the price we pay for paradise

So life's been weird this week. I'm routinely invited to go and do stuff with the other folks here, but it feels weird to go do social things when:

1. I'm not single
2. I'm glad to be not-single, and therefore have pretty much no interest in guys, and girls are generally lame
3. I'm busy with my project.

On the other hand, it feels weird to not go do social things when:

1. I am an inherently social person
2. I really enjoy watching movies, running, and going to museums etc.
3. I'm not used to not having a social life.

I think it all just boils down to a strange combination of that:

1. I don't have a proper key to the building, so I can't just go in and out when I want
2. I don't have a proper key to the elevator, so if I want to go up to my room after going down I have to walk up ~1000000 flights of stairs
3. Why would I want to be social when I have an amazing project to work on that is rapidly wrapping itself up?

Example: this morning, I had, what? 12,500 words? And right now, I have precisely 20,953. That is huge. That's the stuff NaNoWriMo is made of, yo. I'm so close. It's all coming together, right now, so why would I take a break?

Anyway. So, life is weird, and I mostly have a social life vicariously through my roommate CW, who is very social. I tell her to relay greetings from me to all her friends, LoL. Not quite the same, but I've discovered that I really don't care.

I just want to finish my book.

I discovered its true name, by the way. It's called The Price We Pay For Paradise.

life in the heart of things

My attempt at updating every day has failed. Sorry, friends.

Life here is good. I moved into my apartment in DC on Sunday. I'm right next to GWU, at Foggybottom. It's right within walking distance of Georgetown, as well. In other words: amazingly convenient. The complex itself is right between a pub and a Thai restaurant, and across the street from Subway and Papa John's. Perfect.

My internship doesn't start until next week. I've been working on my project, which now has 12,000 words and counting. My goal is 15,000 by tonight. I'm thinking, a typical book has somewhere between 60,000-80,000 words, so I'm well on my way.

This morning I spent exploring. Even though I've lived here for 75% of my life, I've never just started walking to see where I'd end up. I wandered Pennsylvania, Constitution, and Independence Avenues and then C Street, and 23rd. Passed the Secretary of the Navy Bureau of Medicine, the Federal Reserve, the Holocaust Museum, the State Department, some monuments, and eventually ended up at the Smithsonian, where I ate at the gardens. I only turned back because my feet were developing blisters.

There is something very liberating about wandering a huge and confusing city by yourself.

Although I did miss Carl.

Yesterday was exciting. I went out with some new friends in pursuit of adventure, and we certainly found one. We got caught in a huge rainstorm while looking for my work, which is at Federal Triangle. It was ridiculous. We all got soaked to the bone and the people we passed laughed at us for not thinking ahead. John, the guy with us, had brought an umbrella, but the other chick and I had not been that smart. And in any case, the umbrella made next to no difference. In the end, we got lost in the rain, but ended up in Chinatown, which I luckily am slightly familiar with, and then went home. We decided to stop at CVS on our way, and were fortunate (?) enough to witness some pastry theft by this giant black guy. It was intense.

Other than that. Things are pretty good. Still waiting to hear back from that agent about The Melody of the Pawn. Hmm, and I should probably go shopping now...

of books and flat shoes

This morning I remembered why I moved out in the first place.

My parents have been freaking out all day about my moving into the city without their help tomorrow. I had to remind them that I've moved without their help a number of times, and all 2000 miles away. Yes, they're going out of town, but in case they forgot, we practically live on top of a metro stop, and I'm just moving to another metro stop. Whatever.

My parents are gone now, though. They're spending the week in FL for a conference. My mom's new computer program should be on the market in just a few weeks, so they're doing some hardcore marketing there or something like that.

We did go shopping this morning, which was nice, and I got some way cute stuff, and flat shoes. This, I believe, is a major accomplishment.

Other than that, I've been working on my latest project, which I have yet to name. I'm leaning toward "The Assault on Hope."

I should hear back about my other novel in the next few days.

Anyway...

funny conversations

Cici: Sam, I think I like Allie better than you.
Sam: But Cici! I am so cool! Can't be best friends?
Cici: No.
Sam: Even if I give you a present?
Cici: Maybe.
Sam: If I give you a present can we be best friends?
Cici: Okay.
Sam: Here, take this pen. It was used to write six Declarations of Independence in various countries and by various entities.
Cici: Okay.
Sam: Haha Allie! Cici and I are best friends!
Allie: Cici, aren't you and I best friends?
Cici: Of course!
Sam: It's times like these that I feel like a genius.
Cici: Sam, I think that Allie is a better genius.
Sam: But I'm a better-looking genius--
Cici: Um, I think Allie is the prettier genius.

~~~

Sam: Gigi, who is cooler, me or Allie?
Gigi: Steve. He has longer arms.

Cici is my five-year-old cousin. Gigi is my three-year-old cousin. Steve is my daddy. Sam is my beautiful brother. His words, not mine.

a new era (of sorts)

I decided I'd like to update every day just so people can have an idea of what's going on in my life. I think it sounds reasonable.

Today was weird. C dropped me off at the airport. My first flight was long, but I sat next to a rockin lady by the name of Phyllis, and we pretty much just talked for the whole time. Then at the layover in Atlanta some fast food guy told me he liked my accent.

At home, it was good to see my kitties again--and also my family. :^P I apparently hardcore bruised one of my knuckles while working on my uncle's back; he needed some really hard chopping, and I guess my knuckles bonked together hard enough to bruise. Weird. LoL.

Then I had bonding moments with Sam and the Weas, which was nice. They and I and my dad and my uncle all watched the Glenn Beck Show together, and my little cousin played for me on her tiny violin, and then she and her sister wanted me to read them stories, so I did, and it was way fun because they are ultimately the cutest and most talented girls ever.

Soundtrack of life, for realish

How to do it:
1. Open your music library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc).
2. Put it on Shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Be honest.

Opening Credits: Dancing Queen by ABBA

Waking up: See Amid the Winter Snow by Steeleye Span

First Day of School: Ten Thousand Miles by Altan

Falling in love: The Best by Cartel

Fight Song: The Best Thing by Relient K (LOL!)

Breaking Up: Oh It Is Love by Hellogoodbye

Prom: Where's the Girl from The Scarlet Pimpernel

Life is Good: Repartir from Le Roi Soleil

Driving: Penny Lane by the Beatles

Mental Breakdown: Away From the Sun by 3 Doors Down

Flashback: Tomorrow by Avril Lavigne

Getting Back Together: Anytime by Kelly Clarkson

Wedding: Blow Gabriel Blow from Anything Goes

Final Battle: Gunslinger by John Fogerty

Death Scene: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

Funeral Song: Sandstorm, LOL

End Credit: Galileo as performed by the Hullabahoos

If this were true, I would necessarily lead a strange life.

trippy

So today I said a lot of goodbyes, and have a few more to go through tomorrow I suppose. It is all just really bizarre, I guess--it hasn't sunk in yet at all. Even though my room is empty, my car is full, and I am for sure leaving tomorrow. Twenty-four hours from now I will not be in Provo.

Weird. Trippy music which is the current soundtrack of this feeling: Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles.