The Hallmark Nightmare

I'm beginning to hate Hallmark stores. Not because I waste an hour every time I walk in or because the overly happy woman working behind the counter never understands that I just want to buy a card and not chit chat for ten minutes.

I hate them because of the depressing feeling that sinks in every time I ring that annoying little bell on the door. Last time I was in a Hallmark store, I bought three wedding cards, an engagement card, a congrats on med school card and an it's a girl card.

Most of my friends from college are either: 1. Married, 2. Married and expecting a baby, 3. Engaged, 4. In a long-term relationship (in which an eventual marriage has been agreed upon), or 5. In a relationship.

I know I'm still young and have a lot of time to find someone and figure everything out, but they're young too! Sometimes it just makes me sad.

Ok, time to mail the "Congrats on the Engagement" card... and then watch some cheesy romantic comedy to cheer me up.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

It was snowing on my way home today. I hope it snows all night. I hope I wake up to three feet of snow tomorrow!

The Presidential Pledge Video

Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge Video. This video is very well done. I like it a lot.

I'm working on making some pledges of my own... I will not use plastic bags at grocery stores, I will try to smile more and stay positive, I will donate more to charities... I'm working on more...

I'm A Sixty Year Old Woman At Heart

I honestly think I am. I spent the night reading Studs Terkel and perusing old ladies magazines while listening to Madeleine Peyroux's album Careless Love. I LOVE her voice. She sounds like Billie Holiday (who I also love) and plays an amazing style of jazz. I've always loved jazz and blues music but for some reason, I've been listening to it a lot more lately.



I wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate.

My Love Waits There in San Francisco

My friend and I have been talking about planning a trip to California for a while now. I'm not sure if we'll really end up going or not, but if we do, we'll probably end up in Los Angeles or San Diego. Me, I'd rather go to San Francisco. I don't know if it was Sinatra or Full House, but I've always wanted to go to the city by the bay. It seems like such a charming, delightful city.

San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me.

Men seldom make passes, At Girls Who Wear Glasses

So I hurt my eyes and am now forced to wear my glasses rather than my contacts for a while... very unusual for me. I'm just not sure I can pull glasses off like other people. I am so jealous of girls actually make them look attractive. (Men look even better with a pair of specs on.)

My Personality

My friend stumbled across a "Personality Patterns" test and it looked like fun so I tried it too. My biggest traits? Aesthetic, Original and Friendly. I'd say the test is right on.

Aesthetic

You appreciate art, beauty, and design; you know that they are not superficial but absolutely crucial to living the good life. You have good taste, and you're proud of it.You don't think it's pretentious to be moved by art and beauty. You're not one of those who believe it doesn't matter what something looks like as long as it does its job.Those with a high score on the "aesthetic" trait are often employed in literary or artistic professions, enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about the arts, reading, and travel.


Original

You are constantly coming up with new ideas. For you, the world as it exists is just a jumping-off place; what's going on inside your mind is often more interesting than what's going on outside.You don't feel that the road to success is to be a realist and stick to the program; you never stop yourself from coming up with new ideas or telling the world what you're thinking about.


Friendly

You would rather hang out with others than spend time alone, and you'd far rather be doing something with your friends than just sitting around. You're happy in a crowded room, club, stadium, or auditorium.You're not a private person who is ill at ease in a group; you don't view excessive socializing as a waste of time.

Other traits of mine are: Passionate, Sympathetic, Accessible, Warm, Cooperative, Understanding and Scrupulous.

Happy Inauguration Day!

What an amazing day!

Sad Movies, Sad Books

Last night I watched Life as a House. It is about the relationship between a father and son, an excellent but very, very sad movie. It's one of my favorites.

After I stopped crying, I realized that I have a tendency to watch sad movies and read depressing books. My mother has actually told me several times that I need to start reading happier books. She was very excited when I read the Harry Potter series; unfortunately, there are only seven stories and I eventually had to go back to my style of books.

A few upsetting books that I have read within the last year:

Life Laid Bare by Jean Hatzfeld
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
Blood Diamonds by Greg Campbell
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
A Thousand Splendid Suns and Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini
Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi

This is only a small portion of the list...

Afternoon at a Coffee Shop

I spent this afternoon at my favorite coffee shop on the harbor at home. I absolutely adore coffee shops but sometimes I find myself people watching and eavesdropping more than concentrating on the book I'm supposedly reading.

Today I sat next to a group of college foreign exchange students from Germany, Columbia and somewhere I can't remember. I couldn't help but listen to their conversations. They all had such different stories and experiences than I have heard before- and lovely accents.

It was definitely a great day at Common Grounds.