Wednesday, December 30, 2009
2009- the A(compishment)-List
-Hiked Volcan Pacaya (and thought I was going to die! but didn't!)
-Took and passed my social work licensing exam
-Graduated from grad school for the second time in two years
-Formed and led a support group
-Approved a handful of families to become adoptive parents and helped some of them welcome beautiful children into their lives
-Published my first piece of academic work
-Moved across the country
-Went to Alaska and ate dessert(Baked Alaska!) on top of a glacier
-Organized a Christmas party for 110 of my closest relatives, a conference for a bunch of high-level academics, hosted an Easter brunch, a bachelorette party (with nun drag queen bingo!), and threw myself a great/sad going away party
-Interviewed midwives in Guatemala about their training
-Baked one perfect batch of French macarons
-Rang in the New Year in France and traveled to Guatemala, Alaska, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, California, and Massachusetts and Panama (by accident)and touristed around the cities I lived in
Here's hoping 2010 is just as full of adventures!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Go home and blog about it
It's hard to know when to take holidays or vacation time when your on vacation all the time (whaa.... annoying yet?). Anyway, I decided to Christmas-ify this evening. Ashley and I went shopping for Christmas card supplies and then went to the Sports Basement- which is a huge discount sports store. Sporting stores and sporting in general usually aren't my cup of tea, but this place totally inspires me to buy sporting equipment- which I hope will lead to athleticism (as long as you have the shoes for the occasion...). Plus they serve hot beverages and I generally find free drinks inspire me to buy stuff. Tonight I'm home writing x-mas cards and drinking hot chocolate. Seems like Christmastime.
This past weekend was my family Christmas party. I organized the most of the shindig and decided that we were going to eat tamales, because they are traditional (if you are Mexican- we are not) and because I had no interest in cooking for 150 of my closest family members. I also apparently delegated bartending duties to a three year-old.
Also last week, I went to New York and Boston on a whirlwind trip. I totally missed out on seeing a good 75% of the people I wanted to in those respective places, but I did manage to travel for over 10 hours per day on 4 of the 5 days of my trip. Manic travel makes me feel like myself again. Photos and stories to follow.
*The title of this blog post is in reference to a night a few winters ago. My friend Mike went to a dance party at the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. Sarah and I intended on going to meet up with him, but got so involved in pregaming that we never quite made it. Apparently Kanye West came and surprised the party with a secret set. He ended the night by yelling into the audience "Go home and blog about it!"
Friday, December 11, 2009
A Reminder
Thanks for reminding me how very warm San Francisco is. You really rolled out the red carpet with this 5 degree weather.
All the best,
Eleanor
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Three Day Old Curry
Monday, November 23, 2009
Why Don't I Do This All The Time?
Yesterday I went to dim sum. Supposedly some of the best dim sum in San Francisco. Or so says Yelp, and SF Magazine and all the other electronic sources that I consult before making brunch plans. Or dinner plans. Or anytime I leave the house. It also happens to be a few blocks from "my" apartment. Anyway, after an early morning trip across town to play with some visiting cousin babies, my mom and I went out for dim sum.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Progress or Something Like It
So, in summary, nothing's crossed off the list yet but I'm taking baby steps towards some of these things.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Way Job Interviews Should Be
There are huge, chewy chocolate chip cookies.
You meet the whole staff- each person more friendly and fashionable than the next.
They understand your resume, know your previous employers and mentors.
They treat you like a professional.
There's a giant puppy hanging out under the desk.
The Assistant Director comes in and you geek out over the latest research on identity development in adult adoptees.
The Director gives you her cell phone number and tells you to call any time.
You are asked what kind of cases you want: domestic or international? single parent or two-parent? Or... refugee foster youth cases?
All of the above, please.
Hello new (part-time, contract) job, I love you.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Television for the Restless
PPS: That photo was taken in my beloved former home, Fort Knox in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Thomas now lives in my old room.
Oops
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The Orphan Doctor or Woman of the Year
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
30-Something Before 30 or Accountability to the Masses
1. Rent a fancy Winnebago (cash contingency plan- borrow my parents camper van for the weekend)
2. Visit a sixth continent- South America!
3. Submit an editorial to a major paper
4. Bake perfect French macarons
5. Own a custom upholstered sofa or chair
6. Perfect the crow pose in yoga
7. Sew a wearable dress
8. Ask a stranger out
9. Read the tattered copy of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn that I have been carrying around for the past 14 years
10. Tailor/hem all of my clothes so they fit properly
11. Take a road trip through “The South”
12. Grow vegetables and herbs and then eat them
13. Go on a photo scavenger hunt
14. Form and lead another support group
15. Relearn the subjunctive tense in Spanish
16. Get certified as an HIV counselor
17. Upkeep a blog for six months
18. Discover my cocktail of choice
19. Camp in Big Sur
20. Find the perfect Little Black Dress
21. Learn the names of the different kinds of clouds
22. Jog across the Golden Gate Bridge
23. Try ear candling
24. Go on a juice fast for three days
25. Take a digital photography/lighting class
26. Go internet-free for a week
27. Find the "right" shade of red lipstick
28. Closely follow a baseball team for a season
29. Get fitted for contacts
30. Take the ferry across the bay to Heath Ceramics and buy a seconds coffee mug
Saturday, November 7, 2009
- Been to two large outdoor free weekend-long music festivals in Golden Gate Park.
- Gone kayaking in the Bay and flipped over my kayak.
- Purchased my first "real" bike and was thrown over the handle bars within the first ten blocks.
- Attended a dinner party where someone was wearing sweats.
- Attended a different dinner party where they served pot brownies for dessert.
- Was interviewed for the nightly news on my thoughts on MUNI free-loading riders.
- Grown obsessed with Samusa Soup from Burma Superstar.
- Applied for approximately 1 billion jobs.
- Read the entire internet.
Settling Down or Setting Myself Up for Disappointment
Friday, November 6, 2009
Life as a Troll or Turn Back on the City
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Here vs. There or Just Another Friday Night at the (Home) Movies
Hi friends,