I'm restless. And I just don't feel like writing about any of the things I've got on my mind.
I'm not in the mood to write about babies, or spring, or my boobs - although they're an imminent topic - or strategies for passing people on the sidewalk, or the occasional urge to ram my car into the back of someone else's.
So I thought instead I'd throw open the blog doors in your direction.
Got a question? Ask me.
I'll answer in comments, or in another post, depending.
Do you have a favourite song? If so, what is it and why?
ReplyDeleteWhen you were single, did you go through any period where you felt like your married friends were acting differently around you, almost catering to you because you were single? Like they weren't completely themselves when they were around you? My two best friends have been married for years, and literally all of my other good friends are now married. I'm still single, and I'm starting to go through that 'wow, our lives are reeeeeally different' stage, but I also feel like they're different around me. Do you know what I mean? And if you do understand my ramblings, how did you deal with it?
ReplyDeleteFun! What is your favorite place in DC? Perhaps a place tourists don't know about and not home or Betty's.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have such a unique and cool wardrobe. What is your favorite place to shop?
What is your favorite vegetable (apart from brussels sprouts), and what is your favorite way to have it prepared?
ReplyDeleteHillary - In case you didn't think I was a big enough dork...I don't have one favorite, and all my favorites have emotional connections for me (rather than necessarily being quality music). All the 80s stuff like Wham, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Micheal Jackson, and a wide array of others from my teenage dancing-at-the-disco in India will always be near and dear to my heart. And I love the musical Evita because it played over and over in my childhood. And "On the Road Again" - which I know you like as well - because it was my family's theme son. And "Always On My Mind" always makes me tear up.
ReplyDeleteJennifer - I do think I know what you mean. Personally, I felt like they felt sorry for me, because they were in happy relationships and I was going through all this endless drama trauma in my dating life. And nobody wants to be pitied. So I think I pulled back a bit. Which is not going to make sense when I say that I also felt kind of abandoned - although they weren't trying to leave me out, but rather, just living their lives and doing things with other couples more than going out in groups like we did before. I have to say, though, that I threw myself into such a crazy dating schedule that I was doing more dating dating dating than hanging out with my previously-single friends.
HKW - It is a tourist destination, but I LOVE the FDR Memorial. It's where we got engaged, and I'd never been there before, because it's a little out of the way. At cherry blossom time, I also love this community up in Bethesda called Kenwood. You look up and there are just these pink cloud blossoms and you feel like you're walking in pink fairyland or something. And I love the Torpedo Factory, which is in Alexandria. It used to actually be a torpedo factory, but now it's got art galleries and studios. My instructor from the Corcoran has a studio there.
Shopping - I have ordered a few things from Boden (I know you like them) and I wish they were cheaper because there are 45 million things I like. They had a pair of pink patent leather boots I really wanted but couldn't justify. Also, there's a boutique called Proper Topper, which is where I discovered Susanna Monaco dresses. It's a spendy place, but I love it so much. And you can sometimes find the same stuff but on sale at Shopbop.com I also shop on Blue Fly. And most of my shoes are from DSW. And I buy vintage on eBay. I could go on and on with the shopping.
Dagny - Hard! Why is this one so hard? I love fresh corn on the cob with olive oil and salt and pepper. I love Indian peas - aloo mattar, for example. I'm not so much on the mattar paneer, but mainly because I don't like that kind of cheese. Ooh, and I love chopped, olive oiled, rosemaried, crispy roasted potatoes.
How'd you know that Nick was the one? Is it something that you knew right away or is something that grew over time?
ReplyDeleteWhat is one thing you wish you'd known about him before you got married?
okay both of these are a wee bit personal but i'm curious -
ReplyDelete1) the pain in the nipples being similar to rubbing them on the sidewalk (sorry, that imagery is DRILLED into my head), how long did that take to go away? or does it last as long as you're breastfeeding?
2) you mentioned that you & Big Nick won't be having a gaggle of kids, but are you planning on having any more? or is Big J the lucky duck only child?
Congrats on Big J sleeping through the night. My baby boy is 4.5 months old and we are still working on it. Did you find that a method of sleep training that you felt really worked or did he just get there naturally? AT this point, I am willing to try everything and anything!
ReplyDeletebrian and i have the opportunity to go somewhere without kids in august. any suggestions? it has to be relatively cheap and a weekend trip distance away from zurich. danke!
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ReplyDeleteHave any of your birthdays been mentally daunting or traumatic? If so...how did you deal with it? I ask because my 30th is coming up in August. I am younger than many of my friends and for a long time couldn't understand their freak outs about turning 30. I am definitely not freaking out... but it is looming on the horizon...and I'm starting to get a sense of impending doom. I guess maybe it's on my mind much more than I expected it to be and I'm not sure I'm happy about it.
ReplyDeleteany thoughts on baby #2?
ReplyDeleteEver been to Africa? If so what did you think? If not, any desire to go?
ReplyDeleteSgt. Social Worker - I came into it really cautious, and he was very, very certain that I was the one from early on and that we were going to get married. And one day it kind of hit me that he was right. He just felt good to me, and I felt so good with him.
ReplyDeleteThere isn't anything that would've made me pause if I'd known it. We got engaged quick and married in less than a year, but by the time we got married, I knew all the big things - how he views and spends money, importance of family, etc. We're both quite intense (surprising, I know) and honest.
notsojenny - I can't remember how long it took for the pain to go away. Several weeks? One month? A couple months? I genuinely don't remember. But at a certain point it stopped being painful at all, and then it got easy and fun and a very sweet way to connect. It's horrible in the beginning, and then, for me anyway, like getting dressed or brushing teeth - part of my routine. Honestly.
And we'd like to have one more. Pregnancy sucks but man, is it worth it. We'll see how things work out.
Angel JAM - Have you read Healthy Sleep Habits by Weissbluth? It's not so well written, but the ideas are good. Also the Ferber book, apparently, which we didn't read. We got J on a two-nap-a-day schedule (three on a rare day, but two naps for sure), started putting him down awake (not wide awake, but not asleep) when it was time to sleep, and then started letting him cry it out at night. I know it's controversial, but it really worked for us. It was so painful for us, but now he sleeps pretty much 12 hours a night. We let him cry, though. And it was a good 10 days, I think, before he just slept without random fussing at 2 am or 3 am or whatever. He still does once in a while, but not nightly.
mrsmac - Of course I have 45 million thoughts! I'd say Rome, as it's my favorite city on the planet, but it's deserted and hot in August. Plus not so cheap. Croatia? I would LOVE to go. Actually, there are so many places in eastern Europe I'd love to go. Let me think and email you. Oh! Fun!
Megan - 37 was super traumatic. I was sure everyone else was going to be with someone and I was going to die alone. I have to say, the Internet dating made me much more focused on my age than I would've been otherwise. I really wasn't before, I think because my friends weren't. But I think it's OK to be upset about a birthday. There's a lot of pressure on women in terms of age. But 30s are great, so great. I hope you love them.
Stacy - Lots of thoughts, no real plan. We'd like another one. I had no idea how much I would LOVE my baby. Like nothing else in the world.
Miranda - We lived in Egypt when I was a kid, and I went to Tunisia for a week in college, but I've only been to sub-Saharan Africa once - to South Africa. I spent two weeks in and around Cape Town with my friend Jane and her parents, who live there. I thought it was spectacular! So beautiful, so much interesting art, cool designers, fabulous restaurants and fun bars. Absolutely I'd love to go back. I've wanted to go to Kenya and Uganda for a long time, just, you know, Africa is far and so very vast and the world is wide. And now, now of course I want to meet you! And see your mom's paintings in person before I buy one! (One must dream, you know.)
When am I ever going to see you again?!?
ReplyDeleteOh, and what job would you most not want to have?
I'm getting close to being social again, I promise!
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't know about most - there are a lot of jobs I wouldn't want - but I couldn't ever drive one of those huge trucks. That would be a nightmare for me.