life update

"It's kind of hard to take life advice from a single woman who's using her treadmill as a hanger for a wedding dress. And who's wearing a one piece swimsuit instead of underwear."
-Jenna (Jane Krakowski) about Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) on 30 Rock.
Perhaps everyone feels this way but I relate to Liz Lemon more than any fictional character ever. I have def worn a bathing suit instead of underwear on more than one occasion, and while I don't have a wedding dress I haven't returned, I totes relate to Liz's reason that "my internet was being weird" and to her other hot mess moment that she had yet to put together a desk (since I'm having the exact same experience at this very moment). ughhhh, willl I ever get my life together? At least Tina Fey makes it all look good. I love Tina Fey like woah. When will the writer's strike be over?

anyway, so since I last spoke:

Monday I went to Myrtle Beach for literally 24 hours. In that time I covered/participated in and AIDS rally, attended Obama's debate watching party (super-fun, and unlike Clinton's comparable party free food and open bar) and shook Obama's hand. Quite fun. And Ithink I'm supporting him now though I keep going back and forth so we shall see.

Friday I ran into a Northwestern person at a bar which always makes me happy because I'm still nostalgic for the college lifestyle apparently. Like not so nostalgic that I actually want to go back, since while I really enjoyed college for the most part I really think my life is only getting better from this point forward. And maybe that's naive, but I think it's true. Still there's something nice about being somewhere where everybody knows your name.


Last night I slept 13 hours for no reason except for apparently being very tired and now I will never fall asleep again. And now I'm bored. After doing nothing today. Well, not nothing. I had dinner with Tina in Williamsburg and went grocery shopping and did dishes. And took a shower. But as Becca noted when you have to count a shower that is pretty bad.

Live-blogging the debate

Not really. And not that you need any political analysis, but I'm alone in my apt and want to share my thoughts. But I think I heart Obama again. He's sounding so smart. That's kind of a relief.

And Edwards makes me want to take a shower. He's populist for the sake of being populist.

Also my political theory which I want to share: Hillary's always going to poll lower than she is, because people don't want to admit they like her. I like her fine, but I'm back on the Obama track.

Politics really is to me what sports or fashion or other things are to other people. It's basically just gossip and judging people, but it feels more important because the country's future is at stake.

Cruising

As I reported earlier, I just came back from a 9 day cruise to the Caribbean, which was quite lovely. Unlike my previous cruises in high school (two stages of life ago, fyi) I didn't make any "cruise friends"--more like cruise acquaintances. Also, my peer group was mostly on their honeymoons. My brother and I were actually asked twice if we were married.

Lack of friends meant I hung out with my brother for the first time in forever, and was able to see him as an adult, which was quite priceless, really.

What else did I do? I got a mild tan. Wore pretty dresses. Probably gained weight from my daily bacon consumption and four course dinners (which were actually kind of underwhelming). Went snorkling in Tortolla, which is a beautiful island. Went horse back-riding through the countryside and the ocean(!). Took an improv workshop with the Second City touring group. Got really competitive during movie trivia. Went on a fishig boat tour where we didn't catch any fish but still had fun since there were fun people on the boat in Antigua. Went on a lame (and rainy) booze cruise in Barbados. Played blackjack with a $100 gift from my dad and after winning multiple days and becoming the child prodigy of the table, lost, so I guess winning doesn't count. Drank fruity drinks. And didn't check e-mail for 9 days which was probably a record for me since, I don't know...when I went on my teen tour in 2000. No joke. That's the longest I've gone without the internet in 7.5 years. That's kind of gross. But at least I know it's not a physical addiction.

Every island reminded me of Africa in a different way, so I'm sure I annoyed my dad and brother being like "These street vendors in St. Lucia remind me of Cape Town!" and "This poverty in Dominican Republic reminds me of the townships!"

I know most people I talked to on the ship wished we skipped it, but Samana, DR I actually really liked despite the poverty, and I kind of liked knowing that tourism was helping their economy. white guilt was rampant on my tour, and people handed kids money for "being cute." During this mini-hike we went on through to a waterfall in the mud and rain these Dominican kids took our hands and wanted money at the end. It was fun the way down when I practiced my 7th grade Spanish,(I literally remember nothing from after that...so sad) asking the boy "What is your name?", "How old are you?" and "Are you from here?" and my dad gave him $2. But we literally had no money after, so I told a girl who tried to take my hand "no tengo dinero" and she ran off to help someone else. A smaller girl, about 8 came by and I told her the same but I don't think she understood because when I told her again at the end, she was MAD. She literally gave me the evil eye until I left. It was so awkward. "You can stop feeling guilty," my dad told me unhelpfully, but whatever.

The other islands were much wealthier and thus a happier place to be a tourist. I've decided, by the way, a cruise is a very middle class experience. Rich and poor people go to Disneyworld but probably not on a cruise. Thought to pondor.

In other news, I hate CNN. I keep watching it for my election coverage, especially on the cruise, without internet, but I despise it. There is no analysis. Just reaction. The talking heads are complete crap. I particularly hate Donna Brazile, the black woman who worked for Gore I believe, who will spit out lines like "Iowa's voters choosing Obama shows they wanted change" or "Hillary Clinton's crying obviously resonated with voters." Stop talking out of your ass lady.
Thank g-d Jon Stewart and Colbert are back on the air. They aren't that crappy without writer.

happy new year!/adventures in voter registration

So I guess the holiday season is over and it's cold, but this only makes me more excited for the cruise I'm going on tomorrow (!!!!), to the Caribbean (!!!!!!), all-expenses paid (!!!!!) courtesy of my father. And I'm glad the New Years is over, since obv forced fun stresses me out. It was totally fine though. We had a lovely pre-party with a pretty good turnout of pretty great people. Then I went to a College Humor party in a Williamsburg warehouse, a last minute decision that sounds much cooler on paper then on the actual fun I had and since I was wine-drunk (ie. really tired) I left embarassingly early (though I did stay past midnight, so I'm not 67 years old yet). I think my New Years resolution is not to stay out later, but to make myself have more fun when I'm out so I WANT to stay out later.

Today was fun in a super-mundane way. Planning for vacations usually stresses me out (life pattern, anyone?) but since I've been off work since Friday I've been able to casually do the things I need to do to prep, though not buy a new bathing suit since I couldn't find a store that sold them. I spent the morning dropping off my laundry (not doing it), then getting a manicure, pedicure, bikini wax and an impulse-purchase arm wax which was possibly the best impulse purchase of my life and I'm not sure why I didn't do it 10 years ago.

Then I mailed in my application to register to vote. Such a process! I printed the form online, then went to the post office to get stamps (side note: the only time I remember that my postal code is swarming with Hasidic jews is when I go to a common area like, well, a post office) and then after buying stamps I saw that they had voter registration forms that I could use that didn't even need stamps! So I filled one of those out, but I had to be very careful since none of the English-language ones were there, so I translated my filled out form onto a Spanish languange one, hence saving myself whatever a stamp costs.

And the only reason I even knew the primary deadline is January 11 in NY (take note New Yorkers) is because Obama's people smartly e-mailed me, though it's actually not that smart, because despite my earlier allegance to the man, I'm kind of over him and am quite conflicted about who I'm voting for, but I think he might be 3rd place on my list since I am underwhelmed by his policy positions and don't know if he'll be an effective prez. I know I SHOULD vote for Edwards since he's the most liberal, but I kind of think it's special that we can elect a woman or a black president, and since I also think Edwards is kind of gross. I'll probably vote for Hillary, but still, I'm conflicted.


Anyway, and if I didn't register today I wouldn't be registered for the primaries. I almost considered not registering, since I like all 3 frontrunners (for the Dems, obv) but don't lovelovelove anyone enough to care which one wins. But then I realized that is the most hypocritical thing I could do, since while my vote only matters a little, it does matter a little, at least for the primaries, and politics is something I genuinely care about, and if a political dork like me can't take the time to register to vote, how can I complain about my fellow apathetic Americans? Granted, most Americans don't move every year like I do, but still, point given.

ok, so that is that. Have a good week and I will blog post-cruise. I am soooo excited to be disconneted from the internet and phone for 9 days. And I never thought I'd say that.