Brady Quinn joins the Browns

This morning, I checked out the news stories about the NFL Draft to learn more about Brady Quinn's 4-hour wait as the 22nd draft pick. Here are a few of the stories and laughable titles that I came across:

Browns make Brady Quinn's NFL Draft a real nightmare
Passing on the hype
Cleveland finally puts end to Quinn's misery
Brady Quinn: 'That Brady Is a Chump'
Tumble humbled Brady
At the Top, Not as Easy as 1, 2, 3

I'm glad that Brady joined the Cleveland Browns—a team that he's wanted to play for his whole life. I look forward to actually paying attention to NFL games just to see Quinn. Particularly if he maintains his hotness and gets as much air time as he did at Notre Dame, I might even become a Browns fan. I never really cared for the Falcons or Redskins anyway.

Weekend Review

I can’t believe that April is almost over. It has definitely been a good month and I look forward to May, my birthday month.

I’m slowly getting used to my new part time job. Certain aspects of the job still don’t make sense and the male sales people that I have to interact with when perspective members visit are super odd/thuggish/vulture-like. But the women I work with at the front desk are nice and seem more mature, as would be expected I guess. In spite of working everyday, I had a really great weekend. Saturday night, I headed out to Adam’s Morgan, which I don't visit often (aside from salsa dancing with my PC-GLOG). Of course, good ‘ole unpredictable, fun yet wild A-M was there and the fact that she was on her "best" behavior (no cursing or trash talking!!) made the night extra fun.

I think that we’re gonna try to make such outings a more regular thing, which would be great. I miss going out in the city like I used to when I was in school. And heading out with my normal social partners, A-M and GFA, is always a blast. I shouldn't let the fact that I hate the commute or want to save my cash for a rainy day get in the way of enjoying my (possibly) last year in this great city.

First day of PT work

Today was my first day of work at the neighborhood gym. I spent a few hours filling out paperwork and getting trained on the basics of being a front desk attendant. The job seems pretty straightforward with a couple more challenging tasks that I’ll have to figure out. Right now, I’m booked to work all weekend in order to learn my position. This will definitely limit my time to take fitness classes, but as I have no plans this weekend, it’s fine with me. I’m aiming to work just Friday-Sunday for a few hours each day. I really think that it will be manageable and although I’ll have less after work time for reading, watching TV, and attending social events, I still have the beginning of the week and late night to get my drink on and chill.

The people that I’m working with are mostly around my age and in there 20s and 30s. The only odd thing is that there is a distinct separation by sex between the front desk attendants (all women) and the sales staff (all men). But whatever, I’m not interested or good at sales. I’ll stick to greeting folks with a smile and dealing with member complaints.

All is well.

Tuesday Rundown

There is so much happening right now for me to report, but I don't have the time or the will to sit down and really hash out all the news. But, I will provide a rundown of the basics, in bullet point form:

• The gym in my neighborhood finally opened. I think it's really nice and I look forward to swimming laps in the pool—once I finally buy a swimsuit. I took my first aerobics class at the gym last night and it was a lot of fun. I feel great today and I look forward to checking out the other classes over the next week. Also, I've been hired as a front desk attendant at the gym. I start this weekend, which will be the official end of my social life. I know that having a part-time job will force me to be more disciplined and organized. I look forward to the challenge and the extra money I'll earn for my summer trip.
• Ah, my summer trip. It is almost certain that I will travel to Paris this July with my mom. I'm super excited about the trip and quite busy researching airfare, itineraries and hotels. It will be my first trip abroad since heading to Moscow as an exchange student in high school. I anticipate that this trip will motivate me to pursue the Peace Corps, TEFL, and other options for living and working abroad while I'm still "young."
• Last week, a report was released that linked the consumption of salt to a variety of cardiovascular health risks beyond high blood pressure. This is particularly self-gratifying for me, a true salt warrior, who's been complaining about the oversaltification of packaged and restaurant food since college. Now, I have scientific data to support my charge that salt, though natural and necessary for bodily processes, can be unhealthy if consumed in the excess.
• The weather has been simply marvelous in D.C. over the past few days. But my allergies have been unkind, so that I haven't been able to enjoy the weather as much as I'd like. I know that I have no reason to complain about the pollen count in D.C. when my hometown of Atlanta struggles with counts that are way off the charts. For example, in late March, Atlanta had a pollen count near 6,000 particles per cubic meter -- a level of 120 is considered extremely high. It would probably help if I bought some new allergy medicine and stopped popping expired pills. But I'm convinced that the medicine expiration date is meaningless, merely indicating that the medicine will be as less powerful or effective when expired but not harmful.

Earth Day 2007

Another Earth Day is upon us and I ask, what has really changed since last year?

I acknowledge that there seems to be increased dialogue and interest in environmental issues, particularly climate change. Yet, will all the talk and apparent concern translate to real solutions (most of which cut at our Western, consumer lifestyle)? I am hopeful about the future, but I’ve followed environmental issues long enough to be a bit more skeptical and at times, pessimistic that we will resolve our environmental issues, particularly as they require a fundamental change (paradigm shift!) in they ways that we think, live, and interact.

This Earth Day, I will renew my dedication to conservation and ecological respect, and most importantly, to discovering how we can reach the elusive shift that will help us more easily and fully mitigate our environmental and social problems.

Notes on a Thursday

Wow, I actually arrived at work early today. I'm so proud of myself. After Floyd's strong recommendation last night, I resolved to get out of bed after my second alarm instead of just turning it off and going back to sleep--only to wake up flustered 30 minutes later.

It was rather refreshing to arrive at the office at ease and with lots of time to spare. I think that once the weather gets warmer, I'll be even more motivated to get an early start and to enjoy a more leisurely commute.

***

I don't quite know what to say about what happened on the campus of Virginia Tech. Everyday, more information is revealed about both the victims and the gunman. My heart goes out to all of the students, families, friends and professors that were involved or impacted by the event.

My only comment is to stress the importance of accessible counseling resources for those affected by tragic events or just feeling troubled by Life.

Quarter-Life Crisis?

I wanted to write about my participation in a Step It Up National Day of Climate Action Rally on the National Mall.

Ooooo, it’s hot out here! There must be too much carbon in the atmosphere! Take action, take action and get some satisfaction!

Step it up, Congress: 80 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050!

But after receiving a notice to renew my lease and reading through a few posts on Brazen Careerist, I started to feel rather anxious about my life.

I don’t feel that I have much direction any more.

It is so weird that until recently, I knew exactly what I wanted to do in life. I had my career, education, and family life entirely planned out. After college and more recently after starting my first job, I realized that the real world offers both more possibilities and limitations than I had anticipated.

Most significantly, I realized a few months ago that I don’t have to pursue a career in the environmental field. I can still be good a environmentalist--living sustainanbly and supporting local, national and international environmental efforts--but I don’t have to work within the community. This realization was beyond shocking to me. I’ve spent at least 15 years dreaming up a life limited to a career at the EPA, Greenpeace, or as an environmental educator. Now, the whole world has been opened up to me and I’m scared. There are too many directions and possibilities for me and I just prefer the simpler life that I had planned when I was a 11 year old.

I feel totally off-track.

Irrationally, I figured that I would have a PhD, a great environmental career, a husband and a house by age 25. I’ll be 26 in a few weeks, and I haven’t achieved any of those things. As you might imagine, the pressure to achieve my irrational goals is mounting.

There is also a lot of pressure to figure out my next step.

My one-year anniversary at my job, in March, reminded me to reevaluate my current and future career and lifestyle. Over the course of the next year, I’ll have to decide:

-Should I stay in D.C., move home, or somewhere else?
-When should I go back to school and for what degree and where?
-Shouldn’t I apply to the Peace Corps first?
-Have I experienced and explored all that D.C. has to offer? (I still haven’t worked as an underpaid Hill staffer or for an evil K street lobbyist group)

Most of all, how can I truly make a difference?

I’m really nervous, scared, and confused about my next step, as I was after I graduated. Particularly, now that I’ve found another “safe place,” I feel compelled to hold onto it for as long as possible. But if I do, I’m disallowing myself the opportunity to grow and to experience all that D.C. and world has to offer.

My, the clock is ticking, the pressure is on.

The Hippo's 100th Post

Today I had an interview for a job at the new gym down the street (the one that is still not open!!).

I’ve been thinking about getting a part-time job since I finished graduate school. I feel that it would be a great way to meet other people in my neighborhood, challenge myself with a new experience, and earn extra cash to supplement my sufficient but not extraordinary non-profit income. I’m pretty sure that I nailed the interview, but who knows if my limited availability will work out. I know that working an extra 12 or more hours a week will take a lot out of my social life and relaxation time, but I think that it will be worth it—particularly, if it allows me to take two special vacation trips this year without going into debt.

The other news of the day is that I can now regularly listen to Depeche Mode, Weezer, and Billy Idol. I copied a few of their songs from Floyd’s 4,400-song music library. It is pretty amazing how much music he has already amassed on his Mac.

The last thing that I want to mention is that this is my 100th post! Yay, me! Here’s to the next 100.

Sing me a song, Elvis

Floyd has left, again. He's driving back to Texas with his brother right now, after a short, bittersweet stay with me. I miss him already, though I saw him only a few hours ago. It will be so lonely in my apartment tonight.

I know that I'll adjust back to my reality in a few days and again, enjoy the silence and relish in my life as a single girl in D.C. Yet, in the meantime...

Does your memory stray to a bright sunny day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight

The Weekend Review

Floyd and I took-in a double-feature over the weekend. We saw Reign over Me and The Reaping.

Surprisingly, Reign over Me was pretty good. Adam Sandler did a reasonable job (yes, I did tear up during his final monologue) and Don Cheadle's portrayal was phenomenal. The Reaping" was an okay scary/religious movie that made me want to stay away from satanic bayou cults and to work out so that my body can be as toned as Hilary Swank's.

The rest of the weekend was wonderful. Floyd is leaving tomorrow, so I only have a few final hours with him. I don't know when I'll see him again as our summer trip may be postponed, but he'll always be a vital part of Hippo Q. & Co.

TGIF!!

It's been a while since my last entry, but work has been super-busy and my dear friend Floyd is in town.

It's really nice having Floyd around. I almost forgot how nice it was to eat, shop, watch TV, and just walk around with him. It will definitely be lonely (and quieter!) in my apartment when he leaves next week. I'll miss him, but I know that I'll be okay when he leaves and that he'll be just fine with his new life in Texas.