Pretty clever.

-lindsay

"Clever country music" doesn't have to be an oxymoron.

2010-04-24T22:22:00.005-05:00

I hope I never end up on this guy's prayer request list.
(Come on...you've got to admit it's clever. I love the disconnect between the sincerity in his voice and the words he's saying.)

A Quick Update

2010-04-20T16:17:00.003-05:00

The days of worrying about my thesis have officially come and gone. I turned in my thesis revisions to my adviser during Spring Break, and as of yesterday, he confirmed that there's nothing left for me to do. Unforeseen circumstances aside, I'm planning on turning in a final copy to the Graduate School tomorrow morning and washing my hands of the entire project. It feels GREAT to finally be done.

In other news, I'm currently in the process of recruiting participants for my study for my experimental methods class. I spend four hours each week in our media effects lab, but thus far, I have barely one-third of the total number of people I'll need for my study to actually hold any water. I'm not sure if I'm going to make it to my magic number in time, but I'm surprisingly not stressed about it. My professor doesn't seem to be worried, so I won't be either.

Perhaps most importantly, I went on my first job interview today! I've probably sent out between twenty and thirty résumés so far this semester, and this is the first job that has contacted me back with positive news. I think the interview went well, and after learning more about the organization, I definitely think that I would enjoy being on staff there. I should find out if I'm one of the three people chosen for a second interview late this week or early next week. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hmm...that's about all I've got for now. Only 3.5 more weeks of school—I'm already counting the days!
-lindsay

Six Weeks Until Graduation...and Counting.

2010-04-12T10:01:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the good guy doesn't always win. Just as often (and perhaps even more importantly), I have to remember that a) I'm not always the good guy and b) everything isn't a contest.

On a somewhat related note, I can't wait to graduate and get out of grad school (specifically, our program). It's slowly sucking the life out of me in more ways than one.

-lindsay

Ten Random Reasons I'm Happy

2010-03-31T23:05:00.004-05:00

1. I successfully defended my thesis on Monday!
2. Easter in South Louisiana means boiled crawfish.
3. It's going to hit 80 degrees this week.
4. My spring break started today!
5. I got a paper accepted to NCA.
6. I've finally started applying for jobs.
7. Pop-Ice popsicles are back in season.
8. I bought my cap and gown for graduation this week.
9. I'm taking a mini-vacation with friends next week.
10. I'm finally going to NYC this May!

-lindsay

The Week in Review

2010-03-21T11:28:00.003-05:00

Things I did this week:
1. Turned in my thesis to my committee.
2. Took (and hopefully aced!) my experimental methods midterm.
3. Went to New Orleans to watch UK vs. ETSU in the tourney.
4. Tried a new restaurant and was pleasantly surprised.
5. Watched Arkansas dismantle LSU in baseball on Friday night.
6. Watched/listened to LSU beat Arkansas yesterday.
7. Did a little shopping and got some new jeans on sale.
8. Ate one of the best cheese pizzas I've ever had.
9. Watched the UK/Wake Forest basketball game with friends.
10. Won $1 playing penny slots at the casino here in town.

Things I plan to do today:
1. Watch baseball.
2. Eat good food.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty good week. Hopefully this week is even better!
-lindsay

I speak hypothetically, of course.

2010-03-17T14:54:00.003-05:00

A few rules for job seekers (like me):

1. Do not make a Web site that is essentially just an online version of your resume. It's boring, and it doesn't make you seem like more of a social media "guru." Instead, it just makes you seem like someone who discovered the wide world of Geocities about a decade too late.

2. If you absolutely have to make said Web site, please do not make blatant grammatical errors in the paragraph touting your excellent communication skills.

That is all.
-lindsay

The necessity of always wanting more.

2010-03-04T15:59:00.004-06:00

I've determined that there are some life lessons that are a constant presence in your life, with little reminders always popping up both when you are and aren't expecting them. Other life lessons, however, wax and wane with time, cropping up all over the place at some points and, at other, seeming almost nonexistent.

Right now, I keep having constant reminders that imperfect is almost not a strong enough word to describe humanity. Just by nature, even those that we respect most are going to eventually disappoint us. Obviously I include myself among the guilty; I'm sure there are an innumerable number of people that I've let down over the last 23 years.

Learning to always strive for more is a tough lesson to learn, especially for someone like me who is so fond of the path of least resistance. But, it's an important lesson; perhaps even the most important. The people and things we have here are always going to let us down, and the sooner we accept this and start wanting something more, the better off we'll be.

-lindsay

I'm alive!

2010-03-02T20:43:00.003-06:00

I'm still not exactly sure what I was sick with two weeks ago, but I can tell you this: It sucked BIG TIME. It had all the symptoms of the flu, but since I failed the flu test at the after-hours clinic I went to, I guess I technically can't say I was flu-ridden. It took me about a week-and-a-half to get back to normal, but I think I'm finally there. Well...I'm back to "normal." But you already knew that.

In school-related news, my thesis is due to my committee in on March 15 (I defend on March 29), which is just under two weeks away. I've made lots of progress over the last few days, and I'm this close to having a full draft done. It's not quite as long as I expected to be, so here's hoping that it really is quality and not quantity that really counts.

OK, gotta run...the lit review awaits.
-lindsay

Mardi Gras and (faux) Mormons

2010-02-22T15:58:00.002-06:00

Thanks to an unexpected (to me) trip by my boss, I had an entire week off for Mardi Gras this year. It was like high school all over again, if high school involved Bourbon Street and steroid shots. On second thought, maybe it wasn't like high school at all.

First things first: the good. I did my fair share of celebrating this Mardi Gras season. We topped off a great time at Spanishtown with a good meal at the Pastime and followed it up two days later with an overnight trip to the Big Easy. Atrocious traffic and early nights aside, New Orleans was lots of fun. I'll do it again next year, but I'll do it differently. That's how it goes. You live, you learn.

After Mardi Gras, things got ugly. REAL ugly. I came down with an as-yet-unidentified ailment Wednesday night, and I haven't been the same since. Other than a scrumptious meal at Superior Grill Saturday night, the last four days have been spent either sleeping, doing nothing, watching Big Love, or some combination of the three. Oh...and eating. I'm the only person in the world who doesn't lose weight when I'm ill. Stupid unstoppable appetite.

Anyway, about Big Love. I had forgotten how much I love that show. I watched seasons 1 and 2 religiously, but the huge gap in time between season 2 and season 3 (which started last January) left me feeling confused and disenchanted. Being sick was just what the doctor ordered in terms of the good ol' Mormons, however, because when left with nothing to do, I decided to read some Big Love recaps so that I could download season 3 to help me pass the time. Thanks to a gift card I got for Christmas, it didn't even cost me anything (except for 10 hours of my life). A small price to pay, I think.

I officially finished the season this morning, and now I'm left feeling lost. Season 4 just started a few weeks ago, and since I'm not an HBO subscriber, I can't get my fix until the season's over and iTunes picks it up. I'm currently resisting going down the illegal downloading path, but it's tough. I might crack.

That's about it. I have about t-minus 2.5 weeks until I need to be done with my thesis, so that's a little scary. I'll make it, though.

Hasta la vista,
-lindsay

A three-part food pictorial.

2010-02-07T09:48:00.007-06:00

First, king cake. I made my own this year using a recipe I found online. My first attempt turned out OK, but the second one was delicious. While I wouldn't say it was as good as a king cake from a professional bakery, it was definitely way better (and WAY bigger) than a grocery store-bought cake. Try it!

Photo and recipe by PW.

Next, drip beef. I tried PW's recipe, and as usual, she didn't let me down. (I made the first variety that uses Italian seasonings.) WOW. I've never cooked a roast before, yet it was still delightfully easy. Just for the record: The recipe calls for a full chuck roast, but I only used half of mine and still got enough for about four sandwiches.

Do it. NOW. Absolutely unbelievable. (And I don't really like ice cream.)

A glimpse into my brain.

2010-01-21T17:35:00.001-06:00

thesis
thesis
job
thesis
job job job
food?
thesis
thesis
THESIS!!!
...job?
job.
JOB JOB JOB JOB JOB
THESIS? JOB?
FOOD.

-lindsay

Faith

2010-01-20T15:46:00.002-06:00

Like George Michael (and many, MANY much more important and less disturbing people before and after him) said, "You gotta have faith."

Who knew four little words could be so hard?

(And no, I'm not talking about the Saints.)

-lindsay

Adulthood Woes

2010-01-12T10:33:00.003-06:00

There are a plethora of reasons that I can't wait to get a "real" job next year, most of which involve the fact that I'll (hopefully) be making significantly more money than I am now. After my two out-of-state jaunts over Christmas break, I've been bitten by the travel bug. I keep imagining all of the cool places that I want to see, and I'm excited by the prospect of (maybe) having the disposable income to see them sometime in the next few months/years.

Then I remember that full-time jobs are just that: full-time. No spring break, no summer, no fall break, no five-week Christmas holidays.

And then, I get depressed. Welcome to adulthood, I guess.

-lindsay

Holiday-Induced Lethargy

2010-01-11T14:31:00.002-06:00

Since schmucks like me who have assistantships had to report back to "work" this week, my Christmas break is pseudo-over. (It won't officially be over until classes start next week, I guess.) In anticipation of the looming semester, here's a quick recap of my holiday break and current state of affairs:

THINGS I DID DURING THE BREAK: Ate copious amounts of sweets and delightfully bad-for-you food in general, knitted about one-sixth of a laughably ugly scarf, realized that I spend too much time engaging in one-sided conversations with the dog, spent some much-needed time with my grandfathers, took a day-trip to Mississippi to visit some family, froze my you-know-what off in Michigan for a week, took a mini-vacation to Austin where I ate my weight in tortillas and tortilla chips.

THINGS I DIDN'T DO DURING THE BREAK: Anything remotely school-related.

THINGS I STILL DO NOT WANT TO DO: See above.

THINGS I WANT TO DO: Quit school and find some non-existent job opportunity where I get paid millions of dollars without actually having to do anything.

-lindsay

Good News of Great Joy

2009-12-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
–Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

I know I say this every year, but I still love the fact that the good news is for all the people.

Merry Christmas, everyone!
-lindsay

In Defense of Childlike Faith

2009-12-24T08:51:00.003-06:00

Two Christmas stories/texts top my list. This 1897 letter from Virginia O'Hanlon to the New York Sun is #2. #1 is forthcoming.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

The Sun's response:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

For more information on Virginia and her letter, check out the Newseum Web site.

Santa Claus comes tonight!

-lindsay

It's the blahliday season.

2009-12-19T23:57:00.007-06:00

I'm thankful that the holidays are finally upon us, and I'm even more thankful that I'm going to get to spend the next week or so with my family. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

That being said, it still is kind of a bummer to be a BR native over the holidays. At least my friends get to leave and go be bored in a new locale. I'm bored, and the scenery hasn't changed.

I keep myself pretty busy during the day, but once the night hits and there's really nothing left to do, I get pretty bummed. I keep thinking about how my friends from school are probably at a hometown Christmas party catching up and having fun with their long-lost friends and/or family, and meanwhile, I'm watching "Babes in Toyland" for the second time this week.

Like I said, I'm grateful for having a chance to spend some downtime with my family. I really mean that. But, it still kinda sucks sometimes.

-lindsay

P.S.: If I wasn't so loquacious, I probably could have written this post using only the following sentence: My boyfriend is a thousand miles away wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, and I'm in BR working on my thesis.

P.P.S.: OK, so maybe two sentences: I miss him.

WWIII

2009-12-15T17:21:00.003-06:00

The song below—"The Temptation of Adam" by Josh Ritter— is one of the most unusual yet touching love songs I've ever heard. Who would have thought that nuclear war could be so romantic?

I almost hate to post the lyrics. You really need to hear it to get the full experience. The wordplay is unbelievable.

If this was the Cold War we could keep each other warm
I said on the first occasion that I met Marie
We were crawling through the hatch that was the missile silo door
And I don't think that she really thought that much of me

I never had to learn to love her like I learned to love the Bomb
She just came along and started to ignore me
But as we waited for the Big One
I started singing her my songs
And I think she started feeling something for me

We passed the time with crosswords that she thought to bring inside
"What five letters spell 'apocalypse'?" she asked me
I won her over singing "W.W.I.I.I."
And we smiled, and we both knew that she'd misjudged me

Oh Marie it was so easy to fall in love with you
It felt almost like a home of sorts or something
And you would keep the warhead missile silo good as new
And I watched you with my thumb above the button

Then one night you found me in my army issue cot
And you told me of your flash of inspiration
You said fusion was the broken heart that's lonely's only thought
And all night long you drove me wild with your equations

Oh Marie do you remember all the time we used to take
Making love and then ransack the rations
I think about you leaving now, and the avalanche cascades
And my eyes get washed away in chain reactions

Oh Marie if you would stay then we could stick pins in the map
Of all the places where you thought that love would be found
But I would only need one pin to show where my love's at
In a top-secret location three hundred feet under the ground

We could hold each other close and stay up every night
Looking up into the dark like it's the night sky
And pretend this giant missile is an old oak tree instead
And carve our name in hearts into the warhead

Oh Marie there's something tells me things just won't work out above
That our love would live a half-life on the surface
So at night while you are sleeping I hold you closer just because
As our time grows short I get a little nervous

Oh I think about the Big One, W.W.I.I.I.
Would we ever really care the world had ended?
You could hold me here forever like you're holding me tonight
I think about that great big button, and I'm tempted

-lindsay

Modeling & Mockery

2009-12-08T22:35:00.007-06:00

Is it horrible that I find most couples' engagement photos to be terribly cheesy and (maybe just a little) pretentious and/or inappropriate? I promise this has nothing to do with me being bitter toward and/or jealous of the couples and their happiness. It's just that I feel like there are more appropriate ways to declare your love to the world than putting on your best Tyra face and doing a full-blown photo shoot.

(For the record, I haven't ruled out the possibility that my dislike for these photographic lovefests could be due to the fact that I generally hate taking pictures. But let's just ignore that for the time being.)

(Also ignore my blog header. I don't like taking photos. I swear.)

I understand that there is a utility to engagement photos—announcements, invitations, and the like—but I still don't quite get it. You're going to be taking wedding photos soon enough, so why not save the money and put it to a better use down the road?

Nevertheless, I have a feeling that someday I'll get suckered into taking some myself. Will I oblige? Most likely. But there will definitely be lots of mockery involved. (Come to think of it though, there's lots of mockery involved in just about everything I do. Mockery and I get along quite well. Does this mean we should do a photo shoot?)

-lindsay

I'm like Betty Crocker, minus the cooking skills.

2009-12-06T22:43:00.003-06:00

For some reason, I've been bitten by the nesting bug lately. (And no, I am NOWHERE NEAR you-know-what. Very funny.) I've never been the "happy homemaker" type, but I just can't seem to get enough these days. An example: I spent at least 45 minutes perusing the kitchen section at Macy's last night. I wish I could say I'm joking, but I'm not. About five minutes was spent picking out a Christmas gift, and the other forty were dedicated to drooling with desire.

In feeding my domestic obsession, I stumbled upon The Pioneer Woman this summer while I was in DC but didn't have the resources (cookware or otherwise) to try out any of her recipes. I've since rectified that wrong, and let me tell you—she is GOOD. Ree (that's PW's real name) really knows her way around the kitchen.

If you're looking for a good starting point, try the lasagna or apple dumplings. I've had both in the last week—I made the lasagna, and my mom made the dumplings—and on both occasions, I walked away from the proverbial kitchen table with a smile on my face.

Do it. You'll thank me and, most importantly, her!
-lindsay

Taxidermy

2009-12-02T23:46:00.002-06:00

My incredibly sensitive and mature boyfriend jokingly told me earlier that he was going to dig up my dead dog (Goldie), stuff her, and give her to me for Christmas.

Although I will admit that stuffing family members (whether canine or not) has been a recurring topic of conversation between the two of us, this comment of his came completely out of the blue.

That being said, I'm not sure what's more disturbing: The fact that he thought to say it or the fact that I thought it was absolutely hilarious.

Guess I'm incredibly sensitive and mature, too.

Bummed.

2009-11-29T22:25:00.005-06:00

I'm with you, pup. I'm bummed, too.
I have a hard time ever being satisfied in the present. I like to call it my disappointment problem. I'm very easily disappointed (to a fault, even). While it's a good thing some of the time because it leads me to strive for bigger and better things, the rest of the time it just kinda sucks because I'm never really satisfied with where I am at the moment. I build things up so much in my imagination that when they finally happen in real life, they usually pale in comparison to the visions in my head.

Take this semester for example (or any semester, really). The way I cope with stressful or unpleasant situations is to focus my sights on a good time that's waiting ahead of me. Right now, I'm surviving these last two weeks of school by focusing on the joys of Christmas. Cold weather (maybe), Christmas lights, family, good food, the smell of Christmas trees...mmm. I love Christmas.

But then I remember that Christmas break also means that all of my friends are leaving town. And that I still need to get work done on my thesis even though school technically isn't in session. And that the Christmas fun only lasts until the 25th, at which time life returns to normal and I'm just stuck in boring old BR for weeks minus friends to hang out with.

Oh, and New Years. Don't even get me started. L-A-M-E. It has all this potential, but in the past, all it's ever been is sedated dogs and fireworks in the backyard. I keep waiting for the year when it unfolds like a scene from the movies: snow falling, big crowds, sparkly dresses. But nope, not yet. Someday it will. Until then, I'll keep looking forward to it. Building it up, if you will.

So yeah. Tomorrow's a new day. But for now, I'm bummed.
-lindsay

An Unlikely (and Untimely) Ending

2009-11-14T06:07:00.007-06:00

It's weird the way ~~things work~~ God works sometimes.

My last post was prompted by absolutely nothing but the situation I mentioned. I hadn't heard from detectives about our case since September, and honestly, I wasn't expecting to hear from them ever again. There are a bajillion robbers wandering the streets of Baton Rouge, and I had no reason to believe that ours would be one of the few they found.

That being said, I got a call from the detective working our case yesterday morning around nine. He wanted to know if I'd be willing to meet him to do a line-up. I was, and I did.

The line-up process isn't quite what you see on TV and in the movies, or at least it wasn't for me. Instead of going to the police station, I met the detective and his partner in the AM Mart parking lot. (He offered to come to my apartment, but I didn't really want my neighbors seeing cops roll up to my apartment. Little did I know, detectives don't wear police uniforms, and they don't drive cop cars. They're more covert than that.)

After we said the obligatory hellos, the detective showed me a piece of paper with six photos on it and asked me if I could pick out the guy that robbed us. Honestly, I couldn't. It was incredibly dark that night, and to top it off, I wasn't really concerned with looking at the guy's face. Call me crazy, but I was more focused on not getting shot. I've learned my lesson, though, and if this ever happens again—Please God, let it NEVER happen again—I'll make it a point to get a good long look.

Needless to say, I wasn't able to identify any one person with certainty. I was, however, able to rule out three of the six. Although eyes aren't much to go on, I did recall that he was more goofy-looking than sinister-looking, so I went with that. Ultimately, I ended up with two younger, skinny guys and one fatter guy left. I couldn't rule out the fat guy completely, but I just didn't think it was him because the guy that robbed us was so tiny.

Turns out it was the fat guy after all. After signing and dating my line-up, the detectives told me that the guy who robbed us is almost certainly the same guy who was killed in late October when the policemen trying to arrest him used a stun gun. (If you're interested, the original story is here.) Apparenly he developed quite the affinity for crack in the last few years, which explains why he was so much thinner than he appeared in his outdated line-up picture.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to think about the situation. Am I glad he got caught and is no longer on the streets "terrorizing" (to quote the detective)? Absolutely, without a doubt, 100% yes. Am I glad that he's dead? No, not at all.

I hate what he did to us and how it made me feel, both then and now. That being said, I just can't feel good about the fact that he is dead. Yes, he was a drug-head scumbag who spent his life (or at least part of it) victimizing people for his own benefit. But he was also a person, and I just don't think that anybody deserves to die in the way that he did.

So no, I don't feel much remorse, and yes, I'm glad he's no longer on the streets. But honestly, I wish it was because he was in jail instead of dead.

Pathetically small guns suck.

2009-11-12T19:54:00.003-06:00

Although up to this point I've refused to admit it, I think it's time that I finally come clean:

You see the world differently after someone sticks a gun (even a pathetically small gun) in your face.

(If you're reading this Mr. Armed Robber Man-Boy, yes, it was pathetic.)

I was already a ~~paranoid~~ overly aware-of-my-surroundings person before it happened, but now, it's a little ridiculous.

Point and case: I was given a heads-up a few weeks ago that someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt had been trolling apartment complex parking lots and robbing girls that they saw walking alone. Since then, I don't leave my apartment after dark (especially not alone!) unless it is absolutely necessary.

Just a few minutes ago, my sister and I were returning from Subway. As we waited for the wooden arm to go up so that we could enter the complex, I saw a guy wearing a hooded sweatshirt and holding a duffel bag run through the exit gate into the the street. Most normal people would just think the guy was a moron, but I immediately assumed that he was the robber from a few weeks earlier. As is usual lately, I panicked, adrenaline rush and all.

If I had been driving, I would have driven through the wooden stick, no questions asked. Seriously. I would have done it.

I don't mean for a second to equate my experience with that of the soldiers serving overseas, but I think I now have a little bit of insight into what PTSD is all about. While I'm not self-diagnosing myself by any means--it's bad, but not nearly that bad--I now know how it feels to have a previous bad experience continue to inject negativity into your present-day life.

-lindsay

(Cute) rats on the brain.

2009-11-10T00:22:00.005-06:00

Someone please find me this rat. I need him in my life.

The Wizard of the SEC: "Pay no attention to the men in the striped shirts."

2009-11-08T10:15:00.005-06:00

I'm usually not a sore loser when it comes to LSU football. Sure, I may have a special hatred for certain crimson-colored teams, but when we lose, I usually take it in stride and have no problem attributing it primarily to the foibles of the Tigers. Until last night, that is.

Much like many other SEC games this season, last night's LSU/Alabama game was tainted by bad officiating. Except "bad" doesn't quite cut it this time. Take this photo, physical evidence that the refs completely botched the Interception Seen 'Round the World With the Exception of the SEC Officials on the Field Last Night:

Looks like PP had a foot inbounds to me.

Normally, a few bad calls don't bother me that much. They're par for the course in athletics. But lately, bad calls have become the norm in the SEC. To use some nerdy statistics slang, they've transitioned from random to systematic error. We're getting to a point where we just can't ignore them anymore.

Yes, I know LSU didn't play perfectly last night. Yes, I know we made some game-changing mistakes all on our own. But honestly, my anger at the situation transcends the "what ifs" regarding if we would have won if the PP interception hadn't been botched. It's about a bigger problem now: awful SEC officiating.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I'm starting to see some credence to the not-so-crazy idea that the SEC is encouraging its refs to keep Florida and Alabama unbeaten until the SEC Championship in December so that the SEC can ensure that at least one of its teams will be in the National Championship game come January. It seemed ridiculous when I first heard the rumblings a few weeks ago (and, honestly, it still seems a little ridiculous today), but now that I've seen it with my own two eyes, I have my own doubts as well.

I also find it curious that the SEC has a relatively new policy that levies a $30,000 fine against coaches who speak out against the officiating in the media. Doesn't that sound fishy to you? Shouldn't the SEC trust the coaches to use their best judgment in whether or not bad calls should be mentioned? Shouldn't we allow them to hold the refs to a higher standard when necessary? What is the SEC so afraid of?

Although it will never happen, I think LSU is smack-dab in the middle of a giant PR opportunity right now. I think Les Miles (much like Urban Meyer) should incur the $30,000 fine and make the poor officiating that's been happening in the SEC lately an official issue in the press. Then, the LSU athletic department should spot him the money, saying that it's willing to pony up to ensure the future of quality, unbiased football in the SEC. In doing so, we'd get national attention pointed at both the poor SEC officiating and LSU. It's a win-win.

That being said: Anyone have $30,000 they're willing to spare?

-lindsay

Playing catch up.

2009-11-03T20:59:00.006-06:00

It has been a while since I've posted about what I've been up to lately. Since pictures are usually more interesting, here's a quick photo essay of the last few months:

Softball.
(We lost to the faculty team.)

Football in the warm weather.

The Honorary Captains.
(We made it to the second round of the intramural playoffs.)

Football in the colder weather.

And finally, Halloween.
(Jason and I were Joan and Roger from AMC's "Mad Men.")

Other than school, that's about it.

The Thanksgiving holidays are fast approaching, which can only mean one thing: Final papers are looming on the horizon. I've got one full research paper due the week before Turkey Day, then I've got another research design plus my thesis proposal due shortly thereafter. Christmas break can't come soon enough.

-lindsay

Fatherly Inspiration

2009-10-19T11:47:00.004-05:00

I love getting insights on life from the most unusual places.

Point and case: @shitmydadsays on Twitter. It's a twitter feed run by Justin, a 29-year-old who posts quotes from his 73-year-old cantankerous father. Some of the things Dad says are kinda crude, but for the most part, they're hilarious. Definitely worth following.

Here's today's tweet: "Just pay the parking ticket. Don't be so outraged. You're not a freedom fighter in the civil rights movement. You double parked."

Truer words have never been spoken. I'm not sure if I know anyone that went down without a fight when faced with paying a ticket. For some reason, we're never really at fault. Maybe we were speeding, but we had a good excuse. Or something like that.

Like Dad said, sometimes you just have to suck it up and pay the consequences. That's a hard pill to swallow, but it's true.

-lindsay

The Balloon Boy is turning us into a bunch of airheads.

2009-10-18T20:32:00.003-05:00

I've always taken issue with the idea of being famous. As a somewhat-reformed former celebrity gossip junkie, I can say with confidence that I've seen (online) the detriments to being almost universally known. Other than the money, I just don't see the benefits to being a Hollywood somebody. And as this video points out, the money isn't really that good of a reason, either.

And while we're on the subject of the Balloon Boy, I'd like to say that the whole affair was a giant FAIL on behalf of the national news media. There is absolutely no substantive justification for the undue attention that was given to this story. In fact, it's over-hyped news coverage like this that encourages people like Richard Heene to do these types of awful things.

I'll get off of my soapbox now.
-lindsay

Disclaimer: This post contains abs%&*#nce talk.

2009-10-15T18:55:00.006-05:00

You can read into this as much or as little as you'd like, but it kinda makes me sad that videos and magazine stories like these are even relevant, much less funny. Twenty-four isn't ancient, guys. It might not be the norm, but it's not weird, either. (Or at least it shouldn't be, in my opinion.) Tina makes it clear that it wasn't a choice for the purposes of both self-preservation and a punchline, but I wish she wouldn't have. There's nothing wrong with making a conscious choice!

Sorry if this is awkward. It just saddens me that abstinence is a curse word (or at least a reason to be mocked) in today's culture.

Assume away.
-lindsay

...more like pant nightmares.

2009-10-13T11:44:00.005-05:00

I have a paper that I should be writing right now, but it's only fifteen minutes until lunch, so I just think it would be illogical to start now. I mean, I'd just get going and then I'd have to stop. I'd hate to have some brilliant idea interrupted.

Right.

So anyway, instead of writing, I'm doing a little e-shopping. I'm not actually buying anything, but it can't hurt to look, right? Since I bought a pair of semi-decent (I'm not in love with them) khaki pants on sale at the J.Crew outlet this weekend, I thought I would head over to jcrew.com and see if they have anything semi-decent in their clearance section, too. Here's what I was not-so-kindly greeted with on the store's home page:

Please do your best to control your urge to scream.

Talk about terrifying. I'm hoping this is a Halloween practical joke aimed to scare the pants off of me. (Pun not intended...OK, so maybe it was.) As if skinny jeans/pants aren't horrific enough, there are now skinny highwaters on the scene. Imagine someone like me, broad-shouldered with birdie-esque legs, wearing those pants.

Better yet, don't.

The best part of the ad by far: "The answer to your pant prayers." Seriously? That's the best you could do? Revamp an old, trite expression?

Ugh. If fashion trends are a sign of the state of larger society, this world is going to hell in a skinny handbasket.

-lindsay

Post-loss thoughts

2009-10-12T10:20:00.006-05:00

I'll go ahead and address the orange-and-blue elephant in the room. Yes, we lost on Saturday night in Death Valley. It wasn't one of my greatest LSU experiences of all time, but I definitely didn't walk away with a bad taste in my mouth. Going into the game, I thought we'd lose by at least three touchdowns. The fact that we kept it close -- and kept Tebow to only one touchdown -- is a minor miracle and definitely reason to celebrate.

Most importantly, we saw that our defense can step up in a big way. That's key. Our offense was laughable at best, but hopefully they'll work toward fixing the flaws the Ga(y)tors exposed before we meet up with Auburn next weekend. What's more, I can't wait to give Bama a run for their money in Tuscaloosa in November. I'm not sure that we'll walk out of T-Town with a victory, but I know we'll at least give 'em a little hell.

This year's Tigers just may have some fight in them after all.
-lindsay

Preauxnounciation lessons.

2009-10-07T22:41:00.009-05:00

Dear writers of this blog,

If you're gonna be cute and try to use the -eaux suffix, at least use it correctly. "Heauxligans" isn't "hooligans"; it's "ho-ligans."

Thanks,
Lindsay

Update: Just found yet another flummoxed reference to Cajun culture. In this CBSSports.com article, Dennis Dodd takes a shot at the odd cuisine you'll find at LSU tailgates. "Taste the andoui and fried gator -- yes, the actual animal -- as you maneuver through a massive tailgate." Andoui? Did he mean andouille, like the sausage? I can't tell.

Rock on, Les.

Dirty, rotten liars.

2009-10-06T23:46:00.005-05:00

Between family, friends, Facebook acquaintances, and random Internet photos, I've seen my fair share of newborn babies. From these pictures, I've come to an important conclusion:

If someone tells you your newborn, fresh-out-of-the-womb baby is cute, they are LYING.

I love babies, but I've yet to see a newborn that I'd classify as cute. I've seen some ugly ones, however. Almost alien-like. (Some of them are in my extended family, so I feel like I'm allowed to say it since I possibly share some of the ugly genes.)

Never fear, though: Babies are inherently cute. It just takes a few days/weeks/months in the outside world for them to get there. Until then, know that you're surrounded by dirty, rotten liars.

-lindsay

"Call me!"

2009-10-06T10:01:00.004-05:00

We've done it again.

I know we're a pretty significant underdog, and I know that if we lose these cell phone shenanigans are going to increase the embarrassment. But I don't care. This is why SEC football is the greatest.

I can't wait until Saturday.
I can't wait until Saturday.
I can't wait until Saturday.

-lindsay

Discontinuity at its finest.

2009-09-28T10:43:00.003-05:00

This is going to be a rambler. Prepare yourselves accordingly.

After a few days' delay, I've finally seen the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy in its entirety. I find myself left with one primary emotion associated with the episode: extreme disappointment. While I was watching, I honestly felt like I was watching a different show than the one I've grown to love over the last five seasons. (Ok, so maybe four seasons...last season was pretty pathetic, too.) Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to throw the principles of opportunity cost out of the window and continue to watch simply because I've already devoted so much time to the show. I'm secretly hoping that this will be the last season, both for the show's sake and mine. There are much better ways that I could spend that hour each week, but I just don't have the willpower to say no to McDreamy.

In other news, fall break is this weekend! Although I'm excited for the mini-break, I honestly wish that it came a little later in the semester. I'm not quite at the "I need a break or I will die" phase of the semester yet; that'll come around late October. When it does hit, my closest reprieve will be Thanksgiving in late November. That's an entire month that I'll have to sit and stew in my near-insanity. (Although some would argue that the insanity has already hit, and I'm not sure that I would disagree.)

As for football (and non-sequiturs), I think LSU is vastly overrated. I love the Tigers, but I'm a little embarrassed that we're being touted as the #4 team in the country right now. Am I the only one that's watched the last four weeks of football? I think we're top 25 for sure, but in my opinion, we should reside near the bottom half of that spectrum. I'm skeptical at best about our success this weekend at Georgia, and I think next week's home-field showdown against Florida and ~~Jesus~~ Tim Tebow is going to be a disaster. Call me a negatiger if you must; I prefer the term "realist."

-lindsay

School stressors and looming adulthood

2009-09-23T23:12:00.003-05:00

School is starting to get stressful.

My thesis is looking like it's going to be a more daunting and time-consuming task than I originally thought. I've still got some final edits on one of my papers from AEJMC to do, and on top of that, my co-author wants to tack on a part two and try to get it published. I took my first test in my undergrad class, and although I knew 99% of the material, I think my grade is going to take a hit due to one measly question. I've got another dense 250-pager to read by next Wednesday, plus an extra book to read and book review to write in the next few weeks. I've also got a full research paper due at Thanksgiving, and I've yet to come close to picking a topic.

On top of all of this, this is the first time EVER when I seriously have no clue what I'm going to do next year, so I'm starting to freak out a little. I've pretty much decided that I'm going to put my Ph.D. off for a few years, which leaves me looking for gainful employment here in BR. With jobs come bills, medical insurance, income taxes, and lots of other financial things I have no experience with. I also have no idea where I'm going to live since continuing to live with my college-aged sister in an apartment rented by my parents just doesn't seem like a very "adult" thing to do.

Did I just say that I'm going to be an "adult"?! Whoa. The room is spinning all of a sudden.

-lindsay

In awe.

2009-09-22T22:28:00.004-05:00

As you may or may not already know, I'm a sucker for a good blog. There are at least five -- that's a very conservative estimate -- that I read on a daily basis.

Did I mention these blogs are written by strangers?

Uh, yeah. So that odd fact aside, I got sucked into yet another blog today when I should have been studying for the test I had this afternoon. Unfortunately, I stumbled on it a little too late, which is a disappointment.

Here's the backstory: A young couple living the Air Force lifestyle finds out that the wife has breast cancer. In the midst of mastectomies and chemotherapy, they also discover that she's pregnant. As is to be expected, the cancer made for a rather unusual and troubled pregnancy, but the baby was born healthy a week ago. Mom, Dad, and baby all returned home last week to settle into their new life. The cancer scare wasn't over, but Mom seemed to be on the road to recovery (or at least remission).

Then Mom started having mysterious headaches. Then even-more-mysterious seizures. Finally today, a week and a half post-partum, she was declared brain dead and taken off of life support for good.

Reporting today on his wife's passing for the hundreds (if not thousands!) of blog readers like me that had heard through the e-grapevine about his wife's sudden illness, the husband wrote the following sentence on their family blog today: "The reality of the situation has yet to sink in, but Sara is now with Jesus and for this I am thankful...and at peace!"

I'm not going to even get into the "at peace" part simply because as odd as it may seem to be peaceful immediately following your wife's untimely death, I know that it is possible. God grants peace that defies understanding. I can't wrap my earthly, imperfect little head around it, but I believe fully that is is possible. I hope his peace continues throughout the tough days that undoubtedly lie ahead.

No, it's the "Sara is now with Jesus" part that struck me when I read that earlier. I immediately imagined her up in Heaven (whatever that looks like) standing next to Him, completely happy, at ease, and cancer-free. One second she's dying; the next she's living forever. Truly living at that. I know it seems trite, and I'm not willing to rule out the fact that some of my introspection may be due to the playlist of country music that's running in my iTunes right now, but for some reason, this simple statement wowed me today. She's with Jesus. How weird. And awesome. And unfathomable.

Anyway, I'm ashamed to say that being struck with awe at the awesomeness of God isn't a daily occurrence for me. It should be. Actually, it should be a constant state of being. But it isn't, and that's 100% my fault. I am thankful, however, that the blog of a complete stranger was able to help me get my priorities straight today, even if only for a short time.

Maybe the fact that I'm a complete blog-stalker isn't such a bad thing after all?

-lindsay

Massive Pigs and My Little Pony: The Great Healthcare Debate

2009-09-21T01:06:00.004-05:00

It's times like these when I'm reminded why I'd like to become a new media scholar. If you look hard enough, you really can find some great stuff on YouTube.

I've blogged about these guys before on multiple occasions, and I'm about to do it again. If you haven't yet, you should go check out the Vlogbrothers channel on YouTube. Most of their videos are nerdy humor that only appeals to nerds like me. Every now and again, however, they make videos much more far-reaching.

Point and case: John (one-half of the Vlogbrothers) recently made two videos in which he tries (and, in my opinion, wildly succeeds) to explain the current healthcare debate in a non-partisan manner. The first video deals with a discussion of the three major healthcare options being considered, and the second video describes why the current healthcare system needs to be overhauled from the viewpoint of a fiscal conservative. (For the record, economics is probably the only area where John can be classified as a conservative.)

Anyway, check them out. I don't think you'll be sorry.

-lindsay

I'm not dead, I promise. (Although it was iffy there for a while.)

2009-09-17T10:59:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling guilty for my lack of updating lately, so I humbly offer this recap post as my penance.

School is in full-swing. I'm loving my classes -- I actually like doing the readings! -- so that's a plus. My sports and media class is a little more laid-back due to the fact that it's an undergrad class, but it's a pleasant change of pace nonetheless. I needed that. My new media/policy class is definitely up-tempo due to the fact that it's a doctoral seminar, but I think I'm holding my own as the only non-Ph.D. student in there. There are a lot of required readings, but I'm enjoying them thoroughly. Plus, since I'm considering being a new media-esque scholar if I decide to further pursue academia in the future, it'll be good to have all of these books in my repertoire.

As for my other class: There isn't one. Instead, I'm taking three thesis hours to try and get a headstart on the process. All of my committee members have signed on the dotted line, and I've got a topic nailed down. In a nutshell, I'm expanding the proposal that I wrote for 7004 last semester, which was an analysis of the Daily Show as a press watchdog. Specifically, I'm going to use either content analysis or qualitative methods (don't know which yet) to see if Stewart's recent rant against Jim Cramer led to observable changes in the way Cramer (and perhaps other economic TV prognosticators) conduct themselves on air. Also (and perhaps more importantly), I'm going to devise an experiment that will measure individuals' reactions to the Stewart rant to see if it makes them more cynical toward the news media. My multi-method approach pretty much doubles the amount of work I'll have to do, but if I'm going to undertake a project of this scope, I want to do it right. See you in May, haha.

Last (but certainly not least), football season is finally here! I've been disappointed with the first two games for a number of reasons -- lousy weather, poor play on the Tigers' part, and the fact that I missed part of the LSU-Washington game when I got held up at gunpoint -- but I've still got high hopes for the season. This week's game will most likely be a bust due to the fact that ULL (USL? Ooh-La-La?) is apparently one of the worst teams in the country (or so I was told), but I'm still looking forward to some tailgating in the sunshine (fingers crossed).

I think there's a limit to the number of parenthetical expressions allowed in a single blog post, and this post has definitely crossed the line. (Or has it?) Later, guys.

-lindsay

WARNING: Girly pun ahead.

2009-08-31T22:04:00.004-05:00

I was recently contemplating the fact that I'm a planner at heart and, therefore, am not really spontaneous at all. In doing so, I was reminded of the common phrase "go with the flow" and spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to think of a witty way to incorporate it into my Facebook status. (Now you see how I spend my free time.) Anyway, I had an awesome idea pop into my head a few minutes ago only to immediately realize that I would NEVER post something of that nature on Facebook for all to see.

I will, however, post it on my blog where the "all" is much smaller. You're welcome and/or my apologies, depending on what seems most appropriate after you read the rest of this post.

Here goes nothing.

I'm not a "go with the flow" kind of girl. In fact, the only "flow" I "go with" comes once a month like perfect clockwork.

You can't say I didn't warn you.
-lindsay

Glass Half-Full

2009-08-21T10:01:00.003-05:00

I'm only a weekend removed from an entirely new semester, and although I'm giddy at the thought of a) football season and b) getting to hang out with my friends again, I won't lie and say I'm looking forward to getting caught up in the daily grind. The thought of sitting in class makes me slightly nauseous, and what's more, the thought of sitting in front of a blank Word document and writing a paper is enough to induce night terrors. Add to this the fact that I need to pick a thesis topic, identify a thesis chair, and potentially start working on my proposal all in the next few weeks, and it's just about enough to drive me batty.

That being said, you'd think that I'm living right now in a state of suspended motion, making myself miserable with dread over the approaching semester. In reality, however, this couldn't be farther from the truth. I don't know why--OK, so maybe I have a little bit of an idea--but I'm deliriously happy right now. Like, light-headed happy. Part of it is excitement over getting to see some friends for the first time since May tonight, but for the most part, it's just happiness about life in general.

I often find this to be true, but I don't often say it: I love my life. Things are far from perfect, but believe me, I know that I have it good. I'm a very blessed girl for a multitude of reasons, and I'm going to make a concerted effort from now on to spread the good news more than the bad.

-lindsay

Greetings from Paradise!

2009-08-19T17:59:00.003-05:00

I think the entire world already knows this, but just in case I happen to have one reader that I'm not already friends with on Facebook, I've spent the last few days on vacation with my family in Destin, FL. (I make the Facebook comment not to brag about the size or scope of my Facebook friends list but, instead, to emphasize the fact that my blog readership is both a) small and b) composed entirely of people I already know.)

Self-deprication aside, this vacation has been absolutely wonderful. We got into Destin around 3:30 Friday afternoon after an uneventful, but surprisingly not boring, drive. We checked into our condo -- which is WAY more awesome than we were expecting, by the way -- and immediately proceeded to Winn Dixie to stock up with much-needed supplies for the week. Afterward, my mom made crawfish fettuccine, my favorite meal, for supper, and we spent the rest of the night relaxing.

Unfortunately, our Sunday rest occurred in the midst of Tropical Storm Claudette, a not-so-nasty little wench who decided that she'd try her best to ruin our tropical getaway. Thankfully, she was not successful at all. Sunday night and Monday morning were pretty stormy, but by noon on Monday the rain cleared out. Nevertheless, we tweaked our plans in light of the storm and made Monday our shopping day instead of Wednesday as originally intended. We hit the outlet malls hard -- and when I say hard, I mean HARD -- and we all walked away with some pretty good bargains. The only thing that can beat a shopping day in paradise is a shopping day in paradise followed by a great meal, and that's exactly what my dad's GIANT hamburgers achieved Monday night. I honestly couldn't ask for much more.

My sister and I spent yesterday (Tuesday) and today (Wednesday) on the beach, which was lovely. The weather was absolutely perfect -- mid-eighties and sunny with a constant cool breeze. Morgan spent a fair amount of time playing in the surf, and while I did venture out into the water every now and again, I spent my hours reading and napping under the umbrella. Despite my best efforts, I did end up with a little bit of a sunburn on my legs, but nothing too terrible. I'd say I came out ahead given my rocky history with Mr. Sun.

As for tomorrow, we're going to hit the dusty trail around 10 a.m. and head back to BR. While I'm definitely not ready to leave the sun and sand behind, I am ready to see my friends from school and get back into a routine. I'm not looking forward to work on Friday OR class next week, but I am anxious to resume my "normal" life, whatever that may be this semester. Oh, and did I mention that there are only about two weeks until football season?! Perhaps paradise doesn't only exist in tropical locales after all :)

-lindsay

Dorothy was right.

2009-08-13T18:54:00.003-05:00

I'm not currently blogging from a hospital bed or from beyond the grave, which can only mean one thing: We made it back from DC safely. We ended up leaving DC a little later than expected, but we made really great time and got into BR right around six Tuesday morning. Upon arriving at my apartment, I took just enough time to get my stuff out of the car and reintroduce myself to Louie (the dog) before promptly passing out for a few hours.

The last three days have been consumed primarily by two activities: Cleaning and eating. Since half of my room was already in suitcases, I decided that there's no better time than now to give my room the overhaul that it so desperately needed last semester. As a result, I've now got a half-empty closet and three lawn-sized garbage bags full of clothes to donate to Goodwill. I like knowing that my stuff will hopefully go to good use, but it's still kind of annoying to know that I paid good money for things that I'm now essentially throwing away. As I filled bag after bag, I had a sensation that I think is comparable to ripping money into shreds and then flushing it down a toilet. Oh well, at least some good will come out of my frivolities in the end.

On the eating front, I've spent the last three nights stuffing myself full of foods that I missed while I was in DC. Tuesday night Jason and I met up with my mom, dad, and sister at Chimes East for a "welcome back!" dinner of sorts. After hankering for crawfish all summer, I had the hot crawfish salad and it was DIVINE. It definitely hit the seafood spot. My mom also made Oreo balls -- crushed Oreos mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, and dipped in chocolate -- as an impromptu dessert, and although she said they're much better once they've been refrigerated for a few hours, I still ate a disturbing amount of them before calling it quits for the night.

I woke up before sunrise on Wednesday to bring Jason to the airport for his week-long visit with his family. After that, I spent the entire day cleaning my room and bathroom before getting my haircut and going home to eat some of my mom's homemade fried chicken and white beans and rice. Both courses were amazing, as is to be expected. I was literally licking the chicken bones clean, which is slightly embarrassing. Whatever.

As for today, I've been unbelievably lazy. I woke up semi-early (8 a.m.) to try and walk the lakes before it got too hot outside. I managed to beat some of the midday heat, but it was still muggy and miserable. Physically exhausted, I followed my workout with a two-hour nap, which is a RARITY for me. After spending the summer in cooler-than-usual DC, my body needs some time to adjust to August in Louisiana. I'll get there eventually. After waking up for the second time, I ate lunch and spent the afternoon cleaning out the kitchen. As a reward for my hard work (yeah right), I indulged in New York Bagel for dinner. I know it's really nothing different than all of the other bagel places out there, but for some reason, I'm obsessed. I would eat there everyday if my waistline and pocketbook would allow it.

As for now, I'm obviously being lazy and blogging. I plan on getting up in a few minutes and putting the finishing touches on my room reorganization before going to bed. I'm going to go into work at LSU tomorrow to make up for the fact that I'll be at the beach with my family all next week. I'm excited to see the people that I've missed all summer, but I'm definitely not excited by the thought of spending hours chained to "the desk" tomorrow. Thankfully, I love working for the person I'm assigned to, so all's well that ends well.

OK, that's enough inane details for one day. I'll check back in soon.
-lindsay

The day has finally come.

2009-08-10T08:30:00.002-05:00

If you've been keeping up, you know that I was supposed to go to AEJMC in Boston last week and present my two papers. And I did. But for now, there's more important business to which I must attend.

I spent my day yesterday cleaning up a summer's worth of grime (there was surprisingly little) and putting half of my life into suitcases, which can only mean one thing: I'm going home today!

We're starting the drive around noon (or at least that's what was decided last night), which means we should get into BR around 6 a.m., just in time to crash for the day. I CANNOT WAIT. I'm not excited about the 17+ hour drive ahead of us, but I still think it will be fun. And even if it isn't, at least we'll be home at the end of it!

I took a few pictures in Boston, so I'll try to post some of those in the next few days once I get settled back into my apartment. But for now, adios DC!

-lindsay

One week and counting!

2009-08-03T19:35:00.004-05:00

Sorry that I haven't blogged much since I left my internship. My last day was pretty hectic as my boss tried to squeeze as much work out of me as possible before her hired help left for the summer. I was fine with it since it made the time go by quicker. She also took me out to lunch that day, so that was much-appreciated as well.

My excuse for the lack of blogging since then revolves around the fact that I don't spend nearly as much time in front of computer now that I'm not forced to do it for seven hours a day anymore. My internship pushed me to my e-threshold this summer, so I'm trying to stay busy in other ways for the next few weeks.

Speaking of the next few weeks, here's the lowdown. I plan on spending part of tonight and part of tomorrow prepping for my two presentations at AEJ. I fly out of Baltimore Wednesday morning headed for Boston, and I have the entirety of Wednesday afternoon/night to myself since no one I know is getting there until Thursday afternoon. I plan on doing a little exploring, but honestly, I'm kinda tourist-ed out. I've spent my entire summer being a tourist in DC, so I'm more than a little sick of it by now. I'm foreseeing an early night and lots of TV for me on Wednesday.

I have my first presentation bright and early Thursday morning, and then I plan to spend the day watching presentations of people I know and (maybe) exploring Boston a little. My friends from LSU fly in on Thursday, so I plan on meeting up with them ASAP since I haven't seem them ALL SUMMER. I also have to switch hotels Thursday since I'm staying in two different places while I'm there. (Long story.)

I don't have anything on my schedule until 3:30 Friday afternoon, so I'll probably spend that time watching some more of my colleagues' presentations. After that's done, I'm schoolwork-free until August 24. Not sure what we'll be up to on Friday night, but hopefully it's nothing too crazy since I fly back out of Boston at 6:50 Saturday morning. (Knowing the people who will be there, I may opt to just not go to sleep Friday night.) I get back to Baltimore around 8:30 am, which a) sucks because it's so early but b) doesn't suck because it allows me to still have a full day ahead of me.

Saturday and Sunday are my last two days in DC, but I don't have any big plans for them. I want to go back to The Tombs, our favorite hangout here, one last time Saturday night, but other than that, I'll probably just be lazy and/or get a head start on packing my stuff for the big trek back to BR. Oh, and don't forget COMPLETELY GIDDY that I'll finally be going home.

We're starting the drive Monday, although I don't know when, which means we'll reenter the Bayou State some time Tuesday post-sunrise. I'm guessing I'll just crash at that point, but only long enough to go eat dinner at the Chimes with my family. I CANNOT WAIT for the family OR the food.

After that, I'm just going to slum it in BR until we leave for Destin on Sunday. After that, we'll get back to BR on Thursday just in time for me to get my act together for the new semester. If it weren't for LSU football, I'd be dreading the fall right about now. Instead, I'm beyond excited.

So yeah...that's what's been going on. My summer in DC is definitely coming to a close, so you can expect my semi-daily blogs to become more and more infrequent. I've finally reached a point where I can enjoy my summer instead of sitting behind a desk dreaming and writing about what I'd rather be doing or what I've already done. Thank goodness for that.

Boston (and BR!) or bust,
-lindsay

My must-do list for when I get home.

2009-07-30T15:27:00.005-05:00

A list of things I can't wait to do (and eat) when I get back to BR. I know I've already done a post similar to this before, but I can't help myself. I'm feeling nostalgic.

And without any further ado, My Top 15 Things I Want to Do When I Get Home (in no particular order):

1. Eat at the Chimes (my parents have already planned a trip for Jason and I)
2. Eat a Cane's chicken sandwich
3. Eat something that involves melted cheese from Izzo's
4. Get cheap Chinese food from Nine Dragon with Morgan
5. Eat boneless wings and waffle fries from Pluckers
6. Drive my Jeep around aimlessly and listen to the radio
7. Clean my apartment from top to bottom (start the new semester off right)
8. Go on a grocery trip that doesn't require public transportation
9. Eat TONS of crawfish and shrimp (my dad's got this under control)
10. Go to the mall and not feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of stores
11. Soak up the miserable heat that is August in Louisiana
12. Play with Louie (the not-so-new-anymore dog) for hours on end
13. Walk the LSU Lakes (I'll need to after all the eating)
14. Sit and gossip around the kitchen table at my house
15. Go out in Baton Rouge and drink reasonably priced beer
16. Get an Am Mart and/or Inga's sandwich
17. Save money by shopping at Wal-Mart, evil as it may be
18. Shop at stores that understand the importance of stocking royal purple clothes
19. ANXIOUSLY await football season so much it hurts
20. Be surrounded by people who love Louisiana and LSU as much as I do

Gotta go. I'm drooling all over my desk now.
-lindsay

So close yet so far away (literally).

2009-07-30T08:19:00.005-05:00

There's been a slight change of plans, and it looks like my stay in DC might be cut short by a day or two. Trust me: I'm not complaining. This now means that there's less than two weeks until I'm back in BR! I'm giddy at the thought. To be honest, next week's trip to Boston is getting overshadowed by my massive desire to just go home. I'm kinda viewing Boston as just another hurdle standing between me and going home, so it's hard to get enthused about the trip. I'm sure I'll get more excited as the time comes closer. At this time next week, I'll be presenting my first paper.

Other than that, there's nothing else really big worth talking about. Tomorrow will be my last day at my internship, and while I've definitely enjoyed my time here, I'm ready for it to be over. Much like Boston, it's just another hurdle that I have to jump before I can go home, so the sooner it's over, the closer I am to BR.

I know I sound incredibly homesick right now, but that's not the case at all. I'm doing just fine here in DC, and I've really enjoyed my time here this summer. But all good things must come to an end, and I'm ready to get this show on the road and head back to relative normalcy. (I say "relative" because nothing's ever really normal with me, haha.)

Before I go, I'll leave you with a picture my dad sent me yesterday of him and my Paw Paw (my dad's dad) taken at a wedding they attended last weekend. My Paw Paw will be 90 in September, and he's still going strong. It's unbelieveable. I LOVE the picture, especially since we tend to not take many pictures in my family.

Tomorrow's Friday!
-lindsay

An epic (but unnecessary) battle: Protestants vs. Catholics

2009-07-29T12:20:00.007-05:00

It really, REALLY bothers me when protestants (is "protestant" supposed to be capitalized?) lump all Catholics together into one giant, mindless mass. As a former Catholic with close familial ties to the church, I am definitely willing to admit that some of the dogmas of the Catholic church are SERIOUSLY flawed upon being compared to what the Bible says. I'm also quick to point out, however, that all religions are flawed in one way or another. Some are just "closer" to being Biblically right than others. (I'd also like to say that I realize that "Biblically right" is a subjective term since different people interpret the Bible in different ways.)

Anyway, it bugs me when my protestant brethren make blanket statements like "Catholics aren't Christians." I'll leave the theology out of this and save arguments about whether or not Catholicism is a Christian religion for another day. (I think it is, but that's just my untrained, unprofessional opinion.) I will, however, say that whether or not someone is or isn't a Christian is a PERSONAL decision that is almost entirely seperate from the religion to which they subscribe. I know tons of Catholics who are much stronger Christians than I am, and I would never doubt their salvation for a second.

Growing up Catholic, I've been privy to a number of homilies that included the occasional Baptist joke from a priest-turned-comedian. But I have NEVER heard a priest get anywhere near saying the types of things that some of my protestant friends say about Catholics on a regular basis.

Sorry for the random rant. This is just one of those hot-button issues that can get me fired up almost instantly.

-lindsay

NEWSFLASH!

2009-07-29T10:43:00.004-05:00

IT'S FINALLY ON SALE! THE. DRESS. IS. FINALLY. ON. SALE.

$29.99. You know what that is? It's almost half off of $58, which was the original price. Almost HALF OFF.

Patience is truly a virtue, my friends. Oh, and Urban Outfitters: I WIN.

-lindsay

My apologies.

2009-07-29T08:52:00.003-05:00

My apologies for my complete and utter lack of blogging over the last few days. I was busy this past weekend with Morgan's visit, and since this is my last week at my internship, I'm busy at work, too.

Just so I don't forget, here's a VERY brief play-by-play of Morgan's time in DC:

Thursday: Her plane got detoured to Baltimore due to bad weather, so she was a few hours late making it to DC. After dropping off her luggage, we went to eat disappointing pasta at Luigi's and went to the mall, where we laughed at ridiculous ~~Forever 21~~ XXI Forever mirror "slogans."

Friday: Saw the White House, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial. Walked to Capitol Hill and stopped at Union Station for a much-needed Starbucks break. Ate ENTIRELY too much food (including amazing cheesecake) at Cheesecake Factory for Morgan's belated birthday dinner.

Saturday: Saw the Capitol and Supreme Court buildings. Speed-walked through three Smithsonians (Air and Space, American History, and Natural History). Went to Old Town for chili at Hard Times Cafe and some candy. Drove through Adams Morgan and did a quick walking tour of Georgetown in the post-rain humidity.

Sunday: Went to Georgetown in search of a t-shirt. Ate lunch at Five Guys in Georgetown. Drove through Rock Creek Park. Shopped at Tysons Corner. Ate Chipotle burritos for dinner. Saw a late showing of (500) Days of Summer and LOVED it.

Monday: Took Morgan to the airport and then came in late to work.

So yeah, that's what went down. Since then I've really done nothing other than go to work and eat Mexican food last night. Both tonight and tomorrow night will be low-key (and low-calorie) to try to make up for the indulgences of the last few days. But trust me -- it was SO worth it.

Boston is one week from today, and BR is less than two weeks away! (The rhyme was unintentional, I swear.)
-lindsay

Eye Candy

2009-07-23T11:22:00.003-05:00

In less than two hours I'll be leaving work to go pick Morgan up at the airport here in DC. I'm so excited! She's been texting me all morning from the airport in New Orleans. As she borded the plane, I got this message: "Hot business man next to me on this tiny a-- plane. Ima be ok now. See ya in a few!!!"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I love my sister.

-lindsay

Wednesday's Hot Topics: Morgan and Food.

2009-07-22T08:52:00.003-05:00

In the interest of time, I'll just go ahead and put the big news out on the table: MORGAN GETS HERE TOMORROW! I'm not going to lie: It feels a little bit like Christmas Eve. I know she'll only be here for a few days, but after she leaves, it'll only be two weeks until I see her (and my family! and friends!) again. She'll be the perfect little dose of home just when I need it the most.

I also found out that my Paw Paw (my dad's dad) will be in Baton Rouge this weekend for a wedding in the family. I'm bummed that I won't get to see him, especially since I haven't seen him since Christmas. Hopefully I'll see him soon, though, with the worst-case scenario most likely being a Thanksgiving visit.

As for yesterday, it was another low-key day. The workday passed at a typical pace, which is somewhat of a blessing considering my sheer excitement should have made the hours crawl. After work, we decided to go out and grab something to eat since the only two types of meat in the fridge were hot dogs and deli turkey. We originally decided to make our third Austin Grill trip of the summer for some TexMex, but were deterred by the awful rush-hour traffic. Instead, we settled for Elevation Burger, a local burger joint.

Elevation Burger was a major letdown. The restaurant's credo is high quality, organic food, so when you go there, you get the typical greasy burger, except this one is made from organic, grass-fed beef. In a nutshell, you pay more for a burger that tastes the same (if not worse) than the average fast-food burger. What really killed us was the opportunity cost of the meal: After being disappointed, all we could think of were the awesome things that we could have eaten instead.

Our original plan was to go see "500 Days of Summer" post-dinner, but we decided that we were both a little too antsy to go and sit still in a movie. Instead, we went swimming, which was fun. It was only the second time I've been swimming this entire summer, so it was nice to actually use the bathing suits that I've bought. (Don't worry -- they'll get plenty of wear in Destin in a few weeks.) The swimming was also a little bit of unexpected and much-desired exercise, since the only thing that sucks worse than gaining weight from fast food is gaining weight from fast food that didn't even taste that great.

Speaking of food (isn't that all I ever do?), I'm almost as excited about the food we'll be eating while Morgan's here as I am about her being here. I've picked out a "best of DC" menu for her, so every day we'll go to one of the good restaurants that we've found here. So far we're planning on visiting Cheesecake Factory (not local, but still awesome), Hard Times Cafe (chili-cheese dogs!), and Five Guys. I'm still trying to think of somewhere good to go tomorrow when she first gets here, but I'm stumped. If you happen to be familiar with the area and have any suggestions, I'd definitely appreciate them :)

That's about it for today. I plan to spend today's non-work hours doing laundry and other housework in preparation for Morgan's visit. I may not live in the lap of luxury, but there's no reason to make it appear any worse than it is by default :)

-lindsay

Blank slate.

2009-07-21T08:28:00.003-05:00

I honestly don't have a single thing to blog about today. I'm sorry. I know you're disappointed. Ha.

Better luck tomorrow? Or perhaps even later today? Only time (and boredom) will tell.

-lindsay

A mish-mash of a weekend.

2009-07-20T09:16:00.017-05:00

The rest of my summer in numbers:

3 days until Morgan gets here!
2 weeks left at my internship.
2.5 weeks until I go to Boston for AEJMC.
3 weeks until I go to NYC (hopefully).
3.5 weeks until I head back to BR.
4 weeks until I go to Destin with my family.
5 weeks until school starts.

While I'm not quite as excited about that last one as the rest of them, I'm still not letting it get me down. There are far too many things to be excited about between now and then. It boggles my mind that I'll visit at least two (if not three!) more states before the summer's over. That's crazy, especially for a non-traveler like me.

Returning to the present, my Friday night was spent in a shopping mall, which is becoming a common occurrence around here. I didn't make many purchases, and the ones that I did aren't really blog-worthy (read: underwear). There is one worth mentioning, however, and in my opinion, it's epic.

Shortly before Mardi Gras, I was perusing one of the little boutiques right off of campus. I usually don't go shop in stores like this one because a) they're overpriced and b) their clothing quality is really low. On this particular occasion, however, I was lured in by a sidewalk clearance sale. Upon entering the store, I found a cute, knee-length emerald green pea coat on super sale for about $40 (it might have even been cheaper), and I knew I had to have it.

The coat was an instant success. I'm not sure if everyone commented on it because it was cute or because it was bright green, but either way, it quickly became a staple of my wardrobe. Or at least until Mardi Gras, that is. While watching a parade on Canal in New Orleans, I unknowingly leaned on a tree that someone had splattered red paint all over. I have absolutely no idea why someone would feel it necessary to put red paint on a tree, but whatever, the damage had been done.

Although a red-splotched green coat may be marginally acceptable at a tacky Christmas party, it wasn't going to cut it for everyday wear. After a valiant effort, I had to do the unthinkable: Throw my coat away. There was a small funeral (not really), and although it was tough, I managed to move on with my life.

Until this weekend, that is.

I was looking through the anniversary sale merchandise at Nordstrom when I eyed a rack full of winter coats. I was originally disinterested since nothing could be less appealing than a heavy coat in the heat of July, but then it caught my eye: the reincarnation of the green coat.

It was knee-length, wool, and royal purple. And best of all, it was only $50.

Needless to say, I instantly staked my claim. I think the sales girl thought I was nuts for buying a bright purple coat, but I didn't bother trying to explain where I was coming from. They'd never understand that, at that very moment, visions of chilly football games were dancing through my head. My school spirit will no longer be quashed when low temperatures make bland-colored outerwear a necessity. Now, I've got an LSU-themed coat. It feels strangely like destiny.

Melodramatics aside, the coat is awesome. You know what else is awesome? The trip that we took through Rock Creek Park on Saturday. (How's THAT for a transition?) We had originally planned to make a day trip to either Virginia Beach or Ocean City, but since both are at least three hours away, we nixed that idea. Instead, we spent the day wandering through Georgetown and, finally, wandering through the woods. Although I'll admit I was a little bothered by the fact that I was gallivanting through the woods without a map as sundown approached, it ended up being a great experience. After some coaxing, I even waded across the rock-bottomed creek that runs alongside Rock Creek Parkway. It was cold but memorable.

(For some reason these pictures keep getting cut off, so you'll have to click on them to get the full effect.)

After a short trip back home, we headed back down to our favorite haunt in Georgetown on Saturday night. Our decision to take the Metro instead of driving led to some unexpected delays in getting there, but in the end it all worked out. When we were leaving, however, we had to run to make sure we didn't miss the shuttle back to the Metro station. Unfortunately, my foot collided with a girl's stiletto heel in the process, and now I've got a nasty cut and bruise on the top of my right foot to show for it. At this point in the summer, injuries are becoming commonplace. They don't even faze me anymore.

Here's to hoping the week passes quickly. I am giddy with anticipation for Morgan's visit. The waiting is just about killing me.

-lindsay

Why Urban Outfitters sucks.

2009-07-19T13:43:00.002-05:00

I generally can't stand Urban Outfitters. Their clothes are just as poorly made as those at ~~Forever 21~~ XXI Forever, except they're not cheap. In fact, they're ridiculously expensive for what you get. On top of that, I think most of their clothes are hideous, and I generally don't agree with the store's atmosphere/philosophies.

That being said, there's a dress that's only available at Urban Outfitters that I've been eyeing since before I left BR. I think it's the cutest thing ever, but I absolutely REFUSE to pay $58 for it, especially when it's from a store that I generally loathe. I keep watching it both in-store and online, waiting for the day that it goes on sale. Almost three months in and they're still holding strong. But they'll break eventually, and I'll be there to take advantage of their weakness.

This model manages to make the dress look somewhat slutty, but it's not.

Watch out, Urban Outfitters. I'm after you.
-lindsay

A Quick Collage

2009-07-17T14:40:00.003-05:00

In an effort to fulfill my "more photos" promise, here's a quick collage of some of the photos I've taken this summer in DC and the surrounding area.

It's almost the weekend!
-lindsay

More on my favorite subject.

2009-07-17T09:40:00.017-05:00

More food reviews. Hope you're not hungry.

Norton's -- After having been gravely disappointed by Sweetwater Tavern's chicken fingers earlier in the summer, we were looking for redemption. Unfortunately for us, we didn't find it here. In fact, the chicken finger platter here (as well as the pre-meal fried bread) was so similar to that of Sweetwater Tavern that I think this place may be guilty of plagiarism. The chicken fingers weren't quite as over-breaded as the ones from earlier this summer, but they were still a little doughy. The fries were awesome, but once again, the ranch was weird. Upon being compared to the chicken gold standard of J. Alexander's, this place falls short. Way short. I don't see myself going back before I leave, if ever.

Original Pancake House -- I keep wanting to refer to this place as the "Original House of Pancakes" because someone who shall remain nameless insists on mistakenly calling it "OHOP" a la IHOP. Don't let that mislead you, though -- this place is much better than IHOP. IHOP is one of my least favorite restaurants not because of the food (I actually like it), but because of the atmosphere. I literally cannot eat in an IHOP without feeling like there's a violent criminal looking over my shoulder. Considering the fact that I've never experienced violence at an IHOP and I've actually never even eaten at an IHOP in an unsavory part of town, I have no explanation for why it gives me the heebie jeebies. But it does, so let's just get past it and move on.

A semi-national chain, OHOP (I'll begrudgingly refer to it as this for simplicity's sake) abides by the same standards as IHOP -- it's 100% breakfast food all the time, except for the occasional inexplicable order of onion rings. Unlike IHOP, however, it isn't open 24-hours (only breakfast and lunch), so we had to buck the trend of eating out for dinner and head over there for brunch instead.

I've already mentioned this in a previous entry, but I didn't particularly like what I ordered. I got the Apple Pancake (that's it in the picture above), which is the most popular thing on the menu. It's basically a big, gooey conflagration of apples and pancakes covered with a cinnamon-sugar glaze that could kill at least ten diabetics with one bite. Since I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon or sugar in large amounts, I made a bad choice in choosing this. I see where it would be an amazing dish; it just wasn't amazing for me.

I can't remember the name of what Jason ordered, but for some reason I'm associating it with parrots and eye patches, so it must have had a pirate-themed moniker. It was basically three really big but really thin and really gooey pancakes that covered the entirety of the plate. I tried them, and they were good. In fact, I wish I would have ordered that instead of the Apple abomination. Lessons learned.

I realize that this hasn't been the most positive review, but I swear the place is worth trying. I'd heard glowing reviews before my visit, and I don't feel like I've been led astray. I just ordered the wrong thing for my particular tastes. In fact, I plan on taking my sister there one morning while she's visiting next week and trying something different this time. That's how much potential I see in it.

Hard Times Cafe -- We wandered into the Hard Times Cafe in search of barbecue only to discover that their specialty was, in fact, chili. Four types of chili to be exact: Texas, Terlingua Red, Cincinnati, and Veggie. Once I let my pulled-pork dreams go, I decided to give it a shot and ordered the Coney Dog platter with Terlingua chili which consisted of two chili-cheese dogs (chili, shredded cheddar, and onions) and fries. The fries were just average, but the hot dogs were AWESOME. The chili far surpassed that of the much-overrated DC hotspot Ben's Chili Bowl. To top it all off, it only cost $6.99. At that price, it's one of the best meal values in DC. I will definitely be returning before I leave, most likely with my chili-cheese-obsessed sister next week. I'm already salivating thinking about it.

Only an hour until lunch. Thank goodness.
-lindsay

Food, health, and love. What more do you need?

2009-07-17T08:31:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was a good day. Granted, I spent the majority of it sitting behind a desk, but it was still a good day. A great one, even.

I made it home yesterday in record time. I got on a train immediately after I entered the station, the train didn't have to make any unexpected stops for traffic jams at stations up ahead of us, and the shuttle was waiting for me when I got to the EFC Metro station. I walked out of my office at 5:00, and I was sitting on the shuttle at 5:22. That's epic and definitely blog-worthy.

After relaxing for a few minutes, I decided to go and walk/jog before dinner. I haven't been exercising this summer for a number of reasons including the fact that a) I've hurt my back twice and b) there's nowhere to go around here that's anywhere near as cool as the LSU lakes, but yesterday I decided to suck it up and go anyway. My back definitely did not feel good for the first ten minutes or so, but after that it loosened up and was OK. On top of that, I went home afterward feeling physically better than I've felt in a long time. Elle Woods was right after all.

In what seems like a complete contradiction to the previous paragraph, I followed up my exercise by eating a dinner of two chili-cheese dogs and french fries. It was AMAZING. Not only did it taste good, but it was nice to be able to splurge without feeling like it was going to ruin my week. When I'm exercising regularly, I don't feel guilty about eating out because I know that I'm doing something to negate the unhealthiness. When I'm not exercising, a meal like last night's makes me want to kill myself as soon as I'm done eating it. That's pretty much been my entire summer, so it's nice to finally have broken the cycle. All it took for me to not be miserable is to get off my butt and go outside, but yet I chose to make excuses and wallow around for two months. It's funny how we humans work.

[Side note: My dinner last night has prompted me to write another food review-esque post about the places that I've tried recently. Something to look forward to later today...or in an hour, as the case will most likely be.]

Last night's post-dinner-but-pre-sleep time was spent watching Family Guy and trolling the Internet for news about the upcoming football season. In case yesterday's post didn't clue you in, I am DESPERATE for some college football action. There's less than two months to go, and it cannot come soon enough. It's time for me to spend some quality time with my 92,000+ best friends.

Changing subjects completely, an impromptu conversation about healthcare policy (random, I know) caused me to do some thinking while I was getting ready this morning. I've come to the conclusion that love can best be defined on earth as simply putting other people before yourself. That's the only definition I can come up with that fits all situations. If you're romantically involved with someone, you naturally want to do nice things for them. Same with your friends. Getting a little broader, when the Bible says to "love your neighbor," I think it means, "Do what's best for them, not you." In fact, isn't that what the crucifixion was really all about? Jesus putting others (and by "others," I mean "the entirety of humanity") first? Also, when people talk about loving God, don't they essentially mean putting his requests before their own desires?

I realize that I'm not unearthing any new theology here, but I'm amazed by how something so seemingly simple can be so difficult. "Love your neighbor" is only three words, yet we manage to screw it up royally on a daily basis. In fact, I think the majority of humanity's current problems stem from the fact that we don't know how to properly love each other. If I cared more about you then I cared about myself, I wouldn't do the selfish things that get me (and, as a byproduct, others) in trouble. On a larger scale, if governments across the world cared more about building the best society possible for mankind and less about power, I think we'd see have a much less garbled and violent global political environment right now. We just need to change our perspective: We shouldn't be proud to be Americans because we're the most powerful country; we should be proud to be Americans because our power allows us to help others even more than our global neighbors.

I could continue going and explain exactly how my chat about healthcare led me to thinking about universal principles, but that would involve getting into politically charged subjects that a) I don't really know anything about and b) I don't really care to talk about. I'm not looking to start any fights, and I know that's what would inevitably happen.

That's enough rambling for one day. Happy weekend, everyone!
-lindsay

Pining for pigskin.

2009-07-16T13:06:00.013-05:00

MUST HAVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NOW.

Only one of the statements on the signs above ended up being true. Unfortunately, it was the one that I cared less about.

Saban > Obama, duh.
-lindsay

A more photogenic post.

2009-07-16T09:13:00.008-05:00

First things first: I finally saw the HP movie last night. Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I saw most of it. I took a little nap somewhere around the middle. It's not that the movie was bad, it's just that we couldn't get tickets to a showtime before 10:20, and that's late for a semi-narcoleptic like me. Once the clock strikes 10 p.m., I'll fall asleep just about anywhere if I sit still and stay quiet for more than five minutes straight.

Anyway, the 98% of the movie that I actually saw was really good. I can't testify to how closely it followed the book since I haven't read the book in over two years, but I can say that it was enjoyable. I think I liked it more than the five movies that came before it, although I can't remember them all, either. My only complaint was that it seemed a little too long. By the end, I was just ready for (SPOILER!) Dumbledore to die and get it over with. It's especially hard for me to stay patient when I know what's going to happen before it actually happens.

In non-HP news, Morgan will be here in exactly one week! I am so excited I'm almost beside myself. I'm looking forward to having someone new to show around the area. I'm thinking it will breathe new life into the things that have become somewhat humdrum after being here for two months. The Washington Monument loses its luster when you see it every day, but showing it to Morgan might rekindle my interest.

Last but most certainly not least, I feel like I don't put enough pictures on the blog. I'm a pretty active member of the blogosphere, and I know that photos are my favorite part of most other bloggers' posts. So, I'm going to try and make a concerted effort at being more visually appealing. Who better to kick off the "looking good" movement than my boyfriend, Jason.

The story behind the photo: We were getting ready to go to the mall, and Jason put on his clunky black work shoes just to be funny. I thought it would embarrass him to take a picture of him looking like that, so I pulled out my camera. Being the former ~~model~~ brand representative that he is, he decided to strike a pose despite his less-than-fashionable outfit. I find it hilarious :)

That's all for today. Tomorrow's Friday!
-lindsay

I'm a HP laggard.

2009-07-15T08:28:00.006-05:00

I woke up this morning originally thinking that I woke up on my own and could go back to sleep, but as the fog began to clear from my brain, I heard my alarm going off. I think I screamed out "No!" in frustration when I realized I had to get up. Not the best way to get the day started, but I'm still feeling chipper.

Random anecdotes aside, I think I might be the only person in the world who didn't go see the new Harry Potter movie last night. I plan on seeing it tonight, but I just wasn't jazzed up enough about it to go and see it at midnight last night. I'm actually glad we decided not to go because reading everyone's reactions to it this morning has made me even more excited to see it, especially since it'll be the first HP movie I ever see in a movie theater. (I've mentioned that I don't really like movies, right?)

Outside of not going to the movies, last night was fun and relaxing at the same time. I had a bacon ranch hamburger from Whole Foods -- you buy the patties pre-formed and pre-seasoned and then throw them on the grill yourself -- and it was AMAZING. I've never eaten a hamburger with that much flavor before. I also tried a new kind of ice cream that tastes exactly like a Butterfinger, so that was yummy.

After spending about an hour walking around the mall looking for shoes, I decided that I was in a baking mood. After a quick stop at the grocery store, I went home and took a second shot at making a peach cobbler. (If you remember, I tried to make one a few weeks ago, and it was an all out disaster.) I used a different recipe this time, and it turned out surprisingly well. I'll definitely make it again but with a few tweaks. It needs less "crust" (don't know what else to call it) and more fruit. I also think I'll add some cinnamon to the fruit and vanilla to the crust just as lagniappe.

All in all, the cobbler was a nice midnight snack that wasn't so nice when it was still there on the scale this morning. It was worth it, however. :)

-lindsay

More than you ever wanted to know.

2009-07-14T08:23:00.003-05:00

I did not do a single thing after work yesterday outside of cooking dinner, washing dishes, doing laundry, and playing on the Internet. So, I'll spare you and forgo my typical detail-oriented "what I did yesterday" blog update. Instead, here's a step-by-step description of my typical day as an intern here in DC.

7:00 am -- Alarm goes off across the room. I get up, snooze the alarm, and get right back into bed. (I've usually only gotten around 5-6 hours of sleep at this point.)

7:15 am -- Snooze goes off for the third time. I finally decide it's time to get moving, and I stumble into the shower.

7:30 am -- Emerge from the shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, put on makeup, fix hair, etc. Other than breakfast, I basically spend 45 minutes staring at myself in a mirror. It's usually not a very enjoyable experience.

8:15 am -- Throw together a lunch at the last minute and head out the door to the shuttle.

8:25 am -- Catch the shuttle to the Metro stop down the street and try to strategically place myself as close to the front of the bus but as far away from the freezing-cold air vents as I possibly can.

8:35 am -- Wait for a train that doesn't already look packed to the gills in hopes of getting a seat. If the first train is stuffed, I'll wait for the second one since they're usually only about two minutes apart. The second train is a must, however.

8:55 am -- Get off the train just in time to walk the block and a half to work without being late. Every morning I expect to see a full office, but every morning I find instead that I'm one of the first people there.

9:00 am -- Put my lunch in the fridge, turn on my computer, and debate whether or not I want coffee, a Diet Pepsi, or nothing. Most mornings I opt for the latter two options, but this morning, I went for the Joe.

9:05 am -- Wander downstairs, try my best to salvage a cup of some of the strongest coffee I've ever tasted, and then try to wander back upstairs without spilling it all over myself.

9:10 am -- Work. Or something like it.

11:00 am -- Starting to get hungry, so I try to put off my appetite for at least another hour with another cup of coffee or a Diet Pepsi.

12:00 pm -- To eat now or not to eat now? That is the question.

1:00 pm -- If I haven't already eaten, I'll eat now. I'll also leave for my lunch break and spend the better part of the next hour wandering around the DC area aimlessly. My two most common destinations are a CVS and a Borders. Oh yeah, I live life on the edge.

2:00 pm -- Back to work. Or something like it.

3:30 pm -- Afternoon snack to break up the monotony.

4:00 pm -- One hour left! At this point I'll usually grab my second (or third...) Diet Pepsi of the day.

4:50 pm -- Fill out my timesheet for the day and pack my stuff.

4:59 pm -- Log off my computer.

5:00 pm -- Get the hell out of Dodge. Walk out of the front doors of the building feeling somewhat like a prisoner on temporary liberty until the next morning.

5:05 pm -- Walk into the Metro station bound and determined to get on the next train that pulls into the station. Seat or no seat, sardines or no sardines, I JUST WANT TO GO HOME.

5:40 pm -- Walk out of the Metro station desperately hoping to see my apartments' shuttle waiting there for me. If not, I'll stand around and wait impatiently for it to show up. Did I mention yet that I wanted to go home?

5:50 pm -- Walk into my apartment and decide what I'm going to do for the next seven-ish hours until I have to go to bed. Already begin dreading getting up the next day.

1:00 am -- Go to bed. Realize that I'm going to be exhausted the next morning when I wake up. Try to get a good idea of what I'm going to wear the next day. Secretly hope that I'll wake up in another universe where summer jobs don't exist.

7:00 am -- Alarm goes off. I'm still here. Dangit.

Sorry.
-lindsay

C.S. Lewis was not kidding around.

2009-07-13T21:30:00.007-05:00

I finished Mere Christianity on the train ride home today. It blew me away in so many ways that I simply cannot count them all. I think the book is beyond simple summation, but if I were forced to, I'd say that the book can be divided in two parts. The first part, the part that I've briefly blogged about previously, presents a rational argument for God's existence and the precepts of Christianity. Like I said before, I loved how logical Lewis' argument is. Unlike lots of modern Christians, he doesn't try to simply write off non-believers' arguments as wrong or illogical. Instead, he takes his time and carefully outlines why there is no way they can be right. As Lewis explains much better than I ever could, even the simple laws of nature speak to the existence of a higher power.

The second half of the book is quite different. If the first half left me energized and ready to fight for my beliefs, then the second half left me wanting to crawl in a hole and hide out of shame. In the second half, Lewis switches gears and discusses how Christians live and why they should do so. Any Christian who reads Lewis' challenges and doesn't feel horribly inadequate must be a far better person than I am. [Although, as Lewis mentions, they're probably just incredibly prideful and not that great of a Christian to begin with.] Since my words seem so elementary compared to Lewis', I'll just shutup and let his words speak for themselves. The following quote is the last paragraph of the book. Imagine reading a book that ends with a challenge like this one. Unbelievable.

The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favourite wishes every day and death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fibre of your being, and you will find eternal life. Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

Told you.
-lindsay

Looking Back and Looking Forward

2009-07-13T09:22:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was a low-key and restful. Not the most exciting adjectives in the world, but that's just what I needed. More on that in a second.

First, have I mentioned recently that the summer finally feels like it's coming to a close? I know I shouldn't be excited at the prospect of going back to school, but honestly, I am. I've enjoyed (and am still enjoying) my time here in DC, and I'm very thankful for the opportunities that have arisen for me this summer. I know I'll always remember this summer for multiple reasons, so I hope I don't come across as flippant and/or ungreatful regarding my experience. I'm just ready to go home.

Why? Because I miss my family. And friends. And Jeep. And apartment. And the dog. And The Chimes. And Cane's. And lame Saturday nights when it ends up being just three of us hanging out but we still have a good time anyway. And even lamer Thursday nights when nobody except the two of us will do anything (stupid school) but I usually have the best time of all. And Cane's. Did I mention Cane's?

Anyway, I'm ready to get home and resume "real life," whatever that means. (I wasn't aware there was a fake life.) This summer's been an awesome experience, but it's felt temporary and surreal the entire time. It's fun to live an entirely different life sometimes, but the fun is usually short-lived. I'm ready to get back to my typically-boring-but-overall-well-loved existence back in Baton Rouge. The time has come, the walrus said.

Obscure poetry references aside, I'll get back to the crux of this post: My weekend. Like I said, I kept it pretty low-key. I made a quick jaunt to Georgetown after work on Friday to pick up the Rugby shirt that I'd been eyeing all summer, and after that, I went home and stayed there for the rest of the evening, taking some time to video chat with my family via Skype. I spent Saturday doing pretty much the same: Other than a trip to the grocery store, the most exciting things on my agenda were laundry and making a banana pudding. While I was more than a little disappointed about the lack of action on Saturday at the time, I realize now that the downtime was probably just what I needed. I was worn out, even though I didn't realize it.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a little more eventful. We started out the afternoon with a brunch at The Original Pancake House, which we incorrectly abbreviate as OHOP. I took a chance and tried the much-touted Apple pancake, which isn't really like a pancake at all. While it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, it was still good. I definitely plan on going back there before I leave, but I'll just get something a little more my speed next time.

After our sugary start to the day, we went back down to Georgetown (both the district and the actual University) and then took another drive through Rock Creek Park. That place is unbelievably beautiful, but the roads are unbelievably awful. We had to go at least five miles out of our way before we could find a place to turn around. After that fiasco, we headed back home for a bit before grabbing dinner before a 9:30ish showing of Bruno. Bruno was hilarious, but it was the kind of hilarious that entails feeling guilty for a) laughing at the jokes and b) watching the movie at all. Raunchy does not even begin to describe this movie. I'm not proud.

Not sure what I'll be up to this week. I think it's going to be a slow week at work, which is good because it's relaxing but bad because it can get boring. I have the anticipation for this weekend (maybe a trip to Virginia Beach?) and Morgan's visit to get me through. Only three-ish weeks until Boston and (hopefully) NYC, and only four-ish until I'm back in the Bayou State!

-lindsay

Gnarls Barkley

2009-07-10T15:46:00.002-05:00

When someone really makes me mad or annoys me, the first thing I want to do is run and bash them to someone. Sometimes, I do. Other times, I catch myself first and realize that talking about people a) is wrong, b) doesn't solve any problems, and c) makes me just as bad (if not worse) than they are. In those instances, I pull up a blank e-mail and let it all out -- I'll spend up to ten minutes sometimes outlining all the reasons why I can't stand them. Then, I delete it before it ever gets sent. Sometimes I'll get to the end before I delete it, and other times I'll stop halfway through when my anger has sufficiently diminished.

Does that make me crazy?

It's the weekend again!

2009-07-10T09:36:00.003-05:00

Friday. The best work day of them all.

Just as I predicted, I didn't end up going home and going immediately to bed yesterday after work. Instead, we went down to Georgetown to try and go to Rugby (a Polo-affiliate store that's only located in major cities), but it closed before we got there. I'm going to try going again either today or tomorrow, although I don't know which. Georgetown is such a cool area, but it's nearly impossible to get there via public transportation. And by "nearly impossible," I obviously mean "harder than the average destination but still really not that hard at all."

After Georgetown, we took a short trip through Rock Creek Park. It is UNBELIEVABLE. I had it on my list of things to see in DC, but it was pretty close to the bottom. If I left without seeing it, it would have been a tragedy. It's like being in the woods (beautiful woods, at that) in the middle of a large city. Also, there are lots of beautiful bridges with the biggest arches that I've ever seen. I definitely want to go back and take some pictures before I go home in August.

Since any blog post wouldn't be complete without mentioning food, we also went to eat at a place called Norton's in the giant mall in Tysons Corner last night. We went because we were hankering for something along the lines of the massive (and amazing) chicken finger platter you can get at J. Alexander's. The closest thing that we could find was this place, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to our expectations. Although it was slightly better, the chicken fingers actually resembled the somewhat awful chicken fingers at Sweetwater Tavern that I had the first night I was here. The ones last night were more "just OK" than "awful," but they still weren't anywhere near being good.

I'm not sure what my weekend plans are just yet, but I know one thing: They'll involve laundry. There is a pile on the bedroom floor that could be mistaken for a mountain by passive observers. Other than that, I think there may be another mini-road trip in store for Sunday, but that's still yet to be set in stone. We'll see.

-lindsay

Tired Thursday

2009-07-09T09:31:00.004-05:00

I'm exhausted. I can't remember the last time I slept a full eight hours in one night.

(OK, that's a lie. I'm pretty sure I slept at least eight hours last weekend. I haven't since this week started, though, so I still think my exhaustion is warranted.)

I hate being tired because it means that you have to miss out on things just to rest. When I get off work tonight, my body will probably be silently screaming at me to go home and just go to bed. But I know I won't do it. I don't want to waste my few precious non-work weekday hours snoozing. That's what weekend mornings are for, not weekday nights. So instead, I plan on making my way down to the coffee pot in just a few minutes and pumping myself so full of caffeine that I start to get a little twitchy. I'll switch to Diet Pepsi around lunchtime, and by the time the end of the day comes, I'll be all jazzed and ready to go.

(I know substituting caffeine for sleep is completely and totally unhealthy, but I rarely, if ever, do this. So cut me a break just this one time, OK?)

Anyway, part of the reason for my utter exhaustion is the work event that I mentioned yesterday. Two of the panelists (both Congressmen) didn't show up at the last minute because the legislators were required to stay late yesterday for some vote. If I was a good citizen/newshound, I'd know what the vote is. But I don't. So there.

Anyway, other than that temporary setback, the event went well. It was kind of boring in my opinion -- I'm not a journalist interested in covering Latino immigration -- but still informative. The food for the reception was fantastic, so in my book, that means it was a good event overall. I think it's the last event that'll happen while I'm here for the summer, which is good and bad. I like prepping for the events, but at the same time, I won't miss having to stay at work until after nine.

I didn't get into work until ten this morning -- an hour later than usual -- because I overslept. I think my alarm went off at seven like it usually does, but then I did that weird thing where you integrate the snooze alarm that follows the original alarm in five-minute increments into your dreams, allowing you to actually continue to snooze without being aware that you're hitting the button. I mean, I knew I was touching my phone, but it seemed like a good idea at the time because it made sense in the context of my dream. It's like a state of half-consciousness in which you're aware of your real-world actions but not of their real-world consequences. I don't know. It makes sense to me.

Speaking of non-sequitur, I'm over halfway done with Mere Christianity, and I'm still loving it. In fact, I think it might be the best book I've ever read. It's a frustrating read because it makes me realize how I fall short in every single area of my life (and, no, I'm not just being self-deprecating), but at the same time, it renews my desire to challenge to hold myself to a higher standard than is typically required of me. Writing-wise, Lewis does a great job of telling you what you should be doing without making himself seem as if he's the perfect Christian. He's giving you advice while also freely admitting that he needs to take it himself. He's basically my new hero, and I can't wait to read some more of his books when I'm done.

And that's about it. I made jambalaya when I got home last night, so that's something to look forward to at the end of the day. If only there were a little crawfish pie and filé gumbo involved. That would be unbelievable.

-lindsay

Today was a busy day, and that's just how I like it.

2009-07-08T15:48:00.005-05:00

Today was a busy day at work, which explains why I'm not writing my daily blog post until almost 5:00. The organization I work for is hosting an event tonight at the National Press Club, and I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off printing out the programs, flyers, nametags, etc. that we need. Although it doesn't sound thrilling, today was one of the better days I've had here this whole summer. First, I like staying busy because a) it makes me feel like my presence here is actually worth something and b) it makes the day go by faster. In addition, today's been a good day because it's showed me again that I really want my "real" job to have something to do with planning events, conferences, etc. I have no interest in being a wedding planner, but I would like to do something where I have to deal with logistics. Although handling my own personal logistics may not be my strong suit, I like to think I'm good at handling them for other people :)

Speaking of logistics that I'm not handling very well, I still haven't cemented my plans for AEJMC, and I leave in less than a month. I know I present on Thursday and Friday, but I don't know at what times. I have a hotel room in the works, but transportation is still a giant question mark. I'm hesitant to make any definite plans until I know what I'm going to be doing in the days immediately preceding and following my time in Boston, but I'm getting to the point where I've got to bite the bullet and set something in stone. I hate getting to that point.

Tonight's event should last until about 8:30, so I probably won't end up getting home until close to 9:00 or 9:30. While I'm appreciative for the extra money that working extra hours means, I'm not looking forward to getting home so late. I'm also not sure what I'm going to do about dinner. There are reportedly going to be hors d'oeuvres at the event, but I don't want to have a dinner that consists primarily of mini versions of chips, dips, and seafood wrapped in bacon. I guess I'll just hold out until I can get home and eat my trademark turkey sandwich.

In somewhat less melancholy news (I swear today was a good day!), Morgan will be here in just over two weeks. When I tell you I cannot wait, that is a giant understatement. I am almost giddy with excitement. I'm excited about having an excuse to do the touristy things that I've already done again and, more importantly, to eat at all the good places I've already tried. I'm already composing a list of must-try places for her trip. I'll also be taking a day off of work for her visit, so that's a plus, too.

Just in case I haven't already rambled enough in this post, here's something else: I'm reaching the point in the summer where I'm starting to get anxious to get home. I only have about three weeks left in my internship, and about four or four-and-a-half weeks until I'll be getting back in BR. It's not that I'm not having a good time here; in fact, it's quite the opposite. I'm having a great time. I just miss the comforts of home and family. I'm also going to the beach almost immediately after I return, so that doesn't help with my patience problem.

Until tomorrow,
-lindsay

Tuesday > Monday

2009-07-07T10:16:00.003-05:00

It's only 11:15, and today has already been infinitely better than yesterday. After spending last night eating copious amounts of brownie-infused chocolate ice cream and lounging around with my trusty heating pad, I can honestly say that my back feels much better than it did yesterday. It's still tight and sore, especially after sitting in my chair at work for a while. But once I get up and get moving around, things loosen up a little bit. I'm hoping to be back to normal by this weekend as there have been rumors of another road trip scheduled for Sunday.

Because of my annoying injury, I didn't really do much of note yesterday other than begin reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. I tried to read it in high school, but I never made it very far. I think it was still a little too high-brow for my immature brain at that point. My brain is still pretty immature these days, but I've been able to handle it thus far. I'm only about 50 pages in, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. Lewis is so great at discussing (or, in my opinion, proving) the tenets of Christianity in an even-handed yet thorough manner. Unlike most Christians, he doesn't get all worked up and emotional when faced with a doubter who challenges his beliefs. Plus, as an academic and a former atheist, he knows how to handle himself when dealing with people who may try to belittle him for being a man of God. I'm learning a lot from him, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, whether Christian or not.

...and that's about it. Boring Mondays lead to boring Tuesday blog posts, unfortunately. I'll try to spice things up tomorrow.

-lindsay

"Monday, Monday..."

2009-07-06T09:25:00.003-05:00

I'm really dreading another work week after the relaxing three-day weekend that I just had, but I'm making it through by telling myself that only four more weeks of work stand between me, Boston, the beach, and most importantly, home. My sister will also be here in 2.5 weeks, so that's helping to keep me motivated as well.

What's not helping is the fact that another grisly cold/backache combo seems to have befallen me, much like the one that happened earlier this summer except a little less extreme. I started getting a runny nose and scratch throat last night, and when I woke up this morning I had a good sneeze, and -- bam! -- there went my back. I'm currently sitting on my heating pad at work just like a grandma, but I don't care -- I want to get better ASAP, and I'm willing to suffer through a little embarrassment to do it.

Onto more joyous and patriotic subjects. This past weekend was three days instead of two in honor of the fact that Saturday was the 4th of July. We used Friday to take a two-hour road trip to Charlottesville, VA to see the University of Virginia (UVA) and Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's home) and to experience the wonder and glory that is Raising Cane's.

We got to Charlottesville a little after lunch time and immediately went to Monticello. Unfortunately, the next available house tour wasn't until 5:00, so we decided to buy tickets for later and go do something else in the meantime. The "something else" included walking through UVA's campus and devouring some Raising Cane's. UVA's campus lived up to the hype, although it was somewhat less impressive to an LSU apologist such as myself. The Cane's, however, was not as great. The food tasted awesome, as usual, but the portion sizes were TINY compared to what I expect from the locations back home in BR. I don't know if it's true or not, but I have a theory that the franchisees outside of Louisiana are encouraged to cut portions to save money. Since people outside of Louisiana typically don't have any previous exposure to Cane's, they'll have nothing to compare their experiences to. We, however, did, and it was a little saddening.

After Cane's and UVA, we went back and walked around the grounds of Monticello while waiting for our tour to begin. Although I was admittedly less-than-enthusiastic about spending an hour walking around in what I thought were going to be glorified gardens, I ended up enjoying the grounds just as much as the actual house. The grounds overlooked a set of tree-lined hills that were absolutely breathtaking, and the cemetery featuring the Jefferson family graves was interesting as well. The house tour was interesting because it really showed off Jefferson's intelligence and eccentricities as well as giving a glimpse into how people lived around the time of the country's founding.

Saturday and Sunday were far less eventful. In fact, I didn't do anything remotely patriotic on Saturday. I didn't feel like fighting the crowds to go see the fireworks on the Mall, so I listened to them outside my window while playing on the Internet. Sunday, however, was spent at the mall, although it was a different kind :)

That's about it for now. Only 4.5 days until the next weekend!
-lindsay

"Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni..."

2009-07-04T14:57:00.007-05:00

A quick weekend post to wish everyone a very happy 4th of July holiday. I'm thankful for the freedoms afforded to me by everyone who's ever sacrificed for this great country. More importantly, however, I'm also thankful to God for blessing us with freedom in the first place.

I learned yesterday during our tour of Monticello that Thomas Jefferson is often credited for making dishes like ice cream and macaroni and cheese popular in America. If that's not something to thank the forefathers for, than I don't know what is. :)

-lindsay

The Makings of a Good Three-Day Weekend: Coffee, Clothes, Charlottesville, and Cane's.

2009-07-02T09:33:00.005-05:00

I was sitting at my desk a few minutes ago thinking about how I hadn't updated my blog yet today. I'm in a pretty chipper mood since today's ~~Friday~~ Thursday and the day before my three-day weekend. Just as I was about to write a post about the good things that are going on right now, I spilled hot coffee all over my lap. Surprisingly, I'm still feeling chipper. That's what wearing black, coffee-immune pants will do for you. :)

(Side note: For those of you who are wondering why I'm updating so much and/or find it annoying, know that I'm not necessarily writing these blogs to be read by the outside world. Sure I'd like it if my words were shared with something other than my keyboard, but my primary purpose of keeping this blog is to keep track of what's going on in my life. That's why I've been updating so much from DC -- this is definitely an experience that I'd like to keep track of.)

Like I said, I'm in a pretty good mood due to some big and small reasons. First with the small. (This'll show you how excited I can get over the littlest things.) Usually I have an idea of what I want to wear to work the following day in my head when I go to bed so that I don't waste precious morning minutes trying to decide what clothes to wear. Unfortunately, I didn't do that before bed last night, so I woke up this morning somewhat frazzled. On a whim, I pulled out a nice lace-trimmed black cardigan that I have, knowing that I mostly likely wouldn't end up wearing it. I got it on super sale from Express a few months ago, but I haven't worn it very much because it's a little too big for my tastes. Since it's dry clean only, I don't really have a feasible way of shrinking it short of tailoring.

Anyway, rewind back about two weeks ago when I noticed that this sweater had a mysterious white mark on it near the bottom hemline. I have no idea what it was, but seeing it prompted me to throw dry-cleaning caution to the wind and throw it in the washer/dryer with my regular laundry. I hadn't tried it on since then, but when I put it on this morning, I discovered that the dryer did the trick -- it fits! I'm super excited because a) I needed a trusty black, wear-with-anything cardigan and now I don't have to buy one and b) I really like it. It was a very pleasant surprise on an otherwise uneventful Thursday morning.

Onto other reasons: I ate at Cheesecake Factory again last night. I had planned on cooking jambalaya for dinner until discovering that I didn't have enough sausage. Being almost completely void of other dinner options, we decided to go out instead. We originally planned to go to OHOP (Original House of Pancakes), this IHOP-type place that is supposed to be 200 times better than IHOP. (Have I mentioned before that IHOP gives me the major creeps?) Anyway, unlike IHOP, OHOP isn't open for dinner, so we needed to find something else. Our next choice was Indian food at this place in Old Town Alexandria, but the traffic on 495 (the Beltway) was so bad that we abandoned that plan almost immediately. I just finished mentioning that I'd like to find a good salad somewhere when we thought of the Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad at Cheesecake Factory. We hightailed it over there -- we went to a different location this time -- and it was glorious. Granted, there were just about as many calories in the salad as there would have been in a burger and fries, but I like to tell myself that the calories were "healthier" because they came from veggies and not meat/cheese. That's not true when you're dealing with a salad drenched in both ranch and barbecue sauce, but everyone has their delusions. Let me have mine, haha.

Anyway, onto the future plans and "bigger" reasons for my good mood. First and foremost, I'm planning on going to Georgetown tonight after work to do some shopping. I'd been being somewhat frugal for the last two weeks, so I'm excited to go and actually buy the things I've been drooling over for a while. Also, I really enjoy the shopping itself -- I always have a good time looking and trying on clothes, even if I can't buy anything.

I was also looking forward to going to Georgetown because they have a Qdoba there and I have been CRAVING their lime-flavored chips, but I've decided to forgo that dream for a little longer in light of tomorrow's adventure: Raising Cane's. We're going to Charlottesville tomorrow to see UVA and the Thomas Jefferson-related stuff that's there, and wouldn't you know there's a Cane's in the area? I mean, I swear we would never plan a trip around fast-food chicken fingers. That would just be...fowl.

Sometimes I can't help myself.

Saturday's the Fourth (obviously), but I have no idea what I'm doing. I think I'll end up going and seeing the festivities at the Mall for at least a little while, but I'm not sure how long I'll stay. I'm not crazy about the idea of walking around alone after dark, especially since the crowds will be even bigger due to the holiday. So, I might just reserve my celebrations for the daytime and then try to find some fireworks somewhere closer to my apartment. I'm sure I can find something if I look hard enough.

OK, my fingers are tired, which means I probably lost the poor souls trying to read this a few paragraphs ago. More on Monday!

-lindsay

Tweaking an earlier post: Things I miss about BR.

2009-07-01T09:56:00.011-05:00

This post is just like my earlier "Things I won't miss about DC" post except for the fact that it's the exact opposite. Below are things that I do miss about BR.

My family and friends.
This one is a given. I'd pretty much be the worst person ever if I didn't mention them. But I promise it isn't just out of necessity or obligation that I'm saying this; I really do miss them.

Good seafood (and food in general).
I've run across a lot of good food here, but nothing quite like home. Hate Louisiana all you want, but we know how to cook, especially when it comes to seafood. Seasoning is key, and that's an area in which the rest of the country falls short. I plan on eating a lifetime's worth of crawfish and shrimp when I get back. [Side note: The spell checker told me that "crawfish" isn't a word. It has no idea of the wonders that it's missing out on.]

This little guy.

Walking the LSU lakes.
Although I started to somewhat despise the lakes due to the fact that every time I visited them it was for 45 minutes of exercise hell, I do miss them here. I haven't found anywhere around here that I can run/walk/hyperventilate around in the same way as I can around the lakes. This has pretty much been my running excuse (See what I did there?) for not exercising as much as I should this summer.

Raising Canes.
I'm hoping to get some this weekend during a pseudo-planned trip to Charlottesville, but I'm looking forward to the time when I can scratch the Cane's sauce itch just about any time I please.

Shopping at Walmart.
I think I've already exhausted this subject here on my blog. Just know this: It's never far from my mind.

My Jeep.
I miss driving around in my Jeep, which my mom affectionately (and somewhat insultingly) named Fred due to the fact that she thought the round headlights made it look like it is wearing nerdy glasses. Apparenly Fred is a "nerdy" name. (Sorry to all the Freds out there.) Anyway, I miss driving around in Fred. I miss driving in general, but I especially miss Fred.

LSU football.
So maybe this one isn't a direct function of my being in DC, but I still miss it all the same. Only about two months until the first kickoff (even though it's in Seattle). I literally cannot wait. I have a sneaking suspicion that this season is going to be epic.

-lindsay

Wednesday is so the new Thursday.

2009-07-01T08:51:00.005-05:00

I was in the same room as Ralph Nader last night.

Let me explain.

After work, some of my fellow interns and I decided to go and check out this place called Busboys and Poets. It's an independent bookstore/coffee shop/restaurant/bar that is named in honor of Langston Hughes. (Hughes got discovered by writing one of his poems on a napkin while he was working as a busboy.) Anyway, since I wasn't looking forward to spending another night home alone and bored, I decided to tag along. Finding out Ralph Nader was going to be making a special appearance as part of a book reading was just icing on the cake.

We rolled up about 6:00, just in time to see Nader walk in. The program/book reading didn't start until 6:30, and we left at 7:00...in the middle of the book reading. We just got up and walked out. I was very nervous to do so since my many years in band taught me that you ALWAYS wait for a break in the program to leave your seat, but I was being tortured by talk of political activism and electoral reform. To a mostly politically ambivalent person as myself, it was almost unbearable. So yeah...I didn't actually end up seeing Nader speak after all, although I did take his picture when he walked in with my phone.

The place itself wasn't too bad, and I think I might actually be willing to go back there on a day when there isn't a small-scale political rally going on. It is very "hippie" feeling -- they kept referring to it as a "community space" and I was seriously waiting for someone to break out the bongos -- but, at the same time, it did have a unique flair. The food didn't look too bad either.

Looking forward, it feels like Thursday even though it's only Wednesday since I don't have work on Friday due to the three-day weekend. (Wow, that was a lot of days in one sentence.) Nevertheless, I'm itching to make it through the end of the day tomorrow and have three work-free days in a row. I'm not sure what holiday-related activities will be going on around here this weekend, but I'm thinking I might check them out since I'll have some time to kill by myself. Oh, and shopping. There's always that.

-lindsay

Metro, Monotony, and Mr. Nader

2009-06-30T11:10:00.004-05:00

As an addendum to yesterday, the Metro "incident" was another person that jumped in front of the train. I'm not sure if they died or not, but yesterday's event was the third attempted suicide-by-Metro since I've been here. If the person from yesterday survives, maybe people will see it's not a surefire method and stop jumping in front of trains. Ideally, I'd like people to stop trying to kill themselves altogether, but something tells me that that's just not going to happen.

So in "life in DC can be boring sometimes" news, I did absolutely nothing after work yesterday. I got home, ate a light dinner (still trying to recover from Sunday's Chinese food fiasco), went swimming for about 20 minutes (I was the oldest person in the pool by at least five years), showered, ate popsicles, and tried to watch Big Love Season 3 online. That's about it. Thrilling, I know.

My sister will be in DC in just over three weeks, so I'm looking forward to that. Also, it tentatively looks like I actually have something to do after work today. Ralph Nader may or may not be involved. I'll keep you posted.

-lindsay

Things I will not miss about DC.

2009-06-29T10:46:00.007-05:00

UPDATE (4:55 PM): Made a tiny correction. Oh, and there's already been another Metro "incident" in the mere hours since I posted this. Not good, my friends. Not good.

ORIGINAL POST:
~~Today's the last day of June~~ Today's the second to last day of June, which means that I only have a month left before ending my internship. It also means that I've already been in DC for a month and a half, which blows my mind. While I've definitely caught myself pining for the southern comforts of home(that isn't an alcohol reference, btw) more than usual lately, I still can't believe that the time here has flown by so quickly.

(For the record, I'm ending my internship on July 31 but won't be returning to BR until mid-August. I'm taking the first two weeks of August off a) to attend AEJMC in Boston and b) to give myself some time to be touristy and see the places that I can't see while working Monday through Friday.)

Anyway, my temporal introspection has led me to think of some things I'll miss about the city. I've also thought about some things I won't miss. Since everyone knows being negative is much more fun (kidding!), I'll share the latter list with you.

1. DC Driving
DC is a huge commuter city, so traffic is unbelievable. (Coming from a resident of BR, you know the traffic here must really be bad. BR is awful, but DC is worse.) You can expect to run into rush-hour at the typical times but also at other random times throughout the week. Ten o'clock on a Sunday night? There's a good chance you'll run into bumper-to-bumper traffic on one of the many interstates in the area.

Speaking of interstates, there are far too many of them around here. Coming from BR which has both I-10 and I-12 running through the center of town, I'm more comfortable with interstates than the average person. They take it to an entirely new level here, though. Getting anywhere around here requires memorizing more letters and numbers than can be found in a typical calculus textbook.

What's more, an exit here isn't actually an exit. Back home, taking an exit means leaving the fast-paced driving of the interstate for a more leisurely jaunt on a surface street. Here, an exit typically just takes you to another interstate. Maybe this is completely normal and I'm the outlier, but take it from me: It sucks.

Saving the ~~best~~ worst for last, the drivers here are almost unconscionable. Cutting people off isn't just a way of life here; it's a survival tactic. Also, you'll get honked at for absolutely no reason. Didn't slam on the accelerator in the split-second after the light turned green? Expect a honk. Waiting for a big enough hole in traffic to emerge so that you can safely turn left? You'll get honked at. In fact, on our way to Annapolis on Saturday, I heard at least 5 honks within about a two minute period. I'd like to think that they weren't all directed at us, the out-of-town drivers, but I won't delude myself.

2. Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping is awful here. Finding everything that you need at a decent price usually requires trips to at least two, if not three, different grocery stores. There are a couple major grocery chains up here -- Giant, Safeway, Shoppers -- but they just don't cut the mustard like the ones in the South. To find a carton of ice cream or twelve-pack of Coke that isn't $6 or more (and no, I'm not kidding) requires everything but the Spanish inquisition. Whenever I come across something at a decent price, I tend to buy it in bulk to avoid a future manhunt. If only they would build a Super Walmart around here and show everyone the err of their ways. I think Walmart is inherently evil (I'm obviously exaggerating), but I also don't want to have to break the bank to enjoy a bowl of ice cream every now and again.

3. Public Transportation
This is a touchy subject for me. For the most part, I'm very appreciative of the Metro system here in town. Being relatively carless for the entirety of my stay, the Metro has helped me get to and from most of the places I've needed to go. I'm also a fan because of the fact that mass transit is much more environmentally-friendly than the traffic jams that are so familiar to BR drivers.

As the entire country learned last week, however, the Metro definitely has its flaws. First, it's hard to remember a day in which I didn't hear of delays due to "mechanical failure" at some station. Although the delays usually didn't affect me directly, a system that experiences failure on a daily basis should do some serious reevaluating and reprioritizing. When failure becomes expected by your patrons, there's a serious PR problem brewing.

Next, the Metro is great for going to major places around the city -- the monuments, the White House, the downtown area, etc. Anytime you need to deviate from the beaten path slightly, however, it becomes problematic. I'm not someone that's averse to walking somewhere, so I don't mind walking a few blocks from the nearest Metro station to get to my ultimate destination. When my few blocks turns into a few miles along a major roadway, dissatisfaction arises. The Metro does have tons and tons of buses to try to fill in the gaps between stations, but the bus system is so convoluted and confusing that it requires an Einstinian IQ to get where you need to go. I've got a 50% success rate right now, and while I'm not genius, I like to think that I have an intelligence level slightly above that of pond scum.

Basically, my beef is this -- the Metro is great for business commuters going to and from work or for tourists looking to see the sights. But if you're someone like me who thinks it's a substitute for having a car in the city, you'll be sadly disappointed.

4. The Price of a Good Time
I'll be upfront about this: I'm not a big partier. I don't know if I've ever been to a legitimate "dance club" (do those even exist anymore), and my idea of a good time usually involves sitting and watching LSU sports somewhere. I will admit, however, that every now and again I like to go out on a weekend and have a drink or two. Before coming to DC, I used to complain about there being nowhere to go in BR that wasn't either a) extremely fratty, b) hipster, or c) on the expensive side. After being here, however, I can't wait to spend my Saturday nights at home again.

Let's put it this way: The "expensive" places in BR would be considered dirt cheap here. I don't have enough big city experience to know if DC is the norm or not, but everything here is close to being ridiculous. I have so little experience with alcohol that I don't really have any grounds upon which to judge, but the "low quality" drinks here (i.e., PBR) go for the same price of a more expensive drink in BR. A drink special in BR usually means a $2 or $3 pitcher, but here, it means a $7 or $8 pitcher.

My point in as follows: Next time you hear me complain about the lack of things to do in BR, slap me across the face and bring me back to reality.

I'm in a relatively good mood right now, so I'm having a hard time thinking of things to complain about. (A shocker, I know!) I'm sure something else'll come up eventually, though, so be expecting a few addendums to this list in the near future.

-lindsay

Weekend Update

2009-06-29T09:09:00.001-05:00

I left work a little early on Friday half because I wasn’t feeling too great and half because I was just burned out. I’m not going to lie and make it seem like I was super busy last week or anything, but even semi-regular boredom can wear you down after a while. After fleeing the coop, I went to the Pentagon City mall to do a little shopping. I didn’t stay very long, but I was there just long enough to experience the rush hour crowds on the Metro. Because I took the Blue to the mall and live off of the Orange, I had to transfer trains, which is always somewhat of a pain, especially when everything’s jam packed. What made things even worse is that there was a “fire” (still not sure to what extent anything burned) at the station directly ahead of me, so all of the Blue trains going through there ended up getting backed up. An accident on Monday and a fire on Friday – not such a great week for the Metro.

I ended up making it home a little later than usual, which normally wouldn’t have been a problem. This time was different, however, because I actually had somewhere I needed to be. (This is the “surprise” that I didn’t want to talk about last week, by the way.) When I first got here in May I found out that David Sedaris, a popular contemporary author, would be speaking and signing books at a Borders near my apartment on Friday. Personally, I’ve only ever read one of Sedaris’ books, and that was a few summers ago while I had jury duty and was consequently stuck in the downtown library for many hours at a time. A certain someone I know, however, is a big Sedaris fan, so I thought I’d go down there and try to get a book signed for him.

The signing started at 7:30, which meant I had to act fast to get there in time. Although the bookstore is near my apartment, it isn’t directly Metro-accessible, so I was forced to take a bus to get there. I had a good experience with the bus system a few weeks ago when I took it to the mall at Tysons Corner, so I wasn’t nervous about the trip there and back. Unfortunately, I was given some bad advice and ended up getting on the bus which ended up driving me in the opposite direction from the bookstore. Before I realized my mistake, I was getting off a bus at Tysons Corner and it was already 7:15. I ended up narrowly missing the bus I was supposed to take from Tysons, so I had to rely on a cab to get me there.

If you remember, I’ve never taken a cab alone, so I was admittedly a little nervous. Although there was a little bit of a language barrier that made things slightly more difficult than they needed to be, I ended up making it to the bookstore without much trouble. I was a little late – I got there right around 8:00 – but I managed to catch the end of Sedaris’ book reading. The downside to being late was that I was one of the last people eligible to get my book signed, leaving me standing in line until between 11:00 and 11:30. I did eventually get my autograph, so alls well that ends well. Despite the drawbacks, it was still worth it.

Exhausted from the week, I slept in until 12:45 Saturday morning, which is very close to a record for me. Afterward, we decided to make a trip to Annapolis to see the Naval Academy. After an awkward interaction with an over-confident MP, we ended up seeing a little bit of the campus before heading to the Annapolis main street area for some sandwiches, shopping, saltwater taffy, and Starbucks. (The alliteration wasn’t on purpose, I promise.)

After Annapolis we decided to try to expand our horizons past the place that we always go in Georgetown, so we decided to give Adams Morgan another shot. We went with a list of places in mind, but upon arriving all of them seemed to be a little too “hipster” for our tastes, so we ended up going to this sports bar/restaurant that was playing lame music. Although we somehow survived a brutal remix of the Macarena, we didn’t stay very long since it would take us quite a while to get home via the Metro.

Sunday was pretty much a catch-up day. I went to Whole Foods and the normal people grocery store (I think they belong in two different categories), and on the way home, I grabbed some much-desired Chinese food. I think I ate enough sesame chicken and egg rolls to feed a small village, but it was glorious and totally worth it. After dinner, I tried to burn off a few calories by doing laundry (which means going up/down the stairs multiple times). I also tried to make a peach cobbler, but the recipe turned out absolutely awful, so I made peanut butter cookies as a back up. The cookies didn’t turn out all that great either, but I maintain that neither cooking faux pas was my fault – they were just bad recipes. That’s the chance you take when you get recipes online, I guess.

In case you couldn’t have guessed from that last paragraph, I woke up this morning weighing about 2.5 pounds more than I did yesterday. It was unbelievably worth it, though.

Only four days until pseudo-Friday!
-lindsay

TGIF, As Usual

2009-06-26T11:36:00.002-05:00

Today's Friday, and as usual, I thank God (literally) for that. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling in tip-top shape today, so I think I might cut out of work an hour or two early. I worked four extra hours during the event Tuesday night, so leaving today won't shrink my typical paycheck, which makes it that much harder to convince myself to stay.

Next week will be void of a TGIF-type post since I'll have a three-day weekend for the 4th of July. The 4th is technically on a Saturday this year I think, but they're giving us Friday off anyway. Not sure if this is a typical practice at workplaces throughout the country, but I'm thankful. Since I'm not full-time, that little vacation will cut into my paycheck, though. Oh well -- it's worth it.

Hmm. I don't really have any definite plans for the weekend, so I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty chill one. I do have a certain something in mind that I've been planning to do tonight for a while now, but I'll keep that under wraps for the time being. It's nothing scandalous; I just like to have little secrets every now and then :) I might post pictures of it on Monday.

In celebrity news, I don't care that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson are dead. And by "don't care," I mean I do care because I don't like to see people die. I don't, however, think that one human being is worth more than another, so it bothers me to see all the attention that these unfortunate circumstances are getting on so-called legitimate news outlets. There is an entire country overseas on the verge of either a democratic breakdown or breakthrough, and all Americans can talk about right now is feathered bangs and a sequined glove. I appreciate the contributions that Farrah and MJ made to American popular culture, and I'd like to e-send my condolences to their families. It saddens me to see anyone pass away in the manners that they both did. But let's stop acting like it's major news, OK?

And with that mini-rant, I'm going to check out for the weekend. You'll probably be hearing from me on Monday. Until then, hakuna matata.

-lindsay

National Champions!

2009-06-25T08:41:00.003-05:00

Some pictures speak for themselves. I'll let these do the talking.

GEAUX TIGERS!
-lindsay

Grouchy Grumblings

2009-06-24T08:13:00.006-05:00

3:30 EST Update (I feel cool being in the same time zone with NYC): All is well with the world once more. I had a good (and pretty healthy!) lunch, it's almost quitting time, and I've got a good feeling about the Tigers tonight. Things are looking up, thank goodness.

Original post:
First things first, let's get something out of the way: I'm not in a good mood. I went to sleep last night in a foul mood (the reason for which I'll discuss momentarily) and woke up this morning feeling just about the same. I can usually motivate myself to improve my mood, so I'm working on that. Thus far, much like the Tigers last night, I'm failing.

Before we got to the good stuff (I use that term very lightly), let's play a guessing game. The game is called, "What picture does Lindsay not want to see on the front page while riding the train in the morning?" Before I reveal the answer, here's a little background: There are two free newspapers that are distributed outside of my Metro station each morning. I usually don't grab either one of them because I'd rather read a book on the train, but this morning I was book-less. So, newspaper it was. I'm still feeling a little uneasy about the train after Monday's wreck, so you can only imagine my response upon seeing the following picture on the front page of the paper I picked up this morning:

Yeah. That was lovely. For the record, this morning's commute was one of the worst I've had thus far, gruesome newspaper or no gruesome newspaper. I managed to cram myself into a car with little or no air conditioning, putting me close to passing out (and I'm not exaggerating) from a combination of heat and claustrophobia. And probably bad mood as well. Can you pass out from that?

Anyway, back to the reasons for the moodiness. Yesterday was a surprisingly good day at work, although it was busy. I had to stay late (until around 9:15) to work the event that we hosted last night, but everything went off without a hitch, and I left to watch the Tigers with a spring in my step.

And that's when things deteriorated.

We went to the place near Georgetown that we like so much only to find that it was mobbed (at 9:30 on a Tuesday?!) due to last night's Red Sox/Nationals game. Hoping to actually sit while watching the Tigers, we headed to another place we'd visited before. It was just as crowded -- apparently it's the official "Boston bar" of DC -- so after the Sox had handily defeated the Nationals, we ventured back to the first place hoping to find greener pastures and a smaller crowd. Instead, we found an even louder and rowdier crowd than before.

Not wanting to be deterred from watching the Bayou Bengals, I went ahead and grabbed a table. I was starving, so I figured I might as well eat. I ordered a hamburger and fries well done, but upon hearing that it would take 20 minutes to achieve well done status, I decided to settle for medium well. (In my defense, I was famished.) Anyway, my burger comes out VERY quickly, and I'm excited...until I figured out why. "Medium well" apparently means "let's not season the burger at all, barely brown it on the outside, and leave the inside pink and barely warm." I ate it because I was so hungry, but I felt a little sick to my stomach on the way home after the game.

Speaking of games, the Tigers lost. Not only did they lose, but they lost pathetically. The almost two-hour rain delay allowed me to see the majority of the game despite my work obligation, but in the end, it ended up being more of a curse than a blessing. They were awful. So awful, in fact, that I quit watching after the eighth inning because I just didn't want to watch them lose. I know there's still tonight, but seeing them suck so bad really soured my mood.

And so, here I am. Tired and grouchy. I'm promising myself that I'll be chipper by the end of the day, and I'm hoping that's the case. At this point, nothing's for certain.

*grits teeth* Happy Wednesday!

-lindsay

Trains and Tigers

2009-06-23T08:40:00.002-05:00

So yesterday was a pretty uneventful day.

Just kidding.

First things first: The train. I actually had no idea that the accident happened until my dad called me frantically right after dinner "just to hear my voice" and make sure I wasn't involved. I was actually on a train at the time of the accident, but I was on the Orange Line, not the Red Line. The accident occurred on Maryland side of things, and I commute back and forth from Virginia. Either way, it was scary to know that it could have easily been me had the circumstances been just slightly different. I felt a little uneasy about riding to work for the first time this morning, and I can tell you one thing for sure: I will NEVER ride in the first or last cars of a train again. I noticed that those cars are usually more sparsely populated than the middle cars, but I never knew why. Now I do.

(As a side note, thanks to everyone who texted me to find out if I was OK. Although there was no cause for alarm, I was flattered to know that I was in your thoughts.)

In other news, how 'bout those Tigers?! I watched the majority of the game in a sour mood, thinking the Bayou Bengals had finally met their match. In fact, I thought a loss was in store for sure -- the boys just didn't seem to have their usual spark last night. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be proven wrong :) We watched the game at the place that I mentioned yesterday, and it was awesome. We even made some friends! We'll definitely be going back there tonight.

Speaking of tonight, I'll be working late for the first time this summer. We have a reception for one of our programs tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Newseum, so I'll be staying late to help with that. Unfortunately, this means that I'll be missing the majority of the baseball game tonight, which distresses me greatly. I already have plans in mind to get to see the latter innings, and they involve me catching a cab alone for the first time in my life. That should be interesting (and somewhat scary, to be honest). The things I do for the Tigers.

Gotta go for now -- things are busy at work today.
-lindsay

Walmart! Oh, and some other things, too.

2009-06-22T08:13:00.004-05:00

We started off the weekend by taking a trip to the much-lauded Ben's Chili Bowl. From what we understood, it was pretty much a hole-in-the-wall that had amazing chili dogs and chili burgers, making it a "must see" for DC visitors. Half of that description was true: It was a hole-in-the-wall (gross, even), but it was far from amazing. The chili dogs were good, but nothing worth writing home about. In fact, I've had similar chili out of a Hormel can before. Plus, the food was kinda overpriced for what you got, and the fries, though fresh, were bland. It's another one of those places that I'm glad I tried for the experience, but not glad I tried because it kind of sucked.

After the lackluster chili experience, we went back to The Tombs, a restaurant/bar located right off of Georgetown's campus. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but this place is pretty much the best thing we've found in DC thus far in my opinion. It's a cook place to hang out without being too bar-like (i.e., smoky, crowded, loud, etc.). Plus, they let us pick which sports game we wanted to watch, it's relatively cheap, and they play awesome oldies music. I'm actually planning on going there to watch the Tigers play tonight since the supposed "LSU hangout" I tried last week was L-A-M-E.

A late night on Friday ended up turning into a late morning on Saturday, which was fine for me since I was pretty tired from the previous week. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we didn't really do much until dinnertime on Saturday, at which point we decided to make an impromptu trip to Baltimore. Upon entering Baltimore, we determined that there is a) not much to do there and b) much like Ben's Chili Bowl, it isn't all it's cracked up to be. As a result, we only hung around long enough to eat our sandwiches at Quizno's and get back on the road.

Despite it's shoddy exterior, I'm glad I went to Baltimore for two reasons. First, it's another American city that I can cross off my list. Second, and perhaps more importantly, we found a Super Walmart. Let me say that again, a little e-louder this time, just in case you don't understand the gravity of the situation:

WE FOUND A SUPER WALMART!

The discovery of the retail promised land went a little like this: While munching on my Meatball Sub (the second to worst thing on the menu, I might add...but it was good), I was trying to think of things that we could do to salvage our time in Baltimore. Thinking about the bare fridge that was left behind at home, I remembered my previous discovery that the closest Super Walmart to the apartment was about an hour away. You know what else is an hour away? Baltimore. You know what's in Baltimore? (One more time, for old time's sake.) A SUPER WALMART.

It was like seeing an old friend for the first time in ages. I wandered through the aisles of cheaper-than-cheap food like a little kid at Christmas. I think I bought enough food to sustain a family of four for at least a month, but I didn't care. It was Walmart food, it was cheap, and somehow, all was right with the world once again.

Anyway, I was pretty much beat after the Walmart shenanigans, so I hit the sack somewhat early Saturday night. I slept in relatively late once more yesterday morning, and much like the day before, ended up being pretty lazy all day. The only thing I really accomplished was returning a pair of shorts I'd ordered online the week before. (The J. Crew shorts to be exact, if you remember from one of my earlier posts.) After a quick trip to Whole Foods (because some people who shall not be named aren't satisfied with Walmart food...), I ate a delicious dinner followed by an even more delicious dessert of brownies and ice cream that I got at Walmart for three dollars cheaper than I can get it at the local grocery stores. Yes, I'm THAT excited.

(I know Walmart is so cheap because they employ awful business practices, bullying companies to provide goods at dirt-cheap prices and pretty much disregarding human rights issues across the globe. Most days, I feel guilty for my Walmart gluttony. But after a 1.5-month absence, a little Walmart hit the spot.)

Well, I think I've labeled myself as a freak enough for one day. Time to go and get some work done. And by "get some work done," I mean count the minutes until five o'clock and, more importantly, the Tigers' baseball game tonight.

Have a good Monday, everyone.
-lindsay

TV Substitutes

2009-06-19T11:07:00.008-05:00

One of the first things I discovered upon reaching DC in May is that the apartment that I'm subletting for the summer didn't have cable. In fact, the lady who normally lives in the apartment was actually still using an antenna to get the basic channels. Although I've managed to partially rectify the TV situation in the last two weeks, I'm still not watching much TV at all this summer. Barring the latest Jon & Kate Plus Eight drama-filled episodes, I've been surprised to find that I don't miss it at all.

(In the interest of honesty, I should add here that if my unfortunate TV situation had occurred in the fall, I would not have anywhere near as mature a response. If I were faced with the prospect of missing Grey's Anatomy, I'd probably go to the ends of the earth to fix the situation.)

Anyway, the relative absence of TV in my life has lead me to resume an old habit that I'd regrettably discarded: reading. I've already read more books for leisure in the five or so weeks since I've been in DC than I did in the last four years combined. Here's a quick list of what I've read thus far:

Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty -- This was the final book of a five-book YA (Young Adult) series that I started reading a few summers ago. While it was a quick and enjoyable read, I felt like the last book was a little bit of a cop out. Just because it's the end doesn't mean you can take shortcuts, and in my opinion, this book was a giant shortcut.

The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson -- I read this book solely because it was being lauded by bloggers all over the Internet. Unfortunately, I was gravely disappointed. I know some people will read this and immediately assume that I didn't like the book because one of the central (and relatively innocent) plotlines involved a pair of friends-turned-lesbians. While I can't say that I relate to that storyline, it wasn't the lesbianism that turned me off to the book. I felt like the book never really got started. I understand that the author was trying to emphasize the fact that being gay doesn't make someone less human and doesn't change who they are intrinsically, but I think that message got bogged down in a story that felt like it had no beginning, middle, and end. I felt like my interaction with the characters proved fruitless at the end.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trinton Lee Stewart -- This is the second book in what is now a three-book series, with the third book being released this October. I read the first book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, last summer while I was traveling to/from Chicago. This is yet another YA series, but I highly recommend it for adults as well, especially adults that were fond of the Harry Potter series. Much like HP, these books revolve around a set of four kids that usual their peculiar talents and oddities to solve a mystery. Pay close attention while reading; the details you miss may come in handy later in the book.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote -- I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I first heard about it in high school. Unfortunately, college, grad school, and general laziness got in the way, and I just got around to reading it a few weeks ago. I loved it. It definitely creeped me out, not just because of the violence but because of the disturbing psychological states of the characters. Capote successfully plays mind games with you while you're reading it, leaving you feeling strangely sympathetic toward a seemingly heartless murderer at the book's conclusion.

The Drunkard's Walk by Leonard Mlodinow -- I picked up this book randomly while perusing Borders for a new book to read on the train a few weeks ago. I initially wanted to read it just because it looked interesting, but upon remembering that one of my professors actually recommended it last semester, I was determined. Not only is it non-fiction, but it also deals primarily with mathematics and statistics. Thankfully, Mlodinow does a good job of simplifying complex concepts in ways that just about anyone (myself included) can understand. In a nutshell, the book is about the role that randomness plays in our lives and how we, as humans, often mislabel and misinterpret the randomness that occurs around us. I originally thought that I'd have a major theological issue with the book given the fact that I don't believe for a second that everything in our lives is left to chance, but I actually didn't have that response at all. While the author definitely doesn't overtly discuss the role between randomness and Christianity in the book, I think there's a pretty good application in there for someone who's willing to find it. As a Christian, I just chose to explain some things differently than Mlodinow did. As someone who doesn't believe that Christianity and science always have to be at odds with one another (and as a possible scholar-in-training), I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was the most engaging and thought-provoking thing I've read in a long time.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley -- I bought this book earlier this week for one reason: It's mentioned in lots of my classes at school, and I wanted to stop being the only person who had no idea what it was all about. I've heard that it was 1984-esque in that it addressed the ultimate unraveling of society, but that Huxley's version took a different route than Orwell's. I've yet to read 1984, but I think I might have to put it on my list now so that I can compare the two books. I haven't quite finished Brave New World yet, but I can say that I've enjoyed it thus far. I'm very curious to see how it all ends and to see which characters end up changing in what ways.

So, those are the books I've read thus far. I do have quite a few more I'd like to read before the end of the summer, but I'll blog about those when I actually get through reading them :)

-lindsay

As usual, TGIF.

2009-06-19T08:18:00.004-05:00

Today's (finally) the day! After not playing since they handily beat Arkansas on Monday night, the LSU baseball team will resume play tonight against -- wait for it -- Arkansas! The Hogs beat UVA in Wednesday's elimination game, so they get to continue on toward the championship. The bad news is that they're probably more fired up than ever to beat us (especially since they've already lost to us once in Omaha this year). The good news, however, is that they'll have to beat us twice -- today and tomorrow -- to advance to the championship series. I don't think they'll be able to do that, so LSU is a pretty sure bet to (at the very least!) end up being one of the last two teams standing this year. I think we'll actually end up being the ONLY team left standing, but maybe I'm biased :)

Anyway, I'm kinda bummed because the baseball game begins at 2 p.m. EST today, which means it'll all go down smack dab in the middle of my workday. I'm pretty sure I'll at least be able to find somewhere to listen to it online, so all is not lost. It isn't an optimal situation, but it'll do. Hopefully the championship games (which start on Monday) aren't all day games. I need to remember to look that up.

In other news, all I really did last night was laundry. I got home about an hour later than usual after meeting with the out-of-town visitor I mentioned yesterday and made myself a light dinner. (Is a dinner still considered "light" if it included both a grilled cheese sandwich and ice cream?) Anyway, after that I started doing laundry -- four loads, to be exact -- and then promptly passed out. Not the most thrilling night in the world, but sometimes those just have to happen.

Switching gears completely, I found out two days ago that my family and I will be taking a much-anticipated trip to the beach (Destin, hopefully!) the week before school starts. It'll probably be the first week I get back from DC, which means I'll have almost little or no time in BR before my classes start. If that's the sacrifice I have to make to spend a week in the sun and the waves, I think I can handle it :) This trip should be extra fun because we're planning on bringing the new dog, Louie. He's basically taken over my family.

Oh! I forgot to mention that the bathing suit and shorts that I ordered from J. Crew FINALLY came in yesterday. It seems like it's been forever since I ordered them online, but really it had only been a little over a week. Anyway, the bathing suit fits just fine (especially since I got it at such a discount), so now I'm glad that I'll have two suits for going to the beach at the end of the summer. The shorts I ordered, however -- not so much. Just as I suspected, I ordered them one size too big. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to exchange them for the smaller size or just return them. I need a good pair of light-colored khaki shorts, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I 100% love this pair or not. I'll have to think about it.

Guess that's about all I have for today. I don't really have any plans for the weekend other than the fact that I'm planning on trying Indian food for the first time. I've eaten foods flavored with curry before, so hopefully I'll like it. We'll see.

Have a good weekend, everyone!
-lindsay

More restaurant reviews from a culinary novice.

2009-06-18T10:01:00.009-05:00

I've got a few new food reviews for the area, so I thought I'd go ahead and post them before I forgot. (I'm mostly just posting these for my own personal reference. I'm not pretending to be Zagat or anything, haha.)

Plaka Grill -- Last weekend I was absolutely dying for some gyro, so we set out to find a decent Greek/Lebanese restaurant in the area. I found this place via Yelp (it was getting rave reviews), and upon discovering that it wasn't too far away from the apartment (it's in Vienna), we decided to go check it out before watching the LSU/UVA baseball game. Although small, the place looked brand new and appeared to be impeccably clean. Foodwise, the gyro itself was great, and the fries that came along with it were excellent. You can order your sandwich Plaka-style, which essentially means they put the fries on the sandwich itself instead of on the side, but I refrained. I might try that next time, though. As a whole, my only complaint was in regard to the pita bread. I'm used to having Greek sandwiches/wraps on plain old pita bread, but they decided to take it up a notch and drench the pita in butter and put it on the grill. The result was bread that tasted more like the awfully unhealthy flatbread from Quiznos instead of what it actually is -- low fat pita. I'll definitely go back if I get bitten by the Greek food bug again while I'm here, but I'll be requesting my pita unbuttered/ungrilled.

Austin Grill (take two) -- If you remember, I'd already reviewed this Tex-Mex restaurant in my earlier post, at which time I said that I'd definitely be willing to go back. Well, we did just that last week. We were both hungry and didn't feel like putting forth the effort to find a new place, so we just went with a semi-old favorite. We did try a different location this time, venturing to the Austin Grill in Old Town Alexandria. Unfortunately, our experience did not live up to the first time. The menu was different, and as a result, they didn't have the dish that we liked so much the first time. The service was also horrible -- we never actually got our iced teas -- but I think it's because our server had some sort of medical issue and had to leave right after seating us (or at least that's what I'm telling myself). Anyway, I got a chicken quesadilla, and it was good yet nothing to write home about. They put tomatoes on it even though tomatoes aren't mentioned on the menu -- FYI: I hate tomatoes -- and they put so much cheese on it that it was dripping grease. It tasted just fine, but I couldn't really enjoy it because I was too busy trying to keep my fingers grease-free. There was one upside, however: The chips at this location were better than the chips at the first location. All in all, I'll still say that I like Austin Grill, but I'll just make it a point to avoid this location in the future.

Potbelly -- Potbelly is a Subway-esque sandwich/soup/salad chain minus the cold, clinical feeling. It is apparently a pretty widespread chain, although I'd honestly never heard of it before coming to DC for the summer. I went to Potbelly for lunch today with the other interns that I work with, and it was OK. That's it -- just OK. I got the TKY (the lower-calorie turkey sandwich), Baked Lays, and small Diet Coke, and it came out to just about the same price as a comparable meal at Subway. (Side note: They just started carrying Zapp's chips, which was exciting for a Louisianan such as myself. I still stuck with the Baked Lays though, haha.) Unlike Subway, however, all of Potbelly's sandwiches are served warm. Potbelly also has desserts beyond mere cookies, which include ice cream and one of the largest and most amazing-looking ice cream sandwiches (made with homemade cookies) I've ever seen. Although I liked the atmosphere of Potbelly much better than that of Subway, I think that Subway has a much larger selection of breads, condiments, vegetables, etc. All in all, Potbelly is a much better environment to eat in, but I don't think that it's that much better than your average sandwich shop. I'm not dying to go back, although I might just because they have Zapp's :)

Food, trains, books, work...the usual.

2009-06-18T09:24:00.006-05:00

First things first: My plans to eat an ultra-healthy dinner to make up for my sweets binge yesterday didn't exactly happen. I walked in my apartment with visions of fat-free yogurt dancing through my head, but then we decided to go to the mall instead. I did manage to avoid the ever-looming temptation of nutritionally void mall food by eating Subway. Still not quite as low-calorie and low-fat as I was hoping for, but it could have been way worse. Like Chinese food worse.

In non-food news, the train ride home yesterday was disastrous. There was a train that had a mechanical problem at a station on my line (the Orange line), and they ended up having to completely empty it out and put it out of service. As a result, every single train was packed to capacity (think sardines) and running behind schedule. They tried to help the overcrowding by having more trains come more often, but all that ended up doing was causing us to have to sit in dark tunnels for minutes at a time while there was "a train servicing the platform ahead of us at [insert station name here] station." While I appreciate the delays because it gives me a little extra time to read my book, sometimes I just want to go home.

I already posted this on my Twitter, but today feels like Friday. I was very disappointed to realize last night that it was in fact Wednesday night and not Thursday night. Nevertheless, I'm still feeling pretty chipper -- I get another free lunch today! -- and I'm excited that there's just over 24 hours until I can listen to the baseball game tomorrow. I'm also meeting with a visitor that's in town from BR after work today, so that's something to look forward to as well.

-lindsay

Afternoon (Culinary) Delight

2009-06-17T15:38:00.006-05:00

One of the things my dad constantly lectured me about at mealtimes when I was a kid was to "not let my eyes be bigger than my stomach." Today, I did not heed his advice.

This afternoon we had the baby shower that I mentioned in my post earlier today, and it was a nutritional disaster. It was a luncheon catered by Baja Fresh, which is basically a fast-food joint with zero healthy options whatsoever. According to the nutritional facts on their Web site, even the salsa seems to have more calories than your average salsa. After arming myself against gluttony ahead of time by thinking about the absurd number of calories in one tiny little taco, I resolved to eat as lightly as possible. And I was successful...kinda. I only had one chicken taco, and I even picked the kind without cheese (a MAJOR accomplishment). I also only had a very small amount of black beans. But because I'm human, I did have about 10 tortilla chips. I'm a salt over sweets kind of girl, although you'd never know it by my recent eating habits. I just can't pass up a good bowl of chips.

Anyway, I rounded out my meal by eating some pineapple, strawberries, and grapes from the fruit sculpture that was the table centerpiece. I figured that if I filled myself up off of healthy-ish foods I wouldn't be tempted by the sweets when they made their inevitable appearance.

Did I mention there were chocolate chip cookies? And iced cookies? And ice cream? And even peanut butter granola bars (I'm not talking about healthy granola bars here). And just in case the food gods hadn't tempted me quite enough, there was a bowl full of Hershey's miniatures that included Reese's cups, York peppermint patties, and my favorite candy bar EVER, Mr. Goodbars. It was as close as I've ever come to experiencing something that felt like both heaven and hell simultaneously. Whether I said yes or no to the sweet tempters, I lost.

In the moment, I did pretty well. I had two (small) chocolate chip cookies and that was it. I did feel the need to keep picking at stuff as we hung around the table, so after the cookies, I stuck to grapes. I probably ate so many grapes that they got to a point where they were no longer good for me. But at least they're better than eating cookies (or ice cream...or candy bars...)non-stop for twenty minutes.

So yeah, a small victory...for a while. The receptionist who works on the third floor decided oh-so-kindly (except not really) to leave all of the leftover sweets on the fifth floor where I work. She said it was so we could enjoy them all afternoon, but I know it's probably because she just wanted them out of her eyesight. Needless to say, there were a few more transgressions this afternoon in the form of a Mr. Goodbar, a York peppermint patty, and bits and pieces of cookie that probably added up to one cookie total. Still not TOO bad, but not as good as I would have liked.

I'd like to offer a disclaimer and make it clear that I'm not "that girl" who feels the need to stress over everything that I put in my mouth/stomach. You'd only have to live with me for about 12 hours to figure out that I do my share of unhealthy eating. However, I've recently made it a goal to save my unhealthy indulgences for the weekend and try to stick to the good stuff during the week. This week is a loss so far, but I've still got two days left to redeem myself. Tomorrow will be better. It can't be worse, haha.

So yeah, that's it. No brownies for me tonight. I'm bringing my banana that I brought to work as a snack back home, and that'll be my desert. Either that or some fat-free yogurt. It's not chocolate, but then again, I've already had plenty of that today.

-lindsay

I just can't bring myself to refer to Wednesday as "hump day."

2009-06-17T08:28:00.003-05:00

I've said before that I'm an avid blog reader. I really like keeping up with what's going on in people's lives, whether I know them "IRL" or not. Perhaps more interestingly, I also love to see the clever and witty things that they write in their blog. It makes me jealous to think that they can make something so mundane as their day at work into a vivid story that grabs my attention. I know I'm capable of writing like that, but I usually just don't have the time or motivation to sit down and actually do it.

That being said, welcome to another boring update. Sorry ahead of time.

Yesterday at work I got to "design" -- I use that word very loosely since I a) have to adhere to my organization's identity policies and b) only have Microsoft Publisher available to use -- some more brochures/flyers/handouts for the place where I'm working. Since I'm typically such a detail-oriented person, I really enjoy doing layouts for print materials. Unfortunately, I lack the graphic skills or visual creativity of a true designer, so that's going to seriously stunt my efforts to pursue a career in this field. I'll just have to look for something much like I'm doing now, i.e. "designing" within the context of certain requirements and boundaries.

After eating a somewhat healthy dinner (as healthy as hot dogs and brownies can be), we decided to go see The Hangover since there was literally almost nothing else to do. Just as I suspected, it was hilarious. Although it started kinda slow in my opinion, once the plot really got in motion, it was unbelievable. It's definitely raunchy -- if you're bothered by overt sexual humor/situations, as I sometimes am, heed my advice and don't stay for the credits -- but not in a "we're being filthy but still not funny" kind of way. This is one of the few comedies where I'm willing to look past the patent filth just because it's so hilarious.

In other news, I started reading my next book yesterday: "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. I've been hearing about this book for years, but I never had any real reason to read it. I've noticed in my classes this past year, however, that the philosophies and prognostications that Huxley proposes in this book are often a topic of discussion when talking about media effects, so I decided that it was time that I get with the program. I'm only four chapters in, but I'm enjoying it thus far. I hear that it's pretty disturbing, but I figure that it can't be any worse than "In Cold Blood," and I made it through that OK.

As for tonight, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I don't have the necessary groceries to make a decent dinner, so cooking anything will require a trip to the grocery store. I'm supposed to be having Baja Fresh (a fast-food Mexican joint in this part of the country) for lunch today thanks to an office baby shower, so maybe I'll just skip a formal dinner and stick with a light salad. Oh, and brownies, of course. After that, all I have on the agenda is washing clothes. I'm thinking it's going to be a low-key evening.

And...that's it. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again tomorrow.

-lindsay

Tuesday! (Not the most original post title, I know.)

2009-06-16T08:22:00.003-05:00

First and foremost: GEAUX TIGERS! I ended up watching the game through about the sixth inning last night, at which point I decided to call it quits since the score was 9-1 and Arkansas looked to be all but kaput. Turns out that my timing was impeccable: Neither team scored again after I stopped watching.

Thanks to the win, LSU won't have to play again until Friday, at which point we'll play the winner of tomorrow night's UVA/Arkansas elimination game. I was all excited about starting my weekend off with another (potential) Tiger win, but I discovered much to my dismay this morning that Friday's game is at 1 in the afternoon. That's a pretty big bummer, but it just means I'll get to start my weekend even earlier than I originally planned, right? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some benevolent Internet entity will broadcast the game online for the poor working schmucks like me. :)

In other news, I finally finished "The Drunkard's Walk" yesterday on the train. (Contrary to how the title makes it seem, the book deals more with science than alcohol.) The book really made me reevaluate the way that I approach and evaluate everyday life in a positive manner, so it was a beneficial read if for no other reason that that. I'm planning on writing a post summarizing my thoughts on the book, so be looking for that soon. I'd do it now, but it requires a little more thought than I can muster while blogging on the fly like I do every morning.

Hmm...what else. I finally saw "He's Just Not That Into You" last night, and while it definitely wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, it was surprisingly enjoyable and somewhat thought-provoking. While I think most of the characters portrayed in the movie were either scumbags or neurotic basket cases, I will say that it made me think about some of the more common place mistakes that people often make while pursuing a potential relationship. I'd like to think that I never made any of those mistakes myself, but we're all human. I can say in certainty, however, that the movie made me even more thankful for the situation that I find myself in right now, if that's even possible. :)

...and that's enough cheesiness for one day.

Happy Tuesday!
-lindsay

Well hello there, Monday.

2009-06-15T11:39:00.003-05:00

Another Monday, another weekend summary.

This weekend was rather uneventful unless you consider shopping to be a major event. Honestly, that's about all I did. I left work on Friday and headed to the mall that's adjacent to the Pentagon City Metro stop. I didn't end up buying anything worth noting while I was there, but it did help me pass some time. Other than the fact that the mall was three floors and slightly larger than usual, it wasn't very noteworthy.

I slept in until ten Saturday morning (that's late for me) and then decided to go exercise before lunch. After a lovely (but short) run and an amazing grilled cheese sandwich, I headed out to my second shopping destination of the weekend: Friendship Heights. It wasn't really a mall, but instead, just a strip of shops along a busy thoroughfare. I didn't make it to many stores because it took much longer to get there and get back than I expected, but I did manage to score some good sales from Gap.

Saturday night I didn't do anything. JUST KIDDING. After all the anticipation, I did, in fact, watch LSU soundly defeat UVA. I watched it from -- big shocker -- a restaurant in a nearby mall. I think I spend more time in malls than I do at work or at home, but I'm OK with it. Anyway, there really wasn't anyone else there who cared about the game, but the bartender happened to be a Lafayette native. He didn't go to LSU himself, but he seemed to be a pretty big fan. It's a small world, I guess.

Anyway, I slept in even later Sunday morning (10:30!) before eating (homemade quesadilla -- not so good) and deciding what to do for the day. Not surprisingly, I decided to go to Tysons Corner, another HUGE nearby mall and the same place where I had watched the game the night before. Since I'd been to Tysons Corner before, going there wasn't all that exciting. What was exciting, however, was the fact that I moved beyond the Metro to the DC bus system. Although I was originally very skeptical about the bus system, it turned out to be refreshingly clean and efficient. I'd definitely take one again if necessary. Anyway, while shopping I picked up some more deals at Gap as well as a cute shirt from Nordstrom (my first Nordstrom purchase ever!). I also used up a few Old Navy gift cards that I'd been holding on to.

After my third shopping trip of the weekend, we made dinner and, more importantly, brownies. I mistakenly chose the "cakelike" (three eggs) recipe instead of the "fudgy" (two eggs) recipe, so they're more fluffy than gooey. Still good, though. I then proceeded to fall asleep before halftime of the basketball game because I wasn't feeling so hot -- I still haven't kicked this stupid cold. I woke up feeling much better this morning, though, so maybe it was just the germs' last hurrah before finally deciding to vacate my sinuses. I sure hope so.

So, uh, that's about it. Nothing flashy or fabulous, but it was still a relaxing weekend. You know what is fabulous, though? The fact that I get to watch LSU play again tonight! That's something to get excited about :)

-lindsay

Inexplicably happy.

2009-06-12T14:19:00.006-05:00

(Most people take breaks from work by surfing the Web. I blog.)

I was just sitting here contemplating a post about the things that have been annoying me lately. Not people, but little things. For example, the incredibly impatient and downright rude drivers here in DC. And I will post about them...eventually.

For now though, I have something different (and brief) in mind. I don't know why, but I just feel compelled to break the cycle of negativity with an upbeat post. And so, here it is.

I'm happier now than I've been in a long, long time. In fact, it might be the happiest I've been ever. Sure, it might be easily attributable to the fact that I'm getting to spend my summer in the city, but that's not it. I was happy long before I left BR. I'm sure others will automatically assume that there's another reason, and they're partially right. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it. But it isn't just about the things I've ended and began recently. Again, it's bigger than that.

My long-term outlook is pretty uncertain right now; more uncertain than it's been in a while. I graduate next May and plan on getting a job. Doing what? Don't know for sure. Will I find one? I hope so. Where will I live? Not sure about that either. As a control freak who typically is very averse to change and/or uncertainty, the mere thought of May should be sending me into a tailspin.

But it's not. Why? It's because I'm happy, even when it's 3:30 and I'm DYING to go home for the weekend. Can't quite put my finger on the many, many reasons why, but I'm just glad I am :)

-lindsay

It's Friday!

2009-06-12T08:41:00.004-05:00

Another Friday is upon us, and I couldn't be more glad. It's not that I don't enjoy work, but let's be real here -- nothing beats the weekend, especially when you're in a new city with lots of places left to explore. I'm not sure what my plans for this weekend are just yet, but I'm hoping it involves two things: LSU in Omaha and possibly seeing "The Hangover."

I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but there is a disproportionate number of LSU grads that work at the place where I'm interning. As a result, we were scheduled to have a "LSU Ladies Lunch" today for all of the girl Tigers around here. It might still happen, but I'm just not sure since the date has been changed so many times. Nevertheless, I've been told that they'll want me to choose where to eat since I'm the new girl. Haha, they obviously don't know me very well. That'll never happen :)

In other news, my sister has finalized her plans to come and visit at the end of July. I'm super excited. By then I'll hopefully have a good grip on the area and will be able to show her all the cool things without wasting time on the lame ones. Plus, it'll be an excuse to take a Friday off and have a three-day weekend. Those are always welcomed :) Also, her visit will also be just a week or so before the end of my internship and, perhaps more importantly, only two or three weeks until I go to Boston for AEJ and visit with friends from home in a new city. Basically, late July/early August is going to be amazing.

Speaking of AEJ, I only have two-ish weeks left to edit my papers before the final conference submission deadline. They've already been accepted, but the reviewers gave me suggestions (some more constructive than others) that I can incorporate into my final copy that goes into the annals of conference history. I told myself when I left Baton Rouge that I wouldn't procrastinate like I do during the semester because I'd have so much more free time at my fingertips. I should have known better. I'm thinking I might try editing at least one of the two this weekend, but I'm not holding my breath.

Hmmm...what else. I'm still loving the book that I'm reading, and I am still anticipating writing a blog post about it. I'm thinking I might wait until I'm done so that I can evaluate the book as a whole, though. I will say this: It is one of the best (and most interesting) books I've read in a while, and that's saying something considering the fact that the primary subject matter is mathematics and probability. It's generally really hard to make math into a gripping read, but this author has managed to do it.

Well, I think I've exhausted my semi-interesting information reserve once again. I hope everyone has a good weekend :)

-lindsay

Feeling Chipper

2009-06-11T08:26:00.002-05:00

I'm in a surprisingly good mood this morning, despite the events of the last thirty minutes or so. I've recently been made aware of the germ-ridden nature of the Metro (and public transportation in general), so as soon as I get into work, I always try to either wash my hands or use some disinfectant lotion. This morning, I went the lotion route since someone was already in the bathroom. While the lotion was successful in making my hands feel clean and germ-free, it also managed to leave its mark all over my sweater, skirt, feet, and shoes. It's gone now, but for a while there I had some battle scars/stains.

Shortly afterward, I was using the paper cutter and had to bend down to pick up some of the scraps of paper that had fallen on the floor. In doing so, I heard the tell-tale seam-ripping sound that is always a precursor to embarrassing situations. I did a quick check and didn't see any obvious consequences, but there's no telling what potentially mortifying hole I'm missing. I'll let you know if I end up unknowingly revealing the color of my underwear to the entire office.

Like I said, despite the drawbacks, I'm still in an unusually cheery mood. Last night wasn't so great -- my hour-long efforts in the kitchen for dinner yielded mediocre results and, later, mild nausea -- but this morning is looking much brighter. It's Thursday, which means it's the last day I have to dress up for the week. There's also a basketball game on tonight, which means I have a built-in activity to occupy my time when I get home. I also got to read an entire chapter of my newest book on the train this morning, and I'm loving it. I'm almost a third of the way done, and I just bought it on Tuesday. (I intend to write an entry about my thoughts on the book very soon.)

Anyway, that's about all for now. I'm not sure what I'll be doing this weekend, but I'm crossing my fingers that it'll involve copious amounts of watching LSU compete in the CWS. I'm planning on wearing my purple shirt in support of the team Saturday. Hopefully the color mojo will help.

-lindsay

I'm a foodie-in-training.

2009-06-08T09:49:00.013-05:00

So here's the post I promised in my earlier post, just much sooner than I expected. It's basically just my opinion of all the places I've eaten thus far in the city. The reviews probably aren't really helpful for anyone else, but they'll help me remember where I went and what I liked in the future.

Sweetwater Tavern -- We went here the very first night we were in DC. I don't think it's a national chain yet, but it must be a local favorite because there are a number of locations around the area. Honestly, I didn't really like it. I think the atmosphere was pretty cool -- it kinda had a "home on the range" cookout feeling, much like the Pace Salsa "New York City?!" commercials from back in the day -- but that was about it. We both ordered the chicken finger platter expecting something a la J.Alexander's. We were wrong. The tenders were coated in biscuit-like breading that was thick and doughy to try and compensate for the fact that the actual amount of meat was miniscule. The fries were good, but the ranch dip was very strange. It was like normal ranch with some extra ingredients thrown in. I don't mind variety, but I wish I would have been warned that it wasn't going to be plain-old ranch. The place wasn't horrible -- I'm not completely averse to going again -- but I'd definitely order something different next time.

Johnny Rockets -- This is a fifties-era diner chain that sets up shop in most major cities. We had been sightseeing all day long and were famished (I was close to passing out, which is a rarity), so I basically just picked the first place I saw. It was like a mirage, I swear. Anyway, we ordered iced tea, and it was AWFUL. I think it had steeped for too long. The burgers and fries we got were good, but they weren't anything spectacular. I think it's the kind of place that thrives off of atmosphere, but since it was empty when we went there, it didn't really do anything for me. Another average but forgettable dining experience.

Chipotle -- I know this is a national chain, but we don't have any in the South. I'd been reading rave reviews from other bloggers in the blogosphere and, as a result, was thrilled when I found out that they seem to be on every corner here in the DC area. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I ordered just a regular chicken burrito, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't necessarily good either. The ingredients were definitely fresh, but the chicken was a little too spicy/seasoned for my tastes. I ended up visiting a second time a few days later and switched it up to a carnitas burrito (I still have no idea what "carnitas" is). It was definitely better the second time around, but still not that great. Izzo's in BR is better by far, and I actually think I prefer Qdoba as well. I'm glad I can say I've tried it, but I don't think I'll be going back.

Cheesecake Factory -- Another chain, I know, but it had been highly touted by a certain someone that I know. Overall, I was impressed. I liked the atmosphere, and the service was great as well. I didn't LOVE my meal -- I got a three-cheese pasta that was kinda bland -- but the menu is so HUGE (12+ pages at least) that I'm sure I can find something else that would be much better. I did give in and get the obligatory strawberry cheesecake, and it was amazing. I'm hoping to go again before I leave for the summer, but even if I don't make it, I'll definitely go the next time I come across one in another city.

Heidi's Brooklyn Deli -- On my first day of work two weeks ago, my co-workers brought me here since it's right down the street from our building. It was awesome. I think it's another East Coast chain, but I didn't care. They have a wide variety of hot and cold deli (not sub-style) sandwiches that come on their in-house freshly baked bread. They give you HUGE pieces of bread, and the sandwich ingredients are fresh as well. For like $7.00 you get a huge sandwich, a bag of chips, and a drink, which is very reasonable for lunch in the city. I loved it, and I plan on making it a regular stop on the rare occasions when I don't bring my lunch. It makes Subway and Quizno's look pathetic.

Austin Grill -- Austin Grill was recommended by a friend who used to live in the DC area, and it definitely did not disappoint. It's a TexMex place with an emphasis on the "Tex" (the "Austin" in the name is in reference to Austin, TX), but it still scratched the Mexican food itch that I had. I ordered the beef burrito, which was accompanied by a side of cilantro rice. Unlike most Mexican restaurants, the beef actually had flavor other than pure taco seasoning. The burrito was also covered with melted cheese, which is always a plus for me :) The rice was tasty as well, although different from your typical Spanish rice. The portions were perfectly sized -- big enough to get full, but not big enough to make you sick -- and the prices were also reasonable. All in all, it was a satisfying experience, and I'd definitely go back again.

Gordon Biersch Brewery/Restaurant -- Yet another chain. But we were desperate and starving. Thankfully, it didn't disappoint. I got their American burger special, and while it was a bit pricier than your average hamburger, we definitely got our money's worth. It was huge! It was the best burger I'd had in a while (until I went to Five Guys, of course). Their garlic fries (minus the garlic in my case) were good as well. While the place as a whole really isn't anything worth writing home about, it would be an option if I needed a burger fix.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries -- This place was amazing. At first it appears to be just another fast food hamburger joint, but that's not the case. It's a little more expensive than typical fast food, and the wait is a little longer as well. It's totally worth it, though. The "regular" cheeseburger comes with two patties instead of just one, and you can add as many toppings as you like for no extra cost. Also, one "regular" side of fries will easily feed two people, if not three. Plus, it all tastes amazing. It might be the best hamburger I've had in a while, and I definitely plan on going back before I leave.

Wow, after reading all that, you'd think I'd been here for much longer than I actually have. I told you I wasn't kidding when I said I liked to eat :) I'm sure I'll have quite a few new places to add before much longer. I'm looking forward to it!

-lindsay