Oh Hey!

Oh my goodigoodigoodness. I have been totally absent from this blog for over a month.

I have a good reason, though.

Because of a conversation with the Arts editor for my school's newspaper, I have started a blog chronicling my attempts at being domestic (IE, learning to cook). Here it is.

Other than the new activities I have created for myself, I'm not doing too much. I am, however, continuing to feel less stressed than usual. I guess it really is all about mind over matter - or whatever the phrase is.

On another note, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROOMMATE!

My Grandmere And Poppy.

My father's parents are two of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege of encountering.

My Grandmere is a very petite French woman who refuses to be in public without her very very high heels. She is normally seen with a Sonia Rykiel top and black pants, and of course her very very high, very very French heels. Until very recently, she was always fully made up with emerald green eyeshadow, lipstick and blush (in her words, rouge). Her hair, before she stopped paying as much attention to it, was always a ridiculous shade of dark burgundy. As I've made pretty clear so far, she is very French. Interestingly enough, however, she was born and raised in Marrakech, Morocco. But she'd never let you know it. As far as anyone outside of the family knows, she's from Lyon. It sounds pretty weird, but it's one of the reasons I love my Grandmere. She turns her nose up at anything that is too American or Eastern European (including my Poppy's family's religious customs). She is also extremely loving, and will constantly tell me in Arabic that she would die for me.

My Poppy is very American, comparatively. He hails from Braddock, Pennsylvania, and refers to DC as "Warshington." In his working days, he was a professor of Anthropology at various universities on the East Coast. He has an almost full head of white hair, which is finally thinning after 89 years of life. He is incredibly smart and well-spoken. Sometimes he says things that probably shouldn't be said, but this is mostly due to the whole losing-one's-inhibitions-as-one-ages thing. He is pretty pessimistic by nature, but is in constant praise of me and his other granddaughters.

My Grandmere and Poppy met while Poppy was serving in World War II. Grandmere was a nurse. Poppy walked into her dressing room while she was getting ready for the Red Cross dance they were both attending. Poppy took her back to America, and they got married. Strangely enough, Grandmere didn't know Poppy's real name was Milton until very close to, if not on, their wedding day. Poppy always went by Jack, which was a shortening of his last name, Jacobs. Sixty-odd years later, they're still crazy in love.

My Grandmere and Poppy bicker all the time, especially since he's been in rehabilitation after one too many falls. She doesn't understand how hard it is for him to try to get better. She thinks she can take care of him herself, but it's an impossible task for one person. Even through all the conflict, my Grandmere and Poppy love each other very, very much.

And we love them, too.

Relax - Take It Easy.

I don't think it's any surprise to any of my readers (reader, really) that I have severe anxiety. My brain likes to grab at anything that even remotely resembles an issue and hang onto it for as long as possible. Even if nothing is actually wrong, my brain will go over the past few hours, days, weeks and find something to be anxious about. I feel anxious before I can even find something to be anxious about. It's like the age old question: Which came first, the anxiety or the conflict?

Recently, I've been feeling slightly more calm (KNOCK ON WOOD). It's exhilarating! Go through my posts and I challenge you to find ONE that states something such as this. This is good news!

It's a little bothersome that it took me so long to feel at peace. However, better late than never.

I've finally come to realize that a) things aren't that serious, b) there's no point in freaking out unless there is an actual reason to, and c) life's too short to worry all the time.

Don't worry, be happy.

SENIIIOOOORRRSSSS.

Here we go again. Senior year.

While being a senior in college is certainly different from being a senior in high school, I still can't help but take a trip down memory lane.

I feel that same restless feeling that I felt when I was in high school - Basically, "WHY THE FUCK AM I STILL HERE??"

One monumental difference is that the actual end of schooling might be in sight. After senior year of high school, the next step was, without question, college. While high school was over, school itself was not. After college, the future is uncertain. It's equal parts exciting and ridiculously intimidating. I'd like to say I'm going straight to grad school, but as I've come to learn in recent weeks, my ideal after college plans might be slightly too grandiose. Grad school + New York City apartment + pursuing an acting career = breaking the bank. So what's a girl to do?

My number one desire for post college life is living in New York. I hope more than anything that my other wishes and dreams will have a chance to come into fruition, but until then, looking forward to moving to the city of my dreams is enough for me.

Let's just hope senioritis doesn't get the best of me.

Sarah Does Florence, Part 2

Buon Giorno, ragazzi!

I am currently in an internet cafe on Via Ghibellina, right near my school. This particular internet cafe (the first one I have gone to in Florence) smells like B.O. Non mi piace. After I leave here, I have to take cash out to pay for my accomodations. Unfortunately, European ATMs (Bancomat) seem to hate my card. They protest every time I attempt to take cash out. Non va bene.

This previous weekend was full of activity. On Friday, the big excursion was going to a night club near the Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station. It was extremely not fun. They claimed the first drink was free but they did not inform us that there was a cover charge. So I ended up paying £23 for two drinks. And it took forever getting there. And then we got separated and one of my roommates was forced to take a taxi alone while the other ended up passing out in the bathroom and spending the night at the house of one of the bouncers. Strano.

On Saturday, some of my roommates and I went to Siena, which was bellissima. Lots of fabulous shops and cobble stone streets. On Sunday, we went to Cinque Terre. TOO MUCH WALKING. But ridiculously beautiful.

I am sad that my time here will be so short.

To be continued...

Sarah Does Florence, Part 1

I'm in Italy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is so amazing here. Molto bellissimo. Mi piace molto.

I take four hours of Italian a day, which hurts my brain. But I am learning it "piano a piano" (slowly). The architecture is incredible. Almost every night I've been here (three so far) I have made a point of walking into "il centro" and trying out the local Italian fare (well, drinks).

I'm using the computer of mia amica rusa, so I can't write much. I will be back soon with more updates!

To be continued...

When In Rome...

Well, Florence, really. But I think this title is appropriate enough.

On Saturday, I will fly into Pisa, Italy. I will take a forty five minute taxi/bus/car service to Florence, where I will spend the next three weeks learning the Italian language. I haven't really felt excited until now, when it's only a few days away. I guess it just hadn't sunk in. But now, oh man, I am excited beyond words.

What I most look forward to is walking through the streets and passing by incredible architecture and local dives that serve Napolitan pizza and Peronis. I've always imagined that Italy and I will click really well. Italy's probably my future husband.

If any of my loyal readers (Hi, Becky!) would like to follow my Italian journey, stay tuned for the multi-segment saga I have tentatively named Sarah Does Florence (see what I did there?).

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.

Washington, DC.

It had never really been a place that I have had any particular connection to other than its proximity to where I live. Now that I am in my second summer of interning in our nation's capital, I think I'm starting to really love it. I think a lot of this has to do with being twenty one. I have started to appreciate restaurants in a way that I never have before.

When I was younger, the only items I would ever order at a restaurant were hot dogs or macaroni. And if you ask any of my friends, they will tell you that I'm known to have a pretty bland taste in food. I don't know what changed - maybe I just matured and am no longer a princess who wants everything to be exactly what she wants (okay, maybe I'm still kind of like that). All I know is that I LOVE going to new restaurants and trying new combinations of tastes and fruity, fun cocktails. And although I'm 100% confident I am moving to Manhattan in the next couple of years, the wait won't be as bad as I thought it would be.

DC has some of the best new restaurants. Unfortunately, a lot of this is due to gentrification. However, going out to DC is my favorite thing to do right now. Whether I'm going out for froyo, a burger, cocktail, or bucket of tots, I pretty much always have a good time. Let's not forget about Downtown Silver Spring. DTSS is like DC's younger, slightly less attractive sister. You can find me there several days a week.

Restaurants/Bars That I Love In The DC Metropolitan Area (In no particular order)

1. Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy (Foggy Bottom) - this old pharmacy turned restaurant serves amazing burgers, pizza, cocktails, and most importantly, tots.
2. Sticky Rice (Northeast) - this new fusion-y restaurant brings the yuppies into Northeast. They make up for it with their own take on tots (variation on sauce) and fabulous sushi options, like ones that include goat cheese (yum).
3. Ceviche (Silver Spring) - delicious empanada trios, jumbo garlic shrimp, and REALLY good cocktails.
4. Austin Grill (Silver Spring) - can you really go wrong with Tex-Mex and Texas-style margaritas for $11? Hint: the answer is NO.
5. McGinty's (Silver Spring) - though not nearly as funky in its aesthetics as the rest, this is the place to go if you want sweet potato fries (and honestly...who wouldn't?), good times, or a Blue Motorcycle. Caution: Blue Motorcycles are lethal.
6. Jaleo (Bethesda, Gallery Place) - tapas. 'Nuff said.
7. Franklin's (Hyattsville) - another funky one with good food. Also, they brew their own beer!

Point is, these places, and DC's inherent awesomeness, make DC a place that I will surely miss when I move to New York. So let's go grab some yummy food, drink and be merry!

Money Makes The World Go Around.

Long time no blog. I've been pretty busy since the end of school. First came exams, which weren't too bad. I had around two weeks of absolutely no obligation, then began WORK. I have come to enjoy coming to work (excluding waking up at 7:30 am, mind you). I like helping union members who call in with problems - makes me feel important. :-)

In the beginning of August, I am flying into Italy for a three week language course. I have this expectation that me and Italy will click. I got this from reading Eat, Pray, Love, of course.

Gotta get back to work!

When I Grow Up.

I wish I could know for sure that I will be financially secure when I'm older. As much as I'd love to believe that I will be able to make a living just acting, this is probably not likely. Such is life. The more enjoyable a job is, the less it will pay. BAH.

The most immediate dilemma with my future is what to do after I graduate. The options that I've come up with are either doing some sort of acting conservatory or graduate program, or get my Master's in something that will actually get me money. OR I could possibly do a Master's degree in something other than theatre AND take classes at an acting studio. That probably makes the most sense. Le sigh.

There are several careers that I will accept as my fallback. I'm using the term fallback loosely - I am almost 100% sure that I will pursue one of these careers regardless of what happens with acting. I hope so, at least. I must stay motivated!

The only legitimate careers I can see myself having are either something in the psychology world or in publishing. For some reason I love reading, writing, editing, etc. Methinks this is because I have such a hard time formulating coherent sentences when I am speaking. I tend to shift direction when I'm speaking halfway through a sentence - this is no bueno. When writing, I can make sure what I'm trying to say is somewhat coherent. But I digress.

Please oh please oh please let me make some money in the future. That'd be fab.

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor.

This week has been full of good idea bears! I have gone to the gym every day this week thus far - I even went twice yesterday! Now this may not be a big deal for the exercise savvy, but for me, it's monumental. The times - they are a changin'.

More importantly - this weekend is the fabulous drunken day that is known as Tigerfest. Because Towson is a huge party school, this is the event Towson students most look forward to. Like on Homecoming, the assumption is that most students will wake up earlier than usual simply to start getting drunk, and will maintain that intoxication for the whole day, and maybe even the whole weekend. Thus, Tigerfest is basically a whole bunch of drunk (mostly underage) people on a field. Towson is trying to cut down on the amount of irresponsible drinking, and, if I'm correct, is limiting the Beer Garden to two beers per person. That is bad idea bears. This just means people will get drunk ahead of time, and cause even more of a ruckus. This is going to be fabulous!

Oh the debauchery that will ensue.

Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee.

Yesterday and today have been good in terms of honing my domesticity. Last night I baked a cake (not from scratch, but isn't that still being domestic?), and today I bought groceries and most miraculously, cleaned my room! My floor is spotless, minus the odd bobby pin or penny. Despite the random bobby pins and pennies, my room is ridiculously better off than it was this morning.

Before my roommate and I went to the grocery store, I began to move things around in my room. This was brought on by my father's delivery of a Pilates chair that I didn't know I was receiving. 'Twas a fabulous surprise. Anyhoo, I tried moving things around to make room for the chair. At the peak of my unsuccessful reorganization, there were three items of furniture along the second longest wall in my room, making my tiny room look even smaller. This, clearly, was not going to do. The roommate told me to relax and deal with it when we returned. I took her advice, and came back with A VENGEANCE (yes, that's not a proper usage, and yes, I had to look up the correct spelling), resulting in a slightly reorganized, much cleaner room.

All in all, today was a good day. I even left out some goodies! Here is an official recap - I was surprised with a Pilates chair, ate Chipotle, got the new Kelly Clarkson CD for free from some radio station that had a spinny wheel in front of Boston Market (they made me win on purpose!), got groceries, cleaned my room, and typed this blog. Actually, I also started writing another stupidlamedorky chick-lit novel. I know, I'm a tool.

Domesticity - I will make you proud!

Let's Get Physical.

Today marks the one month anniversary of my surgery. Which means I can go back to my usual exercise routine! Not to say I am someone who works out all that frequently, but when you are not allowed to do something, it seems all the more desirable. The same goes for certain kinds of foods during Passover, which also happens to end today. Tonight, rather. Pizza is not something I eat every week, but when you are not allowed to eat pizza for a week, it can be tough. We all desire what we can't have. I know that all too well. Le sigh.

ANYWAY, as the date clearly underlines, we are nearing the end of the school year. My last exam is May 18th, which means I have a little over a month left before summer. This is fabulous news. When ever the school year comes to a close, the end can't come soon enough. In the middle of the year, I'm perfectly fine with waiting. When the end is in sight, however, waiting is excruciating. Last year, when I went home during exam week, it was cold. That's depressing. At least stupid April rain seems to be taking a break. Today is sunny and warm, with a cool breeze. Faboo.

I should really pay attention to Anthropology instead of blogging. Alas, this will never happen. :-)

A New World Whispers In The Shadows - Time To Fly, Time To Fly.

I'm back to reading Eat Pray Love. I always start reading it because I remember how much I enjoyed the Italy part, then I get stuck while reading about her experience in India. Not that it's bad or boring, it's just slightly lackluster in comparison to Italy. Anyway, I FINALLY have reached Indonesia, where she is attempting to find balance in her life. Bali sounds like the most amazing place in the history of the world. Minus Italy, of course. This book is so appealing to me because of her successful abandonment of all that previously ailed her emotionally and mentally. If I could stop worrying and over-analyzing I would be much happier in life. Now I'm on one of those five minute kicks where I decide I'm going to start doing yoga and meditating. I would love to have a higher quality of life. Meaning healthy eating, exercising, and keeping my mind and heart healthy and happy. That would be fab. I think then I would be truly happy.

Extenuating Circumstances.

Here is the play-by-play of the last week of my horrid, horrid life:
Monday: Arrive in California and head to my mother's office. Then proceed to have a delicious dinner at my second favorite burger joint. While trying to go to sleep, I have an excruciating stomach ache. Off to the emergency room.
Tuesday: Am diagnosed with gall stones. Appointment with surgeon is set for next day.
Wednesday: Appointment with surgeon. Gall bladder removal is necessary sooner rather than later. Opening on Thursday. Must be fate.
Thursday: Go in for surgery. Ouch.
Friday - Monday: Lie on couch and attempt to walk periodically.
Tuesday: Lie on couch, then go get hair cut. Silver lining!
Wednesday: Checkup with surgeon. Everything looks good. I discover I cannot do anything physical for another three weeks or so. I have a movement class. Oh god.
Thursday: Fly home. Late at night, find out I missed exam.

I am screwed.

It's All About Them Words.

Plinky is entertaining. It gives me writing prompts!

The name Thane
It creates an aching sensation in my chest because of the unpleasing way it sounds in my ears and feels in my mouth.

Words that ends in -y
They seem incomplete. Ending in an -ie seems more finished.

Twenty-one Going On Thirty-five.

Sometimes I think I am a woman in her thirties trapped in a twenty-one year old's body. This is an interesting idea because I absolutely love being young. Every year when I celebrate my birthday, I feel monumentally older than the year before. This leads me to believe that I want to cherish my younger years. However, I really do feel like a thirty something. It's strange to me.

I am certainly immature in many situations, but I find that I feel a lot older than many of the people around me. Instead of going to frat parties, I'd rather stay at home with a glass of wine and a book or go out to a nice restaurant and order some drinks. What's wrong with me?? I'm an anomale!

I also secretly want to be in a serious relationship - one that's on its way to marriage. Oh my.

I'm too young to be thinking this way.

If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked A Cake.

There's a part of me that is quite domestic. I have not honed this aspect of myself, but I know it's there. I find myself drifting towards cookbooks at Barnes and Noble. I look for foodie blogs. I constantly wish I had more ingredients so I could create something some what interesting. I am quite possibly a culinary genius underneath all my only-makes-bologna-and-cheese-sandwiches exterior.

I would really like to delve into cooking. I have a most likely outdated feeling that I will never get married if I can't cook. The same thing goes for football, but I don't think I'll ever understand any sort of sport. Maybe pretending is all that is necessary?

What is hard is finding out where to start developing my cooking prowess. Should I buy a bunch of ingredients and teach myself how to cook the basics? Or should I find a specific recipe and work from there?

Over Winter Break, some friends and I prepared a dinner complete with my Mommy's famous macaroni casserole, salad, and Martinelli's. It was a wonderful feeling. I felt so grown up! I like feeling grown up. This is why I drink coffee and walk briskly like I have somewhere important to be. Which I usually don't.

STRESSED.

I feel very stressed about the upcoming weeks.

I am monumentally busy from now until Spring Break. This is going to be difficult to survive. This coming week is all run throughs for Miss Julie, followed by tech. Tomorrow I have four classes, one of which will involve test taking, Directing Scene auditions, then rehearsal, which will go on until God knows when. Main stage auditions are either next week or the one after that. Hopefully the one after that. I am just now attempting to memorize the monologue I have chosen. Shakespeare is a cruel mistress.

My monumental busy-ness (typing business when the intended pronunciation is busy-ness doesn't seem right) has made me relish my days off and weekends, especially these past two which were spent at home. When I'm at home I feel like it's an actual break from school, which means no busy-ness.

What I need is Spring Break. I really really really need Spring Break. Why do I let responsibilities, like memorizing monologues, wait until the last minute??

Spring Break cannot come soon enough.

It's All About Me.

So there's this note going around on Facebook that requires the author to write twenty five things about his or herself and then tag twenty five people they want to know twenty five things about. I already filled one of these out, but I feel I didn't do a good enough job. So here's round two.

Twenty Five Things About Me (In No Particular Order)

1. My brain is a big old mess of thoughts that other people probably don't think about. Even if they do think these thoughts, they definitely don't verbalize them. Which I do. Or try to, anyway.
2. I have an unhealthy obsession with material possessions, but I don't think I'm a particularly shallow person. I just tend to validate myself based on what I have in some situations.
3. My ultimate goal is to be worth something. I don't mean by doing something like curing Cancer (which I probably don't have the smarts for but if I could, I would), but something more along the lines of being recognized nationally as a talented actress.
4. I really really really enjoy reading books. I normally only read Bestsellers, but I generally flock to humorous memoirs, fictional novels that deal with some interesting theme, or more frequently, ones that deal with women in their twenties or thirties, looking for love while wearing designer clothing.
5. I really enjoy opening unopened things. This includes food items, text messages, presents, and pretty much anything else you can think of.
6. I might be an Insomniac. It quite frequently takes hours for me to fall asleep, even if I'm extremely tired. I just lie in bed and think too much.
7. I have to move to New York in the next couple of years. I won't feel successful until I've made it there. Something about Manhattan makes me feel much more at peace. I love it.
8. I'm really awkward. I'm completely fine around people I'm fairly comfortable with, but put me in a new situation or around people I don't know at all, I can't formulate coherent thoughts or sentences. This is a problem.
9. I love things that are funny. Everyone does, but I rarely find things that I find to be ridiculously funny. When I find something that actually makes me "LOL," I watch it over and over and over again.
10. I really enjoy things that are tailored to me. I love anything with my name on it. I love individual critiques in my acting classes. I think this just stems from me being self-centered.
11. I really go out of my way to not upset other people. If I'm sleeping around other people and need to wake up to an alarm, I'll put it at a very low volume that will only wake me up. I try not to text people before 11:30 am. The list goes on.
12. When I think someone's mad at me, I get a knot in my stomach and can't concentrate on anything else until I know for sure that every thing's okay. This gets in the way of lots of things.
13. I love things that are aesthetically pleasing. I'm obsessed with models, clothing, purses, etc. This kind of ties in with my being materialistic, but it's more just that I love finding beauty in things. So less materialistic things, like art, are also aesthetically pleasing to me.
14. I love Audrey Hepburn. I wish I could be as classy as she was. She has this element of sophistication and elegance that I strive for (in my own way).
15. I'm boy crazy. If I like someone, they're the only ones I like. I'd like to think of my liking certain people as not creepy, but they're pretty much all I can think about.
16. Warm weather makes me so freaking happy. When it's really nice outside, I like to spread my arms out, look up at the sky and spin around. And then shout "I LOVE THE WEATHER!"
17. There are a lot of things I miss about high school. I would love to relive just one day. BUT I would not want to move back in time and go through it all over again.
18. I like to plan my wedding in my spare time. I don't have a fiance, or even someone who could potentially be a fiance. I simply enjoy creating the perfect wedding.
19. I may be weird and loud, but I'm pretty traditional underneath. I have traditional goals set, like getting married, having a family, blah blah blah. As eccentric as I am, I have such vanilla goals. So sometimes I find myself to be kind of an oxy moron.
20. I need to one day own a Chanel purse.
21. I think I have too much in common with women in their thirties. Bridget Jones is my fictional counterpart. Well, besides the whole Colin Firth part. Which I would be more than happy to have as well.
22. The only things other than acting that I could see myself doing are something in the psychology world or book editing.
23. I am so over college.
24. I think I'm an over-achiever underneath all the slacker tendencies.
25. Writing twenty five things about myself is really hard...but it appeals to my narcissism.

Time To Be You're Twenty-One.

So I have been twenty one for over a week! It feels superb. Since my last post, I found my passport and received my State ID. Unfortunately, Friday's didn't seem to think my ID was real, so the waitress spent a good long time examining it. Methinks I need to go to the MVA again and trade it in for an over twenty one copy.

Only having class on Tuesdays and Thursdays is fabulous. However, rehearsals are hurting my body. Naoko is a powerful beast packed in a small body. I am still sore.

Tonight I have rehearsal from 5-6:25, and then 7:30-10. This should be interesting.

We're Not Twenty-One, But The Sooner We Are, The Sooner The Fun Will Begin.

I cannot believe this. My life is one SNAFU after another.

My 21st birthday, the most monumental of all birthdays thus far, is in a week. Today I went to the MVA to secure a valid form of ID so that I could order drinks at midnight on my birthday, in New York, etc. I elected to get a State ID card instead of a new permit...bad idea. First of all, I almost couldn't get anything because they rejected my second proof of residence. After my father and I brainstormed, he showed them his driver's license, which they accepted as proof of residence. Keep in mind that I also had my birth certificate and Social Security card (which my mother had over-nighted to me). Their not accepting both of my proofs of residence was ridic. Anyway, I waited an hour and a half to meet with the person who I thought would supply me with my ID. After we went through all the questions, took my picture, etc, she decides to THEN say,
"You know we have to mail it, right?"
"Um...no. No one told me that. How long does it take?"
"7-10 business days."
".....................We can't pick it up somewhere?"
"No. If you're older than 18 we have to mail it."
I then turn around and walk away. My poor dad has to thank her.

I find this RIDICULOUS. So then I realize that I can just go take the permit test tomorrow morning at the MVA and get an ID that way. So I talk to my sister and she says it may not be legal to have both. I then do some google-ing to discover if that's true. Of course it is.

I'm screwed.

Even though expired IDs aren't allowed, I really hope that the restaurants/bars accept it, understanding that it is my birthday and that I have my birth certificate.

SNAFU.