this year's Christmas list

(in no particular order)

an inflatable kayak

Frye boots, size 11

real pearl or gold hoop earrings

J. Crew gift cards

women's Green Bay Packers swag

a fire pit for the backyard

an under-the-counter dishwasher

Anthropologie mouse Christmas tree ornaments

new exterior house numbers

custom Ward 8 wallpaper for the main floor

an end table kitty litter box
a classy evening gown, size 14

what does it mean when a braid falls out?!

I have to finish it for her

I just realized that I'm sitting here, researching my dissertation in the same library where my grandmother worked as a janitor for twenty years.

So humbled. 

"Still I rise."

on being so angry I'm speechless

A guy in a Lexus in front of us threw a McDonald's cup out his window as he drove up my street. When we pulled up next to him, Nick said, "Stop throwing trash in my neighborhood."

Tell me why this man said, "Fuck this neighborhood."

"What?" I asked. 

"Fuck this neighborhood," he repeated. 

"Well, we don't feel that way," I responded.

"Well I do." He paused. "Thanks for telling me how you feel, though."

Nick and I just sat there in angry silence. As the light turned green and we pulled off, the man shouted something unintelligible at us. So brave of him.

I've never been so angry. Or so speechless.

a better son/daughter

This song does a really good job of outlining how I've been feeling lately. I'm working on it. Be back soon.

on being dynamic

Me: You're a weirdo. 

Nick: Me? Why?

Me: You just went from "Wagon Wheel" to Ghostface Killah.

Nick: I'm not weird. I'm dynamic.

some things that have happened lately

I said goodbye to this guy, who'll be out of town for the next year.

I got my hair braided, and now look remarkably like Melissa Harris-Perry.

I invited the rest of my fantasy league over to watch the Packers stomp the Redskins.

My kid sister obviously cheered with me. 

Although some of my friends didn't take the loss too hard.

And I went to the Maryland State Wine Festival with a bunch of my sorority sisters.

There's never been enough of us all together at once to take a black Phi Alph photo - so exciting!

The Fall 2003 pledge class Guthrie and I oversaw.

So good things are happening. Very good things. Just not my dissertation.