I'm A Legal Alien Now

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

A Little Washington Moment

Tonight Xena and I went to an event hosted by the Canucks. I do love Canadians. They're such a clean and friendly people. There was also the new Quebec Bureau rep there and you could not picture someone who looked more French (well French Canadian but whatever).

Afterwards, since it's such a spectacularly beautiful night (like a warm summer evening- 27C!- but without the humidity that typically accompanies such degree in this town) we decided to walk across town back home. En route we passed through Lafayatte Square, which is the park in front of the White House. Well! Breathtaking! The White House was all lit up looking grand and regal and the marigolds and cherry blossoms have bloomed so the trees were pink and fragrant. Xena summed it up best with a 'fuck, look at where we live'. It was incredible.

Since late Saturday I have been detouring my usual walking route towards work or Dupont Circle to head down Mass. Ave from Sheridan Circle to Dupont so I can pass the Hungry Hungry Hippie protesting outside the Embassy of Sudan with a handwritten HUNGER STRIKE FOR DARFUR sign. When I walked past just after 10 this evening I thought he must have been moved on by now, but not only was he still there (alive)- but he had been joined by another one! I kinda hope one goes insane in hunger and tries to eat the other.

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Sunday, March 25, 2007

Filene, let's never fight again.

As the weekend draws to a close, I realise we're edging ever closer to the Black Hole of April. Last night Gonzales had a big birthday celebration which involved a bar, dinner then a gay bar. I made new friends! I got a hug from a hot guy from Georgia! I had so much steak I got meat sweats! Mad times, mad, mad times.

This morning was brunch at my ironically named local Rugby with Scarlett & her boyfriend before walking over to Filene's where I finally took the plunge and bought new work clothes. It's been so long since I've been to Filene's. I forgot how exciting it was to buy three new shirts, a silk tie and three new pairs of socks for $100.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Dupont Circle

One of my favourite things this week has been walking home through Dupont Circle. Since we've been having blissfully warm evenings, the circle has become alive again with people sitting and chatting after work, old black men playing chess and people who are hurrying home taking a little longer to cross the circle. All it needs now is the fountain back on. I do love it.




Looking up the Dupont Circle Metro escalators at night... I can't explain how much these escalators scare me. They're horrendous in winter because you come from the heated station/train to icy winds barrelling down this tunnel. I'd say this photo is from halfway up.


You know what else I love? Baby German polar bears named Knut.


(none of these photos are mine)

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Weather, thou art fickle

Earlier this week we enjoyed brilliantly sunny and warm days of late spring. Last night it snowed. I honestly don't get this early Fall weather system at all and I don't really approve. It makes it very hard to dress appropriately. Even yesterday when sleet was predicted I doubted the appropriateness of an overcoat considering that the day before I had been in short sleeves.

The overcoat proved to be a wise choice thanks to my least favourite weather- ice pellets.

Work is thrillingly busy. I'm more relaxed and feel more independent and Xena & I make a great team. Things are getting really busy. There is a patch of April which I refer to as the Black Hole of April. It can best be summed up by in one twenty four hour period I have to work on major events starting at 6pm, 5.45am and 10.30am.

I don't know where I sit financially. I was worried, but then I re-assessed and decided I shouldn't be overly concerned but I'm still not sure. I guess I'm adjusting to rent-once-per-month as opposed to fortnightly but I still get startled at how quickly I piss it away. I'm going to think positively, but sensibly, about my finances and try not to get depressed. I'm not destitute by any means, it could be worse, and if I want to do things like go to Chicago (and, god help me, Australia in June) I need to live without a Reiss blazer. Such is adult life I suppose.

But seriously, they have some amazingly sexy blazers. I love superfluous buckles.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Visual DNA

Monday, March 12, 2007

Weekend! With Real Weekend Activities!

Splendid weekend! Social contact!

1. On Friday night was the first in Sexy T's birthday activities at a 14th Street bar. Only Scarlett and I from work ended up going with him but it was rad. Not surprisingly, he has hot gay friends. I also learnt about my new favourite shot- a Redheaded Slut (jagermeister, peach schapps and cranberry juice). Walked home with Scarlett, who is becoming a bit of a BFF.

Oh! Walking to the bar with Sexy T I learnt that my suspicions about the creepy looking building on 14 & S or thereabouts is in fact a sleazy gay sex club known as J.O.E's (jerk-off enthusiasts) so it was nice to have my gut feeling proven right.

2. Saturday night was part two of Sexy T's birthday, a more private event at his place. More sexy gay friends. I felt fat and slightly incompetent but it didn't really worry me nearly as much as it used to. Hung out a bit with Speedy Gonzales from work and his boyfriend. Drank more. Checked out Sexy T's amazingly hot (and, somewhat surprisingly, straight) Austrian roomie.

3. At one of the Dapper farewell events I was sitting next to Mrs Nikko who is the wife of Mr Nikko. Mr Nikko has the most incredible handlebar moustache. Anyway, it turned out during the course of the evening that they have this amazing Japanese house way out in Alexandria so I was invited over for a 'Japanese evening'. It was splendid! We had tea! We sat on the floor, on tatami! I had delicious sake!

I also learnt that the building that had so puzzled me from the plane as I took off for New York two Saturdays ago-


-is in fact the National Masonic Memorial and is home to the world's largest single Oriental carpet, apparently (Mr Nikko knows all sorts of things like this). It was quite striking viewed from a plane, as it quite literally sits in the middle of suburbia.

I have booked my trip to Chicago for Easter which has me thrilled. Best of all, the Palmer House Hilton was having a sale and come Easter, this is the lobby of my digs-

(none of the pics in this post are mine)

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Takeout Menu

I get only two sorts of mail at my apartment (this is by choice). I only get exciting packages from my parents or from Anne, or takeout menus.

The sad thing is, I find both exciting.

The packages are of course more thrilling but there is something about having my own takeout menu in my own mailbox which gives me this warm sense of satisfaction. Something about coming to my mailbox after work in my own lobby and seriously considering said takeout menu as I open my own apartment door to my own apartment, which I love, makes me rather wonderfully content. Drugstores no longer give me the same buzz anymore, which is a little sad in itself (they use to remind me, bizarrely, of the strange adventure I was on) but they seem to have been replaced by takeout menus. In my mailbox. And on my fridge in my apartment.

I don't get to use them that often- money is too tight really (he says as he is about to book Easter in Chicago). But I've found that Sunday pizza from MOVERS is surprisingly sensational and I love their pizza and they don't have a delivery fee and I discovered it because of junk mail in my letter box.

So in conclusion- take out menus are both satisfying and useful.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

New York: Another Pictorial Report

Clear skies! For flying! Another Washington first. The weather on Saturday was stunning in New York and surprisingly warm. I went for a bit of a stroll. First to the Museum of the City of New York which was surprisingly great. Then round the reservoir in Central Park, which was still partly frozen.

I was also very possibly the only person on the island of Manhattan who wasn't jogging round it.


Skyline! Hurrah.

I was actually on the look for new mugs. I briefly popped into the Met Museum but no luck. The Guggenheim was equally hideous. I blanched at the entry fee (and prices in the shop, though it was stunning dinnerware) at the Neue.

Happily, I then found the Cooper-Hewitt. Sensational! National Design Triennial. I did love it so. Especially the medical section. Did you know that they're inventing virtual reality video games to help young burns patients not feel pain when they're having their baths and treatment? Neato.

Front of the Coops:


I may have found my new mugs at the Guggenheim, but I lost my heart to the Coops.

On my way back to my hotel in the less posh area of the Upper East Side known as Yorkville, I saw this building I quite liked. I think it was because it was so narrow.


After a ridiculously long nap, I headed off to see Spring Awakening which is currently the hottest new musical on B'way. On the way I took the subway! I don't know why I developed an aversion to the subway last time I was here, but it's actually easy and neat and you hear more languages being spoken than anywhere outside the General Assembly. I got off near the beautiful old Rockefeller buildings and, lo,


Some little kid kept stacking it which was hilarious only because he also found it hilarious and didn't seem to be an entirely uncommon experience since he was wearing a bike helmet.

About the show:

It was good but not nearly as good as I was expecting. I mean, props to being probably the most intelligent and original show on Broadway right now but it just didn't do it for me. Of course backyard abortion and teen suicide aren't usually a riotous evening at the theatre but nonetheless it left me feeling quite hollow... I dunno. Some of the songs were quite cool, and I like how they managed to insert contemporary prock into an 1890s German play.

Luxurious sleep in before coffee with MM this morning. Bloody cold. I got halfway to the subway station before returning back to the hotel for my coat.

Now, some lovely bleak photos from Central Park.





With time to kill, I got a phone call from Xena (who also happened to be in New York) that the Neue was FREE because half of it was closed. I hurried to see the $135,000,000 Klimt. It was neat. I quite like Klimt. I endured the Met for a while. I had to queue for five minutes to see a frock, so I studied my map for the gallery which would be the most deserted but even Korean Art was busy. Happily though the moderns were quite bucolic.

I met up with Xena and her friend and we strolled through CP looking for a castle. I had many hot dogs as I was peckish and with a few hours until my 5.30pm flight back to DC. Strolled to a cab. Picked up my luggage. Got in cab. Checked ticket. Flight was actually at 4.30pm. Traffic jam on FDR Expressway. Hilarity.

Happily my taxi driver was very probably certifiably insane and I made it- with time to spare. Huzzah.

*Fin*

Friday, March 02, 2007

But What do I do with my hands????

This morning it was 17C! 17C!! This practically feels like summer. Anyway, the upshot was I didn't wear my overcoat this morning for the first time in weeks, if not months. The first five minutes was painful. Not because of temperature, but because I had no idea what to do with hands. Since November I have just dug them into the overcoat pockets, but now they hung idly not quite sure what to do with themselves. I tried to recall how I walked to work in summer. Eventually I fell into a natural pattern and peace prevailed.

A bizarre new situation... some boy I don't know just talked himself into being invited to my apartment 'to say hello'... and I have to pack for my 7am taxi tomorrow morning. For tomorrow morning I am flying up to New York for the weekend, and it shall be grand.