tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61071819918499495192012-01-12T15:17:38.321-06:00life, love, politics, and a whole lotta bullshitnotes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.comBlogger3991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-39023988925572287612012-01-06T22:21:00.003-06:002012-01-06T22:33:21.824-06:00

not so long ago, the gravity of my decisions amounted to red vs. white, taxi or metro, bourbon or irish, drive or walk, spain or the czech republic. not so long ago that i can count the months backwards on a hand, or maybe two. hubby and i've been talking about life insurance since well before we got married. we have a mortgage, expectations about a life with both our salaries, travel plans.

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-52881415160304655802012-01-02T13:54:00.004-06:002012-01-02T14:16:59.030-06:00

hubby and i broke in the new car on a road trip to the windy city for the holiday weekend. we spent new year's eve day hanging with friends while our teams (ucla and u of i) played each other in a most uncelebrated toilet bowl game, and then he went out with our friends that evening while i opted for a cozy night in bed cuddling with miss scarlet. it's not that i planned all along to bow out of

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-90776133622005547782011-12-16T21:16:00.004-06:002011-12-16T21:39:01.495-06:00

i traded in my mini cooper tonight. after seven years together, it was the hardest good-bye i've had in a very long time.i cried all the way home, and i've cried several times since getting home. i even think tears were freezing on my cheeks while i tried to walk away some of the grief with scarlet on the leash. it was hardly just a car...we made cross country trips together - three times, my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-21556144771817767192011-12-09T14:21:00.002-06:002011-12-09T14:37:25.465-06:00

the "out-of-control", "unsustainable", "certain doom" american deficit is but a joke. i'm so sick and tired of hearing about it, when nary a soul - not a single politician, and frankly, not a single american - wants to actually do a thing about it.no one wants taxes to go up. no one wants social security cut. no one wants medicare cut. no one wants defense spending cut. so from where and how,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-64014148033161446572011-11-30T16:52:00.002-06:002011-11-30T17:00:57.777-06:00

i am 20 weeks and 2 days into my pregnancy. i am starting to feel her move around, my belly is getting really big, and as we inch nearer and nearer her arrival, it all gets more and more real. as do the dreams... these last few nights, i've had long, crazy, wonderful dreams about my baby girl. it's so nice to see what she looks like, feel her in my arms, smell her luscious baby scent, and

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-65037933809236717102011-11-29T17:27:00.002-06:002011-11-29T17:32:53.784-06:00

i've been reading some random old blog posts, and discovered something most unusual. it seems that my tales, tone, terms, and syntax were much more flavorful when i lived in los angeles. is it because i now suffer irreparably by this horrendously inhumane seasons thing? is it because i'm old and my life has become boring? or is it because i live in a time and place where adventures don't just

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-89925668950199002552011-11-17T16:55:00.001-06:002011-11-17T16:57:05.387-06:00

Gamble everything for love,if you’re a true human being.-- Rumi

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-587882547664586612011-11-15T15:43:00.002-06:002011-11-15T15:53:05.611-06:00

today is my favorite day of the year, my birthday! it's my very own holiday that i don't have to share. it's a day in which the spotlight shines directly on me, and for each and every birthday i am consistently showered with tons of attention and affection. and i love it! facebook makes today even better because i hear from soooooo many people from so many chapters of my life. i know it's easy.

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-33984327040458550572011-11-11T13:59:00.002-06:002011-11-11T15:14:29.459-06:00

the headlines this week are all abuzz with sex scandals. from the g.o.p. nomination stage to a revered college locker room, it's all about sex.of course i'm starting with herman cain. here's a guy who deserves our collective kudos for his personification of the american dream. he grew up "poor but happy," and went on to make himself a millionaire. and now he's in a 3-way tie in earning the

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-7608067399292829492011-10-31T13:59:00.001-05:002011-10-31T14:01:07.518-05:00

dear st. louis - i am generally sorry for bringing blizzards, tornadoes, locusts, and an earthquake when i moved here. but you're totally welcome for the world series win!xoxo~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-29449719131908467222011-10-18T17:00:00.004-05:002011-10-18T17:58:49.350-05:00

my secret is finally out - I'M HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!i've been dying to write about it for weeks. i mean, my life is changing in these indescribable ways. the things going through my mind. how utterly sick i've been. how completely disgusting it's all been (from the aches and pains in bizarre places, the gag reflex with a mind of its own, farting like a frat boy, and feeling

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-51272167205602187962011-10-10T15:13:00.001-05:002011-10-10T15:14:44.765-05:00

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-18403189753807458902011-10-07T11:50:00.003-05:002011-10-07T12:23:33.609-05:00

just because i haven't been here doesn't mean i haven't had lots to say. there's lots on my mind, lots going on in the world, and i have things to say. but i also have a big secret i'm not yet at liberty to share, so i've been biting my fingers...but there's this one thing i grapple with that's becoming too overwhelming to just let be. i moved to st. louis for a boy. i've now been here for three

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-75933809686165666332011-08-08T11:44:00.003-05:002011-08-08T11:45:46.272-05:00

i've been married for a wee over a week, yet people keep asking me, "how's married life?" it's a joke, right? ~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-37107716347429292692011-08-03T21:53:00.004-05:002011-08-03T23:01:48.263-05:00

reasonableness in the american debate is clearly on hiatus. i can't even wrap my mind around how it is that people seem so tied to ideology that the real world bears no consideration. no matter the subject. every issue, every decision, every attempt at action is blocked by a mad mob and fought with the blood of vengeance. and these are the fucking morons running our country, so consumed with,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-29864202068762682862011-07-27T13:48:00.002-05:002011-07-27T14:37:16.331-05:00

i'm getting married in three days. it's not my first marriage (though it is my last), but it is my first big shabang wedding (i eloped last time, in a far away land, with very few friends and family willing to make the journey - fine by me!), and it is _the_ most stressful party i've ever planned. and i've planned a shit-ton of parties. i've spent a huge chunk of my career planning giant parties:

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-26888348495585876572011-07-15T17:56:00.005-05:002011-07-15T18:02:56.542-05:00

in honor of bastille day (yesterday), one of my favoritest authors, david mccullough (author of my beloved truman) wrote an op-ed in the ny times, reminding americans of the wonderful historical ties that bind us to my favorite of all cities... paris.so many favorites in one little article.~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-79539116344683453072011-07-11T16:42:00.005-05:002011-07-11T17:14:09.402-05:00

i've been watching the current discourse with a disaffected interest. for the first time i can remember, i do not believe that our politicians have america's best interests at heart.i've long been a defender of public servants on both sides of the aisle - in perhaps this one regard only - in my sincere belief that we all love america, we simply disagree on the government's role in things. however

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-87317023063574688512011-06-16T16:04:00.003-05:002011-06-16T16:16:03.585-05:00

R.S.V.P. = respondez s'il vous plait, french for "reply please". it doesn't mean do nothing. it doesn't mean you don't need to respond if you aren't going. it means FUCKING RESPOND! for folks (like me at the moment) in the throes of planning an event, things like headcount are important. we need to know how much booze to have on hand, our caterers need to know how much food to bring, and we need

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-22740069167560642492011-06-15T16:03:00.004-05:002011-06-15T16:27:17.460-05:00

i think having a grown up job in my field must mean that i'm meant to have more than one office under my purview. which is fine. i'm not one to complain about being a regular visitor to another town - even if town #2 is chicago.zip lives in chicago so i've long been a frequenter, and for those of you who frequent my ramblings you probably know i'm not chicago's biggest fan (and i really really

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-61103590600143791402011-06-01T17:14:00.004-05:002011-06-01T17:40:01.869-05:00

it happens sometimes. a high-speed-come-apart. i've probably spent the better part of the last year gearing up for this meltdown. i mean, let's recap.in the past year, i have lived in three timezones, on two coasts, and in between two rivers in the middle of the country. my heart was shattered, i adopted my baby scarlet, i left my music box steps for an abode inside the beltway, and fell in love

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-85604245012842056832011-05-27T12:54:00.002-05:002011-05-27T12:55:08.958-05:00

dear sarah palin -please, please, please run for president.sincerely,~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-85261160402836411352011-05-09T22:16:00.005-05:002011-05-09T23:18:33.952-05:00

over the course of the past week or so, i've read articles and op-eds, witnessed posts on facebooks, and listened to the words of angst - from even dear friends - that some inner turbulance, something deeply troubling, keeps them from celebrating the death of bin laden. i've even felt judged by them, as though some moral superiority separates their reservations from my profligate thirst for

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-72538595444756770072011-05-09T09:45:00.002-05:002011-05-09T10:26:16.420-05:00

i am and have always been opposed to federal subsidies to america's farmers. it's not that i dislike farmers or dislike food, it's that i am enraged by the effects of these subsidies on a variety of other government programs, and their resulting financial and health-related burdens.let's start with corn. the u.s. government subsidizes about 50% of the corn produced in america, at a cost of about

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-74666392083678261142011-05-02T19:51:00.006-05:002011-05-02T19:54:28.151-05:00

FUCK YOU!the end.~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-15755619326650233752011-05-01T23:25:00.003-05:002011-05-01T23:29:03.883-05:00

...the douche is dead! i've never felt so much joy over someone's death. but osama bin laden is one mother fucker who deserves our celebrating his demise.the end.~kp.s. i seriously need to stop watching the commentary and go to bed so i can start my new job tomorrow after a good night's rest.

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-53003779417368866112011-05-01T14:35:00.002-05:002011-05-01T15:05:44.012-05:00

i am pretty sure i've written about the dream act before, and about the fierce rhetoric against immigration and immigrants in particularly, but the whole thing still makes no sense to me. unless it's racism. and maybe it is?statistics show that immigrants are an economic boon in and of themselves. immigrants create mini economies within their communities, with its consumers' demands for

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-19449187893385987622011-04-22T22:50:00.003-05:002011-04-22T23:36:42.371-05:00

i've now been in st. louis for three months, observing, learning, getting the lay of the land, tasting the tids, drinking the suds, meeting the people, getting a job, and poking around into the political scene. fer starters, folks'll tell you that everyone here is from here, that when people ask where you went to school, they mean high school. but so far my only friends (outside of my new family

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-84077475185778027862011-04-11T09:46:00.006-05:002011-04-11T10:54:07.640-05:00

so, i saw kay bailey hutchinson's, "the debt ceiling is going to be armageddon," comment today, and i immediately felt a wee wretch. and then i looked at the greater dialogue going on today (and really every day), and found that i'm more bothered than usual that the republican party (in particularly) insists on motivating americans with fear. even hutchinson's comment (i'm thinking that you

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-92042038754143626272011-03-18T16:50:00.004-05:002011-03-18T17:26:28.339-05:00

for the record, the liberal interventionist in me is always on the side of proffering humanitarian aid, and i am just as eager to intervene militarily when the decision's made multilaterally.today, the UN, with support from some arab nations, made official a no-fly zone over libya, an announcement that was greeted with jubilation in libyan opposition stronghold bhenzagi. non-negotiable demands

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-37498615331416687542011-03-17T09:40:00.004-05:002011-03-18T22:39:11.952-05:00

not that anyone really needs a recap, but for the sake of some context, here some is. libyan rebel forces, inspired by the wave of revolutions across the middle east and the successful overthrows of autocrats to its east and west, have been fighting libya's dictator, colonel mohammar qaddafi, since about mid-february of this year. since the beginning of these protests, qaddafi's response has

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-47347741210105507032011-03-09T12:29:00.003-06:002011-03-09T12:42:39.453-06:00

i have so much free time right now. i mean, i have stuff to do, and do stuff, but i also have an incredible amount of free time. free time i use watching some television and reading a lot. free time i'm using to build a network and start a st. louis chapter of the new leaders council (and if you have friends or contacts in st louis that might be interested in helping, please put us in touch).

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-77164932789956421292011-02-28T21:57:00.003-06:002011-02-28T22:09:39.088-06:00

last night was my second tornado scare since my return to the midwest (the first was a novelty as i was but a visitor in my then-boyfriend's new house), and lemme just tell you about tornado scares.they start with a flashing color-coded weather map in the bottom left corner of whatever's on the television. last night's codes were: pink for severe thunderstorms (my fave!), green for tornado watch

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-31992339769623470292011-02-18T10:26:00.003-06:002011-02-18T10:49:22.168-06:00

planning a wedding isn't fun. unlike other parties i've planned (and i've planned and executed many successful parties), this one isn't really a party. it's more of an over-priced, over-trumped, challenge to meet a dozen competing expectations. what the eff is fun about that?my fiance and i have now looked at two possible venues for our upcoming nuptials. the first was okay. it is very

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-52063081695761436282011-02-11T09:19:00.005-06:002011-02-11T09:51:06.708-06:00

i can't believe it's been almost a month since i've been here. that has to be a record for me. and what a month it's been!being unemployed is a lot busier than you might think. i mean, don't get me wrong, it doesn't suck, but it's not very relaxing either. i'll admit that i've blown a few hours here and there watching tv and reading, and maybe even sleeping too much now and again, but packing

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-2597891962531490872011-01-15T15:36:00.006-06:002011-01-15T16:01:19.559-06:00

i've been thinking a lot about why my tour de DC has been such a failure, and though there are many contributing factors, i think i've concluded that, in a grander scheme of things, i'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than the other way around.i loved being in politics in california. it felt like there weren't that many of us, and our opportunities to reach into the hearts and minds of

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-14220234315094785462011-01-14T20:35:00.004-06:002011-01-14T20:53:39.522-06:00

i think i've mentioned that i'm moving, but i don't know that i've mentioned that i'm moving beyond the reach of the ny times.i didn't know this, of course, until yesterday. i was calling around to update my address (i always like to start with those publication-types as it takes them a few weeks to get the change in the system), and i was informed by the ny times that they don't deliver to my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-49352164131168932752011-01-14T20:22:00.003-06:002011-01-14T20:29:46.414-06:00

i've now been unemployed for a week. and it really doesn't suck. except for the part where there's almost too much to do. every day, i work out for an hour, piddle around doing personal stuff (like paying bills, updating my address, dealing with filing unemployment (not the easiest feat for a girl who spent the halves of last year in different "states"), getting ready to move), and i study for

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-14498527060980958962011-01-09T19:32:00.004-06:002011-01-09T20:00:53.798-06:00

i started the first week of the new year getting engaged and ended it getting fired. setting aside the melodrama, getting fired - whilst not a pleasant experience, really was the best thing that could have happened to me right now. my fiance is in st louis starting our life without me. and i want to be with him. i thought i was trapped in DC (and we all know how happy i've been here) till my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-23408982567955467292011-01-04T23:26:00.003-06:002011-01-04T23:51:40.543-06:00

where do i even begin?this whole little year end rundown might get a bit boring, so i do apologize, but watching the chips of my life fall into place with such effortlessness and to land so beautifully is a lot to wrap my mind around.just a coupla years ago, i walked out of a year forcibly leaving all the shit behind. i shed all the ropes and shackles holding me back (being haunted by my failed

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-4057596708476913092010-12-26T08:55:00.006-06:002010-12-26T09:25:21.343-06:00

i'm sure i've mentioned that i live smack dab in the center of urban mania. there are always people around, horns honking, sirens blaring, bottles breaking, and dogs barking. "war of the worlds" as kbd-l might quip. and i love it. it's so full of life, with diversity in people, restaurants, bars, and stores. laughter, yelling, and chatter at every turn. and in all that chaos is a genuine

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-49487719047614304662010-12-22T14:06:00.006-06:002010-12-26T09:29:58.558-06:00

in the midst of a very productive lame duck session of congress (d.a.d.t. repealed, START ratified, another giant stimulus package passed), and president obama knocking some heads, a most unfortunate dream slipped through the cracks of congress. okay, so immigration in america is a subject most don't even want to touch. sooooo many morons out there... despite the fact that we are a nation of

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-42048887396781428372010-12-12T09:59:00.004-06:002010-12-12T10:19:58.042-06:00

i have spent 13 years of christmases in a tropical paradise, give or take a coupla holiday vacations to winter wonderlands, trying harder to get in the spirit than actually being in the holiday spirit. but living in a place where it's cold (bitter bitter cold), it just feels like christmas. and christmas kinda rocks!yesterday whilst driving miss scarlet to her photo shoot with santa claus, i

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-36429477027519687362010-12-01T20:41:00.004-06:002010-12-01T20:58:20.521-06:00

metro insolence is becoming a theme on these music box steps, but the level of chutzpah i encountered today gives fucktarded egoism a whole new meaning. i actually had to ask an able-bodied white male in his mid-30's, who happened to be sitting underneath this sign,to move his bag so i could sit in the seat next to him.are you fucking kidding me?~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-86266605190088627182010-11-29T14:08:00.003-06:002011-01-04T23:57:03.101-06:00

i've not yet decided where i stand on this whole wikileaks thing. there is a part of me that rather enjoys the "no shit sherlock" vindication of my long-held beliefs that the obama administration is much better at chess than were the bushies (see cables between u.s. and russia over the missile defense move in exchange for a vote against iran, see cables between u.s. and saudi arabia to get china

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-24453346038731503342010-11-21T14:08:00.007-06:002010-11-21T14:40:39.034-06:00

i think "what if" is a question we've all asked. probably more than once. some of us wonder, others dwell, sometimes in and out of heartbreak and sometimes just because. sometimes out of curiosity, others out of regret, but it's one of those questions in life we can't help but ask from time to time.i've asked a lot this week past. my dearest little kbd, hot off the midterm campaign trail, has

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-64117137283087742032010-11-14T10:12:00.005-06:002010-11-14T10:38:22.584-06:00

last year, my birthday was a really big deal and an even bigger production. before whisking myself off to europe for two weeks of celebrating me (i mean, it was a really big deal for me to get to that place where i was perfectly happy with me, accepting of where and how i got there, and knowing i was due for some big changes), 25 of my closest friends and i had a fabby pho dinner and too many

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-58279384447058705332010-11-09T16:01:00.001-06:002010-11-09T16:03:02.243-06:00

i've nothing to say. the end.~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-15372779796470344912010-11-04T08:59:00.005-05:002010-11-04T09:24:28.988-05:00

okay, the fat lady has sung, repugs took the house, and my thoughts've been requested.my initial thought is one of giddiness. it's no fun for me to bag on a potus i love so much. and despite the thoughts of many, i never hated nancy pelosi or even harry reid (though i do think the latter is a bit of a pussy). and as incompetent as the now-lameduck congress has been the past two years, i sincerely

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-6359691664293359702010-10-27T21:45:00.002-05:002010-10-27T22:30:26.040-05:00

we're six days away from the next big election. pundits are out in full force, proclamations a plenty that the downfall of democrats will amount to a blood bath. and whilst i've no doubt dems are going to lose plenty of seats in the house, and maybe even a couple in the senate, i don't foresee a slaughter of any sort. in fact, i think i'll go ahead and hold my breath till the fat lady

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-80173246537819299012010-10-17T18:57:00.003-05:002010-10-17T19:06:54.537-05:00

i am trying so hard to train my little puppy to do some tricks for treats. she's got "sit" down pat. "lie down" is another one that she responds to as's meant. everything else is a battle, and she'll do it, but totally begrudgingly. fer instance, here's a little replay of our conversation today:~k: sit.[scarlet sits]~k: lie down.[scarlet lies down]~k: good girl.[scarlet gets tasty treat]~k:

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-3434004829434876462010-10-16T18:18:00.003-05:002010-10-16T18:23:15.842-05:00

i'm not much of a dessert kinda gal. i don't even want cake on my birthday (though i'll never push away a fat slice of pumpkin cheesecake), any of the sweets strewn about the tables at christmas parties, or peeps at easter time. and until two weeks ago, baklava was just another "eh" in the dessert world.but in turkey, something changed. something major. baklava happened. the kind that's

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-54542791155310320172010-10-15T09:16:00.004-05:002010-10-15T09:52:27.840-05:00

i've been stateside long enough to start to feel human again (still can't believe how hard it's been to recover from the jetlag), reflect all things turkey, and of all the things that stand out in my mind about that wonderful center of the world, it's the genuine hospitable nature of its people.thanks to the truman national security project and the rumi forum, i was offered a once-in-a-lifetime

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-37580221631206898922010-10-10T15:06:00.002-05:002010-10-10T15:31:13.412-05:00

there is so much to say about turkey: politics, people, culture, hosptiality, that i got to scratch my first item from my bucket list. but i am in paris right now, blogging from an internet cafe on a french keyboard (whoa, hard!), and have more pressing things on my mind.fer starters, why is the "a" key on the top line, where is the question mark, and why do i have to hit the shift key for the

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-76363361859878403102010-09-26T16:10:00.003-05:002010-09-26T16:36:02.242-05:00

this may be one of those blog entries that gets me into trouble for speaking first here, for surprising someone i care about with some bit of info about me that i didn't warn them about first. so this time i'm going to start with the end.there is nothing on earth i want more than the life my boyfriend is offering me: a house in the burbs of a small(er) city, complete with a long commute, another

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-82555971348945881712010-09-22T21:43:00.004-05:002010-09-22T22:04:02.178-05:00

i'm lying in bed with my puppy, reflecting on the retarded day i've had, and trying to figure out how i'm going to spend my 22 hours in paris in a coupla weeks (we'll get to this in a minute). today was one of those hazey days where i really do have to stop and ask myself whose life i'm living. as is typical for me, i had to claw my way out of bed, went through the usual morning routine (sans

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-66628381056592571632010-09-20T19:27:00.003-05:002010-09-20T19:54:08.932-05:00

i took miss scarlet home with me last weekend, and brought her back to the district with me this morning. on a plane. omg!first off, anyone who frequents these steps knows that my puppy is as bratty as her mommy. we are equally as cute, cuddly, fun, and pain in the ass. it's part of our charm. we embrace it with the same pizzazz. we are two peas in a pod.but unlike miss scarlet, i don't cry,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-67671956203934597022010-09-15T16:25:00.004-05:002010-09-15T16:45:29.299-05:00

for months, i've been listening to dems wail about how we're going to lose control of congress this fall, and republicans whoop and holler that they're destined to gain control. a story that's been told, retold, and retooled by the nonsensical propagandists we find in the 24-hour news cycle. but the thing about politics is that it's always too early to tell, when it's never going to be over

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-68725615137202882852010-09-08T21:32:00.003-05:002010-09-08T21:52:50.236-05:00

for those of you unfamiliar with the wiley ways of the supernatural, the above is a reference to a tarot card: a major arcana card representing transition into the next phase of life. what the eff you may be asking yourselves...i went to see a psychic tonight. i'm forever curious about those who claim vision into the beyond, and i'm hyper critical to and perhaps even "closed off" to their

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-4010982785837989562010-08-29T21:52:00.004-05:002010-08-29T22:19:52.227-05:00

when i learned i was moving to washington, i promised myself to roll with whatever life had in store for me. no more fighting, searching, longing. i was just going to be. i mean, it's not just that we never know what is in store for us. it's that if we're so focused on the search, we miss what is, and i wanted to stop and smell the flowers for a while. and i guess maybe that's just easier to

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-3531777533382970972010-08-26T15:34:00.005-05:002010-08-26T15:54:07.080-05:00

i rarely write about the day job because i don't think it's terribly appropriate (even though i'll never mention where i work, who i work for, and will be super pissed if any of my readers spill those beans), and in the grand scheme of things, my day job doesn't play a giant role in how i define myself as a person and my satisfaction in life.at least it didn't until recently. because recently, my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-63732078956260030832010-08-22T12:32:00.008-05:002010-08-22T13:00:42.942-05:00

when i got out of bed this morning, i knew i'd spend much of today thinking and writing. for the first time in weeks, i feel rested. i awoke happy that my puppy let me sleep till almost noon, that i found a most lovely letter from my love, and i was super stoked to take apart both of my newspapers whilst my coffee brewed and i fired up the tele for this morning's meet the press.what i didn't

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-61426530174611923982010-08-18T22:17:00.003-05:002010-08-18T22:37:29.151-05:00

when i lived in southern california, a rainy day meant a day indoors. i didn't go to work, didn't run errands, canceled plans, and pretty much canceled life till the storm passed. here, that would be impossible because it rains too much to hold up a 'hold' sign.my morning started trying to convince miss scarlet to go potty while the rain drenched her fair coat. i failed. but i did make it

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-14038615963025279152010-08-16T21:31:00.002-05:002010-08-16T21:35:58.044-05:00

though i've been here several times the past week, i've written not a word. it's not that i haven't had anything to say, it's that i'm afraid to say it. afraid to be myself in my own space, observe what i will, say what i will, live as i will. as though it's my responsibility to live up to other people's ideal of me. how fucked up is that? like seriously, how could i let someone else's

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-59370618585031334742010-08-09T14:19:00.006-05:002010-08-09T15:29:41.863-05:00

dear paris wagon guy -this is my place. mine. my safe place to be me, express me, and be comfortable with me.this is where i feel free to write what i will, express whatever tickles my fancy today, put out there whatever is on my mind. this is _my_ place to do with as i please. and if you don't like what i'm writing, then peace the eff out.if i want to write about politics, i will. if i want to

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-24199761485297381312010-08-08T08:11:00.006-05:002010-08-08T08:52:35.701-05:00

one of my favorite things about italy is the solitude of her morning. in venice in particular. too dark still to be morning long after it should, the only sounds being the faint swish of the brooms sweeping the streets of yesterday and the mild rushing of water through the canals, venice mornings have a hauntingly romantic feel about it. dc mornings, on the other hand, though similarly dereft

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-14966029400002141392010-08-06T22:10:00.005-05:002010-08-08T08:10:52.274-05:00

i just saw a commercial referencing "back to school," and can't get my arms around the fact that summer is nearly over, any more than i can that zip's wedding wasn't a year ago. i mean, 6 june was only two months ago, even though it feels like it was 12. kinda like the fact that monday was five days ago, when feels a month and a day ago.and it's not just the immediacy of time that feels so

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-73540092867580707912010-08-02T20:30:00.002-05:002010-08-02T20:41:56.637-05:00

when i see chicken bones strewn all about the street, there's this picture of bluto in my mind. you know the guy, popeye's nemesis. a big, fat, really mean man with a mean laugh. i picture him with a KFC bucket in his hand, inhaling one chicken leg after the other, and haphazardly tossing the bones wherever they may land. which is where they were five seconds before my dog got them into her

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-33469749263217290482010-07-29T09:07:00.004-05:002010-07-29T09:46:29.415-05:00

i take the subway to work. i love taking the subway to work because i feel like i'm really living up the whole city life thing, and i love the metro etiquette i've found underground.fer instance, when the train is coming in everyone lines up, and when it stops, the lines move to either side of the doors so that when the doors open, the folks getting off the train have free access onto the

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-19258409009122097532010-07-26T16:54:00.005-05:002010-07-26T17:07:09.488-05:00

i changed my blog layout for the first time (sans an experimental phase i went through when we first went live). i haven't been feeling the old scroll look lately. it just doesn't fit anymore. like so many things that made me me yesterday.my life is so different today than it was three months ago. i know: duh. but it isn't just the general scenery change, it's that i feel lighter. like i

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-91092540503646617372010-07-18T12:18:00.004-05:002010-07-18T12:28:47.773-05:00

miss scarlet is the first dog i've ever had, so i'm new to everything "dog". which is probably the primary reason i find her so utterly fascinating.i returned from a long bout of errand running this morning with a small bone for the little miss (her first non-nylabone), and she has been 100% occupied since the hand-off. when she finished her first round of bone-gnawing, she put its remains in

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-72856594896970735852010-07-16T16:55:00.006-05:002010-07-26T17:12:18.152-05:00

everything was hard today!first off, going into today i knew there was going to be some serious work drama. so i took lotsa deep breaths and pretty effectively controlled damage. but it was hard.and there were computer issues - firmwide. and i have such little patience for technological irritants, the amount of stress i feel (admittedly asinine) is probably unhealthy.and the paycheck fiasco.

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-84619252919654509142010-07-13T19:48:00.005-05:002010-07-13T20:35:18.948-05:00

i got completely drenched today by an unexpected downpour, choosing to leave the warmth and comfort of a neighborhood favorite to brave the torrential rains so my puppy wouldn't have to be alone in thunder (team so cal is having a wee trouble adjusting to this whole weather bit).i was finally dining at this fabby place i've had my eye on. such a cool place, with its loungey vibe, shelves full of

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-32961840503480468192010-07-07T20:38:00.004-05:002010-07-07T21:01:52.891-05:00

my furniture came today. it got picked up on the 17th of june and arrived today. odd start to my morning, with an oil spill having closed my street, my dog rolling around in the sand that DDOT threw down to soak up the goo, and a wee-morning trip to the vet (dudes, my vet is two blocks from here. TWO BLOCKS!) before the movers arrived with my boxes of life.my vet surprised me. he is younger

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-20896619455461913782010-07-01T15:11:00.005-05:002010-07-01T15:34:52.438-05:00

okay, so i'm still pretty far from settled. still no furniture, my dog is pissed off at me because she's spending all day at home alone, the new job is madness to the nth degree, and i'm still outta the loop (despite efforts by some of you to rectify my current state of ignorant bliss). but i can't even tell you how much i am loving my new life!i think one of the biggest reasons is because i feel

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-72540726859785082102010-06-26T20:46:00.000-05:002010-06-26T20:47:16.102-05:00

i'm not giving up on the hope that i'll be able to pirate a connection tonight. it feels like i haven't been online in weeks, that i haven't read a newspaper in months, and that i'm farther out of any loop than i've ever been.but i'm home. i've hung my hat and scarlet her leash on u street. and even though our stuff doesn't get here until the second week in july, i am so happy to be _home_, i

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-7305770016153112962010-06-18T09:49:00.005-05:002010-07-18T12:36:11.486-05:00

yesterday marked the end of the beginning for me. after the movers left, i swept the floor, took out the last bag of recycling, finished putting my bags in the car, and just stood in the living room of my empty music box steps apartment for a final quiet moment.and for a brief instant i felt overwhelmed by sadness. and then gratefulness creeped in. for as sad as it is to leave my home, i'm

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-4503334369838995002010-06-11T23:15:00.003-05:002010-06-11T23:30:14.596-05:00

i've moved to a swamp with overpriced and undersized housing. with traffic worse than LA's, douchebaggery galore, people who overdress for everything, and intellectual snobbery i cannot even describe (yet). and haysoos is it hot, sticky, and uncomfortable! but i have never been any place (save perhaps paris) that feels more like my town. i love it here. i love walking the streets alone,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-47137279955717123692010-06-08T10:21:00.003-05:002010-06-08T10:39:30.270-05:00

after my girl zip exchanged her vows sunday, and a long night of fun to the nth came to an end, i hopped a flight to my new town. where, um, madness abounds.first of all, i'm in a new job. the office isn't new. the company isn't new. the people aren't new. but the job is new. the city is new. the commute is new. the hours are new (i am used to rolling in around 9:30 or 10:00, but on this coast,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-36710002176447935662010-06-04T00:10:00.000-05:002010-06-04T00:19:14.716-05:00

i didn't make it to the next stage. and while on the one hand, that shit stings. on the other, i'm relieved. i mean, honestly, don't i have enough going on? in the grand scheme of things, i was dreading the thought of having to prepare for the most insane interview of my life whilst starting a new life and a new job in a new city. i can start the foreign service rigamarole over again in a

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-83626504888335883142010-06-03T00:20:00.000-05:002010-06-03T00:35:08.243-05:00

stop one, chicago. zip is getting married on sunday and i am her bitch until i continue the eastward journey on monday. i'm no friend to chicago. i mean, zip lives here, the end. and it does house the art institute, the architecture boat tour, that super fun photo op at the top of the hancock building, and wrigley field (for the record, just because i love wrigley field does not mean i don't

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-56965963254931215112010-05-31T16:56:00.000-05:002010-05-31T17:23:57.241-05:00

i've lived the best three years of my life on the music box steps, which makes it especially hard to say goodbye. and especially easy too. they all come and go in waves: nostalgia, daring, sadness, excitement, fear, lady luck. and in the center of all the madness, there is a perfect calmness. because it's time. and i'm ready. all roads i want to travel depart from washington. i'm pretty

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-65474363972920287562010-05-28T01:20:00.000-05:002010-05-28T01:40:26.190-05:00

haysoos!first of all, i've had no wi-fi for seven days. talk about a walk through the gates of hell. and i only just found out yesterday that there was non-dial-up internet in the house. but of course, by then it didn't matter... last thursday, my mom called to tell me that my grandpa wouldn't make it through the weekend. i was on the red-eye that night. my parents got divorced when i was a

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-89095333046834676952010-05-19T20:56:00.001-05:002010-05-19T21:20:18.622-05:00

whilst i traveled in search of work, miss scarlet stayed with a friend of mine who has two small dogs - one of which is about scarlet's age. my girl was so excited to see her new bffs - henry and maggie, i don't even think she noticed me leaving her saturday morning. and then she went and had such a blast all weekend, going on hikes, wrestling with henry, cuddling with maggie, and playing 24/7,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-8406735805608419162010-05-19T00:27:00.000-05:002010-05-19T00:41:25.529-05:00

i'm back from my interviews on the other coast, and whilst nothing is yet written in stone (and until the stone tablet hits my desk, details here will remain murky), i'm about 90% certain that i walked out of LAX for the last time today. i look all around me, and see a part of my life coming to a close. i'm done here. i no longer belong in los angeles or to los angeles. our interests, hopes,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-84523579310495324922010-05-14T00:19:00.000-05:002010-05-14T00:45:14.086-05:00

i firmly believe it is our hopes and dreams that make us who we are, and not just in the abstract, but in the choices we make and the actions we take every day in furtherance of our own personal ideal. i am a dreamer. i dream big and hope even bigger. i jump off crazy steep cliffs, and whilst i smack face first into a stone wall as often as i land on both feet, i never stop believing in my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-17196018699848678612010-05-11T15:37:00.000-05:002010-05-11T15:41:22.670-05:00

i can't believe it's been an entire week since i put anything up here. it's in part because i'm in the eye of a hurrichange and i don't want to jinx my prospects (looking better by the day!), and in part because i'm so fascinated by scarlet, i really just want to sit and watch her when i'm not playing with her, walking her, or pulling shit out of her mouth. life is good! ~k

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-71699484297843420572010-05-04T23:02:00.000-05:002010-05-04T23:24:17.150-05:00

sometimes i want to blog about things i don't want paris guy to know, but i hold back or i don't publish because i know he's here. and whilst i think if i asked him not to be here, he would respect my wishes and stay away. but i don't want him to leave. and even though my ego doesn't want him to know how much i miss him, the rest of me kind of doesn't give a shit anymore. i mean, this is my

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-42947860698838781862010-05-03T21:04:00.000-05:002010-05-04T21:27:43.998-05:00

scarlet and i survived our first weekend together, and we're coming up on the end of our first regular ole day. there have certainly been some bumps here and there, and i'll bet she was not pleased to spend the day alone today, but getting to know her is, like, wow.she's spunky. and so sweet, curious, cuddly, and playful. sometimes i wake up in the middle of the night to her growling at her

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-86084465395408255442010-04-30T23:39:00.001-05:002010-08-02T20:08:51.578-05:00

my girl is here. and i'm a wreck.first of all, she is the cutest thing i have ever seen. she is sweet, cuddly, curious, and damn stubborn as hell. but she's so confused, and i feel so guilty for taking her away from her rescue mommy and displacing her into this crazy city life she has no idea what to do about (which really does break my heart, even if i am super certain that we'll be bff in no

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-74718310478584878942010-04-27T23:37:00.000-05:002010-04-28T00:06:38.174-05:00

while my original plan was to work from home today because a funeral was going to wreak havoc on my commute, when i was still in bed for "morning becomes eclectic", the day seemed like it might be turning into a personal day. when i got the email that my adoption was going through and that scarlet would be arriving on friday (see three days from now), i knew a personal day was in order, as a

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-33978612888549203392010-04-26T22:29:00.000-05:002010-04-26T22:44:47.346-05:00

i don't know when my ego will recover from the crushing blow it was dealt today, but it's really got the rest of me in a serious bout of self doubt...turns out i'm FS-average.this google doc went around to the foreign service yahoo group, asking us to input our FSOT scores so's to compare. and whilst i already knew i'd passed by the hair of my chinny chin chin, today i was knocked completely off

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-56881164553666886132010-04-24T11:08:00.000-05:002010-04-25T16:35:59.181-05:00

in the coming weeks, i'm likely to bore y'all to tears with the acronyms that increasingly gain more relevance in my life (and i'm fer reals going to have to start a cheat sheet at some point), not to mention the fear of this "interview" process in getting my dream job in a "public diplomacy cone".FSOA = foreign service oral assessment. think that sounds like a big deal? well lemme tell you,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-30849213428358724602010-04-23T00:23:00.000-05:002010-04-23T00:58:06.281-05:00

for weeks, i've been riveted by lawrence wright's the looming tower, an incredibly well-researched and even more impressively written (see pulitzer prize) account of the rise of islamic terrorism and al queda in particular. i've had nightmares, chewed my fingernails to the quick, and relived moments of terror that truly will live forever in infamy.i learned far too much about osama bin laden,

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-48577958254800866722010-04-20T13:27:00.000-05:002010-04-25T16:37:23.411-05:00

in light of the fact that most of my night terrors revolve around terrorists, being chased by monsters, and forcing myself to wake up just before freddy krueger plunges his knivey finger nails into my jugular, this latest sleep intrusion seems but a minor inconvenience. but i'll be goddammed if i'm not twisted into nine kindsa knots today after waking at 2am horrified that my teeth had fallen

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-7871879285495047402010-04-18T17:15:00.000-05:002010-04-18T18:36:22.239-05:00

yesterday afternoon, after spending the morning nursing a hangover the likes of which i've not known for days a plenty, i hopped a flight to vegas with six of my k street friends. for those of you who live lives absent lobbyists, you should know that they are some of the coolest, funnest, most interesting, lively people to ever walk the earth. fun is not only guaranteed when hanging out with

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-43015495053629378922010-04-15T10:24:00.001-05:002010-04-15T13:38:10.763-05:00

in this morning's ny times is an article analyzing teabaggers. when i first saw the breaking news email yesterday, it spoke of teabagger anger, which caused my heart to flip a flop whilst the historian in me immediately thought of the bolshevics, the guillotine, and the maoists. or, a typical uprising defined by class struggles, the anger of the proletariat, the road to communism...and i sort of

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-49551901373973416752010-04-12T19:14:00.000-05:002010-04-12T19:35:58.941-05:00

since my last post, nearly a week ago, i've left three in the unpublished queue, and've dropped a few thousand other words here, there, and everywhere. though it probably seems there isn't much i don't share here, sometimes i can't help but hold back.and i've got a bit swirling about my brain these days. too much, if truth be told. i'm trying too hard to make sense of things that can't. i'm

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-11854835256738531912010-04-07T22:20:00.000-05:002010-04-07T23:05:39.694-05:00

i have spent a week in hell. and it all began with that foreign service post...to which paris guy responded, "I cannot stand in the way of someone who wants to change the world. Especially a baller like you whose changes and difference making I fully support and am (make no mistake here) the BIGGEST fan of, no matter any others' claims. Your path is not mine..." (and, omg, the way he uses

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107181991849949519.post-6690571925404514382010-04-07T18:55:00.000-05:002010-04-07T18:59:11.557-05:00

"the truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. for it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." - m. scott peck

notes from the music box stepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13988020371370112158noreply@blogger.com0