Damage Control

So Eddie Murphy now has a SAG and a GG for Dreamgirls. Tell you what, if he can pull off an Oscar it'll be the most remarkable act of PR I've seen for a while. I mean, we're being bombarded with ads for his new comedy film Norbit, where he puts on another two fat suits to play an overweight black woman:



Surely, surely, for all that's right in the world this man cannot win an Oscar when voters are constantly being reminded of his current oeuvre?

Little Disappointments

So far the long weekend has been one of little disappointments. There's also the big dilemma of how fucked I am financially, but I worked out how I got my calculations so wrong. So very wrong. That's pleasing, but doesn't really change the fact I have about $39 at the moment (excluding my upcoming rent). Am going to sell some shares to cover this, ahem, shortfall.

But, the little disappointments in sequence:

1. On Friday night there was a loose plan to celebrate my national day with Xena & Co at a cafe in Georgetown co-owned by an Australian which was having Australia Day specials. This didn't eventuate, and I fobbed off another possible plan in the meantime.

2. I checked Target.com on the status of my sofa, and according to the website it arrived locally today. So I didn't go out all day so that when it arrived I was here to get the delivery guy to bring it in to my living room. Did. Not. Arrive.

3. The plan I fobbed off on Friday night was loosely rescheduled to tonight. Did. Not. Happen.

So none of these things are particularly vile, because each of them was an entirely vague arrangement never carrying a strong committment. But still. Mild frustration.

I opened all the windows today of my apartment and it was bliss. It was getting stuffy with the heaters on all the time. I've put a note in my calendar at work to buy a humidifier next Fall as waking up at the moment I feel so icky and dry.

Bleurrrghh

It's quite lovely having a public holiday when everyone else has to go to work. Quite lovely indeed.

Last night I had to go to a function of which I had very low expectations and ended up having a riot of a time. I hung out with Jack a fair bit, which was awesome, and the very glam Swiss-Moroccan wife of one of my favourite DC residents and we swapped drunken youth stories. And I learnt about Arkansas from a geologist (it has the first national river in the US). And the millionairess who was throwing this whole bash kept telling me how much she loved me. And I barely spoke to Dapper and Xena the whole night. They seemed somewhat surprised.
God, I hope I wasn't being too inappropriate. Some random woman in the bar after the event who I think thought Jack and I were a couple (hm, nice thought in it's own way... but no) and the two of us were being a little crazy.

And, why god, am I so fucking hungover? I had two glasses of wine between 7 and 10 then a vodka later at the bar. Possibly because I did it on one lamb cutlet.

Greatest Thing Ever Tonight

Just watch.

Snow: Quite Bloody Thrilling

YES. FINALLY.

Snow. Real accumulating honest-to-god snow. I'm so pleased I dragged myself to Payless to buy some fake Blundstones for this very eventuality (though I was sure such actions would nix any potential snowfall).

Outside my window at around 2pm I noticed the flakes begin to fall:


I waited a bit of a pile up before, rather thrillingly, donning my winter attire and heading out. It was all rather exciting.

My buffalo were also beginning to go white.



That is not a buffalo.

The same view as before, but a bit over an hour later:


And most recently:


This is all quite an exhilarating development in the scope of my meterology knowledge. It's not as nice now because it's turning a bit sleet-y but still. SNOW. Oh GOD YES.

Cold!

So tomorrow there is a maximum temp of -2C last time I checked and an 80% chance of snow. So fingers crossed, since it will be a Sunday and I won't need to trudge to work, that it will be white, white, white out there. Expect photography if so. It will make purchase of a beanie and snow boots increasingly urgent however, so I may have to head out to Payless (ugh- damn you finances, damn you to hell) out in Tenleytown. At least I'll have a New Yorker to read on the metro. I think I must've gone a bit overboard on furniture purchases and paying debts as my money is far tighter than I had anticipated.

Apparently I'm going out later which will be interesting as when one is going to a gay bar in such weather, what does one wear? Somehow my overcoat seems a bit inappropriate. I'm in a quandary.

Last night I went to see The History Boys with NN. I mean I obviously preferred the play more but the movie was quite superb too. Have a bit of a crush on Dominic Cooper, or rather his character Dakin.

And the movie made Posner, who I identify with the most, have a marginally happier ending which was nice. And I decided of all the boys, Scripps is the one I would want to be because he's the late teen I always wished I was- confident without cocky, doesn't give in to pressure and nice to everyone- equally comfortable with cocky turd Dakin as insecure gay Posner. Quite fine.

Package from Home

Firstly, it is bloody cold. Walking home tonight was the first time I thought 'hm, maybe I'm not so keen on the cold after all'. In good news though, the forecast for Friday is snow with accumulation of 1-2inches. That's exciting. 'Freezing rain' is not.

Buying a beanie is a task for the weekend, along with suitable boots for the snow. What I'd really like are some kicky revolutionary soldier/polo type boots-



but sadly it's not likely to fit in my budget and I fear people will get the wrong idea.

I came home today to multiple packages which was very exciting including my desk and a bookshelf and most excitingly, a package from home. It made me just a little homesick nostalgic. My big baggy home jumper smells like home.

Today at work was a bit of a tetanus day. Actually not really that bad, more of a MMR day. And I can't be in a snit about it because one of the things that came up I really deserved to be called out on. And there were apologies from both sides of the table, which is always good.

Jingle Bells, Jingle...oh.

I DID IT.

I have finally FINISHED my Christmas/Gift Shopping for Oct 23 2006- Jan 24 2007. All I need to do now is wrap, box and put on a boat to Australia so that they arrive by April.

I AM AWESOME.

Slightly tardy, but awesome nonetheless.

I saw Notes on a Scandal last night. It was written by the same guy who did Closer and there were lots of similarities- it felt a bit like a play and was emotionally devastating without being melodramatic. Also, most of the characters are unlikeable to the max. If Helen Mirren hadn't done The Queen, Judi Dench would have to win another Oscar for this movie. She is amazing- such a courageous actress to play such a harridan and do an implied nude scene with all her age- saggy arms, wobbly thighs- in full glory. Cate Blanchett is beautiful and brilliant too. All in all, it was a brilliant but harrowing movie.

Gimme a B, Gimme an O, Gimme a R...

No, I'm not cheering the DC street directory (FUCK I'M FUNNY!!! LOL!!!!KTHXBI)

My work and productivity has actually gone into the negatives. I have nothing to do all day. And I don't mean 'nothing interesting' I actually mean nothing as in nil laboris.

In better news, my finances have returned to normal thanks to some much-deserved pay today and a new health insurer who seems to take less but gives more. To celebrate I bought a sofa, a bookshelf, a desk and a bin. All online. It will be very interesting to see how the sofa comes through the mail.

Also, much cheered by the prospect of Sexy T applying to move into one of the temp positions we have in our little corner of the world.

So all in all despite doing nothing on the Commonwealth's dime today, it wasn't an entirely terrible day either.

Speaking of terrible:



That frantic whirring sound you hear is Bernstein spinning around in his grave.

Two/Too Many Nanna Trolleys!

After my documented tale of woe with my Nanna Trolley, I now have three nanna trolleys because the manufacturer sent me a replacement, Target sent me a replacement and I discovered the first one wasn't actually broken after all. Whoops.

But I took it out for a spin tonight and it's rather grand. I packed about $80 worth of groceries and a frying pan in there.

Also I scored a free chair. It's an office pleather thing in black which will go nicely with my eventual computer desk. I was browsing the craigslist free list and saw someone who was giving stuff away who lives in the apartment right below me, so score. I wasn't really after a chair (or dining table, but I passed on that) just now but considering it was a two minute trip away... and I took my first ride on the scary Elevator of Doom.

Paragooey

New Year's was way more fun than anticipated... every New Year's I tend to get a bit melancholic because I always feel like I should be having more fun than I am. In fact, the only one in recent memory that I've really enjoyed was 2006 because I decided to screw it all and stay home and play the Sims and eat roast lamb and it was heavenly.

Anyway, I went to Texas' house and thanks to the presence of her visiting nephew I wasn't the youngest by thirty years. It was really a very pleasant evening, and I got to meet the Ambassador to the OAS from Paraguay who is a thoroughly lovely and charming chap. All in all, I had a sensational time and slept in until 10.30am.