LolaGeek

I couldn’t let a full month go by without an update, that would be redonkulous. The thing is, most of the people I care about who read this blog (or used to read it), I’m friends with on Facebook, or at least Twitter, and that’s how we keep up with each others’ lives now. It’s kind of the lazy way out, but it’s much easier to dash off a tweet than to compose a whole blog post.

Awesome things I’ve done lately:

• Went to a wedding for people I’d never met before
• More parties!
• Hosted an open house (besides the other girls doing it with me, guests were my mom, grandmom, and a friend from band – but we all had fun!)
• Watched The Office series finale (ok, that one is not awesome … it was very good though – I cried watching it, then watched again and cried again)
• Watched the SNL finale (may have also cried at Stefon’s wedding)
• Saw my chicklet and her chicklet for their birthdays (thank you, MB, for having your child so conveniently close to your own birthday)
• Became BFFs with this little girl on Bring Your Kid to Work Day after I showed her how to photocopy her hand in an attempt to keep her quiet in the office
  
  
  
• Played in a semi-Mexican themed band concert riddled with cringe-inducing unintentional cultural insensitivities and many awkward moments
  
  
  
• Had the very unique and special opportunity to test drive a Tesla!
  
  
  
• Took my grandmom to see The Great Gatsby, after explaining that rap music today is like jazz was in the 20s (My review: if you are a Baz Luhrmann fan, you will love it. The story was pretty much tailor-made for him to tell anyway – for example, Luhrmann uses a billboard in his films [L'Amour in both Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, I believe], and in Gatsby he uses the Dr. T.J. Eckelburg billboard. I think the music was also very tastefully done, as with Moulin Rouge and R+J, it just made it easier for a modern audience to relate to the period piece, by using familiar music. And it’s not all Jay-Z. I loved the use of Rhapsody in Blue, that whole sequence was perfect.)
• Spent a long weekend as an ice cream widow, to be followed by a week of craziness at work… and then besides a day here or there, I really have zero free time until August!
• As usually happens over Memorial Day weekend, immersed myself in a new band or TV show – this year it was Arrested Development (and now I’m ticked I don’t have Netflix so can’t watch the new season)

So it’s been another couple of moderately exciting weeks around here. GG contracted and then recovered from what I originally thought was a Man Cold, but when I actually took his temperature and it was almost 103, we decided maybe it was the flu. With the power of orange juice, Emergen-C, Tylenol, and a lot of couch time, he was totally back to his normal self within a couple of days. I felt like I might have started coming down with something (you know that feeling you get in the back of your throat, when you know you’re getting sick?), but luckily it didn’t pan out. Clearly, I have the stronger immune system.

Since she wasn’t able to get out much over the holidays, I took my grandmom to see “Les Mis” at the movies. This was the first movie she’d seen in a theater since I took her to see “Moulin Rouge” (and when was that? 1999?!). I took her to the one theater around us where it was still playing, and she got all confused because 1) there are 24 theaters, and 2) the screen is bewilderingly huge. But, she loved the movie, and was still talking about it when I went to see her the other day. I told her I’m taking her to see “The Great Gatsby” when it comes out, too – that’s one of her favorite books!

I did our taxes, finally… Usually I have everything done in February, but I was really dragging my feet this year.

As usual, I feel like there were a bunch of other things I actually wanted to write about, but once I sit down to write, I forget them all. I probably wanted to say something about how I read a book about saving on groceries written by “America’s cheapest family,” and either it was really dumb and common-sense, or I am a grocery genius, because I am already doing most of the things they recommend that it makes sense for us to do (as a family of two). I’m doing okay with my book-reading goal for this year, I think I should definitely be able to hit 25, especially if I read more books that interest me. If I’m just not into it, I drag my feet finishing a book, and that takes too long. I was hoping to be able to get more eBooks via my library, but they have kind of a limited selection, so it’s tough. But a friend just added me to her Amazon Prime account, so maybe I can get some good books from the Amazon Lending Library! Yay, technology!

Speaking of Amazon, I reluctantly ordered Nanobots… even though you can stream the whole thing online and I already heard it and wasn’t so impressed. But maybe it’ll grow on me. TMBG, what has happened to you?

For the fourth year in a row (and just under the wire), I’m trying to put together a best-of review. I’ll confess up front, I don’t remember reading one actual book this year, so that category is out. [Edit - 1/7] According to my Goodreads list, I did read two books in 2012: Patton Oswalt’s Zombie Spaceship Wasteland and a book written by a guy GG knows about his experience with IBS. Neither was super impressive, so the category is still out. [/Edit] I’m planning to get a Kindle soon (!), so hopefully I’ll have lots to choose from for 2013. 2012 seemed to come and go so quickly, I don’t even know if I remember what all I did/saw in these categories, but I’ll try.

Movie: The Cabin in the Woods
I have to just say, this was a really tough choice for me, as I saw some amazing movies this year: Cloud Atlas, Les Miserables, The Master… However, Cabin in the Woods was one of the most original movies I’ve ever seen. It really turned the horror movie genre upside down and inside out, and I have been recommending it to everyone since we saw it.
Runner Up: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Ok, maybe I’m going sort of lowbrow with my choices here, but I reward originality! Yes, this was based on a book, but the story was so original and really wove the vampire thing into actual history in a clever way. The special effects were also great, and I think this movie deserved more attention than it got. (Also, I guess Benjamin Walker is just doomed to play badass versions of former presidents.)

TV Show: The Office and 30 Rock
Both of these shows are in their final season and they’re tied for my top pick. The Office, I felt, was going downhill for a while but they’re really turned things around in this last season and the story is getting pretty good. Also, I love that they’re throwing in little meta comments – like a couple episodes ago, some of the characters were trying to find a private place to have a conversation, and one of them goes, “Well, a documentary camera crew has been filming our every move for the past nine years, but I think we’re safe here.” 30 Rock is consistently hilarous and has the funniest lines to quote, so I’m really sad to see it go, but you can tell all the actors probably want to move on to bigger things anyway. I just hope they reveal what the deal is with Kenneth!
Runner Up: Fringe – Also in its final season, but not by choice, so the story has to be quickly wrapped up, and it feels like it’s moving way too fast. I wish they’d let this show go on longer, because it’s awesome.

Album: Janelle Monae, The ArchAndroid
Amazing, amazing, amazing. I would love to see her perform live (she was actually in Philly this year, but we had other plans). Definitely watch Janelle Monae, she is going places.
Runner Up: The Lonely Island, Turtleneck & Chain – Does this get an honorable mention because it was pretty much the only other album I bought this year? Perhaps. I think I like it less than Incredibad because there is more cursing, so it’s harder for me to sing along with, but musically it’s a step forward for them.

Restaurant: Poogan’s Porch
It’s hard to choose from among all the amazing places we ate this year, let alone on our Charleston trip, but this place wins for their amazing smoked gouda mac and cheese. Seriously, fly to Charleston right now and order a bowl, you can thank me later.
Runner Up: Amada – Second time on the list for this Garces Group restaurant, but it’s amazing and we ate here twice this year: once at the Revel Casino location when we were in Atlantic City, and once in December as GG’s Christmas gift to me (and, ok, for himself too).

Vacation: Charleston
GG and I took our first real vacation in several years, and GG told me on our last night there that it was the best vacation we’ve ever taken. We’re still talking about when we can get back. This trip had everything we like: food, historical stuff, food, sightseeing, museums, food, shopping, and food. Did I mention the excellent food?
Runner Up: Washington, DC – My only other overnight trip that was not work-related, but even this was work-related since I met up with some coworkers there. But we had fun doing the museums, and the weater turned out to be beautiful. I also had dinner with an old friend from elementary school who I hadn’t seen for years, so that was nice.

Oh goodness, what has happened in the past 9000 years since I last updated? We had Thanksgiving with GG’s family, that was nice, and it was also nice to not be rushing between two houses and trying to eat two meals. Then that weekend we went to MB and A’s for “Friends Thanksgiving,” which was even nicer because of course we all actually wanted to be there ;o) I cooked (brussels sprouts with bacon!), and a lot of people brought stuff, and MB and A had prepared a huge turkey. And my favorite baby R is just as cute as ever, and so smart! She says the best stuff and has the cutest giggle :o)

GG and I watched the new “Trapped in the Closet” episodes. Of course, we were disappointed in the end and I’m sure there will be more coming. (R. Kelly has said he wants to make like 80 chapters? Or 80 more chapters?! He said the story of Tina’s face twitch alone will take 3 chapters to explain!)

I got a lot of Christmas shopping done online, but I’m taking a day off this week and meeting MB and L for some hardcore last-minute gift buying. I also need to do all our Christmas cards! I have the list and meant to do them this past weekend, but I was lazy.

I had another very busy weekend with my side job a couple weeks ago, but it was a lot of fun and very very much worth it. Hope I can carry this momentum through next year! I’ve also been pretty busy with band. We’re in the middle of our holiday concerts right now, plus I’ve been designing and printing a lot of stuff (CD labels, oversized novelty checks, awards…). And speaking of designing stuff, I’ve also been asked to do some freelance web design work for a small business starting in a couple months (when the contract with their current design place is up), but in the meantime I’m helping them with social media. I met with the owner last weekend and helped him set up a Facebook page and Twitter, as well as claim their business on Yelp. Woohoo!

And I guess that’s about it! I’ve been so busy I feel like I don’t have time for my regular routines (when I went food shopping this weekend I had to dump out a bunch of expired coupons – usually I’m more on top of that; and I couldn’t even tell you the last time I vacuumed), but it’s a good kind of busy :o)

I will assume that by this point, unless you’ve been under a rock for the past several weeks, you’re familiar with the explosive Korean hit, Gangnam Style. I’ll admit, when I first saw my friends posting the video on Facebook, I didn’t click the link, because it looked like some kind of spam thing. I finally watched it myself a little over a week ago. I have no idea what he’s saying or even really what’s going on in the video, but most of the rest of America, I’m hooked. Here’s some of my favorite parodies and covers:

• SNL: Lids (This sketch inspired me to watch the video for the first time, so I could get the joke.)
• Gandalf Style
• Ohio University Marching 110 (If this doesn’t bring a smile to your face and make you wish you were still in marching band…)
• The Office Gangnam Style
• At the wedding we were at last night, it was played unironically on the dance floor – and I believe people did do the dance.
• Bay Area Wedding Music Video (Speaking of weddings, this couple took it a step, or two, or five, further…)
• NBC Olympic Style (Really good parody, just a few weeks too late, guys.)
• Vote Obama Style

Things I’ve done in the past almost two weeks:

• Hosted a very successful Thirty-One party that included guests from every facet of my life, which was weird, but of course everyone gets along :o)
• Went to see Reggie Watts at the Troc, which was a totally awesome and bizarre show. I would love to see him again, though, because he does a lot of improvization, so I bet it would be completely different.
• Started acupuncture. It’s weird. I haven’t noticed any change yet, but he said I need like ten visits. I’ll write about this whole TMJ thing after I’ve done a few more acupuncture treatments and have some perspective.
• Teared up at the Kristin Wiig farewell sketch on SNL.
• Made some awesome foods, thanks to Pinterest, including Cilantro Lime Chicken, Honey Yogurt Berry Pops, and an awesome Black Bean and Corn Salad that is almost exactly like the one they made at this Mexican place we loved (now closed).

I have almost no plans for the long weekend coming up, besides going to a friend’s BBQ. But I do have a long list of projects I want to get done – wish me luck!

There’s been a bunch of stuff I’ve wanted to write about, and I just never get around to sitting down and doing it. It also doesn’t help that I’m so busy that I feel like I’m always just catching up with the internet – I’m so behind on reading blogs and stuff, I can barely keep up. I should just keep a running list of topics or something. Enjoy, I think this post is going to be all over the place…

1) Rhapsody in May: Our band concert was last weekend, and it was amazing. I think it was our best concert ever. The feature of the concert was that we played “Rhapsody in Blue,” which has always kind of been a dream of mine to play. As of concert day, we had still never actually played the whole thing all the way through! I have to admit, I was nervous. But everything went so well. The soloist was great, and we all got a standing ovation. I had been saying all along that after playing that, I could safely quit band or die or whatever, and I’d feel like I’d accomplished a life goal. But on the way home from practice the other night, one of the women in my carpool said something about playing “An American in Paris,” so… new life goal? (I do love me some Gershwin.)

2) The Shops at Target: I was kind of “meh” about these mini-collections when I first heard about them, but I happened to be in target last week and they happened to have a bunch of enormous signs all over drawing attention to The Shops, so I briefly checked them out. The Webster, I just walked past, it’s not really my style. I also didn’t look at the Polka Dog Bakery, since I don’t have a dog and even if they had cat treats (I don’t know if they did), we are very well-stocked on treats and toys for the kitties. The Cos Bar display was neat, but it was just like soaps and nail files, and as Target Addict mentioned, you can get fancy wrapped soaps and things for less at places like TJ Maxx. I just looked past The Candy Store, some of the things were cute, but I had no need for special candies at the time. The Privet House collection looked nice; I didn’t look at the prices on the serving pieces and things, but I liked them. However, they had this set of blank notecards with rubber stamps to decorate them (like “thank you,” “you’re invited,” etc.) and it was like $12 or $15, which I thought was a bit much. I’m kind of interested to see how the fall round of Shops does. I’m interested in the Curiosity Shoppe and Kirna Zabête; it’ll be nice to have something for the guys with Odin; and I already like Patch NYC, so I’m excited to see what they bring to Target.

3) Mother’s Day: I went out with my mom and grandmother for lunch on Saturday to celebrate Mother’s Day early. I got them both the same gift, a Scentsy warmer and some bars, and I think they really liked them, so that’s good. Lunch was good, and then we went to Charming Charlie’s, which was really fun with them, we are all big fans of accessories :o)

4) Fringe Finale: I was a week behind on Fringe, so I got to watch both parts of the finale in one sitting. It was kind of a weird turn for things to take, but they wrapped everything up at the end. (I may have shed a tear. Just one.) This show always seems to be up for cancellation and it keeps coming back, but honestly, if this were the last season, I’d be ok with it. I think they ended in a good place. But it did set things up to be where we need to be for that flash-forward episode from a few weeks ago, so I’d definitely be happy to see the show continue and finish up that storyline.

5) Get Offended Comedy Show: GG performed in a comedy show last night with the Get Offended guys. I went to this show, for once, because it was at a restaurant that was non-smoking. Well, the show started like an hour late because they were waiting for restaurant patrons to finish eating so they could clear out the area where they’d be setting up the stage. The last guy there was actually the restaurant owner, who was lingering over dessert with, apparently, his teenage kids. He finally moved to a different spot so the show could get started, and things were going really well. There was a good crowd of fans, and the comedians were good. Then this one guy cut his act short because three little kids walked into the restaurant. Who brings their kids to a bar for dinner at 10:30 at night? I don’t know, but apparently the fact that there were children there was enough to derail the show. Some of the other guys just got up and started singing. I prodded GG to go sing, which he did, and in between he made loud comments about the young visitors. I guess that finally got to them, because the dad in the group told someone that they didn’t realize they were interrupting a show, and to please continue. I don’t know if he knew what he was getting into, but the show did go on! GG was the headliner, he did a thirty minute set, and he was a big hit!

6) Pen Organizer: This is barely blog-worthy, but ever since we lost our kitchen “junk drawer,” we’ve been keeping our pens, scrap paper, scissors, chip clips, and other assorted items in a big cardboard box. This was hard to get into, hard to find things in, and generally stressed me out with its disorganization. I’ve been looking for a while for some kind of organizer thing with pen compartments, slots for paper, and drawers for our little odds and ends. Today GG and I were getting ready to go to the supermarket, and I sketched him a little picture of what I was looking for. We stopped at Michael’s craft store before food shopping, and I swung him through the scrapbooking department to show him these organizers I’d seen there that are similar, but not exactly what I was looking for. Guess what – in addition to those close-but-not-quite organizers, there was another item that was pretty much exactly what I had sketched! And it was 40% off! I was so excited! I have all my pens and stuff organized in the kitchen now and it’s making me smile every time I walk past :o)

Last Thursday was like Friday for me and GG, because we were taking Friday off to go to the PA Farm Show. So I suggested on Thursday night that we go to the BBQ restaurant we went to before Christmas the night GG couldn’t eat because he had to fast. This time he could eat, and eat he did. Somehow I also finished my entire meal. The food was amazing, and the owner and everyone else who works there are so friendly. GG was just asking me today, what did I think would be a reasonable frequency for eating there?

So Friday we were off work but got up at our normal early wake-up time to head out to Harrisburg to meet L and S and go to the Farm Show. I think this was our third year going, and at this point we know what things we want to see and do, so we didn’t really waste time just wandering through. Also, we learned a bunch of stuff:

• You can tell a male bullfrog from a female because the male’s tympanic membranes (the circles behind his eyes) are larger than his eyes, and a female’s are smaller. The male’s are larger because they need to be able to hear each other’s calls.
• Cheese curds are pretty much the same as regular cheese, the difference is that it hasn’t been mushed into a block-shaped mold yet.
• There was a new type of nut called the Hican. These are actually a naturally-occurring hybrid, in areas where Hickory trees meet Pecan trees and they happen to cross-breed themselves. But there can be variations where it’s a little more on the Hickory side or more on the Pecan side.
• Flemish Giant and Angora rabbits really are that laid back.
• The line for vegetables will always be shortest – even if they are deep-fried vegetables.

We also saw lots of animals (both cute and huge), ate lots of samples, and ended up purchasing a lot of food too. And then there was the food hall:

Morning – no lines, lots of space to eat

Lunchtime – no place to eat, lines literally across the room

This was also a very Janelle Monae trip. GG was interested in The ArchAndroid, so I brought it in the car and thought we’d listen to it once on the way out there, and then he’d want to put his CD or radio back on. Nope, we listened to the the entire way to Harrisburg and back, probably about five times! I’m super obsessed at the moment, I wish she were playing, or, anywhere closer than Arkansas (!) anytime soon!

The rest of our Friday was pretty much spent napping. Then Saturday we napped, and watched Twin Peaks (my goal is to finish season 1 over this holiday weekend, we only have an episode or two left), and watched SNL. And today I went food shopping and then, guess what, napped!

My pulled muscle is feeling better, though definitely not 100% yet. Pretty much any time I’m sitting, I’ve got the heating pad on my lap. (And the cats just figured this out tonight…) For the Farm Show, I wore one of those heat patches that stays warm for 8 hours, and it really did stay hot that long and I think helped a lot, because I was not uncomfortable at all despite all the walking around. I still see and feel a little swelling, though. And I have at least another week of “taking it easy” ahead of me.

Last week we were kind of off-schedule all week, since it was a 4-day week and also the first week back to work after the holidays. Because of our schedules, I only planned to make dinner at home one night, Thursday. So Thursday rolled around, and after work I pulled out the bean soup mix my mom had given us for Christmas. Um, nevermind… the soup needs to cook for 3.5 hours, then you add more ingredients and cook for another hour! We didn’t especially want to be having soup for dinner at 9:00, so we went out on Thursday and then had soup on Friday (our usual going out night). I cooked it in the crock pot all day Friday, and it was very good. Plus there was enough soup to eat for like four days.

On Saturday, GG worked all day, and then I suggested we use the movie theater gift card we got last Christmas (2010!) and see Young Adult, featuring the fabulous Patton Oswalt (who basically played a crippled, bourbon-brewing version of himself). It was a really good movie, a little dark and a little funny. Best movie of 2012 so far. Also this weekend, we started watching Twin Peaks. It’s kind of a pain, because GG’s friend sent us the first season on CD, so we have to hook a laptop up to the TV and watch it in kind of a mini window. Whenever we get to season 2, it’s on DVD. We’re only a couple episodes in, but so far I’ve determined that everyone in this town is sleeping with each other, and Laura Palmer puts today’s overscheduled teens to shame (school, Meals on Wheels, tutoring the retarded kid, teaching the Chinese lady English, dating like three different guys, and doing drugs?!).

Sometime over the holiday break, I pulled a muscle in my lower abs. I was feeling better and actually on Saturday while I was running around doing errands, I was thinking about how it hadn’t really hurt all day so I was probably on the mend. That afternoon, I moved our coffee table to vacuum under it, and – ugh – I felt a painful tug in that same spot. This was quite a bit more painful than it had been originally, and more of a spread out pain. First thing Monday morning I called the doctor, and got an appointment for this morning. She confirmed that I have an “abdominal muscle strain.” How do I, who does nothing active, keep getting all these weird injuries and strains and things that old people get? Anyway, I’m on prescription-strength ibuprofen for a week, I have to do stretches every night, I need to sit with a heating pad all day like an old lady, and for two weeks I have to be very careful about what I lift and use my hand to support my side if I cough. Seriously?! You don’t realize how often you use your abs, either. I can feel it when I’m trying to unscrew the lid to my pill bottle! Anyway, I’m glad it wasn’t anything more serious (GG kept asking, “What if you have a hernia?!” and even though I figured that would be considerably more painful, I googled a little bit and saw something about how a hernia might just be a dull ache and thought “uh oh” and stopped googling). Also, it was a new doctor that I saw today, and she was very nice. I just saw her because my usual doctor didn’t have an appointment until next week, but I’d see her again. They’re all in the same practice, and they don’t seem very strict about seeing the same person always…

In happier news, since I worked from home today so I could go to the doctor, I was able to sit next to my radio all day and play the Janelle Monae CD I just got. (Except for when I was on telecons. Which was actually for a lot of the day.) I heard an interview with her on NPR in 2010 when her album, The ArchAndroid, came out. And at that time, in May 2010, I added the album to my wish list. And I just bought it last week. Anyway, it’s awesome. Definitely my #1 album of 2012 so far :o) There’s a little of everything in here: orchestral, R&B, dance, retro, punk… You may recognize her single, “Tightrope,” from the Kmart commercial. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, I have a thing for albums where the whole thing works together as one piece of art (see also: Tally Hall’s “Good & Evil,” Cynic’s “Carbon-Based Anatomy”), which this one certainly does – it is actually Suites II and III of a larger work (her first album was Suite I).

For the past two years, I’ve been writing up these best-of lists. So I’ll try to keep it up.

Movie: 50/50
This movie was not what I was expecting, but it was much better. It was really sweet and moving, but still very funny.
Runner Up: Black Swan – I’m pretty sure I saw this in January, and therefore it counts. Beautifully creepy film, even though the black/white and mirror symbolism were a little heavy handed. I love that the ending was kind of open, though I like to believe that she died, having finally given the performance of her life.

TV Show: American Horror Story
We were turned on to this show by friends around Halloween. We got caught up and then continued watching weekly. It was sufficiently creepy and didn’t shy away from anything. As many mysteries as it introduced, it solved (unlike some shows, cough cough Lost…). I have no clue if or how they’ll be able to continue it for another season, but even if only this one season ever exists, I think it’s enough.
Runner Up: Work of Art – You can read my thoughts about this show here, but basically I think it’s one of the realest reality shows on TV, despite the poorly explained challenges, and in the end the judges made the right decision about who should win this season. I especially love the thoughtful critiques, and how the guest judges are artists known for whatever style/medium they are working with that week.

Book: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
I’d almost forgotten I read this book in 2011, but I read it in January, so it does count. I never wrote a review about it, but it is a beautiful book with a sort of unbelievable story, and the bad guy gets it in the end. I wish it had turned out differently with Jacob and Orito, but that’s the way the story goes…
Runner Up: The Help – I was probably the last woman in America to read this book, but it was very cute. My main problem with it was the way it ended – I know life doesn’t wrap up neatly, but I think we were owed more of a conclusion than the open ending that there was. I still want to see the movie, though.

Album: Tally Hall, Good & Evil
After many delays and setbacks, Tally Hall’s second album was finally released, and it is amazing. Seriously, amazing. Listen to it all the way through, and when you reach “Fate of the Stars” you will see how perfect it is. We saw them live for the third time, as part of their Good & Evil tour, and the show was great. I’m not sure what the future holds for Tally Hall, but I hope whether they are together or working on their own projects, they continue creating fabulous things.
Runner Up: They Might Be Giants, Join Us – It’s a good album. Really good. But… it had the misfortune of being released within weeks of Good & Evil, which won first place in my heart and MP3 player. And the wacko fans when we saw them live did not earn them any extra points.
Honorable Mention: Cynic, Carbon-Based Anatomy – Beautiful album, but it’s just a 5-track LP. They were awesome live, too.

Restaurant: Garces Trading Company
For the third year in a row, my favorite restaurant is a Jose Garces joint. GTC is probably the least formal of the Garces Restaurant Group restaurants, but I think it may be my favorite. We went to celebrate my birthday, and it was such a perfect evening. And did I mention… the cheese plate?
Runner Up: Chelsea Prime – Our second ever visit to this restaurant was on GG’s birthday, and it once again did not disappoint. We each cleaned our respective plates. Not to mention, the service is amazing, and there’s a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean.

Vacation: Atlantic City
This wins by default, as it was the only non-work-related overnight trip I took this year, but it was a great kind of last-minute trip (well, nothing is last minute for me, but I got this LivingSocial coupon and we just decided to go for GG’s b-day). Everything worked out great and we had a nice time, despite the questionable view from our hotel room.